2. Haley
— · —
Haley
“Couldn’t you have found something else to wear?” Caleb’s eyes swept over my dress as we stepped out of the car, his mouth pressing into a thin line of disapproval. “My mother’s charity gala isn’t exactly the place for that neckline.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my dress.” I smoothed my hands over the fabric and ignored the irritation prickling under my skin.
The dress was black, simple, and yes, the neckline dropped low in both the front and the back. It cinched at my waist and gave me an hourglass silhouette that I’d spent twenty minutes admiring in the mirror before we left.
I felt sexy in it. I felt powerful. And I wasn’t about to let my husband’s disapproval take that away from me.
“I’m just saying, you could have gone with something more conservative.” He adjusted his cufflinks and offered me his arm, his voice dropping as other guests streamed past us toward the entrance. “My mom won’t like it.”
“Diane has opinions about everything I do, Caleb.” I took his arm and let him lead me up the steps. “If I wore a burlap sack, she’d find something wrong with the stitching.”
“That’s not fair.”
I smiled at a couple I vaguely recognized from last year’s gala, nodding politely as we passed. “Your mother has made it very clear that nothing I do will ever be good enough for her precious firstborn son.”
“She’s just protective.” Caleb steered us through the grand entrance, and the ballroom opened up before us in a cascade of crystal chandeliers and white flowers. “You know how she gets about these events. Everything has to be perfect.”
“And I’m the imperfection.” I pulled my arm from his and reached for a champagne flute from a passing waiter. “Got it.”
The gala was stunning, I had to admit. Diane Sinclair knew how to throw an event. Every year she hosted this charity in remembrance of her late husband, and every year the cream of society showed up to write checks and be seen writing checks.
The women dripped with diamonds and designer gowns, their faces frozen in expressions of practiced benevolence. Looking around, I was vastly underdressed compared to most of them, but I didn’t care.
Let them have their couture. I had a dress that made me feel like myself, and that was worth more than any label.
“I need to go say hello to the Marshalls.” Caleb was already scanning the crowd, his attention drifting away from me. “Try not to antagonize anyone while I’m gone.”
“I’ll do my best, but I make no promises.” I sipped my champagne and watched him disappear into the sea of tuxedos and evening gowns.
I was scoping out the venue, looking for anyone I might actually want to talk to, when I noticed James.
He was standing near the bar, deep in conversation with someone I vaguely recognized from the marketing department.
His tuxedo fit him perfectly, tailored to his broad shoulders and lean frame, and his dark hair was pushed back from his forehead in a way that looked effortless but probably took him all of thirty seconds to achieve.
James looked hot.
The thought arrived uninvited, and I nearly choked on my champagne.
Where the fuck did that come from?
I had never found my brother-in-law hot.
Objectively, yes, he was attractive. That was just a fact of biology, the same way the sky was blue and water was wet.
The Sinclair brothers had won the genetic lottery.
But I had never looked at James and felt anything beyond casual appreciation for a well-constructed face.
Until now, apparently.
He must have felt me staring, because his head turned and his eyes found mine across the crowded room. His gaze swept over me, starting at my face and traveling down to the hem of my dress, then back up again. Appreciative.
Did James fucking Sinclair just check me out?
“Are you listening to me?” Caleb’s voice materialized beside me, and I jumped so hard I nearly spilled my champagne. I hadn’t even realized he was back at my side.
Fuck.
“Yeah, I am.” I tore my eyes away from James and forced myself to focus on my husband. “You were saying something about the Marshalls.”
“I was saying something about the silent auction, actually.” Caleb frowned at me, his brow furrowing. “Are you feeling all right? You look flushed.”
“I’m fine.” I pressed my cool champagne glass against my cheek and tried to slow my heartbeat. “It’s just warm in here with all these people.”
“Well, try to pull yourself together.” He took my elbow and steered me deeper into the crowd.
I followed him through the maze of guests, nodding and smiling at faces I half-recognized, but my mind was still stuck on James. On the way his eyes had moved over my body.
I was checking out my husband’s brother. Or he was checking me out. I couldn’t keep track anymore, and I wasn’t sure which option was worse.
We found Diane holding court near the ice sculpture, surrounded by her usual entourage of society women. Vanessa Ellis stood at her right hand like a blonde shadow, her silver dress catching the light every time she moved.
“Caleb, darling.” Diane’s eyes swept over her son with maternal pride before landing on me with considerably less warmth. “Haley. How nice of you to join us.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Diane.” I smiled sweetly and sipped my champagne. “You’ve outdone yourself this year. The ice sculpture is a particularly nice touch. Very on-theme for the general temperature of the room.”
Diane’s smile tightened almost imperceptibly. Vanessa, however, made no effort to hide her amusement. Her lips curved into a sly smile as her eyes traveled over my dress.
“I like your dress, Haley.” Her voice was honeyed, saccharine. “Very bold choice for an event like this.”
“Thanks.” I met her gaze without flinching. “I’d say the same about yours, but it’s not really my style. I prefer things with a little more substance.”
Something flickered in Vanessa’s eyes, a flash of irritation quickly smoothed over. She turned to Caleb and placed her hand on his arm, her fingers curling into the crook of his elbow with practiced familiarity.
“I need to steal your husband for a moment,” she said to me, though her eyes never left Caleb’s face. “The Dawsons just arrived, and they’ve been asking about the expansion project.”
“I can come with you.” I stepped forward, but Caleb was already shaking his head.
“There’s nothing for you to say there, Haley.” His voice was dismissive, distracted. “It’s not like the Dawsons read romance novels. Why don’t you entertain yourself here while I handle the business side of things?”
The jab landed exactly where he intended. I felt it sink into my chest like a small, sharp knife, but I didn’t let it show on my face. I just smiled and raised my champagne glass in a mock toast.
“By all means.” I watched Vanessa’s hand tighten on his arm as they turned away. “Go handle your business.”
They disappeared into the crowd, Vanessa’s blonde head tilted toward Caleb’s, whispering something that made him laugh. I drained the rest of my champagne and wished I’d grabbed two glasses.
“They make such a wonderful team, don’t they?” Diane materialized at my elbow, her eyes following her son and his assistant across the room. “Caleb and Vanessa. They just understand each other. They speak the same language.”
“Is that what you call it?” I kept my voice light, conversational. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like your son’s assistant has her hands on him more than his wife does.”
“Vanessa comes from a good family.” Diane sipped her champagne, her eyes never leaving the pair across the room. “Her father was one of my husband’s closest friends. She understands our world. She knows how things work.”
“And I don’t?” I turned to face her fully, abandoning any pretense of politeness. “Is that what you’re saying, Diane?”
“I’m saying that some people are better suited for certain roles than others. Vanessa would have been an excellent match for Caleb. Everyone thought so.”
“You’d think you’re pining after another woman for your son, Diane.” I let the words hang in the air between us, watching her face carefully. “Not a good look for the Sinclair matriarch.”
Diane’s eyes went wide. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. For one glorious moment, the most formidable woman in the room had absolutely nothing to say.
A low chuckle came from somewhere behind me.
I turned and found James standing there, a glass of whiskey in his hand and an expression of pure delight on his face.
“Well.” He stepped up beside me, his shoulder brushing against mine. “I have never seen my mother speechless. I didn’t think it was physically possible.”
“What can I say?” I shrugged, fighting to keep the smirk off my face. “I have that effect on people.”
Diane cleared her throat, her composure snapping back into place. “I should go check on the auction items. If you’ll excuse me.”
She swept away without another word, her spine rigid with barely contained fury.
“That was incredible.” James was grinning at me now, his eyes bright with amusement. “Seriously, Haley. I’ve been waiting years for someone to put her in her place like that.”
“She made it easy.” I accepted a fresh glass of champagne from a passing waiter and took a long sip. “Your mother isn’t exactly subtle about her opinions.”
“No, subtlety has never been her strong suit.” He moved to stand beside me, close enough that I could smell his cologne. “But you handled it perfectly. Most people just smile and nod when she goes on one of her tirades.”
“I’m not most people.”
“No.” His voice dropped, and when I looked up at him, his eyes were fixed on my face with an intensity that made my breath catch. “You’re definitely not.”
We stood there for a moment, the noise of the gala fading into background static. I was suddenly very aware of how close he was standing.
“You look nice tonight, Haley.” His voice was low, meant only for me. “Really nice.”