He'd been at turns gentle and rough, a sexual creature so in need of affection and belonging, she was surprised she hadn't sensed it before. But as much as she liked being with him, her fantasy man lay to her right, in the form of a domineering Circ wearing the ring that claimed him as hers. She stared at the bejeweled hand resting on her belly.
Jules stroked her abdomen with such care. Almost as if…
She tensed, and he stopped.
“Baby?”
Oh, God. Baby. She didn't know why she hadn't sensed it before, because even as she thought the word, she felt the tiny spark of life fluttering just under Jules's hand. She'd always imagined she'd have children one day. But like this? With a man she barely knew? She blew out a slow breath. He was the man she loved, and he loved her back, her beast reminded her.
Worry smothered her shock of pleasure. What would Jules think? Would he be happy? Would he be worried? Would he be able to think past oh my God?
Instead of answering, Sheridan blurted out the truth about her grandfather's ring. “All the women in my family get that ring you're wearing when we turn six.
Then we hold on to it until we find a special person, the one meant to wear it. I knew it was you when I gave it to you in the jungle.” He resumed stroking her belly. Tersch snored quietly beside them.
“The ring is a family keepsake.” She started to calm under the steady motion of his hand and told another truth. “I wanted to have a reason to find you again.
And not just to get the ring.”
“I've been waiting to hear you admit that,” Jules murmured and began to purr.
The pure energy flowing between them couldn't be ignored. He'd confessed he loved her, pledged to marry her, and he'd helped make the baby growing just under his hand.
Despite the danger all around and the newness of their relationship, Sheridan didn't want to hold back anymore. Just once, she wanted to experience real happiness that she could keep close to her heart and never let go. Funny, but her interludes with Jules always ended with joy, because he showed her he cared for her in so many little ways. Even this past week while he'd been gone, he'd called her every day just to say how much he missed her.
“I love you,” she said quietly.
He stopped stroking her and shifted her to lie on top of him. “Was that so hard to say?”
“You already knew.”
“Maybe. But I need the words too, baby.” He kissed her with such tenderness, the caresses filled with love and affection. “God, I'm so lucky I found you.” She rubbed her nose against his, delight filling her from head to toe. “You mean, you're lucky I found you.”
“Yes, dear,” he said dutifully, and they both chuckled softly, trying not to disturb Gunnar. After a moment, Jules murmured, “Sheridan, what would you say if I told you I wanted to start a family? I mean, a smaller, more intimate family than the one I share with the team. One just with you, and maybe a rug rat or two.” Relief made her light-headed. “Really? Because I—” A frantic pounding on the door interrupted her. Before it stopped, Tersch leaped from the bed and crouched between the door and them. She blinked, amazed he'd moved like lightning when she'd thought him asleep. And while he'd been flying off the bed, Jules had dragged her off his chest and shielded her body with his. She peeked over his shoulder, ignoring his order to keep still.
“What?” he yelled at the door.
“It's me.” Fallon broke through the door in a panic. His dark eyes widened as he took in the sight of the three of them. “We've got major movement outside.”
“Unfriendlies?” Tersch growled.
“You could say that. Montaña's men are all over the place. He's waiting for Sheridan. And for you, Jules. He wants the two of you outside right now, and he's just behind the fucking house.”
“Sheridan's staying here.” Jules had never sounded so firm.
“Jules.” Sheridan started to convince him otherwise.
“She can't stay here.” Fallon swore. “Because if you two aren't outside in ten minutes, he's going to kill Ava.”
Chapter Fourteen
As he stood behind Dawn Endeavor's mansion, hidden in the thicket of trees beyond the back of the house, Colonel Ricardo Montaña grinned. For too long, things had not gone his way. But now he was back in a position of power. As it should be. The bastards might have overtaken his jungle compound, but he'd been prepared for such an eventuality. Though he'd anticipated leaving the lab on his own timetable, he wouldn't bemoan his new fate. He did regret leaving Manoel behind, but anything worth having required sacrifice.
Most of the drugs they'd cultivated—which had been moved out of the compound before the raid—were even now being transported through the Amazon into prearranged shipping lanes. In another week, at most, the latest batch of Manoel's wonder drug would join the rest of their haul in the secret warehouse in Maryland.
Ricardo would have preferred a location farther west, but el jefe wanted things neat and closer to his headquarters in DC.
“He's coming.” Grayson nodded toward the direction of the mansion in which the Dawn Endeavor team lived. Though Ricardo hadn't stepped foot inside the monstrosity, he'd gleaned a description of the layout from his boss's spies. Ricardo also had his own sources, so he knew the players in their little game. Though many of the Dawn Endeavor security force waited in the woods out of sight, surrounding the mansion, the Circs remained inside, clearly visible behind the large glass windows to the left of a set of French doors. That was, until someone with a brain turned off the lights, leaving the house shrouded in darkness.
Alicia Sharpe, their ringleader, made him the most uneasy. The short, serious woman had stared at him through the glass window as if she could see him in the tree line, like he was the devil incarnate. He couldn't say why, but when he considered the whole of his adversaries, his instinct told him to focus on the petite black woman dressed to the nines.
Next to him, Grayson tightened his grip on Ava Belle's arm. Now there was a woman worth having. Such a sweet, fuckable body, one made to cradle a man's cock and answer any and all delights he could imagine. The woman had an edge Ricardo liked, a dangerous challenge in her light-colored eyes.
He couldn't wait to see what she could handle.
Which brought his thoughts once again to Sheridan. The little bitch had evaded him far longer than he'd thought she would.
“Let me go.” Ava swore when Grayson tugged her back with him into the shadows. “They can see in the dark, asshole. Doesn't matter where you go or what you do. When Gunnar sees this, he's going to kill you.” Her rage gave Ricardo a hard-on. “Gunnar? You mean Frederik Gunnar Tersch, that animal? We're ready for him. Don't you worry, Ava.” His men had specially calibrated darts to incapacitate the team before killing them, and extra-special ones for that behemoth. No sense in Ricardo losing his own Circs if he didn't have to. “Ava, you're so pretty. We're going to see what better uses I can find for that mouth than swearing. Maybe some time on your hands and knees will work that tongue till you're too tired to do anything but lick, hmm?” The rogue Circs around him laughed, their animalistic timbres so fitting for a war with creatures better off in a fucking zoo. Every damned one of his men had changed, awaiting a real challenge from the Circs inside the house. Five or six, counting Olivia, against twenty-four—odds Ricardo could well appreciate. He wasn't leaving anything to chance with today's mission.