Cooper gave him a quick nod but was prevented from responding when Asia and Cat burst into the room, chattering a mile a minute about secret rooms, tunnels, and a dungeon. Leave it to a couple of women to find what others had spent weeks searching for. Franklin’s team had been in the house several times but hadn’t been able to find what the Adler sisters located in less than an hour. Un-fucking-believable.
Before Franklin could question them, the chimes on the wall sounded, indicating visitors were approaching the house. Until he had a chance to see for himself what the ladies had discovered, they needed to keep the inventory team contained on the main floor.
“Cara, please bring the two statues we talked about into this office. I’ll grab a couple more I remember seeing on Vienna’s list while Cooper and Catalina greet our visitors.” Franklin ignored Cooper’s questioning look, hurrying to pick up the artifacts closest to the door. He sent out a quick spell, summoning the remaining pieces, and was pleased to see them sitting on the desk when he reentered the office.
“What the holy hell? How did… hey, wait… you used magic? You have got to teach me how to do that.” The light in her eyes reminded him of a kid who’d just caught his parents in a compromising position. Sending a telepathic image to Asia was easy, keeping a straight face when she gasped, scrambling to keep from dropping the miniature gold knight’s shield she’d been ready to set on the desk, not so much.
“Oh, my Goddess. Don’t ever do that to me in the courtroom or when I’m driving.” Pressing her palms against the desk, Franklin smiled when he caught the scent of her arousal. Obviously, the bondage scene he’d sent wasn’t over the line. Good to know. Taking the heavy icon from her hands, Franklin set it carefully on the desk before shackling her wrist with his hand.
“Come with me, Cara. We were interrupted earlier, and I want to kiss you before we’re forced to entertain a guest.” Moving her into the opulent washroom attached to Emmett Quan’s office, he watched Asia’s face flush when the snick of the lock echoed in the heavily marbled room. He had to hand it to Vienna’s grandparents, they certainly knew how to live lavishly. Looking down into her hooded eyes, Franklin felt himself falling into their hazel green depths. Cupping the side of her neck with his palm, he felt her pulse kick up at the subtle restraint.
“I’m thrilled you found the hidden rooms, Cara. You never cease to amaze me. Brilliant, passionate, and mine. Watching your eyes dilate as your quick mind begins letting go, giving your heart a chance to take over, is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Everything about you draws me in.” Skimming the pad of his thumb along the underside of her chin, Franklin smiled when her lips parted in anticipation. Perfect.
Asia’s mind was so clouded with desire, she was only dimly aware they were standing in a bathroom large enough to host a small party. The echo of their combined heavy breathing fueled her need, and blessedly, he didn’t make her wait. Without any of his usual finesse, Franklin slammed his lips down on hers in a kiss so hot, Asia felt herself sway toward his muscled chest. The man was a damned magnet, the force of his personality alone enough to pull her closer.
The tip of his tongue teased her lips, tempting her to open further until he slipped through, invading her mouth and stealing her sanity. Fingers, sliding from the side of her neck to cup the back of her head, tightened in her hair, giving him control of her position and threatening to melt her into a puddle at his feet. Asia briefly wondered how he’d known this room was here—the door was cleverly disguised as one of the dark mahogany wall panels—but her curiosity was quickly eclipsed by the clamoring of her body to get closer to the man who was stealing her ability to function rationally.
It wouldn’t have mattered where she’d first seen him, Franklin Cordesi would have captured her attention. Physically, he was perfection. Tall, dark, and distinguished, his walk was more a prowl, pure predator. Hell, he moved as silently as Catalina and Brooklyn. The few times they’d managed to leave their hotel room to venture out in public, Asia noticed other women’s reactions to Franklin, even though he didn’t. Great Goddess, she’d seen women walk into tables, stumble off curbs, and stop to openly stare as Franklin walked by… what she hadn’t seen was him take note of their attention. Nothing sexier than a gorgeous man who only has eyes for the woman he’s with.
“Such a busy mind. I’m losing my touch if you are still able to think, Cara.”
Damn, she hadn’t meant to let her mind wander, but she was dangerously close to stripping and begging him to fuck her. Think about something else… anything else… like the price of rice in China. His deep chuckle brought her back to the moment.
“I’m always happy to oblige your sexual needs, pet. You need only ask.” This man was quickly becoming an addiction. For the first time in her life, Asia was beginning to understand why newly mated shifters locked themselves away for several weeks after mating. She could barely keep her hands off him. What on earth is wrong with me?
Asia was so distracted, she didn’t realize Franklin’s cock was positioned at her entrance until he thrust in all the way to the root with one quick tilt of his hips. The sweet burn of stretching tissues sent her straight over the edge. Screaming his name, Asia vaguely registered the echo of her voice, bouncing off the marble. Yes, indeed, discretion had lost all its appeal.
The only thing that mattered was the blinding pleasure. Fireworks exploded behind her eyelids in a colorful light show worthy of any New Year’s Eve celebration. The irony of comparing a sexual release so powerful, it was worthy of the French term, la petite mort, was not lost on her. A little death, indeed. She felt as though she’d died for a few seconds, only to have life thrust upon her once again when Franklin’s jetted seed splashed against the opening of her womb.
Franklin’s arm wrapped securely around her waist was the only thing keeping Asia on her feet, her knees folding out from under her with the first wave of blinding pleasure. It was like this every time with Franklin. As a member of Dark Desires and the Prairie Winds Club, Asia wasn’t an inexperienced virgin, but she’d never had any desire to have sex in a public place. She didn’t have sex with men she wasn’t in a committed relationship with—people grossly overestimated her sexual history.
Pounding on the solid wood bathroom door jarred Asia out of her blissful, post-orgasmic haze.
“Seriously, there are fifteen frigging bedrooms in this place—I counted them, and you two are shagging in a bathroom? Geez, what are you? Sixteen?”
Asia let her forehead fall to Franklin’s shoulder as she tried to contain her laughter. A male voice muttered in the distance before Catalina’s voice blasted through the door again.
“Well, I thought Vienna was kidding about the fifteen bedrooms, but… nope. There really are fifteen. This place if a freaking hotel. The master suite is bigger than most apartments and almost double the size of my place in New York.”
“Uh oh. Time to go. This could get ugly.” Scrambling to straighten her clothes, Asia quickly explained Cooper was under the mistaken impression Cat had already subleased her New York City digs. “I can practically see her rolling her eyes, and I know Cooper is going to be hot about this. No sense standing by, letting the two of them strangle one another. Hell, the international paperwork required to ship bodies home would be mind-boggling, then there are all those nasty explanations to my siblings and his sister. All that crying would be tiresome.”