Continental Divide (7 page)

He’d touched her hand when he’d lifted her
up. Now he wanted to caress a finger down the side of her face,
slip his hand into the tight jeans she was wearing, cup her round
buttocks that looked so luscious. And he wanted to kiss her full
and sensuous lips. He was praying she didn’t look down right now.
He shouldn’t be having a massive erection, but he had one anyway.
It was the hardest thing he’d ever done when he tore his eyes away
from her chest as she’d shuddered and drew in a breath. No woman
had ever dared to show that honest of a reaction to him before. It
was heady stuff, no wonder his cousins loved so many women. He
stared into Tanya’s deep brown eyes nearly groaning as she
absentmindedly swiped her lips with her tongue. What was he
thinking of? His cousins would fall all over themselves to bed
Tanya.

That thought stopped the smile and the
erection. He’d have to double his efforts to make sure his cousins
weren’t interested in Tanya. It would be for their own good he
tried to assure himself… Then she gave him a lopsided grin and the
now ever present flutter filled his chest. By all rights he
shouldn’t want this woman. She smiled more fully. But he did. She
was so wrong for him, loud, rude, he pulled himself up and moved
back from her to peer at her horribly long blue painted nails
again.
Tacky
, he thought, not at all what he wanted.

His image of the woman he wanted had been
firmly planted in his mind for years. Quiet, that was the main
thing. He didn’t want to bicker with a woman the way Hamid did with
Heaven, he didn’t have time for that. He was a writer. He needed
things to be quiet. He needed a woman who wouldn’t require much
attention and he definitely didn’t need a woman he’d have to keep
under lock and key to keep her from tempting any that came in
contact with her. He’d no doubt have to do that with Tanya. He
shook his head slightly, this was crazy.
Coffee,
he thought
again,
get the coffee

“Coffee?”

“Excuse me?”

Her breathy whisper went all through him and
caused him to shiver in want. He cleared his throat. “Tanya, Heaven
and Hamid asked if I would stay until you woke and make coffee for
you.” He headed for the kitchen, “Heaven said to tell you she’s
sorry but she’d promised Hamid she would go in and help him out
today. I’m to take you there as soon as you’re ready.”

Tanya’s eyes widened as she realized that
she and Imran were home alone. Panic rushed in suddenly. “Are you
telling me that Heaven got me to Pakistan and dumped me and left me
in bed sleeping? And left a strange man in here? She could have had
the decency to wake me and tell me that.” Her voice went shrill and
she moved a step away.

A flash of annoyance crossed Imran’s face
and she saw a twitch along his jaw line. As he poured the coffee he
didn’t speak, neither did he speak as he laid out dates, sweets, an
assortment of bread and rolls, butter and jam. His annoyance seemed
to kick up a notch when he went to the stove and poured boiling
water from a pan into a sieve spilling boiled eggs.

“This crazy woman is rubbing off on me and
making me crazy,” he nearly grunted, talking aloud to himself.

When he’d placed the eggs in a bowl and
carried them to the table he sat the bowl down. “Eat,” he
ordered.

“I would have preferred my eggs scrambled or
maybe even an omelet if you’d bothered to ask.” Tanya stared at
Imran then at the bowl of boiled eggs.

Imran decided it was time to confront the
issue head on. Of course he wanted to spend time with the
beautiful, but rude woman. What man in his right mind wouldn’t
enjoy admiring her beauty? But her acid tongue…now there was a
problem. Instead of thanking him for breakfast she was complaining
that he was there. He sucked in a breath.

“I was here to do a favor for Heaven. I have
done as she asked and more. I prepared breakfast for you, but since
you prefer to be alone I’ll leave.” He started for the door his
steps quick and sure.

Snap out of it,
Tanya commanded her
body. She turned watching him walk toward the door knowing she
didn’t want him to leave. She knew she had to say something
quickly. “Imran…” she called and her voice faltered. It was his
voice it had done something to her. She had to fight to concentrate
“Imran, wait, listen. I’m sorry,” Tanya said.

He turned toward her leveling her with a
look. “Do you want me to stay, or go, Tanya? It’s your choice. I
have a ton of other things I could be doing.”

While he stared at her Tanya had to catch
the back of the chair for support. O
h God,
she thought as
the deep musical sound of Imran’s voice played over her spine.
She’d swear she could…she could….

“Well, Tanya, which will it be?”

“Drop the attitude and stay if you want.
Either way I don’t really care.”
Liar
. She brought the
coffee mug to her lips and took a sip. “Thanks for the coffee. It’s
really good.” She turned back toward the spread Imran had laid out
and gobbled one sweet roll. By the time she had finished her second
one Imran was handing her a peeled egg and was once again smiling
at her.

“I see you were hungry,” he said with a
slight smirk.

“Famished,” she answered, reaching for the
egg. The tips of their fingers touched and zap, like that Tanya
knew what had just happened. Fate was trying to intervene in her
life and mess up her plans. Besides wanting a gorgeous hunk that
made her shiver just by the sound of his voice she wanted a man
with more drive than Imran, one more like she was. She wanted a man
who believed in her dreams and who could understand those dreams
would be her top priority. She did not want a teacher slash
struggling writer. What the heck did she need with a man she’d have
to no doubt end up supporting? And she was not into that. She bit
into the egg.

“Imran, are you sure you’re not rich?” she
asked as he peeled a second egg for her and placed it on her
plate.

“No, I’m not.” He smiled and sipped his
coffee.
But my father is,
he thought but didn’t say. “Would
that make a difference?” She didn’t answer, only gave him a tiny
smile. But she didn’t have to answer. He knew it would and didn’t
like it. He didn’t want a woman who wanted only the gold in his
pockets. He wanted a woman who wanted to struggle with him, to know
that his dreams were important and would come first. He wanted a
woman who wasn’t so driven to succeed, but one who could enjoy the
simpler things of life.

***

Tanya walked around Hamid’s office looking
in wonder at the sentimental objects Hamid had built into a shrine.
She smiled at the movie theater ticket stubs, a menu, a playbill
and other worthless trinkets and laughed. She remembered Heaven’s
complaints about constantly misplacing things. Looks like she’d
found where they were. An unwanted ping of jealousy zapped
unexpectedly at Tanya making her wonder if anyone would ever love
her the way Hamid loved Heaven. For all her big talk she wanted
that kind of love and to love a man that way. She wanted to be
school girl goofy the way Heaven was.

She glanced at Heaven and watched her for a
moment while her friend’s eyes sought out her husband. She saw them
smile at each other and they both went all soft and mushy. For a
second Tanya wondered if that was how it started for her friend. If
she’d been all hot and bothered when Hamid looked at her. As a
smile curved Heaven’s lips, Tanya had her answer. Hamid still made
Heaven hot and bothered. Then she glanced over Heaven’s head and
her gaze landed on Imran who was watching her with a very curious
look on his face.

“I like your office, Hamid. But still I’m
wondering why Heaven would have to help you when she had my visit
planned for weeks. It was kind of rude don’t you think, to just
leave me in your house alone with a man I just met? How did you
know that he wouldn’t take advantage of me, or that I wouldn’t take
advantage of him? That was so not cool, Heaven.” Tanya was putting
a bit more
mean
into her words than she felt because frankly
it was bothering her how Imran was watching her. And it was
bothering her even more about the reaction she was having to him.
He was ruining all of her plans. If he were one of Hamid’s brothers
or even rich she’d stop her search. But he wasn’t. And besides
having the ability to make her hot and being able to go toe to toe
with her, he seemed darn boring. She turned her back toward Imran
wanting to block him from her line of vision. “Well, Heaven? Is
this how my entire vacation is going to be?”

“Hamid needed to be at the clinic early and
you were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want to wake you. I didn’t
want to leave you alone. So I called Imran. I was looking out for
you.”

There it was again. Tanya hadn’t imagined
it. Heaven and Hamid were giving each other looks. Then it hit her
like a lead pipe.
I have one of Hamid’s cousins who would be
perfect for you…oh no she didn’t.
She was being set up, so not
cool. Okay, if that was the way the two of them wanted to play it,
she’d just call them on it right here, right now, right in front of
Imran. It would be good to let everyone get their cards on the
table.

“Imran, have you realized yet that these two
are playing matchmakers?” She put her hands on her hips. “What do
you think about that?”

“I like it,” Imran grinned.

Now she was taken aback. What the heck?
“Don’t play with me, Imran. You don’t like me. You said I’m rude
and a gold digger.”

“And you are. But I find it ironic that you
traveled all the way here to Pakistan to find yourself a
millionaire husband and your friend has plotted to set you up with
the one member of the family that everyone considers a
failure.”

“Imran, cut it out. No one considers you a
failure. Teaching is an honorable profession,” Hamid defended his
cousin’s career choice

“And the writing?” Imran stopped teasing
Tanya to look at Hamid. “What about that? You were there when my
father practically disowned me for wanting to write.” He shrugged
and looked toward Tanya then back to Hamid. “He doesn’t think I’m a
man.” Imran shrugged again. “He thinks writing is demeaning and not
so manly.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter how many well
known authors I point out to him who are married.” Imran’s voice
went soft and for a moment he didn’t speak. “You wouldn’t say all
of that makes me the family failure?” he asked Hamid quietly.

For a long moment Hamid and Imran stared
hard at each other, both communicating silently. Then Hamid sighed
heavily and spoke. “Parents are sometimes very foolish. You know
that. Your father loves you and is angry that you won’t come into
the business with him.” Hamid paused and glanced toward Tanya
deciding not to talk of family business in front of her.

Hamid’s discretion wasn’t lost on Imran.
Family matters were never discussed in front of strangers. He also
glanced at Tanya. There was something about the way that she was
looking at him that made him want her to know all about him and his
family, to know that he was the shame of the family. He didn’t want
her to have any wrong perceptions of his place in the family. She
might as well know that he was going to continue his pursuit of his
dream.

“Of course my father worries. He worries
that I’m being as foolish as he had been. He wishes that he had
followed your father’s advice sooner. He would also be a
millionaire and I would be one of the millionaire cousins. I do not
care about money, Hamid, nor do I care what the family thinks. Look
at you. Look at Sassa, neither of you did what the family wanted.”
He glanced toward Heaven. “Yet you’re happy. I’m happy as
well.”

For a long moment Hamid and Imran merely
stared at each other talking in the secret way of men and of
family. Hamid’s hand slid around Heaven’s waist and he pulled her
close. He placed a kiss on her forehead quieting her worries.

“No power on earth could have kept me from
marrying Heaven. Besides, the entire family loves her now. Family
eventually comes around, Imran. They loved me and wanted me happy.
The family also loves you and wants your happiness no matter what
path that might take.”

“You hold the position of favored son,
Hamid. Even if you disappoint that will still be your position and
you have brothers who will be able to redeem the family name. I on
the other hand have the position of only son. My father wants great
things from me. He wants me to make up for the mistakes that he
made.” Imran gave a brittle laugh.

“If uncle truly thought that, he would not
have bought you a home and furnished it. He would not make sure
that a woman comes in to clean and cook.

Imran shrugged again. “Those things he does
so that the community does not say his only son lives as a beggar.”
Imran grinned. “Who cares?” he rolled his eyes. “I am an adult and
I will do what pleases me. My father’s displeasure will not prevent
me from pursuing my goals. If I fail, it is still my life, my
decision. If my father wishes to disown me then he will have no son
and I will have no father. But I will still do what I want.” He
glanced away from Hamid and his gaze connected with Tanya’s. Her
soft brown eyes looked a bit misty. She was smiling softly a hint
of pity in her eyes. He’d said maybe a little too much. As he
stared, her look of pity became more pronounced.

“Stop being so melodramatic,” Hamid spoke
up, glaring at Imran. “Uncle has no such plans and neither does any
other member of the family. You’re a writer and you’re imagining
things, trying to make a story where there is none. As for uncle
thinking you’re not a man. Please. He does that because he wants
grandsons.” He stared across the room at his son then back at
Imran. “They all want grandsons, the next generation.”

There was nothing in Imran’s future plans
that even hinted that babies were in his near future. But he did
want them. His gaze slid over to where Tsukama slept and he
acknowledged that desire. Glancing up he found Tanya’s gaze had
remained on him. This time it made him a little uncomfortable. She
was looking at him as if ….as if she thought… He wondered if she
was thinking he really didn’t like women. He narrowed his eyes, not
like women. He’d have to stop that nonsense immediately. Hamid was
right. He’d been a little melodramatic.