Page 39 of The Naughty List

Sarah’s face twists with confusion, clearly having no idea what I’ve already sensed behind me. As she turns, her face quickly morphs into horror. “Oh noooo,” she groans, her head having to tilt back just to meet his stare. She nudges me with her elbow, just in case I haven’t noticed him, before leaning toward me, blinking rapidly as though trying to blink him out of existence. “I think Nick is here. Or maybe he’s not. I think there’s two of him.” She leans forward, almost tumbling off her barstool as she takes a deep breath, sniffing him, and if it weren’t for Nick catching her and pushing her back, she’d already be on the dirty ground. “Shit, B. He smells good. I wonder if he fucks as good as he smells.”

A lazy grin stretches across my face, remembering it all so damn well. “Oh, he does.”

Feeling his heated stare shift toward me, I risk meeting his eyes, and damn it, that was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. The way he’s looking at me right now, all dominating and filled with intense hunger, I’m at risk of dropping to my knees right here.

My tongue rolls over my bottom lip, and I can’t help but reach toward him, my fingers grazing over the front of his shirt, feeling the defined ridges of his abs below. “Hmmmm. I’ve missed you,” I say, jumping up from the barstool and having to fist my fingers into the material of his shirt to keep from swaying. “Why don’t we head out to that truck of yours and I’ll show you just how much I’ve missed you?”

Nick’s deep blue eyes seem to penetrate mine and dive right down into my soul before he cuts our connection and glances toward Oxley. “Just how fucking drunk are they?”

Oxley grins. “You don’t wanna know the answer to that.”

“Shit.”

Nick’s hand finds my waist before sliding right around to my back, holding me close to his chest before glancing at Sarah. “Come on,” he says to her, offering a hand to keep her steady. “Get in my truck.”

My eyes widen, snapping up to Nick’s. “Oh. I didn’t realize you were into sharing,” I slur, gripping his strong arm, my fingers slowly working their way up and around the back of his neck. “I mean, it’ll be a tight fit for the three of us, and I can’t promise that I won’t get jealous, but if that’s what you really want . . .”

I let the words hang between us, and Nick looks at me as though I’ve just lost my mind. “Fucking hell, Blair. I don’t want to fuck either of you in the back of my truck. I’m driving your asses home before you end up passed out in the street.”

At the mention of the street, my gaze flicks out the window, looking past Nick’s red pickup parked just outside the door and to the light dusting of snow covering the road. “Oh,” I gasp, my stare meeting Sarah’s. “I haven’t made snow angels in years.”

Her eyes widen like saucers. “Uhhh . . . Pretty sure we might have made snow angels the other night, but YES! Absolutely! Let’s do it.”

Nick shakes his head. “Great idea. Let’s all go and lay down in the middle of the road and make fucking angels.” His sarcasm isn’t lost on me, and as his heated stare comes back to mine, I cringe. “Get in the fucking truck, Blair. Don’t make me have to put you in there, because you know I will.”

That lazy smile returns to my lips, remembering just how strong he is, and my fingers trail back down to those delicious biceps. “Do you only like to throw me around when I’m being a brat, or do you just like putting your hands on me? Because if that’s the case, I know a few things you could do with your—”

“Blair,” he roars, cutting me off. “Get your sweet ass in my truck right fucking now.”

“Oooh,” Sarah says, watching the way he gets all worked up. “I think I like this new grumpy version of Nicholas Stone. It’stantalizing.”

I snicker at the word tantalizing, because let’s face it, it’s a funny word, and the way it slurs from Sarah’s lips somehow only makes it that much better.

Nick groans, reaching over me to grab both mine and Sarah’s purses from the bar before scooping his arm further around my back, putting me by his side. He shoves our purses under his arm before putting Sarah at his other side and leading us both out of the bar, but I can’t help looking back over my shoulder and grinning at Oxley. “Bye, friend. It has been my pleasure serving with you tonight.”

“Bitch, you didn’t serve shit,” he chuckles, shaking his head.

“Oh, I served,” I tell him, having absolutely no idea what I’m talking about. “You just don’t know it yet.”

Nick mutters something under his breath and continues to drag Sarah and me out into the cold and over to his truck. He helps Sarah into the backseat before taking my hand and leading me around to the passenger side, and it doesn’t go unnoticed just how often his skin grazes mine. Hell, I’m left with goosebumps everywhere he’s touched me.

Just as it always is, the tension thickens between us in the cab as he drives Sarah home, and when we’re finally left alone, it’s almost impossible to ignore.

My hands ball into fists, and I have to force them under my thighs to keep myself from reaching out to him, but damn, if he gave me even the slightest indication that he was down for it, I’d climb him like a damn tree.

Pulling up at my place, Nick gets out and helps me up the slippery driveway, muttering something about being an idiot who hasn’t shoveled it yet, despite my declaration that I can take care of myself.

When I fumble for my keys, Nick takes my purse and finds them for me, unlocking the door and opening it wide. He ushers me inside, and just when I expect him to close the door behind me, he follows me in, bringing that tension right along with him.

“What are you doing?” I ask in a small tone.

“Making sure you get to bed without killing yourself,” he says, stopping by the kitchen and fishing painkillers out of my cupboard before filling a glass of water. He turns back to face me, his brows furrowed as he finds me watching him. “What are you waiting for?” he asks, nodding toward the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. “Go.”

Oooh, it seems I have cranky Nick tonight. It’s kinda sexy.

Making my way down the hall, I brace my hand against the freshly painted walls, keeping myself upright, and when I move into my bedroom, Nick walks straight in behind me, putting the painkillers and water onto my bedside table.

He grabs the corner of my blanket and flings it back, clearly ready to tell me to get my ass into bed, only the movement has everything that was on my bed flying off, leaving my bright pink vibrator to drop heavily to the ground between us.

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