Haley

“Haley, Liam, so glad you could both make it.” Patrick leaned in to hug each of us.

He looked sharp in his charcoal suit and cranberry-colored tie, his attire befitting the host of a glamorous holiday party. Clearly at ease in the luxurious surrounds of The Capital Club, I could see why he'd chosen to relocate the annual Zenith event from his home. Not only was it a more convenient location, it boasted stunning views of downtown San Jose that rivaled the ones from Liam's penthouse.

“Listen, there's something,” he started to say, but was interrupted by a woman's voice calling Liam's name. I recognized her as Patrick's executive assistant, Doris.

During my stint as an administrative assistant, I'd interacted with her on a number of occasions and knew she was Patrick's right-hand woman. Beyond her efficient and professional demeanor, I didn't know much about her. And, now, she was charging toward us dressed in a tweed skirt suit with a snowflake brooch on the lapel, her gray hair coiffed into a sophisticated bun.

“Liam Carlyle,” she chastised, shaking a finger in his direction.

“Hello, Doris.” He brought the back of her hand to his mouth for a kiss. “You look ravishing.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, seemingly unaffected. Interesting. Most people, when faced with Liam's looks, accent, and charisma, fell at his feet.

“I find it amusing that after all these years, you still think you can distract me with your charm.” I laughed to myself, surprised by this unexpected side of Doris. She marched on, undeterred by Liam’s flattery. “Guess what, or rather who, I saw in the most recent edition of the Silicon Savvy?”

“Patrick,” Liam said, turning to him, “you didn't tell me you were named Silicon Valley's Man of the Year a second time.”

I kept one ear on the conversation while eagerly accepting a stuffed mushroom from a passing waiter. Since Liam had insisted on accompanying Patrick for the menu sampling, he'd given me a head's up on all of tonight’s delectable options. I couldn't wait to try the dessert, especially the mini chocolate gingerbread Bundt cakes.

“Fortunately, not. You wouldn't believe the offers I got after that article.” He shuddered.

Liam chuckled. “Oh, I'm sure I can imagine.”

“Gentlemen,” Doris interrupted with the severity of a school headmistress. “Back to the matter at hand. Zenith's hottest new couple was featured in the About Town section.”

I shot Liam a wary glance as Doris swiped at her phone and held the screen out for inspection. It displayed a photo of us taken in the lobby of the California Theater the night we attended the opera. The photographer had captured an intimate moment when Liam pulled me close and whispered something in my ear. It was by no means scandalous, but the caption below the image read, “Is Liam Carlyle, one of Silicon Valley's most eligible bachelors, finally off the market?”

“So, is it true?”

Patrick's expression was apologetic, and I now realized that he'd been trying to warn us before Doris's ambush. How had I not realized this would come up? Every time I encountered other Zenith employees in a social setting, the question of which member of Team Jaguar I was dating inevitably arose.

“If the Silicon Savvy reports it, it must be true,” Liam answered in a flippant tone.

Instead of the scowl I expected, Doris clapped her hands together with unrestrained glee. “Finally! I've been waiting for Liam to find the perfect girl, and I'm so glad it's you, Haley.”

I forced a smile, sensing there was no use denying it. “Um, thank you.”

Patrick excused himself to mingle with other guests, and I saw Knox and Jackson standing off to the side, holding tumblers of amber-colored liquid. How much of the conversation had they overheard? Enough, if the smirk on Jackson's face was anything to go by.

Doris leaned in, lowering her voice as if we were co-conspirators. “Liam thinks he can fool me, but he forgets that I've known him since he was a surly adolescent.”

My earlier dread faded, replaced by a sense of amusement. “I'm sure you have some interesting stories to tell.”

“You have no idea, my dear.”

“Doris, you minx,” Liam teased, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me close to place a kiss in my hair.

I tensed briefly before relaxing into his embrace. I didn't want the other guys to feel slighted by this new development. While they had agreed that I would attend work functions on Liam's arm, appearing at an event as his date was different than being referred to as his girlfriend.

“I'll leave you two lovebirds to enjoy the party.” She sauntered off, clearly pleased with herself.

“There's the happy couple now,” Jackson teased as he and Knox neared.

They both looked incredible, and I had to remind myself that they were completely off limits. So, when Liam released me to snag a champagne flute, I focused my attention on our surroundings. Guests clustered around the high tables scattered throughout the room, sipping drinks and talking. Holiday music played in the background and large Christmas trees dotted the walls, casting a warm glow on the dimly-lit room.

My resolve weakened, and I couldn’t resist taking a moment to soak in the image of my boyfriends. From Liam's double-breasted jacket and tie to Knox's traditional black suit paired with a white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, they looked amazing. And, they were all mine, even if no one else knew.

Jackson leaned close, speaking in my ear. “You look stunning, but I’d rather see that dress on my bedroom floor.”

I stared at my strappy gold shoes, even as awareness swept up the back of my neck and over my face from his intense gaze. “Are you trying to torture me?” I asked, still not daring to meet his eyes.

“I could ask you the same question.” He moved away suddenly, jumping into Liam’s and Knox’s debate over college football teams.

I excused myself to the restroom before I could do something stupid, like kiss Jackson under the watchful eyes of the entire office. I'd already given the Zenith rumor mill enough fodder for the evening.

Emerging from the stall, I discovered Kara and Megan reapplying their lipsticks in front of the mirror. I hadn’t seen Megan since Tyler introduced her as his girlfriend at Theo’s birthday party. Even though we hadn’t spent much time together, she seemed nice.

“Haley!” Kara's cheeks were bright, and she pulled me in for a hug.

“I take it you’re not the designated driver tonight?” I smirked, sensing that she’d already imbibed a number of free drinks.

“Nope.” She smacked her lips with a pop.

“Hi, Megan. How have you been?”

“Busy, but good. You?”

“Same. I love your lipstick.”

“Thanks.” Megan smiled, glancing between Kara and me. “Did you guys plan to match?”

I looked down at my dress and over at Kara's and laughed. We both wore fitted emerald green dresses, but Kara's sheath had a subtle paisley pattern that coordinated with her black pumps. Mine was a wrap dress that gathered at the waist and draped over my hips. Her hair was smooth and down, and I'd pinned my waves away from my face with a sparkly clip. Close enough, at least from a distance.

“No, but we definitely need a picture,” I said.

“Let's take it in the photo booth!” Megan bounced on her toes as we exited the restroom.

“There's a photo booth?” I asked.

“Yeah, it's in a room off to the side of the bar. You should grab Liam. I hear there's mistletoe.” Kara winked.

“Word gets around fast,” I muttered darkly.

“Liam? Was he at the jazz club for Theo's birthday?” Megan piped in, oblivious to my displeasure.

I shook my head. “He was out of town.”

“Let me guess . . . on assignment. Tyler and I have been dating for six months, and in that time, he's missed my birthday, our four-month anniversary, and Halloween.”

Four-month anniversary? Did people celebrate that type of thing? Suddenly feeling like a terrible girlfriend, I wondered what day our anniversary fell on. Was it the day I'd come home to Santa Cruz, or did it commence with my first date? Would I share the same anniversary with all of the guys, or would we each have our own special day? If it was the latter, I'd be celebrating for almost an entire week each month. The idea made me laugh to myself.

After a stop at the bar, we reached the unoccupied “photo booth.” I surveyed the setup, realizing it was nothing more than a tablet with a printer off to the side. Megan grabbed a top hat from the table of holiday-themed props and placed it on her head. Kara tried on a pair of elf ears, and I found a hat garnished with a tinsel Christmas tree.

Tyler, Logan, and Chase strode into the room and grinned when they spotted us. Chase looked especially handsome in a dark gray suit paired with a pale blue shirt that matched his eyes. I hated not being able to touch him in public, our interaction limited to stolen glances and unspoken desire that belied the depth of my feelings for him.

“That must be Liam,” Megan said, and I looked around before realizing she was referring to Chase. Kara snorted into her glass, and I glared at her.

“Actually, that's Chase. He's a member of Team Jaguar, and he was also not at Theo's birthday,” I clarified.

“Oh, my bad,” Megan said. “I just assumed from the way he was looking at you.” She waved her hands before her, seeming flustered. “Sorry, forget I said anything. I have a bad habit of speaking without thinking first. And I may have had a little too much to drink,” she rambled.

I laughed nervously, relieved when I spotted Liam leaning against the doorframe, drink in hand. His eyes never left me, making me feel naked beneath his searing gaze.

“Liam's the smoldering sex god hovering in the doorway,” Kara offered.

I was going to kill her. “Sex god?” I mouthed, and she merely shrugged.

Megan shook her head in disbelief. “Zenith sure knows how to pick ’em.”

Once we'd taken our photos and collected the prints, Chase and Liam joined me while Logan hovered near Kara. Tyler introduced Megan to Liam and Chase before she dragged him over to the photo booth.

The five of us watched on as they laughed and flirted, kissing and hamming it up for the camera. They were adorable together, and it almost made me wish my love life was that simple. Almost.

“Your turn,” Megan directed at me. “You and Liam should go now, before it gets crowded.”

Tyler's raised eyebrow didn't escape my notice, but I was thankful for the lack of comment on my relationship status. As recently as October, he'd suspected that I was dating Theo, even though I'd never confirmed it.

“Come on, gorgeous.”

Standing at the prop table, Liam's arm brushed against mine. “I'm sorry about Doris. She's always had a soft spot for me, and she was excited.”

“It's not your fault she blindsided us. I didn't realize you two were close.” I considered grabbing a red arrow with “Naughty” printed on it before ultimately selecting oversized glasses.

With a line starting to form, we took our places and started the photo booth countdown. Liam slid his arm around my waist, and I smiled at our image on the screen. Between my ridiculous glasses and his red feather boa, we were quite the pair. Liam tickled my side, and the camera caught me mid-laugh as I tried to ignore the onlookers.

For the next shot, I stuck out my tongue. Somehow, even with his eyes crossed, Liam was still adorably charming. The third countdown began, and he looped his boa around my neck, looking me in the eye as he gently tugged me toward him. His heated gaze was full of promise, and everything and everyone around us faded into the background.

“You, my love, are breathtaking,” he said moments before capturing my lips with his. This kiss left nothing unsaid, clearly declaring that I was his and he was mine.

The sound of whistles and hoots broke through my Liam-induced haze, and I squinted through one eye to see that everyone was looking at us, cheering for us. My cheeks burned, and although I wanted to bury my head in his chest, I refused to cower. I peeked at Chase, relieved that he was smiling and talking with Logan as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Still unsteady from that kiss and the attention, I rushed to grab our pictures from the printer. As I placed them in my clutch, I spotted Vanessa—the beautiful blonde who’d been after Liam for as long as I’d known him—standing in line for the photo booth with the other girls from her team. She openly assessed me before turning back to her friends, laughing loudly at something one of them said.

Apparently, not much had changed since I accidentally bumped into her when I first started my assistant job at Zenith. She’d been rude to me then, and she wasn’t any friendlier now. After tonight, I just hoped she’d be able to move on from Liam once and for all.

“Let's check out the balcony.” Liam offered his arm, and I eagerly accepted.

We threaded our way through the crowd, escaping to the large patio. Lined with outdoor heaters, the space was warm, intimate even, despite being exposed to the cool night air. He led me to a group of chairs clustered around a fire pit sunken into a coffee table.

“Are you warm enough?” He crossed one leg over his knee, leaning back and resting his arm on the loveseat behind me.

“Very. All I need is a marshmallow to roast.” I stared into the flames, reminiscing about all the years my dad and I had gone camping for Christmas.

I hadn't heard from him since he'd gone “radio silent,” as he put it, and I assumed that silence was a good thing in this case. Considering my current love life, I was almost relieved I had no way to contact him. His reaction wasn’t something I liked to think about.

Liam stroked my back, soothing me, even if he didn't realize it. “In that case, I can't wait for you to taste my popcorn flavor of the year.”

“It's not the caramel corn? Because that was freaking delicious.”

He shook his head. “I wanted to try something new.”

“You didn't happen to make a s'mores popcorn recipe, did you?”

He chuckled. “You mean the one you, not so subtly, left on my counter a few weeks ago?”

“Is it as incredible as I hoped?”

“Maybe,” he said with a devilish grin.

“I need a taste,” I practically panted.

“I need a taste of you,” he said, garnering a playful slap to his leg. “What? I'm your boyfriend. I can say that kind of thing.”

“When we're alone,” I chided.

“We're not alone now?”

I made a show of looking around the patio, cataloging everyone I saw. “There's Scott and Hunter with their dates. Some people I don't know. There's Diana, and is that Patrick?”

“Hmm, that's interesting,” Liam mused, and I knew he saw what I did—Diana's hand on Patrick's arm, warm smiles on their faces, and their eyes alight with excitement. Even from this distance, the attraction between them was clear. It made me wonder, yet again, why Patrick was single, because it definitely wasn't from a lack of interested women.

When I realized we weren’t the only ones watching Patrick and Diana, I glanced away. I knew what it was like to be under constant scrutiny, and I tried to ignore the partygoers inside, standing near the windows. In all likelihood, they were enjoying the view of the skyline, but I felt like they were watching us.

“Do you ever feel like we're living in a fishbowl?”

“Sometimes,” Liam said. “I guess I've grown accustomed to the attention over the years, and I tend to forget that it's still new to you.”

“So, having your photograph in the Silicon Savvy is a regular day in the life of Liam Carlyle?” I teased. In all honesty, I was curious if it was something I should expect as his girlfriend.

“I wouldn't say it's a regular occurrence, but it wasn't my first time to be featured.” Liam's hand stilled. “Gorgeous, what's this really about?”

I shrugged. “Nothing. I just—” I sighed, trying to gather the courage to speak my thoughts. “I hate feeling like a fraud, and I don't enjoy lying.”

“Haley,” he said, lifting my chin, “look at me.” He waited until I'd met his eyes. “Are you my girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

“Then how can you call yourself a fraud when what they say is true?”

“Because it's not the whole truth, and neither is the story we've told everyone at Zenith.”

“How often do we learn the whole truth about anything we don't have firsthand knowledge of? Facts are distorted, words are twisted, and only a handful of people know what actually happened.”

“I guess.” My shoulders slumped. After a life of keeping secrets, I should have been used to it, but the knowledge was weighing on me.

“Would it make you feel better if we announced that you're also dating Theo, Knox, Chase, and Jax? Because Patrick has yet to make his speech, and I'm sure that tidbit could liven it up a bit.”

I glared at him. “Not helping.”

“Am I thrilled you're all mine for the evening? Of course. But I can't imagine how difficult it is to look and not touch, especially when you are so,” he kissed the sensitive spot behind my ear, “very,” he punctuated with a kiss on my neck, “ravishing,” he finished with one lower still.

Lightheaded from his lips on my skin, I leaned away. “I thought Doris was ravishing. Are you comparing me to a sixty-year-old woman?”

He brushed my hair over my shoulder, his gaze so intense I almost had to look away. “I don't care if you're sixteen or sixty, you will always be beautiful to me.”

The confidence in his words left no room for doubt. Liam was everything I never knew I’d always wanted. He was charming and handsome, but he was more than that. He was generous and caring.

I love you, my heart whispered. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I sensed he needed to be the one to say those all-important words first. Maybe one day.