Page 2 of Summer Love

Dad chuckled. "I need my level-headed, responsible son to take the lead on this one.”

"Fuck," I said before I could stop myself.

Dad raised a brow.

He got on us all the time about swearing. He instilled in us that Kingston Construction had a certain reputation to uphold. We were clean-cut, respectful, didn't leave a mess, and didn't swear. Most of the time. "You know I don't have time for this."

"She'll be following you around while you work. It won't be an imposition." Dad's phone buzzed, and he pulled it out, brow furrowed. "Where did I leave my glasses?" He patted his empty front pocket, and I reached for the cell.

"Mom wants to know why you're not home yet."

Dad plucked the phone out of my hands. "I'm not getting in trouble. I trust you to handle this. One day, all of this will be yours."

"You can count on me." I ran a hand through my hair in frustration as he walked out. Then I trudged down the hall to his office where Elena had resumed her seat. I sat in the chair next to her, not feeling like it was appropriate for me to take my dad's chair.

"Miss—" I began, not remembering her last name.

She smiled tightly. "Perkins."

"Miss Perkins, I'm not interested in doing any interviews, and I don't think it's safe for you to shadow me."

Her forehead wrinkled. "Your father assured me that you would cooperate with my story and participate in the photo shoot."

I raised a brow. "Photo shoot?"

She sighed. "Yes, a photo shoot. My boss seems to think that you and your brothers are the most eligible bachelors on the island, but I'm starting to think it's not because of your charming demeanor. The photo might be the only thing that saves this article."

I was so thrown by her sassiness; I was momentarily speechless. Was she admitting that she found me attractive, or was she saying I didn't deserve the moniker?

"Your father assured me that you would cooperate. He provided me with your phone number and email?—"

I didn't like the sound of that.

"I'll forward my information to you, including the timeline for the article and photo shoot. I'll need you to provide your schedule so that I can shadow you."

My jaw tightened to the point of pain. "I work in construction. How do you expect to do that? Are you going to be on jobsites?"

"I'd like to see what you do." Her expression was serious.

I stood, running a hand through my hair. "This is completely unnecessary. I can sit for an interview and a photo shoot, but I can't have beauty queens following me around on construction sites. It's dangerous."

"I want to get a full picture of Kingston Construction. Does your family merely manage the company, or are you more hands-on?"

I stepped closer. "I can assure you; I'm very hands-on."

She lifted her chin in haughty defiance. "That remains to be seen. So far, my impression is that you're acting like a toddler who's not getting his way."

My hands curled into fists. "I'm not acting like a toddler."

Her gaze lowered to my hands, and she raised a brow. "Are you sure about that?"

I forced myself to relax my muscles. Surely, I could handle a woman following me around for a few days. She'd get bored, and I could send her on her way. "Listen, beauty queen."

Her eyes flashed with irritation.

"You do anything that endangers me or my employees, you're gone."

She grinned. "I would never do that. You won't even notice I'm there."

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