The Damaged Heroes Collection [Box Set #1: The Damaged Heroes Collection] (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream)

by James, Sandy

  The old-fashioned lighted sign remained dark and the place looked deserted. Laurie was about to ask if they’d come to the wrong location, but then the ballroom’s door opened from the inside. A dark-haired man poked his head out and waved to the limo. Ross exited and helped her out of the car. Taking her hand, he led her into the enormous hall and then to the ballroom.

  As they moved inside, Ross told her some of the history of the Aragon. She was amazed to realize just how long the place had been an important part of Chicago. When he told her had been built in the 1920s, Laurie thought about the journal they’d found in Montana. That era seemed to be seeping into her thoughts more and more. Intuition? She wasn’t sure.

  The interior looked so beautiful she started to tear up. She glanced up at the ceiling dotted with painted stars. A Spanish motif framed the enormous dance floor. As Laurie glanced around, she realized music had begun to pipe through the speakers. Ross took her hand and led her to the center of the floor. He twirled her in a spin then took her into his arms for a slow dance.

  Ghosts nudged at Laurie’s empathic gift, whirling around her senses. She could feel the happiness of the people who had passed blissful times in the beautiful ballroom. Those who had danced to jazz or the big bands in decades long past moved through her, touching her heart.

  Ross led her in a swirling pass around the dance floor. “Ross. You were holding out on me. You can dance.”

  He laughed, genuine and warm. “You weren’t the only one who took lessons.”

  “You went to dance class?” The image in her mind of a football player in a tutu seemed downright comical.

  He nodded. “Coach’s idea. He said it would make us agile.” He whirled her around, pulled her to him, and quickly brushed his lips across hers. “I used to consider it a waste of time. But now? Gotta say I owe him one.”

  Tunes by Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller filled the air as Ross and Laurie whirled across the polished floor. She laughed when the music switched from big band to disco. They danced to the Bee Gees and Donna Summer. The last song of their personal prom was “The Way You Look Tonight” as only Ol’ Blue Eyes could sing it.

  By the time Ross escorted Laurie back to the limousine, she felt both exhausted and energized. The first thing she did was kick off her shoes and wiggle her aching toes. He poured another glass of champagne and handed it to her. Between the champagne, the wine they’d had at dinner, and the romance of the evening, Laurie was a bit tipsy and more than a little giddy. She tried to let her body relax against the plush leather as she sipped from the fluted glass.

  “You’ve heard my deep dark secret. Isn’t it time you told me yours?” Ross asked, arching an eyebrow.

  Laurie’s heart slammed in her chest. She turned to face him as she struggled to find the best way to explain herself. How had he discovered she was Laurence Miller? “I... Look, Ross, I shouldn’t have...” She couldn’t continue. Knowing about his father’s suicide, she understood why he so strongly resented people who inherited money. If she told him the truth, she would become just one of “them.”

  But if he knew her identity, then why had he gone to all this effort to dazzle her? That didn’t make sense. She knew the alcohol wasn’t helping her wits, and she had no idea what to say.

  Ross took her glass and set it aside. Turning toward her, he laced his fingers through hers and pressed their palms together, mimicking her actions at the ranch. “Tell me about this,” he whispered against her ear, his warm breath sending a wave of heat rolling through her body.

  She sighed in relief before she could stop herself. Staring into his eyes, Laurie carefully explained her gift. “I can see people’s emotions. Read their feelings. I’m what you call an empath.” She waited and watched for any reaction in his face. He didn’t pull away, but then again, he barely even blinked. Having no idea what was going through his mind, she scrambled to clarify. “It’s a gift that runs in my family. The women can look at someone, into his eyes, and see exactly what he’s feeling. If a person is really hard to read, I can sometimes get a better picture by touching him. This,” she said as she nodded at their still joined hands, “is a last ditch effort, the strongest connection I can make.”

  His hands clenched tightly into hers taking the blood from her fingers. She didn’t pull away, but instead waited patiently for his response. “You know what I’m feeling?” he asked.

  Laurie shook her head. “I can’t read you.”

  “Really?” His hands relaxed.

  “Yeah, really. You’re a mystery to me.”

  Ross let go of one of her hands and lightly brushed a stray curl from her temple. “You’re a mystery to me too. So you’re a psychic.”

  “I’m not a psychic, Ross.”

  “I don’t know about that. You had that thing before someone broke into your car. And you can read people’s thoughts.”

  “Not their thoughts, their emotions. Why’s that so hard for everyone to understand? I’m not a friggin’ mind reader.” She tried to rein in her temper, but one of the reasons she didn’t discuss her gift was to deflect reactions from skeptical people. Intolerant people were even worse. Which would Ross be?

  “Just feelings? Must come in handy in your line of work. Maybe Sheila’s an empath.” He chuckled. “Nah. She’s the mind reader. Always knows what everyone’s thinking.” Ross seemed to consider all that Laurie had told him for a few moments. “You were afraid to tell me, weren’t you?”

  She nodded. “I figured... Well, some people think I’m odd.”

  Ross stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “You’re not odd, Laurie. You’re soft and very sweet.” He released her other hand and cupped her face with his palms. “And so very kissable.” His mouth covered hers.

  Laurie melted. Ross put one hand behind her head, the other behind her back, and pulled her closer. She slipped her arms around his neck, marveling at the sensations the kiss sent shimmering through her. With a bit of confidence, she let her tongue be the first to heighten the exchange. He growled his approval. When he finally pulled away, they were both panting.

  Ross grabbed her by the waist and dragged her across his lap to straddle him. Then he laughed as the many layers of the netting making up her full skirt covered him. “Are you in there somewhere?” he asked as he batted at the material.

  Laurie pushed at the mesh and satin, and Ross’s face suddenly appeared in front of her. She put her hands behind his head and pulled him back into a heated kiss. Just as she was sinking happily into the abyss, she suddenly stopped and considered their location. “The driver can’t see us, can he?”

  “It’s fine, Laurie. No one can see us.” Ross inclined his head toward the front of the car. “One-way windows.”

  He gave her an exaggerated growl as he reached under the mountains of cloth. When his hand brushed against her thigh, Laurie moaned and clenched her knees tightly against his thighs. Taking his free hand, Laurie led him through the maze of material to her other leg. Touch me. Please touch me. He immediately slid his hands up to her hips and pulled her closer.

  If there had been any question in Laurie’s mind as to whether he found her desirable, it vanished when their hips came into contact. The pressure of his erection against her left absolutely no doubt that Ross wanted her just as desperately as she wanted him.

  Me. He wants me. Not some skinny, stick-figure model like other guys seemed to adore. Not a woman without real muscles and real curves and real feelings. Not a prissy girl who never enjoyed playing sports, especially in the mud. Just me.

  Ross moved his hands behind her until he fiddled with the fasteners on her dress. She came to the rescue again as she reached back and loosened the bodice before catching the front to keep it from falling entirely away from her bare breasts. Why didn’t I wear a strapless bra?

  So close to baring her body to him, she suddenly grew shy. Not only was her fear driven by knowing that, with the exception of Ross’s intrusion on her bath, no man had ever seen her naked, b
ut Laurie had never thought she was attractive. A size fourteen in a size four world. What would he think when he saw her body?

  Ross stared intently into her eyes, but she couldn’t handle the passion she saw there. Oh, Ross, please help me. I’m afraid I don’t know how. Dropping her gaze to her lap, she knew she was nothing but a coward.

  He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face to force her to look at him. “What’s wrong, Kitten?”

  Laurie worried her bottom lip between her teeth and tried to think of the best way to say all that she was thinking. When he began to gently stroke her cheek, the comforting gesture gave her a little bit of courage. “I’ve never... I haven’t...” Damn it, Laurie! Just say it! “I’m a virgin.” She felt her face flush. Dropping her chin, she stared at her lap again.

  He took her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him again. Then he kissed her deeply. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready to do,” he said when he pulled away.

  “You’re not...upset?”

  Ross stroked her bottom lip with his thumb. “Why? Because you are a woman of discriminating taste who was obviously waiting for me? Oh yeah, that upsets me.”

  Laurie burst out laughing despite herself. Ross nuzzled his face against her neck and she forgot all of her apprehension. He worked his hands down, brushing her neck, caressing her shoulders, and covering her hands. Then he gently moved them toward him. The fabric fell to her lap. She could hear his breathing speed its pace, hissing air in and out.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered as he carefully raised one hand to her breast. Covering her with his warm palm, he stroked her.

  Laurie thought she’d die from the sensations ripping through her. Her blood was feverish, the heat sizzling through her, settling between her legs. Touch, please touch. The center of her throbbed, a steady, strong rhythm that demanded and wanted and ached. She almost allowed sadness to slip into the moment when she realized how long she’d lived without feeling this way—without really connecting with another person. But she couldn’t think of anyone else she would want to share this experience with, anyone she trusted as much as she did Ross.

  Maybe he was right; she had been waiting for him.

  The limousine came to an abrupt halt. She glanced through the window and saw her house. They’d parked in her driveway. Shit! How did they get here so quickly? Before she could even fumble her dress back in place, a wave of intuition raced through her, chilling her to the bone. Tremors racked her body.

  Ross cursed and pulled the bodice of her dress up before he must have noticed the change in her. “Laurie? What’s wrong?”

  “Not sure,” she said as she came to her senses and tried to fix the disarray of her clothing with her trembling hands. “Something’s...wrong. Not sure what yet.”

  When she realized she was still straddling him, Laurie wanted to die of embarrassment. How had she let things get so far so quickly? She wasn’t able to think straight when the man had his hands on her. She tried to move to one side, but Ross grabbed her by the waist and held her firmly in his lap.

  “Laurie, don’t be upset. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  She blushed and kept trying to fix her dress. “You must think—”

  “I think that you’re beautiful and sexy and I wish we had more time and much more privacy.”

  A hesitant smile crossed her lips. “Would you like to come inside?” she asked, not entirely sure how she wanted him to answer. Her thoughts were in tangles. She wanted him desperately, wanted to feel the thrill of his kisses and his hands on her body. But she wasn’t sure if she was ready to take such an enormous step. Good God, she’d only known him for a short time. What had she been thinking? Plus her mind had been disrupted by the gnawing flash of intuition. Laurie put her hands to her temples and rubbed small circles, trying to find some focus.

  Ross kissed her forehead, lifted her, and set her back down on the seat as he turned her to help her finish fastening her dress. Then he kissed the back of her neck and whispered, “Not tonight, but real, real soon.” His words made her shiver.

  They were rudely interrupted by a loud knock on the window. He gave her one quick appraisal as if to ascertain she looked decent then hit the switch to lower the glass.

  A head covered in curly brown hair poked inside. “Laurie? You in there?”

  It took her a minute to make the connection. “Alex? What are you doing here?”

  Chapter 11

  T.J. has a new partner. I hate him! The girls started calling him Ice from the first time they saw him. He tells everyone the nickname is because he likes diamonds. The girls really call him Ice because he’s so cold. His eyes scare me. They can stare a hole right through a person.

  He wears diamond rings on almost all his fingers. He has a ring shaped like a lion’s head with two big stones for eyes. He flaunts it everywhere. Bootleggers shouldn’t try to get attention like that. If the wrong people notice, it tends to make the braggart disappear. He’s dangerous, but I’m afraid T.J. doesn’t see it.

  T.J. told me he didn’t have a choice. His boss wants T.J. to show Ice the ropes, but Ice thinks he already knows everything. The man is a problem looking for a place to land. I just don’t want T.J. in the way when the guy falls.

  Duchess seems so sad. I wish she would confide in me the way I always confide in her. She’s always been my very best friend, since we were children. Sometimes she warns me to guard my heart with T.J. I wonder what she means because he’s never anything but loving to me. All that I give him, I give freely and with all my heart. He has never forced me, and I know he’ll never leave me.

  A Fortune I could never win,

  only then did I turn to Ice so thin.

  Ruby never knew the score.

  It would have hurt her all the more

  to know a Royal heart did pine

  for the Fortune I could not make mine.

  Ross pushed the door open and forced Alex out of the way. Once outside, he reached in to help Laurie out of the limo.

  Standing on the sidewalk, holding her shoes in her hand, Laurie turned to Alex. She’d figured she would never see him again, not after the way he’d disappeared. Not that it had mattered. She would have broken up with him anyway. “What are you doing here?”

  The concrete felt so cold against her bare feet, her teeth chattered. Ross must have noticed and put his arm out to her. Laurie gave him a grateful smile and held tight to him as she pulled the shoes on. Ross reached back in the limo, grabbed her shawl, and wrapped it around her shoulders.

  Laurie smiled at him. “Thank you, Ross.”

  Alex bristled. “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting forever. I wasn’t sure what time you’d be back, so I just sat in my car.” He looked over his shoulder toward his ancient Volvo wagon. “I sure didn’t expect you to be out this late. I froze my ass off waiting for you.”

  “What makes you think I’d even want to see you?” Laurie asked as Ross threw an angry scowl Alex’s direction. She had a hard time not smiling at Ross’s show of jealousy, but she sure didn’t want him to get in a scuffle over her.

  Alex shrugged. “I wanted to surprise you, Laurie. I know things weren’t...good when we parted, and I...I wanted to see if we could get back on track.”

  For the first time since she’d met Alex, Laurie read his feelings. He was annoyed and frustrated, and he sure as hell didn’t seem concerned or affectionate. Not that she even cared what Alex thought.

  “I figured you’d be back before now,” he said, “because you’ve gotta go to work tomorrow. Are you gonna to introduce me to your...date?” He almost spat the last word.

  She folded her arms over her breasts and stared him down. “Why should I? What exactly makes you think anything about my life is your business?”

  Ross interrupted their unpleasant repartee by jabbing his thumb toward Alex. “Laurie, I’d like to know who in the hell this clown is.”

  Alex’s eyes flashed instant hatred that La
urie had absolutely no difficulty reading. It was strong enough to force a gasp from her lips.

  “Yeah, Laurie. Who’s this gorilla?” Alex mimicked Ross’s gesture.

  She looked back and forth between the two incensed men. This whole situation was brewing trouble. One wrong move and she’d have a major mess on her hands. Since both of them seemed to be posturing for a fight, she tried to restore some calm by introducing them. “Alex Richards, this is Ross Kennedy.” She wasn’t sure if she should say something as adolescent as “my boyfriend.”

  Then Ross said it for her. “I’m Laurie’s boyfriend.” Her boyfriend. She liked the sound of that. “Why are you here so late?” Ross asked. “We were just going upstairs.” He wrapped his arms possessively around her waist and practically hauled her off of her feet as he pulled her against him. She got a warm, fuzzy feeling at Ross’s possessiveness.

  Alex stuck his thumb toward Ross again. “You’re dating this guy? I was hoping we’d have a chance to...I don’t know...maybe spend some time together. See where things went wrong.”

  Ross was rapidly growing angry; she sure didn’t need to read him to see it. His darkening expression screamed the fact. “I told you, she’s my girlfriend. Back off.”

  Alex worked his jaw and fisted his hands at his sides. “I’d like to hear her say that.”

  They were acting like a couple of rutting stags fighting over a doe. She put her fingers to her lips and shut them both up with a shrill whistle. “Enough! Alex, we’re through. Remember? We were never really more than friends.”

  “And she’s my girlfriend,” Ross added through his clenched teeth. He dropped his arms from her shoulder and rubbed his right fist with his left hand. “You know, it’s been a long time since I took a swing at someone, but I’m itching to right now, Poindexter.”