Ultimate Heroes Collection

by Various Authors

  Tara chuckled. ‘Okay, I’ll quit joking around. Now, remember, head up, shoulders back, boobs out and work it, girl. Work it!’

  Turning her back on the mirror and poking her tongue out at Tara, Abby said, ‘That’s what I intend to do. Get this job done a.s.a.p. so I can concentrate on working you into the ground for the rest of the week. Come on, let’s go.’

  ‘Honey, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.’ Tara held out her elbow and tucked Abby’s hand under it. ‘I can see the headlines now: Abby Weiss, ace fashion stylist, turns model. And turns dreamboat photographer on his ear in the process.’

  ‘Don’t hold your breath.’

  Though a small part of her couldn’t wait to play make-believe with Judd and to see how he acted following their revealing discussion. Would he tease her in his usual way? Or would the thought of getting up close and personal with each other in the not too distant future cramp his style?

  Up close and personal … Heat flooded her cheeks at the thought of being in bed with Judd, if his magical kisses were any indication.

  ‘Looks as if the blushing bride is dreaming about the honeymoon.’

  ‘Come on,’ Abby snapped, stalking in front of Tara and cursing her own stupidity for landing in this predicament in the first place.

  Judd paced the sand, wondering how Abby would act after their cosy chat earlier.

  When they’d parted company at the hotel, she’d looked pale and it had taken all his willpower not to reach out and envelop her in his arms. Apart from her pallor he’d also noted her fidgeting and the fake, bright smile she always used when she was nervous as hell.

  He’d seen that same smile before final exams at high school, before the inter-school netball championships and the night of the graduation dance.

  The first night you kissed her.

  He’d made a mess of things that night, too, acting like a jerk who didn’t give a damn, teasing her about her dress, which had secretly driven him mad with its hint of cleavage, and implying that he wasn’t interested in her as a woman.

  If she only knew.

  Ironic, as here he was all these years later about to get it on with his best friend and still acting as if he was ready to bolt.

  ‘Chill out, dude. Looks as if you’re about to have a coronary.’ Tom finished his soda in three gulps and toasted him with the empty bottle.

  ‘I’m fine,’ he bit out, wishing he could have a fortifying pint—or ten—to calm his nerves. He should be behind the camera where he belonged, not trussed up in some monkey suit, playing at being a groom.

  ‘Have you rechecked the equipment? The girls will be here any second.’

  ‘No worries. Relax, I’m a professional. Everything’s under control.’

  Judd grinned. ‘Yeah, that’s what you said a second before that elephant charged us in Thailand.’

  Tom tapped the side of his nose. ‘Were you trampled to death?’ ‘No.’

  ‘Well, quit your whining, then.’

  Judd shook his head and glanced at his watch for the hundredth time in the last few minutes, wishing he could get this over and done with. ‘Where’s Abby? She’s taking for ever.’

  ‘She’ll show, don’t worry. Personally, I can’t wait to see her all dressed up.’ Tom wiped his brow. ‘Is that woman hot!’

  Tom watched him closely for a reaction and he deliberately kept his voice cool. ‘Too right.’

  Tom guffawed loudly. ‘Quit acting like you don’t care. You want her.’

  Was it that obvious?

  If Tom could see through him, little wonder Abby had picked up on his sudden interest. What he still couldn’t get his head around was the fact she returned it.

  What had happened to them? Was it the old ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ tune? How could two perfectly sane people who’d been friends for so long suddenly want to get down and dirty?

  It just didn’t make any sense. Then again, nothing he’d been doing lately had made much sense, hence his planned change of career, change of location and lifestyle.

  ‘We’re good friends, which is why I’m helping her out of a tight spot and why you need to keep your mind focused on the job at hand and not spouting drivel like you usually do.’

  Tom’s raucous laugh bounced off the palm trees surrounding them. ‘Keep on kidding yourself, man. And when you have your first baby, don’t forget to name old Tommy as the godfather.’

  ‘Work!’

  Judd pointed at the stack of cameras lined up on a nearby trestle and scanned the beach for Abby, wishing they could get this over and done with.

  The sooner this shoot was complete and the pictures e-mailed to Mark, the sooner they could continue their interesting discussion earlier, with fewer words—and fewer clothes—if he had anything to do with it.

  ‘Wow-ee! Feast your eyes on that.’

  Judd turned and time stood still.

  He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe as he watched Abby walk towards him, a simple strapless dress outlining every curve of her tempting body, her hair twisted into an elegant roll that drew attention to her high cheekbones and expressive eyes.

  Those eyes …

  She fixed them on him, steady, unwavering, and for a long, loaded second, he swore he could read raw, honest passion in their glittering depths.

  I want you, too, he wanted to scream, his churning gut making him shift his weight from foot to foot.

  She took his breath away and if he’d had any doubts about his intentions to keep his hands off her, the kick in the guts at the sight of her floating across the sand towards him with desire in her eyes dispelled them in a second.

  He wanted her.

  More than he’d wanted anything or anyone in his entire life.

  She stopped in front of him and her coy smile clutched at his heart.

  ‘Don’t pass out on me now,’ she said, the slight tremor in her voice belying the twinkle in her eyes as she reached out and smoothed the lapels of his tux.

  He took a deep breath, placed a hand over hers and winked. ‘Not a chance. You’re stuck with me now for better or worse.’

  ‘In your dreams.’

  His smile widened as his gaze drifted slowly down her body before returning to focus on her face.

  ‘Oh, yeah, in my dreams,’ he murmured, delighted when a faint pink matching her dress stained her cheeks as she rolled her eyes in familiar fashion and snatched her hand away.

  ‘You’ll keep,’ she muttered, sending him a mock frown at total odds with the cheeky curve of her lips. ‘Now, less talk, more work from you, please.’

  ‘As long as we get to play later.’

  A thrill of anticipation shot through Abby at Judd’s whispered words in her ear and she determinedly ignored her pounding pulse as she turned to smile at Tom, whom she’d finally noticed.

  The minute she’d laid eyes on Judd standing on the beach in his tux, everything and everyone had faded into the background till all she could see was the guy about to turn her world upside down.

  For she had little doubt that, once this shoot was over and a hard day’s work done, they’d move on to the next step of their friendship, one from which there was no turning back.

  ‘Hey, Tom. Judd assures me you’re almost as good as he thinks he is so you can pull this off, right?’

  Tom squared his shoulders and gave her a thumbs-up sign of encouragement. ‘All systems go here. By the way, you look fantastic. If you ever tire of playing with the clothes, you should consider modelling. You’d make a squillion.’

  ‘Aren’t you a sweetie?’ she said, wiggling her fingers at Tom in a flirty wave, eliciting a low growl from Judd’s direction.

  ‘Go easy on the big guy. You’re breaking his heart.’

  She laughed, her nerves taking a back seat as Judd slipped his hand into hers and squeezed. ‘Yeah, that’s me, all right. A real heart-breaker. Not.’

  She glanced at their clasped hands and quirked an eyebrow, grateful for the reassuring contact yet wishing
her pulse weren’t doing crazy things like slamming through her veins at a breakneck speed.

  ‘Just in case you feel like bolting.’ He smiled, holding on a little bit tighter, and her breath hitched as the full force of his smile hit her, packing a powerful punch that almost floored her in its intensity.

  When he smiled like that, she felt as if she were the only woman in the world and she was all his.

  Considering what they were about to do come nightfall, it wasn’t far off the mark. He’d always held a special place in her heart as her best friend and he’d soon be her lover. Would they be as good in the bedroom as they were out of it? The way her body was responding to his slightest touches the last few days she’d shoot straight to the stars and back.

  Friends. Think friends for the moment, she mentally chastised, knowing she’d have to repeat it constantly over the next few hours. This shoot had to be a success, the photos stunning, and only then could she unwind as she deserved. As they both deserved.

  Despite her qualms a small part of her had been looking forward to this shoot, curious as to how the ‘other half lived’ so to speak. She already knew being a model was hard work, and what better way to make her work come alive than a bit of firsthand experience?

  In reality, she should be nervous as all get out, but with Judd standing by her side, reassuring her with his familiar smiles, she felt nothing but confident she could pull this off and look great in the process.

  However, as she glanced at Tom standing poised with camera in hand and Tara holding up a huge light reflector a zoo’s worth of butterflies took flight in her belly and she pulled away from him, smoothing the front of her dress in a purely nervous reaction.

  It was one thing to feel confident, another to actually go through with this modelling gig when she’d never done anything remotely like it before.

  ‘Go easy on the nerves. This’ll be a cinch,’ he said, picking up on her mood in the same way he’d always done, a way too calm smile crinkling the laugh lines adorably around his gold-flecked eyes.

  ‘Uh-huh.’

  She nodded mechanically, casting a frantic glance around for a last-minute reprieve from prancing in front of the cameras like some of her charges. However, the beach was deserted, as she’d requested, and logically she knew there was no way out.

  ‘Wish Tom would hurry up,’ she muttered, fiddling with a crystal on the bodice before stilling her fingers with effort. That was all she needed—for the expensive dress to fall apart before they’d done the required shots.

  ‘Hey, chill out. Consider this a game, a bit of a laugh.’

  She raised a cynical eyebrow Judd’s way. ‘Ha-bloody-ha.’

  Though he was right. She needed to lighten up otherwise she’d look uptight and constipated in the shots rather than a blushing bride.

  ‘Nice monkey suit,’ she said, making an effort to alleviate the tension twisting her body into knots as she pointed at the exquisitely tailored tux that looked as if it had been made for him.

  ‘Thanks,’ he said, teasing grin firmly back in place as he cast a pointed glance at her chest. ‘And nice to see you’re still using tissues.’

  ‘I am not!’

  She thrust out her breasts to make a point, unprepared for the swift rush of longing his triumphant gaze evoked and the accompanying heat that sizzled through her body.

  ‘You’re too easy, Weiss,’ he murmured, his eyes darkening with desire, intensifying the moment tenfold.

  ‘I hope you mean that in the nicest possible way.’

  She folded her arms over her chest, knowing it would push her breasts together and upward, hopefully driving him wild in the process, and as he tore his gaze away to shake his head, a dazed expression quickly followed by a rueful smile, she had her revenge.

  ‘Being friends with you is hard enough. I have a feeling whatever we get up to for the rest of the week is going to drive me over the edge.’

  ‘That’s the whole point, isn’t it?’

  She ran a finger slowly down his chest, revelling in her newfound power to make him drool for her.

  ‘Work first, remember?’ he whispered in her ear before planting a feather-light kiss on the lobe, setting her nerve endings alight.

  ‘Work? What work?’

  She swayed towards him, her legs turning to jelly at his barest touch, knowing she’d lose it completely when they finally got around to doing loads of touching on hot, bare skin.

  Placing a finger under her chin, he tipped it up. ‘You know what work is. That thing that comes before play,’ he said, caressing her bottom lip with his thumb and short-circuiting her synapses in the process as they fired mixed messages between her brain and her body till she couldn’t think straight, let alone resist him.

  ‘Save it for the honeymoon, you two. We’ve got a job to do.’

  She leapt away like a teenager found necking with the high-school jock as Tom and Tara’s laughter filtered over her. Since when did she get so caught up in swapping quips and flirting with Judd that she forgot the task at hand, let alone they were in the company of two of the biggest jokers around?

  She was losing the plot, no two ways about it, and if she wanted to keep her job beyond this … this … fling or whatever the two of them were crazy enough to embark on, she needed to keep focused on something other than the sexy man grinning at her like a goofball.

  ‘Okay, folks. Enough of the funny stuff. Let’s get to work.’

  Tom saluted and picked up his camera, Tara snapped her hands together in a producer’s sign for action and Judd switched into work mode, helping Tom sort out the best lighting spots before being put in his place by the lead photographer on this shoot.

  ‘Listen up, buddy. You can’t be model and photographer. Just relax and do as you’re told,’ Tom said, positioning them beneath a towering palm for the first shot. ‘I’m a professional, remember?’

  ‘Famous last words,’ Judd muttered, doing as he was told, though Abby could see the strain on his face.

  She laid a comforting hand on his sleeve. ‘It’s hard not being in control, huh?’

  ‘You said it.’

  Their gazes locked and for a brief second, she wondered if he was looking forward to losing control as much as she was.

  Thankfully, the moment passed and for the next two hours, they posed, preened and acted like the happiest couple on earth as Tom barked directions, ably supported by a smug Tara who took to her photographer’s assistant role with glee.

  Abby’s cheeks ached from smiling, her neck ached from posing and deep down she ached for Judd, who’d taken every chance he got over the last few hours to touch her.

  ‘This should be the final few shots,’ Tom said, pointing towards the trunk of a bent palm tree. ‘Judd, why don’t you take a seat and settle Abby on your lap? I’ll do a few close-ups with the two of your faces leaning towards each other to capture the detail on the dress’s bodice.’

  ‘You heard what the man said.’ Judd sat down and patted his lap while Abby’s heart stalled before kick-starting with a ka-thump.

  Brushing up against him, having his hand in the small of her back and standing squashed to his side had been torment enough; sitting on his lap would notch up the sensual torture to unbearable.

  ‘You’re enjoying this way too much,’ she muttered, perching on his knees as if poised for flight, trying to ignore the way her pulse pounded and her skin prickled at the contact.

  ‘What’s not to enjoy?’

  He slid his hand up her back ever so slowly and she stiffened when his palm left the silk of the dress and skidded onto her bare skin.

  Her belly dropped away as he inched higher, caressing the nape of her neck, his fingers skimming her rigid muscles in the softest massage, his touch far from therapeutic.

  ‘You’re so tense,’ he murmured, sliding his free hand around her waist as if he sensed her instinct to bolt.

  Not that she could’ve moved if she’d wanted to, considering her legs had turned to jelly the
second he’d touched her.

  ‘We’re nearly done and the shoot’s gone great. No need to worry.’

  ‘Do I look worried?’

  She bit down on her lower lip to keep from crying out as his fingers slid into the base of her hair, gently massaging her scalp in slow, erotic micro-circles.

  ‘You look ravishing.’ He wriggled forward a fraction while strengthening the grip on her waist. ‘Now relax into me. Tom won’t call it quits until we nail these final shots and I know how much you want to get to the good part.’

  ‘The good part?’

  It came out a squeak as she wriggled back far enough to encounter evidence of a very good part indeed.

  ‘The honeymoon.’ His teasing laugh was as soft and seductive as his touch. ‘Don’t forget you’re in my debt. You never know what I may ask you to do.’

  Her breath caught as he shifted beneath her, while she struggled to concentrate on what he was saying, more turned on than she’d ever been in her life.

  ‘Ask away, Calloway. Doesn’t mean I’ll do it.’

  ‘Oh, you’ll do it, all right.’

  As if to prove his point, his fingers disentangled from her hair, sliding down to join his other hand around her waist and not-so-accidentally brushing the sensitive underside of her breast on the way.

  She gasped as shock waves of pleasure flowed through her body, the anticipation of the night ahead heightened by his innuendo, by his seductive touch.

  ‘Okay, just a couple more, folks, and we’re done.’

  Tom’s voice wrenched her out of the sensual spell that had enveloped her and she forced herself to concentrate for the next ten minutes, grateful Judd stopped teasing her with words, secretly elated he still touched her at every opportunity.

  As the late afternoon sun dipped towards the horizon, sending a dazzling display of magenta, ochre and deep purple shimmering across the endless blue ocean, Tom finally called it a day.

  ‘Nice going, you two.’

  Tom rummaged around the cooler that he’d thoughtfully had stocked with water for the afternoon, and held aloft a bottle of champagne in triumph before popping it loudly, filling glasses and handing around flutes filled with the welcome bubbly.