Rajan's Seduction (4 page)

"You wanna tell me what's going on?" Savaro asked.

"I don't know if I want to repeat it again when Laird gets here but I need to get this off my chest. You guys were right—he didn't want me there. I mean I expected him to be all territorial but if you were there, you'd have thought I peed in his coffee."

Laird barged into the office then, skidded to a stop so Rajan reached for his glass.

"Whoa!" Laird exclaimed "It's a whiskey evening?

What'd I miss?"

"The cop Raj is shadowing is a douche," Savaro explained.

"But we prepared you for that, Rajie boy." Laird sat beside him. "So what's really bothering you?"

"He's sexy, all right? He has perfect chocolate skin and those lips…"

Rajan stopped speaking to see that Savaro and Laird were exchanging looks. Both were smiling and he rolled his eyes.

"What?" He sighed.

"Why didn't you invite him over?" Savaro asked. "I didn't like Jamal when we first met. I thought he was a pompous jerk. But the man was gorgeous."

Rajan laughed. "It's not like I want to elope or anything. I just…"

"Want his booty in the worst way." Laird shrugged taking a sip from his glass.

Blinking, Rajan turned his body to stare at Laird.

"Hold up. Did you just say booty and worst way in the same sentence?"

Laird simply stared at him.

"Well," Rajan chuckled. "Thank you Eminem."

"It still doesn't take away from the fact you didn't invite the man over," Savaro pushed.

"Yeah well, he was busy. And another thing. I

swear. I don't think I've heard that much profanity in one place in all my life."

"Was it in harmony?" Savaro questioned.

Rajan arched a brow at his brother. "Huh?"

"Well, they're not profanities unless they're sung in five part harmonies," Laird added.

"You've got to be…" Rajan took a breath and eased his body into a chair. His brothers burst out laughing at their joke but he couldn't really focus. The bulletproof vest they had him wear was not something he wished to get accustomed to wearing. He reached back to massage his lower back. "You guys are jerks. I'm aching in places I never knew I had."

"Okay, okay," Laird said seriously. "Savaro is right."

"I am?"

"Yes—as much as I loath to admit it, he's right. You should invite this man over for a drink or something. Let him see that you're not just some big shot actor—that you have a family who loves you and we're normal people.

Maybe that would help. We won't promise to be perfect…"

Laird trailed off to drain his glass. "But we promise to try and behave."

Rajan groaned. "And that's what I'm afraid of."

* * * *

Xavier sat with his men, still nursing the same

bottle of beer he'd gotten when he walked into their local haunt. They were up to their regular antics and though from time to time he would add in a comment here or there, his mind really wasn't into it. He ducked out of the way of a flying bottle cap and it landed beside him with a slight
twak!

"Hey! Watch where you're aiming that thing!"

Xavier called.

"My bad!" Muse hollered.

For some reason he kept thinking of Rajan Anatolis.

He wasn't sure why he was so preoccupied with the man—

he hated actors. They never got anything right. He took a breath and lifted the bottle to his lips. He took a swig. But Rajan was beautiful—that long dark hair, deep brown eyes and the hardness of his body. Xavier knew he was muscular by helping Rajan with his vest. The moment Rajan donned the suit he looked better. Closing his eyes, he remembered the way the other man's breath felt against his face and fingers. It was a soft caress of heat that melted something inside him. Then Rajan's thighs had brushed his in the truck and he swore his body would combust.

"Yo X, you all right?" Salsa called, patting him on the back.

Xavier turned to look at his friend and nodded. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Mack spoke up from the other side.

"What're you? My father? Leave it alone."

Mack eyed him with suspicion but they walked

away. Salsa stayed behind though.

"You're not fine—I can see it in your eyes," Salsa said.

Taking a deep breath, Xavier stared at his friend and shook his head. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Salsa.

I just have this… feeling."

"That something bad's gonna happen?"

"Nah. Nothing like that. It's the feeling that my world just got rocked and I didn't even know it. How strange is that?"

"That's not strange at all, X. It happens all the time.

The doctors call it morbid paranoia."

"Thanks, thanks a lot. It's good to have friends."

"I'm just saying." Salsa chuckled. "There are pills for that kind of thing."

Xavier laughed and took another swallow. "I have to go."

"Already?" Richard asked, propping his elbow against the bar.

Xavier took another drink from his bottle, dropped

money on the counter for all their drinks and hopped from the stool to stress his point. All the guys turned to look at him with confusion written all over their faces. Still, Xavier put a smile on, and walked out the door with the bells above it jangling, announcing his exit. Glancing at his watching, he called Ali's number.

"Hello?"

"Ali, it's Xavier. You still at my house?"

"Yeah… watching the guys set up your bed. What's up?"

"You want some dinner?"

"Yes please. I ate all the leftovers you had in the fridge. It wasn't much. How come a single man has more beer in his fridge than actual food?"

Xavier laughed. "Because I'm single. Anyways, I'll pick something up on my way over. Japanese good?"

"Purr-fect," Ali laughed.

Shaking his head, Xavier hung up. His next call was to a local take-out diner and by the time he got there, the food was packed and ready. After paying, he hurried home to find a delivery truck pulling from the driveway. Jogging up the front steps, he hurried inside and locked the door behind him. "Ali?"

"In the bedroom."

He placed the food on the counter in the kitchen and took the steps two at a time. He walked into the bedroom and was almost blown over with the size of the bed. Ali was making the bed and he arched a brow. "You're making the bed? I'm only going to climb in and ruin it."

She tugged the sheets in at the corners and looked at him. "You weren't raised by apes," she replied.

"But it's so nice now. I almost feel guilty sleeping in it."

Ali walked over, braced a hand against his chest and kissed his cheek. "Hello handsome. How was your day?"

Xavier took her hand and led her into the kitchen.

He gripped her around the hips and placed her on a stool before setting to work preparing a plate for her. When he finally handed her a pair of chopsticks and grabbed two of his own, he replied to her earlier question.

"Different," he answered.

"Explain."

"We had someone shadowing the team today. His

name is Rajan Anatolis."

Ali went silent so Xavier looked up at her. She was pulling some noodles into her mouth but stopped in the action—like she was frozen.

"What?" he asked, rolling his shoulders.

"
The
Rajan Anatolis?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Tall, about yea high." Ali lifted a hand way above her head before lowering it. "Sexy? Long black hair?

Brown eyes that see into the soul? A body to eat everything off?"

"Um?"

"Is he an Indian actor?"

Xavier was exasperated by then so he nodded.

Ali squealed, dropped her chopsticks and flailed.

Laughing, Xavier reached over, picked up the chopsticks and placed them across the mouth of her bowl. "I take it you know him?"

"Know him? Dude!" Ali hopped from the stool and bolted for the door. She skidded to a stop. "Stay right there."

He had to chuckle and shake his head as she

disappeared into the den. Though he continued eating, his mind was on Ali's description of Rajan Anatolis; he was sexy. He was about that tall and he did have a body to eat everything off. Ali returned with his laptop on and placed it before him. She reached over, hit enter and a video began playing. It was of a man and a woman together. They were close, so close only air could pass between them. The man had the woman's hair wrapped around his arm to bring her lips close to his. The wind ruffled the woman's hair, her eyes were closed as she gripped the man's sides. Her face had anticipation written all over it. She wanted—needed his kiss. No music played, nothing moved but her hair. The man, Xavier tilted his head slightly, was Rajan Anatolis.

Xavier's heart raced.

The passion filling the scene was the kind Xavier

longed for. It was the fervor he'd given up on ever finding, for he knew for sure it didn't exist.

Softly, Rajan started singing. The sound of his voice was sexy, masculine and carried on it a pain that broke Xavier's heart. Though the song wasn't in English, Xavier understood. He could feel every raw emotion, every rip in the character's heart.

A slow pulse developed in his head and his groin.

He took a breath, held it trying to look away from the screen. The woman hadn't moved, and as Rajan continued singing, the camera showed her grip on him tightening.

Xavier's pulse beat against his neck like a hammer. Tearing his eyes away, he shoved from the counter and hurried from the room.

"X?" Ali called. "Xavier! What's wrong?"

Locking himself into the bathroom, his chest heaved painfully as he gripped the counter to keep his balance. The room spun dangerously as his knees shook. "Damn," he muttered. Ali banged on the door but Xavier couldn't answer. Each time her fist hit the door he felt it inside his head. He groaned, wanting to tell her to stop but he was too busy trying to stop his body from shaking.

"Xavier, sweetie, talk to me."

Turning on the tap to cold, he cupped his hands

beneath it and splashed water into his face. He did that a few times before pressing his now cold hands to his neck.

That stopped the slow throb in his head and slowed the spinning but his heart still ran like an out of control locomotive. Taking a breath, he wiped his face and hands dry. When he opened the door, Ali was leaning her back to the wall across from him.

"You like him," she whispered. "I should have picked another scene but I didn't know. It's one of my favorite scenes is all."

"I don't like him, Ali." Xavier's voice was low. "I just met him. I don't know what I'm thinking. I… I was jealous of her, can you believe that? The man isn't even gay and I'm jealous of her!"

"You don't have to like the man to want his body."

Ali sighed. "Seriously, X. Listen to me. Don't mistake lust for love—but the reaction you just had… it's more than lust."

"It's not love—rule number one…"

"Yeah yeah, never fall for a straight man… who came up with that load of crap anyway? How are you going to stop yourself from falling in love? That sort of thing just riles me like nothing else…" Ali trailed off. He watched her take a breath before smiling. "Come with me." Ali giggled and took his hand.

He allowed her to lead him through the corridor

back to the kitchen and to the computer. She scrolled down and highlighted a portion of the text beneath the video.

"Read here."

"Okay.
Openly gay Indian actor Rajan Anatolis has
been slated to play Captain Kiran Riyat, A New York
City…
wait… he is?"

Ali nodded. "Yup. Been out for years—I think since he was a kid. So you can actually ask him out."

Xavier pushed the computer away from him and

closed it. "That's not going to happen. I'm a cop. He's some big shot actor. There is no happily-ever-after there."

"Ugh. Would you listen to yourself? You sound like a bad Reese Whitherspoon movie."

"Ali!"

"What? I've never known you to be shy or cautious when it comes to men. I've seen you date some dogs in your day. So why is it, now when this man could be a good thing for you, you're acting like a pussy?"

Xavier made a face.

"All I'm saying is the way you were fearless with all those other creeps, give this one the same curtsey."

"If this goes wrong, Ali, it will be epic…"

"There you go being negative again. X, if it goes wrong you have your family here. We will have your back, you know that." She sighed. "Why don't you call him? Ask him out for a drink or something. Maybe if the two of you get together and talk, who knows what'll happen?"

"I know what will happen. He and I will say

something to irritate each other and then a fight will ensue.

He'll call me an ass. I'll call him a douche… messy."

"You're being overly dramatic again. If you did meet up you two would have to stay away from volatile conversation topics like douche-bag-ness and asses." She stopped as a thoughtful look spread her features. "Though a conversation on asses could end very well… very well indeed."

Xavier kissed her cheek but said nothing to her

suggestion. He wouldn't do well with the spotlight and he loved his job too much to even try being with an actor just as he was trying to break into the English scene.

"Stop thinking X." Ali's voice cut through his haze.

"You have that look on your face that says your mind is running a mile a minute. Let it go. You're a fun guy—but it all goes downhill when you slip into your head."

He glanced at her to see she had noodles hanging

out of her mouth. He laughed. "I'm a thinker, I know. I can't help myself."

"For once in your life, Xavier Crawford, step out of your head. Tomorrow after work, ask the man out. If you don't want to ask him out, suggest teaching him some self-defense moves that will make him look better in his movie.

You are a second degree black belt after all. Use that as a ploy to get to know him better. You may or may not like what you find but at least you tried."

Xavier thought about it then nodded. "That is a good idea… but what happens if I react the way I just did when he falls on me or something?"