Read Online Escaping Christmas (Contemporary Romance) by Charlotte Ashwood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charlotte Ashwood
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going to say goodbye. Her eyes burned with unshed tears at the thought of not seeing him again. She couldn’t honestly blame him; they had said all they’d needed to say in her apartment. But, God, she missed him.
She turned and walked to the elevator, dragging her suitcase behind her. At the lobby she nodded to the concierge and mumbled her thanks when the porter came to relieve her of her luggage. Her flight was not till 9:00 p.m. and check-in time was an hour before that, but she’d decided to leave early. It was just two o’clock, so she would have a long wait at the airport. The taxi that would take her to Kuala Lumpur International Airport was already waiting out in front of the apartment building.
Stepping out into the heat of the Malaysian sun, Angie noticed a shiny black limousine sitting right in front of the entrance. She was about to walk around it when the door opened and none other than Hussein stepped out. He looked striking in a pair of designer jeans and a blinding white dress shirt, but Angie barely noticed. She was too stunned at the sight of him. For one heart-stopping moment, she had thought it was Alex. The disappointment was so sharp it was almost tangible. She just stood there staring at him as he walked toward her.
“Hi, Angie.”
“Hi.” She shaded her eyes from the sunlight and stared up at him, but his sunglasses made it impossible to read his expression.
“You’re leaving.” He nodded toward where the porter was standing with her luggage.
“Yes.”
“I guess you finally got tired of him.”
Angie felt white-hot rage flow through her, but just as quickly as it came, it subsided. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. What was the point? She was leaving, wasn’t she? She dropped her gaze from his and stared at her taxi instead.
“Thanks for coming to say goodbye, Hussein. I need to go now.” She made to move but he stepped in front of her.
“Let me take you.” She opened her mouth to refuse, but he quickly cut in. “It’s the least I can do.” When he saw her hesitate he changed tack. “My jaw still hurts. Take a ride with me so I’ll know you’ve forgiven me.” When she made no remark he frowned. “Please.”
With a sigh she turned to look at him. “Fine.” She knew she sounded ungracious. “Thank you,” she added.
“My pleasure.” He opened the door. “I’ll speak to the taxi driver.”
Ensconced in the luxurious comfort of the limousine, Angie faced Hussein. He had finally taken off his sunglasses. “So why are you here, Hussein?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “To see you safely to KLIA, of course.”
She frowned. “How did you know I was leaving for the airport?”
“I asked the concierge to let me know when you called for a taxi,” he stated blandly.
Angie opened her mouth but nothing came out. She was completely flummoxed.
“Y…You… How? I mean, how…?” she spluttered in consternation. She took a deep breath and tried again. “How did you get him to do that?”
“I own that building,” he told her simply.
She nodded slowly. Okay, so he owned the building. Fine. “Why?”
“Why do I own the building? It’s a good investment, I suppose.”
“No, I mean why did you ask him to alert you about my movements?”
“You make it sound all cloak-and-dagger.” He smiled.
Angie was not impressed. “It was cloak-and-dagger, Hussein, even if you do own the building,” she told him tartly.
“Why are you leaving?” he asked suddenly.
“My return ticket is for today.”
“What about Alex?” There was no smile on his face now.
Angie stared at her hands, which she had somehow folded into a knot without noticing. “I haven’t seen him. He didn’t come to say goodbye.” Her voice cracked but she cleared her throat and fought down the tears that were already hovering on the surface.
“He told me about your husband.”
“Ah.”
“And that you’re afraid to trust.”
“It’s… It is more complex than that. If Alex left me, I
She turned and walked to the elevator, dragging her suitcase behind her. At the lobby she nodded to the concierge and mumbled her thanks when the porter came to relieve her of her luggage. Her flight was not till 9:00 p.m. and check-in time was an hour before that, but she’d decided to leave early. It was just two o’clock, so she would have a long wait at the airport. The taxi that would take her to Kuala Lumpur International Airport was already waiting out in front of the apartment building.
Stepping out into the heat of the Malaysian sun, Angie noticed a shiny black limousine sitting right in front of the entrance. She was about to walk around it when the door opened and none other than Hussein stepped out. He looked striking in a pair of designer jeans and a blinding white dress shirt, but Angie barely noticed. She was too stunned at the sight of him. For one heart-stopping moment, she had thought it was Alex. The disappointment was so sharp it was almost tangible. She just stood there staring at him as he walked toward her.
“Hi, Angie.”
“Hi.” She shaded her eyes from the sunlight and stared up at him, but his sunglasses made it impossible to read his expression.
“You’re leaving.” He nodded toward where the porter was standing with her luggage.
“Yes.”
“I guess you finally got tired of him.”
Angie felt white-hot rage flow through her, but just as quickly as it came, it subsided. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. What was the point? She was leaving, wasn’t she? She dropped her gaze from his and stared at her taxi instead.
“Thanks for coming to say goodbye, Hussein. I need to go now.” She made to move but he stepped in front of her.
“Let me take you.” She opened her mouth to refuse, but he quickly cut in. “It’s the least I can do.” When he saw her hesitate he changed tack. “My jaw still hurts. Take a ride with me so I’ll know you’ve forgiven me.” When she made no remark he frowned. “Please.”
With a sigh she turned to look at him. “Fine.” She knew she sounded ungracious. “Thank you,” she added.
“My pleasure.” He opened the door. “I’ll speak to the taxi driver.”
Ensconced in the luxurious comfort of the limousine, Angie faced Hussein. He had finally taken off his sunglasses. “So why are you here, Hussein?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “To see you safely to KLIA, of course.”
She frowned. “How did you know I was leaving for the airport?”
“I asked the concierge to let me know when you called for a taxi,” he stated blandly.
Angie opened her mouth but nothing came out. She was completely flummoxed.
“Y…You… How? I mean, how…?” she spluttered in consternation. She took a deep breath and tried again. “How did you get him to do that?”
“I own that building,” he told her simply.
She nodded slowly. Okay, so he owned the building. Fine. “Why?”
“Why do I own the building? It’s a good investment, I suppose.”
“No, I mean why did you ask him to alert you about my movements?”
“You make it sound all cloak-and-dagger.” He smiled.
Angie was not impressed. “It was cloak-and-dagger, Hussein, even if you do own the building,” she told him tartly.
“Why are you leaving?” he asked suddenly.
“My return ticket is for today.”
“What about Alex?” There was no smile on his face now.
Angie stared at her hands, which she had somehow folded into a knot without noticing. “I haven’t seen him. He didn’t come to say goodbye.” Her voice cracked but she cleared her throat and fought down the tears that were already hovering on the surface.
“He told me about your husband.”
“Ah.”
“And that you’re afraid to trust.”
“It’s… It is more complex than that. If Alex left me, I
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