Tagan's Child (42 page)

“What do you
suggest we do?” I asked, giving him the chance to lay something on
the table.

“I think the
best solution is that Toby spends term time here, being educated
the Ramian way, learning about our history and our culture in
preparation for his future. You would be welcome to visit anytime
and then he could spend the holidays back on Earth. He will of
course have a bodyguard presence with him at all times.

The thought of
Toby spending the majority of the time away from me was unbearable
and how would he feel being away from his best friend Adam? They
were so close, it was hard to imagine Toby being happy spending
that much time away from him. I had never envisaged a future where
Toby wouldn’t be with me, not at least until he went away to
university.

“I need to give
it some thought,” I said, stalling for time. “It’s all been such a
whirlwind, mine and Toby’s feet need to touch the ground for a
while.” I wasn’t prepared to give him an answer until I’d had a
chance to discuss it with Toby.

“Why don’t you
stay for a while, it will give you both time to think about
it?”

Whilst a little
voice in my head sang with jubilation the thought of staying here
much longer made my heart feel heavy in my chest.

Ahran let Toby
win by a cat’s whisker and Toby flopped down triumphantly next to
me putting an end to mine and Halsan’s conversation.

We spent the
rest of the afternoon sunbathing and making sandcastles and as we
got back into the car I felt like I had shaken off much of the
ordeal of the last few days even though I felt more torn than ever
about my decision to leave. I wasn’t ready to leave Toby here on
his own. A few more days to let him settle in and to give me time
to think was what I felt we both needed, but every minute I spent
with Ahran was making the prospect of leaving more and more
difficult. I hoped he would go back to his farm sooner rather than
later.

I didn’t have a
chance to find out what his plans were during the car ride back
because he took a phone call. When we arrived back at the palace he
was still talking on the phone. I mouthed, ‘see you later,’ and
opened the door. Ahran winked at me and shared an intimate smile
which made me think about our underwater antics. I got out of the
car and walked to my room with a silly grin on my face.

Toby came
bounding into our rooms a few minutes later, full of the day. I
listened to his chatter about how Halsan was nicer than he first
thought and what a brilliant swimmer Ahran was and how good Leylana
had been at building sandcastles. He was obviously very taken with
his new family. I chewed on my lip as I listened to him. It was
wonderful that he liked them all so much but did this mean I was
losing him?

“I’m glad
you’ve had a nice time. I’m going to have a shower now, you need to
have a shower and get changed too,” I said putting an end to his
exuberant rundown of the day. “There are some fresh clothes on your
bed.”

I went into my
bathroom and switched on the shower. I undressed and stepped in
under the hot jet of water. Part of me felt euphoric about what had
happened between me and Ahran at the lake today but there was also
a part of me that felt nothing but despair. My despondency only
amplified when I contemplated losing Toby to Ramia for the majority
of the year. Why was my life never simple?

I finished
showering to find more clothes had arrived on my bed. I felt
embarrassed at the Queen’s generosity, the clothes were so
beautiful and expensive. I selected a gorgeous, figure hugging
cocktail dress with a cowl neck and high strappy shoes in the same
scarlet colour. I didn’t care whether I would be overdressed,
chances were I’d never wear anything like it again. I wore my hair
down allowing its natural wave to do its own thing and after a
quick application of make-up I was ready to head down for
dinner.

Now wasn’t the
time to talk about Toby’s future, he’d had enough to take in for
one day. I resolved to have that conversation with him
tomorrow.

“Are you
ready?” I said, walking into the lounge between our two rooms.

Toby was lying
on the sofa glued to the television, freshly showered and dressed
in another new outfit.

“Yeah,” he
said, his attention still on the T.V. and his thumb firmly in his
mouth.

“Come on, we’re
going to be late.”

He was watching
some programme on the engineering of a new super modern railway
line and reluctantly switched it off.

“The trains
don’t run on rails here, they hover,” he marvelled as he got off
the sofa.

He stopped when
he caught sight of me. “Wow, you look amazing Auntie Sophie. I’ve
never seen you in a dress.”

“Yes you have,”
I contradicted, wracking my brain as to when this would have been
and finally having to agree with him.

“You don’t look
half bad yourself,” I said, as he stood there in a smart pair of
trousers and checked shirt.

He pulled at
the collar. “I don’t like this shirt it makes my neck itch,” he
complained. I didn’t like to tell him he would have to get used to
dressing smartly.

We walked to
the drawing room together and I concentrated on keeping my thoughts
away from the prospect of spending the evening with Ahran, acutely
aware that once the evening was over he was expecting me to spend
the night with him. I hadn’t yet come up with a reason not to, not
that I had tried very hard.

Everyone was
having a drink and I was thrilled to see that Elaya had joined us.
Her presence was a welcome diversion.

“I knew that
colour would suit you,” Leylana said as we walked into the
lounge.

I stole a
glance at Ahran and by the look in his eyes he approved of the way
I looked too. His long legs were clad in a dark pair of chinos and
he wore a white linen shirt. I caught the smell of his aftershave
as I walked past him to kiss Elaya and it made my heart skip a
beat. How was I going to make it through the evening with him
looking and smelling like that?

“It’s good to
see you Elaya.” She looked incredible in a navy strapless dress
that showed off her toned shoulders and curves I hadn’t realised
she had.

“It’s good to
see you too! You look stunning in that dress.” All the attention
was making me feel more than a little self-conscious, especially as
I knew Ahran’s eyes hadn’t left me since I had arrived. “It beats
the overalls you were wearing the last time I saw you.”

“Thanks, the
overalls weren’t really my colour,” I said, shaking my head and
screwing up my nose. We laughed together.

It was an
enjoyable meal even though I felt like a coiled spring. Everyone
else was relaxed in each other’s company. The King regaled us with
stories about his capers with the other cadets during his army days
and Toby hung on his every word. Ahran and I sat opposite one
another and I caught him looking at me often. I only allowed myself
to look at him a handful of times and addressed him directly less
than that. The atmosphere crackled between us. I nearly dropped my
glass twice and was worried the others would notice I was a nervous
wreck.

By the time we
got to dessert Toby was struggling to stay awake and I was secretly
pleased to have an excuse to leave early, the strain of being in
Ahran’s company was taking its toll.

“I think I
better get this young man off to bed,” I said as his head nearly
fell into his dessert bowl for the second time.

“He looks
exhausted,” Elaya said, looking at him sympathetically.

“He is. He’s
had more than enough excitement in the last week.” I turned my
attention to the King and Queen. “We’ve had a lovely day, thank
you.”

I still hadn’t
given Ahran an answer as to whether I would be joining him in his
room later. Judging by the sexual tension between us, he was
clearly anticipating it. The voice of reason in my head was telling
me I would be mad to go to him even when every other part of me
longed to be in his arms again.

“We have
enjoyed it too,” Leylana said, gazing at her grandson
adoringly.

I stood up and
the King and Ahran respectfully followed suit.

“Would you like
me to carry him to bed?” Ahran offered.

“No, I think
we’ll be okay, thank you,” I replied quickly. I didn’t want to risk
having Ahran in our rooms, not when Toby was there. I honestly
didn’t trust myself.

“Goodnight
everyone,” I said, coaxing Toby out of his chair.

I managed to
get his barely conscious form into bed. And then I sat in front of
the television, not paying any attention to what was on the screen
whilst the battle of whether I should go to Ahran raged within me.
After what had happened in the lake I knew he fully expected me to
spend the night with him, and I hadn’t actually told him otherwise,
but if I had any chance of doing the right thing, I needed to spend
the night alone.

I stared at the
television as two contestants achieved superhuman feats over a
ridiculously difficult assault course on some kind of Ramian game
show before the thought that Ahran might come to my room struck me.
It wasn’t a risk I was prepared to take. Before I knew it, I was
heading to the door. I would go to his room and explain that I
couldn’t spend the night with him, and that I wanted to cool things
off for a while, at least until I had made a decision about what
was going to happen with Toby.

I poked my head
out into the corridor, the lights had been dimmed and all seemed
quiet. I carefully pulled the door shut behind me. I really had no
choice but to go to him and explain. Fortunately, our rooms were in
the guest quarters so the chances of running into the King or Queen
were slim.

My heart was in
my mouth as I padded down the corridor in my bare feet. I practiced
what I was going to say in my head and after a few wrong turns I
eventually came across the door I thought was his. I hesitated
before tapping gently, what if it wasn’t his room?

Ahran opened
the door. “There you are. I thought you’d never get here,” he said
as he gently grabbed hold of my wrist and pulled me into the room.
My heart lurched as he reached past me to close the door, he smelt
of that heady mix of aftershave and him. I closed my eyes and
breathed him in. Now, if a perfumery could bottle that smell they’d
make a fortune.

I gently
withdrew my arm and took a step back from him. Being in his air
space was doing my resolve no good. “Ahran, I can’t stay,” I said
quickly. I didn’t sound quite as definite as I had when rehearsing
it on my way here. I forced myself to look him in the eye hoping
that he wouldn’t see the longing in mine.

His eyes were
focussed on my lips, he clearly hadn’t heard a word I’d said as he
closed the distance between us. “You should not be allowed to wear
that dress, you’ve been driving me crazy all evening,” he said
huskily. As soon as his lips touched the side of my neck all my
good intentions flew out of the window. The feel of his lips
against my throat was my undoing.

I would be
spending the night with him and that was that.

I tilted my
head to the side giving his lips better access to the sensitive
skin below my ear. He trailed a series of tiny kisses up my neck
taking advantage of the greater exposure I had just given him. His
lips sent shivers across my skin and my heart started to thump hard
and fast as my knees began to fail me.

What had I come
here to say? Who the hell knew?

I moaned
involuntarily as he took my earlobe between his teeth.

“I intend to
make it my life’s mission to get you to make that sound as often as
possible,” he said breathlessly as his lips made their way across
my cheek. I was a fool to think I could ever resist this man.

When his lips
found mine I kissed him passionately, my body straining against
his.

“Oh Sophie, you
have no idea what you do to me,” he said, breaking away and looking
deep into my eyes. He was looking at me as if he couldn’t quite
believe I was real. It struck me as being entirely the wrong way
round.

His head dipped
and he unleashed the full effect of his lips on mine and I clung to
him, kissing him back as if my life depended on it.

It was this
kiss that sealed my fate. I knew I was never going to be able to
walk away. I would take everything he had to offer and damn the
consequences, no matter how unsuitable a match I was. I hated
myself for being so weak but I was certain walking away was
impossible now. I could no sooner walk away than I could tell my
own heart to stop beating. There was every chance my selfishness
would cause him to be shunned by his family and that he would lose
everything he had worked for, but I vowed that whatever he faced,
we would face it together and then I would spend the rest of my
life trying my hardest to convince him that choosing me had not
been a mistake. I felt the most enormous sense of relief. I had
finally given in to my feelings for him and it was the most joyous
feeling in the world.

His tongue
sought mine. We kissed each other without inhibition. I clawed at
his shirt, wanting to feel the heat of his skin next to mine more
than I wanted to take my next breath. I fumbled the buttons on his
shirt, my hands frustratingly incapable of carrying out the simple
task of undoing them as his mouth continued its perfect assault on
mine. Suddenly, his lips broke away. It felt like someone had just
removed my reason for living. I opened my eyes and was about to
protest when I was rewarded with the sight of his mouth watering
chest as he pulled his shirt over his head, some of the buttons
flying off in a dramatic fashion.

My hands ran
over his skin feverishly. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs
around him for the second time today. My boldness clearly excited
him as his lips came crashing down onto mine. He groaned as his
hands slipped under my dress. It had conveniently ridden up to the
top of my thighs and he clasped my buttocks with both hands,
mimicking the hold he had on me earlier in the lake, although his
time there was no water to buoy me. It made no difference, he held
me effortlessly. I threw my head backwards as he resumed his
exploration of my neck.