Escaping Christmas (Contemporary Romance) (4 page)

An hour later, as she watched Alex chatting with one of his many relations, Angie recalled their earlier conversation. She couldn’t believe she had actually referred to his grandparents’ gala as a shindig. This party was certainly not a
shindig.
It screamed of wealth, complete with expensive champagne and jewel-clad women. Alex had explained that the hosts were his maternal grandparents. He and his sister and cousin had spent every vacation with them growing up.

Alex threaded his fingers through hers. “Come, I want to introduce you to some people.”

Without giving her a chance to reply, he led her through the crowd until they were standing before an elderly couple.

“Grandpa, Grandma, this is Angie Scot.” He turned to Angie. “These are my grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Zain.”

“I’m pleased to meet you,” Angie said.

Alex’s grandmother was an elegantly dressed woman with sparkling eyes. She kissed Angie on both cheeks then proceeded to examine her from head to toe.

“You are a beautiful woman,” she stated simply.

Angie blinked in surprise. “Thank you, Mrs. Zain.”

“Oh, no, no, no! Please, don’t make me feel any older than my age. Samira will do quite well.”

Angie agreed to call her by her first name. After all, she didn’t look like anyone’s grandmother. When Angie said as much, the older womanlaughed delightedly.

“Where did you find her, Alex?” she asked, keeping her gaze on Angie.

Alex laughed. “She’s my next-door neighbor.”

“If you’re wise you won’t keep her next door for much longer.”

Angie felt her face flush as she met the teasing eyes of Said Zain. Where his wife was petite and exquisite, Said was tall and lanky with a rather distinguished air.

Alex put his arms around her waist. “You didn’t raise a foolish boy, Granddad.” He winked at his grandfather and led her toward the throng of guests.

“Don’t forget to bring her over in a few days,” Samira called after them.

“They love you,” Alex whispered.

“They are very kind,” she said. “I like them, too.”

Angie enjoyed herself thoroughly. She was undeniably Alex’s woman and she found herself enjoying the role. Alex introduced her to lots of people, but didn’t stray from her side and seized every opportunity to touch her. The message was clear—Alex had staked his claim.

Looking around at what looked like a gathering of the high and mighty of Malaysia—the prime minister and his wife were there, for goodness’ sake!—Angie knew that the Aston Martin didn’t even begin to scratch the surface of Alex’s wealth. She felt foolish for making a big deal about the clothes and accessories; he probably hadn’t even noticed the amount he’d spent on them.

Watching him in this environment, it was as though he’d transformed from her casual, easygoing, semi-annoying neighbor to a high-society playboy. If she were honest, the change had begun when she’d opened her apartment door earlier that evening to find him looking drop-dead gorgeous in a tux. Instead of a bow tie, he’d wrapped a checkered scarf around his neck, making him look like an international playboy and a desert warrior at once. Watching him now, Angie knew she was seriously out of her league. Not like it mattered. She’d be gone in a few days.

“You’re thinking about me.”

Angie felt goose bumps rise on her bare arms as Alex whispered in her ear. She snagged a champagne flute from a passing waiter and took a sip before sliding him a sidelong glance. “You’re getting conceited.”

He flashed his sexy smile. “I know I’m thinking about you and I don’t think you’re conceited,” he said with a mischievous grin.

She hid a smile behind her champagne flute as she took another sip. “You really need to do something about your flawed logic.” When he didn’t respond she met his eyes, and the fire in them acted as kindling, igniting a slow burn inside her.

“Logic is the last thing on my mind,” he said.

Angie felt desire rise up within her. “Alex—”

“Cousin, introduce me to this stunning beauty.”

They both turned at the new voice. The newcomer was about the same height as Alex, definitely over six feet, though slightly heavier in build. She could see the marked resemblance in their curly black hair, long eyelashes and finely shaped patrician noses. But where Alex’s eyes were open and friendly, this man’s were hooded, and he had an air of reserve about him that was noticeably absent from her companion. He was so utterly gorgeous that if she wasn’t already crazy about Alex she would definitely have given him a second glance. As it was all she felt was slight admiration—okay, a lot of admiration—but no attraction to the man.

“Angie, this is my cousin and business partner, Hussein Farhadi. Hussein, Angie Scot.”

Angie stretched out her hand and Hussein enveloped it in his larger ones. He slowly brought it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. “I have a yacht. When he’s done with you, we can go sailing along the Andaman Sea.”

Angie felt the blood leave her face as the smile died on her lips. She didn’t know what she was going to do until her fist connected with his jaw. The sharp ache in her wrist drowned out the shattering sound of the champagne flute she’d been holding. She ignored both just as she ignored the fact that they’d suddenly become the center of attention.

Instead she drew herself up to her full height and stared straight at Hussein. She couldn’t believe the bastard was related to Alex. What a waste of good looks. She raked him with her eyes and slowly settled them on his crotch, then looked up and leaned into him slightly, whispering loud enough for those standing close by to hear.

“Your
yacht,
” she said, putting a slight emphasis on the word as her gaze flicked down to his crotch again, “isn’t big enough.” She saw a glimmer of amusement and grudging respect in his dark eyes before she spun on her heel and walked away.

“Damn, Alex, your lady packs quite a punch,” Hussein said, his eyes trailing after Angie as he absently rubbed the spot where her fist had landed.

Alex felt fury well up inside him as he stared at his cousin. He felt like one of the desert warriors of old, and he knew that if he’d had a scimitar on him it would have taken all the angels of heaven to keep him from running it through his cousin. He looked around and saw a few people gawking at them in astonishment. Something in his eyes must have convinced them to quickly look away. He turned back to his cousin.

“You are a bastard, you know that?” he said through his teeth.

Something flashed in Hussein’s eyes but disappeared so quickly that Alex thought he’d dreamed it. “It’s no secret that I’m one, is it?”

“Oh, spare me your self-pitying drivel! Your circumstance of birth has nothing to do with the cynical, black-hearted asshole you’ve become. I tried to warn you to hold back your bullshit, but you are so damned arrogant!” He ran a hand through his hair in angry exasperation. “You listen to me, and listen good, Hussein Farhadi. If you’ve cost me that woman you are going to wish that you were never born.” Alex spoke in a low voice, his fury unmistakable. He would have found the look of shock on his cousin’s face comical if he hadn’t been so angry.

As he strode in the general direction of where he’d seen Angie disappear, he prayed she hadn’t already called a taxi and left. He could have killed his cousin right about then. He cursed the fact that he was always the nice one. Hell, he didn’t even usually use swear words, so he was not surprised Hussein had felt he could insult the woman he was with. He was the good-natured man, the peace broker, the one who would laugh away an insult just to keep the peace. As he stood outside on the front porch of his grandparents’ mansion, that man was nowhere in sight. He was coiled tight and felt meaner than a rattlesnake. Underlying the rage was fear. He needed to find Angie immediately.

He heard a sound somewhere to his left. He descended the short steps and walked to the porch swing by the side of the house, stopping when he saw Angie seated there. She kept her eyes averted, staring off into the distance, but he knew she’d seen him. He moved closer to where she was sitting but didn’t get too close. He could feel his heart pounding in his rib cage.

“I thought you would have called a taxi,” he said quietly. She flashed him a look and his heart began to race.

“I don’t know where I am,” she replied. They were both silent for a while, then they began to laugh. “Can you imagine it? I’d already called Selesa Cabs, and when they asked me where I was calling from I had no idea.” Her voice was filled with mirth.

With a mental sigh of relief, Alex sat down beside her on the swing. “You’re in Petaling Jaya. It’s an older part of town,” he told her. When she made no reply he reached out and gently brushed her hair from her face. She’d twisted the ends and used some fancy chopsticks to hold them up at the back of her head, but a few wisps had come undone. She looked so sexy. “I’m sorry about what happened in there.” He nodded toward the house, where the party was still in full swing.

Angie smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Punching him felt really good.”

Alex chuckled gently. He took her hands in his and inspected them. “Yeah, I can imagine. Where did you learn how to throw a fist like that?”

“I ran wild as a child and it was all my mom could do to contain me.” She shrugged. “I had to learn how to defend myself.”

They were both quiet, the silence between them comfortable. “He thought I was a paid companion,” she said at last.

Alex sighed into the night and dropped her hands, raking a hand through his hair as he thought about how to answer her. “Hussein is, well, he…” How did one go about explaining his cousin? “He’s not a bad person. He’s had a rough life. His mom fell in love with his father—my uncle— when they were both living in the States as students. My uncle didn’t tell Hussein’s mother that he was already betrothed to someone else, and when she got pregnant he went back to his country without her. Hussein’s mother eventually remarried, but her new husband wanted nothing to do with his new stepson, so Hussein came to live with us. I know that does not excuse his behavior, but there is no one more loyal than he. He’s always been there for my sister and I.” He paused for a moment. “I told you about my other grandfather, right?”

Angie nodded.

“Well, I didn’t tell you this, but he used to beat us. He had this stick he used on us anytime he felt we needed to be disciplined, which was quite often. Hussein stood up for us. He couldn’t fight the old man, not that he didn’t try, but he always took the blame whenever we did anything. He always took the beating for us. Farrah and I would do almost anything for him.”

She cast a sidelong glance at him, her face inscrutable in the dark. “You love him.”

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

“That’s great. But keep him away from me for the next few days, okay? Deal?”

He smiled even as he felt a pang at the reminder that they only had a few days left together. “Deal.” He drew her close to him. “Let’s seal that, shall we?” he said, taking her mouth in a kiss that was both sweet and tender.

Alex knew in that instant that he had fallen hard for Angela. She was sweet and spunky, full of life, and yet mysterious. He loved her sense of humor, and the shadows in her eyes only made him want to hold her in his arms and keep her safe. She had wormed her way past his defenses and was now firmly lodged inside his heart. And she was leaving in a few days’ time. He was in deep trouble.

They were lost in each other. Angie had her arms around Alex as she settled comfortably on his lap. She had her fingers buried in his hair when they heard a cough not too far away from where they were seated on the porch swing. She stiffened, and Alex let out a string of swear words.

“What do you want, Hussein?” he practically growled.

Angie hid a smile as she rested her head in the curve between his shoulder and his neck. Alex was turning into a caveman right in front of her, and she found it really sexy. How sick was that?

“I came to apologize to Angie.”

She sat up straight at the mention of her name and turned toward Hussein. He didn’t look contrite as far as she was concerned. She slid off Alex’s lap and turned to face him.

“You as much as called me a whore,” she stated drily. “Some people would find that unforgivable.”

He grimaced. She could see his face quite clearly, thanks to the lamps illuminating the garden, and he did look sorry, even though that glimmer of amusement had returned to his eyes.

“I figure I deserve some forgiveness if only for the pain I had to endure. I’m not sure how many teeth I’ll have left by tomorrow.” He rubbed his jaw.

Angie couldn’t help the snort that came out. “Not to worry, even if you do lose your good looks, you still have your money.”

He ignored her tone. “You think I’m good-looking?”

Angie felt Alex’s arms go around her waist and she leaned into him. “I think that tree over there is good-looking,” she replied blandly.

“Ouch. That was almost as bad as getting punched out by a girl.”

“Apologize and leave us alone,” Alex said, but there was no heat in his voice.

“I’m sorry, Angie. I was out of line, and I have no excuse.”

Angie nodded once. “You’re right, Hussein, you were out of line. But it’s fine. I’m glad I punched you, though. You deserved that.”

A slow smile spread across his face.

He looked into her eyes now and nodded slowly. “I’ll repeat my offer,” he began, and raised a hand when she frowned. “Wait, hear me out. When—if—you finish with him, I’ll be waiting with a big yacht.”

Angie choked on her laughter even as Alex’s arms tightened around her. Hussein Farhadi was unbelievable. She felt Alex’s breath on her neck. “I’m not letting her go, Hussein, so don’t hold your breath.”

Angie stilled against him. What was he talking about? She felt her heart race frantically as she tried to make sense of what he’d just said. She needed to see his face, but he held her so tightly she couldn’t turn. She looked at Hussein instead and saw understanding dawn in his eyes. He didn’t know she was leaving in a few days, and she didn’t correct him. What was the point? Alex seemed to be everything she needed in a man, but how could she know for sure? She had been so certain with Michael, and she had been horribly wrong, with devastating consequences. She was not sure she could trust her heart anymore.