Rajan's Seduction (5 page)

"Then kiss him!"

"Ali!"

"What? What's the worst that could happen? It's not like you're not going to want to! So just, get out of your head and show him what you're workin' with!"

Shaking his head, Xavier stared at his best friend's sister wondering where she came up with those things. "I can't just hold the man down and kiss him. There are laws against that kinda stuff."

"What kinda stuff? And you're no prude. I'm sure you like it rough anyways. So just do it."

He took a deep breath and shook his head. "He

won't want to."

"Impossible."

Xavier made a face and ripped open a pack of

spring rolls. He inspected one carefully, shrugging, he bit a piece off and chewed. "I'll ask if he wants some help with the whole hand to hand bit—I don't know about the kiss."

Walking into the change room the next morning,

Rajan felt the first day's apprehensions again. His brothers weren't much help with the whole Xavier thing and he'd spent most of the night just laying there, a frown on his face and muttering under his breath. But by the time morning came, Rajan was braced and ready to go. At the station he'd quickly grabbed his gear from the captain's office and sat alone on a bench in the change room just waiting. He read from the script with a pencil in one hand, adding stuff he'd seen during the bust the day before for the writers. Finally, about one hour after he arrived, the door opened and Xavier walked in. Rajan didn't move.

"Morning."

Rajan looked up and nodded his reply then looked

back to the script before him.

"So you're not going to talk to me this morning?"

Xavier questioned.

"No. And later doesn't look good either."

"Rajan…"

The way Xavier said his name, like a whispered

prayer, caused his breath to catch in his throat. He rubbed his neck self-consciously. "What do you want from me, huh, Xavier? You didn't want me here yesterday and I'm pretty sure you don't want me here today. I've decided to be an adult about it and just do what I'm here to do and life goes on."

"I see…"

Silence reigned over the room interrupted by Xavier yanking his locker open. Rajan watched him from beneath fallen lashes; the way his body moved. He almost lost his mind when Xavier lifted his shirt over his head exposing a hard, muscular back. On his left arm, Xavier had a tattoo of a giant coiled python with the words "Pythons never die"

written in beautiful calligraphy beneath it. Closing his eyes, he turned the script over in his lap, and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I want to propose a peace offering," Xavier spoke again.

Rajan fought the urge to roll his eyes but refrained from looking from his script again. Though he wasn't really reading it, he pretended. It was better than the alternative.

He felt it the moment Xavier sat beside him and couldn't help himself. When he looked up, Xavier was sitting, shirtless, astride the bench facing him. His eyes drifted downward to Xavier's chest. A tattoo of the word "Dru"

with "2009 RIP" written beneath it sat over his left breast.

Ink on a man was so damn sexy. Rajan had to hold his breath to keep in the groan that threatened to escape.

"Who's Dru? Was he someone you loved?"

Xavier's body lifted slightly from the seat but he sat down and leveled his eyes on Rajan. Rajan bit his lower lip.

For a moment he thought Xavier wouldn't answer. He saw Xavier's shoulders rise and slumped.

"Yes. He was someone I loved."

"I'm sorry you lost him."

Xavier tilted his head. "You are?"

"Yes. Whether I like you or not, you're human and it's hard losing someone you care about."

"Thanks… I think."

"You're welcome." Rajan looked at him a little bit longer before returning his attention to the script in his lap.

"A peace offering," Xavier repeated, softer. "I would like to give you some hand to hand training."

"Hand to hand training…"

Xavier moaned. "That's what I said. I'm trained to…

Rajan, listen. I don't have anything against you. I just don't like a civilian tailing my team because you're not trained to react like they are and the last time someone shadowed the CT, he ended up shot."

"Let me ask you something." Rajan placed the script beside him. "I have followed all the instructions so far, right?"

"Yes."

"And I'm here on time, right?"

"Right."

"So have I given you any reason to think I'm going to go off half-cocked and catch a bullet to the ass?"

Rajan could tell Xavier wanted to laugh at that. He bowed his head just as the smile broke his lips and Rajan frowned.

"Have I?" Rajan pushed, jabbing him in the shoulder with a finger.

"No—and I'm sorry. So I'm here to offer you some something you wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Do you want it or not?"

Oh baby, I want it all right.

Rajan licked his lips as his eyes drifted once more to Xavier's bare chest then to his eyes. "Fine… I'll take it."

Xavier extended a hand to him and Rajan moved

from where he was sitting to put some distance between them. "I don't think touching you is a good idea right now."

"And why is that?"

"Why are you smirking at me?"

Xavier did laugh then. He stood and walked slowly

toward Rajan. The actor pushed from the seat and stepped back. Then it was as if he just couldn't move anymore. He was frozen in place, aching for whatever Xavier Crawford had in mind. Forcing himself unglued, he backed up.

"Why are you running away?" Xavier countered.

Even as he spoke, Xavier caressed a hand over his chest, past the tattoo crushing a nipple then down his rippled abs.

Jealousy flowed through Rajan's body. He wanted the thing crushing that tightened nipple to be his tongue, his lips. The hand moved further down, stroking the body Rajan wanted to feel pressing against him.

Rajan managed to move but he didn't get far. His

back slammed into the lockers and he groaned. Xavier was right against him.

Their eyes locked. Rajan's chest heaved, causing

him to brush against Xavier's chest. They were too close—

so close Rajan's body burned. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He inched toward the small space to crush their bodies together. Xavier braced a hand at the base of Rajan's neck and slammed him back against the locker. Rajan groaned. His growing cock shot to attention from the roughness in Xavier's touch. Xavier bowed his head to the side of Rajan's neck, his hot breath flowing over Rajan's flesh. Rajan knew he was going to be engulfed in flames.

He whispered something even he didn't understand

while his eyes slowly drifted closed.

The door suddenly burst opened and Xavier flew

away from him as though being burned.

"We have a warrant!" Salsa called.

Rajan held his breath and turned away.

"Tell the others to suit up," Xavier ordered.

Rajan shivered at the command in his voice but

didn't move. When the door flapped then slammed again, he turned to look at Xavier who was looking at him.

Straightening his spine, he met Xavier's eyes. But he didn't get a chance to say anything as the rest of the team barged in the door.

"Heeeey! Bollywood!" They all cheered with their arms lifted above their heads.

* * * *

The near kiss left Xavier in an irritable mood. He

hadn't realized how desperately he wanted that kiss but knew the moment was gone. It was confirmed when Rajan walked out of the room with the others. Taking a breath, he slammed the locker shut, shoved his gun into the holster and followed. The briefing went as expected but on the ride to their location, Rajan sat across the vehicle from him with his eyes locked to that irritating script. Licking his lips, Xavier shook his head and peered toward the front of the truck to see where they were. The truck slowed and Xavier took a breath.

"All right guys." He looked around at his friends.

"Once more, let's do this."

The same energy he'd always felt surged through

him, causing his body to throb slightly. For a breath, they all sat there with their heads bowed before Salsa shoved open the door and they all piled out. They moved silently across the house's front lawn. A few split off from the others to take both sides of the house and around the back.

The others with their rifles trained, set up in one line on either side of Muse who hunched in the middle, by the door with the rammer. Muse looked back. Xavier nodded and Muse hefted the rammer, swung it backward and sent it crashing into the door. The wood splintered just as Muse tossed the rammer aside and they all piled through the front door.

A man popped into the room and Xavier leveled his

gun on him. "Let me see your hands!"

The man's hands shot into the air, his eyes bulged

and he started shaking.

"On the floor!" Xavier commanded.

The terrified man looking down the barrel of the

gun didn't move.

"Do it now!"

He fell forward to the ground with his hands above

his head. Xavier didn't move but watched as Salsa cuffed the man and the two of them continued on.

The radio in his ear crackled. "Far left, upstairs bedroom clear!"

"Basement clear!"

"Downstairs bathroom, clear!"

"Center bedroom, upstairs, clear!"

Xavier listened to the incoming reports over the

radio while he and Salsa moved quickly through the rest of the house, looking in closets and anywhere else someone could hide. He was about to relax and officially clear the sunroom when a man popped up from behind the sun bed with a gun.

"Freeze! Century SWAT!" Xavier warned. "Drop it!

"Don't do anything stupid," Salsa warned. "You knew we'd come knocking one day. Just make this easier."

The man wasn't listening; he still pointed the gun at Xavier.

"Come on, Man," Xavier said. "I'm not having a good day today, don't make me shoot you. Put down the gun!"

Instead, the man lifted the gun toward Salsa and

Xavier fired. The bullet hit the suspect in the arm and the gun went flying. Rushing forward, he gripped the man's wounded arm and twisted, flipping him to the floor. He quickly rushed forward and kicked the gun out of the suspect's reach. He gripped his arm and spun him over to face the floor. "Didn't I tell you to drop it? What the hell is wrong with you?" Xavier demanded while cuffing his injured suspect. Then and only then did look up at his friend as other officers rushed to the door, rifles drawn.

"You all right?" Xavier questioned.

"Yeah…"

Xavier turned his head slightly to speak into his

microphone. "Sun room, cleared. Suspect down, get us a medic."

They all cleared the house and Rajan hopped from

the truck.

"Are you all right?" Rajan asked.

Xavier set his rifle in the down motion, pointing to the ground and looked into Rajan's eyes trying to see if he was truly concerned. The actor's brown eyes showed

something he hadn't seen before so he smiled and nodded.

"I'm fine. You should see the other guy."

Rajan laughed. "All your guys got out okay?"

"Hey, we're all here," Muse said, walking to stand with them. He extended his hand and Xavier removed his gun and handed it over.

"What's that for?" Rajan asked.

"After a suspect is shot, we have to hand over our gun. There will be an investigation…" Xavier trailed off.

"Investigation? The punk was going to shoot you!"

"Yeah. It's routine." Muse replied. "Nothing to worry about."

Xavier smiled. "Come on… we'll take you back to the house."

"Can we stop for ice cream?" Mack hollered.

"What are you? Six?" a female agent Rajan hadn't met yet shouted and they burst out laughing.

"Say all you want. Ice cream is good shit!" Mack retorted, heading for their ride back to the station.

Rajan laughed. "Are they always like this?"

"Yeah…always," Xavier replied. The others crowded into the truck and Xavier grabbed Rajan's

shoulder. "Wait."

"What happened?"

"About what happened in the locker room

earlier…"

"Don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean it."

Xavier smirked. "Oh trust me… I meant it."

"Then what more do you have to say?"

Xavier took a breath. "Nothing—nothing at all."

They carried on bust after bust, until they were able to leave. Taking a breath, Xavier grabbed his things and followed Rajan out to the parking lot. "You want to follow me to my place?" Xavier asked. When Rajan arched a brow at him Xavier smiled.

"For training. Did you change your mind?"

"You were serious about that?"

"Of course."

"I don't have anything to work out in… Can I go home first and grab some things then come back?"

"I have plenty. Come on."

Rajan nodded and Xavier watched him walk away.

The room was made into a home gym. There was a

ring in the center. To the left were two boxing bags beside each other, a curled up skipping rope laid on the ground and to the right was a treadmill, an elliptical machine and a few other pieces of gym equipment. Hanging from the ceiling on the wall, high above the equipment was a banner with
Excelsior Jiu-Jitsu Champion 2009
written on it with the logo of two fists smashing into each other. Beside that banner was another one. This one was red and black with
Congratulations! Sandan!
on it. Rajan had no idea what that meant.

In the far corner were weights and a water cooler.

Rajan walked over to the ring and climbed in. It was very strange to be in the middle of one again. The last time, he was in a movie titled
Mujhay Tum Say Nafrat Hai.
It was about a man who abandoned his family to fight in a war he didn't really believe in but felt it was the only way to save them. That movie broke Rajan's heart and for six months after the movie wrapped, he just stayed home in bed. His father had to come over and literally drag him off the bed.