Excuse yourself to get cleaned up

You look down at your damp, mud-streaked clothes, feeling the cold grime finally soaking through to your skin. The air in the room is thick with Skylar’s toxic energy, and you desperately need a moment to wash the mountain off yourself.

“Excuse me for a few minutes,” you say calmly, offering a reassuring nod to Paige and a quiet glance to Lauren. “I’m going to head into the bedroom to wash up, grab a shower, and change into some dry clothes. Take your time, get warm, and we’ll figure out the rest of the afternoon when I get back out.”

You turn on your heel and head down the short hallway, closing your heavy bedroom door behind you to finally find a moment of peace.

Stepping into your attached bathroom, you shed your mud-caked boots and heavy, damp uniform, letting them drop onto the tile. Turning the handle, you wait for the water to run piping hot before stepping beneath the heavy spray. The steaming water instantly cuts through the chill that had settled into your bones from the misty ridge trail, washing away the dark mountain mud and the lingering tension of Jaxson’s dramatic rescue. You lean your forehead against the cool stone tile for a moment, letting the sound of the rushing water drown out the echo of Skylar’s sharp voice down the hall.

After a long, hot rinse, you pull on a clean, dry flannel shirt and a fresh pair of boxers. Toweling off your hair, you step back out into the bedroom, feeling human again.

You approach your closet to grab a fresh pair of socks, but as you stand there in the quiet room, you hear the floorboards outside your bedroom door give a soft, rhythmic creak. A shadow breaks the light pooling beneath the doorframe.

The brass doorknob slowly turns, and the heavy wood swings open.

Skylar stands in the doorway. She has shed her designer windbreaker, now wearing only a tiny, silk cream-colored camisole that leaves very little to the imagination. She doesn’t look startled to find you half-dressed; instead, her ice-blue eyes slowly track down the line of your chest before snapping back up to meet your gaze with a sharp, calculating intensity.

“Oh,” Skylar says softly, her vocal fry returning in full **** as she leans casually against the doorframe, crossing her arms to deliberately accentuate her silhouette. “I was looking for an extra set of towels for the hot tub.”

She takes a slow step into your bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her until it clicks shut, cutting off the sound of Lauren and Paige down the hall.

“I was just thinking about my subscribers, and how much they hate waiting for content,” Skylar says softly, crossing her arms as she looks up at you with an intensely predatory gaze. “Jax is gone, and like I said, his brand is dead to me. But my premium tier still needs a hardcore scene shot by tomorrow morning. You’re rugged, you’re built, and you clearly know how to handle yourself out here.”

She steps closer, the scent of her expensive perfume mixing with the steam from your shower. “What do you say, Mark? Want to help me salvage my weekend and fill in for the shoot? And honestly... you’re already a major upgrade.”