Dawn Endeavor 1: Fallon's Flame by Marie Harte (book recommendations website TXT) 📕

and she had the odd sense he'd heard that same voice. “Sorry, thought I saw something in your eye.”

“My eye. Yeah, sure.” She huffed and deliberately turned her back on him to grab a cup off the counter. Shaken, she didn't know what to think. Sharing feelings had always come naturally to her. But thoughts?

“Can't blame a guy for trying.” Jules shrugged, feeling not at all sorry for acting like a jerk.

Actually his arrogance put her at ease. She was used to dealing with the macho type. “Sure you can. Hey, Melissa, what's for dinner?”

“Breathe deep and focus,” Hayashi muttered, gripping Fallon's arm. “Damn. What the hell got into you?”

Fallon wished he knew. Hell, after the rough sex he and the team had just indulged in, he should have been too tired to be turned on again. But something about Olivia drew him. His inner beast purred around her, wanting to touch. He'd been a hairbreadth from grabbing her and taking her up to his room for some fun, when Jules had arrived.

Though he hadn't liked Jules's intervention, he'd needed it. But seeing his friend close in on his female bugged the shit out of him. Time to prove his worth, to flaunt his strength and superiority.

“Mine,” he growled in a low voice and clenched his fists.

Tersch grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. “What's that? You want to see some television? Great idea.” He forcibly sat Fallon down on the couch and sat beside him.

Hayashi caged him in on the other side. In a low voice, he rumbled, “What the fuck? You're broadcasting now? I heard you.”

“So did I,” Hayashi added.

“And why are you sniffing around the female? Dude, you just came like three times.”

“Four,” Hayashi murmured.

Fallon flushed. “Shut up.”

“It's true. I'm sensing a lot of frustration, Fallon.” Hayashi's calm voice began to soothe his need for violence and sex. “And this telepathic loudspeaker is something new, isn't it? I know you've been working with Mrs. Sharpe on it, but I have to say, I'm impressed. I didn't know you'd progressed so far.”

He hadn't, not until tonight. “It's no big deal.”

“Sure it is,” Tersch added, smiling. “Just think how that can come in handy the next time we're under fire. You can share info a lot easier with the team.”

He had a point, but Fallon couldn't think past Olivia just now. To his relief, she moved away from Jules and engaged Melissa in conversation.

Jules joined them, casually bent forward, and shoved a heavy fist in Fallon's gut that took his breath away. In a low voice, he said, “What the hell were you going to do? Change in front of Olivia?”

“Not…exactly.” Fallon tried to catch his breath.

“Well, keep your dick under control. The female isn't just a pretty face. There's a helluva lot of energy packed inside her.”

“I wouldn't mind being packed inside her,” Tersch murmured.

Fallon's beast didn't find him amusing. Claws began to replace his fingernails.

Jules snarled in a low voice, “Put a lid on it, Fallon. Tersch, shut up. In fact, you steer clear of the female too. Hayashi, you take her.” He exhaled loudly when Fallon turned on Hayashi, his pupils mere slits. “To occupy her while we get you under control,” he directed back to Fallon.

“Come on.”

Tersch stood and called out to Melissa, “We'll be right back. Forgot something.” He dragged Fallon away behind Jules, but Fallon felt Olivia's eyes on him all the same. He didn't understand this need to be near her. And he didn't like it. He had enough problems controlling his abilities lately.

His senses had been spiraling out of control. His mental abilities had grown under Mrs.

Sharpe's tutelage. She'd taught him to increase his hold on the others, to enlarge his capacity to encompass not only thoughts but images as well.

Except her instruction physically hurt. Headaches, nosebleeds, and an unhappy beast wanting to play instead of train. Then the woman took them all off the shots needed to subdue their mating heats, stating the medication prevented them from fully developing themselves into the Circs they were meant to be.

And now look at him.

“Shit.”

“You said it.” Jules didn't look happy. He stopped them farther down the hallway, away from prying eyes and ears. “What the hell was that 'mine' crap?”

“I don't know. I just didn't like you so close to Olivia.” Instead of chastising him, as Fallon expected, Jules rubbed his chin, his gaze thoughtful.

“Really?”

“Hell, Jules. Lately I find it hard to think. Sharpe has us off the shots. She's playing with our minds. And then we have the heat right as our new guest arrives. Sue me if I'm a little off-kilter.” He tried to play it off, but the truth was Olivia shook him. The minute they'd made eye contact, something inside him shifted. But God forbid he told Jules any more. He had no intention of being put under a magnifying glass. This next mission sounded important. The team needed him, whether they knew it or not.

“Off-kilter, hmm? Okay, Fallon. Get yourself together and join us for dinner. Five minutes.”

“Five minutes. Got it.”

Five minutes later, he still didn't have it. Eschewing dinner for a much needed getaway, he left the mansion and gave his beast free rein. Time enough for an ass chewing when he returned.

And maybe in his absence, he'd figure out why Olivia Lynn bothered him so damned much.

“What's up?” Tersch asked, stopping Jules before they rejoined the others. “I know that calculating gleam.”

“Wow. I didn't think you knew any words more than two syllables long.”

“Ass. Come on, Jules. Is Fallon okay?”

Jules wondered. “We all know the shots weren't working like they used to, even before Sharpe took us off them. But I have to admit, I'm satisfied from our workout earlier.”

“Yeah. Didn't realize Fallon was such a stud.”

“Me either.” It didn't make sense. Fallon was dependable. Always ready with a smile or joke, the easygoing male was a cohesive member of the team. Hayashi had a tendency to