Dawn Endeavor 3: Julian's Jeopardy (20 page)

“Now this is where it gets good. We need popcorn,” Jesse said in a loud whisper to Olivia.

“I thought the whole point of this discussion was to learn about Ricardo Montaña.”

“And you, Sheridan Keyes. It's very important we know as much about you as we can,” Mrs. Sharpe said.

She didn't miss the satisfaction on the woman's face…or on Jules's.

“There's not that much more to know. My name is Sheridan Keyes. I'm a botanist who can heal injury with my hands. But other than that, I'm actually pretty boring.” Sheridan wanted nothing more than to escape all the drama. She didn't like being the center of so much attention, even if the winds of blame had finally shifted from her.

“You're far from boring, Sheridan,” Jules said in a low tone that made her entire body take notice. “You sated my mating heat with those hot little hands. And the rest of you…” His study left little to the imagination.

“Jules,” she hissed, more than discomfited, especially since she recalled what she'd been trying to ignore. Tersch had witnessed her slutty behavior earlier. Could she possibly be more embarrassed than she was right now?

“Now that is something special, Sheridan. Did you help the other Circs with their mating heats as well?” Jules asked, his voice suspiciously quiet.

“No!” She wanted to sink through the chair in humiliation. “Grayson and Raul didn't want that from me.” Well, Raul had wanted it, but she hadn't desired anyone but Jules.

“I called it,” Jesse murmured.

Olivia nodded in agreement. “I feel it. Can't understand why Jules doesn't, though.”

Sheridan wished she could just up and leave. “What more do you want from me? I told you the truth. I have no idea where Ricardo's compound was because we traveled at night. And when I left, it was under Grayson's guard. Raul just took off one day, and I hadn't seen him until he showed up and shot Morgan. Melissa is your traitor, not me. So why don't you just let me out of here.” She glared at Jules. “And give me back my ring.”

He shook his head and stood. “No can do, baby. We have a few more things we need to discuss in private. I'll talk to you guys later.” In a heartbeat, he'd hauled Sheridan out of her chair and into his arms.

“Quit it. You're always grabbing me.” Sheridan felt as if she were drowning in a sudden wave of sexual desire.

“Oh, man, not again.” Tersch groaned and practically leaped out of the way when Ava reached for his shoulder. “I'm out of here.”

“Wait, Gunnar. I want to talk to you.” Ava followed him out of the study.

“That girl has no patience,” Mrs. Sharpe muttered. “Go talk some sense into Sheridan, Jules. The rest of you, stay here. There are some things we need to do.” Sheridan protested, but no one listened. In minutes, she stood in Jules's locked bedroom with nothing but time, and a rapidly receding distance, between them.

The cell phone felt cool against her ear. “We did it. No, she didn't follow us.

And I just know she healed that asshole Morgan Reynolds.” Melissa Ramirez, previously known as Melissa Keiser, frowned at Raul, not pleased at the way this had panned out. Melissa was supposed to just disappear, not look like she'd been involved in her capture. Now the chance existed that those dickheads at Circ central might believe Sheridan Keyes was the innocent she claimed to be. And if that happened, Jack might put two and two together and not play his part.

And she really didn't need Jack Keiser on her tail. Posing as his wife had been one thing. The sex had been great, but she feared she'd let him get too close. He knew things about her, the way she thought, how she'd react in certain situations.

Having a scarily psychic badass after her might screw everything up, especially since she'd never bought Jack's cover story about quitting the Feds. Too bad her boss hadn't believed her suspicions. As if Jack Keiser would betray his country.

Yeah, right.

Raul and his friends stared at her with hunger bright in their eyes. But nowhere in her contract did it state she had to fuck animals to earn her paycheck.

She hadn't wanted to work with another Circ in the first place, but Lonnie—the great jefe—had insisted. And what Lonnie wanted, Lonnie got. She missed her man, but he had important things to do.

He answered her with a pleased chuckle. “Good work, Mel. From what I've gathered, our security forces are headed down there to help. Sharpe is blaming Montaña for your kidnapping.”

“Then the plan is working out better than I'd hoped it would. Montaña's men burned down the house and tried to use me as a messenger to deliver his threats, personally. Your boy Ricardo wants Sheridan. He's playing with Dawn Endeavor now, but he's going to go for their throats soon enough. According to Raul, he wants the invisibility trait Jules possesses, and he wants to use Sheridan as a brood mare.” Which made sense to Melissa.

Why the hell else would anyone want that bland little bitch? Sex, Melissa understood. Hell, even Jack had eyed the curvy redhead like a treat. But Jack had questionable taste. Hell, he'd fucked her, she thought with a grin.

“Interesting,” Lonnie said. “I'll use that as leverage if I have to. He'll want to know this right away.”

Mel's pleasure faded.
He
always wanted everything right away. Lonnie jumped when the man said jump, and it irritated Mel to no end. If Lonnie was indeed el jefe, the boss, shouldn't
he
make the rules? But she supposed Lonnie played the game his way, while she did what she had to do to survive. A hellish year and a half spent working for the navy had finally paid off. The end was in sight.

And at least you had a taste of Jack, Mel reminded herself. Talk about pleasure.

“We good, then?” Lonnie asked.

“I'd say so, for now. I recommend letting things play out between Montaña and the Dawn Endeavor team while we wait.”

She frowned as Raul nodded, rudely listening in to her conversation. Damned Circs and their enhanced senses.

The crackle of the phone sounded before Lonnie answered, “Sounds good. Stay out of sight. I'll call you again in a week to firm new plans.”

“Bye, baby.”

“Mel.” He hung up.

Mel turned to deal with her new team. Oh hell, they still seemed hungry, except for Raul. To her pleasant surprise, he looked reasonably sane. Not like he had the last time they'd met, before this mess had taken shape.

“I can see your friends need to expend some energy. You take charge of them.

I'm going to take a nap. I earned it.”

“Sure thing. Don't worry about the furniture. We'll try to play nice.” Raul turned and started dropping his clothes right in front of her. Mel beat a hasty retreat into the back bedroom of their little safe house in the middle of nowhere.

She closed and locked the door behind her.

One more week until she'd hear from Lonnie again. She couldn't wait.

Something growled. Muffled curses became roars, and then all hell broke loose as the walls shook and bodies bounced. Mel shoved her head underneath her pillow and prayed for their stupid mating heat to be over soon. God, she couldn't stand being two feet next to those barbaric assholes.

She missed Lonnie, his sophisticated humor, his lofty connections, the things he could do with his tongue…

“One more week, baby. Just one more. And then you and I can start making our
own
rules.”

* * *

Jules had a hard time focusing on anything but the hunger beating in his beast—for Sheridan. “You were right.”

She swallowed audibly and kept the bed between them. As if that would stop him.

His hands went to his shirt, and he ripped it off his body.

Sheridan licked her lips, absorbed by him, though she tried so hard to fight it.

The poor thing. She had no idea how much his beast loved that sexual innocence.

He needed to push past it to the hungry female beneath.
My mate. Take her now.

“Right about what?” Sheridan rasped.

Dark red hair flowed over her shoulders and teased the tips of her full breasts.

God, he loved her hair.

“We have a unique connection, you and I. One I've never felt with anyone else.” He kept his jeans on, though the denim was hell on his cock. He needed her, had to have her. But the woman was cautious. He could see the same desire in her eyes, could smell the musky arousal growing between her legs, and knew she belonged to him. Now he had to convince her of the same.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice breathless and so arousing, he groaned.

“I can't stop tasting you, that rich floral scent that goes straight to my head and to my dick.” He rubbed himself, needing her to see. Jules slowly unbuttoned his jeans and shifted his cock so that the tip of him was visible. “See how hard I am?

How wet? My slit's full of cum, baby. I need you to suck it off.” Sheridan licked her lips, and a rush of her arousal washed through the air.

“You…you shouldn't do this.
We
shouldn't do this. This biochemical reaction—” He cocked his head. “Biochemical reaction? That's what you're calling this?”

“I don't know what else to call it,” she bit out. “You want me; I want you. It's a basic attraction. Nothing more.”

“No? Then why do I think about you all the time?” She crossed her arms over those perfect breasts, unfortunately still covered by her damned clothes. “What can you possibly have to think about? We barely know each other. The only thing we've done together is have sex, and that's when you're not locking me up somewhere or hauling me around like a damned rag doll.” The hissing kitten turned him on so damned much. “I know a lot about you, baby.”

“My name isn't baby. It's Sheridan.”

“For example,
baby
, I know the way you throw your head back and cry out when you come around me. You flush a pretty pink, right along the tops of your breasts when you're aroused, and that sweet, sweet smell of your need is so tasty.” He opened his mouth and sighed, tasting her on the air. “You're wet now, aren't you?”

“I don't believe this. You want to have sex? I thought you wanted to talk.”

“I do. But I can talk while I'm inside you, can't I?” She didn't respond to his grin, but she did squirm a little. He could just imagine the slick ride between those thighs and tugged his zipper down a fraction. “See how hard I am? Come on, baby, you know you want a taste.”

She tried to hold out; he could see her determination to remain unaffected. His beast respected her need to assert herself, but Jules wasn't having it. He commanded. He led his team, and he'd lead his damned woman where he wanted her.

“I've tried being nice. Now get your ass over here and kneel,” he snarled, pleased when her scent ripened. The little scientist liked it when he told her what to do. She was so perfect for him.
For us
. His beast preened under the hungry look Sheridan shot his cock. “Open that mouth, baby. I've got what you need.” Sheridan moaned her denial even as she planted one foot in front of the other.

In seconds, she knelt before him, naturally submissive. As if in a daze, she fixated on his cock and stared. “This is just lust. It doesn't mean anything.”

“Touch it,” he said, his voice hoarse.
God, if she doesn’t do something soon, I’m
going to come while still in my fucking pants
. “But first, lose that shirt and the bra.

I want to see those tits while you're blowing me.” She shuddered as she removed her T-shirt and bra, leaving her full breasts exposed, the hard little nipples telling their own story. “You can't tell me what to do,” she denied weakly, contradicting the sight of her on her knees before him, half-naked and horny as hell. She smelled so fucking sweet.

“You're wet, aren't you, baby? Wet for me,” he growled and to his shock began purring.

Sheridan answered by leaning forward to lick the tip of his cock with a quick swipe of her tongue.

“Fuck.” Jules couldn't stop himself from plunging his hands into her thick hair as she took the tip of his cock in her mouth. She didn't touch him except to use her mouth, and Jesus, it felt good.

She moaned and licked the underside of his shaft, sucking on the plum head until he found himself humping her mouth.

“Unzip me more,” he said on a breath. “Come on, you little witch. Lick me from my tip to my balls. I want you to suck them, rub them, then gag yourself on the head of my cock.” He'd never been so blunt, so graphic, and yet it turned him on as much as it did her as he smelled her arousal spike. “Dirty little girl, aren't you?” She moaned. Her nipples stood stiffly, hard little beads begging for his touch.

He grazed one with his hand, and she sucked him so hard, he nearly came.

She released him from her mouth and pulled down his zipper too damned slowly. “I want you so much.” Sheridan met his gaze with a cloudy one of her own.

“This doesn't mean I'm not still mad at you. You put me in a cell, Jules.”

“I know, I know. A mistake, but one that kept you safe all the same. I'll apologize later, I swear.”

“Yes, you will.” She groaned and licked him again. “You taste so good.

Different from before. God, Jules, I want you.”

“Oh yeah. Take it, Sheridan. Eat me.” Had he ever desired anyone so much?

Burning up, on the verge of a cruel lust that spiraled out of control, Jules couldn't wait for her to do what he asked. So he demanded it.

He gripped her hair tight, but not hard enough to hurt, and pulled her closer.

“I fucking told you to eat me. Do it.”

“Yes,” Sheridan moaned. “Oh yes.” She went to town, licking his shaft from tip to base while holding him with a dainty hand that heated him from the inside out.

As she feasted on his cock, Jules felt strange, as if he were changing inside, and his beast encouraged it. Different from their sex before, this was something they both needed. Wanted. Instinct guided him, and he shoved hard into her mouth when she started to swallow him.

Her hands rubbed his balls; her mouth took him deeper. And then he was there at the back of her throat as she choked.
And he didn’t care
. Too rough, he tried to tell himself, but his beast hastened him on.