Rajan's Seduction (3 page)

Instead of eating, he turned off the stove and grabbed his keys. Leaving his cell phone where it was on the counter, he left the house, climbed into his SUV and sped off down the street.

The station house was in the middle of Century and

took him just under an hour to get there. The building did not look like a station house but some fancy business building. Saying a small prayer, Rajan turned off the engine, dumped his keys into his pockets and climbed out of the vehicle. Making his way inside, he stopped at the front counter.

"I'm here to see Captain Fiorelli."

"Oh right, you must be Rajan Anatolis?" the officer asked. "Somehow I was expecting someone else."

Rajan shrugged. "I get that more than you'd think."

The officer laughed and nodded before glancing

down at the book before him. He skimmed it with his finger before picking up the phone and dialing. "Morning, Cap'n.

Mr Anatolis is here… right… uh-huh… okay."

He hung up.

"Go to that elevator…" He stopped and pointed.

"Go to the seventh floor. It's a right out the elevator to room three oh seven."

"Thanks. Have a good one," Rajan said with a mock salute.

"You too."

Long strides carried Rajan to the elevator and he

poked the button a couple of times. His heart hammered inside his chest something fierce. Even as the elevator came and he stepped in then hit the number seven, he still felt as though he was running a marathon. Holding his breath, Rajan closed his eyes, desperately trying to stop it. At one point he winced, for the pain the racing heart caused was terrible. Leaning his back to the wall, he released the breath just as the doors opened. He had to will himself to move forward before the doors closed again. He straightened his spine and made his way down the hall as he was instructed and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Rajan opened the door and stepped in. "Good

morning, Captain Fiorelli."

"You're Rajan Anatolis!" The large man stood up.

He had all white hair but his face didn't look that old. He had bright blue eyes but there was a hint of something more there—a hint he'd seen many things in his life and had somehow managed not to let it affect the beauty of the world. He stood about five nine, with thin lips, a proud nose and a chiseled face. Rajan extended a hand.

"Yes I am," Rajan replied, biting back a moan at the strength in the man's handshake. "It's good to meet you."

"Same here, have a seat. You're early," Captain Fiorelli pointed out before falling back to his chair and pushing a pile of files from before him. "My SWAT team went out on a collar."

"A collar?"

Captain Fiorelli laughed. "Sorry. They went out to serve a warrant—bust down a few doors."

"Ah, okay. Is there somewhere I can wait? I don't want to be in the way."

"Yeah, there's a break room. Come, I'll show you. I don't recommend the coffee, by the way."

Rajan smiled at the joke and followed him. After he was left alone, Rajan walked to the window and peered out.

The sun was just coming over Plaison's hill. He was way too early.

* * * *

Xavier walked from the change room with this

jacket over one shoulder. He stopped by his desk to a note his guest was there. Making a face, he took a breath, held it then pushed it out his mouth. When he turned the door handle and stepped into the room, the man by the window wasn't what he expected. Though he was only half-turned toward Xavier, it wasn't hard to see the man was sexy. He had jet black hair tied back, muscular arms crossed over his chest with a long muscular neck. He stood there, resting one shoulder against the window like a mountain of a man.

He had caramel skin, peeking out the neck of his dress shirt and Xavier took a breath to keep in a moan. Forcing his eyes lower, he loved the well-built legs held so snugly by a black pair of jeans.

His brain was going a mile a minute but he knew he

had to shut those thoughts out. Xavier cleared his throat and stepped forward. The man by the window spun around and leveled the most beautiful, clear brown eyes on him Xavier had ever seen. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I'm Xavier Crawford
.
You'll be shadowing my CT SWAT

team."

"Rajan Anatolis," the man replied, stepping forward with an extended hand. "I know this may be a tad inconvenient but I do appreciate it."

"Yeah well." Xavier shook his hand. He dropped Rajan's hand though when fire seared his flesh causing his whole body to tremble. "It's not my favorite thing. I don't like having an untrained, civilian with my team because that's one more thing I have to worry about."

"I see. Well, I don't know what to tell you. I don't want to be here either."

Xavier heard those words and rolled his shoulders.

He shrugged into his jacket, pulling the sides in over his badge and gun before turning for the door. "Come on, we have two more collars to do today before lunch time."

He didn't wait for an answer. He simply turned and

walked out the door. Footsteps behind him told him Rajan was following and he half wished the handsome actor had just turned and left the way he'd come into his life. A frown creased his features just as he shoved open the meeting room door.

The first thing he did was step before the group and lift a hand. "Calm down!" he called. He caught a flying Nerf ball and pointed at Salsa. "Simmer down, would you?

We have some business to discuss."

The men and one woman looked up from their

conversations and turned to face Xavier. "Okay, first off, we have a guest. This is Rajan Anatolis. He'll be shadowing us for a movie he's doing."

Half the room groaned.

"Now on to the next thing."

He continued the meeting, from time to time turning to look at the guest. He was standing there, leaning against the wall. For some reason he hadn't bothered sitting down, which surprised him. The last actor they had visiting would sit in the back, stick his legs on the furniture and hurl interruptions. Halfway through it was almost a given he was going to get shot.

To make matter worse, Xavier kept losing his place.

Rajan Anatolis was sexy.

Focus.

"All right—so let's suit up," Xavier said finally.

His crew shuffled and all made for the door but

Rajan didn't move. Xavier gathered his things and dipped behind the desk. He pulled out a bulletproof vest and chucked it at him. "Put this on."

"Right." Rajan caught it. "Because I use these every day and know precisely how they work."

Xavier groaned and stepped forward.

He took the vest from Rajan's hand and pulled the

tabs open. "Here, you put it over your head like so…" he trailed off, lifting the vest over Rajan's head. "And pull the sides in like so—make sure it's pulled all the way down so it doesn't keep digging into your neck."

"Because getting poked in the neck is such a bad thing." Rajan's voice was soft, warm, like the sun flowing over Xavier's skin. Xavier looked up into Rajan's face. The actor was smiling at him and despite the contempt he felt for Rajan being there, he smiled.

"Right," he said, stepping back. "You will be connected to us by this…" Xavier pulled a small black box from his back pocket and unwound an ear-bud from it. He stepped behind Rajan and clipped the box to the waist of his pants. Then, sticking his hand underneath the vest, up over a muscular back, to push the ear-bud through the neck of Rajan's shirt, he withdrew his hand. He then stuck the ear-bud in Rajan's ear. "This way when I say clear, you can come in. But not before."

"So I don't get to bust down doors too?"

"No—these guys are unpredictable at best and the less danger you're in, the better."

"Why Crawford—I didn't know you cared."

Xavier groaned. "Just keep an eye out, all right?"

Rajan nodded. Xavier stopped a little longer than he wanted to just to stare at Rajan. Taking a breath he turned out the door without a word. He heard Rajan's footsteps behind him. It was like he couldn't breathe when Rajan was so close to him. Pushing open the back door into the underground lot, he watched his team hop into their vehicles and he climbed into the back of the large truck with the bulk of his team. He extended a hand to help Rajan in too and the actor fell into a seat beside him. Their thighs brushed and electricity charged through Xavier's body.

The first collar wasn't bad because the bad guy was on his front steps when they grabbed him. He didn't put up a fight. But the second was much more of a chore. A part of him wanted to rush out with the others, gun in hand. Still, he knew he had to stay put for his safety and because of the stupid contract he'd signed. He wasn't completely cut off from the action. He had access via the earpiece and a monitor before him. He watched, completely transfixed, as the men silently spoke to each other using finger

movements. Two agents broke off and went to either side of the house and disappeared behind it. One agent with a rifle ran across the street and Rajan watched him climb the side of a building and settled in on his stomach—he must be the sniper. Turning his attention back to the screen, the team was once again on the move.

It was like a carefully choreographed dance as they busted through the door. The swiftness of the SWAT team's movements stunned Rajan and he wondered if he could get that fast for the movie. They were precise in their actions yet careful. He curled his fists at his side, leaning, almost pressing his nose, into the monitor before him. A barrage of expletives filled the air as the men moved from room to room, taking out stunned drug dealers who didn't see their downfall coming. It was the confusion tactic at its best.

One by one each team member yelled. "Clear!"

When the smoke cleared, eight drug dealers were

cuffed and being loaded into a secondary truck. The weapons collected by the team were being photographed to one side. The threat was gone so he climbed from the truck and stood beside Xavier. "I'm so happy I'm only playing you on television."

Xavier laughed softly. A shiver ran down Rajan's

spine.

"I don't think I could bust through a door like that—

not knowing what's on the other side. You guys even did it without a shot being fired. I mean, come on!"

"It's a part of the job. You really get used to it as sad as that sounds. All right boys, wrap it up. We're done for the day."

His men cheered after the perps were stashed away,

bound for the jail, Rajan followed Xavier back to the truck and climbed in.

"You're done for the day?" Rajan arched a brow.

"Really?"

"Yup, unless something comes up and they need us.

But we only had three warrants today and they were

served."

Rajan felt a tinge of disappointment but his heart

was still trying to calm down. Still, he could feel a difference in the atmosphere in the truck.

"So you're an actor?" one asked.

Rajan eyed him while stripping from his vest and

placing it beside him on the seat. The man held up a hand.

"Sorry—I'm Richard."

Rajan smiled. "Yes. But this will be my first

English movie."

"Really?" Another spoke up. "What kind of movies were doing before?"

"Porno!" The sniper shouted and the group burst into laughter. Rajan looked to see even Xavier was having a chuckle. "I'm way off, aren't I?"

"That's Mack," Xavier said. "His penis thinks for him."

"Hey! I resent your implications." Mack pouted, causing another uproar of laughter. "My penis only does some of the thinking for me."

"Yeah," Richard said. "And thank goodness it doesn't think for him when we're on a bust."

They roared with laughter again and Rajan found

himself laughing right along with them.

"No." Rajan smiled. "No porno, unfortunately. I have a few hits in India."

"You dance and sing?" Richard asked.

Rajan nodded. "Yup. I dance and I sing. It's not a bad thing you know."

"Oh no." Xavier smirked. "Not a bad thing at all."

Rajan eyed him with suspicion but the other guys

kept on asking him questions. By the time they got back to the station, he felt a little more at home than he had when it all started. Xavier patted him on the shoulder and it seemed the cop slipped back into his silent mode. Rajan took a breath.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Rajan said.

"You going already?" Richard asked. "The boys and I were going to have a couple of beers—celebrate a banner day. You in?"

Rajan glanced at Xavier who was walking away

then and shook his head. He knew Xavier wouldn't want him to go and the last thing he wanted to do was drive a wedge between the team members.

"Nah. I have to head home and see my brothers,"

Rajan replied. "I'm sure they'll be wondering where I am and if I managed to get shot."

The men laughed and Mack patted him on the

shoulder. "See you tomorrow morning, Bollywood."

"Yeah." Rajan watched the men walk away to their leader. Xavier was a very sexy man, especially when suited up for a bust. But Rajan had to remember even though Xavier made a few jokes in the truck, the man still didn't like him being there. With a breath, he entered the station house and removed his gear. He left it in the captain's office and left for the day.

Leaving the station left him feeling empty inside.

He stopped and bought some ice cream and pulled up to Anatolis. He greeted the waitresses and others before disappearing into the back to Savaro's office. He stopped and dropped the ice cream in one of Savaro's freezers then entered his brother's office.

"Hey, Raj… what's wrong?" Savaro asked, looking up from the papers he was frowning over. "You want a drink?"

"Oh man, I need more than a drink," Rajan muttered, flopping onto his brother's sofa. He pushed out of his jacket and tossed it over the arm of the sofa. He watched his older brother rise and grab a bottle of whiskey, two glasses and ice cubes. When they both had glasses in their hands, Rajan tossed his drink back like a shot and helped himself to another serving. This one he placed on the edge of Savaro's desk.