The glass walls of the Sterling penthouse offered a panoramic view of the city, a concrete jungle that Eleanor owned in every sense of the word. Her estate was a floating fortress of marble and chrome, and the terrace garden was its crown jewel.
Kael knelt in the damp soil, his t-shirt clinging to the muscles of his back, sweat carving salty rivers down his spine. He held the pruning shears with a grip that was too tight, his breath coming in short, uneven hitches.
A sharp click of stiletto heels echoed against the limestone. Kael froze. He didn't need to turn around to know the temperature had just dropped ten degrees.
"The Blue Himalayan Poppies, Kael."
Eleanor's voice was a sliver of ice, precise and cutting. Kael scrambled to his feet, wiping his muddy palms on his thighs.
He tu
