Unforgettable Heroes Boxed Set

  “Got it?”

  Rose smiled and moved in for a soft kiss that made him want to snuggle her close. He refrained from moving in. Until he was sure of her desires, he would let her take the lead.

  “Got it,” she said, turning to lead the way to her battered little car.

  Phillip slid his hands into his jean pockets to keep from pulling her into his arms again. “Tomorrow, then.”

  “Tomorrow,” she agreed, grinning. “I’ll be here around four if that works for you.”

  “Sure.”

  Phillip watched as she slid into her car and turned to send him a little wave before she started the engine and pulled off.

  “She is lovely, Sir.”

  Phillip nodded as he watched until her taillights were out of sight, once she exited the garage. “Yes, she is, Bart. Yes, she is.” He turned then to grin at the man he’d hired three years earlier to run the evening shift. “By the way, you’ll be seeing a thirty percent increase in your next paycheck. Congratulations on a job well done.”

  At Bart’s startled look of delight, Phillip tilted his head in respect and returned to the elevator. He heard, “Thank you, sir!” as the doors slid closed.

  Chapter Nine

  “Where have you been?”

  Aurora sighed. So much for sneaking in the kitchen door undetected. She looked from Aunt Juniper to her cane, wondering if the woman had ever been tempted to swat her with it. With her hair in tight pink sponge curlers, and wearing an old Chenille robe that was probably older than Aurora, Juniper Beauverine was no less intimidating than usual. But the days of being dictated to by this woman, or the others, was over. Spending time with Phillip was opening her eyes to the fact that she had allowed their interference in her life for way too long. She was going to spread her wings as far as they would stretch.

  “I was spending time with a friend.”

  The elderly woman straightened as much as her hunched back would allow and looked Aurora over shrewdly. “What friend?”

  Irritation ran over her, raising a chill on her skin. “Aunt J. I am not going to explain my every move to you or the other aunts any more. You are just going to have to accept that I am an adult and trust my judgment. And since you continue to refuse to talk to me about my parents, I’m going to bed.”

  When there was no response from the clearly startled woman, Aurora nodded her head sharply. “Bless you, then. Good night.”

  Amazingly, Aunt Juniper didn’t pursue her, demanding that she cough up the entire evenings events. Smiling to herself, Aurora made her way to her room and stripped, ready to shower, spend a few minutes planning a menu for the next evening at Phillips, then get to bed. The last thing she wanted to do was develop lack-of-sleep bags under her eyes. She entered her private bathroom and closed the door so she could look at herself in the full-length mirror hanging on the back of the door.

  She started with her face, taking in the fact that she’d been blessed with flawless skin, large, long lashed blues eyes, a hump-free nose that tilted up slightly at the tip, and wide, full lips that had a tendency to relax into a gentle smile.

  Acknowledging that her parents had been generous in sharing their genes when constructing her DNA, she took time to look over the body she wanted to share with Phillip, both for his art and her curiosity. It was strange to contemplate making love to a man. She’d always dreamed of a fairy tale where a gorgeous guy came into her life, dated her, they fell in love, got married, made love, and lived happily ever after.

  But the aunts hadn’t allowed her date when she was younger. She never got to explore the mysteries of a universe that involved guys. She’d been steered in other directions and had all her extracurricular actives laid out for their educational value, or with her safety in mind. She hadn’t known for years that the second was out of the norm. Not until she’d gotten to high school and she was the only kid over the age of sixteen that never got to go out with friends to a movie, much less date a boy.

  She wasn’t ignorant about the bird and the bees, as this was, after all, the twenty-first century, and sex education was taught in detail in middle school. But she’d never gotten any hands on experience, and though she hadn’t really planned initially to consider Phillip as a sex partner, he was so attractive, and so nice, and yes, so sexy, that not to consider it was just plain silly.

  Which meant she needed to strategize. First, what to wear for seduction of her personal artiste, then what to shop for to tickle his tummy. And finally, how to seduce him. Not that she felt that would take too much effort. But still. She wanted it to be perfect. Special. A night to remember when their time together was over and all she had was the memory of a starving artist who had very wealthy friends, who walked into her life one dark night when all she’d expected was to get to attend a cool party with friends.

  It was amazing how quickly life could turn in a different direction. And she was going to make sure she got to ride the wave for all it was worth.

  ****

  Candlelight was the only illumination as Aurora studied the man across from her. He slowly chewed the last bite of pasta on his plate then sat back and shook his head.

  “That was incredible. Where did you learn to cook?”

  “I live with three women who wanted to make sure I knew how to feed myself. The aunts love to cook and made it a fun experience when I was younger. I was always in the kitchen with one or all three of them all the time. I guess some of it stuck.”

  Phillip nodded as he rose to begin moving dishes from the elegantly set table to the countertop. “I’d say it stuck well.”

  Aurora rose, taking her own dishes to the sink to rinse them off before loading them in the stainless steel dishwasher. But when she sat them in the sink, two hands landed on the counter’s edge on either side of her waist. Grinning as Phillip slid against her backside, she slowly turned, allowing her bottom, hips, then finally her pubic area to slide against his clearly erect form.

  “So, what’s for dessert?”

  Aurora gasped as he seemed to swell even more against her, robbing her of every thought. Finally his question penetrated her foggy brain. “I—I—I… made a pie.”

  Phillip laughed. “Sweetheart. There is no way I could eat another bite of food.”

  Lost in the golden flecks of his eyes, it took a few seconds for his meaning to sink in. Once it did she slowly tilted forward, up onto her toes, to place a gentle kiss on his lips. Phillip grinned at her as she fell back, then he pulled her close again to take control of her mouth.

  Perhaps it was the wine, or the full moon assisting the candles in brightening the room, or even the man himself. Whatever it was had Aurora sinking into the moment, had her absorbing his scent, savoring his taste, craving the touch of his artists hands all over her form.

  The dress she’d worn to seduce slid from her body with the barest resistance. She fumbled over the buttons of his shirt, but soon found it open so she could run her hands over his smooth, yet well-defined chest. Suddenly she was being pulled forward as Phillip walked backwards. He repeatedly placed kisses all over her face. Just little butterfly kisses that melted something inside of her. She followed willingly, wanting him with a need that shook her to the core.

  They ended up in the studio, lit like the main living space with only candles and the moon. The low light threw shadows and magnified shapes giving the large room a spooky, ethereal feel. But she didn’t have time to dwell on the ambiance as he danced her through the studio out onto the balcony where they were met with the warm evening air.

  The sounds of the city far below added rather than intruded on the moment as Phillip lowered her to one of the two large chaise lounges, then followed her down to devour her mouth again. Stars danced in her eyes, blocking her vision as he paid homage to her jaw-line with his lips and gentle nips of his teeth.

  She savored the taste of Phillip as his lips returned to take hers. Thought lost its way as she fell, enraptured, into that world between worlds that melted everythi
ng inside. Desire burned with an intensity that she’d only dreamed of. Aurora threw back her head as Phillip broke the kiss to nibble his way from her lips to her neck, then on down to her cleavage where he worshipped her breasts with gentle kisses and a lapping tongue.

  With infinite care he lowered the straps of her lacy bra to reveal her dusk tipped globes to his ministrations and he wasted no time bringing each to aching hardness. Aurora slid her fingers through the softness of his curls as she clasped him to her. Her knees drew up in reaction as the ache intensified between her thighs. Everything inside her screamed for release, but she had no more desire to speed this incredible moment up than he seemed to.

  Phillip’s magic fingers moved smoothly over Aurora and her remaining clothing fell away. His followed, though she had no idea whether she’d had anything to do with helping him or not. She was high, perhaps even stoned, with the endorphins flooding her system. She was so lost in the need flowing though her veins that his entry was a surprise. But slight pain gave way to rapturous pleasure as he continued to touch and taste, to move with long slow strokes that made her whimper until finally pressure and pleasure collided into an explosion so exquisite it rent a scream from the depths of her throat.

  Phillip groaned as if in pain when he pulled out quickly and grasped her tightly to him just as his own body spilled over hers. She held to him, her mind grasping his action just as the realization that they’d not used protection surfaced. Thankful that he’d retained a degree of sanity in an otherwise insane situation, she hugged him tighter, and wondered if maybe she’d just lost a little piece of her heart.

  Chapter Ten

  Phillip pulled back and looked into a face he was certain he could happily wake up to for the rest of his life. He’d never lost his head before, forgetting to protect both himself and the woman involved. Rose was looking back, delight radiating by the smile reflected in her eyes. “I don’t know whether to apologize or not.”

  Confusion melted her look of satisfaction. “Are you sorry, then?”

  Shaking his head, Phillip pulled her to him and held her tightly. “Crap, no, that isn’t what I meant.” He pulled back again, wanting her to see the honesty in his eyes. “I meant to give you more time. I meant to be prepared. Have no doubt, I wanted you fiercely and was hoping to have you, but I didn’t mean to completely lose my head and take you without asking if it was what you wanted, too. Damn, only yesterday you told me you weren’t ready for this.”

  Her features relaxed as she ran her palm over his jaw, then traced his lips with soft fingers. “If I had wanted to protest, I would have protested. I’ve thought about virtually nothing but this since I left you yesterday. Why do think that dress was so easy to get off?”

  Chuckling, Phillip let out a heavy sigh. “Thank God!”

  Rose giggled and moved slightly as he settled himself at her side. They lay there together looking at the stars, holding hands. He turned to her, loving the perfection of her profile. Not because it was perfect and he was an artist, but because it was hers. He placed the hand he was holding to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. She turned to him then and he knew he was completely lost. “Rose.”

  Something flickered in her eyes but was gone before her lips met his. Desire revived in a flash and Phillip forgot all but the need to have her again. To satisfy her in every way he knew, to make her crave and want everything he had to give, until panting and sweaty, they found their way back to shattering orgasms.

  Like two children they rose and ran through the penthouse, Rose giggling, him laughing, to the lovely ceramic tiled, glass fronted walk-in shower. The extra large facility allowed them to play some more as they lathered each other from head to toes, stopping time and again to devour each other’s bodies. Soap was replaced with cascades of water, then they toweled each other dry.

  Phillip pulled her back to the studio, lay her across the soft chaise lounge, arranged first her body then turned her face so he could capture that delicious profile on paper. With an energy he’d never experienced before he whipped out page after page. First a study of her eyes, then her jaw, then the shell of her ear. As detailed as each study was, he couldn’t get enough as he almost frantically recorded what his eyes saw, and his erect body craved.

  Finally she stirred, rising to walk to him and take the sketch pad from his hand. Smiling, she gave him a gentle kiss. “You are wearing me out just watching you. And as much as I hate to, I have to get home. I have a really big test piece to finish tomorrow and I need a little rest.”

  It killed him to stop, to anticipate letting her leave, but he knew she needed her artistic energy just as he lived off his. He pulled her into his arms and devoured her mouth. “That’s just to let you know how crazy I am about you.”

  “Me, too.”

  It did no good for either of them to delay the inevitable so he retrieved her clothes and kept his hands to himself as she dressed. When dressed, she wrapped her arms around him for one long hug.

  “Thank you, Phillip. I never knew sex could be like that. This has been the most amazing night of my life.”

  He studied her, wanting so badly to say the words burning his tongue. That is wasn’t just sex. That for some reason it felt as if she belonged to him, was made for him. But it was too soon. She saw them as barely more than new friends. “Mine, too. You awaken every part of me.”

  She studied him, her eyes soft, her lips slightly tilted in a grin. “I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am that I went to that party.”

  “No more than me.”

  Phillip bit his bottom lip to keep from taking hers again. He wanted to ask her to stay. To forget his own obligations and to ask her to forget hers. But her sense of responsibility was one of her many attractive features. So he took her by the shoulders, turned her around, and walked her through the door. As they rode the elevator, he couldn’t stand it any longer. Pulling her into his arms, he devoured her mouth until the ding of the doors opening brought him to his senses. He pulled back, only to find a smiling Bart waiting outside the doors. After quickly clearing his throat, the attendant retreated swiftly to his booth without a backwards glance.

  “I think we’ve embarrassed Bart.”

  Phillip snuggled her close as he walked her to her car. “I think Bart can take it.”

  They stopped at the driver’s door for one last sweet kiss. Rose hugged him hard, giving him a chance to hold her just a little longer. “Tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  With that, she climbed into her car and drove out of the garage.

  “Sorry about that, sir.”

  Phillip slid Bart a grin. “No problem.”

  Looking where Rose’s taillights were going out of sight, Bart grinned. “She is pretty as a picture, Mr. Princeton.”

  Nodding, Phillip turned. “Yes. She is.” Grinning to himself, he returned to the elevator knowing he’d be counting the minutes until she returned.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Hey! Hey! Wait up. I was hoping I’d see you today!”

  Aurora cringed as the shrill voice got closer. She was beginning to wonder if Tina was stalking her, but she understood loneliness and didn’t have it in her to snub the girl. She stopped and turned, pasting on as friendly a smile as she could manage. Tina halted before her. “Hi, Tina. How are you?”

  Tina hugged her like they were long lost best friends. “I was hoping to find you. You left so quickly yesterday I didn’t get a chance to talk to you. I’m going for pizza and beer. Wanna join me?”

  Aurora was still reeling from the hug, uncertain what it was that made her stiffen in Tina’s presence. It was true Tina was starting to be a big pest, but there was something almost desperate in her every action that set Aurora’s teeth on edge. She forced herself to continue to smile, though all she wanted to do was escape.

  “I have an appointment. Sorry. And I’m really in a very big hurry, so I hope you don’t mind…” Disappointment was evident in Tina’s eyes, and perhaps a little irri
tation, but Aurora didn’t care. If she had to get rude to get rid of the girl, then she would just have to get rude.

  “Oh, that’s too bad. Maybe tomorrow?”

  Sighing, Aurora prepared herself to be tough. “Look, Tina, I’m sure you are a very nice person, but I am really busy and I just don’t have time for a new friend right now. I don’t mean to be mean, but please, leave me alone.”

  The shock on the girl’s face made Aurora feel horrible but she forced herself not to apologize. If she did, she was afraid she’d have to do this all over again at a later date. Right now all she wanted to do was get to Phillip’s apartment. She’d barely made it through what seemed like an endless day and Tina was only making it longer. She excused herself and practically ran to her car. As she was driving off, she glanced in her driver’s side mirror. Tina stood at the edge of the sidewalk, staring back, looking as if Aurora had kicked her, only turning away when a bent old woman appeared at her side.

  ****

  An array of fresh fruits sat before Phillip. Strategically placed on a new pallet like paints, he awaited Rose’s arrival. He knew he looked like hell as he hadn’t been able to sleep at all the night before. But the loss of slumber had resulted in an incredible painting of the woman who haunted his every thought, awake or asleep.

  His obsession with her defied explanation.

  After deep introspection he’d come to some conclusions but still couldn’t pinpoint why she affected him the way she did. Though she was incredibly beautiful this need he had for her went beyond her looks. It even went beyond a shared interest in the arts. There was something there between them, something so deep it was as if they were meant to be together.

  It scared the shit out of him!

  But scared or not, he needed her. He needed to see her and hold her and paint her, and yes, make love to her until neither of them could breathe. He wanted to make her smile. He wanted to make her mad just so he could see the play of emotions he was certain she’d express. He wanted to watch her create her work, as she was just as much a master as she claimed him to be.