The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife

Hazel's POV

When Liam and I found ourselves alone at the table, my pulse quickened like I was sixteen again at a high school dance. The nervousness coursed through me as his intense gaze held mine across the small space between us.

"Listen to me very carefully, Hazel." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper as he leaned closer, his breath warm against my skin. "You can be angry all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that you belong to me. I won't stand by and watch other men put their hands on what's mine. You can leave the house wearing that scrap of fabric you call a dress, showing off every curve of your incredible body, and I might grit my teeth and bear it. But dancing with another man?" His eyes darkened. "That will never happen again."

Fire surged through my veins as I met his stare without flinching. "You're completely delusional, Mr. Sterling. I don't belong to anyone, especially not you. And yes, I'm furious, so don't push me any further."

The arrogant bastard had the nerve to flash that devastatingly sexy smile that made my knees weak. His eyes gleamed with predatory satisfaction.

"There's a fine line between love and hate, sweetheart. You're mine, Hazel. It's only a matter of time before you stop fighting it and come back where you belong." He pressed a soft kiss to the tip of my nose, the gentle gesture at odds with his possessive words.

I huffed in frustration, hating how my body responded to his touch. As I turned my head away, searching for something to focus on other than his magnetic presence, I caught sight of a woman approaching our table. She was practically spilling out of her barely-there dress, her surgically enhanced chest threatening to escape her neckline entirely. Her hips swayed in an exaggerated motion as she strutted over in sky-high heels, her face caked with enough makeup to supply a theater company.

"Hey there, gorgeous," she purred, leaning over Liam's chair until her breasts were practically in his face. "Dance with me. I'm sure your little sister won't mind sharing."

Sister? The nerve of this woman sent my blood pressure skyrocketing. I watched Liam's reaction, waiting for him to shut her down immediately. Instead, he remained perfectly still, his eyes slowly traveling up and down her body as if he was actually considering her proposition.

Something snapped inside me. Whether it was the alcohol coursing through my system or pure territorial instinct, I shot to my feet and leaned across the table until I was nose to nose with the plastic fantastic intruder.

"Sister?" I said, my voice dripping with venom. "What exactly gave you that brilliant idea? Why don't you take your cheap act somewhere else, because this man already has everything he needs right here."

Liam's attention shifted from her to me, his eyebrows raising with interest. The woman looked me up and down with obvious disdain, then had the audacity to laugh.

"Seriously?" She gestured to her artificially enhanced figure with theatrical flair. "You honestly think he'd choose a boring little mouse like you over all of this?" She leaned down to whisper in Liam's ear, her voice loud enough for me to hear every word. "I'm one hundred percent woman, baby. I can show you pleasure you've never imagined. Don't waste your time with her when you could have me doing whatever you want, however you want it."

White-hot rage exploded through every nerve in my body. This shameless woman was propositioning my man right in front of me, and Liam was just sitting there like he was enjoying the show.

"Listen carefully, you walking advertisement for bad decisions," I snarled, my voice low and dangerous. "Turn around and crawl back to whatever dive bar you escaped from before I drag you out of here by what's left of your real hair."

Liam burst into laughter, clearly entertained by the entire spectacle. The sound only fueled my anger, and I smacked him upside the head, which made him laugh even harder. But then he stood up abruptly, his arm snaking around my waist and pulling me flush against his hard chest. Before I could react, he planted a quick, possessive kiss on my lips and turned to address the intruder.

"Do you really think I'd be interested in your amateur performance when I have the most stunning woman in the world right here beside me?" His smile was razor-sharp. "You're nothing but a desperate wannabe. Get lost and don't bother us again."

"Bye bye, sweetheart," I added with a sarcastic wave, watching her storm away in defeat.

Liam turned back to me, his arms tightening around my waist as I savored my victory. But my triumph was short-lived when I heard his husky whisper against my ear.

"You have no idea how incredibly sexy you are when you're being possessive."

I tried to pull away from his embrace, but he held me tighter, and my legs turned to liquid. One touch from this man and my brain stopped functioning properly.

"The woman who just publicly claimed me as hers wouldn't refuse to dance with me now, would she?" Without waiting for an answer, he guided me toward the dance floor, and I found myself powerless to resist.

The band began playing a slow, sensual bachata, and I melted into Liam's arms as he pulled me against his body. He moved with the fluid grace of a professional dancer, leading me around the floor while the seductive rhythm pulsed through us. His hands explored the curve of my waist as he sang the lyrics softly in my ear, his voice sending shivers down my spine. Being this close to him was pure torture when I was trying so hard to resist everything he made me feel.

The band seemed determined to test my resolve, playing one romantic song after another. We stayed pressed together through at least five more dances, our bodies moving in perfect synchronization. I never wanted the moment to end.

When the music finally shifted to something more upbeat, Liam kept his arm possessively around my waist as we returned to our table. Our friends were all staring at us with knowing looks, and the girls were practically fanning themselves. He pulled my chair closer to his and draped his arm across my shoulders, ignoring my warning glare.

"What?" he asked with mock innocence, pressing a soft kiss to my bare shoulder. "Don't you want to keep that woman you so eloquently called a walking disaster away from what belongs to you?"

"Liam, I need to tell you something," I began, but he silenced me with a kiss that stole my breath and scrambled my thoughts.

The kiss was desperate and hungry, filled with months of longing and frustration. It was overwhelming and irresistible, making my head spin and my heart race. I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him back with equal fervor, surrendering to the moment despite my better judgment.

When we finally broke apart, his eyes were blazing with satisfaction. But I wasn't ready to wave the white flag just yet. He hadn't suffered nearly enough for what he put me through, and I wasn't about to make this easy for him.

"Don't think this changes anything," I said firmly, watching confusion flicker across his features. "I'm still angry, and you're definitely not forgiven. But we're here together tonight, and I won't pretend you don't affect me. So we can have fun, but this is just for tonight. Tomorrow, nothing changes."

I pulled him down for another searing kiss, pouring all my conflicted emotions into it.

"If that's what you want tonight, then that's what you'll get," he murmured against my lips. "I'll take whatever you're willing to give me."

"Perfect." I drained my drink and stood up, extending my hand to him. "Then let's dance, handsome."

We returned to the dance floor, leaving our friends looking completely bewildered. After several more songs, we rejoined the group, and the girls immediately dragged me to the bathroom for an interrogation. I explained my strategy of enjoying the evening while making it clear that one night of fun didn't equal forgiveness, and they laughed at my determination to make him work for it.

The rest of the night was magical. We danced until our feet hurt, laughed until our sides ached, and talked like we used to in the beginning. Damian was pulling out all the stops to impress Scarlett, and she seemed genuinely charmed by his attention.

As we prepared to leave, Noah and Chloe offered to give Scarlett a ride home, but Damian quickly intervened.

"No need to worry about that," he said, taking Scarlett's hand with a confident smile. "I insist on making sure this beautiful lady gets home safely. You all go get some rest."