Read Online Judas and the Vampires by Aiden James - Free Book Online Page B

underneath. “I overheard the pilots say they expected to resume our journey at twelve-thirty this afternoon.”
    “Well, it’s almost eight o’clock now. So if we get a move on it, we can decide on where and what to do over breakfast,” said Alistair, getting up from his seat.
    He grimaced while stretching his back...always a little tight for him in the morning. He rubbed his temples while he leaned back, and I could tell he was fighting a headache, no doubt brought on by last night’s wine and champagne.
    “Go ahead and take your shower and once you’re ready I’ll get cleaned up.” I thought it would be best for him to go first in hopes the water immersion might ease his physical discomfort. “In the meantime I’ll arrange for transportation to the mall.”
    I thought I might encounter some resistance from our independent female, but she nodded approvingly for me to make the arrangements. With the assistance of the lovely Kali, I arranged for a taxi to be waiting for us outside the airport terminal. As soon as Alistair had showered and dressed, I took a quick shower. Attired in similar khaki shorts and a summer shirt to what my son wore, we exited the airplane flanking Amy on either side.
    No doubt we looked a sight—two casual tourists with a fashion model in between. Other than a self-conscious glance by Alistair over his shoulder, we soon reached the taxi waiting for us. I must admit that I was quite impressed by Ms. Golden Eagle’s poise and ease in all of this. In no way a pompous bitch, she seemed to relish our company. Social time with the Barrow males was going well. But I looked forward to her reaction to the great outdoors when we all were roughing it in the Alborz wilderness in the next day or so.
    “Take us to the Mall of the Emirates,” she told the driver, her tone sweet but with enough assertion to encourage our driver to get us there without delay.
    Along the way, she pointed out the buildings and other sites the city is most proud of—most of them created within the last forty years. When we reached our destination, for a moment I worried about getting lost inside the immense structure. It’s the largest mall outside North America, and certainly the most posh shopping area in the world. Time could slip away easily in a place like this.
    “Some of the finer restaurants are not far from here,” Amy advised, once we stepped inside the main entrance. “Or, we could pick something up in the food court ahead of us.”
    “You’ve been here many times before, I take it,” I said, admiring the exquisite craftsmanship surrounding us. “What’s the best option that will allow us plenty of time to have a look around? I heard you tell the driver to come back for us at eleven-thirty.”
    I glimpsed the fifty-dollar bill she handed him, too. American money spends just as well in Dubai as in the U.S. Anything smaller than a Grant might not have insured our driver’s cooperation--especially with Dhuhr coinciding with our return to our jet.
    “Well, to avoid waiting for a table and what not, the food court would be quickest.” She smiled at us both while removing her sunglasses. Those beautiful eyes, again, set off magically by an impish glint. “If you’re still dying to hit the slopes, Ali, we’ll need time to get you outfitted with skis and a snowsuit.”
    I guess they had gotten a little closer than I previously thought. My son has never cared too much for his nickname, and yet there she was addressing him like they had become best buddies. The age difference didn’t seem to affect her opinion about him, and although she had surely noticed my admiring glances, her attention paid to Alistair was on a different level. A higher level. One that completely escaped him, or perhaps he played it coy to avoid assuming too much. Lord knows he would hate looking like a dirty old man.
    The lucky devil!
    Not that I hadn’t enjoyed a few salacious flirtations with the trio of stewardesses while Amy