Playing With Fire

Chapter 12 - Caught

Now that pissed her off. One look at Shahru and her mother decided he was the type of man who would use a woman for money. He wasn't the type to be swayed by money. Maybe she'd only known him a few days, but Kajol knew that much. "I met him when I first filled out the application, so I've actually known him a week. People have dated after knowing each other less time than that. And Shahru couldn't care less about my money, Ma. He's not like that."

"So he wants you to believe. You're being very stupid wasting your time with a man like him when you have a man like Amir in love with you."

Anger exploded inside her. She knew nothing about Shahru, yet she assumed him a terrible man, but wanted her to forgive Amir when he'd cheated on her? "A man like what? One who listens when I speak? Who takes me seriously? Who supports what I want to do with my life rather than force his world down my throat like Daddy and Amir do? I'll take a man like that any day." Not that she really had a man like that. Shahru was all those things, but he was only a friend and that suited her fine. Right now she didn't need anything more. Still, she didn't want her mother to know that.

"I'm disappointed in you, Kajol. You have no right to be angry at Amir when you moved on so quickly. People will begin to wonder if you've been seeing him all along. Being with that ... man is a slap in the face to all of us." She turned and walked out the door.

* * **

Shahru smoothed his hand over the flat wood of the bookshelf he'd been working on. Just right. No rough spot marred the dark oak of the shelf as he ran his hands from top to bottom. Just two days of working on it and he was almost finished. He could have finished in one day, probably would have, but then Angel moved in and the spare time he usually spent in the workroom he occupied helping her. Not that he meant to complain about it. She gave him something different to help him keep busy during the long hours of the day. Usually if not actually working, he spent time in the workroom, so now he could share a little of that time with someone other than his tools.

Turning, he opened the cabinet. "Shit." In his rush to get inside with her he'd forgotten the stain he bought at the hardware store in his truck. Shahru closed the door, pulled his keys from his pocket and locked up the room. He grabbed the supplies he needed from his truck. When he turned to walk back into the building, he came face-to face with Angel's posh mum.

"Shahrukh, is it?" The disdain in her voice was sharp enough to cut glass.

"That's me." He leaned against his truck and gave her a smile. Just as planned, his nonchalance irked her. Her too-thin lips pursed together in a tight line. Damn, the woman was nothing like Angel. Kajol 's softness, sweetness, compared to the hard tang of her mother, made him like her all the more. She hadn't let her environment shape her, hadn't fit herself into the same mold of her parent like he had with his dad.

"I know what you're doing."

"And what's that?" he asked with a smile.

"Let's make this easy, shall we? I'm sure you like the easy way."

Shahru tensed. "No offence, but you don't know a damn thing about me or what I like. I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your opinions to yourself." Her long fingers opened her purse, which probably cost more than he spent on clothes in a year. Hell, probably two.

"How much?"

What the hell? "You're going to have to speak a little more clearly. You know, men like me get lost real easy."

His sarcasm wasn't lost on her. "Charming. Is that what you used to lure my daughter in? Your attempt at humor? I have to admit you worked rather quickly."