by Amanda Kay
“Tai?” She looked at him and he saw the wheels turning she didn’t want to tell him, and yet she did. “You need to talk to someone, Tai, please let that be me.” She closed her eyes and took a slow and even breath then nodded as her eyes reopened.
He led her over to the end of the bed. She sat down and her hands went to her face. “I’m sorry this is happening now, we had plans,” she sighed.
“Nope, don’t apologize, Tai. We will still go after we talk.” She nodded again.
“Okay, so I got back here to get ready and my mom called.” She paused but he remained silent. He went down on his knees though and rested his hands on her thighs his thumbs gently stroking her outer thigh. “The night Jordan broke up with me, I accused him having seeing someone else. Something he denied, but I’m not dumb.” She paused again.
“Go on, Tai, I’m right here,” he spoke low.
“So my mom called, she’s not happy that I didn’t fight for Jordan and when I left for here, we weren’t speaking. She called me because Jordan called her regarding last night’s conversation. And let’s just say my suspicions about him having another woman were correct.” He felt his eyes widen. Was she telling him what he thought she was?
“Tai? Are you saying your mother had an affair with your fiancé?” She just nodded at him, and his heart dropped and broke for her. “Tai, sweetheart, I’m sorry, I can’t even imagine...” She silenced him with her index finger against his lips.
“I’m moving on, she thinks I should forgive him, but hell no and right now I can’t forgive her, but I’m moving on. I called my dad when I hung up with her and I told him I never made it to the hotel and why. He told me to have fun and be free and damn it, Raiden, that’s what I’m going to do.” He smiled at her confidence.
“I’m part of that having fun and being free right?” She smiled her bright smile and leaned close to his lips. He could feel her breath and he was seriously losing it when she muttered.
“You bet your sexy ass, playboy.” He laughed and grabbed at the back of her head pulling her to his mouth the rest of the way. Hot and hard. Every single part of his body aware of every stroke of her tongue. Every movement of her hands as they came up his arms, his shoulders and finally settling around his neck.
Deep inside he knew they had to stop or they would be going nowhere today because he was about to take her right there, but it wasn’t time, not yet. He broke their kiss and her head dropped to his left shoulder. “Damn, sweetheart, I’m going to burst. Especially if our kisses are always like that.” He felt her start to laugh as he held her to him.
He pulled away and stood grabbing at her hands so she came with him. No more words were needed between them, the look she was giving him, the look he knew was plastered on his face was all they both needed. They were going to work. They would have their trials. They would have their issues to get through, but they would last.
Tai
Aishan was positively beautiful, it wasn’t large much like suspected when I first arrived yesterday. The only downfall was she could feel everyone staring, mostly women of course, as her and Raiden walked by holding hands. He hadn’t been kidding, he really had been a playboy. “Hey, playboy,” she teased, (not knowing it would be a nickname that would stick.) “Everyone’s staring.” He flashed his eyes over to her.
Running his free hand along the back of his neck. “Sorry, Tai, never had a relationship, so seeing me out in town holding someone’s hand is unusual for them. It is making you uncomfortable?” he asked, the concern in his voice caused a giggle to escape her mouth.
“Something funny, Tai?” His amused glare caused her to stop laughing and her breath caught. Damn, he was attractive and he knew it. She couldn’t find words under his stare so she just shook her head. She was becoming nervous, but it was a weird nervous she could feel a hot tingling sensation travel through her body. His amused look morphed in a hot, heated, passionate stare.
She finally looked down to break their locked eyes. A breath escaped her. “You and I are connected deep, Raiden,” she whispered.
His hand came to her chin and she met his eyes again, this time soft and sweet. Shining with emotion, “Yes, Tai, we are.” They stood there silent, his hand on her chin, their eyes still locked. A moment she didn’t want to end she felt as though he could see into her soul and therefore would always know what she needed at any given moment. They had a chance at something real; they had a chance at forever if she could allow herself to get there.
“So you were in line for him?” a female voice hissed from behind her, destroying the moment. She vaguely recognized it and when she twisted around she knew the face as the woman who had warned her to stay away from Raiden.
“Gloria, leave us the fuck alone,” Raiden snapped, the tone of his voice caused Tai to jump, but Gloria stood stock still, this didn’t faze her. She felt Raiden’s breath at her ear, “Sorry, didn’t mean to make you jump,” he sweetly whispered.
“What are you doing, Raiden?” Gloria hissed back.
“I was on a date, but I could ask you the same question, Gloria. What are you doing? Talking about me to Kai?” Who was Kai?
“Kai and I have known each other a while. He found me yesterday when I was bitching about you, so I talked to him. What’s it matter to you?” Tai found herself looking back to Raiden wanting this answer as well afraid there was more feeling there for Gloria then he had admitted to her.
“Look, do whatever the hell you want but don’t mention my name to Kai. And just so you know, he isn’t the good guy he pretends to be. Come on, Tai, let’s go get some lunch.” He grabbed her hand and hastily walked away from Gloria practically dragging her.
“Raiden, slow down.” She breathlessly spoke. He stopped and turned to her. His face layered with emotions that she couldn’t read.
“Tai,” he quietly began. “At lunch, I’m going to tell you something. It won’t be everything but you need understand a few things now. Can you handle that?” She stared at his hard gaze. He was serious about this he was going to share things before he wanted to most likely.
“Yes,” she replied simply and surprisingly honest for only knowing him just about twenty-four hours.
Raiden
He wasn’t happy with the fact that he was going to have to tell her things right then, but Gloria’s interruption to their date forced his hand. It was just a matter of how much to tell her. After lunch, they were going to have to go home, ending their day early because now he had to talk with his father about Kai. He couldn’t stand that guy and everything he and his family stood for. The feeling was mutual. The Lukas family had been trying to destroy Raiden, his dad, and up until her death, his mom for as long as Raiden could remember. He wasn’t going to let Kai and his family succeed. This was his country, his kingdom, Aishan and every surrounding city and town was his it wouldn’t be destroyed.
“Raiden?” Her voice broke his angered thoughts. As they slid into the booth at the restaurant, he made sure to sit across from her. He prayed to his mom, his guardian angel, that Tai’s presence could ground him.
“Tai, my dad and I, and my mom, when she was alive, run this town, as well as the whole country.” He looked down at the table and waited.
“Like a royal family? Where your dad is king and you are a prince?” She questioned.
He just nodded; his arms were crossed on the table and his head still looking down. He was afraid to look at her he couldn’t tell based on her tone how she felt about this. “So you really could be Prince Charming?” she questioned on an amused sigh.
“I told you, Tai, I want to be your Prince Charming, just yours.” No flirtatious tone laced in his voice, just seriousness. He slowly lifted his head to meet her eyes which were twinkling with happiness and something else and that made him nervous.
“I’m hoping you are, Raiden.” The honesty in her statement made his breath catch.
“I’ll make that happen, sweetheart.” He felt his heart start again, she wasn’t concer
ned with this little tidbit about him, she wanted him to be her Prince Charming and that had nothing to do with actually being a Prince.
“I know there are bigger things, Raiden, but let’s take them one thing at time, okay?” He nodded, thank goodness she was letting him off the hook, but he needed to cover one other thing. She needed to know Kai was off limits.
“Tai, if Kai approaches you and I’m not around, don’t listen to him just come back to me,” he pleaded.
“From our chat with Gloria, I assumed that was a given. No worries, Raiden.” Damn, she was an angel. He really was flying to the States to explain to Jordan just what he gave up. An affair, with her mother. How the hell did he think he could ever deserve her after that? He sure as fuck didn’t deserve her. Hell, Raiden wasn’t even sure if he deserved her but he was going to make it so he was worthy of her.
To the world,
So I am back in my room at Raiden’s house. We had a splendid time until Gloria interrupted us and caused Raiden to drop a bomb on me I wasn’t completely prepared for. However, I’m not scared by it. Well I am, but Raiden is normal enough that the fact that he is a prince doesn’t concern me. The truth is, I was falling him already, so this doesn’t change anything that actually matters. It terrifies me because he is talking about long term and forever with me which means I become a princess. That is the part I am not sure if I could handle, but who knows, if Raiden and I last, maybe he’ll have a way to calm that fear in me like he has done for my fear of jumping into another relationship so soon after Jordan crushed me.
And well, speaking of Jordan. I learned something from my mother. Yes, my mother called me today. The words she spoke crushed me beyond repair or so I thought, and then Raiden walked in and helped flip my world around. He has a way of letting me vent and air it all out before calming me and letting me feel how special he believes I am, which has a weird calming effect on me. I told him today that we were deeply connected and he agreed with me. It frightens me because Jordan broke me to pieces and the connection we had was nothing compared to the connection Raiden and I have. I don’t know what I will do if we fell apart.
It feels too good to be real. He’s almost a dream come true, but being a prince isn’t his only secret and that is the only problem.
~Tai
She set the journal on the desk and went in search of Raiden. Not to talk in particular but to just be near him. It was important to her to get to know him like she had been. She wanted to know about his mother because she now understood she was deceased. More importantly though, she wanted to just be close to him. He was able to see deep into her soul and it was oddly comforting while being terrifying as well. Tai knew without a doubt though, she was falling hard for Raiden and she hoped when she learned it all, the bottom didn’t drop out. If it did that, she would be caught by Raiden before falling into the black depths of a world without him.
She appeared in front of his door and knocked. She waited but there wasn’t any response so she knocked again, still nothing. Well bummer, she turned to go back to room, “Did you need something, Tai?” It wasn’t Raiden’s voice it was Lee’s.
She turned to face him, “Was just looking for Raiden.” He nodded at her.
“Out on the back porch, think he was a little worried about how you were handling the Prince thing.”
“It wasn’t something I was expecting, but I’m okay with it. It’s the other stuff that I know he hasn’t told me that worries me more.”
“Beautiful girl, you will know it all soon enough, don’t rush it. Just go with the flow and see what happens.” Lee was definitely one wise man.
“Good advice, I’ll be sure to do that. Going to go find Raiden now.” He smiled at her.
“Go on child, I know he’s worried.” She nodded and was quickly walking through the house to the back porch she had found him on yesterday.
Raiden
He was worried when said she wanted a little space when they got back to the house. If she couldn’t accept the fact that he was a prince then the fact that he was a vampire was really going to be a tough pill to swallow. Hell, it was going to be a tough pill to swallow no matter how she took the prince thing.” What would he do if he lost her? He would have to go along with the arranged engagement he promised his dad he would, but he wanted Tai. He thought he heard the porch door slide open but he didn’t turn around to verify it. He needed to think about how he was going to get Tai to accept this, accept him and everything he could give her, everything she deserved. A set of arms slipped around his stomach and he felt a forehead come to the center of his back. Tai, thank goodness. He placed his own arms on hers holding her against him.
“Don’t be worried, Raiden. I want us to work. I just wanted a chance to write in my journal it helps me clear my head. I started it after...well, I started it after everything.” He knew what she meant by that. She had started it after Jordan broke her heart and her parents informed her of their divorce.
He pulled at her wrist so she was in front of him, but he didn’t turn her to face him. Instead he slipped his arms around her stomach and pulled her close her back up against his front. He rested his chin on her head. This was peace, this heaven; he didn’t want life with her to end. It didn’t matter they had only known each other just twenty-four hours. “Don’t leave, Tai.” Her head leaned back and he was staring into her chocolate eyes.
“I’m not.” It was simple, honest and straight forward. He squeezed her a little tighter and he felt her snuggle into him. “I’m falling hard, Raiden,” she whispered.
“Falling hard, too, Tai.” She laughed lightly in his arms.
“Good,” she replied causing him to laugh as well. “Will you tell me about your mom?”
He nodded against the top of her head, “Of course, sweetheart, can we go inside?”
She twisted out of his arms and as she did he studied her, “Yes we can,” she grabbed both of his hands and began walking backwards to the sliding door pulling with her. The smile on her face set his world to a peaceful state.
Tai
Sitting in Raiden’s lap on his bed was something that should have caused her to revert into the shell she had been living in for the last month. The shell she almost diverted back into this morning when her mother admitted to having an affair with her now ex-fiancé. But here, she was oddly relaxed in his lap, on his bed, a little over twenty-four hours of meeting him. It was a place she didn’t want to leave. Deep down she knew things happened for a reason and every event of the last month, no matter how heart breaking, had brought her here, and this was where she was supposed to be.
She was getting ready to ask him what his relationship with his mother had been like, but her phone started ringing. ‘Jordan calling.’ She sighed, “I’m going to put it on speaker, try to hold your tongue for a minute at least,” she smirked at him and he smirked back, she knew he wasn’t going to hold his tongue when Jordan started spitting out his bullshit. The only reason she was answering was so it was made clear to Jordan they were over especially now. “What do you want?” she snapped. She watched Raiden bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing.
“Tai, we need to talk about what your mom told you.” No, they really didn’t.
“No, Jordan, we don’t. And the fact that you still have contact with my mother is a little strange.” She was trying to keep her voice steady, she wanted to be reasonable. But reasonable was about to go out the window.
“Tai, please understand?” She shook her head and nodded at Raiden, she needed him to handle this now. Jordan was getting under her skin and since just finding out what had happened with him and her mother. Everything about her conversation with her mother was still raw, and she knew she needed someone else to fight for her this time. And well, Raiden was itching to do just that, so she gave him free reign in that moment.
“Listen here, you fucking moron,” Tai snapped her eyes from the phone to Raiden, he smiled and shrugged and she cupped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.
Jordan was going to shit himself. “You screwed up, now I won’t tell you this again so listen real good, asshole. Tai is mine now. I find out you’re still messing with her head and her heart I have no problem hunting your sorry good for nothing ass down and beating the shit out of you.” Tai waited for Jordan’s reply.
“Goodbye, Tai,” he said on a whisper and then the line went dead. Tai busted out laughing and Raiden stared at her perplexed.
“He actually sounded hurt there. It was comical considering everything he did to me. Thank you, Raiden. Having him put in his place felt good.” He bent his chin down and his lips came to hers.
She twisted in his lap so she was now straddling him and her arms wrapped around his neck tightly returning his kiss with every ounce of passion she had in her. Raiden had told Jordan she was his now and she truly felt like it. In a moment with her mouth locked onto his and her tongue stroking his, she knew no matter what, she wanted to be his forever.
The fact that Jordan even considered calling Tai again made his skin boil, so he was glad Tai allowed him to tell the bastard off. What made him even happier was the fact that she now straddling his lap and their kiss was hot, urgent and full of need. He felt a familiar hardness start to form and he knew if he didn’t break this kiss right now he would be powerless over his actions. It usually took a lot more than a kiss for him to get hard but one bat of her eyelashes in the last twenty-four hours was enough. This was why he had to stop now.