James POV

I sat back in my office chair, folding a leg over another, gazing at Alexis with a smile struggling to be suppressed. Her arms were folded protectively, her face set in a thin line. I could see it in her expression—whatever she had been scheming, it hadn't quite materialized.

"Okay," I exclaimed, taking a deep breath. "Tell us. How did you manage it?"

Alexis paused.

For an instant, I detected a flash of uncertainty, maybe of regret, in her eyes, but it quickly faded, her ...