The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife

Hazel's POV

When we arrived at Damian's house, the girls were already there and rushed over to take Leo from Liam's arms. Liam immediately became protective, his voice carrying a warning edge.

"Whoa there, ladies! Easy with my little man!"

"I've been dying to meet Leo!" Owen said, walking over with a warm smile.

My son found himself surrounded by my friends, who had him giggling and squealing with delight as they tickled his tiny belly. The sound of his laughter made my heart swell. Then Leo's bright violet eyes found Liam.

"Liam, pool!" he declared, his little voice filled with excitement.

"Sunscreen and floaties first, sweetheart," I told him, watching as he already reached his little arms toward Liam.

"I've got this, Hazel. Let me handle our boy today. You just relax and enjoy yourself," Liam said, flashing me that devastating smile that always made my knees weak.

The Texas sun made him look like a golden god. His hair was perfectly tousled, designer sunglasses perched on his nose, crisp white shirt stretched across his broad chest, and casual shorts that showed off his athletic legs. Even his feet in those flip-flops were ridiculously attractive. He took Leo's bag from my hands and got to work applying sunscreen to my son's pale skin, then carefully inflated the little water wings and secured them around Leo's arms. With gentle precision, he carried Leo into the pool, and soon they were both splashing around with pure joy.

"Leo is absolutely gorgeous, Hazel!" Owen observed.

"It's incredible how much he resembles Liam. Even those unusual eyes!" Adrian added, sounding puzzled.

"I'd say Hazel definitely has a type," Damian grinned at me knowingly.

"Oh honey, like drop-dead gorgeous, tall, muscular men aren't every woman's weakness," Scarlett teased, making everyone burst into laughter.

The guys eventually joined Liam and Leo in the pool, turning into a group of overgrown children in the water. The girls seized this opportunity to interrogate me about every detail of what had happened between Liam and me, refusing to let me skip even the smallest part.

"But tell me about the game after I left. What happened?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"My brother took off right after you did. I felt bad for him, but I warned him not to get his hopes up with you," Scarlett explained.

"Vi, I never wanted to hurt your brother. He's truly a wonderful person," I said sincerely.

"Don't stress about it, Hazel. He knows you're head over heels for Liam. Besides, he's a grown man who can handle himself. But I have to ask you something," Scarlett's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Shoot. I promise I'll answer honestly."

"That kiss he gave you on the neck was pretty steamy. How did it make you feel?" Scarlett asked the question I'd been dreading.

"Oh, Vi. Your brother is devastatingly handsome, and neck kisses are kryptonite for any woman. He knows exactly what he's doing. I won't lie to you - it made me nervous, gave me chills, and definitely heated me up. The kiss was incredible, sensual, and bold. Under different circumstances, it would have made me want to kiss him back," I admitted honestly.

"So you did enjoy his touch," she stated matter-of-factly, and I nodded. "Next time Liam messes up, I'm definitely encouraging my brother to make his move." We all dissolved into giggles.

"But what about you girls?" I was practically bursting with curiosity.

"Oh girl, things got wild after you left," Chloe said with a wicked smile. "I won and followed Thea's lead - I kissed both Noah and Vera at the same time." I stared at my friend in complete shock. "My prince is delicious, but Vera is pure fire! What a man!"

"Chl, was Noah really okay with that?" I asked, stunned.

"Noah gets off on watching me have fun, honey, you know that. We went home and had the most incredible night!" Chloe spoke like she was reliving every moment. All I could do was laugh.

"And you, Stella?" I turned to Stella.

"Adrian nearly had a coronary. Logan won with seventeen points and kissed my ear. Adrian shot up, grabbed my hand, and practically dragged me home, warning Logan to keep his hands off me," Stella said with a devilish grin.

"And you, Vi?" I asked, my curiosity reaching peak levels.

"Won again with twenty-one points and pulled both Thea and Cameron into a scorching hot kiss! The hottie went absolutely crazy!" Scarlett laughed uncontrollably.

"And you're such an amazing kisser, sexy," Thea said to Scarlett, making us all crack up. "But after that, Owen and Gavin dragged me out of there."

"Both of them?" I asked incredulously, and she nodded.

"And the hottie kicked Cameron out. Then things got really intense. This hottie is absolutely delicious!" Scarlett said, looking at Damian with obvious appreciation.

"Oh my God, you girls are complete perverts!" I concluded, and we all burst into hysterical laughter. Our men glanced over at us curiously but quickly returned to entertaining Leo.

"So, girl, did you get back together with the jerk?" Chloe asked me directly.

"I honestly don't know, Chl. We were in the middle of talking when Damian called. He explained his side, and now I'm completely confused about what to do," I replied honestly.

"The guys filled us in on what happened too. Maybe, Hazel, you need some space to see the situation with fresh eyes," Stella suggested thoughtfully.

"That's actually not a bad idea. I've been wanting to visit my parents - I miss them terribly. Maybe a weekend away could help me gain some clarity," I agreed, already warming to the idea.

"Then it's decided. Next weekend, Leo, you, and I are heading to Crestwood," Chloe declared. "But we're not telling them, not even Noah. They might follow us."

I agreed, thinking it was exactly what I needed.

After lunch, Liam put Leo down for his nap and settled beside me, pulling me into his strong embrace.

"My angel, being here with you and little Leo feels so right! I love that kid, Hazel," Liam said, pressing a tender kiss to my cheek and holding me tightly against his chest.

"The relationship between you two is so strange to me. My son absolutely adores you! He asks about you constantly," I said, still amazed by how quickly they'd bonded.

"Some things can't be explained, it's just natural chemistry, I suppose," Liam gave me that crooked smile that made my heart skip. "He reminds me of the relationship I had with my father - we were incredibly close."

"You miss him terribly, don't you," I said, thinking about how much I missed my own father, and I could still see him whenever I wanted.

"Every single day," he confirmed quietly. "My angel, now that we've cleared the air between us, when are you coming back to the company? Stella starts tomorrow."

"Liam, I listened to what you had to say, but I haven't decided whether I'm going to forgive you yet," I spoke honestly and heard him let out a frustrated breath. "I despise Clairemont, and you slept with her on our couch," I said, feeling the familiar stab of pain. "I won't go back to the company and look at that couch imagining you making love to her."

"I'll burn that damn couch, Hazel! But please forgive me, I was an idiot, arrogant, and completely self-absorbed. I screwed up monumentally, but I love you with everything I have. Come back to me," Liam pleaded, his voice raw with emotion.

"I need time to think."

"Why is this so complicated? You love me, I know you do. And I love you desperately. Come back to me, Hazel, we can make this work. End this hell of being apart," Liam's voice was thick with desperation.

"Give me a few days to think, just a few days. I don't want to come back to you and be consumed by bitterness and resentment."

"Fine, but I'm not staying away from you, and I'm not giving that persistent Levi any opportunity to get close," he said, tightening his arms around me possessively.

The day was absolutely perfect. Being surrounded by these incredible friends I'd found was wonderful. Leo had the time of his life, and Liam went above and beyond to shower my son with attention and affection.

When Liam drove us home, Leo was already fast asleep, and Liam insisted on carrying him up and tucking him into bed. Before leaving, he captured my lips with a kiss that left me breathless, thanking me for the perfect day we'd shared.