Danielle.
She met his gaze unflinchingly. 'I wouldn't have missed this for anything.'
'No?'
'No,' she echoed softly. 'Everyone has heard of the famous Andracas parties.'
'Indeed?' he didn't look impressed. 'Well I'm afraid there is only one Andracas here tonight. Will I do?'
'Er—Shall we go and get ourselves a drink, Danielle?' Lewis cut in before she could make the scathing reply that was imminent, wary of what she might say to this undoubtedly important man.
'Good idea, Vaughn,' Nick answered him. 'Carolyn, be a good girl and take Mr Vaughn over to the bar,' he requested of a beautiful blonde standing nearby.
'Oh, but—'
'Go ahead, Lewis,' Danielle smiled at him reassuringly. 'I'll see you in a few minutes.'
Nick's hand rested lightly on her waist as he guided her further into the room, and although she disliked the familiarity she raised no objection. 'I told you I wouldn't ask again,' he murmured close to her ear.
She looked up at him with emotionless eyes. 'So you asked Lewis instead,' she drawled.
He gave an inclination of his head in acknowledgment of his ploy. 'It worked too, didn't it,' he said with satisfaction.
'If by that you mean I came to your party with Lewis, then the answer is yes.' She moved pointedly away from him. 'But that's all your invitation has achieved. Where is Miss McDonald tonight?' she mocked.
Nick was more relaxed tonight on his own ground, the smoky grey velvet jacket fitting tautly across his shoulders, the black shirt and trousers moulded to the leanness of his body. 'She's here somewhere,' he dismissed. 'All the cast from the play are.'
Danielle frowned at his way of describing the
other woman's presence here. 'I'd better go and
find Lewis—'
His hand on her arm stopped her. 'He'll find us.'
'That isn't the point—'
'Audra and I are no longer seeing each other,'
he held her gaze searchingiy.
'But you just said—'
'She's here with the others, not as my personal guest.'
Danielle had had a strange feeling he was going to say that, had guessed it from the other woman's behaviour today, and the things she had said. Obviously Nick now considered there were no barriers separating them but a little reluctance on her part—and no doubt he felt confident he could deal with that! 'I hope that isn't on my account,' she dismissed with uninterest. 'Because I came here with Lewis and I intend leaving with him.'
'A pity,' Nick drawled. 'I was hoping to persuade you not to leave at all.'
Her brows arched mockingly. 'Surely you don't entertain your lady friends here?'
'Usually they entertain me.' he told her with a taunting smile. 'But you're right, my family home is not usually the place for such friends. I have an apartment of my own near the park.'
'That's what I thought,' she said derisively, remembering the apartment well.
'But that wouldn't do for you,' he added with seductive softness.
'I'm different, hm?' she said with scepticism.
'Yes,' he ground out, angry at her derision. 'I want you for more than just—'
'Here we are.' Lewis had finally managed to push his way through the crowds of people in the room, the two glasses of champagne in his hands also intact. 'Sorry, Nick,' he gave him a rueful glance. 'I could only carry the two.'
Nick looked blazingly angry at the other man's success in frustrating his attempt to persuade Danielle into an affair with him. 'I'll talk to you both later.' he muttered, turning in the direction of the bar.
Lewis looked dazed by his behaviour. 'Did I say something?'
'Not a thing,' she assured him with a warm smile, determined the two of them would enjoy themselves, in spite of it being Nick Andracas' party.
Audra McDonald did not look as if she were exactly the life and soul of the party when Danielle caught a glimpse of her a short time later, listening with a bored expression to the efforts of the young Adonis at her side to gain her attention. Much as she disliked the other woman Danielle could not help feeling
She met his gaze unflinchingly. 'I wouldn't have missed this for anything.'
'No?'
'No,' she echoed softly. 'Everyone has heard of the famous Andracas parties.'
'Indeed?' he didn't look impressed. 'Well I'm afraid there is only one Andracas here tonight. Will I do?'
'Er—Shall we go and get ourselves a drink, Danielle?' Lewis cut in before she could make the scathing reply that was imminent, wary of what she might say to this undoubtedly important man.
'Good idea, Vaughn,' Nick answered him. 'Carolyn, be a good girl and take Mr Vaughn over to the bar,' he requested of a beautiful blonde standing nearby.
'Oh, but—'
'Go ahead, Lewis,' Danielle smiled at him reassuringly. 'I'll see you in a few minutes.'
Nick's hand rested lightly on her waist as he guided her further into the room, and although she disliked the familiarity she raised no objection. 'I told you I wouldn't ask again,' he murmured close to her ear.
She looked up at him with emotionless eyes. 'So you asked Lewis instead,' she drawled.
He gave an inclination of his head in acknowledgment of his ploy. 'It worked too, didn't it,' he said with satisfaction.
'If by that you mean I came to your party with Lewis, then the answer is yes.' She moved pointedly away from him. 'But that's all your invitation has achieved. Where is Miss McDonald tonight?' she mocked.
Nick was more relaxed tonight on his own ground, the smoky grey velvet jacket fitting tautly across his shoulders, the black shirt and trousers moulded to the leanness of his body. 'She's here somewhere,' he dismissed. 'All the cast from the play are.'
Danielle frowned at his way of describing the
other woman's presence here. 'I'd better go and
find Lewis—'
His hand on her arm stopped her. 'He'll find us.'
'That isn't the point—'
'Audra and I are no longer seeing each other,'
he held her gaze searchingiy.
'But you just said—'
'She's here with the others, not as my personal guest.'
Danielle had had a strange feeling he was going to say that, had guessed it from the other woman's behaviour today, and the things she had said. Obviously Nick now considered there were no barriers separating them but a little reluctance on her part—and no doubt he felt confident he could deal with that! 'I hope that isn't on my account,' she dismissed with uninterest. 'Because I came here with Lewis and I intend leaving with him.'
'A pity,' Nick drawled. 'I was hoping to persuade you not to leave at all.'
Her brows arched mockingly. 'Surely you don't entertain your lady friends here?'
'Usually they entertain me.' he told her with a taunting smile. 'But you're right, my family home is not usually the place for such friends. I have an apartment of my own near the park.'
'That's what I thought,' she said derisively, remembering the apartment well.
'But that wouldn't do for you,' he added with seductive softness.
'I'm different, hm?' she said with scepticism.
'Yes,' he ground out, angry at her derision. 'I want you for more than just—'
'Here we are.' Lewis had finally managed to push his way through the crowds of people in the room, the two glasses of champagne in his hands also intact. 'Sorry, Nick,' he gave him a rueful glance. 'I could only carry the two.'
Nick looked blazingly angry at the other man's success in frustrating his attempt to persuade Danielle into an affair with him. 'I'll talk to you both later.' he muttered, turning in the direction of the bar.
Lewis looked dazed by his behaviour. 'Did I say something?'
'Not a thing,' she assured him with a warm smile, determined the two of them would enjoy themselves, in spite of it being Nick Andracas' party.
Audra McDonald did not look as if she were exactly the life and soul of the party when Danielle caught a glimpse of her a short time later, listening with a bored expression to the efforts of the young Adonis at her side to gain her attention. Much as she disliked the other woman Danielle could not help feeling
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