His eyes met Caramel’s for a second, but as quickly as Caramel had offered his hand, he jerked it away.He spun away from Franklin, snatched up a T-shirt that had been tossed carelessly over the back of a chair and pulled the thin material over his head.
Damn, but he was stunning!Franklin let his attention linger on the lean lines of muscle for as long as possible before they were hidden away.One thing was sure, whatever Caramel wanted from him, it would be worth every penny.
Scooping up a scruffy backpack, Caramel grabbed a denim jacket from a hook next to the mirror.That seemed to be it as far as his belongings went.
“My car’s—” Franklin began as they all made their way out of the club.
“Cameron will ride with me and Ryland,” Arslan cut in.
Enough was enough.Franklin spun around to face him.“What is your problem?”
Arslan raised an eyebrow at him.“My problem?I’m not the one standing in the carpark screeching like a toddler having a tantrum.”
Franklin took a deep breath as he glared up at Arslan.That wasn’t true.The question might not have been framed perfectly politely, but he’d been bloody careful to keep his voice down.Knowing all that didn’t change anything.Arslan had a teacher’s way of making it sound like whatever he said was perfectly accurate anyway.
By the time Franklin had spun away from Arslan, Ryland had already settled Caramel into their car.
“We’ll meet you back at the den,” Arslan told him.“If it makes you feel any better, you can tail us all the way.”
Franklin stormed back to his car and slammed the driver’s door behind him.Keeping Arslan’s car in sight didn’t actually make him feel any better about anything.
His palm was tingling where Caramel’s skin had touched his.They should still be touching.Even the smallest amount of space existing between them was too much.Being in an entirely separate vehicle was intolerable.
Pulling up in a flurry of gravel outside the den, Franklin jumped up of his car, marched towards the other vehicle and yanked open Caramel’s door.
As Caramel levered long, graceful limbs out of the vehicle, Franklin couldn’t make himself step back and give him extra room.Hell, he could barely keep his hands at his sides and stop himself reaching out to caress Caramel’s body that second.
Clenching his hands into tight fists, he forced himself to remember the men and lions who still surrounded them.There would be time enough for him and Caramel to come to some sort of arrangement once they gained some privacy.Turning toward the house, Franklin strode inside, determined to get to that point as quickly as possible.
An hour later, Franklin’s hands had been furled into fists for so long, they were beginning to cramp.There didn’t seem to be any possibility of achieving any sort of privacy in the den.Hints, subtle and blatant, always fell on deaf feline ears.
As it grew late, and he was finally shown to his bedroom by Ryland, Franklin couldn’t help but be acutely aware of the fact that it would be his room, not his and Caramel’s room.
“Which will be Caramel’s?”he asked as he was led along a corridor lined by doors.
Ryland hesitated for a moment.“Yours is just along here.”
Franklin glared at the back of his head.
Ryland opened and door and pointed out where the en-suite and the spare blankets were.“If you need anything else, Arslan’s and my room is just at the end of the hall.”He pointed to the appropriate door.
“And Caramel’s room?”Franklin enquired again.
Ryland pushed his hands into his jeans pockets as he shrugged.“Sorry.”
“Really?”Franklin snapped “You don’t sound it.”He strode along the length of the room, past the big double bed he was apparently destined to sleep in alone that night.
“He’s had a rough time,” Ryland reminded him.“Maybe a bit of breathing space is a good thing for both of you.”
Franklin turned at the end of his pacing route and glared at Ryland as he realised there was no way in hell he was going to get his own way.“Enjoying your power trip?”he demanded.
“Not particularly.Not my kink.”Ryland held his gaze as he said it, for all the world like a man who knew he was doing the right thing and was going to bloody well keep doing it regardless of how uncomfortable it made him feel.
“I don’t suppose it’s occurred to you that I could make it worth your while if you—”
Ryland stepped back as if Franklin had slapped him.“The only thing that occurs to me is that everyone should get some sleep.No one makes good decisions when they’re exhausted.Goodnight.”He closed the door behind him.
Franklin strode across to the door, only to stop with his hand wrapped around the handle.What the hell was he going to do, storm through the upper floor of the house opening every door and waking every lion in the house in the process?
