The Irresistible Tycoon by Helen Brooks

like this. She didn’t like this at all. Kim hadcombed out her severe office braid and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt before going into the garden with Melody, and now she flicked back her heavy fall of hair, her voice sharp as she said, ‘Show Mr Kane the snowman and then it’s bedtime, sweetheart.’
    â€˜Lucas.’ It was quiet and even but something in his tone set Kim’s heart hammering. ‘You can call me Lucas, Melody.’
    â€˜But Mummy said…’
    â€˜Yes?’ Melody had turned to look across at Kim confusedly. ‘What did Mummy say?’ Lucas asked softly.
    â€˜She said I had to call you Mr Kane because it’s polite.’
    â€˜And Mummy is right,’ Lucas said silkily. ‘But now I’ve said I want you to call me Lucas it’s polite to do that, okay?’
    â€˜Okay.’ Melody wriggled happily, clearly captivated, and Kim silently ground her teeth in impotent rage. Who did he think he was, muscling in here, talking his way into a meal and then countermanding her instructions to her daughter? And then she remembered the reason for his call and the rage subsided as quickly as it had flared into life.
    She had committed an unforgivable mistake and he would have had every right to storm in here tonight crying for blood. Instead he had been amazingly calm and reasonable. She didn’t know what he was going to say to her once they were alone, but she couldn’t fault his attitude in front of Melody. So…she owed him a little latitude.
    She kept repeating that to herself when he stood to his feet in the next instant and wrapped Melody in his overcoat before the three of them paid brief homage to Mr Snow, Melody’s stringy arms tight round Lucas’s broad neck, but she drew the line at Melody’s request that Lucas read her a bedtime story.
    â€˜No story tonight, sweetheart.’ She took Melody from Lucas at the bottom of the stairs once they were inside thecottage again, handing him his coat with a tight smile. ‘Mr Kane and I have some important work things to discuss, so you’ve got to promise Mummy you’ll be a good girl and go straight to sleep tonight.’
    â€˜Aw…’ Melody pouted, peering at Kim from under her eyelashes, but when she saw her mother’s face was adamant she gave in with her usual good humour and Kim was downstairs again within two or three minutes.
    She paused at the sitting room door before opening it, her stomach turning over, and then smoothed down her sweatshirt and wiped suddenly clammy hands on her jeans. If he was going to shout and scream he would have done so immediately, wouldn’t he? But it wasn’t just that possibility that was churning her insides and she knew it.
    â€˜You have a charming daughter.’ Lucas was standing at the window as she entered the room and Kim’s heart took a mighty jump as he turned to face her. ‘She’s a credit to you.’
    â€˜Thank you.’ Kim stood just inside the door, uncertain of whether to sit or continue standing. This was her home, her little castle, but she felt as though she were the guest, she told herself crossly. How did he make her feel like that?
    â€˜Can she remember her father at all?’
    It wasn’t what she had expected him to say and he read the knowledge in the darkening of her velvet brown eyes. Perhaps he shouldn’t bring the subject of her husband up again, Lucas acknowledged silently, but he needed to know much more about this reserved, honey-skinned, golden-haired woman and he had a distinct advantage tonight while she was feeling bad about the report. He felt no remorse in thinking this way; in the early days of his joining the family firm his father had taught him always to look for the weak spot in one’s opponent and capitalise on it, and he’d found he had a natural aptitude for such ruthlessness.
    And Kim was an opponent. He didn’t know quite howit