Ultimate Heroes Collection

by Various Authors

  ‘Any time. Come on, we’ve got work to do.’

  ‘Don’t you ever lighten up?’

  She sent him a withering glare. ‘You play your part in this shoot today and I’ll lighten up later.’ ‘Sounds promising.’

  She sent him a coy glance from beneath her lashes and he laughed as she’d expected.

  ‘You’re hopeless, Weiss. Trying to act the big, tough boss just isn’t you. You forget I’ve seen you in your underwear.’

  ‘I was seven years old at the time and the whole class had to strip off to check for leeches down at the creek.’

  He shrugged, draping a friendly arm across her shoulders as they strolled along the deserted beach.

  ‘Minor detail.’

  Abby tried not to stiffen at his casual touch. However, her darn hormones were coming out to play in a big way and, no matter how many times she told herself this was Judd, her best buddy, slinging his arm across her shoulders in a way he’d done many times before, her body wouldn’t listen.

  Instead, her shoulder muscles twinged, bunched and ached with tension while she silently hoped he wouldn’t notice a thing.

  ‘What’s up?’

  He stopped at the exact spot they’d chosen for the shoot, a small secluded cove with the whitest sand, bluest sea and fringed with lush green palm trees, and turned her to face him, searching her face for answers to questions she couldn’t contemplate, let alone respond to.

  The beauty of the location faded into oblivion under the intensity of his stare and she swallowed, knowing things would get a lot more complicated if she told the truth, yet unable to give this man anything but.

  They’d always been honest with each other. It was one of the many strengths of their friendship and, no matter how much she wanted to deny it, her crazy behaviour around him would only get worse over the next week.

  For she had no doubt the longer she spent with Judd, trading quips, swapping banter, doing the casual touchy-feely thing, the harder it would be to pretend she only considered him as friend material.

  Why not bite the bullet and go for broke now? He’d probably see through any pathetic excuse she came up with anyway.

  ‘Why don’t we sit down?’

  She sank onto the sand and patted the space next to her, all too conscious of his strong, muscular thigh inches away from her own as she tried to organise her thoughts and string together words that would make some sense.

  ‘I thought you said I needed to walk. A marathon, no less?’

  ‘If you’re fishing for a compliment, fine. Your washboard abs are to die for and you’re okay just the way you are. There. Satisfied?’

  He chuckled and reached over to tweak her nose. ‘I knew it. You want my body.’

  Got it in one, sport.

  She rubbed her nose before wrinkling it at him. ‘I’m merely using my professional skills at observation. I study bodies on a daily basis, in case you’ve forgotten.’

  She let her gaze drift down his body, from his broad shoulders to his sculpted chest, along his long legs to his feet and everything in between, enjoying the opportunity for such a blatant appraisal.

  This was Judd’s body, the same body she’d seen many times before, but never had her pulse raced or her heart pounded at what she’d seen and suddenly she didn’t want to look anymore.

  She wanted to touch, to caress, to taste every inch of his tanned skin, to trace the contours she now viewed as sexy, to learn every angle of his lean body.

  ‘Yep, everything’s in the right place. Not bad.’

  She patted his collar down in a motherly gesture when she would’ve preferred to grab it and drag him towards her so their lips could meet.

  ‘You’re confusing the hell out of me, Weiss.’

  Judd reached for Abby’s hand before thinking better of it.

  He had no idea what was going on, why she was acting so weird. As for the scorching look she’d just sent him after checking him out, it had shot straight to his groin, an area he had no right acknowledging when it came to his best friend.

  He’d thought they’d move past that kiss last night. Looked as if he was wrong.

  No matter how much they’d joked around all day or how hard he tried to concentrate on business, she was in his face, smiling at him, laughing at his jokes, her stunning blue eyes radiating more warmth than the tropical sun blazing down upon them.

  Realistically, there was only so much a guy could take and, what with his libido waking up to the fact that his best friend was actually the sexiest thing he’d ever seen in a long, long while, and Abby doing her best to confuse him with mixed messages, he had no idea whether to make an utter fool of himself and kiss her again or trash his whole plan and head back to the desert.

  ‘You’re confused!’ she muttered, pushing a strand of silky brown hair behind one ear, the gesture heartrendingly familiar.

  He’d seen her do it during exams.

  He’d seen her do it when she’d been dumped by her first boyfriend.

  Everything about her was so familiar yet something had shifted between them and blood pounded through his body at the absurd rush of it.

  ‘Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? You know I’m a good listener.’

  He kept his voice light, trying to reassure her with his tone if he couldn’t reach out and touch her.

  Damn, did he want to touch her.

  ‘You may not want to hear this,’ she said, dropping her hand to her side where she drew lazy circles in the sand.

  Okay, so now he was worried.

  For one crazy moment he’d hoped she felt the same spark he did, the sudden attraction that had flared to life between them.

  However, her grim expression was miles away from her usual happy-go-lucky one and he knew that no matter how he felt, how tempted he was to push the boundaries between them, he couldn’t do it. He would never hurt her. She meant too much to him, their friendship priceless.

  He’d always known it, from the first moment she’d taken pity on the embarrassed, sniffling seven-year-old he’d been when he’d bowled her over while trying to escape his father’s loud curses as he’d woken following another drunken binge.

  She’d always been there for him so what was he trying to do—mess with the most important thing in his life?

  ‘Try me.’

  ‘It’s not important,’ she said, her voice barely above a whisper as he leaned towards her to catch the words.

  ‘You always were a lousy liar.’

  He stared at her, willing her to look up at him, but she kept her gaze firmly fixed on her fingers tracing idle patterns in the sand.

  ‘And you could always read me like a book.’

  She sighed, a small sound that shot straight to his heart.

  Tread carefully, his conscience warned. She’s worth it.

  ‘That’s what you think. Besides, you’ve changed from action adventure to mystery genre and I’ve always been lousy at solving mysteries.’

  She finally looked up, a glimmer of a smile playing about her mouth. The same mouth he’d been having illicit fantasies about all night since she’d kissed him back.

  ‘That’s got to be a first, you not being able to read my thoughts, finish my sentences. You know, all that general annoying stuff that makes you the great guy you are.’

  ‘Maybe I’m not as great as you think.’

  He reached for her hand, shaken by the doubts her faith in him raised. A great guy? How could he be when he couldn’t stop thinking about moving their platonic friendship into another stratosphere? One where there were no regrets, no time to think, but plenty of one-on-one action with the two of them naked and sweaty and so turned on they couldn’t stand it.

  ‘You are.’ She squeezed his hand, twining her fingers through his. ‘This may sound nuts but do you ever feel as if things are moving beyond your control? Shifting or changing without you knowing or understanding why?’

  He nodded, buoyed by a surge of hope that maybe, just maybe, they were
on the same wavelength after all.

  ‘Honestly? I’m caught up in some weird helpless thing lately as if I have no control over my life anymore.’

  ‘You, helpless? Like a lion about to pounce on a zebra, you mean?’

  ‘I always did fancy you in stripes.’ He grinned, wondering what she’d say if she knew the truth: that he fancied her, period.

  ‘Do you fancy me? For real, I mean.’

  Her blunt reply stunned him though he should’ve expected it. He’d always been lousy at hiding anything from her and she’d probably picked up on his weird vibes.

  This was his big opportunity.

  Come clean, see if there was the remotest chance they shared more than a lifelong friendship.

  Instead, he ignored what his body urged him to do and settled for the common-sense response: light, playful, designed not to let things get too deep between them.

  ‘What man wouldn’t? You’re one hell of a woman, Weiss.’

  ‘I’m serious. I need to know.’

  Hell.

  ‘You’re my best friend in the world and the most important woman in my life.’

  She fixed him with a scornful glare. ‘That’s not answering my question.’

  Damn right.

  ‘Our friendship means everything to me.’ Her hand slipped out of his and he immediately felt the loss.

  ‘Just answer the question, Calloway.’

  Her blue eyes glittered with intent as she jabbed at his chest and something inside him snapped.

  ‘Do I fancy you for real? Hell yeah.’

  Driven by pure need and madness, he reached for her, winding his fingers through her hair, drawing her closer until their faces were millimetres apart.

  Her careless curls cascaded like the softest silk through his fingertips and he imagined her shiny tresses sliding all over his body, setting it alight with the sensual touch of silk on skin.

  ‘This isn’t a good idea,’ she murmured, though she didn’t pull away. Instead, her hands bunched the cotton of his T-shirt as if she never wanted to let go.

  ‘No, it’s not a good idea. It’s a great one.’

  He brushed a light kiss across her lips, a tentative, testing kiss, giving her the option to stop this madness right here and now.

  She sighed—whether in resignation or pleasure he didn’t know—and leaned into him, the feel of her curves moulding to him firing his libido in a second and giving him all the encouragement he needed.

  He deepened the kiss, nudging her lips apart with his tongue before sweeping into her mouth, exploring the delicious warmth. She met him halfway, angling her head for better access, and it took all his willpower not to drag her down onto the sand and devour her on the spot.

  He hungered for her, his hands taking on a life of their own as they skimmed her back, her butt and everywhere in between.

  ‘You feel amazing,’ he whispered against the corner of her mouth before nibbling his way across her jaw towards her ear.

  She trembled as he licked the delicate skin behind the lobe and blew on it, her soft cry of pleasure shooting straight to his groin.

  ‘This doesn’t have to affect our friendship,’ he said, trailing a line of kisses down her throat to her collarbone. ‘We’re both too smart for that.’

  ‘I hope you’re right.’

  She pulled away, the tip of her tongue flicking out to trail over her lips as if testing to see if they’d actually been attached to his less than a second ago, leaving him burning for her and cursing himself for opening his big mouth and ruining the moment.

  ‘I guess we’ve established where we both stand on the fancying-each-other issue,’ he said, thrusting his hands in his pockets to stop reaching out and hauling her right back into his arms where she belonged.

  ‘Uh-huh.’

  She turned away, but not before he’d glimpsed the heat shimmering in her eyes turning them to liquid sapphire and he itched for his camera, wishing he could capture her exact expression at that moment: passionate, glowing yet strangely shy.

  ‘So you feel this, too?’

  Her tentative question slammed into him, making him feel like a caveman for taking what he could get out of that kiss without getting to the bottom of what was bugging her earlier.

  ‘That’s what you wanted to talk about? You’re attracted to me?’

  She rolled her eyes, some of her telltale sass evident in the slight twitching of her lips.

  ‘What do you think?’

  ‘I think we’re both crazy for interfering in something this good. But I can’t stop thinking about you since last night, can’t stop thinking about how great we could be if we lost our minds totally and go for it.’

  There, he’d said it.

  Let it all hang out in the hope she’d be sensible enough for the both of them.

  He read the doubt in her eyes, sure it was a reflection of his own. But it was too late for doubts.

  This was it, crunch time.

  Friends or lovers?

  Hopefully both if he had any say in it.

  ‘We’ve been friends for years,’ she said, her fingers gripping his for dear life. ‘Why now? Why this? It’s crazy.’

  He couldn’t agree more. ‘Crazy.’

  ‘And you know we can’t let this thing affect our friendship, right?’

  ‘Right,’ he said, hope building with every word she uttered.

  Suddenly, her lips curved upwards in a blinding smile that took his breath away.

  ‘I guess there’s no harm in trying. You’ll be travelling the world again by the end of the week, we’ll revert to our old friendship as if nothing happened. Whatever we do on the island stays on the island, right?’

  He hesitated, hating the tiny white lie he’d have to tell in order to satisfy his unquenchable thirst for this woman.

  ‘Right,’ he said, wondering how she’d feel if she knew of his plans to stay in Sydney and his desperate need to find out if there was more to life than the constant buzz of travel, photography and money.

  ‘In that case, let’s go crazy.’

  Pulling him up from the sand, she laughed at his stunned expression. ‘Don’t look so scared, Calloway. I promise I’ll be gentle.’

  ‘That’s not what I’m afraid of,’ he muttered, holding her hand tightly as he fell into step beside her as they strolled back towards the hotel.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ‘I MUST be crazy,’Abby muttered, stabbing a spray of frangipani into the French roll despite her shaking hands. The hairdresser and make-up artist had done a great job but her hair had needed a finishing touch and she adored the beautiful fragrant flower growing wild all over the island.

  ‘Told you this modelling stuff is hard work,’ Tara replied, fussing around her like a mother hen as she tugged and primped at the tea-rose silk-chiffon gown that fitted Abby like a glove, much to her disgust.

  What was with Bassel Designs anyway? Since when did they go for a realistic look for their clothes as opposed to the usual ‘emaciated waif’ fad?

  ‘There. Perfect.’

  Abby screwed up her face, reluctant to admit the hairdresser and make-up artist had done a fabulous job. She could barely recognise herself, which was just as well considering she needed a confidence mask when she faced Judd so soon after their revealing conversation earlier.

  ‘I look like Island Barbie gone wrong.’

  Tara shook her head, her trademark red locks flowing around her shoulders in blow-dried perfection. ‘You look like Bridal Barbie. With the hots for Ken,’ she added, with a cheeky grin.

  Having the hots for Judd was an understatement—not that she’d let Tara in on the fact.

  ‘How did I get myself into this?’

  ‘Simple. You took one look into those dreamy hazel eyes and melted like any red-blooded woman would.’

  ‘I don’t melt. And for your information, I talked him into helping me out.’

  ‘Yeah? So you’re telling me you agreed to wear that dress out of the goodness of
your heart?’ Tara snorted and rolled her eyes. ‘As if. I bet the dreamboat suggested you model alongside him and you fell in a simpering heap at his feet.’

  ‘Not bloody likely,’ Abby muttered. She’d never fall at any guy’s feet, friend or otherwise. ‘This job needs to get done a.s.a.p. and, courtesy of my curves, I’m the only poor sucker who could fit into this darn thing.’

  Abby patted her hips, knowing she would never have contemplated modelling unless Judd had suggested it. So the guy had a point? She’d saved hours in not scouring the exclusive resort for a possible model but that didn’t make this any easier.

  She was about to pose for wedding shots, where she’d have to act all lovey-dovey with the guy she’d just agreed to have a fling with.

  The guy she’d secretly never got over.

  The guy she’d daydreamed about doing this very thing with, for real.

  How much more complicated could this situation get? Being attracted to Judd as a teenager had nothing on the buzz between them now. Everything seemed more intense, more out of control, just … more.

  She wanted him, big time, but could she go through with this? He’d seen her at her best; he’d seen her at her worst. They’d swapped footy cards as kids, she’d ridden pillion on his pushbike to school and he’d held her close when her first boyfriend had broken her heart. He knew everything about her.

  Except for one tiny fact: when he’d left Pier Point, she’d had to deal with the devastation of being rejected by someone she loved all over her again.

  First her parents, then Judd. Somehow his defection had hurt a heck of a lot more than her parents’ had when she’d been barely out of her toddler years.

  What if having a fling with her best friend was addictive?

  What if she went through the same rejection drama when he jetted off at the end of this job?

  Or, worse, what if she fell in love with him all over again?

  ‘Honey, you make that dress look exquisite. Bet you a hundred bucks the dreamboat’s eyes fall out of his head?’

  ‘No bet.’

  She avoided looking at Tara, not willing to reveal the tiny surge of excitement she felt in the hope her appearance might do exactly that to Judd.