your plans of marrying a rich man?”
“You really are annoying, Imran.”
“But correct,” he said grasping her hand in
his own. “See, no electrical charge, no sign that fate has brought
us together. You’re free to do whatever it is you came to Pakistan
to do. You’re free to try and pursue one of the cousins.” He rose
bringing her gently up with his movement. “But be warned, Tanya. I
have every plan to prevent you from being successful with my
cousins. So, I do hope your tricks are many for we’ve been well
trained to the ways of women by some of the best courtesans in the
world.” He laughed at her surprised look. “Maybe while you’re here
you’ll allow me to show you where they plied their trade. Just in
case you’re interested.”
Oh hell no! He didn’t just call her a
prostitute. “Imran, you had better tell me and tell me quickly that
you didn’t mean what I think you meant by that remark.”
“What do you think I meant?”
“That I’m here to sell myself and you want
to show me a place where I can do it.”
Imran shrugged. “If you’re here with the
intent that you stated then yes that was what I meant.” He saw
anger burning in her eyes but he saw sadness also and softened his
reproach. He had pushed her too far. “Heaven asked me to show you
around the country. I’m a writer and I’ve done extensive research
on my country. If you’d like, I can show you things you’d never see
with Heaven and Hamid as your tour guides.”
“Like this place you think I belong?”
He held her gaze staring deeply into her
brown eyes. “Now there you have me wrong. I do not think you belong
there. I think you dishonor yourself with your plans, but some part
of me admires you and believe your plans are honorable.”
“That’s a contradiction.”
“I’m filled with contradictions.” He looked
down at their hands still joined. “And so are you,” he said. “By
the way I felt the tremble when we touched. It wasn’t a jolt of
electricity, but there was the tremble. Do I make you nervous?”
“A bit. But I felt your hand shake also,
just barely, but I still felt it.” Tanya dropped her hand. “So are
you here to fight with me today?”
“As I promised.”
“You went for the jugular.” Tanya hesitated
and bit on her lips. She rather liked the way Imran was gazing at
her, the warmth of his eyes making her feel soft and feminine. But
he’d also made her feel trashy. She didn’t want him to think she
was some kind of loose, immoral woman who’d jump into bed with any
man for the right price. She nearly groaned aloud. Was that how
she’d sounded like last night? No wonder Imran was insulting her as
he was.
“I don’t have sex for money, Imran.”
He lifted a brow but did not speak.
“I don’t. I’m not going to lie to you about
who I am. But I don’t have sex for money.”
“If you marry a man for his money then you
would be having sex for money.”
“I would be married.”
“I don’t see the difference.”
“I haven’t done it yet.”
“Then maybe you should rethink your plans. I
don’t think you’ll be able to handle the results. You don’t like
the comparisons that I’ve made and we’re here alone in this room.
I’ve not shouted the words at you or said them in anger yet they
hurt you.” He stared hard at her. “I know of your dreams, Tanya.
But you will kill your soul if you pursue it. Then what use will a
fulfilled soulless dream be?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,
Imran. I didn’t come to sell myself. I came to fall in love.” She
ignored his raised brow and his smirk. “I came to see if one of
Hamid’s brothers would fall in love with me. I’ll admit to that,”
she said softly, not liking the bitter taste in her mouth. “I don’t
see what’s wrong with that. You said you know of my dreams. If you
did you wouldn’t continue looking at me like that.”
“I’m sorry if my looking at you makes you
uncomfortable. If
“You really are annoying, Imran.”
“But correct,” he said grasping her hand in
his own. “See, no electrical charge, no sign that fate has brought
us together. You’re free to do whatever it is you came to Pakistan
to do. You’re free to try and pursue one of the cousins.” He rose
bringing her gently up with his movement. “But be warned, Tanya. I
have every plan to prevent you from being successful with my
cousins. So, I do hope your tricks are many for we’ve been well
trained to the ways of women by some of the best courtesans in the
world.” He laughed at her surprised look. “Maybe while you’re here
you’ll allow me to show you where they plied their trade. Just in
case you’re interested.”
Oh hell no! He didn’t just call her a
prostitute. “Imran, you had better tell me and tell me quickly that
you didn’t mean what I think you meant by that remark.”
“What do you think I meant?”
“That I’m here to sell myself and you want
to show me a place where I can do it.”
Imran shrugged. “If you’re here with the
intent that you stated then yes that was what I meant.” He saw
anger burning in her eyes but he saw sadness also and softened his
reproach. He had pushed her too far. “Heaven asked me to show you
around the country. I’m a writer and I’ve done extensive research
on my country. If you’d like, I can show you things you’d never see
with Heaven and Hamid as your tour guides.”
“Like this place you think I belong?”
He held her gaze staring deeply into her
brown eyes. “Now there you have me wrong. I do not think you belong
there. I think you dishonor yourself with your plans, but some part
of me admires you and believe your plans are honorable.”
“That’s a contradiction.”
“I’m filled with contradictions.” He looked
down at their hands still joined. “And so are you,” he said. “By
the way I felt the tremble when we touched. It wasn’t a jolt of
electricity, but there was the tremble. Do I make you nervous?”
“A bit. But I felt your hand shake also,
just barely, but I still felt it.” Tanya dropped her hand. “So are
you here to fight with me today?”
“As I promised.”
“You went for the jugular.” Tanya hesitated
and bit on her lips. She rather liked the way Imran was gazing at
her, the warmth of his eyes making her feel soft and feminine. But
he’d also made her feel trashy. She didn’t want him to think she
was some kind of loose, immoral woman who’d jump into bed with any
man for the right price. She nearly groaned aloud. Was that how
she’d sounded like last night? No wonder Imran was insulting her as
he was.
“I don’t have sex for money, Imran.”
He lifted a brow but did not speak.
“I don’t. I’m not going to lie to you about
who I am. But I don’t have sex for money.”
“If you marry a man for his money then you
would be having sex for money.”
“I would be married.”
“I don’t see the difference.”
“I haven’t done it yet.”
“Then maybe you should rethink your plans. I
don’t think you’ll be able to handle the results. You don’t like
the comparisons that I’ve made and we’re here alone in this room.
I’ve not shouted the words at you or said them in anger yet they
hurt you.” He stared hard at her. “I know of your dreams, Tanya.
But you will kill your soul if you pursue it. Then what use will a
fulfilled soulless dream be?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,
Imran. I didn’t come to sell myself. I came to fall in love.” She
ignored his raised brow and his smirk. “I came to see if one of
Hamid’s brothers would fall in love with me. I’ll admit to that,”
she said softly, not liking the bitter taste in her mouth. “I don’t
see what’s wrong with that. You said you know of my dreams. If you
did you wouldn’t continue looking at me like that.”
“I’m sorry if my looking at you makes you
uncomfortable. If
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