‘Ty’s father.’
He spoke at the same time as she had deduced the information and he raised a mocking brow at her cleverness.
‘The eyes. You have his eyes.’
Leo didn’t know that. He’d never once looked at the photos his security team provided in their regular updates on his son.
A sheen of sweat broke out across his brow at the thought of meeting him now. Already emotions and guilt he’d had no trouble keeping at bay for years were swelling inside him like heavy rain filling a river, and he mentally cursed Amanda Weston and her conniving ways.
Leo stood up, ignoring the heat of Lexi Somers’ gaze as it raked over his chest, pulling his stomach muscles tight.
Perhaps he should have told her his relationship to Ty from the outset, but the last thing he wanted was word to get out that he had a son. If it did he’d have to supply Ty with a security detail for the rest of his childhood and he had wanted to avoid that at all costs. ‘Fine. Now you can go get him. I’ll wait here.’
The surprise that had softened her full lips disappeared and she shook her head. ‘I’m sorry; I can’t do that.’
Leo felt the return of his earlier annoyance at her stubbornness. ‘Why not?’
‘You’re not on his list of appointed people permitted to collect him.’
Chort vozmi! ‘What a load of rubbish,’ he rasped.
She stood up to face him and gripped the edges of her desk. ‘It’s not rubbish. We have procedures in the centre to ensure the children’s safety and—’
‘If you knew who I was you wouldn’t be arguing with me.’
He blew out a breath. He sounded like a self-important ass and the look on the brunette’s face said she’d come to the same conclusion.
‘Why? Because you’re above the law?’ The impe
rious question didn’t require an answer but he wanted to give her one. He wanted to take the line his Cossack ancestors would have done: press her up against the wall and take what her wide-spaced golden eyes had been offering since she’d first marched into the room. Then he’d take his son and get the hell out of there.
Pity a couple of centuries had spoiled that option.
‘I’m his father,’ he ground out, the words sounding strange to his ears.
‘A father whose name is not on any of our forms,’ she reminded him. ‘And why is that?’
Leo reined in surging guilt that threatened to spiral into rage and paced two steps to the back of the room.
He sucked in a deep breath, knowing that logically she had a point even though her question was way out of line.
He turned back to face her. ‘Look, Miss Somers—’ he unclenched his jaw ‘—I want to be here about as much as you want me here but I don’t have a choice. Amanda delivered a note to my office advising me that there was no one else to take care of Ty. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.’
‘Are you having custody issues?’
Leo felt his eyes harden. ‘I am not about to discuss my personal business with you.’
She stood firm. ‘And I’m not about to release a child into the care of a man I’ve never met before and who is not on his list of trusted carers.’
Leo rubbed his neck. ‘Try his mother again.’
She looked as if she wouldn’t but then picked up the phone and hit redial.
‘Still no answer.’
Leo swore and saw her eyes widen in silent reprimand. Too bad. The angel didn’t like his language.
Then he returned to the doll’s chair and sprawled in front of her. ‘So what do we do now?’