“C’mon, Alexis. Unburden yourself. You’ve got two willing ears right here.” And some other willing body parts as well, he was tempted to add.
Slowly, Alexis emptied her glass. “No. I wear my albatross with pride. It goes with everything.”
Tyler refused to be deterred. It was enough that she came to see him play, even if he was an excuse to escape her family.
“Pride always comes before a fall,” he said. Studying her now, he wondered whether that had already come to pass.
“Mr. Barnes,” a man’s voice boomed. Tyler broke into a broad grin and stood to shake the man’s hand.
Alexis was grateful for the interruption. The conversation had become more personal than she’d intended. She craned her neck to get a better look at the interloper.
“Glad you could make it,” Tyler said politely. “Alexis, this is Caspian Warwick. He’s one of my regulars, when he’s on the island.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” she said. “Do I detect an accent?”
Caspian slid into the empty seat beside her. “Now that is a good ear. I like to think I’ve spent so much time here that I blend.”
Alexis doubted very much that this gorgeous man had any intention of blending. Movie star good looks aside, he wore a hot pink collared shirt and navy blue checked shorts with leather sandals. His beach bum aspirational attire didn’t wash with Alexis. He reeked of money and entitlement.
“Alexis has been living in London for the past decade and change,” Tyler explained.
Caspian’s face brightened. “How is The Big Smoke these days? Haven’t been for ages.”
“Grey and elegant, just as you left it, I’m sure.”
“Tyler, I didn’t know you had friends in London. You’ve never mentioned her.” He clucked his tongue. “All those late night conversations at the Heron and nary a word, you naughty boy.”
Alexis stepped to Tyler’s defense. “We’ve only recently reconnected. He didn’t even know I lived in London.”
“Lived?” Caspian zeroed in on her use of the past tense.
“Live,” Alexis corrected herself, her cheeks reddening.
Tyler gave her a quizzical look but said nothing.
“Well, I see a ridiculously well-proportioned young lady at the bar who seems desperate for my attention.” He stood and gave Tyler a hard whack on the back. “Good to see you, mate. Cheers for the music. You’re wasting your talents here.” He dipped slightly toward Alexis. “Lovely to meet you, Alexis.”
“And you,” Alexis said politely. As soon as he was out of earshot, Alexis narrowed her eyes at Tyler. “Is he seriously a friend of yours? Where did you meet, at the yacht club?”
Tyler shrugged and smiled. “He’s a character.”
“You don’t say.”
“He spends a fair amount of money on the island when he’s not sailing his yacht to bluer waters.”
“Let me guess, St. Tropez?”
“One of many destinations.”
“He’s about as posh as they come.” Alexis shook her head in disbelief. She’d had her fair share of dealings with members of English society through her firm and couldn’t believe there was one lurking right here on Mangrove Island.
“He’s fairly harmless unless you’re a woman under the age of thirty, although rumor has it he’s not very welcome in England. That’s why he sails from place to place.”
“Avoiding arrest?” Alexis was intrigued.
Tyler shook his head. “No, I think he served his time or had his day in court or whatever it was. A politician with a past.”
“Aren’t they all?” Alexis snorted.
Tyler polished off his beer. “Enough about the peerage, back to the steerage.” He pointed to himself. “Based on what you heard tonight, would you be interested in seeing me play again? Because I can give you the calendar right now.” He reached into his jeans pocket for his phone.
He wanted an excuse to see more of her. If he could gaze at her in the audience every time he played, it would be the best holiday season imaginable. He noticed the way
Slowly, Alexis emptied her glass. “No. I wear my albatross with pride. It goes with everything.”
Tyler refused to be deterred. It was enough that she came to see him play, even if he was an excuse to escape her family.
“Pride always comes before a fall,” he said. Studying her now, he wondered whether that had already come to pass.
“Mr. Barnes,” a man’s voice boomed. Tyler broke into a broad grin and stood to shake the man’s hand.
Alexis was grateful for the interruption. The conversation had become more personal than she’d intended. She craned her neck to get a better look at the interloper.
“Glad you could make it,” Tyler said politely. “Alexis, this is Caspian Warwick. He’s one of my regulars, when he’s on the island.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” she said. “Do I detect an accent?”
Caspian slid into the empty seat beside her. “Now that is a good ear. I like to think I’ve spent so much time here that I blend.”
Alexis doubted very much that this gorgeous man had any intention of blending. Movie star good looks aside, he wore a hot pink collared shirt and navy blue checked shorts with leather sandals. His beach bum aspirational attire didn’t wash with Alexis. He reeked of money and entitlement.
“Alexis has been living in London for the past decade and change,” Tyler explained.
Caspian’s face brightened. “How is The Big Smoke these days? Haven’t been for ages.”
“Grey and elegant, just as you left it, I’m sure.”
“Tyler, I didn’t know you had friends in London. You’ve never mentioned her.” He clucked his tongue. “All those late night conversations at the Heron and nary a word, you naughty boy.”
Alexis stepped to Tyler’s defense. “We’ve only recently reconnected. He didn’t even know I lived in London.”
“Lived?” Caspian zeroed in on her use of the past tense.
“Live,” Alexis corrected herself, her cheeks reddening.
Tyler gave her a quizzical look but said nothing.
“Well, I see a ridiculously well-proportioned young lady at the bar who seems desperate for my attention.” He stood and gave Tyler a hard whack on the back. “Good to see you, mate. Cheers for the music. You’re wasting your talents here.” He dipped slightly toward Alexis. “Lovely to meet you, Alexis.”
“And you,” Alexis said politely. As soon as he was out of earshot, Alexis narrowed her eyes at Tyler. “Is he seriously a friend of yours? Where did you meet, at the yacht club?”
Tyler shrugged and smiled. “He’s a character.”
“You don’t say.”
“He spends a fair amount of money on the island when he’s not sailing his yacht to bluer waters.”
“Let me guess, St. Tropez?”
“One of many destinations.”
“He’s about as posh as they come.” Alexis shook her head in disbelief. She’d had her fair share of dealings with members of English society through her firm and couldn’t believe there was one lurking right here on Mangrove Island.
“He’s fairly harmless unless you’re a woman under the age of thirty, although rumor has it he’s not very welcome in England. That’s why he sails from place to place.”
“Avoiding arrest?” Alexis was intrigued.
Tyler shook his head. “No, I think he served his time or had his day in court or whatever it was. A politician with a past.”
“Aren’t they all?” Alexis snorted.
Tyler polished off his beer. “Enough about the peerage, back to the steerage.” He pointed to himself. “Based on what you heard tonight, would you be interested in seeing me play again? Because I can give you the calendar right now.” He reached into his jeans pocket for his phone.
He wanted an excuse to see more of her. If he could gaze at her in the audience every time he played, it would be the best holiday season imaginable. He noticed the way
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