but she always suggested something close to what he wanted.
“Seriously, Flambé,” Rory said, “I’d love to be part of that when you start working on it, or even before when you’re in the designing phase. I’d like to see how you start to put something that big together.”
“Sevastyan has his own ideas, but if I can’t get you in on it, if he wants it completely private, I’ll have discussions about similar projects.”
She didn’t have a clue how long it would take to plant the massive indoor garden Sevastyan wanted without a crew. She would have to talk him into at least allowing a crew to plant the bigger bones—the large trees and any boulders or waterfalls she would have to build. He could put in his suspension pulleys and cables after as well as any other apparatuses he chose to incorporate just as she had done in the garden of paradise at Cain’s club. She had the feeling that even after she was gone, he would want his garden finished. That bothered her, that he would use it with some other women, but that was the way shifters were, particularly men like Sevastyan, and she had to accept that.
Flambé shifted her weight slightly to ease the sudden burning down her legs as it returned with a fiery scorching heat. It felt as if a white-hot flame traveled over her skin, licking slowly along her nerve endings. Flamme turned in a languid coquettish roll, stretching in a deliberate flirtatious manner. Rory and Etienne scrambled to their feet, moving uneasily away from her. Blaise rose more slowly just as a dark shadow fell over the top of her.
All three men headed to the work truck without a word to their boss and climbed into it, starting the engine and heading away from the estate at a rather fast pace, following the vehicles already departing. Flambé frowned after them, squirming as the burn between her legs flared and then receded as her cat slowly retreated. She rubbed at her arms and thighs, trying to combat the waves of itching and burning that made her feel so edgy and moody.
Sevastyan stood behind Flambé, breathing deep, taking in the heady scent she was throwing off between her little leopard and her as their cycles merged. Flambé might not have heard him, but it was impossible not to feel the menace of his leopard. Shturm was deadly. Snarling. Clawing for freedom. Raking and fighting his human counterpart for supremacy to get to his rivals. Sevastyan’s eyes had gone all cat, glowing a red-hot gold, banding with heat. He fought him back, knowing the leopard was fast enough to go after the trucks and drag the men from inside out onto the ground where he could rip them to pieces.
The female cat had decided to make an appearance, even if it was a small one. It was a risky moment, sandwiched between three males with her mate coming up silently behind her, but at least she had risen. Shturm wasn’t the most forgiving of males. He was rough and jealous and moody as hell, but he was very glad that his mate had shown herself.
Already, as if that brief little flare of energy was enough, the female had subsided, leaving Shturm more on edge than ever. Grateful for the years of experience and discipline, Sevastyan controlled his leopard and forced air through his lungs. Very, very gently, he rested one hand on Flambé’s shoulder, holding her in place, while he circled the nape of her neck with his palm.
“It looks beautiful out here already, malen’koye plamya. It’s amazing to me how quickly you’ve managed to transform the place.” He kept his voice very low. Velvet soft. No inflection that might warn her there might be trouble coming.
“I have a good crew.” She rubbed her itchy arm across her forehead and tilted her head to look up at him. “They really work hard. I haven’t had a chance to look at the greenhouse. Are the builders moving that along fast?”
He nodded, his gaze on the trucks driving away from the property, back to the main road. “It’s a huge priority for me, so yes, it’s coming along fast. You seemed to be having a very in-depth conversation with three of your workers.” He dropped his gaze to her face. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes. I wanted you to meet them. That was Blaise, Rory and Etienne. Blaise is my foreman. Rory is really interested in landscaping but Etienne