Tagan's Child

by ammyford1

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “Starving,” I admitted.

  “Good, because there is a picnic in the car big enough for the Dinaran army.”

  He parked the tractor inside one of the huge farm buildings and we made our way back to the garden. The sun was high and almost hotter than I could bear. I kicked off my shoes and sat down under one of the larger trees whilst Ahran went to the car to get our lunch.

  When he returned he laid a rug out on the grass and began to unpack the food. “We could go for a swim after we’ve eaten if you want to.”

  “Is there a swimming pool?” I hadn’t seen one.

  “No, but there’s a river,” he said, handing me a plate.

  “Ooh I haven’t swum in a river since I was a kid.” The thought of immersing myself in the cool water of a lazy river was extremely appealing. “But I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

  “You won’t need one,” he said with a fiendish arch of his eyebrow.

  Skinny dipping with Ahran? Yep, I’ll sign up for that. I was feeling happy, relaxed and willing to do pretty much anything he asked me to.

  “Ok, I’m game.”

  “Actually scrap the picnic, I might just have you for lunch.” He stopped what he was doing and turned to me on all fours and started to prowl towards me like a dominant, male lion in the Serengeti. Part of me wanted to lie down and be devoured like he was promising but part of me was excited by the prospect of a chase. I got up and ran as fast as I could across the lawn, struggling for breath through my laughter. Who was I kidding? I was no match for a fit Ramian male especially this gloriously fit Ramian male and he grabbed me before I’d even made it halfway to the house. We fell to the ground laughing. He flipped me over and pinned me down holding my hands above my head. My chest hurt from lack of oxygen and I panted for breath.

  “P…Please…don’t…t..tickle me, I…hate…being… tickled,” I said between gasps.

  “I have no intention of tickling you,” he said seductively. His head dipped and he kissed the side of my neck.

  I moaned. It was that spot, it got me every time.

  “Ah, there it is again. I could never tire of that sound.” His voice was thick and husky.

  I turned my head so my lips could meet his and just as our kiss was beginning to deepen, my stomach rumbled.

  “Oh my God! Sorry, that was my stomach.”

  “No, that’s my fault for not feeding you. You need to eat. I don’t want you passing out on me.”

  He stood up and with one easy movement I was in his arms.

  “I can walk,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck.

  “Humour me,” he replied and carried me back to the blanket. We ate the lavish picnic the palace kitchens had prepared and drank delicious sparkling wine in the shade of the tree.

  “Shall we head down to the river?” he suggested as we packed up the remainder of the food.

  “I don’t think I could swim after that.” I took in a deep breath trying to make room for what I’d eaten.

  “I wasn’t thinking of doing much swimming,” he said as he pulled me to my feet. The wicked look in his eyes set my pulse racing.

  “Fishing isn’t really my thing,” I said, screwing up my nose and shaking my head. My attempt at humour would have been more convincing if I hadn’t sounded a touch breathless.

  “That’s not what I had in mind either,” he clarified, his voice becoming deep and velvety.

  “Feeding the ducks?” I queried innocently. I had a picture in my mind of Ahran standing naked in the river, his hair slicked back and water droplets clinging to his skin, his body glistening magnificently in the sun. The image made my stomach muscles tighten.

  He shook his head slowly and started to unbuckle his belt. My breath caught in my throat.

  “Take your clothes off Sophie.”

  “What, here?” I said, looking around nervously.

  He nodded. “No-one will see you,” he said, the wicked glint in his eye causing heat to spread through my body.

  “Okay,” I said with a degree of uncertainty but bolstered by the wine I’d just consumed. My hand went to the top button of my blouse. Ahran didn’t take his eyes off me and started to step backwards slowly. I unbuttoned my blouse and walked towards him. I shrugged it off and let it fall to the ground but refrained from taking anything else off. I raised an eyebrow at him encouragingly. A striptease could be interesting. I’d turned into a brazen hussy but by God, it was fun!

  I noticed a slight smile catch at the side of his mouth when he realised what I was hinting at.

  He pulled his polo shirt over his head in one sweep, that way only men seemed to do, and treated me to the sight of his muscles rippling across his shoulders and chest. Clothes seemed to be an unnecessary convention for him, he was more than comfortable in his own skin.

  I swallowed hard. He was so easy on the eye.

  The appreciative look on his face made me feel bolder. I undid the button and zip at my hip. It was daring and delicious and I wondered if we would actually make it to the river. I let my trousers fall to the ground and stepped out of them continuing to walk forwards in just my underwear.

  “God help me,” Ahran said quietly, shaking his head.

  He unbuttoned his fly, took his wallet out of his back pocket and pushed his jeans down over his hips. My eyes roamed over every divine inch of him. I could quite happily stare at him all day long and barely feel the need to blink.

  He stepped out of his jeans and his eyes moved to my chest anticipating my next move.

  I obliged and reached my hands behind me to unhook my bra and let it slip down my arms. My breasts felt heavy with arousal and the exposure to the sun and air made my nipples harden immediately. Ahran stopped in his tracks and let out a slow exhalation of air.

  He gave up walking backwards and walked towards me instead. I expected him to kiss me but instead he took my hand and led me across the track and down to a shaded, grassy spot by the river.

  He dropped his wallet on the ground and took his boxers off. I removed the rest of my underwear. We stood naked, facing one another, neither of us saying a word. Ahran gently cupped my face in his hands and stared into my eyes. It felt like a hundred years passed before his lips actually touched mine, the delay making my heart pound so hard I thought it might bruise my ribcage. My hands hung limp at my side, paralysed by the wave of emotion I felt. He took a small step forward and I felt his arousal up against my abdomen. I reached my hands around his back and pressed him to me.

  He gently eased me down until my body came into contact with the soft, cool grass. He broke away briefly to roll on some protection and then straddled me, clasping my hands on either side of my head. I was more than happy to surrender myself to him.

  He kissed me tenderly, soft warm kisses fuelling the fire that was already burning in my veins. I tilted my hips towards him. How could he be so slow and deliberate when every nip of his mouth and stroke of his tongue made me want to grind myself into him like a scarlet woman?

  I felt his chuckle rumble in his chest. “Easy, Mootya. I want to take it slow and show you how much I appreciate your beautiful body.”

  “Slow, schmow,” I panted scornfully and grasped his buttocks. How I’d changed. There had been times in my gloomy sexual past when I had dreaded the moment of penetration but with Ahran I almost begged for it. What had this man done to me? Whatever it was, I loved it and I couldn’t get enough of him.

  “Okay, you don’t make it very easy for me. One day we will make love slowly and I will worship every beautiful part of you,” he promised breathlessly.

  He gently eased himself into me and I held myself still, providing the resistance he needed. We both moaned quietly when he made contact with my deepest parts. He didn’t make any attempt to move immediately and we stared deep into each other’s eyes, our emotions flowing freely between them. I disentangled one of my hands and touched the side of his face, marvelling at the strange twist of fate that
had brought us together. There was a God and he was lying here in my arms.

  Ahran began a slow unhurried rhythm. I moved my hand away from his face and down to his backside pulling him into me every time he made a downward sweep. We took and we gave and we savoured every sweet sensation until the moment we both fell into one another.

  *****

  Ahran pulled the front door shut and locked it. He turned back towards me. “It’s been an incredible day.” He smoothed my hair and concentrated on tucking a strand behind my ear.

  I looked up at him and nodded in agreement. We had spent a blissful hour or so by the river and when we had walked away from it my doubts and fears about us had drifted away like the leaves floating on its surface. It was as if a large and suffocating stone had been lifted off my chest and for the first time in my life I was able to draw in a deep satisfying breath.

  He positioned himself squarely in front of me and took my face in his hands. He rubbed his thumbs over my cheeks and paused meaningfully.

  “I love you,” he said, his eyes blazing into mine.

  I absorbed his words into my heart. If I’d had any lingering doubts about what the future might hold those three little words had just blown them away.

  Chapter 26

  Our day was over far too quickly. We’d spent the journey back to the palace holding hands, our fingers laced together in Ahran’s lap and taking turns to stare at each other like lovesick teenagers. I didn’t want this feeling to ever end but unfortunately our day together had to, as we dutifully adhered to Halsan’s parting words this morning.

  “Who’s going to be there this evening?” I asked.

  “Most of Dinaran nobility, I would imagine.”

  “That’s not daunting at all,” I said.

  “You’ll be fine, most of them are okay and you’ll meet my parents tonight.”

  “You didn’t mention anything about your parents being there.” I swivelled in my seat and looked at him in horror. I wasn’t ready to meet them, especially his father, who I had begun to dislike with a passion. I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that they would be there, of course they would be there, they were part of the King and Queen’s royal circle.

  “They won’t bite,” Ahran said.

  “After what I’ve heard about your father, I’m not so sure about that.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry, he usually behaves himself in company.”

  “You’re not making me feel any better.”

  Ahran put his hand on my thigh and gave it a squeeze. “It will be good for you to meet them sooner rather than later, it will make it less daunting for you when I eventually introduce you to them as my girlfriend.”

  Panic flooded my body.

  Ahran brought my hand to his mouth and planted a reassuring kiss on my knuckles. “You’ll like my mother, she’s nice.”

  I couldn’t help thinking this said more about his father than his mother.

  “I know she’ll like you.”

  “That might not last when she finds out I’m the reason you broke up with Talina,” I said, feeling unconvinced.

  “Let’s just take things one step at a time.”

  Some things were easier said than done.

  We drove through the gates and pulled up in front of the palace. I looked up at the King and Queen’s understated residence. I was dreading the next few hours and half contemplated grabbing Toby and running off with Ahran somewhere away from it all. But instead, I would have to endure the evening pretending that Ahran and I were nothing more than just friends.

  I gave him a peck on the cheek. “See you later.”

  “Goodbye for now, my beautiful Mootya,” he said softly.

  I only had an hour to get ready. When I got back to my room Toby had already changed and was playing on a game console I hadn’t seen before.

  “Hi,” I said, kissing his hair and squeezing his shoulders.

  “Hi,” he replied, tearing his eyes away long enough to give me a quick smile before turning his attention back to the screen.

  “Where did you get that from?” I asked.

  “Leylana gave it to me. She said it was a late birthday present.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That was nice of her.” I sighed. As I suspected, he was going to be utterly spoilt. “Have you had a nice day?” I asked over my shoulder, walking into my bedroom.

  Toby came and sat on my bed, his desire to tell me about his day outstripping his desire to continue playing his computer game.

  “It was brilliant! You should’ve seen the foals they were so cute, their legs looked too long for their bodies. I even sat on one of the racehorses.”

  “You didn’t?”

  “Yep! Halsan said he was their best horse and hasn’t lost a race yet. In a few weeks’ time, he’s going to take me to the races so I can watch him race.”

  “Wow! That’ll be exciting.” I tried not to feel irritated that Halsan was making plans involving Toby again without asking my permission. I silently counselled myself that it was okay for the King and Queen to give Toby gifts, and that it was important he spent time with them. I was hoping that the more I said it the more I would believe it. Other than with Katie, I’d never had to share him.

  I sat down on the bed next to him. “How are you feeling about everything now?” I asked, wondering how he was coping with so much change.

  “Don’t worry about me Auntie Sophie, I’m fine. It’s really nice to have a family.” I flinched at his words, even though I knew having the sum total of a single auntie hardly constituted a family. I’d spent so much time worrying about whether I was losing Toby, I hadn’t realised how much he was enjoying being with his grandparents. On so many occasions he had witnessed other children’s grandparents waiting at the school gates ready to whisk them off for an afternoon treat. I should have been pleased he now had grandparents of his own. And in a way I was, but it was such a big adjustment for me.

  “I’m so pleased you are happy.” I gave him a hug. “Right, I’ve got less than an hour to do something with this hair,” I pointed to my head and pulled a cross-eyed grimace.

  “You’ve got grass in it,” Toby said, reaching over and plucking it out to show me.

  “How on earth did that get there?” I said quickly and jumped off the bed. “I must get ready, or we’re going to be really late.” I scooted into the bathroom to avoid giving him an explanation.

  I ran a bath, lowered myself into the warm suds and laid my head back, my eyes closing automatically. I tried not to dwell on the evening ahead and for the next twenty minutes replayed every perfect moment of the day I had just spent. Ahran had told me he loved me. Who needed poetry when those three little words existed? I couldn’t quite believe it. Ahran was in love with me and I had never felt happier.

  After I’d washed and the water had begun to cool, I pulled myself out with a sigh. I wrapped my hair in a towel and went back into my bedroom to see what had appeared in my wardrobe. It was like something out of a children’s story book, every time I opened the doors new clothes had appeared.

  I had been provided with a number of beautiful dresses that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the red carpet at an L.A. premiere. It only served to heighten my nerves. I chose a floor length, dusky rose, satin dress with a surprisingly plunging neckline. If I didn’t know better I would say Leylana wanted me to attract the attention of a certain ineligible bachelor. After blow drying my hair I carefully applied make-up and chose a silver vintage style clutch bag and shoes to match. I stepped in front of the mirror to assess the overall look. I was pleased with the result, the dress clung in all the right places without being too revealing.

  Our servant escorted me and Toby to the gathering and took us to a part of the palace I hadn’t been before. We entered a large banqueting hall decorated with swathes of fresh flowers and greenery. At one end were beautifully laid tables with more fresh flowers and there were a number of servants circulating the room with trays of champagne ensuring that
no-one’s glass was empty. I wondered if Ahran’s parents were here yet. I put my arm around Toby, more to reassure myself than him. Out of nowhere, a young man appeared and I lifted a glass off his tray. I took a sip and scanned the room for Ahran. There were more than two dozen people here already. The King was deep in conversation with a tall slim man sporting a short pointy beard and the Queen stood at his elbow. That was until she spotted us. She came over to where I was standing. Toby was fidgeting by my side.

  “Ah! There you both are. I’d like you to come over and meet my aunt and uncle the Duke and Duchess of Tulkan, they are very keen to meet you.” I knew the Queen probably didn’t mean me, but I went with them anyway.

  The room began to fill and I was amazed at how patient Toby was as he was whisked from one group of people to the next. I kept my eye on the door wondering where Ahran had got to.

  I was on my second glass of champagne when he came through the door accompanied by an older couple. The man was slightly shorter than Ahran and had sandy coloured hair peppered with grey, a well-defined brow and a jawline that was familiar. His moustache was the same colour as his hair and he stood ramrod straight like a colonel in the army about to deliver orders to his brigade. I silently shot daggers at him. The woman at his side was slim, elegant, and beautiful with white blond hair, artfully styled into a feminine bob. They made a striking pair, but even their combined attractiveness was no match for their son’s, who had clearly inherited all their best features and then some. He looked resplendent in a beautifully tailored dark grey suit, crisp white shirt and matching grey tie. It was the first time I had seen him formally dressed. He looked like a successful, international business magnate and the sight of him set my pulse racing.

  Ahran was scanning the guests and I was half tempted to hide but he soon spotted me.

  Luckily, his parents stopped to talk to another couple and he made his way over to me on his own. He let out a low whistle. “You look utterly gorgeous, I shall look forward to making love to you in that dress later tonight,” he whispered as he kissed my cheek.