Haley

“The zoo?” I guessed when I caught sight of the sign ahead.

At breakfast, Knox had directed me to dress in warm clothes and bring along Theo’s spare camera, without telling me where we were headed. Since it was Sunday, and I was already ahead in my coursework, I’d happily agreed.

He grinned at me. “Yeah, I thought it would give you the chance to practice your photography skills. And it should be relatively warm today if the sun stays out.”

“It’s great.” I leaned across the Jeep’s console to kiss his cheek. He’d been driving the Jeep on random occasions lately, I assumed to prove he didn’t purchase the extra vehicle solely for me. I still didn’t believe it, but it was endearing that he tried.

“Honestly, I can’t believe I haven’t been here yet.”

“It’s not exactly the kind of place a guy takes his girl to impress her.”

“Thankfully, you don’t need to impress me any more than you already have. I disagree, anyway. Jax took me to the aquarium for our first date, and I loved it.”

Knox swung into a parking spot and cut the engine. “I don’t think this zoo is quite up to Monterey Bay Aquarium standards. I haven’t been here since an elementary school field trip, but I don’t remember it being that great.”

“It’ll be fun.” As we walked to the entrance, I pointed to a series of large signs displaying photos of animals. “Look, there are lemurs.”

Knox took my hand and squeezed. “You are so easy to please.”

“Is that a bad thing? Should I demand five-star restaurants and hot air balloon rides for every date?”

“No. Every other date, maybe.”

“Well, then, I expect that hot air balloon ride for our next outing.”

“Done.”

After he paid our entrance fees, I unfolded the map of the zoo. “Where to first?”

He took the paper from my hands and stuffed it into his back pocket. “No maps. Let’s live a little. Right or left?”

I scrunched my forehead in feigned indecision. “Right, no left. Yes, left.”

“Good choice.”

As we wandered through the zoo and park, I had to admit that it was clearly geared more toward children than adults. Although there were a few interesting animals, I’d been hoping for at least giraffes or elephants. Still, the exhibits gave me a chance to practice taking photos of moving targets. And I was spending the day with Knox. That alone was enough to make me happy.

While I changed the manual settings for at least the twentieth time to try to shoot a fox with huge ears, Knox stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Do you have any idea how pretty you are?” He nuzzled my ear, his words filling me with warmth.

“You’re supposed to be looking at the animals, not me,” I teased, secretly delighted by his compliment.

“Where’s the fun in that?”

I twisted around and gave him a kiss. “You tell me.”

He smacked his lips together before releasing me. “Your lips are like ice. How about some hot chocolate?”

“That would be amazing.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I returned my attention to the fox posing on a small boulder. When I realized my settings still weren’t quite right to capture the red of its coat, I adjusted the aperture and set up my shot again.

“Well, if it isn’t Haley Jones,” a voice from behind me said.

I spun and almost dropped the camera—Vanessa was standing there, her smile gleaming white. My stomach immediately sank. Had she seen me with Knox?

“Hi, Vanessa,” I responded with as much calm and politeness as I could muster. Noticing a young girl plastered to her side, I waved. “Hello. I’m Haley. What’s your name?”

She stared at me before eventually saying, “Amanda.”

“My niece,” Vanessa added quickly, as though she wanted to cast aside any doubts as to the girl’s relation. Honestly, the thought of her as a mother almost made me laugh.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Amanda. Are you having fun seeing all the animals?” She nodded, and I continued to direct my questions at her, preferring to talk with her than her aunt. “I like the lemurs. Do you have a favorite?”

“Timon,” she said with great enthusiasm.

I smiled at her reference to The Lion King. “The meerkats are really cute.”

Vanessa started to steer Amanda away from the fox exhibit. “Well, we need to go. It was nice bumping into you.”

Why was she being pleasant? Or was it an act? Maybe spending the day with her niece put her in a good mood. Maybe I needed to stop being so suspicious. “You too. Bye, Amanda.”

“Bye.” The little girl waved.

The duo began walking off, but then Vanessa paused and turned back to face me. “Oh, was that Knox I saw you with?” She continued with a smile, not giving me a chance to respond. “Liam must be such an understanding boyfriend, what with you spending time alone with one of his best friends. A super hot one, at that. See you later!” She disappeared down the path with her niece.

Suddenly feeling strangled, I yanked the camera strap over my head. With shaking hands, I snapped on the lens cap before returning the camera to its case. Was I overreacting, or did that sound like a veiled threat?

My mind whirred with so many thoughts, I couldn’t keep track of them. Would Vanessa tell anyone she saw me with Knox? After Liam and I were openly together at the Christmas party, everyone would assume the worst of me if she did. Was it possible she only saw us together but not kissing?

“Tired of snapping photos?” The sound of Knox’s deep voice made me jump, and I nearly rammed into him as I whirled around. “Whoa. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry.” I pasted on the best smile I could manage. “Just zoned out for a minute.”

“Maybe this will help.” He handed me a cup of steaming hot cocoa.

I blew on it, needing something to do other than obsess about what went down with Vanessa. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He took a sip of his coffee before taking the camera bag from my hand. “Does this mean you’re ready to leave?”

Leaving meant a forty-minute drive back to Santa Cruz. There was no way I could hide my freak out from Knox during the entire trip. Though I hated keeping things from him, I needed more time to regain my composure and figure out what to do, if anything. I didn’t want to make a bigger deal out of the encounter than necessary, especially if she’d only been messing with me.

“No, I’ve just had as much practice as I can handle for one day. Let’s keep going.” I tugged on his arm. “We haven’t made it to the petting zoo yet.” And it was in the opposite direction of where Vanessa and Amanda were headed when they left.

He eyed me but nodded. Seriously, why hadn’t I asked him to teach me his poker face skills already? That would have come in handy right about now.

* * *

“What’s with you this morning, sweet cheeks? Got the Monday morning blues?”

I glanced over at Theo, looking as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever from his spot next to me in the back seat of the Subaru. Knox was driving, and Chase was riding shotgun. Since all four of us were headed to the main Zenith office, we’d decided to carpool.

“Yeah, that must be it.”

In reality, I was wishing I had a fever and could call in sick to work. Of all the days to be back at the office rather than the training center, today would not have been my first choice. I wouldn’t necessarily run into Vanessa, but the possibility was making me cranky.

“You can have a sip of my coffee, if you’d like,” Knox said, winking at me in the rearview mirror. “That’ll perk you right up.”

“I’d rather stay blue.”

Theo patted my leg. “Thankfully, blue looks good on you.”

Knox snorted. “Do those lines actually work for you?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask Haley?” Theo looked at me expectantly.

“They work for Theo,” I said, reaching over to pinch his cheek, “because he’s so adorable.”

Knox and Chase both laughed and Theo smiled. “Thank you. Now that you mention it, big brother, I’m not sure why she gives you any attention at all. You don’t have my cuteness factor, Chase’s musical talent, Liam’s charm, or Jackson’s smarts. What is it that you have to offer, exactly?”

I could think of a few things . . . a few unmentionable things.

“I’m good with my hands,” Knox replied without inflection.

Theo erupted into laughter, and I buried my face in my hands, certain it was turning as red as my scarf. I couldn’t tell how Chase reacted to Knox’s statement, but I had no intention of releasing my face to find out. Was death by embarrassment actually possible?

“It’s okay, Haley,” Theo said as he rubbed my shoulder. “I won’t make you confirm or deny Knox’s claim.”

“Why would she deny it?” Knox asked. “Everyone knows I’m good with a carburetor.”

“Yeah, ’cuz that’s what you were referring to,” Theo muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

I peeked through my fingers and saw that Chase was shaking with laughter. He didn’t seem bothered by the implication, which was a relief. I kept expecting him to regress into jealous mode, but he genuinely seemed at ease with my other relationships now.

Finally dropping my hands, I glared at Theo. “I take back what I said about you being adorable.”

He reached over and tugged on my hair. “You know you love me.”

That mischievous grin. Those freckles and tattoos. That zest for life. How could I not?

The rest of the drive passed in companionable silence. I skimmed the reading material for today’s session, wanting to be as prepared as possible. From what Kenneth said during our last class, each of us would be paired with an established team to develop a strategic plan for their next assignment. It wasn’t a simulation, and I would be evaluated by every member of the team on the quality of my input.

This would be the first true test of my strategy skills, and I was both nervous and excited. If I did well, I could prove to myself and my fellow trainees that I was more than Patrick’s and Team Jaguar’s pet project.

I said a quick goodbye to the guys before getting off the elevator on the fourth floor, where the conference rooms were located. After a short meeting with Kenneth, he issued our team assignments and sent us on our way. When he told me I’d be working with Team Falcon, I wasn’t sure whether to be more or less anxious. I already knew all of the team members, but Scott, their leader, was notoriously difficult to work with.

I followed the four other trainees up a flight of stairs and headed toward the Falcon office. Several heads swung my way as I passed, and I tried not to be paranoid by their attention. I was wearing my trainee uniform, after all. Why wouldn’t they be curious?

I knocked on the closed door, and Tyler opened it with a smile. “Hi, Haley. Come on in.”

In addition to five separate desks, a high-top table sat in the corner of the room. Kara was already seated and waved for me to join her. As soon as I took the chair next to her, she leaned in and spoke softly. “Have you heard yet?”

“Heard what?”

She bit her bottom lip before smiling. “Nothing. We’ll talk afterward.”

Her change in demeanor didn’t fool me. She was worried about something, and I had a sinking feeling that something was related to me.

I forced myself to push my concerns aside as the rest of the team joined us at the table. Logan and Tyler were both friendly, as usual, while Scott was clearly ready to get down to business. Hunter, the only member of the team I’d barely had any interactions with, smiled shyly before ruffling his messy brown hair and adjusting his glasses, reminding me of Barry Allen from The Flash.

Without preamble, Scott jumped into a rundown of the assignment—they were to provide security for a small, secret celebrity wedding. I’d never heard of the actress and her musician fiancé, but the couple was apparently famous enough to require security on their special day.

The event was being held at a private, beachside home, so the logistics were different than what my training had mostly focused on. Thankfully, I was able to quickly assess the situation and point out a few issues that Team Falcon hadn’t addressed yet.

A low-lying fence along the rear of the property provided a physical barrier but wouldn’t do much to keep out drones. And with the paparazzi becoming increasingly creative in their attempts to capture celebrities, it was something that warranted consideration.

Then, there was the matter of the newlyweds’ exit. They wanted to be photographed driving away in a vintage Rolls Royce, but it would attract too much notice once they’d left the gated community. So, I suggested that their security detail and personal assistants park down the block in a nondescript SUV. The bride and groom could have their photos, then transfer to the other car, swapping places with their personal assistants. Any paparazzi posted outside the gates would be so focused on the chauffeured Rolls Royce and its passengers, that the celebrities could slip past in the SUV unnoticed.

By the time the meeting was finished, I was ready for lunch, and Kara swiftly led me out of the office and down to the café on the first floor of the building.

“What’s going on?” I finally asked when we were seated with our food.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat first?”

I glanced at my sandwich and had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to do more than pick at it even before she spilled what was undoubtedly bad news. Pushing it away, I took a deep breath. “I’d rather get this over with. Is it about Vanessa?”

Kara’s eyes widened. “Vanessa, of course! She’s always wanted Liam for herself.”

“What did you hear?” I asked, even though I already knew what she would say.

Her expression was apologetic. “There’s a rumor going around that you’re cheating on Liam with Knox. I overheard two women from accounting talking about it in the restroom first thing this morning.”

I shook my head. “Damn, that was fast. Vanessa just saw us together yesterday.” I explained how she approached me at the zoo, then hung my head. “I knew she was too friendly to be genuine.”

“Haley, I’m sorry. She’s such a bitch.”

“It’s not really her fault.” It was mine. I should have been more careful in public. I should have . . . I didn’t even know. “Things were going so well. Too well. I should have known something like this would happen.”

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Kara offered. “You can come clean about your relationship with the team and not have to worry about trying to hide it.”

“Easy for you to say,” I retorted bitterly. “You’re not the one who will be labeled a slut.” Suddenly overwhelmed, I stood and grabbed my purse, hoping I wouldn’t hyperventilate in the next sixty seconds. “I have to get out of here.”

“Haley, wait.” Kara placed her hand on my arm. “Don’t be mad. I was only trying to help.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I have to go.”

I headed straight for the parking garage until I remembered I’d ridden with the guys. Of all the days to be without the Jeep. Damn it.

I took a few minutes to stew in the parking garage, pacing the ground as if it would give me a solution. Or maybe just hoping it would open up and swallow me whole. When it didn’t, I finally forced myself to be an adult and finish my work day.

After retrieving my backpack from the Falcon office, I was headed back to the conference room from this morning when Chase intercepted me, tugging me into the empty Jaguar office.

“What are you doing?” The last thing I needed was to be spotted with yet another one of the guys, especially today.

He removed the backpack from my shoulder and pulled me into a hug. “Are you okay? I just heard about the rumors.”

As much as I wanted to let him comfort me, I was too on edge. I couldn’t handle it, so I pushed him away. “No, I’m not okay, and I shouldn’t be in here. We’ll only start more rumors.”

I picked up my bag and reached for the door handle, but Chase placed his hand over mine, stopping me. “Wait, let’s talk about this.”

“No, Chase. There’s nothing to say.”

The hurt in his eyes cut deep, but I didn’t have it in me to fix things. I needed to get away. “Just let me go,” I pleaded.

Stepping back, he nodded, and I left without another word. As I closed the door behind me, Vanessa and another girl from her team walked by. The smirk on Vanessa’s pretty face let me know she was more than pleased by my current state of distress. Come dinner, all of Zenith would probably have heard that I’d been having an orgy with Team Jaguar in their office.

Wrapping my arms protectively around my waist, I headed to the stairwell. This was exactly what I’d been afraid of. Not only was I in danger of destroying my own reputation, the reputations of everyone on the team were in peril. The guys had worked so hard to be the best at what they did, how could I risk damaging that?

For the first time since Knox spoke those magic words to me, I regretted the fact that the guys didn’t want me to choose between them. Had I not been so greedy, so short-sighted, we would’ve never been in this position. I should have been stronger. I should have known better than to think I could have them all.