Page 11 of Under Ground

Even if it’s fleeting, it’s not going to hurt her to have Alex around. But we really do need to knock this whole ‘calling him Daddy’ thing on the head. The last thing we need is for anyone to pick that up given Alex is a public figure.

Because no matter what, that’s in the back of my mind the whole time.

He might not be a superstar yet, but after Anna’s reaction, I know that Alex is recognisable in public.

How will I handle it if Casey calls him Daddy in front of other people—in front of the media?

5

Alex

What am I doing?

Regardless of what we tell her, Casey’s got it in her head that I’m her father. I’m not sure you can talk logic into a three-year-old.

And I get it. When I was her age, I was curious about my dad, I’m sure. I still don’t know who he was—Mom would never talk about it. Casey just took it to her next level and claimed a random person as her dad.

Even without that on my mind, the chances of me staying away from Lana Maitland are nil. I see her flushed cheeks, her reaction to me, and it’s not all to do with Casey.

If I’m not mistaken, she’s as attracted to me as I am to her.

I didn’t come here looking for love—not even for a fling, but tonight could change all that.

I take a deep breath and knock on the door.

It only takes a moment for it to click, and Lana’s there. Her blonde hair hangs down to just past her shoulders, and she’s wearing jeans with a figure-hugging light blue shirt on top.

“Hey.” She smiles. “Come in.”

Hers and Casey’s shoes are beside the door, so I kick mine off and step inside. “Hi.”

Her cheeks are pink, but I’m not sure if it’s because of me or the fact that it’s warm in here. The air is filled with the mouth-watering scent of some kind of meat dish.

“Thank you for coming. Casey’s been talking about it all day.” She tilts her head. “I thought maybe we could have dinner and then talk with her?”

I shrug off my jacket. “Sounds good. Where is she?”

“In her room playing. I’ll tell her you’re here in a minute.” She digs her hands into her jeans pockets. “To tell you the truth, I’m kinda surprised you’re here. Most men would run at a little girl throwing themselves at them and calling them Daddy.”

I grin. “I’ll admit I thought it was odd. But the more I learn about you two, the more I get it. I was Casey once—I never knew my dad.”

She drops her gaze. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. It was hard at times when I was a kid, and I still wish I knew something about him. But that’s not likely to happen anytime soon. I get how Casey feels, but I don’t want to mislead her any more than you do. So, if I can help Casey …”

Her lips twitch. “Thank you.”

“Daddy!”

I spin in the direction of the screech from behind me. A little blonde hurricane comes flying at me, and I catch her as she jumps.

“Oh my God. Casey. Alex, I am so, so sorry.”

The resignation’s clear in Lana’s tone. She’s tried to stop this, but I think little Casey is an unstoppable force, and I understand better than she realises.

“It’s okay. Hi, Casey.”

Casey buries her face in my neck and I turn around to look at Lana. Her hand is raised to her face, covering her eyes as if she’s exasperated.

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