The Philadelphia Series: The Complete Collection Boxed Set

by Taryn Plendl

  “God Talia, you feel so amazing. I love you so much.” I ran my fingernails down his back causing him to groan and increase his tempo. I felt myself building again, arching to meet each of his powerful thrusts until I felt myself falling over the cliff, clenching and shuddering, at the same time, feeling him pulsating inside me at his final moment of ecstasy.

  He collapsed on me as we both tried to catch our breath, panting with ragged gasps. “Wow.”

  Tom rolled off and pulled me against him, wrapping me tightly in his arms. “I love you, Talia.”

  “I love you, too.” I pressed myself further against him, wanting to be as close as possible. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.” He kissed my neck.

  “Why do you call me angel?” I rolled over so I was facing him.

  “Do you remember when I woke up after the accident?” I nodded. “Well, when I opened my eyes for the first time, you were standing next to the window. The sun was shining in, and it illuminated your hair. Your skin looked so beautiful, your eyes so blue. You were in a long white lab coat, and I couldn’t help but feel at peace. You looked like an angel, and I somehow knew you would take care of me.”

  I didn’t realize I was crying until I felt the wetness of my tears fall onto my shoulder. “Don’t cry,” his voice was so soothing as he stroked my side, and I knew without a doubt that I would never love anyone as much as I loved this man.

  ***

  I’m not sure what woke me initially, but as I lay there, I couldn’t shake the heaviness in the pit of my stomach. I gently removed myself from Tom’s arms, careful to not disturb him. I sat up and stared at him as he slept. His face was so peaceful. His lips were slightly parted, his breathing slow and steady. I had missed him so much.

  I threw my legs over the side of the bed and sat up. The clock read four-thirty, but I was wide-awake. I was so scared of losing him again. Just the thought brought tears to my eyes again. When the hell did I become such a freaking baby?

  “Talia? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m okay, baby, go back to sleep.” Apparently he wasn’t buying it. I felt his arms wrap around me, pulling me down against him.

  “Why are you crying?” He sounded so concerned, and I needed answers. If I didn’t just talk to him, I was going to just keep on worrying.

  “Have you ever wanted something so bad, that when you finally get it, you realize it’s even more than you ever imagined?” I stayed curled up next to him, enjoying the warmth of his skin against mine.

  “I’m pretty sure I know exactly how that feels, but I don’t understand why you’re upset.” He ran his hand gently across my hair.

  “I guess I just don’t want to ever wake up. Not after last night. It will hurt so much more when you change your mind again.” I spoke so softly that I wasn’t sure he could hear me, not until he grabbed my shoulders and whipped me around so I was facing him.

  “Why would I change my mind?” he asked, his voice becoming more concerned.

  “Tom, every time we have been intimate in the past, the next day you push me away. It hurt then, but I am pretty sure it just might destroy me now.” I watched his eyes go wide.

  “Is that what you think Talia? That I am going to change my mind in the morning? Wait, is that why you asked me to promise to love you past last night when we were dancing?” I didn’t trust my voice, so I just nodded. He let out an exasperated sigh and sat up, pulling me up, too.

  “I am so sorry. I don’t think you will understand just how sorry I am for treating you the way I did. I don’t know what else to say except that I was in a very bad place after the accident. Everything changed in the blink of an eye, and it was too much for me to deal with. You were the only thing pushing me, and I loved you even then, but I pushed you away because I thought I was doing the best thing for you. I didn’t want to be dependent on you and have you resent me for it.”

  “Tom, I never felt that way. I wanted to care for you because that is what people do when they love someone. I never did any of it out of pity or obligation,” I argued.

  He took my hands in his. “I know that now, Talia. It was me that had to get past myself to see that. If anything good came out of us being apart, it was that I began to fight my way back. I love you more than you will ever know. We just need to remember to talk to each other when things are on our minds, okay?” He pulled me into his arms and held me against his chest, rocking me slowly as he placed kisses on top of my head.

  “I told you once that I lost a part of me in that accident, but you were right, my leg was never that part. The part of me that was lost was my heart when I pushed you away. I can live without my leg, Talia, but I can’t live without you.”

  I looked up at him and smiled. “Well, I guess if that’s true, it’s quite possible you might live forever because you are stuck with me now.”

  He leaned down and kissed me. “God, I hope so, angel.”

  Out of My Element

  Book 3 in the Philadelphia Series

  By Taryn Plendl

  Chapter 1

  Trevor and Ava’s wedding

  3 weeks prior

  Chelsea

  My heart felt like it was going to jump right out of my chest as I pushed back into a small alcove, giving myself a moment—trying to catch my breath.

  It was honestly the most beautiful wedding I’d been to. Ava and Trevor were an extraordinary couple and incredible people. I was so honored when Ava asked me to be a part of her wedding.

  I had known Ava for a couple of years and Trevor more recently. We all worked at the advertising agency together, and from the moment I’d seen them together, I knew there was something there. The way Trevor looked at Ava brought waves of emotion over me. He looked at her like she was the only woman in the room. I had watched their relationship blossom from the beginning, and it was so exciting to see them together. It gave me hope.

  I had been on a long streak of disastrous dates lately. I was half tempted to sign up for one of those internet dating sites. Maybe a computer would have better luck setting me up. I was obviously having a hard time finding anyone with whom I was compatible these days.

  As the night wore on, the party got a bit more uninhibited. Most families and older guests had long since gone home, and the crowd was now full of the twenty-somethings letting loose. I had my fair share of drinks and had been carrying a warm buzz that seemed to give me the bit of courage I needed to let myself go a little. This is how I ended up in this alcove trying to catch my breath.

  As part of the wedding party, I knew I would be paired up with Trevor’s friend, Nick. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, and boy could he dance! Each time we danced, his hands seemed to roam a bit farther, and to be honest, I had a hard time stopping it—not that I even wanted to.

  The feel of his hard body pressed against me had my insides in a frenzy. The music thumped as he rocked his hips against my backside in a sensual rhythm. With one quick motion, he spun me around so I was facing him. He pulled me snugly against the hard muscles of his chest and wrapped his arm around my waist, making me gasp and pull in a lung full of air. His face was so close to mine that I could feel his breath, hot and moist, against my lips.

  “God, you smell amazing,” Nick groaned, as he leaned in and placed a moist kiss on my neck. I felt a warmth flow through my body that traveled from my head to my toes. I threw my head back as he trailed kisses across my neck, finally pausing as he placed his hands on either side of my face. His mouth claimed mine in a sensual dance of desire as he plunged his tongue into my mouth, savagely searching as he licked and sucked me into the most intense kiss I’d ever experienced.

  I pulled back, panting and weak in the knees. “Wow,” I whispered. The man kissed like a god.

  “Come home with me,” he groaned. It wasn’t a question, and I wasn’t sure I would be capable of saying no even if it had been. I nodded and then smiled at the relief and desire I saw in his eyes.

  “Give me a m
inute, and I’ll be right back,” I begged.

  He placed another quick kiss on my lips. “Don’t keep me waiting too long.” He winked at me as I turned and headed into the hallway.

  “Holy shit!” I moaned, trying to regulate my heart rate as I pressed my back against the cold wall. Excitement rolled off of me like a child on Christmas morning. In all of my past dates, I’d never been so attracted to a man before. My dates teetered on the conservative side—nothing like Nick. Nick exuded sex, and it seemed tonight, I was finally going to experience it. If it was anything like the kiss we’d just shared, I was sure it would be everything I’d ever imagined.

  I took a deep breath and pushed off the wall, stopping to get my purse on the way back. My cheeks felt flushed, and my lips still tingled from the kiss. I rounded the corner and walked back into the dwindling reception. Ava and Trevor were making their way out, and I had barely made it back in time to say goodbye. After the doors shut behind them, I turned to find Nick. “Hey Talia, have you seen Nick?” She and Tom were on their way out, and looked as if they were in quite a hurry.

  “Um, I think I saw him on the side of the bar.” She pointed in the general direction as they practically ran for the door.

  “Thanks.” I smiled nervously and headed that way, smoothing my dress and tucking my hair behind my ear. There he was, standing at the bar. Wow, he looked just as good from behind, with his nice tight butt and thick muscular thighs. My heart rate picked up again in anticipation.

  I propelled myself forward. Twenty feet. Ten feet. As I got closer, he spun to the side, in front of the bar stool, and I stopped dead in my tracks. I watched, stunned, as he leaned down and kissed a voluptuous blonde sitting on the bar stool, running his hands all over her in a public display of affection that made me blush.

  I felt my stomach roll, and I knew I needed to get out of there before I completely lost it. I ran to the door and pushed myself out into the serene summer night. “Damn it, Chelsea! What the hell were you thinking?” I scolded myself out loud. Had I really almost made the biggest mistake of my life?

  I could feel the warm tears slide down my cheeks as I walked over to a waiting taxi. I climbed in and gave the driver my address before sinking back into the seat and closing my eyes. I had always been a good judge of character, but I’d gone against all of my gut feelings about Nick. You don’t get to age twenty-three with your V-card fully intact by letting your guard down like I just did.

  “Wow … just wow,” I mumbled.

  Chapter 2

  Nick

  When I played soccer, I felt invincible—free and powerful. It was my one true escape where I could take everything life threw at me—the good, bad, and ugly—and kick it back. I found my first and only true love from the first moment I stepped out on the field.

  I ran full force down the field, dodging players, spinning, and moving. “Now!” I hollered, watching as the ball went flying over the heads of my opposition. Positioning myself, I stopped the ball with my chest before pivoting and sending it straight into the net with one kick.

  My teammates swarmed me as we celebrated our win. “That was awesome, man.” I looked over and grinned at Tom.

  “Thanks.” I wiped the sweat from my face with my towel and picked up my things. Tom fell in step next to me, which was impressive.

  Tom had been in a serious accident earlier this year. It was touch and go for a while, but he pulled through, although not unscathed. Tom had lost the lower portion of his leg in the accident, and it had undoubtedly taken a toll on him. He was over that now and these days, he seemed to radiate confidence everywhere he went.

  “When are you going to get one of those blade prosthetics so you can get your ass back out on the field with me?” He laughed, ignoring the fact that I was totally serious. Tom and I had played soccer together in college. It was a passion we shared—a part of who we were.

  Tom was still coaching high school soccer, but he hadn’t played since the accident. He was also tied up these days with Talia. She was great, so I could hardly blame him. Tom had almost lost her during a bout of depression after the accident. He pushed her away, and during that time, I was seriously worried about him. Fortunately, Talia was as stubborn as they come and never gave up on him. He always said she was his angel, and I guess I would have to agree, although I would never tell her that.

  “I need to get going. I’m meeting Talia in an hour, but I didn’t want to miss the game. It really was great to see.” Tom smacked me on the back as he moved to the parking lot. I headed for the showers. I was meeting Trevor and Ava for dinner tonight, and if I didn’t get my ass in gear, I was going to be late.

  ***

  I pulled into the parking garage under the building that housed the advertising firm where both Trevor and Ava worked. We were going to a little Italian restaurant within walking distance, so I parked and made my way up to their floor.

  The elevator doors swung open, and I froze. Bent over in front of me was the perfect combination of legs and ass. My mouth almost watered as I had a passing vision of grabbing those hips and standing behind her. I watched, paralyzed, as the woman wiggled from side to side, searching through a box of folders, before finally standing up when she located what she had been looking for.

  I cleared my throat and chuckled as she jumped and turned around. “Shit, Chelsea, I didn’t even recognize you.” I’d forgotten she worked with Trevor and Ava, and to tell the truth, she didn’t look like I’d remembered.

  She gave me a halfhearted smile. “Oh hi, Nick.” She walked back around her desk and sat down, crossing her long legs. “You can go on back.” She nodded her head toward the offices before looking back to her task at hand.

  I leaned up against her desk, watching her as she flipped through the file in front of her. She and I had been around each other a handful of times during the planning of Ava and Trevor’s wedding, and at the wedding itself, but this was the first time I remembered actually looking at her.

  Her hair was long and a deep red with loose curls that hung around her shoulders and back. Her eyes were hazel-green, framed with long eyelashes that seemed to rest on her soft pink cheeks as she looked down. Her skin was alabaster with a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose, and her lips were pink and full with the lower one slightly out of proportion, giving the illusion of a natural pout. Her body was long and lean, almost athletic—like a runner or swimmer—with slight curves and smaller breasts. Basically, she wasn’t my type at all, but for some reason I couldn’t stop looking at her.

  “Did you need something, Nick?” Chelsea’s agitated voice brought me out of my current breakdown of her body. She didn’t even look up as she spoke to me, and I almost wanted to do something obnoxious so she would pay attention to me, just as I did when I was a kid ... well, I still did shit like that.

  “Um, no.” I stood there plagued by indecision, not sure if I wanted to stay and try to talk to her or just head back to Trevor and Ava’s office. I couldn’t think of anything to say to her, so I just turned and walked down the hallway.

  I walked into the little office that Trevor and Ava shared. “Could you guys give it a rest?” I laughed as they pulled apart, ending their kiss. “Shit Trevor, you already married her. You don’t need to try to impress her anymore; she’s stuck with your sorry ass.”

  “Hey, Nick.” Ava giggled as she turned to collect her things.

  “How was the game?” Trevor asked as he placed his hand on Ava’s lower back, guiding her out of the door.

  “Awesome. I rocked it.” I smiled as I remembered my last goal.

  Trevor chuckled, “Of course you did. No need to be modest, Nick.”

  “Chelsea, we are going to get some dinner. You should come with us.” Ava stood next to the desk where Chelsea was putting on her coat and grabbing her purse. She looked over at me with a strange look that made me feel almost exposed. Shit! Had she caught me checking her out?

  She shook her head, looking away from me. “I better
not.”

  “Come on. What else are you going to do?” Trevor urged. I watched her bite her bottom lip as if she was trying to think of a way out of it.

  “Come on, you need to eat.” Ava slipped her arm through Chelsea’s and pulled her to the elevator, not giving her a choice. Trevor and I fell into step behind them.

  The street was humming with activity from the end of the work day. People moved with a goal in mind—determined to get home. We walked the couple of blocks to the little Italian restaurant and stepped in, leaving the end of the day chaos outside.

  We managed to get a booth in the back of the restaurant before it had gotten too crowded. It was dimly lit and comfortable as we slid into the booth.

  The soft voice of an Italian woman played over the speakers. Chelsea gave me an odd look as I sat next to her. We ordered our food and a bottle of wine as we all made small talk about our day. Ava set her wine glass down and leaned forward. “Chelsea? Are you feeling okay? You seem off.” Ava watched her with concern.

  “I’m fine, Ava, it was just a long day.” Chelsea smiled. I looked at Trevor and shrugged. I wasn’t about to try to figure it out. Women were amazing creatures that I had never quite understood. All I knew was that I loved me a good-looking woman.

  The food arrived shortly thereafter, ending the awkward girl moment. “Can you pass me the salt please?” I asked, watching as Chelsea turned to grab it, sending her long red hair over her shoulder and across my face.

  I inhaled her scent. Wow. That smell— was lavender and vanilla. I closed my eyes. Holy shit! I remembered that smell, and in a matter of seconds, the memory of a beautiful redhead in a silver gown pressing up against me ran through my mind. An amazing kiss. Fuck, how could I forget that kiss? I closed my eyes and groaned. I asked her to come home with me. She had agreed, but instead I woke up with some blonde the next day. Was I that wasted that I didn’t remember even kissing Chelsea? I looked at her as she held out the salt to me. The hurt I saw in her eyes was like a punch to my gut. “Fuck.”