Page 83 of The Very Naughty List

“I dare you to streak through the woods behind the house. You’re already naked, and you’re nice and warm from the shower. So the cold air and fresh snow will be invigorating.” He grins. “Kind of like the polar plunge.”

Reid grimaces, but I’m already trying to guess whether this will be easier or harder than jumping into a freezing cold lake. My guess is easier, since nothing could be as cold as that water—and just like when we were kids and Sebastian would throw down a dare, there’s no way I’m going to back down.

“Okay, fine.” I shoot Sebastian a sweet smile. “I’ll do it… if all of you do it with me.”

“Done,” he agrees instantly, at the exact same moment that Reid says, “No fucking way.”

“Well, now you’re just being a party pooper like Nick,” Sebastian chides his brother just as the man in question walks into the bathroom to see what we’re all doing in here.

“Are you guys talking about me?” He frowns, his eyes groggy and his hair still messy from sleep. Nick is fucking adorable first thing in the morning, half mountain man and half teddy bear. “What are you all doing in here anyway?”

“Wewereenjoying a nice, relaxing shower,” Reid points out, irritation coloring his tone. But he clearly knows his brothers well enough to realize that the quiet moment is long gone, because he turns off the water and grabs me a towel from the rack, helping me wrap it around myself.

Sebastian laughs and explains the dare to Nick, who surprises me by nodding.

“The guys at the fire station did something similar on my first day,” he tells us. “So sure, I’m in.”

That leaves Reid as the only holdout, and he finally agrees—either because of the pleading look I give him or just because his pride won’t allow him to be the only brother who isn’t up to the challenge.

“Worried about shrinkage?” Sebastian teases as we all head downstairs and walk naked toward the back door of the house.

Reid snorts. “Even if there were shrinkage, I’d still be fine. I’d be more worried about all those metal piercings freezing your impaled dick.”

Sebastian howls with laughter, and even Nick chuckles at that. I can’t help but join in, amused by their banter.

At the back door, Nick lays out the rules: one lap around the entire wooded area behind the house, not taking shortcuts, andno covering up your naughty bits. There aren’t any neighbors too close by, and the chances of someone walking by at this time of morning are slim, so the risk of being spotted by anyone is negligible.

“The winner is the one who completes the whole streak without breaking any of the rules and makes it back to the house first.”

“That’s easy, I’m the smallest and the fastest.” I probably just jinxed myself by bragging, but I don’t even care.

Sebastian opens the back door to count us down. “Three… two… one…”

A gust of chilly air sweeps into the house, and I’m already anticipating frostbite.

“Go!”

All four of us take off running.

I make it out of the door first, followed by Sebastian. I glance quickly over my shoulder and see Reid and Nick get stuck trying to squeeze through the door at the same time. They struggle for a few seconds before pushing through and making a beeline after us.

As my bare feet pound through the snow, the cold makes me gasp and sucks my breath away. The frigid air burns my lungs as I run, and my toes go numb almost instantly. As much as I’ve never been a huge fan of running, I embrace it now because the physical exertion is the only thing keeping me warm.

For a few seconds, I’m in the lead. I wasn’t wrong about being the smallest, most agile, and lightest on my feet. But the loop around the back of the yard is studded with so many trees that there’s more weaving in and out than I expected. I can tell the men are coming up fast behind me, and as I put on a burst of speed, I trip over a tree root hidden under the white drifts and fall face first into a mound of snow.

“Hailey! Oh shit!” Sebastian laughs as he stops to help me up, brushing the snow out of my hair. “Are you okay?”

The other two men catch up to us and stop to make sure I’m all right.

I laugh breathlessly, my teeth chattering a little. “Other than my nipples being frozen solid, yes, I’m fine.”

“I’m happy to kiss them if that would help.” Reid smirks, giving me a filthy look, and Nick bends down to gather up a mound of snow in his hands.

Before anyone can ask what he’s doing, he molds the snow into a ball and pitches it at Reid’s head.

“Motherfucker!” Reid retaliates instantly, not even bothering to form the snow into a ball, just grabbing a handful and pitching it at Nick.

Within seconds, things have escalated into a full-blown snowball fight. And as cold as I was a moment ago, I can barely feel it anymore as I join in. We scream and shout and run around the yard, stopping to collect snow and throw snowballs at each other. The guys go lighter on me—except for the one that Reid hurls at my ass, which leaves a solid red welt.

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