Resisting Mr. Kane (London Mister #2)(23)

But not like this, not threatening the career that I spent thousands in student loans over.

Of all the law firms in all of London, my dirty summer fling had to own this one?





8




Tristan

“Mr. Kane, your son’s school is on line two for you,” Ed announces over the intercom. My PA is militant, detached, and sparse with chat, just how I like my PAs.

“Connect me.” For a second, I think the worst, as I always do, even though it’s more likely related to a school trip or a scrap Daniel’s got in.

“Mr. Kane?” says Daniel’s teacher.

I wince at her tone; I’m in for a scolding.

“Mrs. Maguire, so lovely to hear from you.” I use my most winning voice. “How can I help?”

“There’s been a situation in the after-school club.” She launches straight in with a Northern Irish brisk authority. Pleasantries are done. Mrs. Maguire sets the rules in our relationship. She reminds me of my Irish mother. “We can’t get hold of Daniel’s mother. Unfortunately, Daniel will be losing his privilege of attending the school trip tomorrow to London Zoo.”

Damn, Daniel, what have you done this time? “Surely that’s not necessary. What’s the issue?”

“The issue was that he called Miss Hargrove, our teaching assistant, a ‘son of a bitch.’”

I suck in sharply. I feel like I’m the one who’s been naughty. Where did my seven-year-old son even learn that? No one uses the phrase ‘son of a bitch’ in England.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Maguire.” I’m seven again and back at confession with Father Murphy. “Gemina and I will ensure Daniel is reprimanded accordingly. Please pass on my apologies to Miss Hargrove.”

I hear her lips smack over the phone. “This behaviour is becoming more frequent, Mr. Kane. We will need to get to the bottom of this.”

“I know,” I say heavily. “I’ll speak to Daniel tonight. We’ll sort this out. I’m happy to come into the school to discuss it.”

“Please see that you do. Make alternative arrangements for Daniel tomorrow.”

The phone goes dead.

The scrap with his best mate, firing the lunch across the canteen floor, making the Menzes girl cry, now this. I should have named him Damien not Daniel. These past few months he's acting like the kid out of the fucking Omen movie. I stare out at the London skyline with its sharp edges and growing skyscrapers.

It’s no surprise. I’m a terrible father.

“Mr. Kane, Elena Andric is here to see you,” Ed interrupts my thoughts for the second time. This time it’s welcome.

“Tell her to come through,” I respond, running a hand through my hair.

She enters, her eyes awkwardly darting around the room, like making eye contact with me is excruciatingly painful.

She’s even more stunning than I remembered. She's wearing a tight dress that accentuates her curves without revealing too much skin. Dark glasses frame her blue-green eyes, and her dark hair is pulled into a tight ponytail. She can try to hide her sexiness, but it’s not working.

I’m not a man that gets flustered easily but that look she gives me with her big eyes and parted pout makes me weak in the knees.

I’m done for.

My lips curve into a smile. “Hello, Elena.” I lean forward in my chair and gesture to the seat in front of the desk. “Close the door and take a seat.”

She bites down on her bottom lip but nods and closes the door. “Hi,” she replies, taking a seat and adjusting her view downward. Her skirt rides up revealing a hint of toned thighs.

“This is a pleasant surprise,” I say softly, examining her face.

“Yes, it’s a surprise alright.” Her voice is strangled.

My eyes flit down to where her knuckles grip the side of the seat. Today, she’s not the confident, sassy woman I met in Greece. “So, you really didn’t know who I was?”

She finally looks up from the floor to meet my gaze. “Of course not.” She purses her lips. “You don’t have a photo on the company website.”

“I don’t,” I agree. “Believe it or not, I don’t court the media.”

“You told me you worked in property,” she says in a clipped tone.

“I buy and sell property. I wasn’t lying about that.”

Her eyes flash with resentment. “You weren’t telling the truth either. I told you I had finished law school. Didn’t you think that was a good opening to tell me you owned the most successful law firm in the UK?”

My gaze drifts down to her breasts, rising up and down with her laboured breathing. An image fills my head of her in the sea, wet and so aroused. I snap my eyes back to hers.

A deep flush runs up her neck and face. Not surprising, really, since she knows when I’m turned on. She’s just as embarrassed now as she was when I was talking at the induction.

Huh. Maybe she really didn’t know who I was in Mykonos.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t forthright about owning Madison, Elena. Elly.” I try her nickname. “It’s not something I advertise when I meet someone in a bar. Especially a bar like that. I wasn’t sure whether it was going to be a fling or something more serious. Given my position, sometimes I need to be…” I pause looking for the right word “…cautious.”