The Very Naughty List

30. Nick

30

NICK

Our niece is pure and absolute chaos .

“Wait, wait! Hang on before you do that.” I reach out to grab the sprinkle jar from her hand, but it’s too late. Iris has already dumped a small truckload of sprinkles into a messy pile atop a Christmas cookie.

“Uncle Nick, look! ” Iris beams, clearly proud of her handiwork. “That one’s mine,” she declares, eyeing the sprinkle covered cookie with the look of a child who’s anticipating a major sugar high.

“Well, so much for that container of sprinkles,” Sebastian comments wryly. “We’ve got backups, right?”

“Yeah, right here.”

Reid brings out a few more of the small plastic containers while Hailey indulgently oohs and aahs over our niece’s decorating skills.

The kitchen is a total mess, Bruno keeps getting underfoot because he’s trying to lick up any spilled sprinkles, there are cookie cutters everywhere, and… I’m actually having a great time.

When Addison called yesterday to see if we could watch Iris for a bit today, we all agreed quickly. My brothers and I adore our niece, even though she’s a bit like a tiny walking tornado sometimes. Actually, that might be the exact reason why we love her so much.

“This is so fun! I love Christmas cookies!” Iris exclaims, kneeling on a stool by the counter and watching as Hailey rolls out more dough. She beams.

I hide a grin, my gaze shifting from my niece to Hailey. The Christmas cookies were her idea, and she seems to be having a great time with Iris. And for Iris’s part, every time she looks at Hailey, I swear she has stars in her eyes.

I don’t blame her for that one bit.

Hailey finishes rolling out the dough, and I watch as she, Iris, Reid, and Sebastian all gather around and start using the cookie cutters to cut out shapes. I snort when Seb tries to wad a bunch of extra dough into a cutter to get one last cookie out of the scraps of rolled-out dough.

“You’re not using it right,” I tell him. “I don’t think the cookies are supposed to look all irregular like that.”

“What are you talking about?” He shrugs, continuing right on with his mission. “They’re cutouts—they’re supposed to be all different shapes.”

He places a cookie that looks like a dangerously deformed reindeer on the tray, then dabs a splotch of frosting on Hailey’s nose. She grins, trying to lick it away, but she can’t quite reach it.

With a quick glance at Iris to make sure she’s not watching, Sebastian pulls Hailey away and licks the frosting off for her, following it up with a kiss on her lips.

“More sprinkles please!” Iris calls, holding out her hand like a doctor asking for a scalpel.

Reid shakes his head wryly, opening up a container and handing it to her.

“I blame you for this, you know,” he tells Hailey as she and Sebastian return to rejoin the cookie decorating. “You put all those sprinkles on that test cookie we made, and it gave her ideas.”

Hailey sticks out her tongue at him. “Maybe you just don’t understand art. Stop trying to stifle my creative expression.”

He smirks at her. “Sassy.”

“Bossy.”

The two of them share a look, amusement and attraction clear in their expressions, and another smile twitches at the corners of my lips.

“Come on, Nick!” Hailey glances over at me, gesturing me closer. “You haven’t made a single cookie yet. You have to try doing at least one . Maybe Reid will approve of your decorating techniques more than ours.”

She nudges Iris, who giggles.

I’m standing a little apart from all the action, and I hesitate. Although I love having Iris over, it’s not really in my nature to just throw myself into the hustle and bustle of activities like this. Normally, I feel more comfortable on the sidelines, but as Hailey raises a cookie cutter invitingly, I find myself stepping forward.

The movement is automatic, almost instinctive, and I can’t quite tell if it’s because a part of me has been itching to join in or because I’d do pretty much anything this woman asked me to.

I cram my large frame in around the counter with the rest of them, taking my time cutting out and decorating one perfect cookie as the rest of the batch gets made and decorated in a flurry of activity.

Once the tray is full and the last of the dough has been used up, Sebastian leans over to inspect my cookie.

“Wow, Nick.” He chuckles. “If you ever get sick of being a firefighter, I could see pastry chef as a viable alternative career.”

“Let me see.” Hailey leans over, and her jaw drops. She spins the tray around to give Iris a better look. “See that? Isn’t it so pretty?”

Iris’s eyes get big. “I love it. Uncle Nick, you’re so good at this!”

Even though it’s just a dumb cookie, I feel a flush of pride in my chest, and when Hailey looks up at me, she gives me a secret little smile.

“All right,” I announce, stepping back and clearing my throat. “We should get these in the oven now so they have time to cook before we have to head to the parade.”

“Good thinking.” Hailey nods. “Iris, do you want to help me?”

Iris hops off the stool and traipses over to the oven with Hailey, who makes sure the exuberant little girl stands well clear before she opens the oven door. Hailey explains to her how the heat will make the sugar crystals melt a bit, and I gaze at them as Sebastian and Reid start filling up the sink and dumping used cookie cutters in to clean them. I should help too, but I can’t seem to move.

I can’t look away.

Normally, I like to keep things well-organized and under control. I don’t like flying by the seat of my pants like Sebastian does or putting myself out there like Reid. But with Hailey, I feel like I’m drawn to her unbridled desire to just live life with everything she’s got.

I always had a crush on the idea of her when we were younger, and I never told anyone about my secret obsession with her. But even though I watched her back then too, always aware of her anytime we were in a room together, I never got a chance to experience this side of Hailey. The adult, impassioned, and unequivocally gorgeous version of the girl that I secretly held a torch for all those years ago.

But this? The real thing? This messy, lively woman making cookies with Iris and filling the house with joy and moving comfortably around our space as if she belongs here? This is even better. The real Hailey Bennett is so much better than the version of her that I thought I already adored.

I don’t even realize that I’m lost in thought and have been staring at Hailey until Sebastian walks up beside me and nudges my shoulder. I jerk a little in surprise, and when I glance over at him, he smirks.

“I know,” he says in a low voice.

Almost at the same time, we both turn our heads to look back at Hailey, and a sudden realization falls over me, as quick and certain as dusk coating the evening sky.

I’m not the only one who feels this way .

I don’t know if either of my brothers used to pine over Hailey the way I did, but I can tell they’re both fucking enamored with her now.

Reid turns to watch her too, crouched in front of the oven with Iris as they watch the cookies slowly start to puff up, and she glances over at us, probably feeling the weight of our gazes on her.

“What?” She frowns, swiping at her face and accidentally leaving a streak of flour on her forehead. “Do I have something on my face?”

“ Now you do.” Reid chuckles, standing up and gesturing for her to join him at the sink. “Come here. I’ll get it.”

He dusts the flour off her forehead, and we finish cleaning up while the cookies bake. By the time they’re done, we have to hurry out of the house to make it to the parade on time. We have to get there early, since we’re going to be on a float—something I still can’t quite believe I agreed to.

The annual Christmas parade is a big event in Chestnut Hill. A lot of people look forward to it every winter, dressing up and gathering by the side of the road to watch the procession go by.

My brothers and I rarely go though, and we’ve definitely never volunteered to ride on a float.

“Are you sure we can’t back out of this?” Reid grumbles as we make our way to the coffee shop where we promised to meet up with Addison to deliver Iris. “I think maybe running around in the snow the other day gave me a cold.”

Hailey calls his bluff immediately. “Oh no, are you getting sick?” She gives an exaggerated sigh. “I guess that means you won’t be able to join the rest of us in any activities for a few days. Bummer.”

Reid picks up on her insinuation and changes his tune. “Nah, I’ll be fine.”

Sebastian chuckles, punching him in the arm.

Addison is waiting for us outside Deja Brew, and she waves as we approach. She’s got a few bags with her, which means her Christmas shopping must have been successful.

“How’d it go?” she asks, and Iris beams.

“I made sooo many cookies.”

“And ate so many too, I bet.” Addison chuckles, shifting her gaze from her daughter to us. Her gaze flicks over Hailey where she stands between Reid and Sebastian, a look of curiosity crossing her face, but she doesn’t comment. Instead, she just gives us all hugs, thanking us again.

As Addison leads Iris to where Michael is holding a spot for them along the parade route, Sebastian, Reid, and I follow Hailey toward the staging area for the parade. They have a sort of makeshift tent set up for people who will be riding on the floats.

“Wow,” Sebastian mutters as we near the tent. “That thing sure is a spectacle, isn’t it?”

I follow his gaze to see a float advertising the Montgomery family’s real estate business, which is bigger than all the other floats in the lineup. It’s also the very first one in the parade.

I snort under my breath, then tense up a little as Dylan steps around the side of the float, coming into view. He has Brielle on his arm, and a few people who are probably employees of his family’s company trail behind them. He glances in our direction, his gaze landing straight on Hailey.

Without thinking, I reach out and put an arm around her, pulling her against my side possessively as I glare him down.

She’s mine, jackass .

For a brief second, Dylan’s face looks like he’s swallowed something sour, and a fierce satisfaction wells within me. Then we reach the tent, and Reid holds it open for us all to enter.

“Come on.” Hailey gives my hand a squeeze and then slips out of my grasp, walking quickly toward one corner of the tent. We’re the only ones in it, but I can tell other people have already been in here. There are little stations set up around the tent for each group that will be riding a float. “Our stuff is over here.”

She gestures to several costumes dangling from plastic hangers, and I freeze mid-step.

What the hell?

“Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves?” Sebastian flips through the hanging costumes, then gives Hailey a look. “Really?”

“We’re supposed to wear those?” I grunt.

She shrugs, putting on an innocent expression. “Yeah. Did I forget to mention we’d be dressing up? You didn’t think we’d just be wearing our street clothes, did you?”

I frown. “Honestly, I’m not sure what I thought this whole thing entailed.”

“I should be Santa because I’m the sexiest.” Sebastian winks at Hailey, who laughs and rolls her eyes.

“Okay, first off, no you’re not.” Reid snorts, shoving Seb’s shoulder. “Second, this is a family parade, so I don’t think anyone’s really looking for a ‘sexy Santa.’ You wouldn’t be able to handle the role, so I’ll do it.”

“What? No fucking way!”

Sebastian sounds like he’s ready to go to war over the Santa suit, and I don’t really blame him. I’m not thrilled about trying to squeeze my thighs into those tights that the elves are supposed to wear—which is why I’m glad that I have the obvious advantage here.

“I’m the only one with a beard,” I throw in. “Santa has to have a beard.”

Sebastian throws up his arms. “There’s a beard with the costume, and your beard isn’t even white.”

I’m just about to argue that point when Hailey steps in.

“Actually,” she says with a grimace. “The beard part of the costume is missing.” Her smile breaks out like a ray of sunshine as she turns to me. “So Nick gets to be Santa.”

I nod in satisfaction, unable to contain my grin as I watch my brothers struggling into their elf costumes. This is gonna be fucking great. I might need to take a few pictures to hang on to for future blackmailing purposes.

But when Hailey steps out from behind the little partition that blocks off the changing area, I forget about elves and parades and practically everything else in existence.

She’s wearing a pair of black boots, white tights, and a red fur-trimmed dress with a black belt wrapped around the middle. There’s a Santa hat perched on her head, and although nothing about the costume is particularly scandalous—Reid is right, it’s a family event—the overall effect makes her look so damn good that my cock twitches at the sight.

“Damn, songbird,” I choke out, my voice hoarse.

“Is it okay?” She spins around, trying to get a better look at herself since there’s no mirror in here, and I catch her hand to stop her.

“It’s perfect,” I tell her simply.

A flush paints her cheeks, perfectly complementing the deep red of the dress, and I have to subtly adjust my pants as I slip behind the partition to change too.

Fortunately, the Santa costume fits my large size, and although there’s some bitching and moaning, it doesn’t take Reid and Sebastian long to get dressed after I emerge.

“This isn’t the kind of elf I was hoping to be,” Sebastian grumbles as we leave the tent and head toward our designated float. “I was hoping for a more subtly sexy Middle-Earth type vibe. You know, with the long ponytail and the crossbow.”

“What the hell are you talking about? You’re a Christmas workshop elf.” Reid shakes his head, adjusting his pointed hat. “What kind of Santa’s elf have you ever heard of having a crossbow?”

“To be fair,” I interject. “I don’t think they had crossbows in Middle-Earth either.”

Although she’s trying to hide it, I can see Hailey’s shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. “I think you all look amazing. Sebastian, you’re sexier than Legolas.”

As we climb onto our float, I see a few guys from the station sitting in the firetruck, which is two vehicles ahead of us. Wilson, one of our newer hires, does a double-take when he glances over at me, then slaps Carter on the chest and gestures in my direction. I lift a hand in greeting, flushing slightly.

I’ve never once volunteered to ride on the firetruck in the parade, and that only involves wearing our usual gear—so I’m sure they’re a little surprised that I volunteered to dress up like Santa today.

Hailey rests her small hand on my shoulder and points to the Christmas throne on top of the float where I am supposed to sit. “That’s your spot, Santa.”

Dutifully, I go take my assigned seat. At least I know I’ll bring a few smiles to people’s faces, and I think riding around on the firetruck at Christmas time might become a new tradition once I hopefully attain fire chief status.

But when Hailey steps forward to sit on my lap, all thoughts of my future plans fly out of my head. My gaze snaps to her when she rocks a bit on my lap, working to keep her balance as the float lurches into motion.

“You’re riding with me?” I can’t contain my smile as I ask.

She gives me one of her radiant smiles. “Of course. Where did you think I would sit? There’s only one chair on the float.”

“I guess I thought you’d be standing with my brothers.”

She chuckles lightly as she glances over at Sebastian and Reid standing at the edge of the platform in their elf costumes. They both look a bit awkward, but I can tell they’re putting on a game face for the crowd.

“Mrs. Claus sticks with Santa on the float,” Hailey tells me with a decisive nod. “Otherwise, the elves might start to talk.”

A grin tugs at my lips. “Well, we can’t have any rumors flying around the North Pole.”

The float trundles down the street, and I wrap my arm around her waist to hold her securely against me as the parade begins—but we haven’t even made it a full block before I realize that our seating arrangement might’ve been a big mistake. The combination of her firm ass against my lap and the bouncing movement of the float on the bumpy road are nearly more than I can take.

She’s so close, all nestled up on my lap with the wildflower and honeysuckle scent of her hair tickling my nostrils and her beaming smile next to my cheek while she waves out at the crowd. The proximity of this gorgeous, perfect woman has a visceral effect on me, even though I try not to let it.

I smile and wave at the people of Chestnut Hill who’ve gathered to watch the parade, trying not to think about how good Hailey smells and feels in my lap, and how with my arm around her like this, if there were no clothes between us and no audience, I could be fucking her from below right now.

But as much as I try to shake the thoughts from my head and concentrate on the fact that we’re supposed to be playing the roles of Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Hailey is impossible to ignore. Hell, she’s always been impossible to ignore, and it’s even more difficult in this moment.

My cock twitches, swelling against her ass even as I will it to deflate.

Hailey stiffens as she notices it, and before I can murmur an apology in her ear, she shifts her weight, grinding her ass against my thickening length. I suck in a breath, trying to control my body’s response to her accidental movement—but then she does it again.

Although she keeps her gaze focused on the crowd, not looking at me, she starts to squirm on my lap, teasing me into getting harder and making it more difficult for me to maintain a shaky grasp on my self-control.

Fuck. She knows just what she’s doing to me. And she’s doing it on purpose.