She nodded to him. To get to the coffee pot, she’d have to walk past him. She could skirt around the long kitchen aisle, but that would only prove she was avoiding him. She didn’t even look at the coffee pot. She went straight to the refrigerator, took out a bottle of water, and went out the door to the verandah.
Sevastyan sighed and followed her. “We’re going to have to talk about it, Flambé.”
She leaned against the railing, staring out over the expanse of property. She didn’t even turn her head. “I don’t see any point. You explain. I accept the explanation. Then everything goes to hell all over again. It’s kind of a vicious cycle, Sevastyan.” She took a sip of water. “Do you know what I like about plants? About trees and shrubs? You can count on them. They’re always going to perform the same way.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I’m beginning to see that in you. I just had different expectations.” Her half smile held no humor. “Leopards don’t really change their spots.”
“What does that mean?”
She turned away from him. It never failed to amaze him how much she appealed to him. Everything about her. He should have been telling her that from the start. Now, if he said it she wouldn’t believe him. He tried to think what Mitya did for Ania. Mitya could be tough, even brutal, and Ania and Mitya had a very healthy sex life, but what were the small things that his cousin did that made Ania know he loved her beyond all else?
Actions were always so much better than words. He’d made the mistake of relying on their sex life, their connection through the ropes, and not putting any real thought into the little things that would have reassured Flambé that he meant to put her first in their life together. Had he done that, what had transpired the night before wouldn’t have caused such a visceral reaction.
“You have to be who you are, Sevastyan. I have to be who I am. It’s that simple when you really come down to it.”
“What do you think I’m like?”
“You know what you’re like. I don’t have to tell you.” She pushed her hair back and then pressed the water bottle to her temple. “I’ve got a bit of a headache. I think I need caffeine. If you’ll excuse me.” She turned away from him and went back inside.
Cursing under his breath, Sevastyan followed her in. The moment the door swung closed, the strobes went off, indicating someone had driven onto the property. “We’ve got company, Flambé,” he called out and snagged a gun, going to the front door, eyes on the security screen. “Stay out of sight.”
She didn’t answer him, but he knew she wouldn’t disobey. Flambé might be upset with him, but she would never compromise either one of their safety out of spite. Savastyan recognized Cain Dufort as he strode confidently up the walkway and then up the stairs to ring the doorbell.
Sevastyan opened the door slowly, warily, the gun in his fist, ready to kill Cain if the man made one wrong move. “You didn’t call ahead, Cain. I wasn’t expecting visitors this morning.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want
to sound overly dramatic but I need to talk to you and I don’t know if someone is listening to either of our phones.”
Sevastyan shoved the gun into the waistband of his pants and stepped back, indicating for Cain to enter the house. As he closed the door, turning to keep Cain in sight, he caught sight of Flambé coming from the kitchen. She had a smile on her face, not for him, but for Cain. Even her eyes were lit up. He detested that Cain Dufort could make her smile so spontaneously like that while she was so guarded around him.
“Cain, how lovely to see you. There’s a fresh pot of coffee. Would you like a cup?” She went right up to him as if she might plant a kiss on his cheek.
Shturm roared with rage and leapt toward Cain, raking at Sevastyan to break free. Sevastyan circled Flambé’s upper arm with false gentleness and pulled her away from the other man, around his body and behind him. “I doubt he’ll be staying that long. What can I do for you, Cain?” Sevastyan focused completely on the club owner, letting him see how close his leopard was. How close the danger really was.
Cain shook his head. “I’m sorry, Sevastyan, I had to come. I know Flambé’s close to the emergence, but the cops came to the club asking questions about you. They claimed they questioned you and you said you were at the club that night. They asked for the proof. I refused to give them tapes, but they’re asking for photographic evidence. I won’t give it to them without your consent.”
Flambé stiffened. He felt her step away from him.
“Flambé, go upstairs and wait for me,” Sevastyan said. He spoke very quietly, but it was an order.
He found it difficult to maintain when his leopard was losing control, due to having a large, unclaimed leopard in his prime be so close to his mate when she was near the emergence. That would be bad enough, but Flambé wasn’t committed to Sevastyan. She seemed to look on Cain with more favor. That put Sevastyan on edge, coloring the edges of his world a dark red and stirring the terrible well of rage that was always present, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it.
Flambé barely glanced at him as she walked past him. He was surprised that she actually went without a protest. Her shoulders were straight, her head up. She was barely speaking after the fiasco with Mitya and now hearing from Cain that he’d been at the club, he could imagine what she thought. He should have just told her. Truthfully, he hadn’t thought about it. He didn’t want her knowing he’d been stalking Matherson to kill him.
“Give them the photos, Cain,” Sevastyan said once Flambé had disappeared from their sight and he heard the soft closing of the master bedroom door. “I don’t have anything to hide. They did question me. Apparently, there was some party at a place Matherson was renting and the cops found dead bodies. How they think I could possibly be involved I have no idea. Matherson apparently disappeared. I had my people check and his private plane is gone. It was my bad luck to drop by the club to see you that night to ask to take a look at the garden Flambé planted for you. I only saw it the one time and I wasn’t paying attention to it.”
“Yes, you mentioned that you came to get her and took advantage of being alone in my little paradise. I wish I’d been there.”
“It was just as well you weren’t. I would hate to have to do in one of my good friends.” Sevastyan put an edgy humor into his voice. “I’d like her to make us a garden. Something a little different, but I thought your idea was a good one.”
Cain grinned at him. “I do like your woman. I wasn’t certain she was leopard, although I was beginning to suspect. It was my bad luck that you recognized what she was and claimed her before I ever got a chance. I need to find a mate for mine before it’s too late or he’s going to rip me or someone else apart.” The smile faded. He turned and walked toward the door. “You need something, let me know. There aren’t too many of us to count on.”
“I was shocked that my leopard was so fiercely certain hers was his mate. He wanted her and he immediately was protective of her. There was zero hesitation on his part. Don’t stay in your office all the time, or your club. You might want to talk to Flambé once her leopard’s emerged and she’s through the heat cycle. It’s possible she could introduce you to a few shifter women. But, Cain”—his voice went from friendly to cautionary—“don’t claim one unless you’re certain you’re going to treat her right, with respect. It isn’t fair to take one and then toss her aside and continue your lifestyle. Incorporating her into it is one thing, but leaving her behind is another altogether.”
Cain nodded. “I’ll talk to Flambé when you give me the go-ahead.”
Sevastyan saw him out, closed the door and watched him until the car had pulled down the driveway and he was certain the club owner had driven off the property. He stood for a time at the bottom of the stairs, feeling like he was starting all over again with Flambé. She had trust issues, big ones, and he hadn’t even scratched the surface with what the problems between them were. Now this happened.
Sighing, he went up to her. It felt like a hell of a long way up those stairs. Their bedroom was empty. He looked around. It was perfectly neat, not so much as a wrinkle in the perfectly made bed. Flambé didn’t throw tantrums. She didn’t yell. She didn’t fight. She retreated. She withdrew. She took herself far, far away. He could tell himself he had her, but he knew he didn’t.