Surprised by Love: A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 4) (7 page)

Toni breathed a sigh of relief as they exited the company car and mentally cautioned her body to calm down. The ride had been sheer torture for her, and her traitorous body was out of control. They had let Trish in the front, so she had been squeezed in the back seat between two of the hunkiest men she’d ever seen.

She could appreciate Patrick’s handsomeness with a cool mind, which was not the case with Douglas. The nearness of his body to hers transformed her brain cells to mush and every small movement of his body against hers stole her breath away. It was annoying and stimulating all at the same time.

When she was forced to lean into him when the vehicle took the turns too fast, her heart sped up, and she felt the heat of his body radiating from him.

Tricia looped her elbow in Patrick’s. “This way.”
That is just like her. The poor man doesn’t stand a chance. But then, he doesn’t look unhappy at all. Why can’t I be more like her?

Toni had been at the Starlight Tower before, but never to the new nightclub. The classic elegance of the huge hall never ceased to amaze her. Kuala Lumpur definitely was a hyper-modern, flashy city.

They entered the elevator and then settled in for the ride up to the one hundred and second floor. The elevator door opened to a dark room that must be the nightclub portion of the space. It was early, so there wasn’t anything going on yet. Instead of dallying in the almost vacant space, they turned to their right. A short set of stairs led the way from the dark nightclub up to the dining area.

Toni was the first one to step out from the cool air-conditioned room onto the rooftop terrace. She gasped and then heard Douglas hiss in appreciation behind her.

The air was still warm, but with a refreshing breeze, and it was astonishingly quiet up here, which made a welcome change to the constant noise of the city. But the view was simply spectacular: a 360-degree view over the city of Kuala Lumpur. The entire space was surrounded by a clear glass railing that from a distance, gave one the impression that nothing stood between them and the skyline with the sparkling lights of the skyscrapers and the red and white lights of the cars in the traffic hundreds of yards down.

Large booths, lit up on the outside with incandescent blue lights gave a magical quality to the space, and the small tables and seating arrangements scattered across the rooftop were both casual and inviting.

She heard Patrick’s shocked voice behind her. “Why didn’t you tell me...” and turned around. He was deathly pale beneath his suntan and had grabbed his brother’s arm to steady himself.

“Are you okay, Patrick?” she asked.

He tried to answer, but his trembling voice failed him. Toni was now severely worried, trying to figure out what could have happened when Douglas solved the puzzle and said, “He’s scared of heights. It’s the glass railing that makes him shaky.”

Then he addressed Tricia, “I’m sorry. Do you think we can get one of those tables in the middle with the screens?”

In the same moment a uniformed waiter greeted them, “Good evening, please follow me to your table.”

Tricia spoke with him briefly and from what Toni understood, he wasn’t too pleased about her request. Then he headed off and Tricia turned to the others. “They’ll get us another table ready. It takes just a minute.”

Toni saw the relief on Patrick’s face when he fixed his eyes firmly on the ground and whispered, “Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.”

Minutes later, the waiter led them to their table that had been shielded from the gorgeous skyline with extra screens.

The smells of delicious food filled the air and Toni realized she was starving. After they were seated and their drink orders had been taken, they lapsed into silence as they each perused the extensive menu.

Since the restaurant served food in a traditional Malaysian style, they chose a variety of seafood dishes and then sat back to talk while they waited for their food to arrive.

Toni was too nervous to talk much, but Tricia managed to keep the conversation going by asking lots of questions about Patrick’s assignment in Nepal.

“So, I’ve never been to Nepal. What’s it like?”

Patrick was happy to talk about his work. “Very different. Isolated. I just spent the last three months living in a remote village where they didn’t have electricity or running water.”

Tricia grimaced and then asked, “So, you do what? Take pictures and stuff?”

“And stuff. I’m a photo story journalist. So I use pictures to help educate people about others. Think
National Geographic
and that’s close to what I do.”

“He’s very good at it,” Douglas added.

Patrick looked at his brother and tipped his glass him. “Thanks, bro. So, Tricia, what do you do here in Kuala Lumpur?”

“I manage several serviced apartment buildings like the one you all are staying in. There are lots of foreigners who come here to work for weeks or months at a time, and they would much prefer to stay in an apartment than a hotel.”

“I can agree with that,” Toni chimed in. “Since I rarely stay in one place more than a few months at a time, I can’t imagine living in a hotel room all the time.”

A small silence settled over the group as they sipped their drinks and waited on their food to arrive. They had ordered cocktails with Toni choosing a Singapore Sling and Tricia going for a Tequila Sunrise. Douglas and Patrick had stuck with a traditional Gin and Tonic, neither of them big drinkers.

The alcohol helped to soothe Toni’s nerves and before dinner arrived, she felt a lot better. There was nothing to be afraid of. She’d chosen to sit opposite of Douglas, so there was no risk of her accidentally touching him and setting herself on fire.

Dinner arrived and it tasted simply delicious. People raved about this restaurant for a reason. Seafood had definitely been the way to go. True to Asian customs, they shared their dinner selections by putting the plates in the middle of the table and taking bits from every plate into their bowls.

Fried shrimp and fried calamari. Mussels with a black bean sauce. Satay chicken, and fried potstickers stuffed with a delicious mixture of meats and vegetables. Her favorites were the Nyonya Campur – a Malaysia take on sweet and sour with squid, shrimp and chicken; and the Nasi Goreng Istimewa – a Malaysian styled fried rice with shrimp, chicken, beans and pineapple, all fried in a delicious curry sauce.

When they had all eaten their fill and finished their drinks, Tricia asked, “So, who’s up for some dancing?”

“Count me in,” Patrick told her, already pushing back his chair and putting his arm around her shoulders. “That is if you can guide me past that glass railing.”

Tricia didn’t have to be asked twice and put her arm around his waist.

“That sounds good,” Douglas added, standing up and helping pull Toni’s chair out as well. Her gaze fell to his rock-hard butt. God, she was losing it. Dancing didn’t seem like a good idea if she hoped to stay away from him.

Douglas went to the bar to get them all another round of drinks while Patrick took the two women out onto the dance floor. While he waited for the bartender to make the drinks, he turned and placed his back against the bar, giving himself a clear view of Toni.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She danced in such an effortless and sexy way. And that dress of hers! His fingers had been aching to trace the boundaries, and slip beneath, to test and see if her skin was as soft as it appeared to be. The dress was murder on his libido, accentuating her firm breasts and slim waist.

When Patrick gave him a knock with his elbow, he jolted back to his surroundings, surprised to see his brother standing next to him and not on the dance floor. “I thought you were dancing?”

“I figured I’d come help you carry the drinks to a table. You really have it bad for her, don’t you?”

Douglas suddenly felt very vulnerable.
Have I been that obvious? You have to get it together man. Stop thinking about her that way.

At that same moment, Douglas observed a tall twenty-something guy reeking of testosterone and money approached Toni to dance with her. When he casually touched her shoulder, it was enough to have Douglas seeing red.

Nobody is touching my woman!
The rational part of his brain was trying to tell the emotional part that he was being unreasonable. But his emotional part won and he stomped onto the dance floor, making a beeline for Toni.

When he was within a few feet, he suddenly realized what he was doing and stopped, feeling stupid. He had no idea what he was going to say to her and turned to leave, when the guy pressed Toni against his chest.

Why does he have to do that? He can dance with her without snuggling up like that.

His patience snapped and he tapped the guy on the shoulder. When the guy stared at him, the words tumbled out of his mouth, “Sorry to interrupt, but she’s with me.”

The other guy quickly fumbled through an apology and disappeared, leaving him standing in the middle of the dance floor with Toni glaring at him.

“Why did you do that?” she asked, daggers shooting from her eyes.

Because I’m a jealous fool, that’s why.
But he couldn’t admit that to her so he looked for another plausible excuse for his behavior. “It looked like he was grabbing you.”

Is that amusement I see in her eyes?
He figured it was probably his imagination because just as quick as it occurred, it changed to anger. Directed at him. Again.

“I can very well take care of myself. Thank you.” With those words, she turned on her heel and stomped off, leaving a very confused Douglas standing in the middle of the dance floor. Alone.

He didn’t stay that way for long. Before he could follow her, three very pretty Malaysian girls wearing ungodly short skirts sidled up to him, dancing their sexiest around him in a very clear attempt to hit on him. Normally he wouldn’t have thought twice about taking what they were blatantly offering. But today he only had eyes for Toni.
Damn it!

He attempted to extricate himself from the circle they had him in, but didn’t stand a chance. As soon as he managed to get one arm off him, he felt another breast pushing against him, or a leg sliding up his thigh.
How am I going to get out of this without seeming rude?
, but r
top terrace,ely empty.ound her in such an effortless and sexy way.ery plate into their bowls.she had to copens.
and sa

Finally he captured Patrick’s attention and shot him a plea for help. Thankfully, his brother understood and came to his rescue, putting himself within their reach as an alternate. When the three girls found a more than willing victim, they quickly turned their attentions away from Douglas. He fled the dance floor to search for Toni and finally found her on the rooftop terrace that was now completely empty.

Toni stood at the balustrade and looked out into the night, but she didn’t notice the breathtaking skyline, or hear the humming of the traffic. She didn’t even perceive the slight breeze on her skin or taste the humidity in the air. Her head was spinning with confusion and overwhelming emotions, all of them with Douglas as centerpiece.

The heat she’d felt radiating from him, their mutual attraction they’d been tiptoeing around for the last week, his rage when she had danced with the other guy. Her anger about the jealousy she’d seen in his eyes. Who did he think he was? He didn’t have any claim on her.
But wouldn’t it be nice if he had?

He was her client, she reminded herself. She didn’t have flings with clients. Never. She sighed and then heard steps behind her. She turned and first thought it was a Fata Morgana, but he was real. She hadn’t conjured him up with her mind.

Douglas was holding two glasses of champagne and a single red rose in his mouth. Her lips curved into a smile. That was so cute.

He stood in front of her with his big blue eyes, those eyes that always gave him away. They looked sad and confused now. Perhaps as confused as she was.

He held out the champagne to her and when she took the glass, he removed the rose from his mouth and said, “I’m sorry. I had no business keeping you from dancing with that man.”

“No, you didn’t.” She tried to sound irritated, but how could she be mad at him when he looked at her with that look in his wonderful midnight blue eyes. Her body started burning up.
If he doesn’t stop that, I’m going to burst into flames.

Douglas continued, “Since I saw you the first time at the pool, I wanted you to be mine. And the attraction has grown ever since. I realized that you not only are stunningly beautiful, but you’re intelligent, organized, witty, and a wonderful warm-hearted person who cares more for others than for herself. You are all I ever wanted in a woman.”

He paused and took a deep breath. “What is more, you are the best controller I could ever have wished for and I enjoyed every moment with you in the office, even the moments when you don’t agree with me and challenge my opinions. You make me thrive to be a better person every day – for you.

Every time I see you, you get into my heart a little bit more and it aches not being able to touch you, to love you.”

Wow! Is he actually declaring his love to me?
Her words got stuck behind the lump in her throat, but her heart melted with every word he said.

She had wanted him too from the moment she first saw him, but she’d fought against her emotions every step of the way. A million reasons why this couldn’t work stormed her head and she had to blink back tears.

When she didn’t say anything, he continued, “When I saw that guy press you against his chest, I saw red. It was too much for me. Please forgive me.”

He held the rose out to her and looked so sincere, so vulnerable, she couldn’t be mad at him anymore. Especially not when her body betrayed her again and heated up all over in his presence. How could she keep saying no if everything she wanted was to say yes?

She took the rose and murmured, “I forgive you.”

The faint fragrance of the rose caused her to inhale deeply, his exhilarating and sensual scent wafted toward her in the night breeze and she drank it in. She took a sip of champagne to get a grip on her raging hormones, but the bubbly liquid in her mouth made things only worse. She closed her eyes to take in the wave of emotions that rolled over her and couldn’t help but lean into him.

He took the glass from her trembling hand and put it on a table nearby before he wrapped his strong arms around her. She was losing the struggle of reason to stay away from him with every moment that passed.

When she relaxed into his arms, he just held her. Nothing else. But it felt so right. The armor around her heart cracked open and slowly he crawled in, taking up every last inch in her heart.

Toni finally opened her eyes again and glanced up into his eyes. They were so full of love, tenderness, and passion. She wanted this moment to last forever and a day.

Her lips formed a small smile in the attempt to say something. Anything. But her mind was blank. She, the woman who could argue for hours and was never at a loss for words, couldn’t speak if her life depended on it.

Douglas lowered his mouth over hers and kissed her. His lips pressed softly upon hers. Heat flushed her cheeks, and when her mind went blank, her body took over. Her mouth opened up, and he parted her lips with his tongue to explore every last corner of her mouth. Sliding his tongue in and out, giving her the most delicious tingling sensations that spread all across her body.

She responded to his kiss with an exploration of her own. Softly biting his lips and licking from one side to the other. Her heart missed a beat, when he intensified their kiss and pressed her against his hard body with raw passion.

The kiss stole away her breath and made every fiber in her body ache for him. Breathless, she let go of him and felt his strong hands moving down her back, cupping her ass to lift her up and push her core right over the bulge in his pants.

A stifled moan escaped her lungs and she felt explosions of pure pleasure all over her body. Despite the fact that any moment someone might enter the rooftop and see them, she wanted more. A lot more.

The imminent danger heightened her senses until she almost couldn’t bear it. The tingling multiplied when his hands reached the hem of her skirt, and in an attempt to graze her bare skin, he inched the miniskirt even further up. A breeze caught her exposed legs and, combined with the touch of his fingers, she felt like her skin exploded. Her body was hot and cold at the same time, shivering from the desire he had aroused in her.

She almost wished for him to be bold enough to push her skirt up all the way to her hips and bring his hand to her wet center. Grinding her hips against his body, she feverishly caressed his back and his spectacular butt, while his other hand teased her already taut nipple through the soft fabric of her dress.

But as quickly as the heat had shot up, her body went rigid.