The Very Naughty List

45. Hailey

45

HAILEY

All three of the Cooper brothers stare at me, the air heavy with the weight of what I just said.

For a suspended moment, no one moves or says a word—until Sebastian leans in and cups my face in both his hands.

“Say that again.”

I swallow down my nerves that this will scare them away, licking my lips before I whisper, “I love you. Maybe it’s fast, but that’s how I feel. I think I’ve always loved you, in a way.”

A broad smile lights up Sebastian’s face. “Fuck, baby. I love you too.”

He gives me a deep, powerful kiss that’s just as intense as any of the others we’ve shared, but this one is different. It’s loaded with meaning. When we part, he’s still beaming.

“It’s usually up to me to fix things, being the mechanic and all,” he says, his voice low as he brushes my lip with his thumb. “But I think you fixed me this time. I’m a better man for knowing you, Hailey. You make me want to be the best version of myself.”

“I didn’t fix anything. You were already perfect just the way you are, inside and out. And you have so much to offer in here,” I tell him as I rest my hand on his chest above his heart.

His blue-green eyes burn, and the scar that cuts through his eyebrow shifts as his brows draw together with emotion. “I think you’re the only person who’s ever really seen that in me.”

“Well, it’s true. I’ve seen it over and over again. You’re an amazing man, Sebastian.”

“And you’re an incredible woman, shortcake. I love you so damn much,” he says, his lips finding mine again.

While we kiss, Reid reaches for one of my hands, squeezing it hard. My eyes drift to his when Sebastian and I part, and I’m shocked to see Reid has tears in his eyes.

“Are you okay?” I whisper, squeezing his hand back, but all he does is smile and shake his head at me.

“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever find this kind of love in my life,” he starts, his voice quiet.

“Why not? You’re the kind of guy everyone knows and wants to be friends with.”

Reid chuckles. “Friends, sure. But to love? That’s a whole different thing. In a small town like this, people come and go, but they rarely stay. Even you left… but you came back. And you brought my heart back with you.”

He pauses, his blue-gray eyes locked on mine. He gives my hand another squeeze, then lifts it to his mouth to kiss the back of it.

“I fucking love you, Hailey. You were always the one I was waiting for. I was always holding out for it, even when I couldn’t see it. But I see it now, as clear as day. You’re what I want. Now and forever.”

“Reid…” I swallow, my heart thudding so hard in my chest that it almost hurts. “You’re what I want too. I love you so much.”

I throw my arms around him, and he kisses me hard and almost desperately, like he’s afraid I might disappear if he lets me go. But I’m not going anywhere. Not now, not ever. Right here with these three amazing men, the loves of my life, is where I belong, so I kiss him as deeply as I can, hoping it will do the convincing for me.

When we break part, Reid looks like the happiest man on earth. Well, second maybe to Sebastian, whose eyes are shining with joy as he watches the two of us. But my gaze drifts to Nick, who’s lying beside me, staring off into the distance and looking shellshocked, like he’s in some kind of emotional overload.

I reach for him, running my hand through his scruffy beard, and that seems to bring him back into the present. His head turns to face me.

“Are you okay?” I whisper. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I just…” Nick clears his throat, staring at me like he can see right through me. “I feel like I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop or something. To wake up and realize this was just a dream. I’ve wanted you for so long. For as long as I can remember, honestly.”

It’s incredibly rare for Nick to open up like this about his emotions to anyone, and that’s exactly how I know how much he means it—how deep his feelings run.

Resting my hand on his chest, I murmur,

“I’m not going anywhere, Nick. You can stop worrying. I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me.”

“Forever,” Nick blurts quickly, sitting up so his eyes meet mine. “I want you forever, songbird. I don’t ever want to be without you.”

He pulls me toward him to kiss me, as wild and forceful as he always is, but with a new urgency, like he’s trying to show me just how badly he needs me.

“Do you feel that?” he asks when our tongues untangle, leaving me gasping. I nod. “Good. Never forget it. I know I hid it for a long time, but I’m fucking tired of pretending I’m not fucking obsessed with you. I’m absolutely crazy about you, Hailey. Always have been.”

“Me too,” I breathe and fall into another kiss with him, losing myself in it and the feelings surging between us.

It must be contagious, because Reid’s and Sebastian’s hands start exploring my body, responding to the spark.

Nick climbs on top of me, pushing my legs apart with his knees, and presses into me, already hard for me again. It’s rough and possessive, but that’s exactly what I love about him. His dark blue eyes bore into mine like two endless oceans I could lose myself in.

I nod, my throat tight as I tell him, “Take me, Nick. I’m yours. Completely.”

He grunts and thrusts into me, hitting a spot so deep that I see stars. Reid and Sebastian kneel on either side of the bed, watching us and stroking themselves, and I make eye contact with both before reaching for their hands. They take one in each of theirs, squeezing them, and I feel like I’m soaring. I’ve never felt as bonded with the three of them as I do in this moment, and I never want it to end.

“I’m yours too,” I whisper to Reid, pleasure and love filling my chest as his fingers lace with mine.

Then I turn to Sebastian. The final piece to this puzzle. The other man who owns my heart.

“And yours,” I breathe, my eyes hooded as I hold his gaze.

“And you’re ours,” Sebastian rasps, his words echoed by his brothers.

Their hot, hard bodies envelop me, cocooning me between the three of them, and I feel high on happiness, boneless and weightless, as if I might actually drift away if I dare to close my eyes.

But I’m not going anywhere.

And neither are they.