Dawn Endeavor 3: Julian's Jeopardy by Marie Harte

work. Work is safe; work is good.
    Even if Jules isn’t as horrible as Raul made him out to be, would Jules really want me anyway? I’m a freak. And a man as handsome as Julian Hawkins would never lower himself to be with someone like me if he didn’t have another choice . Right then, the door opened, and her good intentions to treat Jules as no more than a mystery to be solved went right out the window.
    Julian Hawkins looked even better now than he did in her dreams. All six feet four inches of prime male stared down at her in shock, which soon turned to suspicion. Did he remember her after all?
    “Alicia!” he yelled over his shoulder, then put a hand on her arm and yanked her into the mansion.
    His palm completely closed over her thin bicep, and she reminded herself to start lifting weights as soon as she got the hell out of there.
    If only she could forget the memories of his touch. The familiar scent of vanilla and grass wafted over her, and she couldn't stifle a soft moan. The minute she did so, his hand loosened.
    “Sorry,” he said gruffly but continued to pull her with him through the grand foyer into the house.
    Marble under her feet, ornate wooden frames over cream-colored walls, and rich wooden paneling under the chair rail detailed a place reeking of money. The chandelier overhead had to cost a freaking fortune. Sheridan glanced from Jules to the house again, never having anticipated that a man who could change into a beast, who'd actually fit in to the jungle as if a native, would live in such opulence.
    But it certainly gave credence to Raul's theory that Jules was a successful crook.

    He continued to tug her into the house until he came to a large room where several others stood to greet them.
    Three other men and one woman stared at her with curiosity.
    “Hello there,” one of the men drawled. Tall with dark brown hair and green eyes, he stood next to a slightly smaller man with a mixture of Asian and Anglican features. Both of them had the same rugged good looks and raw wildness she associated with Jules, and they both towered over her. Beyond them, a large, dark-haired man held hands with a beautiful woman—the kind Sheridan envied.
    The woman was tall and slender with curves in all the right places, so pretty and sexy, she made Sheridan fade into the woodwork. Which is what I want. I’m nothing but furniture. Don’t see me, don’t know me . But a part of Sheridan wanted Jules to know her. To never forget the magic they'd shared, even if it had been no more than a passing dream of what could never be.
    The woman frowned as she stared at Sheridan, and Sheridan had a bad feeling. She couldn't say why she did, but she raised her awareness and tried to block out any incoming psychic attacks. Growing up as a healer and with parents who could commune with plants, Sheridan believed wholeheartedly in extrasensory perception and the paranormal.
    As well she should, standing as she was next to a shape-shifting mercenary who'd fought an actual monster in the jungle.
    “I believe I'm to meet with Mrs. Sharpe,” Sheridan said.
    Another male entered the room, this one a giant. Blond and with piercing blue eyes, he crossed his massive arms over his chest. “Why am I not surprised to hear her say that name?”
    An older petite black woman entered the room and approached Jules and Sheridan. “Ah, you must be Sheridan Keyes. I'm pleased you found us.” Jules nodded at mention of her name and gave Sheridan a narrow-eyed stare that seemed to strip her bare.
    She gave a subtle tug, and he slowly released her arm. “Mrs. Sharpe?” she asked in a breathy voice, wishing she sounded more at ease.
    “That's me. I take it Admiral London gave you the necessary paperwork?”
    “Yes.” She reached into her large carryall and found the folder Grayson had procured for her. “Here it is.”
    Mrs. Sharpe took the stack and quickly peered through it. “Perfect. Now, Ms. Keyes—”
    “Please, call me