Accidental Seduction

Kira checked and double-checked her phone screen. She had not misread the caller ID. Kai Scott was calling her. She was acquainted with her husband’s personal assistant. The capable PA handled Austyn’s affairs, both business and personal, including her and Austyn’s marriage registration. He worked exclusively for Austyn and was always by his side. Kira’s interactions with him were limited to polite greetings and an occasional nod as they passed each other in the hallway. His call was out of the blue. ‘Did something happen to Austyn?’ she wondered. ‘Giana, I’m going outside the pick up the call. I’ll be back soon.’ Without waiting for a reply, Kira hurried out of the stall, heart in mouth. ‘Hello,’ she answered the call as soon as she stepped outside, out of breath. ‘Mr Scott, what’s the matter?’ A minute later. Kira felt as if she’d stepped into a freezer. She was sitting ramrod straight in the back row of the Hummer, elbow to elbow with Austyn. The hustle and bustle outside the window only accentuated the silence within. Even the air was still. Kira fixed her eyes on the back of the headrest in the front and tried not to breathe too loudly, lest it disturbed the marble statue seated next to her. Marshalling all her brain cells, she tried to figure out why Austyn had come to her school. She almost jumped out of her skin when Kai told her he and Austyn were across the street. She could only imagine the sensation Austyn’s presence on campus would cause. Or worse, what if the students discovered her relationship with Austyn? Girls of Janessa’s ilk would bombard her with questions. Peace and quiet would become a thing of the past. To nip that horror in the bud, she’d scampered across the street and promptly got into the car. Now the three of them sat in awkward silence. Well, two of them. Kai was driving. At least he had something to do. ‘Should I say something?’ Kira thought. ‘But what can I say? Have you eaten? How’s your day? What are you doing here?’ She opened her mouth and was about to speak. But the car swerved suddenly, throwing Kira to one side. She collided with Austyn and did a face plant on his thigh. Kira froze. ‘Get up.’ Austyn’s voice had gone hoarse. If Kira could see the look on his face, it was that of a man ‘about to burst an insufferable bond.’ Kira scrambled back up. She’d spent enough time with the man in the bedroom. She knew what that voice meant. Turning beet red, she hastened to apologise. ‘I’m sorry. It was an accident. I didn’t do it on purpose. I swear!’ Austyn scowled. Kira bit her lips. Did he not believe her? Tugging on his shirtsleeve, she raised her right hand like she was about to take the stand. ‘I swear, if I intentionally tried to take advantage of you, I would never be able to graduate from universi—’ ‘Stop!’ His glacial voice cut her off mid-sentence. ‘His face is even darker than usual,’ Kira was beside herself. ‘I may have just poured fuel on the fire.’ She wanted to protest her innocence. Kira couldn’t stand being thought of as a pervert, especially not by Austyn. It was an accident! How was she supposed to know her head would land in the man’s crotch? ‘It’s all Kai’s fault,’ she thought. ‘If he hadn’t swerved, I wouldn’t have been bounced off my seat and planted my face in… Well, granted, part of the responsibility lies with me. I just got into the car. There was no time to put on my seatbelt. But still, Kai should take the lion’s share of the blame!’ She risked a look at Austyn’s face. The frown had deepened. ‘I already apologised,’ she thought, demoralised. ‘What else can I do?’ Austyn was in his thirties and president of a conglomerate. How could he be so petty? Her grown-up husband inhaled deeply, exhaled, and said, ‘Shut up!’ Kira was piqued by his curtness. She had offered a heartfelt apology. What more could he want? ‘Fine, if he finds politeness so disagreeable,’ Kira fumed, ‘I’ll be just as rude as him then!’ She was about to climb down from his lap when a strong hand suddenly shoved her away. Kira almost knocked her head against the window. She grimaced and bit back a curse. Austyn withdrew his hand. His brows still furrowed, Austyn said through gritted teeth, ‘What did you have for lunch? A bucket of garlic?’ Kira was knocked back on her heels. Before she could say anything, Austyn ordered, ‘Sit over there. Kai, roll down the windows!’ ‘Yes, Boss.’ Kai pressed a button on the dashboard. He peeked at Kira, who was sitting rigidly like a statue. ‘I know how you feel,’ he commiserated with his boss’ young wife. Austyn was a man of few words, but the few words he did utter were often sharp and cut their audience to the quick. Kira finally unfroze. She released her grip on Austyn’s suit jacket and scooted as far away as possible from him, pressing her face against the window. She drew up her legs. She would have liked to curl up into a ball if it wasn't too unseemly. Kira fixed her eyes on the street outside, poking an index finger at the window and drawing tiny circles on it. Out of the corner of his eye, Austyn caught every fidgeting movement of the girl. She was hugging her knees, darting an occasional glance at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. Her dewy lips opened and closed now and then. It reminded him of a bubble-blowing goldfish. And the Dutch rabbit he used to keep as a pet. The white-and-grey ball of fluff spent all day munching on lettuce. When he caught the rascal gnawing on his book, he picked it up by its ears. The look on its furry face was a mirror image of Kira’s at the moment. The look that said, ‘I don’t know what I did wrong, but you’re the boss and I’ll knuckle under. For now.’ A smile stole across Austyn’s face. Kai’s suggestion to pick her up had not been such a hare-brained idea, after all.