Continental Divide by Dyanne Davis Page B

girl
goofy over Hamid.”
    “He feels the same things for her.”
    “I know but the two of them…yuck…yuck…
they’re sickening.”
    “Have you ever been school girl goofy over a
man, Tanya?”
    “No, and I have no plans on ever behaving
that way. Like I said, I’m not Heaven.”
    “Good, I’m not interested in having Heaven,”
Imran said and grinned then he glanced over at her. “Are you not
happy that you came to visit Heaven?”
    With a sigh Tanya thought of how best to
answer the question. Sure being with Heaven again was wonderful,
but her friend was a bit nauseating. She’d never been like that in
Chicago. She didn’t know if it was Pakistan, or having a baby. But
Heaven went around constantly with a dopey look on her face, her
eyes always searching for Hamid. And when he went to the clinic to
work Tanya saw her eyes sliding many times to the door, her ears
cocked for the sound of his voice. The only time Heaven appeared
not to be watching or listening for Hamid was when she was with the
baby. And even then her thoughts of her husband were felt because
she’d constantly croon to the baby, talking about,
his-daddy-this-and-his-daddy-that. It was a godsend that Imran had
invited her to accompany him as he went out to interview people and
visit places for research for the book he was writing.
    “Yes, I’m happy to be here, but I thought it
would be like old times I guess. Heaven is much too busy with her
family to pay any attention to me. She’s trying but…”
    Tanya shrugged her shoulder. “I wonder why
she wanted me to come so badly. We haven’t spent very much time
together, and she palmed me off on you almost from the moment I
arrived. Maybe she regretted asking me to come.”
    “Maybe she wants you to be married with
babies. Hamid told me how much your visit has done to lift Heaven’s
spirits. I think she’s planned your wedding in her head, possibly
even your babies. I think maybe she’s so involved with that that
she’s forgotten to be just your friend.”
    “Well, you can’t prove that by me. Thanks
for being so willing to show me Pakistan.”
    Tanya’s voice had a wistful sadness that
pulled at Imran’s heart. He’d waited long enough. A mile away from
Heaven’s prying eyes he pulled over beneath a grove of trees.
“Tanya, we should get certain things out of the way so we can enjoy
the day,” he said.
    “What things?” Tanya answered with a snort
as she looked into his eyes. He had the most sensual lips and a
very strong face. He was indeed a handsome man albeit a man without
money.
    “I want to kiss you.”
    “And?”
    “And I want you to give me permission.”
    She laughed. What else could she do? She’d
never had a man ask for permission to kiss her before. Then of
course she’d never had a man declare fate had intended they be
together after hurling insults at her. Still she was game. What the
heck, she was on vacation. She was going home in a few weeks and
might as well have some fun if she could while she was here.
    “Well?”
    Tanya returned her attention to Imran.
“Sure, why not?” she answered at last and moved closer to him.
“Heaven told me that touching isn’t done that much in Pakistan, at
least not out in public. And here it is the sun is shining brightly
and you want to kiss me. Why?”
    “Because you have the most luscious looking
lips and I want to taste them.” He saw her hesitate.
    “I’m not looking to fall in love with you,
Imran.” She shrugged her shoulder. “I don’t mind kissing you
though.” Tanya ignored the look he gave and moved closer still.
    His lips barely grazed hers as he used the
pad of one finger to feather her hair and run it down the side of
her face before cupping her chin. He was staring the entire time
into her eyes, gazing at her as though she were something most
precious. Tanya couldn’t take it any longer. She yanked his shirt
and pulled him the few inches to her. Then she smacked her lips
against his and plunged