Read Online Escaping Christmas (Contemporary Romance) by Charlotte Ashwood - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Charlotte Ashwood
Ads: Link
“I am not an asshole!”
Angie jumped at the vehemence in his voice. “We’re not talking about you.”
“Are we not?”
She sighed and looked away from the challenge in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Alex. I got it so wrong with Michael, and I’m not willing to take the chance that I could get it that wrong again.”
Alex stared at her, saying nothing, a muscle in his jaw ticking. Just when she thought she couldn’t take the tension anymore, he spoke. “So you’re not going to give us a chance?”
“What chance? I leave in two days!”
“And if I asked you to stay?”
Angie felt the shock of his words. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought vaguely about staying, but it just hadn’t seemed like an option. She felt her heart flutter but ignored it. Michael’s betrayal had devastated her, but Alex was different. No, if Alex did the same to her, she knew with bone-deep certainty that she would not survive it. So she drew herself up and looked him in the eye. “I can’t stay.”
He glanced up and let out the breath he’d been holding. She almost flinched when she saw the pain in his eyes.
“Do you want to know why I live in an apartment and not a house?” he asked. “The home I grew up in was full of love and laughter. When my parents died, we were taken to this palatial house that was filled with people and yet was as empty as a tomb. There was no laughter and certainly no love. My grandfather was cold and hard. We were lonely until Hussein came along and did his best to create a family for us. I promised myself that I would never move into a house until I knew that house would be filled with love. I have houses, but I’ve never lived in one. I wanted to live in a house with you, Angie.”
Angie’s face was wet. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. “I’m sorry, Alex,” she said brokenly.
Alex stood there staring at her. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he could feel his heart splintering, or he would have if he weren’t so damned numb at that moment.
“I never had a chance, did I?”
“Alex…”
“Damn.” He swore softly then laughed at the irony. He stared at his bare feet and shook his head absently. “I had to go and fall in love with a woman who won’t love me back.”
He looked up and felt his chest tighten when he caught the stricken look on her face. He wanted to yell at her that she couldn’t do this to them. He thought about weeping and begging her to reconsider. But in the end he walked to her and planted a fierce kiss on her startled lips. Whether she chose to acknowledge it or not, they belonged together. She was part of him just as he was part of her, and running away was not going to change anything. He kissed her with everything he had in his soul, letting her know just how he felt. She closed her eyes and surrendered to the kiss, holding on to him like she would never let go. But he knew better. She had already let him go.
He tore his mouth away from hers and stepped back. They were both silent. Only the sound of their heavy breathing filled the room. He lifted his hands to her hair then in a tender caress.
“Take care of yourself, sweetheart.”
And he walked out of her apartment in nothing but his silk boxers. He wasn’t even wearing any shoes. He found his key under the mat and opened his apartment door. Who cared if he was standing half-naked in the hallway? His heart had just been ripped out of his chest and was bleeding on the floor in the apartment next door.
Chapter Eight
Angie locked the door to the apartment and lifted a heavy bag onto her shoulders. She pulled out the handle on her luggage, prepared to roll it. She paused and stared at Alex’s door, thought of knocking on it, but knew it was a waste of time. He had left the apartment the day before and hadn’t returned. She knew because between bouts of weeping, she had been listening for him. She felt her chest tighten as her throat constricted. She couldn’t believe he wasn’t even
Angie jumped at the vehemence in his voice. “We’re not talking about you.”
“Are we not?”
She sighed and looked away from the challenge in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Alex. I got it so wrong with Michael, and I’m not willing to take the chance that I could get it that wrong again.”
Alex stared at her, saying nothing, a muscle in his jaw ticking. Just when she thought she couldn’t take the tension anymore, he spoke. “So you’re not going to give us a chance?”
“What chance? I leave in two days!”
“And if I asked you to stay?”
Angie felt the shock of his words. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought vaguely about staying, but it just hadn’t seemed like an option. She felt her heart flutter but ignored it. Michael’s betrayal had devastated her, but Alex was different. No, if Alex did the same to her, she knew with bone-deep certainty that she would not survive it. So she drew herself up and looked him in the eye. “I can’t stay.”
He glanced up and let out the breath he’d been holding. She almost flinched when she saw the pain in his eyes.
“Do you want to know why I live in an apartment and not a house?” he asked. “The home I grew up in was full of love and laughter. When my parents died, we were taken to this palatial house that was filled with people and yet was as empty as a tomb. There was no laughter and certainly no love. My grandfather was cold and hard. We were lonely until Hussein came along and did his best to create a family for us. I promised myself that I would never move into a house until I knew that house would be filled with love. I have houses, but I’ve never lived in one. I wanted to live in a house with you, Angie.”
Angie’s face was wet. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. “I’m sorry, Alex,” she said brokenly.
Alex stood there staring at her. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he could feel his heart splintering, or he would have if he weren’t so damned numb at that moment.
“I never had a chance, did I?”
“Alex…”
“Damn.” He swore softly then laughed at the irony. He stared at his bare feet and shook his head absently. “I had to go and fall in love with a woman who won’t love me back.”
He looked up and felt his chest tighten when he caught the stricken look on her face. He wanted to yell at her that she couldn’t do this to them. He thought about weeping and begging her to reconsider. But in the end he walked to her and planted a fierce kiss on her startled lips. Whether she chose to acknowledge it or not, they belonged together. She was part of him just as he was part of her, and running away was not going to change anything. He kissed her with everything he had in his soul, letting her know just how he felt. She closed her eyes and surrendered to the kiss, holding on to him like she would never let go. But he knew better. She had already let him go.
He tore his mouth away from hers and stepped back. They were both silent. Only the sound of their heavy breathing filled the room. He lifted his hands to her hair then in a tender caress.
“Take care of yourself, sweetheart.”
And he walked out of her apartment in nothing but his silk boxers. He wasn’t even wearing any shoes. He found his key under the mat and opened his apartment door. Who cared if he was standing half-naked in the hallway? His heart had just been ripped out of his chest and was bleeding on the floor in the apartment next door.
Chapter Eight
Angie locked the door to the apartment and lifted a heavy bag onto her shoulders. She pulled out the handle on her luggage, prepared to roll it. She paused and stared at Alex’s door, thought of knocking on it, but knew it was a waste of time. He had left the apartment the day before and hadn’t returned. She knew because between bouts of weeping, she had been listening for him. She felt her chest tighten as her throat constricted. She couldn’t believe he wasn’t even
Similar Books
