spinning around the dance floor. “It was quite a show you two put on in the dining room. I’m wondering if you have any plans to take your act on the road. Join a troop of actors, or maybe the circus.”
“You’re an ass. What are you doing here, anyway?”
James gave him a bored little shrug. “The O’Connors couldn’t make it tonight, so they sent me to act in their stead.” James was related to Mrs. O’Connor—stepbrother or half-brother, he couldn’t recall which, but one look at her told him they weren’t full blood relations—a wealthy woman who now lived in San Francisco. Her husband had struck it rich in the silver mines of Virginia City, and later, they’d moved to San Francisco, a city built on Nevada’s bounty. They’d invested their money in shipping, and James had encouraged Nicholas to become part of their venture. They’d made him a fortune.
“They’re in town?” Nicholas asked, a little surprised his partner hadn’t contacted him to let him know he planned to come to town. Or that James, at least, hadn’t told him.
He wondered what else they’d neglected to tell him.
“Mm. But you know O’Connor. If he thinks Claire won’t be welcome, he won’t go. So he sent me to act in his stead.” Mrs. O’Connor was native, at least in part, and a woman of such exquisite beauty that, between her looks and her money, the elite of San Francisco had welcomed her, though the same wasn’t necessarily true for the less cosmopolitan capital city.
Nicholas made a noncommittal noise in response, locating Lexie as she sashayed around the dance floor, beautiful and perfect and so beyond his reach.
“So, back to dinner. Were you trying to make her jealous?” James’s voice broke his reverie.
“Hardly. She’s not my type. I simply brought the woman.”
James grinned. “Well, if that’s the case...” With that, he left Nicholas’s side and approached Lexie.
She turned her bright smile to James, and Nicholas had to suppress the fit of temper that came over him. Anyone but James—he could handle her flirting with anyone else. But not James, a man as close to him as his own brother had been, and a notorious rake. The idea galled him. Perhaps because he could see a woman like Lexie—beautiful, strong-willed, and smart—falling for a man like James, and could see just as clearly James falling for a woman like Lexie.
But James’s idea to make Lexie jealous, now that wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe, if he evoked some emotion in her, she would speak to him again. Irritating her hadn’t worked, but he hadn’t tried jealousy. Yet.
And again, their domestic battle was ratcheted up a notch.
Glancing over her shoulder at the light touch on her arm, Lexie turned and caught her breath when she saw the man standing beside her. Silkily, he said, “May I cut in?”
Her dance partner, whose name suddenly escaped her, scowled but stepped away. Hands out to Lexie, her new companion said, “I’m James Campbell.”
“Lexie Markland,” she replied with a smile, accepting his hands.
He pulled her into his arms, a little closer than the dance warranted, but Lexie found she liked it. A little taller than Nicholas, James had wavy reddish hair curling at his collar, and warm brown eyes. Fine lines fanned out from the corners of his eyes and creased his forehead, but Lexie decided even those suited him. With his longish hair and the vaguely wind-burned complexion, he could have played the part of the dashing pirate captain, stealing money and hearts along the way. He was handsome and obviously knew it. In many ways, he was very much like her employer. Intelligence gleamed in his warm brown eyes, and Lexie liked him immediately.
And knew just as quickly he wasn’t for her.
Oh, he had everything a girl wanted—humor, good looks, money. Lots of money, if the cut of his clothes was anything to go by. Lexie had to admit he was more attractive than most men. He was, quite possibly, the most attractive
“You’re an ass. What are you doing here, anyway?”
James gave him a bored little shrug. “The O’Connors couldn’t make it tonight, so they sent me to act in their stead.” James was related to Mrs. O’Connor—stepbrother or half-brother, he couldn’t recall which, but one look at her told him they weren’t full blood relations—a wealthy woman who now lived in San Francisco. Her husband had struck it rich in the silver mines of Virginia City, and later, they’d moved to San Francisco, a city built on Nevada’s bounty. They’d invested their money in shipping, and James had encouraged Nicholas to become part of their venture. They’d made him a fortune.
“They’re in town?” Nicholas asked, a little surprised his partner hadn’t contacted him to let him know he planned to come to town. Or that James, at least, hadn’t told him.
He wondered what else they’d neglected to tell him.
“Mm. But you know O’Connor. If he thinks Claire won’t be welcome, he won’t go. So he sent me to act in his stead.” Mrs. O’Connor was native, at least in part, and a woman of such exquisite beauty that, between her looks and her money, the elite of San Francisco had welcomed her, though the same wasn’t necessarily true for the less cosmopolitan capital city.
Nicholas made a noncommittal noise in response, locating Lexie as she sashayed around the dance floor, beautiful and perfect and so beyond his reach.
“So, back to dinner. Were you trying to make her jealous?” James’s voice broke his reverie.
“Hardly. She’s not my type. I simply brought the woman.”
James grinned. “Well, if that’s the case...” With that, he left Nicholas’s side and approached Lexie.
She turned her bright smile to James, and Nicholas had to suppress the fit of temper that came over him. Anyone but James—he could handle her flirting with anyone else. But not James, a man as close to him as his own brother had been, and a notorious rake. The idea galled him. Perhaps because he could see a woman like Lexie—beautiful, strong-willed, and smart—falling for a man like James, and could see just as clearly James falling for a woman like Lexie.
But James’s idea to make Lexie jealous, now that wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe, if he evoked some emotion in her, she would speak to him again. Irritating her hadn’t worked, but he hadn’t tried jealousy. Yet.
And again, their domestic battle was ratcheted up a notch.
Glancing over her shoulder at the light touch on her arm, Lexie turned and caught her breath when she saw the man standing beside her. Silkily, he said, “May I cut in?”
Her dance partner, whose name suddenly escaped her, scowled but stepped away. Hands out to Lexie, her new companion said, “I’m James Campbell.”
“Lexie Markland,” she replied with a smile, accepting his hands.
He pulled her into his arms, a little closer than the dance warranted, but Lexie found she liked it. A little taller than Nicholas, James had wavy reddish hair curling at his collar, and warm brown eyes. Fine lines fanned out from the corners of his eyes and creased his forehead, but Lexie decided even those suited him. With his longish hair and the vaguely wind-burned complexion, he could have played the part of the dashing pirate captain, stealing money and hearts along the way. He was handsome and obviously knew it. In many ways, he was very much like her employer. Intelligence gleamed in his warm brown eyes, and Lexie liked him immediately.
And knew just as quickly he wasn’t for her.
Oh, he had everything a girl wanted—humor, good looks, money. Lots of money, if the cut of his clothes was anything to go by. Lexie had to admit he was more attractive than most men. He was, quite possibly, the most attractive
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