Page 35 of Deadly Deception
Franklin’s chuckle was low, raspy, and sexy as hell. “You want the shower first?”
“You go. I’ll make phone calls.”
With a final pat to my leg, Franklin threw his covers to the side and slid out of bed. I had a lovely view of his taut ass as he rummaged around his suitcase for a fresh pair of clothes. I hummed appreciatively as Franklin’s thick thighs carried him to the bathroom. By the time the door closed, my dick was more than a little interested. Lifting the sheets, I looked down atmy eager appendage and said, “Down, boy.” Unsurprisingly, my dick didn’t listen. It did care when I pulled up Momma’s phone number and hit send.
By the time I ended the call with Momma, my earlier issue had been soundly resolved. Leaning against the headboard, I considered how to get a hold of Agent Frost, aka Phlox. I’d kind of been hoping Aurelia might pop in and I could ask her if she’d be willing to pass a message along. I’d given that a fifty-fifty chance of Aurelia agreeing. However, my djinn shadow had been conspicuously absent since her impromptu visit last night. I was beyond curious to know how it was going with the kitten Peaches had foisted onto Aurelia.
Thinking of the pixie, I pulled up Peaches’s number and hit send. Virginia should be an hour ahead of my current location. Peaches answered on the second ring.
“Erasmus! How are you?”
Like nearly all pixies, Peaches was a happy soul. He was a little extra in the exuberance category, but I didn’t mind. Hearing Peaches’s voice nearly always improved my mood and put a smile on my face. Today was no different.
“I’m doing well,” I answered and realized that was a very true statement. “How are you and King Moony?”
I could practically feel the affection radiating through the phone. “Lucroy is wonderful. The sprites have gotten used to him and my trees greet him when he arrives and miss him when he leaves.”
For a bonded nature pixie, there was no higher compliment. “That’s good to hear.”
“It is. I was afraid staying at the orchard would be difficult for Lucroy, but his nest has adapted well. I believe my beloved’s nestmates are happy for him and accommodatingly adaptive.”
That was good on a lot of levels. Instability within a vampire nest, especially one as large as the Southeast nest, was nevergood. From what I understood, Lucroy Moony was a very tolerant and affectionate vampire king, at least by vampire standards.
I wanted to ask Peaches how Aurelia was doing with her newest ward, but I heard the shower shut off and knew Franklin and I didn’t have a lot of time today. “I have a favor to ask,” I said. “I would like to get in touch with Agent Frost. I’m not sure if you feel comfortable giving out his information or I’d be just as okay if you want to give him my number and he can contact me.”
“Oh, I don’t think Phlox would mind, but I don’t have his direct number. When I need to reach him, I call Dusk,” Peaches answered. “I can give you that number if you’d like.”
I could probably find it on the internet but said, “That would be great.”
Peaches rattled off a number that I jotted down.
“I hope everything is okay,” Peaches said, his voice now worried.
“Everything is fine. I’d just like his advice on something involving the Magical Usage Council.”
“That makes sense,” Peaches answered, cheer back in his voice.
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later,” I said by way of goodbye before hitting the end button.
Franklin exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam. That was my cue, and I hopped off the bed eagerly, naked as the day I was born, and headed to the bathroom. Franklin snapped his towel at my ass as I walked by, making me jump and giggle.
Once I was clean and my hair was semi-dry, Franklin and I headed down to breakfast. I had two delicious waffles slathered in maple syrup while Franklin stuck with boring eggs, toast, and bacon. I couldn’t figure out how anyone could pass up a chance at maple syrupy goodness. Franklin obviously disagreed.
It was a little after nine thirty a.m. when Franklin and I climbed into our rental SUV and headed back to the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office. Along the way, I decided to call Dusk. Considering Dusk was a nightclub, I doubted they’d be open this early. I was right and left a message asking if Agent Frost could give me a call back. I was still torn on whether to call the pixie/shifter by his given name or the moniker he worked by. Since this wasn’t a social call, I erred on the side of using Phlox’s professional name.
“You had to leave a message?” Franklin asked.
“I did. Peaches didn’t have Agent Frost’s personal number, so I called the bar his beloved Leon works at and left a message. From what I understand, Frost is typically there too.”
Franklin shook his head. “I still find that pairing difficult to swallow. Pixies and vampires. Who would have imagined that combination?”
I couldn’t disagree. “Do you ever watch the showInterspecies Habitat?”
“I’ve seen a couple of episodes.” Franklin chuckled. “I don’t want to even think about the physical logistics going on in some of those relationships.”
“They’re interesting, that’s for certain.” It was amazing where love bloomed. Eyeing Franklin, I considered that thought. Was I in love with the human beside me? No question. Was he in love with me? I thought he was, although neither one of us had said the words yet. I wasn’t going to lie to myself and say the words weren’t important, but Franklin showed me a thousand times a day, in a thousand and one different ways how he felt about me. It was in the way his eyes gentled when they landed on me. It was in the heat of his touch. It was in his careful words and even more careful handling of my feelings. It was in his respect and acceptance for what I was and what I did. It was in every fiber of his being.
That knowledge gave me a sense of peace. It filled up my empty spaces and strengthened my core. Everyone needed solid truths in their lives, knowledge they could fall back on and knew would be there when needed. I knew that Momma loved me. I knew that Pops did too. And now, Franklin O’Hare had landed in that same pantheon of unmitigated trust. My sphere of assurances had grown just that much larger, and it was everything.
