The Very Naughty List

7. Hailey

7

HAILEY

By the time we all leave the bar, it’s late, and I’m feeling positively wonderful. I’m no longer even a bit tipsy, thanks to Nick’s decision to order the entire menu. Instead, I’m pleasantly full, happy, and warm. I feel much better than I thought I would being back here in my hometown, which holds so many of my best and worst memories.

I give my brother a hug goodnight as he heads out, and then the triplets walk me to my car.

“Okay, so who’s taking her out on a date first?” Reid looks at his brothers before quickly suggesting that he should be the one to make plans with me first.

“Like hell,” Sebastian argues. “I’ve already got a great idea for a date, so I’m going first.”

“You guys really don’t need to take me out on dates,” I say with a laugh. “I think that what you did here at the bar was enough to get the point across to everyone.”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth though, I immediately regret them. Because after the fun we had tonight, I really do want to go out with each of them one-on-one.

“Nah.” Nick makes a noise in his throat, shaking his head. “It’s a good idea for us to be seen doing stuff with you. If this were real, we’d want to spend every waking minute with you. We need to make it believable.”

Something flutters through me at the sincerity in his tone, and I look away from him as I nod. He’s got a point.

“Okay,” I say to Sebastian. “So what’s your idea?”

He arches the brow that has a little scar through it, shaking his head at me without answering.

“Not so fast there, shortcake. You have to promise you’ll go with me before I tell you what it is.”

“What? That’s not fair!” I laugh and look to Reid and Nick for backup, but they’re both staying out of it. Finally, I relent. “Okay, fine. I’ll go. Now tell me what it is, please.”

He flashes me his widest smile. “I’m going to take you to do the Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Monroe tomorrow morning.”

My jaw drops. “Are you serious? There’s no way in hell that I’m doing that with you. The lake is fucking freezing this time of year! I’ve heard they literally have to cut away the ice by the shoreline to make it possible.”

“But you already promised! Besides, I’ll keep you warm.” He gives me a look that probably could thaw ice, and I have to work to keep the flush from traveling up my face. Then he waggles his eyebrows, taking a step closer to me. “Come on, Bennett. I dare you. You aren’t scared, are you?”

The other two men chuckle—probably because they know that Sebastian has shamelessly hit on my weak point. Maybe it’s from growing up with an older brother, but I hate to back down from a challenge. Sebastian and I managed to get each other into trouble a couple of times when I was younger by throwing down dares or bets for each other, and he clearly knows that it’s his best chance of getting me to go with him.

And… dammit. He’s right.

“All right.” I scrunch up my face, already regretting this. “ Fine . I’ll do it. I’ll meet you by Lake Monroe in the morning.”

Sebastian raises his arm in victory, his blue-green eyes shining in the dim light outside the bar. “There she is! The girl we know and love.”

His easy affection makes something warm and soft spread through my chest. I know he doesn’t mean it in a romantic way, but it’s still nice knowing how solidly these three men are on my side. If I was worried that being away for two years would change things between us, those fears were clearly unfounded. If anything, the Cooper brothers seem even more protective of me than they used to be, and they all seem happy to have me back.

I like that. A lot.

“I’m taking you out too,” Reid puts in. “Sebastian doesn’t get to have all the fun. Besides, I’m the first one you technically agreed to ‘date,’ so that means I should at least get to go second.”

It’s kind of endearing to watch as the three brothers create a running order for who will take me out when, even if they are only fake dates. There’s something about having these three ruggedly handsome men all arguing over their chance to hang out with me that’s simultaneously sweet and a little daunting.

Nick clears his throat, his expression stoic and serious as he tells me, “My date with you won’t be anything as dumb as taking you to the Polar Bear Plunge.”

Sebastian makes an indignant noise, and I bite back a grin.

Reid opens my car door for me, and I climb inside behind the wheel. He bends down a little, the light from the neon signs in the bar window reflecting off the copper strands in his brown hair.

“‘Night, trouble,” he tells me. “Go get some rest. You’re going to need it if you’re doing that stupid plunge in the morning.”

I nod, and he closes the door for me.

For a second, I stare out my window, watching as the Cooper brothers turn to head back toward their car. Their broad shoulders seem even wider when lined up side by side like that, and it strikes me—not for the first time—that although separately, any one of them would be a force to be reckoned with, together, they’re devastating.

Without the heat on in my car, I’m starting to feel the cold, so I finally turn the key in the ignition and pull out of the bar parking lot, heading back to my temporary lodgings.

I figure Ted is probably already asleep in his room since it’s late, but I’m surprised to see that not only is he wide awake and sitting on the couch in the living room, he’s also smoking a blunt cigar and listening to the kind of music that makes me think someone’s dog got hit by a truck. The whole thing is rather stomach-turning.

“Welcome back.” Ted pulls the cigar out of his mouth as he looks up at me and holds it out in his hand.

“No, thanks.” I barely suppress the urge to retch. “I, uh, don’t smoke.”

“Neither do I.” He shrugs, putting the cigar back in his mouth and speaking around it as he adds, “Only when I’m about to jam.”

Oh, dear god, no.

I cringe as he pulls an acoustic guitar out from the side of the couch and starts to play along with the music coming through the speakers. Giving him a vague wave, I make a beeline toward my room, slipping inside and closing the door behind me. I was hoping it would block out the sound, but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to make much difference. I’ll have to pray he gets tired and gives it up before too long.

After such a wonderful night, it’s kind of a downer to have to come back to a shitty place like this, but I brush it off, refusing to let it put a damper on my mood. At least I have a safe, cheap place to stay, even if it’s less than desirable.

I get changed quickly, sliding a soft, oversized T-shirt over my head before washing my face and brushing my teeth and hair. Then I climb into bed and try to settle my mind down enough to fall asleep.

I could blame Ted’s atrocious music for the fact that I can’t seem to drift off, but in all honesty, I’m still too keyed up from my eventful day to be able to sleep yet anyway.

So instead of staring blankly into the darkness, I pick up my phone and text Lorelai. It’s not quite as late where she is, so I’m pretty sure she’ll still be awake.

ME: Hey, are you still up?

LORELAI: Of course! I’m doing my nails in bed.

I laugh out loud, because I can totally picture Lorelai doing that right now. It’s just like her to be up late with her dark hair tied up in a messy bun while she paints her toenails alternating shades of pink. I can see her heart-shaped face peering closely at each nail to paint it perfectly.

ME: So remember how you told me not to get distracted by any hot guys while I’m here?

LORELAI: I knew it. You went and fell for some mountain man, didn’t you?

ME: Calm down, lol. It’s actually not nearly as exciting as I made it sound. It’s my brother’s three triplet best friends, and it’s only a sort of pretend situation to get my ex to leave me the hell alone.

LORELAI: Whoa whoa whoa. Back it up there, sweet cheeks. I’m gonna need a hell of a lot more details than that. You’re talking about the Cooper brothers, right? THE Cooper brothers??

ME: Yup. I’m fake dating them. All of them.

LORELAI: Holy. Shit! Fake dating? I didn’t even think that was a real thing! How the hell did that happen??

I fill her in on everything, texting her until my eyelids start to droop and I fall asleep with my phone still clutched in my hand.

When my alarm goes off in the morning, I wake up feeling a little less enthusiastic about this whole idea.

Not the fake dating plan—which I’m actually very much still on board with—but specifically, my date with Sebastian.

Damn my past self and her inability to back down from a dare.

I throw one arm over my face dramatically, groaning into the quiet morning air. Ted stopped his racket a short while before I fell asleep last night, so it’s blissfully silent in the house now.

“Are you seriously going to do this, Hailey?” I mutter to myself.

I was raised in Montana, so I grew up with cold weather. But I’ve had two years for my blood to thin out while living in Los Angeles, and even before I left Chestnut Hill, I was never really the type to participate in things like the Polar Bear Plunge. I always figured that winter is cold enough. Why add to it by voluntarily jumping into a freezing lake?

But Sebastian was always the daredevil of Lucas’s brotherhood of best friends, and I like to think that I was part of that group more often than not, even if they were just indulging me by letting me join. I can remember how Sebastian had a way of getting me to take the leap on things, even back then. Anytime I felt skittish about something, he always seemed to be there helping me rise to the challenge.

It’s funny, in a sort of sad way almost, how everyone always saw him as such a rebellious kid. I guess that maybe I saw a different side of him sometimes, a side that wasn’t always just about thrill-seeking but about something a lot deeper. He had a gift for making me feel braver and bolder than I actually probably was.

So I’ll rise to the challenge this time too. I refuse to wimp out on him. And to prove it, I’m even going to take things up a notch.

Hauling my ass out of bed, I pad over to the dresser where I put a bunch of my clothes when I unpacked. Then I rifle around in the top drawer until I find the very skimpy bikini I brought. I had several just like it in LA, since it made perfect sense to own a bunch of bikinis there. Of course, here it pretty much makes no sense at all.

Unless you’ve been tricked into doing a plunge into a freezing lake, in which case it’s the perfect outfit to prove that you’re not even a tiny bit scared of the cold.

I strip off my sleep clothes and put on the bikini, tying the pink strap around my back and pulling at the Brazilian bottom just a bit so that it leaves at least a little to the imagination.

Then I cover up with a big warm coat, and give myself a determined nod as I stand in front of the mirror on the wall.

It’s literally freezing outside. There’s snow on the ground, and underneath this coat I’m practically bare-ass naked—with the exception of enough fabric to dress maybe half a dozen Barbie dolls. The coat reaches almost halfway down my calves, thank goodness for that, and my boots reach the rest of the way up. From the outside, I almost look like I’m actually dressed for the weather.

I head out to meet Sebastian, pulling up to see a bunch of townspeople gathered at the edge of Lake Monroe already. The Polar Bear Plunge is an annual tradition, and almost everyone who’s milling around on the shore participates every year, which is probably why most of them are smart enough to have wetsuits or at least long-sleeved shirts and pants on, and a dry change of clothes nearby.

At least I have that. I’m already looking forward to putting on the sweater and pants I brought with me for afterward.

Sliding out of the car, I wrap my arms around myself and look around, scanning the crowd. Sebastian isn’t here yet. I must have beat him. If memory serves, he was never much of an early riser.

For a second, I’m tempted to get back in the car, drive back to Ted’s, and crawl back into the bed in his spare room. But I’ve already made it this far, so instead of letting myself chicken out, I quickly shuck my coat and stride toward the shoreline. I join the rest of the crowd as they wait for the event to begin, my bright pink bikini like a beacon against the stark white snow that covers the ground by the lake.

“That sure is a statement.”

I turn around to see a guy I vaguely recognize from high school. He was a year behind me, I think.

“Oh.” I chuckle, my teeth chattering a little as I blow out a breath. “Thanks.”

“Is this your first time doing the plunge?”

“First and last ,” I say fervently, making him laugh.

“It’s not so bad,” he assures me. “The trick is not to hold your breath, and not to try to keep yourself from shivering. You want to shiver. It’s what keeps you warm.”

“Noted.” I nod as a visible tremor passes through my body, and his smile widens.

“You should’ve kept your coat on until right before we went in.” He takes a step toward me, reaching out as if he’s going to rub my arms. “Here, let me?—”

“Hey, asshole. Beat it.”

A sharp voice cuts him off, and we both glance up to see Sebastian bearing down on us. The guy from my high school blanches a bit at Sebastian’s massive size and the hard, protective look on his face. He holds up his hands and gives me an apologetic look, then turns and quickly walks away.

I’m about to tell Sebastian that he didn’t need to worry about that guy, but before I can, the youngest Cooper brother rounds on me—and he still looks pissed.

“What the fuck are you wearing?” he grits out.

I blink, surprised. I didn’t expect him to be angry about it. If anything, I thought he’d find it funny that I met his dare and one-upped it.

“A bikini. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen one before.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen one before, smartass,” he says, narrowing his eyes like he wants to bend me over his knee and spank me. “But why the hell are you wearing that here? Every guy at the lake is staring at you.”

“So what?” I glance around, sure he’s exaggerating. “I mean, why does it bother you so much? I’m only your fake girlfriend, not your real one.”

“Good fucking thing.” His eyes are still locked on me, his jaw tight. “If you were my real girlfriend, I’d throw you over my shoulder and carry your ass out of here.”

A shiver that has nothing to do with the cold races up my spine at the dark promise in his words, and for some reason that I can’t quite understand, instead of backing down… I poke the bear.

“Like hell you would.”

I lift my chin, uncrossing my arms so that more of my stomach is bared, just to make a point. It’s even colder without that extra bit of protection from the chilly air, but I don’t care.

A muscle in Sebastian’s jaw jumps, his gaze dropping downward before shooting back up to my face. Then he moves, scooping me up and tossing me over his muscular shoulder with ease. I let out a surprised yelp that turns into an ‘oof’ as my body folds over his shoulder, my head and arms dangling and my ass in the air.

He turns and strides toward his car, and I can feel the palm of his large hand against my butt as he tries to cover my ass on the way.

“Sebastian!” I hiss. “What are you doing?”

“What you dared me to do.”

“I didn’t dare you to do anything,” I insist, squirming a little in his grasp but trying to keep my voice down so that we won’t draw more attention than we already have.

“Like hell you didn’t.”

When we get to his car, he sets me down and stands in front of me. My back is up against the cold metal side of the back passenger door as he reaches into the front seat to pull something out. His body is practically pinned against me, and I feel as if I’m shaking all over.

“Here. Put this on.”

He hands me one of his shirts and starts to pull it over my head before I can protest. I’m tempted to put up a fight just for the principle of it, but as he slips the oversized shirt over my head and tugs it down, it’s hard to regret the extra bit of warmth the additional layer offers. Plus, it’s surprisingly soft and smells just like him. Although I’d never admit this to him, I find myself wanting to pull it even tighter around me and never take it off.

“There, that’s better.”

Sebastian nods. He seems a bit more satisfied now that I’m covered up. And even though I know that the whole jealous display he just made was a fake one, likely for the benefit of all the guys gathered at the lake who will run their mouths until word gets back to Dylan… I still liked it. My heart flutters a little at the idea of Sebastian Cooper being that jealous of other men for looking at me. Jealous enough and possessive enough that he literally covered up my ass with his hand as if claiming it as off limits for anyone else to see.

“You ready?”

His question jars me back to reality. Fuck. We still have to do that part .

“Right, the plunge.”

It’s time for everyone gathered here to race into the water, and I suck in a deep breath as we walk back over to join them, studiously avoiding people’s curious glances.

I’ve got no coat, no boots, and just a T-shirt and scant bikini with bare feet in the snow. I’m fucking freezing.

I watch as Sebastian sheds his coat, his arm and chest muscles flexing with the movement. He tosses it aside, leaving him in just a pair of swim trunks and a shirt. Suddenly, I don’t think I feel the cold anymore, even though my toes are numb.

He extends his hand out for me to take. “Come on, we’ll wade in together.”

“Wait, aren’t we supposed to plunge ? Isn’t that kind of the whole point?”

“I admire your courage, but let’s take this slow. My brothers would never forgive me if I gave you hypothermia before they had their chance to go on dates with you.”

I give him a suspicious glance. I’m sure they don’t care that much, but I guess I should just be glad he wants me to live through this.

We walk into Lake Monroe together. Like they do almost every year, the event organizers have opened up a large section in the ice that covers the lake, allowing us access to the freezing water. As soon as my foot sinks into it, a shock of cold streaks up the inside of my leg like a lightning bolt.

Sebastian wraps his arms around me as we slowly walk in deeper, the frigid water surrounding us.

“Just breathe,” he reminds me, and I let out a gasping exhale.

By the time we’re up to our chests, we stop walking and face each other. He holds on to me, and I press my whole body against his out of the sheer need to combat the freezing lake water. I can feel his warm breath at the side of my neck as I bury my face against him, and his strong arms wrap around my back in an unwavering grip.

“Breathe with me,” he murmurs again. “You’ve got this.”

I nod, my teeth chattering and my entire body screaming at me to race for the shore. But I don’t, and as the two of us breathe together, our chests rising and falling in sync, pressing harder against each other with each inhale… I start to feel less cold.

Taking one last breath in, I lift my head to look up at him. He’s gazing down at me, our faces only inches apart.

“Okay,” I whisper. “I’m ready.”

He nods. “One…”

“Two…”

“Three.”

At the last word, he tightens his arms around me, holding me close as we both plunge the last bit into the water, dunking our heads beneath the surface. The shock of it hits me all over again, and we both resurface like monsters emerging from the deep, gasping for air as we make unintelligible noises. We race toward the shore, one of Sebastian’s large hands wrapped around mine.

By the time we finally get out, we make a beeline toward his car, dripping with each step.

“Here.”

He pulls a towel from his back seat and wraps it around me, covering up my wet bikini and soaked shirt. Then he rubs the sides of my arms as if he’s trying to start a fire. I laugh, giddy from the experience and strangely energized by it too.

“See? It was fun, right? I told you it would be a good time.” His smile broadens, and he finishes helping me dry off a bit before grabbing a second towel for himself and wrapping it around his shoulders. I put my boots back on, and we lean against his car and watch everyone else come in from the water in a staggered pattern as they compete to see who can withstand the cold the longest.

Some of them grab thermoses out of their cars, huddling and chatting as they enjoy a post-plunge beverage. Sebastian notices and lights up, grinning at me as he opens his door again.

“Hang on. I forgot I brought you something.”

He grabs a small bag and two cups from the cupholder in his middle console, then straightens and shuts the door.

“Here.” He hands me a cup of coffee and a donut. “I thought this might help make up for the fact that I basically entrapped you into doing the plunge.”

I take it from him, smiling because coffee and a donut sounds perfect right now. I take a sip from the cup, and my brows furrow.

“What is this?”

“It’s a half-caff latte with cinnamon and vanilla. That’s still what you like, right?”

I’m totally stunned. It’s not the gesture that leaves me speechless, it’s the fact that Sebastian remembered exactly how I like my coffee and what my favorite donut is. I can smell the vanilla and cinnamon wafting from the steam out of the top of the cup, and the donut is a perfectly crispy old-fashioned.

“Yeah, that’s still what I like,” I murmur, working to make my voice sound normal. “I’m just surprised you remembered, that’s all.”

“Of course I remembered, shortcake. You haven’t been gone that long.” He chuckles. “And besides, we’re ‘dating’ now, aren’t we? I’m not gonna half ass it and get my girl some shit she doesn’t like.”

His smile is teasing, but I know he means it. Sebastian doesn’t half ass anything. He’s the guy that drives the motorcycle full throttle and kisses the girl as if her life depended on it. That last part I know for a fact now, after last night at the bar.

“You’re a good fake boyfriend,” I say, trying to banish the heat that floods my veins at the memory. “I had no idea that you could be such a gentleman.”

Sebastian’s brilliant blue-green eyes darken. He runs a hand through his wet hair, dispelling a few water droplets from the messy dark brown strands as a devilish smirk curls his lips.

“Of course I’m a good fake boyfriend. But I’m definitely not a gentleman. In fact, I’m a great fake boyfriend because I’m not a gentleman.”

I swallow hard, my heart crashing against my ribs as if it’s trying to burst right through. “What does that mean?”

Sebastian gives me a look, almost as if I’ve just laid down another dare. He steps closer, plucking the coffee and the bagged donut from my hand and setting them on the roof of his car.

Then he pulls me into his arms and kisses me.

Unlike our first kiss at The Old Oak, this one doesn’t start off awkward or stiff. Instead, it’s like pure fire right from the start. His lips are firm and warm against mine as he presses me up against the car, pinning me between the cold metal exterior and his firm, muscled body. Even though we were just in a freezing lake, I can feel the heat radiating from his body into mine, and both of his hands slide into my wet hair as his thigh slips between my legs.

I gasp at the slight pressure on my clit, and although I have no idea whether that was intentional on his part or not, that doesn’t stop my body from responding. I arch against him, breathing in the fresh scent of the lake mixed with a spicy cognac and amber scent that I recognize as being uniquely Sebastian’s.

My arms wrap around his neck, pinning our bodies even closer together as I go up onto my tiptoes, chasing the pressure of his lips as he groans softly into my mouth.

I don’t know who’s watching us, or what prompted such a strong response from him.

I have no idea who we’re putting on a show for, but I tell myself that I’m just following Sebastian’s lead as I throw myself into our kiss without restraint, letting instinct take over.

He shifts his weight, making his thigh brush against my clit again through the fabric that separates us, and I bite back a whimper.

Holy shit.

He wasn’t kidding. Sebastian Cooper is definitely not a gentleman.

And in this moment, I’m really fucking glad about that.