The Very Naughty List

25. Hailey

25

HAILEY

Sebastian and I stagger our entrances, and when it’s my turn to slip back into the main room where the party is being held, I work hard to temper my giddy smile, hoping I don’t look as freshly fucked as I feel. He headed in before me, and I glance quickly at where he is standing off on the other side of the room by the bar where he’s ordering a drink.

My head is filled with thoughts of him, thoughts about how much I liked the possessive way that he kissed me and talked to me. I liked how he whisked me off as if I was his without question.

And now it’s not only my head that’s filled with him .

I swallow hard, my thighs clenching as I feel a bit more of his cum leak out of me and coat my inner thighs. I can still taste him on my tongue, and it takes a bit of effort to bring myself back down to earth as I scan the large room, searching for Nick.

When I left the gruff, bearded Cooper brother, he was standing at the edge of the open space in the middle of the room where some people are dancing, but now I don’t see him there anymore. He probably went to get a drink in order to tolerate listening to the gaggle of pretentious assholes while I was gone.

As I turn to head toward the bar, I spot Reid out of the corner of my eye.

He’s not alone, and at first I think he’s talking to Addison, who was standing near him earlier.

But it’s not Addison.

It’s Sutton .

His ex-girlfriend laughs at something he said, the sound light and airy, and my stomach twists with a sudden, uncomfortable rush of jealousy.

Sutton is beautiful. Stunning, really. Not only that, but she has a graceful air about her, almost like a ballerina, that always makes her seem elegant and ethereal. I don’t know if they stayed friends after they broke up, and I guess it’s not all that unusual for two people who used to date to say hi to each other at an event like this. But it’s the way they’re standing so close together, tucked away a little from the rest of the crowd, that makes me feel as if needles are prickling under my skin.

Sutton is standing a bit too close to him, her hand gently resting on the side of his arm as she leans in to speak in his ear. If I didn’t already know that they aren’t together anymore, I might even think they were a couple.

My footsteps slow, tension gathering in my shoulders.

It doesn’t matter, I remind myself. You’re not even supposed to be here as his date tonight. And even if you were, none of this is real. So he can talk to whoever he wants.

The words make logical sense, but my heart—and even my mind—refuse to fully process them. I know I can’t look at them without my emotions being stamped all over my face, so I clench my jaw and quickly turn away, pretending I didn’t even notice them.

Still, an ache spreads through my chest as I make my way across the room, deflating the balloon of post-orgasm bliss.

When I spot Nick in the crowd, towering over the people around him, relief surges through me. I pick up my pace, slipping through the well-dressed guests and stopping to say a quick hello to my family. I already said hi to the Montgomerys, grateful for Nick’s steady presence at my back as I did. It felt awful having to look his mother in the eye and smile, but if it helps my family’s business, I’ll act nice with whoever I have to.

“There you are.” Nick wraps his arm around my waist the second I stop beside him. “I thought I lost you.”

He sounds genuinely concerned, and I wince. I know he wouldn’t be upset about what happened between me and Sebastian, because the friends with benefits deal is between me and all three of the brothers. But I didn’t mean to make him worry.

“Sorry,” I tell him, leaning into his large frame. “I saw some girls bullying Iris on my way back from the restroom and stopped to help. And then Sebastian caught me and… wanted a moment alone.”

Nick’s eyebrows twitch upward. I wasn’t trying to make that sound like an innuendo, but I think it did anyway. I grin guiltily, biting my lip.

“We snuck into a storage closet,” I admit.

His midnight blue eyes darken, and he pulls me closer, wrapping his other arm around me too. His head drops as he buries his face in my hair, and I have to work hard to keep my mouth from dropping open on an audible moan. He’s not even doing anything, just breathing me in, but it’s enough to make my already shaky legs wobble.

“You smell like you just got fucked,” he murmurs after a second, in a voice low enough for only me to hear. “Did you?”

God almighty. This man . He doesn’t say a lot, but what he does say is usually enough to just about knock me on my ass.

“Yes,” I whisper.

We’re so close together that I can feel the small shudder that works through his body in response, and he drags in another breath before he finally releases me. He’s looking at me like he’s seriously considering dragging me back into that closet and taking his turn, but he must decide it would be too risky for the Cooper brothers to keep pulling me into secluded closets, because he just scrubs a hand over his bearded jaw and then turns back to watch the couples dancing.

I watch with him, sneaking glances over at Sutton and Reid every once in a while.

Between the possessive feelings and the heavy sexual tension between me and Nick, I’m a total mess, and I try to distract myself by providing a running commentary about the dancers. I speak in a low voice, telling Nick pieces of gossip about the people I recognize and making up stories about the ones I don’t.

“Is that true?” he asks when I tell him that one of the women dancing with a short, stocky man moved to Chestnut Hill because she’s in witness protection.

“No,” I admit. “I have no idea. I was just making it up.” I grin, turning to look up at him. “Should I call Shadow’s Edge and see if they’re looking for writers? I bet I’d be pretty good at it.”

Nick looks startled for a second. Then he barks a laugh, and the sound does almost as much to me as the dirty words he whispered in my ear earlier.

“I like your laugh,” I tell him. “It’s nice.”

He immediately starts to look self-conscious, and I can practically see him retreating into the shell he used to always slip into around me.

“You don’t have to do that,” I say before I can think better of it and stop myself.

His brow furrows. “Do what?”

“Hide from me.” I nudge him with my shoulder, my heart thudding harder. Maybe I shouldn’t be saying any of this, but I feel like I’ll regret it if I don’t. “I feel… I feel like you used to hold yourself back around me. Like you didn’t want me to see all of you. But you don’t have to do that. Because the truth is, every new piece of you that I get to know only makes me like you more.”

A flush rises up from beneath his dark beard, and my stomach flips. Fuck . Did I make things awkward? I know this is all supposed to be just no strings attached fun, so maybe I just crossed a line by saying that.

“Sorry,” I say quickly, backtracking. “I didn’t mean to?—”

“Hailey.” Nick’s gruff voice interrupts my babbling. My mouth snaps shut, and he turns toward me as our gazes meet. “The reason I was always so quiet around you was because… I like you too. And I was never sure how to act around you.”

My heart skips a beat in my chest, stuttering once before starting to gallop like a runaway horse. For a long moment, I can’t think of a single thing to say. Because unless I’m totally misinterpreting, Nick just admitted that he had a thing for me, even as far back as when we were kids.

The thudding of my heart intensifies as Nick and I stare at each other in silence.

Then I rest a hand on his chest, rising up onto my tiptoes to reach him as I press a soft kiss to his cheek. I’m tempted to kiss his lips, but I’m not sure Dylan’s party is the best place for a big show of PDA—and besides, I worry that if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

He leans into my touch a bit, like a flower seeking the sun, and butterflies fill my stomach when I finally draw back.

“I’m glad I know you, Nick Cooper,” I whisper softly. “I’m glad you’ve let me get to know the real you.”

His throat works as he swallows. “I am too.”

I grin at him, the giddy feeling I felt when I snuck out of the closet after Sebastian returning tenfold. But then I hear laughter coming from the corner where Reid and his ex are standing, and it breaks through the happy, light feeling in my chest. I look over to see Sutton smiling broadly and giggling at something Reid just said.

My stomach drops out, a cold feeling rushing over me as if I’ve had a bucket of ice water dumped over my head.

“Hey. You okay, songbird?” Nick cocks his head, looking a bit concerned, and I realize I must be frowning unconsciously.

“Oh. Yeah.” I do my best to find my smile again as I nod. “Everything is fine.”

My lie sounds unconvincing even to me, but before Nick can ask me anything else, Sebastian walks up to us with my brother beside him.

“All right, I think we’ve put in enough time here, don’t you think?” Sebastian tugs at his tie. “Let’s get the fuck out of here and go somewhere more comfortable.”

Lucas nods in agreement. My brother is usually pretty good at playing the part of polite diplomat at these sorts of functions. It’s probably a skill that he’s fine-tuned since becoming a football coach and having to manage a team of both players and their parents. But even he looks ready to go.

“Yeah.” He scowls. “I made nice with the Montgomerys for a bit, and none of us punched Dylan in the face, so I’d say we’ve gone above and beyond. I checked with mom and dad, and they’re heading out soon too.”

Nick nods, stepping away from us. “I’ll go grab Reid.”

I head toward the door with Sebastian and Lucas, already looking forward to getting out of here.

When Nick returns to join us with his brother in tow, I can’t help but stiffen a little as Reid’s shoulder brushes against mine. I pull away from him, Sutton’s laughter still echoing in my mind. I know it’s stupid to be mad at him, and I’m not even sure anger is what I’m feeling. But I just need a second before I can act like everything is normal.

He glances over at me, his brows furrowing, but he doesn’t say anything as we all get our coats and leave the venue, stepping out into the snowy night.

“What do you say? The Old Oak?” Sebastian suggests, and everyone chimes in with agreement. “Lucas, you want a ride?”

“Yeah, thanks. I came with my folks, so I don’t have a car here.”

When we reach the car, Lucas climbs into the front passenger seat as Sebastian gets behind the wheel. Reid opens one of the back doors for me, ushering me into the car. But before I slide in, he takes the opportunity to catch my arm in a light grip, dropping his head to speak in a low voice.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen at the party?”

“Nope, nothing at all.” I bite my bottom lip, then blurt quietly, “Looks like you had fun though. I didn’t realize that you and Sutton were still so close.”

Reid’s head jerks back a little, his hand freezing on the car door as he looks at me with a startled expression.

“Are you guys getting in or what?” my brother calls from inside the car.

I quickly slide in, and Reid climbs in after me, followed by Nick. I end up sitting by the window behind Lucas, with Reid in the middle of the back seat between me and Nick. Sebastian and Lucas fall into easy conversation, and I can feel Reid’s gaze on me in the dim interior of the car as he studies me.

“Hey, how about some music?” he says suddenly, looking up toward the front.

“Sure.” Lucas turns on the radio. He messes around with it for a bit until he finds a good song, then turns it up.

The sound fills the car, pouring through the speakers as Sebastian drives carefully down the snowy streets. I chew on my bottom lip, staring out the window to keep from looking over at Reid and having to explain why I’m so upset. Honestly, I’m not even sure that I can explain why I’m upset. It’s all just a hot jumble of emotions, and none of it is very easily put into words.

After a moment, Reid rests a hand on my leg. I glance down at it for a second before I meet his eyes, and he leans a bit closer.

“Are you… jealous?” he whispers, his voice barely audible.

My face flames, both because he’s calling me out on it and because it’s true. He must be able to read the answer on my face, because he shakes his head, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“Trust me, trouble,” he breathes. “I have no interest in my ex.”

I lean back and lift an eyebrow at him. “Oh, really?” I whisper. “It sure seemed like you did.”

His fingers trail up my leg, moving to the inside of my thigh and toying with the edge of my dress. I hate that it gives me chills, and I hate that he clearly notices. His lips curve even more, something burning in his eyes as he leans closer.

“It wasn’t her I was thinking about all night.” His breath stirs my hair as he speaks quietly. “It was this.”

His hand disappears under my dress, and I’m suddenly hyper aware of the fact that my panties are still stuffed safely away in Sebastian’s pocket. Reid’s fingers find my pussy, and I stiffen, my eyes shooting to the rearview mirror. Is he really doing this? With my brother in the front seat?

Holy fuck .

My eyes drift back to Reid’s, and he smirks at me. He clearly knows what he’s doing is risky, but he doesn’t seem to give a damn because his fingers are tracing my folds, teasing me. If Lucas catches us, I don’t even want to think about what might happen… but I also don’t want Reid to stop. Not after the way I saw his ex-girlfriend practically throwing herself at him tonight.

I steal another glance in the rearview mirror, but Lucas is totally absorbed by the conversation he’s having with Sebastian in the front.

This is insane and I know it, but I can’t stop myself. I spread my legs a fraction of an inch, silently inviting Reid to keep going. He smiles devilishly at me before he slips his fingers a little higher and drags them slowly up and down my slit before he presses one of them inside me.

My teeth clamp down on my lip to keep myself from making any noise, and I focus my eyes straight ahead, both to keep an eye on Lucas and because I know if I look at Reid, something is going to come out of my mouth and give us away.

Reid slides his finger in even deeper, then starts slowly working it in and out. His hand is thankfully covered by my dress, but I have to grip the cushion of the seat to hold back the moan that’s bubbling in the back of my throat. Lucas’s conversation with Sebastian and Nick definitely wouldn’t be enough to cover it up.

“So, what did all you think of the ball?” Lucas asks the whole car, and I tense up. It takes everything I have to keep a straight face, to not betray any hint that one of his best friends has a finger buried in me as we speak.

But Reid must really be in the mood to torment me, because just as I open my mouth to answer Lucas, another finger slips into me, choking the words in my mouth.

“F-fine,” I stammer.

Lucas nods, not seeming to catch on. Thank fuck .

“I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I had a fucking great time,” Sebastian says, glancing at me in the rearview mirror from the driver’s seat.

His eyes glint at me for a moment—until he spots Reid’s hand in my lap. I watch the comprehension play out on his face as he puts two and two together, and I silently beg him to be quiet. I give him the tiniest shake of my head I can manage, and he winks at me. I don’t know whether that’s a good or bad sign.

“It was all right,” Nick says, thankfully taking the focus off me as Reid starts fucking me faster with his fingers and massaging my clit with his palm. My breath catches in my throat, and my eyes burn at the corners from the effort it’s taking to hold in all the noises I’d love to be making right now. “But I’m glad we blew out of there early.”

“Hah. Nick has never been one to get into the holiday spirit,” Sebastian teases him, and Nick flips him off in the rearview, making the whole car laugh. Then Nick turns to face me, and his eyes land on the spot where Reid’s hand is moving surreptitiously beneath my dress.

What the hell are you doing? he mouths silently at me.

I give him a look before darting my gaze to Reid, reminding him that I’m not the one who’s doing this. A heated, amused look spreads across Nick’s face, and instead of doing anything to rescue me from my current predicament—although I’m not sure I want to be rescued, no matter how risky what we’re doing is—he settles back to watch, his eyes glinting in the lights that flash by outside the car.

“I’ve been feeling a little more cheerful than usual this holiday, honestly,” Sebastian says, still looking at me in the rearview.

“Me too,” Reid agrees as he pushes his fingers all the way inside me.

“Wow. That’s a Christmas miracle,” Lucas says, and the guys all laugh.

I appreciate that the triplets are doing their best to keep Lucas talking and distracted. God knows I need the help right now, because it’s taking every ounce of willpower I have not to melt into a moaning puddle in the back seat with Reid’s fingers working me over. Between the adrenaline rush of doing something like this and the way Reid seems to know my body even better than I do, I’m not going to be able to hold it together much longer.

“It’s nice having you back in town though, sis,” Lucas comments. “Just like old times, getting the whole gang back together. It’s awesome.”

“Yeah, it’s great,” I say stiffly with a forced smile, even though he can’t see my face from where he’s sitting in front of me. I can barely get the words out around the moan that’s burning in the back of my throat and threatening to give me away. Reid curls his fingers inside me, and I clench my thighs around his hand, my hands curling into fists as pleasure shoots through me.

Nick’s nostrils flare as he watches my response, his eyes dark.

Lucas, bless him, is totally oblivious. He slumps back in his seat and looks out the window. “Are we there yet?”

“Almost,” Sebastian answers, glancing up at me in the mirror as he makes a turn. My body weight shifts with it, driving Reid’s fingers deeper into me. “Something tells me you aren’t the only one in a hurry to get off this ride.”

His words are thick with innuendo, and a shiver races down my spine because he’s right. As good as Reid is making me feel, he’s also driving me crazy, and I can’t wait to come—the risk be damned. While Lucas is looking out the window at the streets of Chestnut Hill as the scenery slowly passes by, my eyes lock with Reid’s. I nod at him shakily, silently pleading with him to bring me over the edge.

He smirks and starts to work my clit and my pussy at the same time, sliding his fingers in and out as his thumb circles my clit. Sebastian turns to Lucas, asking him a question even as he reaches out to turn the music up a bit, and a rush of gratitude fills me as pleasure spikes in my veins.

Reid glances at his brother, then shifts his expression back to me.

He subtly leans a bit closer to me, dropping his voice as he murmurs, “This is for thinking I still have any interest in Sutton, trouble. Remember this next time you feel jealous of her or any other woman. None of them could ever compare to you.”

He drags his fingers out of me and pinches my clit gently, making me jolt and dig my nails into my palms. The rush of sensation sends me soaring closer to an orgasm, and when Reid repeats the action once more, a little harder this time, I fall to pieces.

I raise one hand to my mouth and bite down hard on my knuckles to keep from making a sound, my gaze still locked straight forward. Sebastian glances up, watching the scene play out in the rearview mirror without giving anything away or crashing the car, and somehow, he manages to keep up his conversation with my brother through it all. But although his tone is even and casual, I can feel the weight of his gaze like a physical touch.

Reid circles my clit with the pads of his fingers, working me through the end of my climax, and a tiny squeak escapes me.

“You okay, Hailey?” Lucas asks. “I can scoot my seat up if you don’t have enough room.”

“No!” I choke out, my pulse jumping. “No, I’m fine.”

“There’s plenty of room back here. We’re good.” Reid slowly pulls his fingers away from my clit as he speaks, leaving a smear of wetness on my inner thighs, then withdraws his hand from beneath my dress. My eyelids flutter as I watch him, and he stares at me intently as he lifts his fingers to his face.

Reid , I mouth, wishing I could whimper his name out loud as he sneakily licks the tips of his fingers, cleaning up my wetness.

“Yeah,” he says, dropping his hand and leaning back in the seat, satisfaction radiating from him as I struggle to catch my breath, my entire body tingling. “We’re doing just fine back here.”