Ultimate Heroes Collection

by Various Authors

  ‘Oh, I see,’ she said, arching into his hand as a tortured expression flickered across his face, secretly revelling in the fact she could make him want her this much.

  ‘Actually, I don’t think you do.’

  He kissed her, a hot, deep, open-mouthed kiss that left her panting and eager and desperate to have him inside her, a kiss that proved they had no business being on a beach when they could be taking this all the way in the privacy of a room.

  As his hand slid off her breast and headed lower she braced her palms against his chest and pushed off him slightly.

  ‘You know how I’m in your debt?’

  ‘Yeah?’

  Reaching down to his board shorts, she brushed her hand lightly across his erection, his sharp intake of breath turning into a hiss as she stroked along his length.

  ‘How about we head to my room and work out a payment system?’

  ‘I like the way you think,’ he said, grabbing her hand and surging to his feet so fast her head spun.

  Laughing, they ran across the sand like a couple of teenagers, the moonlight casting seductive shadows while Abby wondered how she’d ever kidded herself she was over this incredible guy.

  And wondering how she would survive once this wickedly delicious taste of island magic turned into a healthy serve of indigestible reality.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  THEY didn’t make it to the front door of her room. Instead, they stumbled onto the balcony, shoved open the sliding door and tangled in the sheer curtains before tumbling into the room.

  Abby padded through the darkness and flicked on a bedside lamp, surprised Judd hadn’t followed her in.

  ‘Forget something?’

  Turning, she saw him leaning against the door frame, arms folded, clutching his sodden T-shirt, looking supersexy with water dripping down his bare chest, pecs well defined, biceps flexed. Her gaze dipped lower, drawn to the bulge in his shorts, and he straightened, proud and confident.

  By the size of that bulge he had every right to be.

  ‘Um … let me see … I forgot to clean up?’

  She darted a quick glance around the room, wishing she’d had the foresight to tidy up a bit. Not that she’d expected them to sprint into her room via the open balcony door—she’d assumed he’d take charge and make the first move and they’d use his room for their ‘honeymoon’ night—but now they were here, she couldn’t help but wish the piles of clothes draped over chairs, not to mention her underwear hanging on a string to dry in the bathroom, would disappear.

  ‘Unless you’re an ultra-modern girl and have a stash of condoms here I’m going to have to make a quick detour to my room and meet you back here?’

  She muttered a curse that had him grinning.

  ‘Give me two minutes.’

  He held up two fingers and she crossed the room in a second, pushing down one of his fingers.

  ‘Make it one,’ she said, slanting her lips across his in a blistering kiss designed to make him hurry back.

  ‘Thirty seconds,’ he said, gently pushing her away before vanishing through the curtains, leaving her touching her mouth in awe of the havoc one simple touch of his lips could wreak.

  As Abby raced around the room shoving clothes into the wardrobe and kicking shoes under the bed she expected the doubt demons to start giving her grief.

  Instead, all she felt was wild elation at the thought of picking up where they’d left off on the beach though this time she had every intention of satisfying him before she lost it completely again.

  ‘Made it with a second to spare. Miss me?’

  Abby swivelled in the bathroom door, her arms filled with bras and knickers, and she quickly dropped the lot onto the nearest chair, her mind blank as Judd advanced towards her, fire in his eyes, a wicked smile playing about his lips.

  ‘Well?’ he asked softly, stopping less than a foot in front of her, the heat radiating off his body beckoning her to close the short gap between them and lose her mind.

  For the life of her she couldn’t remember the question as the green flecks in his hazel eyes glowed like sparkling emeralds in the dim light cast by the single lamp.

  ‘What would you do if I had a first-floor room rather than a ground floor-bungalow?’

  She almost smacked herself for saying the first thing that popped into her head and sounding ridiculous in the process.

  He smiled. ‘Simple. I’d climb the trellis like Romeo.’

  ‘How very apt. Ill-fated lovers and all that.’ She trailed off as he leaned towards her, powerless to stop the incoming sensual onslaught, knowing she didn’t want to.

  ‘We’re not ill-fated and as for the lovers part …’ he brushed a kiss across her lips before she could move, a soft, sensual touch that left her desperate for more ‘.I aim to remedy that starting right now.’

  His lips slid across hers again, much firmer this time but still not enough considering how passionate they’d been on the beach, how much she craved him, all of him.

  ‘After all, this is our wedding night considering we did the bride and groom thing today, pretend or otherwise.’

  Wedding night. The words echoed in her mind, a reminder of all that had happened today. Sure, they’d playacted a wedding for the camera, but no matter how much she tried to ignore it, she couldn’t forget how good it had felt having Judd by her side, holding her close, staring at her like a beloved bride.

  It had felt way too good, which was why she had to forget about the day completely and immerse herself in this moment, with this man, and focus on the night ahead no matter what the morning might bring.

  ‘Wedding night, huh? Well, then, let’s make it memorable.’

  She sent him a teasing smile and he responded with a groan, covering her mouth with his and pulling her into his arms, effectively wiping all thought from her mind.

  Perfect. Abby didn’t want to think anymore.

  She didn’t want to rationalise or contemplate or wonder how right or wrong this was.

  For now, she wanted to feel, to explode, to create magic with the one guy who made her melt just by smiling at her.

  Threading her arms around his neck, she arched towards him, inviting closer contact. Judd moaned deep in his throat, accepting her invitation with the consummate skill she’d come to expect from their kisses, from the explosive passion on the beach.

  His tongue eased into her mouth, slow and languorous, urging her to join him in its exploration. She met him halfway, eager to sample what he had to offer, playfully nipping at his bottom lip between her teeth and sucking lightly.

  He tightened his grip in response and broke the kiss, his mouth roving over her face with precision, scattering light kisses over her skin, notching up her craving for him to unbearable.

  ‘Judd?’

  ‘Hmm?’

  His mouth nibbled its way down her neck, leaving a scorching trail to her breasts, which threatened to spill out of her bikini top the longer she pressed against him.

  Not that she cared. In fact, she wished he’d speed up the process by untying the strings around her neck and relieve the deep-seated ache that had started the moment he’d first kissed her.

  ‘This is the best,’ she whispered as his hands slid around her back, found the first string and tugged on it hard before untying the knot at the base of her neck in record time.

  ‘And it’s about to get a whole lot better, sweetheart.’

  She didn’t doubt it for a second, ripples of longing shooting through her body as the bikini top slithered down her torso and plopped in a wet heap at her feet, bringing her breasts in exquisite contact with his bare chest.

  ‘You feel incredible,’ he murmured, his fingertips grazing the undersides of her breasts as he cupped them, weighed them, before skimming his palms across her erect nipples.

  ‘Jeez.’

  Her head fell back as an electrifying sensation like a lightning bolt shot from his sure hands to the deepest part of her, now throbbing with need.

&n
bsp; She was burning up, heat streaking through her veins, and as Judd’s mouth enclosed a nipple and he flicked her with his tongue once, twice, she melted on the spot.

  ‘Wobbly knees, huh?’

  ‘Wobbly everything,’ she murmured as he kissed his way across to her other breast, repeating the delightful torture of licking and sucking her other nipple as he eased her back gently onto the bed.

  He propped on his side, his fingertips skimming her body, skirting around her breasts, tickling her, teasing her until she could’ve begged for more while his steamy gaze followed the slow, lazy movement of his hand.

  ‘You’re so beautiful.’

  She smiled and reached up to trail a finger down his cheek. ‘Guess you’ve never seen me like this, huh?’

  Raw, powerful passion flickered in his eyes, turning them from familiar hazel to molten caramel in a heartbeat.

  ‘You’ve always been beautiful to me, Abby,’ he said, lowering his lips to hers, kissing her slower and deeper this time, a soul-drugging kiss that had her wishing to prolong this perfect moment for ever.

  The kiss was stupendous.

  The kiss was beyond her wildest dreams.

  But it didn’t affect her half as much as the way he’d said her first name, with tenderness shining like a beacon from his eyes.

  ‘I want you,’ she murmured, breaking the kiss to cradle his face and stare into his eyes, hoping he could read how important this was to her, how big a deal.

  There was no turning back now.

  He scanned her face as if seeking reassurance, and she smiled as she slid her hands into his hair, tugging him towards her.

  ‘Now.’

  His answering grin lit up his face, making her heart flip-flop more than ever. ‘Well, how can I refuse an order like that?’

  ‘You can’t,’ she said, surging upwards to plaster herself against his body, her hands sliding down his torso, frantically tearing at his shorts, desperate to feel all of him.

  ‘Let me help you with that.’

  He slipped the shorts down his legs and tossed them over his shoulder, where they landed on the fancy chrome lamp by the bedside.

  They laughed and, suddenly, Abby was struck by how special this was.

  Sure, she’d had sex with her previous boyfriends and it had been fun, but nothing like this extraordinary feeling of being totally in sync with someone, totally at ease despite the enormity of what they were about to do.

  Sex could be fun but it could also be awkward and stilted and all about a purely physical act, yet here she was sharing a laugh with her best friend who was about to rock her world.

  ‘Better take that off before it burns,’ she said, itching to close the short gap between them and rub her breasts against his chest.

  He grinned and slipped a finger under the elastic of her bikini bottoms. ‘You talking about this?’

  ‘The shorts off the lamp, wise guy.’

  She rolled her eyes, her laughter dying away as he slid his finger along her belly before withdrawing, her breath catching as he moved away from her to grab the board shorts, giving her ample opportunity to study the breadth of his shoulders, the smooth, tanned expanse of skin and the shift of muscles beneath the surface.

  Judd was gorgeous, she’d always known it, but having his body to explore, to caress, was something she’d never dreamed possible.

  Until now.

  ‘Right. All fire hazards taken care of. Now, where were we?’

  ‘Right about here,’ she said, taking hold of his hand and guiding him back to her bikini bottoms while leaning forward and brushing her breasts across his chest. ‘As for fire hazards, don’t know about you but I’m burning up all over.’

  ‘Same here,’ he murmured, ripping the bottoms down in one smooth movement, his hand grazing her mound and sending her into meltdown as she arched towards him. ‘Oh, wow.’

  His reverent whisper thrilled her as he stared at her, his fingers trailing up her thighs with torturous patience, inching higher and higher at a snail’s pace, making her grit her teeth with the sheer erotic torment of it.

  And as he shifted his gaze upwards, lingering on her bare breasts before shifting to her mouth, she tingled all over as if he’d touched her on each and every one of those sensitive spots.

  They locked gazes and her breath caught at the depth of desire in his eyes. She wanted him so badly and it looked as if the feeling was entirely mutual.

  ‘Judd?’

  His penetrating stare hadn’t flickered, hadn’t moved, and she hoped he wasn’t having second thoughts. She’d moved way past that stage, around the time he’d first touched her bare skin with reverence.

  ‘Just admiring the view. It’s the photographer in me.’

  She smiled and crooked her finger at him. ‘This model appreciates the sentiment but she’s done working for the day. It’s playtime now.’

  Judd didn’t need to be asked twice.

  He’d wanted to devour Abby ever since their little impromptu roll in the surf. He’d been so close to losing it, so damn horny he couldn’t think straight, let alone hold back, and now, with her lying naked in front of him, responding to him, touching him, he could hardly believe this was happening.

  ‘I’m all for play,’ he said, his fingers continuing the leisurely exploration of her thighs, stilling when he hit the edge of her damp curls, toying with her, loving how her blue eyes turned midnight with need as he eased a finger inside to touch her damp, wet flesh.

  ‘Good,’ she gasped, arching towards him as he circled her clitoris with his fingertip, soft, rhythmic movements that had her moaning his name until he could barely restrain himself.

  He maintained the rhythm while slipping another finger inside her wet warmth, feeling her clench around him as she thrashed, arched and stiffened in his arms before melting on a long, low moan.

  She’d always been fantastic at making him feel good about himself but nothing came close to this moment when the woman who meant the world to him smiled, a shy, tender smile that made him feel ten feet tall.

  ‘That was great,’ she murmured, placing her palm against his heart, her touch hot against his skin as her hand slid lower. ‘And I want more.’

  ‘Greedy.’

  He didn’t stop her hand as it slid under the waistband of his jocks.

  He didn’t stop her hand when she fondled his erection.

  And he sure as hell didn’t stop her when she surged upwards, whipped off his jocks in record time and focused her gaze on his penis standing to attention.

  ‘This is going to be great,’ she said, wrapping her hand around his shaft, an almost reverent look on her face as she stroked him.

  He groaned, a low guttural sound ripped from the back of his throat as unbearable pleasure streaked through his body.

  He wanted to take this slow.

  He wanted to make this last.

  But right now, watching Abby touching him so intimately, so thoroughly, he couldn’t breathe let alone hang onto his fragile self-control.

  ‘Stop.’

  His hand shot out and gripped her wrist while he imprinted this unforgettable image on his brain: Abby, with her hair tumbling like dark silk around her shoulders, her eyes wide and glittering, her lips parted and swollen from his kisses, straddling him, holding him as if she never wanted to let go.

  He closed his eyes for a second, capturing the precious snapshot, storing it in his memory banks, wondering how he’d got so damn lucky.

  ‘Okay, your call.’

  She shrugged and rolled off him, her mouth pursed in a faux moue as she faked a huff.

  He nuzzled her neck till she laughed, the pure, joyous sound wrapping him in its warmth. ‘If you hadn’t stopped we mightn’t have got to the good stuff.’

  ‘You mean, there’s more?’

  She widened her eyes, her feigned innocence in stark contrast to the devilish smile playing about her lips. ‘Oh, yeah, a whole lot more.’

  He kissed her, deeply, thoroughly, be
fore reaching for his discarded shorts, taking care of protection and rolling back towards her only to discover she’d parted her legs, giving him a shockingly intimate view of her, wet and wanting.

  ‘Hell.’

  ‘Or heaven, depending on your definition,’ she said, closing the short distance between them as he reached for her, driven by blind need, filled with a burning desperation he’d never imagined.

  His hands covered her everywhere, exploring every dip, every curve and coming back for more. He couldn’t get enough of her bare skin, the silky smoothness like a balm for his work-hardened hands.

  ‘You’re so soft,’ he said, caressing her butt, bringing her closer to his erection, which nudged between her legs, and she sighed, hooking her leg over his and giving him access to all of her.

  ‘And you’re so hard.’

  She squeezed her hand between them, gently guiding his erection to her slick entrance, rubbing it along her swollen flesh on the way.

  ‘You feel so good,’ she said, sliding both hands up his chest to rest on his shoulders as he rolled over and into her in one, fluid movement.

  ‘So do you, sweetheart. So do you.’

  Her eyes fluttered shut as he withdrew slowly before plunging into her again, harder, deeper, and she clutched at his shoulders, her fingernails digging into him, spurring him on.

  With every thrust, he watched her beautiful face contort with ecstasy.

  With every plunge, he watched her mouth part and her tongue flicker out to moisten her lips, mimicking the incredible sex they were having.

  Watching Abby in the throes of passion fuelled his libido beyond belief and he picked up the pace, thrusting harder and faster as she gripped his shoulders, raised her legs and wrapped around him, sending him spiralling out of control in a frenzied burst.

  As his release swamped him, she cried out his name and he collapsed on top of her in a daze, his lungs bereft of oxygen, his mind a complete blank.

  Abby, his best friend, was beautiful.

  Abby, his lover, was phenomenal.

  And he couldn’t think of one, damn thing to say as he withdrew and rolled onto his side, cradling her close.

  His usual wise-ass remarks wouldn’t cut it now. She deserved more than that. Hell, after that performance, she deserved the world and for a guy who didn’t know what the future held he was the last person to give it to her.