26. Haley
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Haley
James was at my side before I could take a breath.
His hand found the small of my back, anchoring me to the ground when my stomach had just dropped through the floor.
The night I’d actually believed things might be okay. And here it was, walking back through the door in designer clothes and practiced smiles.
“Don’t.” James’s voice was low, meant only for me. “They don’t deserve your attention.”
“What are they doing here?” My eyes tracked Diane as she glided through the crowd, accepting greetings like she owned the place. “I thought this was your event.”
“It is. They must have been on the guest list of one of the board members.” His jaw tightened. “Someone I’ll be having a conversation with tomorrow.”
“What do you mean by one of the members?” I turned to look at him. “Caleb’s on the board. He has every right to be here.”
“No, he doesn’t.” James met my eyes, and there was steel in his gaze. “Caleb was fired, Haley. I made sure of that. Pushed for a vote after the divorce went through. Conduct unbecoming, breach of company ethics. The board agreed unanimously.”
I stared at him. “You never told me that. I mean I knew he was fired, but I had no idea he was kicked off everything.”
“And Diane,” he continued like I hadn’t spoken. “I’ve been working on pushing her out too. Slowly, carefully, so she can’t claim it’s personal. After everything they did to you, they don’t deserve a part of the legacy my dad left behind.”
Every time I thought I understood who James Sinclair was, he revealed another layer. Another way he’d been quietly fighting for me while I wasn’t looking.
I was falling for him.
The realization hit me like a truck, and I shoved it away immediately. No. I couldn’t go there. Not yet. Not when everything was still so fragile, so new. The fear wrapped around my chest and squeezed.
I looked across the room, needing a distraction, and found Lily sitting at a small table near the dessert spread. A young woman in a professional blazer sat beside her, helping her color in a picture book. The nanny James had arranged.
When I’d asked about it earlier, while we were getting ready, he’d just shrugged.
“I’ve seen you struggle.” He’d said it casually, like it was nothing.
“And I’ve heard from Daniel and Megan how hard it was for you.
Finding childcare, affording childcare, never being able to attend events because you couldn’t bring her along.
” He’d adjusted his cufflinks without looking at me.
“So I got it done at the office. Daycare for employees during work hours, and for events like this. It’s the least I could do. ”
The least he could do. Like revolutionizing his company’s family policies was just a minor inconvenience he’d handled between meetings.
I moved deeper into his hold now, pressing against his side, letting his warmth seep into me. Across the room, Diane was accepting a glass of champagne from a waiter. Caleb had his arm around Vanessa, laughing at something she’d said. They looked happy. They looked like they belonged here.
They didn’t.
“Come dance with me.” I tugged at James’s hand. “I don’t want to stand here watching them.”
“You sure?”
“I want to enjoy my night.” I met his eyes. “With you. They can watch us for a change.”
His smile spread. “I like the way you think.”
He led me onto the dance floor, one hand finding my waist while the other clasped my fingers. The band was playing a slow song, and James pulled me close enough that I felt his heartbeat against my chest.
“This is awfully similar to one of those dances we had,” he whispered against my neck.
“I thought you looked exceptionally hot that night, and might have called myself crazy a few times.”
He laughed at that, then spun me around, just to pull me back to his chest.
“You’re beautiful tonight.” His mouth was near my ear, his breath warm on my skin. “Have I mentioned that?”
“Once or twice.” I tilted my head back to look at him. “Feel free to keep going.”
“The way that dress fits you.” His hand slid lower on my back, just above the curve of my ass. “I’ve been trying not to stare all night. Failing miserably.”
He spun me out again, then pulled me back in, closer than before. Our hips pressed together, and I felt the hard length of him against my thigh. “See what you do to me?”
“In public?” I raised an eyebrow, but I didn’t pull away. “Scandalous, Mr. Sinclair.”
“Your fault entirely.” He dipped his head to brush his lips against my neck. “You show up looking like that and expect me to behave?”
“I expect you to maintain a professional demeanor at your own business event.”
His teeth grazed my earlobe and I shivered. “I’d rather take you into that coat closet and show you exactly how unprofessional I can be.”
“James.” My voice came out breathless. “People are watching.”
“Let them watch.” He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, and the heat in his gaze made my knees weak. “Let them see how crazy I am about you.”
We swayed together, barely moving, more interested in the press of our bodies than actual dancing. His thigh slid between mine, and I bit my lip to keep from making a sound that would definitely be inappropriate for a corporate event.
“You’re going to get us in trouble,” I whispered.
“Worth it.”
“James!” A voice cut through the music. A man in an expensive suit was waving from the edge of the dance floor. “Sorry to interrupt, but the investors from Tokyo just arrived. They’re asking for you.”
James sighed, his forehead dropping against mine. “Terrible timing.”
“Go.” I pushed gently at his chest. “I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“I’m a big girl. I can survive five minutes without you.”
He kissed me, quick but thorough, then pulled away. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll find you.”
I watched him cross the room toward the investors, already shifting into business mode. The loss of his warmth left me feeling exposed, visible, like a target without a shield.
I needed air.
The side hallway near the coat check was quieter, away from the music and the crowd. I leaned against the wall and let out a breath, trying to slow my racing heart. The dance had left me flushed and wanting, my body still humming from the press of James against me.
“So this is what it was.”
My head snapped up. Caleb was standing at the end of the hallway, blocking the path back to the main room. He had a drink in his hand, half-empty, and his tie was loosened. The changed-man act from his doorstep visit was gone. Whatever therapy he’d claimed to be doing clearly hadn’t stuck.
“You and my brother.” He took a step closer, almost amused. “The whole time.”
I didn’t answer. Didn’t give him anything.
“Hell, Haley.” He shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping. “My own brother. I knew you were cold, but this is impressive even for you.”
I watched him. Said nothing. Let him keep going.
He slid into it fast, the way I knew he would. Caleb had never been able to stand silence. It made him nervous, made him fill the space with words he’d later regret.
“You know how that looks?” He gestured with his drink, sloshing liquid over the rim. “You, sleeping with the uncle? Living with him, playing house, letting him act like Lily’s father?” His voice turned sharp. “A judge sees that and asks what kind of home you’re running.”
He was trying to get a rise out of me. I recognized the tactic. He’d used it throughout our marriage, poking until I snapped, then using my reaction as proof that I was the unreasonable one.
Not tonight.
“Lily deserves stability,” he continued when I didn’t respond. “She deserves the Sinclair name. A real family. Not whatever this is.”
Every sentence was him handing me his plan. I filed each one away, cataloging the threats, noting the angles of attack.
“She’s entitled to that.” He stepped closer, his voice dropping. “She’s entitled to know her real father. To grow up with the resources and opportunities that come with being a Sinclair. You can’t just keep her from all that because you’re angry at me.”
There it was. The play. He didn’t actually want Lily. He wanted leverage. He wanted to hurt me the way I’d hurt him by leaving.
“Mom’s not letting this go, you know.” His eyes glittered with malice. “She’s already got the lawyers on it. The custody arrangement, the termination of rights. There are ways to challenge those things. Ways to prove you’re an unfit mother.”
I kept my face blank even as my heart hammered.
“You think James is going to save you?” He laughed, ugly and sharp. “He’s my brother, Haley. Blood is blood. When it comes down to it, when Mom puts the pressure on, he’ll fold. They always do.”
He was wrong about that. I knew he was wrong. But I didn’t bother telling him.
“You don’t get to just walk off and win.” His voice cracked, and there it was. The real wound. The thing underneath all the threats and posturing. “You don’t get to leave me, take my daughter, and end up happy. That’s not how this works.”
Movement behind him caught my eye. Vanessa had drifted into view at the end of the hallway, bored, thumbing through her phone, already halfway checked out of whatever drama Caleb was creating. She didn’t even look up.
“Are you done?” My voice came out flat, emotionless.
Caleb blinked, thrown by my lack of reaction. “Haley-”
“Because from the looks of it, you’ve mentioned Lily a hundred times, but not once bothered to look behind you and notice Vanessa. So trust me, Caleb, your empty threats have no effect on me. So unless you have something worthwhile to talk to me about, I’m going to go.”
Then I turned and walked back toward James.