Rajan's Seduction (10 page)

"You've got me twisted, Rajan. I can't help it."

Beneath the large window being protected by white

curtains was a beautiful chair—it wasn't quite a love seat for it lacked arms but it was nonetheless gorgeous. Taking a moment to wonder if he could ever get used to something like that, he walked into a nearby room. It was a bathroom, with a shower and Jacuzzi. He took a quick shower and wrapped one of Rajan's large towels around his hips. When he finally reached the kitchen, Rajan was busy scooping some chicken into a large bowl.

"Hey," Xavier said.

"You're awake. I didn't wake you did I?"

"No." Xavier pushed from where he was leaning on the doorframe and walked in to kiss Rajan quickly on the lips. "I woke up, reached for you and you weren't there."

"Sorry about that. I figured man can't live on ass alone." Rajan held out a piece of chicken on a fork. "Say ahh!"

Licking his lips, Xavier spread them for his man

and took the meat from the fork.

"Those lips, Xavier, get me every time."

Xavier laughed. "You think I'm sexy."

"Well, duh!"

Chuckling, Xavier peered into another bowl.

"We're going to eat in the living room. I think you could use a good home cooked meal and we can have a non-traditional date."

"I'm game."

He helped Rajan carry what they needed into the

living room then walked back to the kitchen to grab some juice from the fridge. Finally, Rajan, dressed only in a pair of jeans and Xavier with a towel wrapped around his hips, sat in the living room on the floor, eating roti and curried chicken with their hands. For the first time in a long time Xavier felt at ease. Reaching over, he licked at the corner of Rajan's mouth.

"You had a little, something, right, there."

Rajan laughed. "You know you don't need an

excuse to kiss me, right?"

"Excuse? Honey, you would be honored to get some of this."

"Some, huh?" Rajan asked. "That's not what you said earlier."

"Oh!" Xavier laughed, clutching his heart in feigned pain. "That hurt…"

"Aww, baby, come let daddy kiss it better."

"Oh yes sir!" Xavier leaned in and Rajan kissed his bare chest right over his heart.

Xavier broke a piece of roti off and shoved it into his mouth. He studied the way Rajan's hair fell into his face when he bowed his head to scoop some curry to his roti.

For that brief moment, Rajan's eyes were blocked and he felt cheated. With his pinky, he pushed the hair behind Rajan's ear.

"You know what's strange?" Xavier interrupted the silence.

"What's that?"

"You asked me to put my gun in that safe. You gave me a code and I accepted it with no questions asked."

They stared at each other silently until Xavier

reached in, wrapped his fingers behind Rajan's neck and kissed him. "That is strange. I trust you, Rajan."

Rajan bowed his head against Xavier's shoulder. He

rested there until Xavier felt hot liquid flowing against his skin. Cradling Rajan's cheek, he lifted his lover's head and looked into his face. Tears had flowed over Rajan's skin and Xavier's heart broke.

"Raj, my king," Xavier whispered. "What's the matter? What can I do?"

"All my life I've dreamt of someone, not my

brothers, saying those words to me—how strange is that? It may seem like such a small, insignificant thing to others but, Xavier, to earn someone's trust is so important—

earning your trust, is so important. For it to come from a man I met days ago it's just… I need you to understand something, Xavier."

"Anything."

"I need you to understand if you intend on breaking my heart you should leave now. Because if we keep on like this I will fall in love with you and then it would kill me to have you leave."

"Whoa! Where did this come from? Sure there's a lot I have to learn about you and you about me. Sure your brothers are a tad nuts but I chased you, remember? I have no intentions of going anywhere. My best friend gave me a bit of advice that I believe is the best I've heard all my life when it comes to love… he said love is love. And if and when that happens for us I'll be there with bells on. But what I'm feeling for you right now is damn near close. So, I'm sticking around. Besides, I was here, alone, with all two of your brothers… that has to count for something."

Rajan couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yes, it does.

They can be a handful at times but you get used to it because you know they mean well." Rajan was leaning in for a kiss when the front door opened and footsteps entered the house. Xavier made to get up for his gun but Rajan caught his arm.

"It's either my brothers, Jamal or Jose."

"Jose?"

"Yeah—he's a good friend of ours."

"Right," Xavier said looking toward the door.

"Hey!" Savaro cheered. Laird's head appeared around the corner too before the rest of his body. "Um…

should we have called first? We didn't think you'd be here.

We came to raid your fridge on the way to Sav's place."

"Yeah right. Like you two would know a phone if it bit you." Rajan made a face. "The three of us need to have a conversation."

"Oh boy." Savaro moaned.

Laird took a seat beside Xavier and reached over for a roti. "What's wrong?" he asked shoving a piece into his mouth. "Why, oh boy? This is so good!"

"That's because I put my foot in it," Rajan joked.

"I think we're in trouble." Savaro laughed.

"I would ask if they're always like this," Xavier put in. "But I already went through the trial by fire when you weren't here."

Rajan laughed. "I'm sorry about that." He swatted Laird's hand as his brother reached for the bowl with chicken. "No one should have to go through these two for the first time alone."

Laird simply reached for it again and pulled the

bowl before him.

"I resent that!" Savaro smirked. "And I brought the ice cream you left in my freezer. Let me grab some

spoons."

The rest of the evening, the four of them sat in a

circle, eating and talking. The jokes flew through the air and Xavier laughed so hard, he literally had a tear running down his face. Rajan somehow got cola out his nose and had to dash to the bathroom while the others burst out laughing.

"You know," Xavier began at one of the lulls in the laughter. "Growing up I always wanted a family like this.

But I never thought it was possible. I see how you guys protect Rajan, and how you gave me, a stranger, advice because you believed it would make him happy and I

wanted that. But somehow it was all missing."

"Do you have brothers and sisters?"

Xavier stuck some ice cream into his mouth. "Not anymore. My brother Dru was shot and killed in a drive-by in Excelsior. I have Marty, my best friend, and his sister Ali."

"That's who Dru was?" Rajan questioned. "I thought, never mind."

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry," Laird and Savaro spoke together.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rajan asked.

Xavier nodded. "Sorry. He was a good kid, you

know. If he loved you he would always have your back. He was always willing to live his life and I was the voice of reason. He said I was chilling his buzz. He didn't deserve what happened. After he died, my mother changed. She was always so loving and so kind but afterward I just wanted to get to eighteen so I could leave. She started drinking and it was all downhill from there."

Rajan eased across the space and hugged him

tightly.

Xavier sighed, letting his weight rest against his

lover before pulling back. "But it's okay, you know. Dru wouldn't want us to be depressed about it. All I'm saying is you guys have a lovely family—don't ever take it for granted."

"We won't," Rajan promised.

Silence flowed over the room but didn't last long.

From somewhere up the stairs
I Shot the Sheriff
began playing and Xavier pulled himself from the ground. "I should get that."

Stealing a quick kiss from Rajan he hurried from

the room and darted up the stairs. He searched through the sheets and found his cell phone flashing at him on the bed.

Checking the message he frowned and quickly hauled on some clothes. Stopping he grabbed his badge from Rajan's bedside table and hurried back down the stairs. He stopped at the safe and grabbed his gun.

"You have to go," Rajan said.

"Sorry. I have to get this. You want to ride along?"

Rajan nodded, hopped over his brothers' legs and

ran up the steps.

"You watch him," Savaro said.

Xavier nodded. By the time Rajan came back and

said good-bye to his brothers, Xavier had once again switched from lover, to fighter.

Xavier and Rajan were late. When they walked into

the large auditorium, it was quiet but Ali and Marty were already there, sitting in the seventh row from the front with all their snacks. He took a moment to greet them while Ali hugged Rajan. Images flashed on the giant screen as everyone from the family fell into chairs in the room.

Xavier slipped into a seat beside Rajan, while George and Angela sat behind them together. Jamal and Savaro sat together with Leroy sitting between Savaro's legs because Leroy claimed he was a big boy and wanted to protect Appa just in case he got scared. Xavier couldn't help but smile at that thought.

Looking around he saw Laird enter and flop on

Rajan's other side. The rest of his CT SWAT team made their way in, chattering amongst themselves. A few stopped to ruffle Rajan's hair and to bump fists with Xavier but for the most part scattered all over the room. It was great Rajan had gotten permission to show them the movie before everyone else. It melted his heart. Reaching over he kissed Rajan's head.

"You all right?" Rajan questioned.

"I'm fine," Xavier replied, digging his hand into the bucket before him. He shoved some popcorn into his mouth as Rajan's agent hurried in. Rajan eased from the seat and Xavier watched Percy closely. He'd gotten to know the man. Percy wasn't his cup of tea—the man had the manners of a disgruntled bear. The two stood in hushed conversation before Percy left and Rajan stood at the front of the group.

"Hey guys!" Rajan hollered.

The SWAT team in the back cheered and Xavier

laughed. "Would you guys knock it off? I can't take you anywhere."

"Sorry, Pops!" Richard hollered.

The group erupted in laughter again and Xavier

turned to shrug at Rajan.

"Okay guys, we're about to start. I'm never any good at this so I'm just going to make it short," Rajan continued. "To the CT, you guys put up with me for a week and I'm not the easiest person to get along with."

"You can say that again!" Mack's voice rang out from the back.

"And you can bite me!" Rajan replied.

The room filled with amusement once more. "But seriously. Thank you all for coming and I hope I did your bold commanding officer here proud."

"You did him proud all right!" Salsa screamed.

"Oi vey!" George could be heard moaning.

"Don't worry sweetie. They're men." Angela hushed him.

The lights dimmed and the flat screen came alive

with sound.

The SWAT team cheered from the back with

whistles and shouts and when the screen went black and the dedications flashed on for a bit, they went even crazier. He didn't think those three words would mean anything but as he saw them, Xavier knew they had to have been Rajan's idea.

To the CT.

All the lights went out but the emergency footlights and when Rajan snuggled into his chest, Xavier was

officially the happiest man in the world. He kissed the side of Rajan's cheek and stuck his free hand into the popcorn basket. He was completely transfixed on the screen before him. The movie was wonderfully done and was true to the CT. The team on the screen was playful one moment and all business the next. His own team shouted their joy when things exploded, doors crashed and fight scenes ensued—

they were like kids in a candy store. Popcorn flew through the air in their excitement. Xavier simply allowed his body to truly relax and kept his eyes on the screen and his arm wrapped tightly around Rajan because for the first time in so very long, life was good.

By the time the movie ended, Xavier thought there

could be no more surprises but at the end his squad had a credit in the movie. His crew and the others were on their feet applauding, Xavier cradled Rajan's face.

"So? Did I do right by the CT?" Rajan whispered.

"Oh baby, you did perfectly by the CT." Xavier kissed him.

Someone tossed popcorn at them and he laughed.

"You guys are jerks, you know that?" he called.

Laird looked away, whistling.

"Laird is Whistling Dixie, so the popcorn came from him," George announced.

"Aww come on, Appa!" Laird laughed.

"That was a great movie, Rajan," Ali complimented.

"I enjoyed it almost as much as I did
Jhoom.
"

"Are you kidding?" Rajan asked. "
Jhoom
is considered a classic."

"Well, this movie is missing the dancing," Ali shrugged. "I'm somewhat of a harsh critic."

Marty groaned. "He can't dance in every movie you now. This one had guns and stuff."

"So did
Jhoom
!" Ali retorted. She made guns with her fingers and winked at Rajan.

"Children, children!" Angela laughed. "Knock it off. You're going to wake Leroy."

"Speaking of whom," Savaro piped up. He walked forward and hugged Rajan. "Congratulations baby brother.

You did it again. Now we hate to do this but we have to take the boy home. You'll get home okay?"

"I will. You two go. I have my very own SWAT

team to make sure I get home all right."

Xavier grinned cheekily and looked back at his

team daring them to say anything. Salsa and Muse glanced away pushing their lips out as though they were whistling.

Jamal was next to say his goodbyes followed by

George and Angela and soon the room only held Rajan, Xavier and his team. They didn't stick around long.