Escaping Christmas (Contemporary Romance) by Charlotte Ashwood Page B
Authors: Charlotte Ashwood
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talk.
“Can you make us some coffee?” he asked her.
She turned to look at him with an enquiring glance but didn’t say anything, just nodded and headed for the kitchen, flicking on lights as they went.
After the coffee had brewed and she’d poured them each a cup, they sat at the breakfast bar where it had all started. Alex was having a hard time believing it had been just a little over a week before that they had shared that container of ice cream. His life had changed so completely since that day he couldn’t even remember what it was like before he’d met Angie. He sat staring at the black coffee she set before him, for once at a loss for words.
“Alex?” She nudged him gently with her knee.
He turned to look at her and was struck by how absolutely adorable she looked with her sleep-tousled hair. She had a small smile on her lips, a secret smile she saved only for him. He couldn’t bear the thought that she would walk away in a few days and would smile that same secret smile for another man somewhere down the line. The idea made him clench his hands instinctively, and he spilled some of his coffee. Before he could react, she was there with a kitchen towel, wiping up the spill.
“What is it?” she asked quietly.
“Tell me about him,” Alex said. He knew he sounded abrupt, but he didn’t know how else to introduce the subject.
She stilled for a fraction of a second then slowly raised the cup of coffee to her mouth. She took a sip and then set it down in front of her. “Who?”
She was stalling. Alex knew she was perfectly aware what he was asking, but he decided to answer her, anyway. “Tell me about your husband, Angie.”
Angie had been expecting the question since the day they’d met so she was not particularly surprised. That didn’t keep her from tensing, though; this was not a subject she wanted to talk about, especially not at 3:00 a.m. But she knew she owed Alex an explanation. Maybe if she told him something about the man she’d married he would understand why she could not afford to let things between them move beyond the physical. Oh, he hadn’t said anything about taking things further, but she was no fool. She knew he was crazy about her. And if she had to talk about the poor excuse for a man she had been foolish enough to fall in love with and get married to, she supposed it might as well be now.
“What do you want to know?”
“Anything, Angie. Everything. I want to know it all. What was his name? What was he like? What did he do to you to make you so distrustful of men?” At her look of surprise he shrugged and said with a wry smile, “Credit me with some intuition.”
Angie gulped down some of her coffee, which had rapidly cooled in the air-conditioned kitchen. It wasn’t Dutch courage by any means, but it would have to serve.
“His name was Michael. He was an only child, and his parents, who were very wealthy, spoiled him rotten. He was used to getting his way. But he was so charming, so full of life and laughter, that most people would let him trample all over them and thank him for it. At least, I know I did.” She went quiet for a few moments, lost in her memories of Michael and his boyish charm. With a sigh she continued. “When we met I had been running my business for a few months. I’m an interior decorator,” she informed him. “I needed money desperately. I needed a cash injection so I could expand my business, but more important, my mom had cancer, so I needed to pay for her treatment. He heard about me from a friend of a friend, or a cousin of a friend, I’m not sure which now.” She frowned then shook her head. “Whatever. Anyway, he wanted to be an angel investor. I would make him a partner with fifty percent of the business. My mom was dying of cancer by then and I was just so grateful that he was willing to invest in my business. He supplied the money and sent quite a few new clients my way. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.” She let out a
“Can you make us some coffee?” he asked her.
She turned to look at him with an enquiring glance but didn’t say anything, just nodded and headed for the kitchen, flicking on lights as they went.
After the coffee had brewed and she’d poured them each a cup, they sat at the breakfast bar where it had all started. Alex was having a hard time believing it had been just a little over a week before that they had shared that container of ice cream. His life had changed so completely since that day he couldn’t even remember what it was like before he’d met Angie. He sat staring at the black coffee she set before him, for once at a loss for words.
“Alex?” She nudged him gently with her knee.
He turned to look at her and was struck by how absolutely adorable she looked with her sleep-tousled hair. She had a small smile on her lips, a secret smile she saved only for him. He couldn’t bear the thought that she would walk away in a few days and would smile that same secret smile for another man somewhere down the line. The idea made him clench his hands instinctively, and he spilled some of his coffee. Before he could react, she was there with a kitchen towel, wiping up the spill.
“What is it?” she asked quietly.
“Tell me about him,” Alex said. He knew he sounded abrupt, but he didn’t know how else to introduce the subject.
She stilled for a fraction of a second then slowly raised the cup of coffee to her mouth. She took a sip and then set it down in front of her. “Who?”
She was stalling. Alex knew she was perfectly aware what he was asking, but he decided to answer her, anyway. “Tell me about your husband, Angie.”
Angie had been expecting the question since the day they’d met so she was not particularly surprised. That didn’t keep her from tensing, though; this was not a subject she wanted to talk about, especially not at 3:00 a.m. But she knew she owed Alex an explanation. Maybe if she told him something about the man she’d married he would understand why she could not afford to let things between them move beyond the physical. Oh, he hadn’t said anything about taking things further, but she was no fool. She knew he was crazy about her. And if she had to talk about the poor excuse for a man she had been foolish enough to fall in love with and get married to, she supposed it might as well be now.
“What do you want to know?”
“Anything, Angie. Everything. I want to know it all. What was his name? What was he like? What did he do to you to make you so distrustful of men?” At her look of surprise he shrugged and said with a wry smile, “Credit me with some intuition.”
Angie gulped down some of her coffee, which had rapidly cooled in the air-conditioned kitchen. It wasn’t Dutch courage by any means, but it would have to serve.
“His name was Michael. He was an only child, and his parents, who were very wealthy, spoiled him rotten. He was used to getting his way. But he was so charming, so full of life and laughter, that most people would let him trample all over them and thank him for it. At least, I know I did.” She went quiet for a few moments, lost in her memories of Michael and his boyish charm. With a sigh she continued. “When we met I had been running my business for a few months. I’m an interior decorator,” she informed him. “I needed money desperately. I needed a cash injection so I could expand my business, but more important, my mom had cancer, so I needed to pay for her treatment. He heard about me from a friend of a friend, or a cousin of a friend, I’m not sure which now.” She frowned then shook her head. “Whatever. Anyway, he wanted to be an angel investor. I would make him a partner with fifty percent of the business. My mom was dying of cancer by then and I was just so grateful that he was willing to invest in my business. He supplied the money and sent quite a few new clients my way. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.” She let out a
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