Leopard's Run (Leopard People 10)

Evangeline frowned and shook her head, looking up at her husband. He curled his fingers around the nape of her neck. “What position were you thinking?”

“Security. I’ve worked in Borneo, and Drake’s been working with me as well. I’ve brought a resume, but hoped you’d give me consideration because I’m family.”

Evangeline looked as if she might faint she went so pale. Timur knew she didn’t like Gorya or him working as bodyguards for Fyodor. She certainly didn’t want her brother taking that same position. Timur didn’t like anyone being a question mark.

“Timur is head of my security detail here on the estate,” Fyodor said easily. “He can interview you later and we’ll see what we have available.”

“You’re not working with your father?” Evangeline sounded desperate.

“He’s our father,” Christophe reminded, but his voice was gentle. “He works for Charisse and Armande at their perfume company. It isn’t my idea of work. I enjoyed getting out of the swamp but I need a place that—” he broke off looking at Ashe. Clearly, he meant where his leopard could run. “I want to see more of you, Evangeline. This is a chance for me.”

Ashe moved, suddenly uncomfortable, squirming in her seat and then trying to cover the movement by dropping her spoon. She reached down to pick it up from the floor and when she did, she looked a little desperately at Timur. He cursed under his breath. He couldn’t be distracted. Tenmyy leapt for the surface, at the first hint that his mate had woken.

“I suppose Timur interviewing you would be okay,” Evangeline ventured, clearly not liking the idea.

“I’ve heard you’re making quite a name for yourself with your bakery,” Beau said, leaning back in his chair as a maid came in and removed plates. He kept his gaze fixed on his daughter. “I’ve been thinkin’ of ways I could help you, make up for your childhood.”

Timur kept his features blank. He didn’t make the mistake of looking at Fyodor. There was something off in Beau’s tone. He had the feeling they were about to hear the real reason Beau Tregre was sitting at his daughter’s table.

“You could ship all over the country. Why keep your baked goods just here? You get a website, and people order from you. I’m used to packin’ boxes. I’ve been doin’ it for years for Charisse and Armande. You’d do three times the business you’re doin’ now, maybe more.”

There it was. The real reason they were there. Timur hated being right. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fyodor lean into Evangeline, brushing his mouth along her neck.

Ashe put her hand on Timur’s thigh and squeezed tight, her fingers digging deep into his muscle, feeling desperate. Her body was throwing off so much heat he felt as if he was sitting next to a furnace. A leopard didn’t leave his mate in a world of hurt. When she was in heat, his first priority had to be her. Timur had never felt so torn in his life. He needed to hear what Beau had to say, and he needed to leave.

He bent his head to Ashe, and pressed his mouth tight to her ear. “Can you hang on, baby?”

She swallowed hard but, with her eyes steady on his, she nodded. His heart stuttered. He had the most fantastic woman imaginable. She didn’t know what exactly was going on, but she knew it was important. Her fingers dug into his thigh even deeper beneath the tablecloth. He put his palm over her hand and pressed in an effort to reassure her.

“Pere . ” Christophe sounded as if he was choosing his words carefully. “We talked about this. We agreed it wasn’t a good idea, remember?”

“You and Ambroise agreed it wasn’t a good idea, but here you are, askin’ your sister for a job and you don’ want your old man to get in on the action. What I’m offerin’ would be big.”

Before Evangeline could shut down the conversation, Timur leaned toward her father. “What exactly would you do?”

Beau grinned at him, relaxing now that he had his moment to explain. “We could pattern the website right after the Mercier site. Ambroise can put the site together for us, can’t you, boy?” He pinned his son with a steely gaze.

Ambroise shook his head, but looked at his older brother, not his father.

Before Christophe could speak, Beau continued. “The orders go up, they pay with credit cards and then either Gilbert or I pack the boxes every day. One will pack here and the other in New Orleans. We don’ want to leave the Merciers in the lurch. When we start makin’ enough money here, we can turn the perfume business over to someone else.”

“You do realize that would mean Evangeline would have to work three or four times as hard as she does now,” Fyodor said in a quiet voice. That voice tipped off everyone in the room to the fact that he was the boss and no one would do a damn thing without his permission.