Page 9 of The Very Naughty List

“We’re dating,” I elaborate. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to claim my girlfriend back for the night.”

The space between barstools that I’ve wedged my broad body into in order to stand beside her is a tight one. So tight that our bodies can’t help but touch in several places at once—my chest against her shoulder, my leg against the side of her thigh. I’mnot normally great in crowds. I prefer to be the onenotdancing at weddings andnotstanding in the center of the mosh pit at concerts.

I’m more comfortable running into a burning building to save someone than engaging in any sort of social event or conversation with strangers. But Hailey clearly needs some help here, and just like when we were younger, I will always show up if she needs something.

I reach down and rest a hand on her thigh, forcing myself not to give in to the thoughts racing through my head as soon as I touch her.

“Well, I guess that answers that,” one of the women says with a raised brow. “I guess you’ve definitely gotten back on the horse, Hailey.”

4

HAILEY

Everyone sittingaround us at the bar seems a bit stunned by Nick’s declaration. Even some people who weren’t paying much attention to the women interrogating me before glance our way now, curiosity and surprise in their expressions.

Hell,I’msurprised too.

Not only did I not expect to see him here, but I sure as hell didn’t expect him to jump to my rescue and claim to be dating me. What are the chances of this happening twice within the same twenty-four-hour time period? Not one buttwoCooper brothers swooping in to save me from the perils of the small town rumor mill?

And just like with Reid, I don’t know how to react.

“I thought you didn’t really date anyone anymore.” The woman beside me, Casey Powell, frowns slightly. She had a crush on Nick all through high school and was determined to have his baby one day, although that clearly hasn’t happened yet.

I can’t say I blame her for being a bit obsessed with him though. Despite the fact that he doesn’t talk much, there’s something about Nick that draws people’s eyes wherever he goes. He’s enigmatic and classically gorgeous, with hair the colorof dark chocolate and a beard that I have to curb myself from thinking about too much. I bet it tickleswhereverhe kisses you, in the most satisfying of ways.

For fuck’s sake, why do I keep doing this?

I keep letting my thoughts slide right down into my panties every time I’m around one of these Cooper men.

There’s something so serious and capable about his demeanor that I’ve always felt safe and secure in Nick’s presence though. And that goes for right now too.

“I don’t really date… much,” Nick confirms, nodding a bit stiffly. “But I made an exception for Hailey.”

“Wow.” Casey shakes her head, shifting her focus from him to me. “You are one lucky girl.”

I nod in response to her words, although I feel a bit like I’m having an out-of-body experience. And just like I did with Reid when he swooped in to save me from Dylan, I lean into this lie too.

“Yeah.” I nod weakly. “I know.”

As the ladies around me all start to chatter excitedly, I’m very keenly aware of Nick’s presence beside me. He squeezed himself right up between all the women and barstools, and his body is practically glued to mine.

Nick is the tallest, burliest, and grumpiest of the three Cooper brothers. And since he’s so quiet, especially around me, I always thought he kind of disliked me. But maybe I was wrong because here he is, standing stoically beside me like a wall of muscle and claiming to be dating me just so that the gossip vultures in high heels will back off.

It was shocking enough when Reid did it, but it’s even more of a shock now that Nick has proclaimed that we’re dating.

“So how long have you two been a thing?”

I don’t know which of the women around us just asked that question, but honestly, it doesn’t even matter. I’m swimmingaround in my head trying to make sense of how nonstop crazy things have been since I’ve gotten back home.

“A while.”

Nick is clearly following the same instinct as his brother, to save me from interrogation. His answer is a lot less elaborated on than Reid’s was though. He’s definitely not quite as good at bullshitting as the charming middle Cooper triplet is.

Once, I accidentally ran into him coming out of my brother’s room with his shirt off after the two of them challenged each other to some stupid pushup contest. I actuallyliterallystumbled and tripped over a rippled piece of the old carpet on the hallway floor and put my hand out to brace for my fall. But I never hit the floor, because my palm wound up landing on Nick’s chest instead.

I was mortified, but I also didn’t want to pull my hand away, because even back then the definition of his muscular frame was impressive. I remember trying to apologize and then standing there blushing as heat swept over me. In my teenage brain, I had a mini fantasy about how maybe Nick would put his hand over mine and we’d have some sort of romantic interlude in the hallway.

Obviously, I was amped up on teen hormones. The thought of that actually happening was a ludicrous one. Nick just muttered, “no problem,” and pushed past me down the hall as if he couldn’t stand to be in the same space as me.

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