His Last Chance at Redemption. Michelle Conder

late, sometimes even forgetting to turn up at all.’

      ‘What?’ He was genuinely shocked by her comment and he saw the moment she knew she’d said too much. ‘How many times?’

      ‘Pardon?’

      ‘How many times has she forgotten?’

      ‘I can’t remember.’ She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and he knew she was lying. He stared at her until she grew uncomfortable. ‘A few since her mother passed away.’

      He frowned. ‘Her mother died?’

      ‘She fell and broke her hip two weeks ago. I understand there was a complication with the surgery.’

      He shook his head. ‘I didn’t know.’

      ‘Why am I not surprised.’

      It was a statement, not a question, and he scowled, deciding to ignore her disparaging tone. ‘Why should that affect when Amanda picks the boy up?’

      ‘Because she doesn’t normally do it. As I understand it her mother was Ty’s main carer.’

      Leo frowned. Ty’s grandmother had taken care of him? Maybe he should have read those reports after all.

      ‘You didn’t know that either, did you?’ The angel didn’t look impressed and he wanted to tell her she had no right to judge him.

      ‘So it would seem,’ he snapped, getting up and stalking the short distance to the rear of the room and back.

      Leo noticed that she watched him as if she was trying to read him and he felt uncomfortable under her close scrutiny. He instinctively knew that if he told her he’d never even met his son she’d take umbrage and probably call in the army to deal with him and the truth was—he was a little worried. Danny was organising a nanny to meet him at his apartment to take over from him but … what would he do with a three-year-old until then?

      Long suppressed memories of his baby brother spiked in his head—that soft little body, his cheeky grin, the way he had called him ‘Layo.’ Leo swallowed past the bile in his throat and refixed his gaze on Lexi Somers. His eyes dropped to the row of pearl buttons on her blouse and he imagined grabbing the collar and ripping them off. Imagined baring her to his hungry gaze and lifting her onto the desk and burying himself deep inside her. His body hardened, but sex wouldn’t change the inevitable, only delay it, and he knew that was the reason it was on his mind so much since he’d arrived here. He was trying to distract himself. It had nothing to do with the brunette with the tiny waist and golden eyes.

      ‘Mr Aleksandrov, are you okay?’ He blanked his expression and told himself to stop being an ass and figure out this problem. Give him a stock market crash or a potential hotel site to assess and he’d have the situation under control in minutes. Dealing with the needs of a young child was so far removed from his reality he was struggling to be one step ahead of the issues.

      Then it hit him. He’d forgotten to treat this situation like a business transaction. And hadn’t he learned that everything came down to one thing?

      ‘How much do you need to hand Ty over?’

      ‘Excuse me?’

      His eyes grew flinty. ‘You heard. I’m a wealthy man.’ He raked her with cool eyes. ‘I’m sure your wardrobe could do with an update.’

      Her mouth fell open and she stared at him as if he’d just asked her how to build a pipe bomb. ‘Are you seriously trying to bribe me?’

      Leo closed his eyes and then glanced at the ceiling before bringing his gaze back to her. He stood up. ‘I already told you I’m short on time and you’ve wasted enough of it. I’m the boy’s father; even you recognised that, so just—’

      The phone ringing interrupted him and they both stared at it as if it were a snake. Then the angel leaned over to pick it up. He could tell straight away it was Amanda by the way her eyes flew to his. ‘I see,’ she murmured, before turning her back on him.

      Leo’s anger spiked and he lunged for the phone and yanked it out of her hands. ‘Amanda, what do you—’ think you’re doing? he finished silently as the call was disconnected. He stared at the phone and swore viciously before tossing it onto Ty’s file.

      He felt confined and edgy in the tiny room. Then the annoying tinkle above the door sounded and a blonde poked her head through and eyed him as one would a dangerous animal. Which was exactly how he felt.

      ‘Everything okay in here, Lex?’

      Lexi’s eyes flashed to his and he waited for her to say no. ‘I think so. But can you hang around for another couple of minutes?’

      ‘Sure. Ty is the only one left and Tina’s gone.’ The woman glanced in his direction and then dropped her eyes.

      ‘Okay. I’ll have this sorted in a jiffy,’ Lexi said.

      Leo looked at her. ‘What’s a jiffy?’

      She seemed momentarily confused and then shook her head. ‘I have no idea. It’s a figure of speech. You’re Russian?’

      ‘Da. Yes. And you are English?’

      ‘Yes.’

      Something indefinable passed between them and then, thankfully, she shook her head and broke the connection. ‘Okay. It seems that Amanda has gone away for the weekend and she just had enough time to tell me that you are Ty’s father before you wrenched the phone from my hand like a Neanderthal.’

      Leo didn’t flinch at the criticism. ‘Good. Then I can go.’

      He stood and heard her release a noisy breath before she too rose to her feet.

      ‘What now?’ he growled, desperate to put this woman with her accusing golden-green eyes behind him.

      ‘Why are you not on any of his forms?’

      ‘Amanda has sole custody.’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘At the risk of sounding rude, Miss Somers, that’s none of your business.’

      ‘You’re wrong.’ She rounded her desk and stood in front of him. ‘Ty is in my care and as I don’t have written authority to hand him over to you I could still lose my licence as a childcare provider if I released him to you and something happened to him.’

      ‘I appreciate your predicament but that is not my fault. Amanda should have made the proper arrangements.’

      She considered him for a moment. ‘Promise me you’re not some maniac of a father who is going to do something terrible the moment you have him alone.’

      The skin on Leo’s face pulled tight and his mouth went dry as she inadvertently tore a strip off one of the bandages concealing his childhood wounds. He was aware that his breathing had become shallow and that his blood was roaring in his ears.

      He couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from hers and yet looking into her innocently questioning gaze was searing him with pain. ‘I would never intentionally hurt my son,’ he said hoarsely, his accent thicker as he fought to contain memories from the past.

      He waited for her to contradict him. To say that she could see the blackness inside him, but she didn’t. Instead she nodded curtly. ‘Follow me.’

      He released a harsh breath and followed her out into the main area of the centre, which was eerily neat and quiet. The blonde from before stepped through the opposite doorway. ‘Ty is in the sandpit.’

      ‘Thanks, Aimee. You go ahead. I’ll be home shortly.’

      ‘I’ll probably be at Todd’s.’

      Lexi smiled and Leo’s stomach did a somersault. ‘I’ll see you next week then.’

      ‘Have a fun time away if you decide to go.’ She raised her eyebrows and Leo wondered where Lexi Somers