Page 13 of The Very Naughty List

I laugh, unable to help myself. “Of course you do. Remember during senior year when you got into that fight with Tommy Keller?”

I can remember at least a dozen instances in the past when Sebastian got busted for fighting—usually nothing too serious, but he was always the type to swing first and think later. But with Tommy, it turned into a legit fight. Sebastian was suspended for a week, and when Tommy showed up to school the next day, one side of his face was purple and bruised.

Sebastian snorts. “That douchebag had it coming.”

He pulls me closer and swings me around so fast that it’s dizzying, only to grab me by both sides of my waist and steady me on my feet again. Every time he spins me around, he smiles, as if he’s pleased with how my body fits in his hands and how easy it is to maneuver me like this.

“Oh yeah?” I ask as he wraps his arms around me again, swaying to the music. “What did he do to deserve looking like he got run over by a truck?”

For a second, the teasing gleam I’m used to seeing in Sebastian’s blue-green eyes slips away, replaced by a spark of something heavier.

“He said some shit about you in the locker room. Talking about how good you looked in the skirt you were wearing, and all the things he wanted to do to you.” His jaw clenches. “Trust me, he got off light.”

It was for me?

He punched Tommy Keller out in defense of me?

I’m so surprised by the realization that I trip over my own feet, and Sebastian’s serious expression clears as he catches me, gripping my arms to keep me from falling.

“Careful there.” He grins. “If you go down, I go down, and you can’t let me look bad in front of my brothers.”

That draws a laugh from me, and we keep dancing. His words stay with me though, and I’m too lost in my thoughts to keep bantering with him. When the song finally ends, Sebastian looks like he’s ready to dance to another—but this time, Nick appears and pulls me away.

“Let me guess, it’s your turn now?” I chuckle, brushing a few strands of hair away from my sweat-dampened forehead. “You guys are really going all out.”

“No.” He shakes his head, his expression unreadable. “Itismy turn, but I don’t dance. I’m just coming to get you.”

With that enigmatic answer, he tugs me through the crowd away from the makeshift dance floor. I follow after him, my mind still reeling a little. Going from Sebastian’s dangerously flirtatious dancing to Nick’s grouchy and commanding presence is enough to make my head spin.

Nick leads me to a table, and I glance back toward the bar in time to see Sebastian and Reid settle onto two barstools. Reid gestures to Craig for a couple of beers, and as the bartender delivers them, the two Cooper brothers shoot a look our way.

Ignoring his brothers for the moment, Nick pulls out a chair and motions for me to sit, which I obediently do.

Part of me wishes I could dance with him too, but I know that would be pushing this little fantasy into “obvious lie” territory. I don’t think I’veeverseen the man dance—not at any of the school dances back in high school, and not even at his sister’s own wedding. If Nick had stepped in to spin me around the dance floor, everyone in the bar would probably have figured out we were trying to trick them. So it’s probably better this way, despite the twinge of disappointment I feel.

At least he sits in the chair beside me instead of across the table, sliding his chair close enough that our legs touch.

“I’m not gonna dance with you, but I can at least feed you,” he declares.

He pushes the menu in front of me, and I remember what my sister said about The Old Oak having good food on their new menu now.

“Oh. Okay.”

My gaze scans the menu, and I realize suddenly how hungry I am. I haven’t had a lot to drink tonight, but it’s been long enough since I last ate that I can feel the buzz of alcohol in my system. And Pippa was right, everything looks really good.

“What do you want?” Nick asks.

He’s staring at me intently, and it makes nerves sweep through me. I’m not used to getting this much direct attention from Nick, who usually doesn’t say much and almost seems to avoid eye contact with me. It’s hard to make a decision when I can feel his gaze boring into me, and I ramble a little as I peruse the menu, a nervous habit I’ve always had.

“Oh shoot, I can never decide. It’s always too much pressure. The loaded potato skins look good. Ooh, so does the burger. Or maybe I should get the flatbread? That looks pretty amazing too.”

Nick flags the waitress down before I’ve finished deciding on what to order. She smiles brightly at him, although the smile dims a little as I look up from the menu and she looks at me. I get the feeling she’s a bit jealous—although she has no real reason to be, even though I can’t tell her that.

“We’ll have one of everything,” Nick says just as his brothers come to join us at the table.

“Everything on the entire menu?” The waitress blinks at him with her mouth shaped into a surprised little ‘O.’

“Yeah, one of everything. Except for the drinks. We’ll get those from the bar when we want.”

---