Escaping Christmas (Contemporary Romance) by Charlotte Ashwood Page A

asleep immediately. That was hours ago, and she was still awake. She had no idea what to do. Alex had feelings for her, he’d said as much in that strange declaration he’d made in front of his cousin several days ago. And if she was honest with herself, she was more than a little crazy about him. Every time she looked into his eyes, it did funny things to her. But she was not interested in a long-term relationship. It could never work with her living in the States. He had his business and his life here, and hers—or what was left of it—was back in Boston.
    Angie sighed impatiently. Why was she even thinking like this? Alex was a good man, salt of the earth, true blue and whatever other noble epithet applied. He probably wasn’t the kind of guy who could spend several nights in a woman’s bed without feeling something for her, so there was no need to read too much into his words. Still, she couldn’t help thinking about it, and the idea that he’d been with other women pierced her deep in her chest. He was rich and incredibly handsome; of course he would have had other women. He was thirty-two for goodness’ sake, and there was no way a man could make love the way Alex did without having had a lot of practice. She was not naive. But the thought still bothered her.
    Suppressing a sigh of impatience, Angie crept out of the bed. Shrugging on the silk robe that was hanging on the door of the wardrobe, she made her way to the living room and stepped out onto the balcony. The sultry heat of the Kuala Lumpur night embraced her as she stared out at the palm trees standing so still in the night. A slight breeze brought some relief to the air but it was not enough to move the trees. They reminded her of Alex.
    There was something so sturdy and unshakable about him. She knew it had been unfair of her to dismiss the strength of his feelings just now—there was nothing fickle about the man she’d come to know. True, he was not all brooding machismo like his cousin. He was more open and friendly, using his charm to make others feel comfortable. But there was also an intensity to him that she only saw when they were making love, or in the way he looked at her sometimes when he thought she didn’t notice.
    She felt torn in several directions. She would be leaving for good in a couple of days, and she was coming to the dreadful conclusion that when she did, a large chunk of her heart would stay behind. At that realization she wrapped her arms around her waist in an attempt to ward off a chill that had nothing to do with the night.
    Alex watched Angie hug herself on the balcony. The lamps outside illuminated her slender form, and he felt something tug in his heart. He’d woken up and missed her. The space beside him was empty so he had come to find her. He supposed he needed to get used to sleeping alone now, though God knew how he would manage that. He was so crazy about this woman and he was going to lose her in just two days; he had no idea what to do about it. He had tried to show her in every way possible that they belonged together, and though he could see that she had feelings for him, she was still holding back. He fought down despair as he raked a hand through his hair. He knew in his heart that Angie was the woman he’d been waiting for. He had never truly been in love before so he wasn’t even sure if that was what he was feeling. All he knew was that he didn’t want to live without her, but he was quickly running out of options. He suspected that her holding back had a lot to do with her late husband. She never talked about him, and that in itself spoke volumes.
    He went to her now and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and leaned into him. He felt the simplicity of that gesture deep in his heart and knew that whether she wanted to admit it to herself or not, Angie Scot was as crazy about him as he was about her. Now he just had to make her see that they were irrevocably bound to each other. They needed to