Chapter 2: Love At First Sight

HAILEY

She’d always been embarrassed by how her body reacted whenever she saw him. Over the years, she’d done a good job hiding her attraction to Jayden. It hadn’t been that hard.

She rarely saw him and often avoided events she knew he might attend. Sure, she hadn’t always succeeded and there were some gatherings she couldn’t skip but she’d always had a boyfriend. Letting anyone see how much she wanted Jayden had never been an option.

He lived in New York, and even though she traveled a lot for work, New York City was never on her schedule. They simply didn’t cross paths. It was a long way from her home in Colorado to New York, and her career often took her to quiet, remote places , definitely not the kind of locations Jayden would visit for business.

The rising volume of the party pulled Hailey out of her thoughts.

Five!

Four!

Three!

Two!

One!

Midnight struck, and the large room exploded with cheers.

Happy New Year!

Hailey smiled as she raised her glass and took a slow sip of champagne. Her brother Gavin pulled his fiancée, Emily, into a kiss so full of love it took her breath away.

I’m glad I came. It’s so good to see Gavin this happy. She thought to herself as she’d debated whether to leave Colorado and travel to Amesport for Gavin’s engagement and New Year’s Eve party even though she owned a bigger home there

. The timing wasn’t great, she hadn’t been feeling her best, and the second Gavin had mentioned that Jayden might be attending, she’d almost refused. Still, she’d wanted to see all her brothers.

Gavin was the first one to fall in love and get engaged. And now that she is here, she doesn't regret the decision. Her brothers mattered more than the foolish attraction she had for Jayden.

It’s not like there was bad blood between them. Honestly, they were more like distant acquaintances now, even though they’d once been close.

Moments like these always brought the King siblings together, no matter how busy life got. Hailey needed to be here.

She hated the space between her and her brothers, a distance caused mostly by the way she lived her life. It hurt. But being able to see Gavin this happy made the awkwardness of being in the same room with Jayden completely worth it.

Gavin’s fiancée, Emily, was wonderful. Hailey still blushed with embarrassment when she thought about the misunderstanding she’d caused between the two of them.

Her brother Jared had a habit of sending unwanted women Gavin’s way, and Hailey had played defense more than once, calling his house and pretending to be his wife just to scare them off. Unfortunately, the first time she called and Emily answered, Hailey had assumed she was another one of Jared’s distractions and had done her usual performance.

The problem? Gavin actually wanted Emily. Thankfully, Emily had forgiven her but Hailey still cringed at the memory. Her brothers made their way to her one by one, kissing her cheek and pulling her in for warm hugs.

She returned each embrace tightly. Even though they often drove her crazy with their overprotective, older brother behavior, she loved Gavin, Evan, Damien, and Jared with her whole heart. If only they weren’t such complete pains sometimes. Being the only girl in the King family and the youngest meant she never stood a chance against their constant hovering.

They’d all hated James, her ex, mainly because he didn’t have a job. To them, any man who wasn’t rich and constantly grinding wasn’t worth her time.

If they only knew the rest of it, James would be the least of their worries. They wouldn’t just lecture me, they’d explode.

Her heart sank at the thought. She couldn’t tell them everything, and she never would. That wall between them wasn’t what she wanted, but it existed because she kept parts of her life hidden. Not because she didn’t want them to know she longed to truly share everything with her brothers but the cost would be too high.

Hailey sighed and took a deeper drink of her champagne. Her life had become something completely different from what she’d imagined back when she left high school. Back then, she thought escaping her harsh, controlling mother would set her free.

*If I’d known then how things would turn out… maybe I would’ve made different choices.*

She wasn’t trapped by her mother anymore. Now, it was her own secrets that held her captive.

All around her, people laughed, kissed, and welcomed the new year. She smiled too and was cheerful on the outside but inside, Hailey had never felt more alone.

“Happy New Year, Hailey.”

The deep, smooth baritone was so close that Hailey felt the soft hair near her temple stir from the warm breath that touched her cheek. Her body gave an involuntary shiver as two large, warm hands settled firmly on her shoulders and gently turned her around to face the voice.

Yes, she’d been watching Jayden all night, her eyes following every move he made—his tall, broad frame dressed perfectly in a sleek black tuxedo he wore like it was second nature, the same way another man might wear jeans. But being this close to him made her nerves buzz.

Jayden Knight was completely at ease in his own skin, no matter what he had on. That quiet confidence had drawn her in for as long as she could remember. But now, face-to-face and long past the age of innocent admiration, standing this close made her more than a little tense.

He was sharp—too observant—and those striking blue eyes of his always made her feel like he could see right through her. That level of awareness had made her uneasy around him for most of her adult life.

“Happy New Year, Jayden,” she said softly, offering a polite smile.

*Oh God, he smells amazing.*

Hailey felt a rush of heat between her thighs just from breathing in his warm, woodsy scent—earthy and masculine, laced with something so rich it made her dizzy. It was like breathing in pure male energy, thick with pheromones, enough to intoxicate any woman.

It took everything she had not to close her eyes and just sink into the sound of his fuck me now voice and that dangerously addictive smell.

She tilted her head back, completely drawn in by the rich, liquid blue of his eyes. They reminded her of a clear summer sky which is bright, calm, and impossible to look away from.

At five foot five, plus another three inches thanks to the killer heels she had on, Hailey still had to look up at Jayden. He stood tall above her, and being this close made her feel a little out of her depth. Out of instinct, she took a small step back. His hands slipped away from her shoulders.

For a second, she caught a hint of disappointment on his face but it vanished quickly, replaced by a mischievous grin, a smile that nearly melted Hope’s panties from her body.

“I want my New Year’s kiss,” he said casually, even though his eyes burned with something much deeper