Page 106 of The Very Naughty List

Bruno presses his head against my palm, so I rub him some more until he curls up in front of my feet and lies down.

“Wow. I’d say that the dog has officially adopted you.” Sebastian stares at Bruno, then laughs. “Who knew that the big, drooling pooch could ever like anyone other than Nick?”

Reid nudges my shoulder with his. “Guess you can never leave now. Not after you’ve won over Bruno and all.”

I know he’s just teasing, making a joke because it’s so funny and odd that the dog seems to have totally attached itself to me now. Especially since Bruno seemed to despise me when I first arrived.

But still, his words make something tighten in my chest. Because it feels like yet another thing that’s going to make walking away from all of this really fucking hard to do.

35

SEBASTIAN

It’s definitely startingto feel like Hailey justbelongshere with us—especially when she wanders into the living room a few days after the holiday parade, wearing my clothes like it’s second nature.

I glance up at her from where I’m sprawled out on the couch, unable to suppress my grin. “Damn. My flannel shirt has never looked so good before.”

It’s the truth. The shirt she’s got on is one of my oldest, softest flannels. It’s one of my favorite shirts, actually, and I fucking love seeing her in it. Especially when the only other item of clothing that she’s wearing is a pair of panties.

“Hope you don’t mind.” She’s only done up the middle buttons, and she tugs at the hem of the shirt a little. “I wasn’t quite ready to get all the way dressed yet, and I saw it sitting on the back of your chair. I just wanted to lounge around in something soft and comfortable for a bit before I need to get ready.”

“I don’t mind one bit, shortcake.” My gaze roams over the way the baggy shirt falls over her soft curves, tracing the long line of her legs where they emerge from beneath it. She’s fuckingstunning. “You can keep it. I don’t ever want it back. That shirt has never been so happy.”

She blushes, laughing lightly as she walks closer. Then she sighs, plopping down onto the couch beside me.

“I sort of wish I didn’t have to get dressed up at all tonight. There are always a million things to do around the holidays. It seems like we were just at that Christmas parade.”

“That was a few days ago.” I immediately regret pointing that out, because it reminds me that everything is happening so fast. The days are passing too damn quickly, and the Christmas season will be over soon. I wonder if that’s when this whole arrangement of having Hailey here with us will end too.

I don’t really want to think about it.

Bruno perks up in his bed by the window, glancing our way. As soon as he sees Hailey, he hauls himself to his feet and lumbers over. He practically follows her around the house these days, and every time he sees her, his houndish face lights up.

“Hey, Bruno. Who’s a good boy? You are! Such a sweet boy.” She leans down to pet him, flopping his ears around and making him practically shiver with delight.

Great. Now I’m jealous of both a shirt and a dog.

After sending Bruno to doggie heaven with several minutes of attention and scratches, Hailey plants a kiss on the top of his head and stands up.

“I’d better go get dressed soon,” she tells me. “I want to get there early so I can help out.”

The Bennetts are throwing their annual Christmas party tonight. It’s actually one of my favorite holiday events, nothing at all like the stuffy ball that the Montgomerys threw.

“We can come early and help too,” I offer, volunteering my brothers along with myself. I doubt they’ll mind.

“Really?” She lights up a little. “Thanks. I’m sure my parents would appreciate the help.”

“Of course. Your family is like our family too. And we take care of what’s ours.”

An expression I can’t quite decipher passes across her face at my words.

She blinks at me and swallows, then leans down quickly and gives me a kiss before disappearing back upstairs. I watch her go, curious what was on her mind just now.

I don’t have a lot of time to think about it though, since I need to get ready myself. I trail after her, throwing on a long-sleeved shirt that looks nice without sacrificing comfort and a pair of dark jeans. I pop into Nick’s and Reid’s rooms to let them know what’s going on, and when my brothers and I are all dressed and ready to go, the three of us head down to the living room to wait for Hailey.

She appears just a few minutes later, and as she descends the stairs, my stomach feels like it drops about a foot and a half.

The dress she’s wearing tonight isn’t as fancy as the one she wore to the Montgomerys’ ball, but it’s definitely moreher, and that makes it even better. The hem hits just above her knees, and she has a pair of leggings on beneath it. The dress itself is made of a sweater material that hugs her curves like it was made just for her, and the green color is a perfect complement to her emerald eyes.

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