Ultimate Heroes Collection

by Various Authors

  She batted her eyelashes, designed to tease. ‘In that case you can call me Abby.’

  Judd smiled and reached out to run his hand slowly down her arm in a gesture that was part friendly, part daring, enjoying the flare of awareness in her eyes.

  Maybe it was the balmy breeze, maybe it was the illusion of being secluded on a tropical island and far enough away from reality, maybe it was the newfound heat sizzling between them. Whatever it was, he wanted to push the boundaries of their friendship and see what happened.

  ‘Abby. What a beautiful name. Conjures up all sorts of images like ancient stone churches surrounded by overgrown cottage gardens with oak trees reaching up to the endless blue sky the same colour as your eyes…’

  Abby snorted and rolled her eyes. ‘Hey! I’m not one of your bimbos. You don’t have to lay it on that thick!’

  Judd laughed and shrugged. ‘Can’t blame a guy for trying. So, what does the name Judd conjure up for you?’

  He wondered if she’d take the bait and remember what she’d once told him all those years ago. By the glint in her eyes she wouldn’t disappoint.

  ‘That’s easy, Judd Kane Calloway. A long, thin reed used to put cheeky boys like you back in their place.’

  She reached over and tweaked his nose as she used to, resurrecting instant memories of their childhood years and reminding him of how long they’d been friends.

  ‘Now, what does a girl have to do to get a drink in this place?’

  ‘Let me guess—the usual?’

  Her blue eyes sparkled with characteristic cheek while her lips curved in a coy smile he’d never seen before.

  ‘Nah … I’m feeling reckless tonight. Surprise me.’

  As if noticing how stunning she looked wasn’t enough torture, she had to go and throw him a curve ball like that. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she was definitely flirting with him again.

  But that couldn’t be right. Abby teased him, riled him and jibed at him, but flirt?

  No way.

  This tropical air was definitely getting to him.

  He called a waiter over, placed their orders, including a cocktail for her guaranteed to regain the upper hand, and leaned back in his chair.

  ‘Nice outfit, by the way. Glad to know you take my advice so seriously.’

  His greedy gaze skimmed the black silk clinging to her curves, ending just above her knees, accentuating her tiny waist, outlining her breasts.

  He sat up and sent a frantic glance in the waiter’s direction, wishing their drinks would arrive a.s.a.p.

  He needed cooling down, badly.

  ‘You think I wore this for you?’ If her smile had been coy before, it turned positively smug now. ‘Still delusional from all that African heat, huh?’

  He couldn’t back down from the challenge in her eyes even though continuing this conversation would only make it harder for him to view her as ‘just friends’ material.

  He’d never backed down from one of her challenges and he’d be damned if he would now. Besides, he liked a hint of danger. Kept things interesting.

  Reaching out to smooth an imaginary crease from the silk draped like liquid lava across her lower thigh, he said, ‘Well, I did say wear something sexy and, boy, does this dress deliver.’

  ‘Clothes maketh the woman and all that?’

  She had him there.

  If he agreed, she’d know he thought she was sexy. If he disagreed, he’d look like a heel.

  Thankfully, the waiter arrived as he racked his brain for a quick response and deposited an icy beer in front of him and a wicked concoction of Cointreau, Galliano, pineapple juice and cream in a champagne glass for Abby.

  ‘What’s this?’

  She took a sip, her eyes widening imperceptibly as a faint pink stained her cheeks. ‘On second thoughts, don’t answer that. It’s got a kick like a mule and perhaps it’s better I don’t know. What my liver doesn’t know won’t hurt it.’

  Struggling to keep a triumphant smile off his face, he said, ‘A Hot Dream.’

  To his immense satisfaction, the pink in her cheeks deepened to crimson.

  ‘Mmm … nice,’ she murmured, her gaze firmly focused on the cherry stuck on the end of a paper umbrella wedged precariously on the edge of her glass.

  Her noncommittal answer only spurred him on and he chugged on his beer before taking his stirring one step further.

  ‘So, you like hot dreams, huh?’

  Her blue-eyed gaze flew to his and for a split second he could’ve sworn he glimpsed a flicker of desire there before she quickly masked it with her telltale sass.

  Raising her glass in his direction, she said, ‘The drink’s great. As for the rest, you’ll never know.’

  ‘Is that right?’

  ‘Uh-huh.’

  She nodded, swirling the cocktail in slow, rhythmic circles as she stared into the drink as if hypnotised. ‘Where’s Tom, by the way?’

  Startled by the swift change of topic, and more disgruntled at her mention of the big guy than he’d like to be, he said, ‘Probably terrorising some poor single woman somewhere. Why?’

  She sipped her cocktail and looked up at him from beneath her lashes.

  ‘Oh, I was hoping to run into him tonight. I need a big, strong man to help me move some stuff for tomorrow’s shoot.’

  ‘And what am I? Chopped liver?’

  Her blue eyes gleamed, mischief etched across her face. ‘Think you can handle it, huh?’

  She reached over and squeezed his biceps as if testing his strength. ‘Mmm … not bad.’

  And just like that, his libido shifted into overdrive. He tried not to react, wondering what had got into him.

  She was his best friend, had been for ever, the one constant in his life when the rest of it had threatened to spiral out of control. She knew about his dad, the lack of money growing up, the way he’d had to fight for his education, accepting scholarships when he hated taking charity from anyone.

  Yet here he was, reacting to her simple touch, which left him with a burning desire to push their friendship to the outer limit.

  What the hell was he thinking?

  Instilling the right amount of casualness into his voice, he said, ‘Lady, I can handle anything you care to dish out.’

  ‘Really?’

  She let her hand drop, though he was sure she’d let it linger longer than necessary. Or was that a figment of his overheated imagination? The way it had gone haywire since he’d set foot on this damn island and seen her again he wouldn’t be surprised if smoke started pouring out of his ears like some crazy cartoon character.

  ‘Really.’

  He folded his arms to stop reaching out and doing something even more disastrous, like hauling her onto his lap.

  Damn, this wasn’t working out as he’d planned. He’d wanted to flirt a little, make her squirm, and suddenly his body was way out of control. What was with this insane impulse to throw caution to the wind and get physical with the one woman he should leave alone?

  ‘In that case, follow me.’

  She stood and smoothed her skirt down, the action drawing his attention to her long legs that were bare beneath the silky fabric of her dress. ‘Oh, and bring those biceps.’

  She winked as she cast a knowing glance over her shoulder and caught him staring at her legs. Stifling a groan, he followed her, suspecting, the mood they were both in, she would probably lead him directly into trouble.

  Abby had no idea what demon had lodged itself in her brain tonight.

  Okay, so that was a lie.

  The minute Mr ‘I always want the upper hand’ Calloway had told her to dress sexy before hanging up on her earlier, she’d known she’d give as good as she got.

  So she’d gone the whole nine yards, wearing a new killer LBD, taking extra care with her make-up, piling her hair up in a glam do she’d learned from the hairstylist earlier that day.

  She’d always done the opposite of what he challenged growing up so the goofball had
probably expected her to wear trendily torn jeans and a crop top to dinner.

  Well, she’d shown him.

  However, things hadn’t gone quite to plan.

  She hadn’t banked on her bizarre reaction to Judd the moment she walked into the bar area and he saw her dressed up. Then as she’d walked towards him on uncharacteristically wobbly legs and seen that funny look in his eyes, she’d silently recited the mantra he’s just a friend … he’s just a friend when the intense way he studied her said anything but.

  So what had she done? She’d flirted with him. Worse, she’d touched him, adding to her confusion. She didn’t get it.

  They’d always traded light-hearted banter like this over the phone and via e-mails, so what was so different about this place, about tonight?

  ‘Where are we going?’

  Judd caught up to her and she wondered if he’d drunk his fill. She’d caught him ogling her legs and, despite the confusion ricocheting through her body, hoped he liked what he saw.

  She’d never seen that look before, the one that said he’d noticed her desirability as a woman, and it thrilled her more than it should.

  ‘Trust me,’ she said, changing her course at the last minute.

  She’d had every intention of asking him to help move several racks of clothes from her room to the magnificent waterfall that cascaded through the resort’s lobby, but she wasn’t completely stupid. If she led him to her room, there was no telling what the impish devil newly residing in her brain might urge her to do.

  ‘Isn’t that supposed to be my line?’

  ‘That’s just it. When guys say “trust me” it is a line.’

  ‘And when a woman says it, I should believe you?’

  He ran his hand through his hair, leaving it endearingly tousled as it had been back in high school.

  ‘Of course. Have I ever lied to you?’

  As soon as the words left her mouth, she inwardly cringed.

  She’d lived a lie for the first week after the night of the grad dance and their unexpected kiss, hiding her feelings from him like a magician with nothing up his sleeves. And if she wasn’t careful—hey presto—her soul would be laid bare all over again quicker than she could pull a sarong out of a sunhat.

  He stopped, took hold of her arms and turned her to face him. ‘I don’t know. Have you?’

  She held her breath, unsure what to make of his question or the intensity behind his stare.

  Great—just thinking about the past probably conjured up some goofy expression on her face, and if she wasn’t careful, he’d get the wrong idea.

  ‘Damn it, Abby, stop looking at me like that.’

  Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Just as swiftly, just as unexpectedly as the first time all those years ago.

  However, this time was different, way different, as every nerve ending in her adult body came to life.

  This wasn’t the abrupt, nervous, fumbling kiss of a couple of kids experimenting.

  This was a delicious, spine-tingling melding of mouths, of two people desperately eager to taste each other, an explosion of hot mouths and hotter bodies.

  He snaked an arm around her back, his fingers skimming her bare skin, while the other cupped her head, angling for greater access to her mouth and she gave it to him, yearning to feel the first tantalising sweep of his tongue in her mouth, relishing the low, deep groan coming from his chest.

  She should’ve pushed him away, told him she’d been mentally reminiscing about old times and he’d obviously got the wrong message by the expression on her face.

  Instead, she complied without logic, amazed she’d been deprived of this incredible sensation for so long and knowing this one delicious, forbidden taste of a guy she’d been platonic with for most of her life would leave her desperate for a lifetime more of his kisses.

  No, no! He’s your friend. This is a mistake! her voice of reason screamed, which her body happily ignored and did its own thing.

  He groaned again as she leaned flush against him, the kiss deepening as his tongue flicked to meet hers, taunting, teasing, just as his words usually did.

  However, his words had never elicited this response, this wanton urge to drag him back to her room and lose herself in this moment for ever.

  She wrapped her arms around him, wishing she could feel more of him, skin to skin, as he kissed his way across her jaw and down her neck.

  Heat exploded between them, searing a burning path through her body and straight to her core.

  Just friends, huh?

  Suddenly, they’d got a whole lot friendlier and she didn’t have a clue how to react. With one kiss he threatened to consume every last shred of common sense she possessed. Not that she cared … she’d passed that point about a minute earlier, the moment his lips had touched hers and sent her straight to heaven.

  When he stilled and pulled away, staring into her eyes for a long moment, she met his gaze unflinchingly, trying to read his expression in the twilight, wanting him to be first to break the tense silence.

  ‘Take one sexy dress, a wicked cocktail, island heat, moonlight, a healthy amount of stirring and what do you get? Madness.’

  Without another word, he shook his head, turned and walked away.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  ‘GOOD morning.’

  Abby slid into the seat opposite Judd and plonked an armful of paperwork on the table, raising an eyebrow as she sent a pointed look at the three empty coffee mugs in front of him.

  He cradled a fourth and shrugged, sending her a rueful smile. ‘What can I say? I’m lousy in the mornings without a caffeine hit.’

  What could he say? He could start by explaining what that kiss last night was about.

  However, rather than broach the subject that had kept her awake for most of the night—sans caffeine—she passed a folder across to him.

  ‘Here’s today’s schedule.’

  She watched him sip his strong black coffee, savouring every mouthful with a low, satisfied ‘mmm’. ‘Perhaps you should try a healthy breakfast to kick-start your day rather than all that coffee? The last thing I need is my photographer bouncing off the walls.’

  ‘Did you always nag me like this or is it a new endearing trait you’ve picked up?’

  He smiled, the laugh lines crinkling at the outer corners of his eyes as he raised his mug at her in a ‘cheers’.

  Though it had only been six months since she’d last seen a picture of him, he looked different: older, weary, like a guy in desperate need of time-out.

  It wasn’t just the deep creases around his eyes but the odd expression she glimpsed there at times, almost as if he had some major stuff going on. She wondered if she should pry as she usually did or wait till he told her in his own sweet time.

  ‘So you think I’m a nag, huh? Tell me again why you’re my best friend?’

  She tried a mock frown and failed as they smiled across the table at one another like two people in perfect sync. As they usually were and, apart from that little lapse last night, would remain if she had any say in it.

  The grin faded from his face as he placed his mug on the table.

  ‘Speaking of friends, I need to apologise for last night. That kiss was way out of line.’

  ‘You bet your sweet butt it was, mister. Been spending too much time in the Sahara and I just happened to be the first woman who came along?’

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t put it exactly like that…’

  He trailed off as she burst out laughing, an answering smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. ‘Well, okay, you could be right. It’s been a while between drinks, you looked incredible last night and I sort of lost my head. How does that sound?’

  Quite plausible and probably what that kiss had been about, but she wouldn’t let him off that easily.

  ‘Pretty pathetic actually, but then I’d expect nothing less from you.’

  He clutched his heart as if she’d wounded him. ‘Ouch! That hurts.’


  ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet. Now, let’s talk business. We’ve got a tonne of work to do.’

  Thankful they’d put any potential awkwardness behind them, though she wasn’t entirely convinced by his reasoning about the kiss, she flipped open the folder for the day’s schedule.

  However, before she could hand him a copy her mobile rang and a quick glance at the caller ID told her she had to take the call.

  ‘It’s Mark Pyman. I’ll only be a few secs,’ she said, hitting the answer button as an odd expression she couldn’t fathom flashed across Judd’s face as he returned to drinking his coffee.

  ‘Hi, Mark. What can I do for you?’

  ‘We’ve got a problem, Abby. A big one.’

  Abby stifled a sigh. It must be big for the scrupulously polite executive to forgo his usual greeting.

  ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Bassel Designs wants an urgent wedding-dress shot added to the spread.’

  ‘So what’s the problem? Courier it over and we’ll slot it in.’

  Mark paused, as if searching for the right words, and a ripple of unease slid over her. ‘The dress won’t fit any of the models on your shoot. Apparently they want a more realistic look for the shot.’

  ‘Uh-huh,’ she said, racking her brain for a lightning-fast solution.

  It wasn’t the first time the biggest designer in Australia had made an odd last-minute request and she’d always come through for them before.

  ‘How about I find a couple holidaying on the island and—’

  ‘Time frame’s tight. The dress is on its way over. I need the shot back to me by tomorrow.’ ‘You’re kidding?’

  Realising she was fiddling with the leather binding of her notebook in front of her, Abby dropped her hand off the table only to pleat the tablecloth instead. ‘That’s a pretty steep demand.’

  ‘It’s doable, right?’

  Mark’s abrupt question told her exactly how stressed he was, and she sighed, knowing she’d do whatever it took to make this happen.

  ‘Shouldn’t be a problem.’ Yeah, sure thing. ‘I’ll get right on it.’

  ‘Thanks, Abby. You come through for me on this, that major deal we talked about is a foregone conclusion.’