Page 22 of The Very Naughty List

8

SEBASTIAN

Hailey whimpersagainst my lips again, and the sound goes straight to my cock. If it weren’t for the freezing water we were just submerged in, I’d definitely be sporting a raging hard-on right now—as it is, I’m sure she can feel that half staff that’s pressing against her lower belly as I tighten my grip on her damp hair, tipping her head back as I devour her lips with mine.

There are a lot of people still hanging out around the lake after the plunge, so it’s easy to use that as an excuse for why I’m kissing her.

We’re putting on a show, just like we all agreed.

But it’s not quite as easy to find an acceptable reason for why I don’t want tostopkissing her.

I tilt her head to one side a little, dragging my lips away from hers only to find the soft curve of her jaw. I scrape my teeth over the delicate skin just below her ear, and she shivers against me, letting out a plaintive little squeak.

Fuck, those sounds she makes.

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t drive me wild knowing that I can elicit such involuntary noises from her. I fucking love how easy it is for me to get a reaction out of her. She’s so damn responsive, even if this is all supposed to be a lie.

Her fingernails scrape across the nape of my neck lightly, and I hiss out a breath as my cock jolts again, even more of my blood rushing south.

I’m not quite sure what came over me as we were bantering a moment ago, but something about hearing her call me a gentleman made me want to show her just howungentlemanlyI can be.

How easily I could ruin her if she let me.

How perfectly I could make her fall apart.

Shit. Get ahold of yourself, Sebastian.

Even though my body seems to physically resist my command, I reluctantly draw back, letting a small space open up between us. This is my best friend’s little sister, and what I’m doing with her here would be totally off-limits if it weren’t for this charade we’re putting on.

I need to remind myself that that’s what this is—just an act, and nothing more than that.

Her cheeks are flushed, more than they were even in the cold water of the lake. I like that too.

Fuck, I like everything about her.

It’s as though the second I started pretend dating Hailey, I’ve suddenly become hyper aware of how fucking gorgeous she is. Not that I didn’t notice it before, but at least I was able to shove it all down back then. Now it seems to be rising to the surface regardless of how hard I try not to think about it, or abouther.

“Um, point taken,” she says, clearing her throat as a pretty flush creeps up her cheeks. “I don’t think gentlemen kiss like that.”

As she picks up her coffee from the roof of the car and sips on it, looking perfectly mussed and flustered, I wonder how the hell I’m going to get all of these things I’m suddenly feeling back inside the bottle when it’s time for this whole fake dating thing to be over.

But when she looks over and smiles at me, I push those thoughts away. I don’t want to deal with that yet.

“You want to go someplace to warm up?” I suggest, deciding not to follow up on her comment about our kiss.

Hailey nods quickly as if she’s been waiting for me to ask. The coffee isn’t doing a good enough job of chasing away the chill.

I grab her donut so she won’t forget it, and we both climb into my car.

“My garage is close by.”

“Please tell me it’s warm in there.”

She shivers as she slides into the passenger seat, and I’m tempted to reach out and touch her again to help her warm up, but I keep my hands firmly on the steering wheel.

“It is,” I promise.

But as we near the garage, a bit of doubt starts to creep into my mind. I was pretty sure Hailey would end up having fun at the Polar Bear Plunge, but the garage where I service a good portion of the vehicles in Chestnut Hill isn’t exactly in “date worthy” condition. It works great for what it is, but there are spare parts scattered around, oil stains on the floor, and it smells more of engine fuel than champagne and chardonnay.

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