by Cara Albany
"Would that have been so terrible?" he murmured.
Becca's heart thumped furiously and she felt her hands begin to shake. She should have known it would be like this. A brief, few moments of polite civility followed by this; years of frustration and resentment spilling out with the slightest wrong word.
"I wasn't talking about marriage," Zaheer said casually.
Becca glared at him, the memories of her time in Qazhar flooding back into her awareness.
Before she had a chance to say anything, he leaned forward and gazed at her. She could see a familiar intensity in that gaze, and it triggered a flurry of sensation in her middle. She tried to ignore it and concentrate, instead, on the man sitting across from her.
The sheikh who had once been her lover.
Zaheer tilted his head slightly. "No doubt you're wondering why I asked you to come and meet me like this," he said.
"The thought had crossed my mind," she said sharply.
Zaheer sighed softly, patiently. He had always had a way of allowing her to express her emotions without criticism. Without reaction.
Zaheer's brows furrowed and she could tell that he was trying to find just the right words to use.
With one final glance behind him, apparently to ensure he couldn't be overheard by any approaching staff, he turned back to look at Becca, a steady determination in his gaze.
He spoke quietly, but firmly. "I asked you to come here today because I have a proposal to make to you."
CHAPTER TWO
Maybe he shouldn't have used that word, Zaheer told himself as he gazed across at Becca.
Proposal.
The instant he'd uttered the word, he'd realized the mistake he'd made.
Becca's features were frozen and mask-like, her gaze steady. He r mouth opened slightly, and he could tell she was lost for words.
Zaheer didn't move. He glanced at Becca's mouth. He wanted to go across to her and crash his lips down onto those lush lips, claiming her again, tasting her as he had done so many times before. He wanted to run his fingers through her long, silky, blonde hair. He wanted to cup her exquisitely shaped chin in his hand and trace his fingertips across her porcelain smooth skin.
All of it. The way he'd done so many times before. The memories of kissing Becca, of holding her close, of drowning in her intoxicating scent, had tormented him ever since he'd stood up from the table and seen her gazing up at him, looking every bit as heart-achingly beautiful as he'd remembered.
But for now, the only thing he could do was wait and see how she would react to what he'd just said.
"What did you say?" he heard her mutter, voice quivering slightly. Her gorgeous blue eyes flickered hesitantly, emotion obviously seizing hold of her.
Zaheer saw her swallow and she glanced down at the table. Couldn't she look him in the eye? He scrambled to find what to say next. She'd misunderstood what he'd said. He could tell that now.
He hadn't meant that kind of proposal. Had he?
Right now, he wasn't so sure. Maybe it had been a slip of the tongue. Perhaps he'd waited so long to see her again, there was a part of him which longed to seize this rare opportunity. One that might not come again.
Becca looked up and squinted at Zaheer. "Did you say, proposal?" she added.
Zaheer felt a heavy sensation in his middle. He nodded. "What I meant to say was, I have a suggestion for solving the problem you've been so worried about recently," he explained. He knew it sounded awkward, but it was the best he could think of under the circumstances.
"Problem?" she asked softly, her eyes filled with puzzlement.
"Your cousin's problem," Zaheer offered tentatively.
Becca grimaced. "How do you know about that?" she asked sharply, the tone of her voice rising with a hint of annoyance.
Zaheer leaned back. "It came to light as part of the report." He shrugged. "Additional information."
Becca gasped. "Are you serious?" she snapped.
Zaheer shook his head. "I know it isn't something I should have known about, but once it was included, there was nothing I could do."
Becca snorted. "I don't believe you," she exclaimed. Her hand slapped heavily down onto the wooden table.
Becca lifted her head and gazed up at the ceiling. Zaheer was sure he could see a sudden moistness in her eyes. Of course, he should have handled this better, he told himself.
But, even so, the whole situation was so delicate, he couldn't think of any other way he could have broached the subject. Maybe it needed some subtlety in its handling. And that was definitely something Zaheer wasn't renowned for.
Becca glared at Zaheer. "You not only pried into my life, but you also found out about my cousin?" She sounded indignant now and Zaheer drew himself up, peering at Becca.
"I didn't intend to pry," he explained.
Becca's eyes flashed with fury. "But you did," she retorted. "You had no right to do that."
He could see just how much this discovery had affected her. Zaheer sighed and gazed imploringly at Becca.
"What can I say?" he asked.
Becca frowned and sighed heavily. She glared at Zaheer. "Maybe start with sorry?"
Zaheer bowed his head slowly and lifted a hand, placing it flat against his chest in the gesture of contrition he knew from his upbringing. "Then, I'm sorry if I have offended you," he declared.
For a moment she seemed taken aback by his gesture, almost as if she didn't believe what she was seeing. It was a gesture more at home in the wilds of the desert than in this sophisticated surrounding in the middle of New York.
Becca shook her head. "I don't believe you're sorry, Zaheer. This is exactly what I would have expected you to do. You always liked to control people."
"Control?" he asked.
Becca lifted a brow. "Don't you remember? That's one reason we haven't been together for the past three years."
"Are you saying I didn't allow you to be free? To be your own person?"
Becca scoffed and folded her arms. "That's one way of putting it."
Zaheer frowned and thought back to the time he'd spent with Becca in Qazhar. Control? Wasn't that how a sheikh was supposed to behave? After all, Zaheer had been brought up to be strong and proud, a leader. He was thirty years old now, and life had been good, especially since gaining his majority twelve years before.
But, Zaheer also knew what his life was really about. Zaheer's destiny was to be the head of his family, once his ailing father had finally passed. Although, thankfully, that was something which still seemed a long way off.
Zaheer spread his arms wide, a supplicating gesture he knew was almost pointless to make. But he did feel genuine regret for what he'd done. Even if it had also conveniently supplied him with the means to ask Becca what he was about to ask her.
Sometimes fate had a way of bringing people together. It didn't always make sense. But he wasn't about to battle with fate. There would only be one winner.
Suddenly Becca stood up. "I don't need to hear any more of this," she said gathering her clutch.
Zaheer rose quickly and stood in front of Becca, blocking her way. "Please. Hear me out, Becca," he pleaded, reaching out a hand.
Becca glared at his outstretched hand and he pulled it back.
"Why should I?" she demanded.
"Because I have something very important to say to you. I came all the way from Qazhar to tell you."
"Am I supposed to be grateful?" she snapped back, her eyes narrowing.
"All I need is a few moments," Zaheer said imploringly.
"I've nothing more to say to you, Zaheer," she said starting to move past him.
Zaheer shifted slightly making it impossible for her to pass. Becca glared at him, but he stood firm. The next few moments could decide both their fates, he told himself.
Zaheer's gaze met Becca's defiant stare. The moment seemed to stretch for eternity. Her cheeks were flushed and her jaw was a tight, hard determined line. Her breathing had quickened and her full chest rose a
nd fell rhythmically.
Desire flickered in him as he regarded her defiant expression, the fiery eyes, the slightly pouting mouth. How could he have forgotten how this woman made him feel?
Of course, he knew the truth. He hadn't forgotten. That was the main reason he was here, in New York. He'd been drawn back to her like a moth to the flame.
Some things hadn't changed, Zaheer told himself, feeling his own heart pounding, sensing his pulse racing. Becca still had a furious fighting spirit within her beautiful, petite frame.
"Becca, believe me. I had no intention of finding out about your cousin's very tragic situation. When I read about it, I felt tremendous sadness. Genuinely."
Becca frowned disbelievingly, her gaze fixed on him. He could tell she wasn't convinced.
He moved closer to Becca. She didn't move an inch but merely watched him come closer, as if she was defying him somehow.
"What has that got to do with me being here?" she asked, frowning at Zaheer.
"Everything," he murmured, still resisting the urge to touch her arm, desperate to reassure her.
Becca squinted at him and tilted her head. "What exactly do you know?" she asked quietly. He could see the emotion in her eyes. In spite of everything, he still felt that somehow he'd betrayed her.
Zaheer gestured back toward the seat. "Please, Becca. Let me explain. Stay for a while. And then, if you still aren't happy about this, I will understand if you wish to leave. But, give me a chance to say what I wanted to say."
Becca paused, her eyes narrowing. Then she sat back down and leaned stiffly back against the leather seat. Zaheer sat down and gazed across at Becca.
Before he had a chance to say anything, Becca spoke: "What exactly do you know about my cousin, Abby?"
Zaheer drew in a deep breath and sighed softly. "I know that she recently lost her husband in a tragic accident. That she has a baby girl to look after. That she faces losing everything she and her husband worked so hard to build. The house, the business."
As Becca listened to Zaheer, he could see her attention was fixed intently on his every word.
"I also know you and your cousin are very close," Zaheer continued.
"You do?" Becca snapped. "Really? Was that in your report?"
Zaheer jaw tightened. It would do no good to reply to that question. He said nothing, determined not to take the bait. He simply gazed across at Becca, waiting for her to continue.
Once again, Zaheer saw the emotion in her eyes, the glistening of tears barely contained. "Do you know how close my cousin and I are?"
"I recall you used to talk about her," he replied. "When you were with me in Qazhar."
Becca gaze softened. "Abby and I grew up together. Shared everything. We were as close as two sisters. Are like sisters." Becca glared at Zaheer again. "How much of that is in your precious report?"
Zaheer lowered his gaze, allowing Becca to say what she had to say. He wanted to give her space, allow her to be herself. Maybe, if he'd done that three years ago in Qazhar things would have turned out very differently between them, he reflected.
When Becca continued to speak, her voice was slightly calmer, her tone measured as if she was declaring something he really needed to know. Something she was sure he couldn't possibly find in a report.
"Abby is the sister I never had. If she'd been my sister, my mom and dad would have been proud of how she's handled Steve's passing. Maybe it was best that mom and dad aren't here to be a part of this," Becca said slowly.
Zaheer recalled how Becca had told him all about growing up with her mother's sister and family. How they'd been the family Becca had lost almost too young to know just what that meant. So, he could understand that Becca felt so close to Abby. She was virtually the only family Becca had left.
"It must be very difficult for her," Zaheer said.
Becca peered at him. "That is an understatement. Abby's been left with nothing, except the house. And that won't be around much longer. She's facing foreclosure. I don't know what she's going to do. The business will go bust soon, too. No home and a baby to look after. Abby's got no-one. Except me. And little Lisa."
There was a long silence, as if they both knew that they had to allow a few moments for the reality of what Becca had explained to sink in. Now that he'd heard Becca tell him the plain, simple facts, it all seemed so much more real than just words in a report.
"There is one way of dealing with this," Zaheer said.
Becca peered at him. "How?"
Zaheer sighed. "That's what I was trying to say earlier." He leaned forward and gazed into Becca's eyes. "I want to help."
Becca's eyes narrowed. "What?"
Zaheer's gaze was steady and unflinching. "I want to help your cousin."
"What are talking about?"
"I know how difficult this must be," Zaheer said.
"I don't think you do, Zaheer. How could you possibly know what it feels like to lose someone you love and be alone in the world?"
A moment passed between them as they both considered just what Becca had said. Although Becca had spoken about Abby, what she'd said could easily have applied to Becca and Zaheer. Couldn't it?
Zaheer restrained the impulse to respond to that. Did Becca realize just what she'd said? He saw her glance quickly away.
Zaheer reached across and curled his fingers gently around Becca's hand. He felt her hand stiffen and she looked at him. But Zaheer took encouragement from the fact that she didn't remove her hand from his.
"I mean what I say. I want to help," Zaheer said quietly. "And you know I can do that, Becca."
She peered at him and he could see dawning comprehension in her eyes. "What exactly are proposing, Zaheer?" she asked.
Zaheer noted her use of that word. The same word which had almost destroyed any chance of hope for Becca's cousin. And for Zaheer and Becca?
"When I saw the details of what had happened, it made me determined to do something. There is enough injustice in the world," Zaheer said evenly. Becca was staring at him, wide-eyed and intent.
"Your cousin's terrible predicament touched me deeply. And my first impulse was to see what I could do," Zaheer said.
Becca's brows furrowed. "Was that really your first and only impulse, Zaheer?" she asked hesitantly.
Zaheer tilted his head and peered at Becca. "You understand I wanted to reach out to you. Don't you, Becca?"
"This isn't some selfish game you're playing," Becca accused.
"No," Zaheer said gravely.
"What are you suggesting, Zaheer?"
He looked sternly at Becca. "It's simple. That I pay off your cousin's mortgage and establish her business on a sound footing."
As he said the words, Zaheer thought they sounded matter-of-fact, even clinical. With his vast wealth, it would be a simple matter to do what he'd said. Within a few weeks, Abby would have nothing to worry about. She would be able to concentrate on bringing up her baby and rebuilding her life.
"You'd do that?" Becca exclaimed softly. He could hear the incredulity on her voice. "Why would you want to do that?"
Zaheer gazed at Becca intently. "Because it's the right thing to do. The honorable thing. Especially given the circumstances of how I found out."
Becca frowned. "Is this because you feel guilty about how you pried into Abby's loss? That somehow you intruded?"
Zaheer shook his head. "No. But I do want to do what's right."
Becca leaned back against the seat, but he still held onto her hand. She sighed heavily, almost as if she couldn't believe what he'd just said. "This is pretty amazing, Zaheer. Do you know what you're saying?"
"Of course I do. It is my duty to do this. At least, that's the way I see it."
"And you're willing to do this. For Abby? Someone you've never met," Becca challenged.
"If she is so important to you, then she is equally important to me," Zaheer said evenly.
Becca peered at Zaheer, scrutinizing him, searching for any hint that this could be some
kind of game. But, Zaheer knew it wasn't a game. He was deadly serious. He took all his duties in life seriously.
Life could be cruel, and he was determined to shelter those who were close to him. Wasn't that what he'd been brought up to believe? That he was a protector.
Becca's eyes lowered and he could tell she was weighing up what he'd told her.
After a few long moments. "This isn't my call. You understand that, don't you?"
Zaheer squinted at her and Becca continued. "I'd have to explain this to Abby. She's proud. Independent." Becca's eyes flashed at Zaheer. "I'm warning you, Abby's stubborn. She might not accept an offer like this."
Zaheer thought so much of that description could also apply to the amazing woman sitting opposite him. "But she also has a baby to think about. A future to ensure for herself and her daughter," Zaheer replied.
Becca thought for a long moment and then nodded. "It isn't going to be easy, but I'll try."
Zaheer forced himself to restrain the urge to smile. He'd won this battle, but there was still a war to win. That would have to come later, he told himself.
Becca peered at Zaheer. "Are you sure about this?"
"Positive," he replied.
"I don't know what to say," Becca added.
"You don't have to say anything, Becca. This is what I want to do."
"But you and I have been apart for three years, Zaheer. Why would you do this?"
Zaheer leaned forward and squeezed Becca's hand gently. "Do I really have to answer that?" he asked, his gaze settling upon her.
Becca withdrew her hand. "There are no conditions attached to this, are there?"
"What do you mean?"
Becca's eyes narrowed. But, before she could say anything else, the waiter arrived with the food and all thoughts of continuing the conversation were temporarily put on hold.
Zaheer started to eat his dish of fish and salad, watching Becca tuck into her own meal. They ate in silence for a while, but he could feel the tension of that last unanswered question.
Of course there were things he wanted. They weren't so much conditions as plain desires. He'd started on this path many weeks before, wanting to find Becca again.
