Page 21 of The Very Naughty List

By the time we finally get out, we make a beeline toward his car, dripping with each step.

“Here.”

He pulls a towel from his back seat and wraps it around me, covering up my wet bikini and soaked shirt. Then he rubs the sides of my arms as if he’s trying to start a fire. I laugh, giddy from the experience and strangely energized by it too.

“See? It was fun, right? I told you it would be a good time.” His smile broadens, and he finishes helping me dry off a bit before grabbing a second towel for himself and wrappingit around his shoulders. I put my boots back on, and we lean against his car and watch everyone else come in from the water in a staggered pattern as they compete to see who can withstand the cold the longest.

Some of them grab thermoses out of their cars, huddling and chatting as they enjoy a post-plunge beverage. Sebastian notices and lights up, grinning at me as he opens his door again.

“Hang on. I forgot I brought you something.”

He grabs a small bag and two cups from the cupholder in his middle console, then straightens and shuts the door.

“Here.” He hands me a cup of coffee and a donut. “I thought this might help make up for the fact that I basically entrapped you into doing the plunge.”

I take it from him, smiling because coffee and a donut sounds perfect right now. I take a sip from the cup, and my brows furrow.

“What is this?”

“It’s a half-caff latte with cinnamon and vanilla. That’s still what you like, right?”

I’m totally stunned. It’s not the gesture that leaves me speechless, it’s the fact that Sebastian rememberedexactlyhow I like my coffee and what my favorite donut is. I can smell the vanilla and cinnamon wafting from the steam out of the top of the cup, and the donut is a perfectly crispy old-fashioned.

“Yeah, that’s still what I like,” I murmur, working to make my voice sound normal. “I’m just surprised you remembered, that’s all.”

“Of course I remembered, shortcake. You haven’t been gonethatlong.” He chuckles. “And besides, we’re ‘dating’ now, aren’t we? I’m not gonna half ass it and get my girl some shit she doesn’t like.”

His smile is teasing, but I know he means it. Sebastian doesn’t half ass anything. He’s the guy that drives the motorcyclefull throttle and kisses the girl as if her life depended on it. That last part I know for a fact now, after last night at the bar.

“You’re a good fake boyfriend,” I say, trying to banish the heat that floods my veins at the memory. “I had no idea that you could be such a gentleman.”

Sebastian’s brilliant blue-green eyes darken. He runs a hand through his wet hair, dispelling a few water droplets from the messy dark brown strands as a devilish smirk curls his lips.

“Of course I’m a good fake boyfriend. But I’m definitely not a gentleman. In fact, I’m a great fake boyfriendbecauseI’m not a gentleman.”

I swallow hard, my heart crashing against my ribs as if it’s trying to burst right through. “What does that mean?”

Sebastian gives me a look, almost as if I’ve just laid down another dare. He steps closer, plucking the coffee and the bagged donut from my hand and setting them on the roof of his car.

Then he pulls me into his arms and kisses me.

Unlike our first kiss at The Old Oak, this one doesn’t start off awkward or stiff. Instead, it’s like pure fire right from the start. His lips are firm and warm against mine as he presses me up against the car, pinning me between the cold metal exterior and his firm, muscled body. Even though we were just in a freezing lake, I can feel the heat radiating from his body into mine, and both of his hands slide into my wet hair as his thigh slips between my legs.

I gasp at the slight pressure on my clit, and although I have no idea whether that was intentional on his part or not, that doesn’t stop my body from responding. I arch against him, breathing in the fresh scent of the lake mixed with a spicy cognac and amber scent that I recognize as being uniquely Sebastian’s.

My arms wrap around his neck, pinning our bodies even closer together as I go up onto my tiptoes, chasing the pressure of his lips as he groans softly into my mouth.

I don’t know who’s watching us, or what prompted such a strong response from him.

I have no idea who we’re putting on a show for, but I tell myself that I’m just following Sebastian’s lead as I throw myself into our kiss without restraint, letting instinct take over.

He shifts his weight, making his thigh brush against my clit again through the fabric that separates us, and I bite back a whimper.

Holy shit.

He wasn’t kidding. Sebastian Cooper is definitelynota gentleman.

And in this moment, I’m really fucking glad about that.

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