31 A Friend's Advice and a Seductive Plan Hazel's POVO The moment I walked through my front door, I was greeted by the sound of laughter. I dropped my purse on the table in the entryway and followed the cheerful noise to the living room. "Mommy!" Leo squealed, abandoning his toys and racing toward me with his arms outstretched. I scooped him up and spun him around, breathing in his sweet, little-boy scent. "There's my handsome man!" Clara, my elderly neighbor who watched Leo after his daycare, smiled warmly from her seat on the couch. "He's been an absolute angel today, Hazel." 2 "Thank you so much for watching him, Clara." I set Leo down and he immediately began showing me his drawings. "Look, Mommy! I drew you and me and a dinosaur!" I examined his colorful scribbles with exaggerated enthusiasm. "This is amazing, Leo! Is that dinosaur purple?" "Uh-huh! Purple is the bestest color!" Leo nodded seriously. Clara gathered her things. "Well, I should be heading back to my apartment. My shows will be starting soon." I walked her to the door, thanking her profusely. As she left, another familiar face appeared in the hallway. "Chloe!" I exclaimed, surprised to see my best friend. She breezed in with her usual dramatic flair, embracing me tightly. "I came bearing gifts!" She held up a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates. Leo spotted her and charged, wrapping his little arms around her legs. "Auntie Chloe!" "There's my favorite godson!" She ruffled his dark hair. "I brought you something too." 31 A Friend's Advice and a Leo's eyes widened as she produced a small toy car from her purse. He grabbed it with a squeal of delight and raced off to add it to his collection. "You spoil him," I said, but I was smiling. Chloe shrugged. "That's literally my job as his godmother." I ushered her into the kitchen where I began unpacking my work bag. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what brings you by?" "Can't a girl visit her best friend without an ulterior motive?" She hopped onto a barstool, watching me. I raised an eyebrow. "I know you too well for that." She grinned. "Fine. Derek is moving here next month! His transfer was approved." "That's fantastic!" I exclaimed, genuinely happy for her. Chloe had been dating Derek long-distance for almost a year. "But what about your place in the city?" "I'm keeping it for now, but I'll be staying here most weekends," she explained. "Which means more Leo time for me, and more adult time for you!" The thought of having Chloe available to babysit more often was tempting, especially given my complex situation with Liam. "Leo, bath time!" I called. After getting him clean, reading him two bedtime stories, and tucking him in with kisses, I returned to find Chloe had opened the wine and was waiting for me at the kitchen table. "Spill it," she demanded, pushing a glass toward me. "Your texts have been cryptic all week. What's going on with Mr. Hot Boss?" I took a long sip of wine before answering. "It's complicated." "When is it not with you?" Chloe rolled her eyes. "But I saw your face just now. Something happened." I couldn't hold back my smile as I remembered Liam's heated kisses in his office. "We've been… getting closer." "Define 'closer," she pressed, leaning forward. "We kissed. A lot." I felt my cheeks warm at the memory of his hands on my body. 5/5 Chloe squealed so loudly I had to shush her. "Sorry," she whispered. "But I knew it! The sexual tension must be off the charts!" I busied myself loading the dishwasher, needing to move while my thoughts raced. "It's intense, Chloe. When he touches me, I can barely think straight." "And the problem is…?" she prompted. "He's my boss. He's insanely wealthy and powerful. I'm a single mom with more baggage than an airport carousel." I closed the dishwasher with more force than necessary. "And what if he's just looking for a fling?" Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Has he given you any reason to think that?" "No," I admitted. "He seems genuinely interested in me. He even asked about Leo." "Then what's the real issue here?" Chloe asked softly. I gripped the edge of the counter. "I'm terrified, okay? After what happened with Claude… I don't think I could survive being humiliated like that again." "Hazel Vance," Chloe said firmly, standing up to face me. "Claude was a pathetic, cheating loser who didn't deserve you. Liam Sterling is nothing like him." "But-" "No buts! I've seen the way he looks at you when he picks you up. Like you're some rare treasure he can't believe he found." She grabbed my shoulders. "And besides, you're not the same woman you were then. You're stronger now." I sighed, leaning against the counter. "I know, but it's not just that. He's literally my boss, Chloe. What if it doesn't work out? I need this job." "So what? You're afraid, so you're just going to ignore these feelings? Pretend they don't exist?" Chloe challenged. "That's not the Hazel I know." "What would you have me do? Throw myself at him?" I asked, exasperated. A mischievous glint appeared in Chloe's eyes. "Actually, yes. That's exactly what I want you to do." I nearly choked on my wine. "What?" "You're overthinking this," she insisted. "The man is clearly into you. You're into him. 12:04 3/5 Why dance around it?" "Because-" "Because nothing!" Chloe interrupted. "Life is short, Hazel. You deserve to be happy. You deserve mind-blowing sex with a gorgeous man who looks at you like you hung the moon." Her words struck something deep inside me. Was I letting my past dictate my future? Was I sabotaging my own happiness out of fear? "Think about it," Chloe continued, her voice softer. "When was the last time you felt this way about someone? When was the last time you even allowed yourself to feel this way?" I thought about Liam's intense violet-blue eyes, the way his voice deepened when he was aroused, how safe I felt in his strong arms. The truth was, I'd never felt this level of attraction and connection before-not even with Claude. "What if he breaks my heart?" I whispered, voicing my deepest fear. Chloe took my hands in hers. "What if he doesn't? What if he's everything you've ever wanted? Are you willing to miss out on that because you're scared?" Her words sank in slowly, cutting through layers of insecurity and doubt. "You're not some secretary he can toy with, Hazel. You're a strong, beautiful woman who has survived worse than a potential breakup." Chloe squeezed my hands. "And from what you've told me, this man respects you. He values you." "He does," I acknowledged, remembering how Liam had defended me to Julian. "Then stop hiding behind your fears," Chloe urged. "Take a risk. Show him exactly what he's missing by keeping things professional." A new feeling began to rise in my chest-determination, mixed with a heady sense of power. What if I stopped being passive? What if I took control? "You know what? You're right," I said, straightening my shoulders. "I'm tired of being afraid." The image of Liam's face when I'd kissed him goodbye flashed in my mind-his surprise, quickly followed by that hungry look that made my knees weak. What if I 12.04 4/5 31 A Friend's Advice and a Seductive Plan deliberately provoked that reaction? A slow smile spread across my face as a plan began forming in my mind. If Liam Sterling wanted me, why should I make it easy for him? Why not make him work for it -make him lose control? Chloe recognized the shift in my expression immediately. "Oh, I know that look. What are you planning?" With a newfound confidence, I turned to my best friend, feeling a naughty smile tugging at my lips. "Help me pick out an outfit?"