Another woman entered the room and interrupted the tense atmosphere. This woman was even more attractive than the other one and made Sheridan feel like the proverbial third wheel nobody wanted. She had light brown skin and the prettiest face Sheridan had ever seen.
The woman muttered in a husky voice, “Who's this?” The others returned their attention to Sheridan, silent, assessing. Dissecting.
Mrs. Sharpe brought Sheridan into the middle of the room. “Sheridan Keyes, our new doctor, for want of a better term. I'd like you to meet the team of Dawn Endeavor. I see you've already met Julian Hawkins.”
“Call me Jules,” Jules said in a husky voice Sheridan did her best to ignore.
Mrs. Sharpe brought her in front of each person. “This is Kisho Hayashi and his partner, Morgan Reynolds.” The Asian and the green-eyed hunk. They nodded politely.
Mrs. Sharpe continued as they moved along. “This is Ava, my assistant.” The brown-skinned woman who should have been a model. Unlike the others, Ava didn't tower over Sheridan. The one area where both of them were equaclass="underline" height.
“Hi.” Ava frowned, though she didn't seem unwelcoming. More like confused, and Sheridan had her own confusion to deal with.
“Hello,” she answered before they moved in front of the handsome couple.
“This is Jesse Fallon, and Jesse's wife, Olivia.”
“Nice to meet you,” Olivia murmured. Sheridan had the urge to step back, though she couldn't have said why. Her psychic ability was limited to healing the flesh, but she could almost feel a hum of odd energy around the tall woman, and it scared her.
Mrs. Sharpe, to Sheridan's good fortune, stepped between them before Olivia could hold out a hand. “And this is Gunnar Tersch. He looks mean, but he won't bite.”
The others chuckled, but Gunnar scowled. Bite? He looked like he could devour Sheridan in one large gulp.
“Thanks, Alicia. You're a peach.” He turned his gaze on Sheridan and winked.
“Call me Tersch, honey.”
Mrs. Sharpe rolled her eyes.
Ava scowled, and Sheridan had the sense the woman had staked a claim. Not that Sheridan had any intention of honing in on the giant. She just wanted to be able to trust in her instincts once more and to get her ring back. Period. End of story.
She cleared her throat. “Nice to meet you all. I hope I can be of help while I'm here.”
“While you're here? You're not planning on staying?” Jules said from directly behind her.
She could feel his body heat near her, and she itched to touch him again. Not to heal, to feel.
Sheridan swallowed a yelp and coughed nervously. “Ah, yes, I'm staying. I just meant I'm here to help,” she added lamely. Oh boy. Put her in a laboratory with plants that didn't talk back or scientists who wanted to discuss meristematic cells and chloroplasts, and she was the life of the party. But socially, Sheridan couldn't hang. She wasn't shy, just inept at making conversation. An oddball even among oddballs.
Mrs. Sharpe patted her on the back, and she flinched. “I know everyone can be overwhelming at first.”
“Yeah, a party with five larger-than-life monsters is always a treat. Oh, sorry, Olivia, I forgot about you,” Tersch rumbled with a grin. “Make that six monsters.” Olivia shook her head, and Sheridan stared, wide-eyed. The woman was a Circ as well? “You're all Circs?”
“Not me,” Ava said. “I'm just the hired help.”
“And I'm mostly human,” Morgan added with a grin.
She didn't know whether to believe him or not.
Mrs. Sharpe explained, “Ava's my assistant. We also have Melissa and Jack Keiser on staff. Melissa's our cook; Jack's our handyman.”
“Okay.”
“And as you've met the team, I think we'll let you get settled in before we hit you with more. Ava, why don't you show Sheridan upstairs? She'll stay in the guest wing. We can show you the laboratory tomorrow, Sheridan, if you like. It's late, and I'm sure you're tired.”
Sheridan grabbed the excuse and held tight. Despite their shared past, she hadn't expected to feel so much upon seeing Jules again, and she needed time to catalog and process her feelings. “Yes, I am. A long drive, you know.”
“I'll take her upstairs,” Jules volunteered.
“Ah, that's okay—”
Mrs. Sharpe nodded. “Actually, that's a better idea. Ava, you can help me with Mr. Anderson. I can't find the paperwork on that funding issue we need taken care of. Gunnar? Would you be so kind as to get Sheridan's things from her car?”
“Sure, Alicia,” he drawled. “Hell, why don't we just open a fucking hotel? First Olivia, then Morgan, now a looker with big blue eyes. Just what we need around here—more women. Ava's bad enough.” He huffed and sneered at Morgan.
“Really, Gunnar.” Mrs. Sharpe's disapproval rang loud and clear.
“Did you just call me a woman?” Morgan growled, affronted.
The others smiled widely and laughed. Ava beamed at Tersch before following Mrs. Sharpe from the room. It seemed almost everyone encouraged his rudeness, while no one seemed easy with her being there. Terrific.
“Sheridan Keyes, in the flesh. What a pleasure,” Jules rasped and drew closer.
“You know, I'd swear we've met before.”
“Wow, talk about a zing. Fallon, you feeling what I'm feeling?” Sheridan heard Olivia ask her husband in a low voice.
“Yeah, and you wouldn't believe what's in his head.”
“Fuck off, Fallon. Olivia, butt out,” Jules growled.
Not understanding the undercurrents in the room, Sheridan tried to step back and found her way blocked by Gunnar.
“I'll need your keys, honey.” He held out a huge hand.
She stared from his hand to his ice blue eyes before dropping her keys into his palm, careful to make minimal contact.
He turned and walked away.
“I didn't bring much,” she blurted to Tersch's disappearing back and looked up at Jules. During their weeks apart, she'd tried like hell to convince herself that the chemistry hadn't been strong between them. That the danger had spiked her responses. If only.
“Don't worry. I'm sure we can find you exactly what you need while you're with us,” Jules answered in a soft voice.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. “Er, right. Sure.” She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping the subtle move disguised her hardened nipples.
“Come with me.”
She bit her lip but hurriedly smoothed out the gesture with a wobbly smile when she noted the others staring at her. She nodded to them. “Nice meeting you all.”
“Yeah, nice,” Fallon said with a toothy grin. She blinked. Were those fangs?
“Sheridan?” Jules waited at the entrance to the room.
She hurried to follow him.
As he walked, he talked about the house and grounds. He kept pace with her, making her feel downright tiny by comparison. His muscles were just as big as she remembered, his handsome face just as attractive as she feared. Those mesmerizing eyes, those firm lips. His talented mouth that had set her on fire.
When he stopped talking, she realized he was watching her watch him, an intent look on his face.
She blushed and glanced away. “Um, so you said this hall leads to the back stairs?”
“Yeah. It's the main drag. Follow this back the way we came to the kitchen and family room. Farther down is Mrs. Sharpe's study, and past that, off to the left, is the pool. Then ahead of us, there's the gym.” He pointed to a set of double doors.
If Raul was to be believed, these people were good at thieving, because this place was unbelievable. Their own gym? Their own pool? And they said they worked for the government? Please. She'd known scientists who worked for the government, and funding was always an issue. Then again, Julian Hawkins could do what only a handful of people in the world could do—transform into a creature with strength, stamina, and the ability to kill with ease.