Franklin stood to the side, arms crossed over his chest, waves of frustration coming off him with a searing intensity usually reserved for former lovers. Oh, shit. That’s it. They’re lovers. Asia’s stomach turned, nausea rolling through her. I have to get out of here. Taking a step back, Asia stiffened her spine before pasting on a smile she knew looked as phony as it felt.
“Time for a break. I’ll let you two catch up while I make sure everything is in place for my brother’s and Mr. Barnes’ arrival.” Asia could feel Franklin trying to talk to her, but she’d managed to shut down the communication between them as soon as she recognized the sexual tension simmering between Franklin and Fragrance Enhanced Barbie—the same woman who’d been brought in to replace her. Fucking hell. Asia was a hot second away from going fully apocalyptic. How had she been so naïve? Turning, she ran into a hard, male chest. She’d have teetered precariously on her damned spike heels if strong, familiar arms hadn’t closed around her.
“Hey, big sister. Damn, it’s good to see you.” Israel’s voice vibrated through his chest as he gave her a reassuring squeeze. Asia felt him stiffen slightly before he added, “As happy as I am to see you, I need to speak with Franklin. Be a doll and show Cam where we’ll be staying and give him a quick, unvarnished rundown of what we’re up against.” Releasing her, he turned her to Cameron.
“Come, sweetness.” Cam’s deep, commanding voice had been known to fill a sub’s heart with terror if he’d caught them misbehaving, but right now, it was damned reassuring. Cameron Barnes was dominant in every aspect of his life. When he pulled her into his embrace, she let out a sigh of relief. His touch was brotherly—protective, much like Israel’s had been. The difference between the two was the air of power and control surrounding Cam. It was easy to see why he and Franklin were friends—they both oozed confidence with all the skills to back it up.
“I’m looking forward to my tour, pet.” Asia followed when Cam gave her hand a quick tug. The emotional crush of being replaced by one of Franklin’s lovers had taken the wind out of her sails in a way she hadn’t seen coming. Damn it, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t fall for him… and what had she done? She’d fallen ass over teakettle for him, despite knowing he would tire of her soon enough. This is why she’d always avoided committed relationships, learning quickly commitment was almost always one-sided.
Firming her jaw and straightening her spine, Asia let Cam tuck her hand into the crook of his arm, walking silently out of the room. She didn’t know what Israel could possibly have to discuss with Franklin, but she was grateful for the reprieve. By the time they reached the bottom of the massive staircase, she was finally able to pull in a deep breath.
“Better.” Cam patted her hand but didn’t stop walking until they were at the top of the stairs. Turning, so he could look down into her haunted expressions, Cam studied her for several seconds. “Talk to me, Asia.” The simple command was couched in friendship, but it was still a command. Sucking in a deep breath, Asia tried to sort through everything tumbling around inside her head. If she blurted it all out in random pieces, he’d think she was a blathering fool.
“Brilliant women.” His sigh of exasperation might have been annoying if she didn’t know he was married to one of the best and brightest medical professionals in the world. Dr. CeCe Barnes was a renowned pediatric surgeon who’d established facilities in two different countries.
“You think you need to have everything all labeled and categorized before you can share it.” Tapping the tip of her nose with his finger, he shook his head. “That’s not the way it works, little sub. A Dom asks you a question, you answer. Immediately and honestly.” She knew how it worked, but she’d never dated a Dom or seen one socially outside a club setting before Franklin. She’d never been forced to face her fear of being seen as emotionally vulnerable, and it was damned unsettling.
“Stop thinking and answer the question, sweetness, before you earn yourself even more punishment points. Judging from the volcanic expression on Cordesi’s face, you’re already in deep enough. Your hesitance is an insult to me as a Dom, and we both know that you know better.”
Hell. Of course, she knew better, and damned if he didn’t know since she’d trained at Dark Desires. She was not only insulting him, but her hesitance was also a slap in the face to the club’s extensive training program.
“They’re lovers.” She blurted out the words before she thought herself into oblivion. The words tasted bitter, and her heart felt like it was shattering. The one thing she’d made clear from the beginning was her disdain for bed-hopping. After her college boyfriend cheated on her, Asia had developed a deep-rooted contempt for those she considered fidelity challenged. Cam seemed to be mulling over what she said, rather than immediately jumping to his friend’s defense as she’d expected. The unspoken message was clear… he’d heard her.
“That was probably true at one time. I don’t believe it’s true now. How did you arrive at this conclusion?”
Simple, to the point—very much in Master Cam mode. Since he already understood empathic and telepathic communication, it wasn’t difficult to explain how clearly the other woman had communicated the message. Nodding his understanding, Cam once again tucked her arm into his before heading down the hall.
“This place is larger than most of the high-end hotels in Austin. Where’s my room? Will I need a map to find the kitchen and front door again?” She knew he was teasing, but it wasn’t a huge exaggeration.
Leading him the short distance to the two rooms she knew had already been designated for them, she only hesitated for a second before stepping into the first room. His smile told her he’d sensed what it had taken for her to enter the bedroom with a man she knew belonged to another woman. Looking around, he shook his head in amazement.
“I hope my wife never sees this place. I can’t tell you how many spankings she got while we were building our house, most of them about her insistence every bedroom needed to have its own en suite bathroom. This place would give her ammo for years.” For a building Asia knew was built in the 1800s, the Quan mansion had undergone extensive renovations over the years. There was likely only a vague resemblance to the original structure. Holding out his arm, he motioned to the door. “Come on. I want a tour. While we walk, I’ll tell you about the man seething downstairs. I may not be an empath, but I know your brother well enough to read his body language, and he was ready to tear Franklin limb from limb because his sister was upset.”
“What? We didn’t even talk about it. Israel is the strongest empath I know, but he wouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
“That’s not the way it works, sweetness. Israel loves you unconditionally. It wouldn’t matter if he thought you were wrong, he’d still walk straight into hell to kick the devil’s ass if he thought the demon had hurt your feelings. I’m sure he won’t hesitate to tell you if he thinks you’re wrong, but it won’t change how he handles Franklin.”
Sighing, Asia admitted she understood… she’d do the same for any of her siblings.