by Dyanne Davis
In a short span of time the family began piling in. Imran watched Tanya. As she looked at each of his cousins, she was practically drooling. He’d have to admit his cousins had been spared nothing in the looks department but then again neither had he and she’d not drooled over him. He was beginning to feel a little less sympathetic toward Tanya and protective toward his cousins. Sure Tanya had a good reason for wanting a rich husband but his mission was the same as it had been in the beginning— to foil her plans.
“Ali, what do you do for a living or do you just enjoy being rich?” Tanya waited for Ali to answer but saw him frown instead.
“I am a diamond dealer.” Ali tilted his head downward and smiled at Tanya. “Would you like for me to come again and show you some of my things?”
“Please do,” Tanya answered coyly, batting her lashes and talking softly. She turned away for a moment and saw Imran glaring at her. What’s his problem? she wondered. “Excuse me Ali,” she said as she made her way to where Imran was standing. “Imran, why are you glaring at me?”
“Was I glaring at you?”
“Of course you were. Now stop it and let me talk to Ali in peace.”
Imran stared after Tanya as she walked away. He needed a diversion, anything. His cousin Ali was the most reckless of his cousins when it came to women. They’d traveled many countries together, many vacations, and Ali had no problems making love to any woman. He did treat them well and he always left them with a bauble or two. But occasionally he left them with broken hearts. Imran knew this because he’d run interference for his cousin to get the women to back off. As a matter of fact, they sometimes traded identity so that if the women by chance were able to track Ali back to Pakistan, they would only reach Imran. Suddenly an unreasonable fury struck Imran at Tanya’s actions. He did not wish her to trap his cousin into marriage nor did he wish for his cousin to use her and dump her as more than likely would be the case.
He stared sternly at Ali. “Tanya is Heaven’s friend. She’s not one of your…” looking around at his family he muttered softly in Urdu to Ali, telling him not to dishonor his family, his brother or his brother’s wife by playing with Tanya with his usual intents. For a moment the cousins squared off and Ali grinned asking if Imran were interested in Heaven’s friend.
“No,” Imran spat, “but I do know how to behave.” He marched angrily away feeling a bit like a fool. He and Ali had never once exchanged harsh words, not even as children. If he were pressed to name his favorite cousin it would have to be Ali. Ali who was ten years older had been like an older brother to him as well as to Hamid, taking him under his wing and teaching him the things he should know, teaching him even about women and how to please them taking him on countless occasions to Lahore, Pakistan’s red light district to complete his education in the art of love making.
Walking into the nursery to spend some time with the baby he couldn’t help but wonder what had gotten into him. All he knew for sure was that he did not want Ali using his many secrets on Tanya. It did not mean he was jealous or that the attraction to her was anything more than a mild attraction. His hand rubbed at the fluttering in his chest. This was becoming annoying. He’d have to speak with Hamid about whatever fragrance they were using in the baby’s room. This annoying feeling in his chest was happening only when he was in their home. He ignored the thought that tried to come. It had nothing to do with Tanya, it must be the baby.
A smile graced Tanya’s lips and she cut her eyes toward the direction that Imran had gone. Of course, she thought, to the nursery. She wondered what he’d said to Ali. She’d thought at first that it was something about her being a gold-digger. Something in his territorial stance with his cousin niggled at her, and the more she thought on it the more it didn’t seem like the problem had anything to do with Imran thinking her a gold-digger. Even though he’d glared at her when he’d left the room in his haste, she thought she’d spotted something in his eyes but it had happened so quickly she wasn’t sure. Her instincts as a woman told her he was attracted to her and jealous of the attention Hamid’s brother was paying to her. Tanya grinned then. This would be fun. He’d one upped her in most things, now he was on her turf. She would turn the charm on Hamid’s brothers until Imran went up in flames. A curious flutter entered her chest and desire crested between her thighs. Damn, Tanya thought, what is it about that man that makes me hot?
***
“So, Tanya, Heaven tells us that you work with children, the less fortunate. Do you find that work rewarding?”
She was about to tell Mohammed, Hamid’s next oldest brother that she loved her job when at that moment she spotted Imran walking back toward them. Her mouth suddenly developed the run away disease and she said, “I love working with children and can’t wait to become a mother.” She batted her lashes at another equally tall and handsome man and pursed her lips before smiling. She turned toward Imran and smirked. She was well aware that she’d just baited him. He tilted his head in a mock salute to her and marched fully into the room.
“Tanya, I find it very interesting that you work with children yet do not like nor respect them.”
The room became instantly silent, all the laughing ceased. The only warm spot Tanya noted came from the depths of Imran’s brown eyes. What the heck was he trying to do to her? He smiled and she saw a dimple. He was setting her up. Her heart was racing a mile a minute. She should have been more upset than she was, but all she could do was stare at him, at his beautiful brown eyes, luscious oh so kissable lips and handsome face. His thick black hair unlike Hamid’s or the brother was straight and cut short. She’d thought she wanted a man like Hamid with long curly locks. But she didn’t, she thought as one shiver after another raced through her. She wanted a man with dark black hair cut short. She wanted a man that had a comeback for everything she had to give him she wanted a man that made her heart thump and had goose bumps crawling over her flesh making her shiver. Sure Hamid’s brothers made her drool. But Imran made things happen to her that she’d never experienced. She’d drooled over many men, but never had one had her so gah gah that she’d lost the power of speech no matter how momentarily it was.
“Imran is wrong. I do like children.”
“My mistake,” Imran said smoothly. “So it’s just Hamid’s son you do not like or respect?”
She couldn’t believe it. Her mouth fell open and her eyes went wide. “That’s… that’s...that’s not true. I like their baby.”
“So, it’s his name you don’t like.”
Tanya looked around the room helpless. Then her eyes lit on Heaven and she pleaded with her friend silently hoping that she would come to her aid.
“Imran, leave her alone. She was kidding,” Heaven scolded him.
“I’m sorry, Heaven, but I didn’t hear your friend say she was kidding.” Fatima interrupted. “She said your child would have a hard time in America with a name like that. She didn’t appear to be kidding. As Imran said, she didn’t even appear to have respect for your baby, our family, or our country.”
“Hold it everyone, this is going too far,” Heaven protested making her way to stand in the middle of the room and quiet the ruckus. “Tanya was kidding with me. She loves this country and the people. She was giving me a rough time because I didn’t name her as the godmother to my son, that’s it. I promise.”
“She behaved as if she'd never held a baby. She attempted to hold Tsukama and gave him back the moment he needed changing.” Fatima turned in Tanya’s direction and glared at her.
“But she didn’t come here to do that. She’d been in the house for a few moments.” Heaven looked helplessly at Tanya then at Hamid, finally turning to glare at Imran. “Stop it,” she said between clenched teeth. “Traitor,” she said to both Fatima and Hamid and they both grinned. Heaven moaned. Did the two of them think this was the kind of help she wanted? Sure she wanted them to help her with bringing Imran and Tanya together. But she didn’t want them to have everyone hating her friend in the process.
“Imran, cut it out right now and I’m not kidding. You’re embarrassing my friend.”
Imran merely smiled and lifted one of his shoulders. “I didn’t know this was a secret. Was it also a secret that your friend came to marry one of my cousins because she is in search of a millionaire?”
Ah damn, Tanya thought and sucked in her breath. The room, if possible, was even quieter. Heaven was livid but it wasn’t Heaven’s answer the family was looking for. Imran had just successfully ended her search to marry one of Hamid’s brothers or anyone in the Ahmed family. This wasn’t going as she’d imagined. She turned to glare at Imran and saw… she couldn’t believe it─a twinkle in his eyes, a smile on his lips. Was the man crazy? She stared at him and saw desire. Damn! That wasn’t going to happen.
Imran didn’t work into her plans, she thought as a thump beat in her chest. It seemed forever they were locked in their staring match. She mentally shook herself knowing she had to make an explanation. What could she say? She breathed out hard knowing there was nothing that wouldn’t sound like an excuse. So she said nothing and just tried as best she could to glare at Imran.
***
Fate. Imran glanced toward Hamid. So this was what happened when fate entered one’s life. You made a total fool of yourself. His mission had been to come and protect his cousins from the gold digging American. But now he knew what the fluttering was in his heart. Desire. He desired the woman. She made him smile, made him feel things that no woman ever had. And there was no way she was going to be with one of the brothers. She belonged to him, fate had decreed that.
He smiled as she glared at him. What of her dreams? Biting his lips in retrospection Imran couldn’t help but wonder about this fate that had captured his cousin and now him. Was it always so hard? Tanya had noble dreams, just crazy methods to achieve them. He had no way to help her achieve her dreams yet he knew he would want to try.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Hamid stormed over and between clenched teeth scolded him. “That’s Heaven’s friend and you know how lonely Heaven has been for her friends. What’s gotten into you?”
“Fate.”
“Fate? What are you talking about?”
Imran smiled at his cousin. “Fate has brought Tanya here to Pakistan and into my life for a reason,” he shrugged. “She can not be with one of your brothers.”
“And you couldn’t think of another way to keep her from them without making the entire family hate her and embarrassing her in the process?”
“I couldn’t at the moment.”
Hamid glanced toward his wife. “I don’t think she’s going to forgive you and the fact that I’m here smiling at you instead of beating you has my wife glaring and angry with me.”
“Tell her it was fate. Besides, it was her scheme to put us together. Tell her the plan worked.”
“I think I need to do more than that. I think I need to buy her a gift.” Hamid’s eyes twinkled. “Maybe diamonds.”
“You’re just looking for another excuse to give a gift to your wife.”
“I don’t need excuses to buy jewels for Heaven, but there are certain rewards for having a gift ready after an argument.”
“But you haven’t argued.”
Hamid hunched his shoulders. “No, but I know my wife. She’s displeased with your actions and mine since I’m not pummeling you. That’s close enough to an argument for me to want the joys of making up.” He walked toward Heaven. “I would suggest you talk to Tanya. I know her, you don’t. She looks ready to kill you. I don’t think she’s going to take lightly to your saying fate made you do this.
Imran would admit his methods weren’t well thought out, nor were they the best, but he’d done it. Now he’d have to see what would happen. He looked around the room, his gaze landing on Tanya. He shouldn’t have done it regardless of the reason. She was a stranger in a strange land and it appeared she was fighting back tears. Only Heaven and Hamid were talking to her. He walked toward them and stopped in front of Tanya.
“Do you believe in fate?” he asked.
“Are you saying that somehow it was fated that I’d come here and you’d make a fool out of me?”
“I’m talking fate bringing people together.” He looked toward Heaven and Hamid. “Fate brought them together and I think it has done the same for us.”
“Hamid flattened Heaven’s tire. You told your entire family that I hate the child of their favorite son.”
Imran waved his hand in a dismissive fashion. “The brothers would not have desired you anyway.” He saw the moment offense was taken at his words. “Ali loves women and would have treated you royally that I’m sure of. Mohammad and Amir have avoided marriage this long because they…come outside with me. We need to talk.”
Once outside Imran looked at Tanya and felt the flutter again. He wanted to kiss her, to wrap her in his arms and hold her close to his heart. He wanted to make love to her. There were so many things he wanted that were neither proper nor could be done now.
“I want to apologize to you, but you were flirting with Ali. I did not wish to see you become one of his strings of women. And I did not wish to see my cousins with a gold digging conniving female.”
“But you don’t mind a gold digging conniving female?”
“I have no gold.”
Tanya sighed. Most of this was her fault. She should have acted like she had some sense and not told anyone her intentions, not even Heaven. She supposed she couldn’t blame Imran for trying to protect his cousins. A hitch came to her throat and she closed her eyes. If only she’d not had so many cases in the last months. There were far too many abandoned and abused babies with no homes for them. She fought back tears. Yes, her plan had been crazy. But she hadn’t cared when the last child she was assigned to had been placed with a family member with a shit load of personal problems.
Tanya shuddered. Even if she had the money she couldn’t make her dreams come true. The state of Illinois had jurisdiction over children. She couldn’t just take them and place them in a happy home. What if the parents she chose were no better than the ones the state chose? She closed her eyes and thought about the good she’d done, the children she had saved. A tear seeped beneath her lashes. She’d continue to do a good job.
“What’s wrong, Tanya?”
“I’m not a gold digger.”
“I know.”
Tanya’s eyes opened wide. “You know. How? And if you know that I’m not why did you just tell your family that I was?”
“Heaven told me your dreams. She’s very loyal to you, even though you said you didn’t like the name of her baby. I think Tsukama is a wonderful name by the way.”
The man was a hunk, a crazy hunk, and he was definitely operating on stupid. “Let me get this straight. You did this because of what? You really think I don’t like the baby?”
“Well…”
Before she could utter another word Imran had reached out his and was caressing her cheeks. WOW!
“Your skin is so soft.” He moved closer. “I’ve wanted to touch you for the last three days.”
“Why?” Tanya asked.
“Why does any man want to touch a woman? I have an attraction to you in spite of my plans not to. And in spite or refusing to go alone gently with my cousin’s matchmaking, I find that you’re constantly on my mind. And I enjoy your company. I do believe you feel it also. I want to get to know you better. Heaven has asked that I assist them in showing you Pakistan. I think it would please her to see we’re friends. Can you imagine if her and Hamid’s matchmaking scheme worked? We’ve both known almost from the beginning that they’ve been trying to set us up. This party was not for you to meet one of Hamid’s brothers in order for you to charm and perhaps marry one. It was merely a party for the family to meet Heaven’s friend. Be honest, Tanya, you knew this wasn’t going to go the way you planned. I told you on that first day that I would stop you. You only have to look at the faces of your friends to know their true intent for you.”
> “Heaven and Hamid are so into each other that it’s hard to know what either of them are thinking.” She hesitated and held Imran gaze. “What are you after? Why are you being nice to me now? Do you think you’re going to charm me and then get me into bed?”
His dark eyes smoldered with raw passion at the prospect and his lips trembled just a bit. His hand remained on her cheeks and he pressed even closer running a finger lightly over her lip, then pulling the finger into his mouth and suckling it. He smiled.
“Heaven told me there isn’t a lot of public touching you’re sure proving that to be wrong.”
Imran glanced around. “No one can see us. Hamid made sure to buy a home that was quite secluded. He would never have survived otherwise. I don’t know how he was able to keep his hands off his wife before.” He laughed remembering that Hamid had used every excuse for touching Heaven when he’d brought her to visit. He noticed with satisfaction that Tanya wasn’t moving away. “Do you mind that I’m touching you?”
“No, I don’t mind.”
“Do you mind that I’ve told you of my feelings?”
“I don’t mind. I don’t know if I believe you, but I don’t mind. Shouldn’t we go into the house now?” Tanya asked wanting him to kiss her, not knowing if he would, or if they should. She moved and her lips moved into his purely by accident. A wave of want came over her and she lingered for a moment. Imran’s hand caressed her back for a nanosecond before he smiled at her and pulled back.
“Would you like for me to truly show you my country when Heaven and Hamid are busy?” he asked. “I can show you some of the places that I’m writing about.”
“I’d love to see some of the places that you’re writing about. By the way I think it’s pretty cool that you’re going after your dream. It really doesn’t matter if anyone else believes in your dream. As long as you believe that’s enough.”