Hero Unmasked: 3 (Heroes of Saturn) (13 page)

“He will.” The fervor in Dhavin’s voice surprised her. “Just…give him time. Did you ever think that he may be struggling with the same things you are? That maybe he is unsure about asking you for more because he doesn’t want to rush things with you?”

That gave her pause. “I guess I’m still in disbelief that he finds me interesting at all.”

“Fiona, at times I want to shake you. Do you really have no idea how spectacular you are?”

How could she not when a handsome man looked at her as if he wanted to lay her on the counter and devour her whole.

“When the other party in question is a superhero, it’s hard to compete.”

“Believe me, Cam is lucky to have you.”

His compliments brought heat to her cheeks and she had to turn away from the admiration in his gaze. “The whole situation is surreal. Masked crusader. Dowdy human. For Pete’s sake, we were even trapped in a snowstorm. It’s like a bad Hollywood movie script. How can I trust that anything either of us feels is real when it’s all been one big…” She couldn’t finish the thought. It was too depressing.

“Cliché.”

“What?” Something in his tone brought her head around.

“What is the word? Cliché?” He looked into the distance then nodded. “Yes. That is it.”

Maybe it was the accent, but with that one word, she swore Cam was standing before her. She squinted to blur her vision and focused on the flecks in his brown eyes that sparkled like gold flakes and the line of his lips, noticing for the first time the slight dimple on the right side.

Just like Cam.

There had only been a handful of occasions when Fiona felt frozen in time. When her heart and lungs stopped functioning and nothing, not even the air seemed to move. The last occasion was when she first met the Chameleon and now that freaky sense of déjà vu cemented her into place.

All the times she’d been in Officer Kilsgaard’s presence, she’d been too shy to meet his gaze. Now, as she looked upon him fully for the first time, the oddest thought struck her so hard, if it would have been a two-by-four, it’d have broken bone.

“Fiona?” He braced his hands on the counter as if ready to vault over the top to her side. “Are you all right?”

Her breath came back in a burning rush. “What? I—what?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I—” No. The idea was ludicrous. A crazed laugh bubbled up her throat. To speak it out loud would prove her insane. “I, uh, for a moment I had this panicked thought that I had forgotten to turn off the stove this morning, but I had cereal, so of course I didn’t. Ever had one of those weird moments? Really, I’m fine.”

His frown deepened and the muscle in his jaw ticked. “Are you sure? I sense all is not well.”

She fought to control the widening of her eyes. Cam could sense her emotions too. If he and Dhavin were the same, then he knew she was lying.

Brushing aside his concern with a wave of her towel, she backed away. “I mean it. I’m okay. But I should probably check to make sure Mags turned the ovens off like she said. Better to be safe than sorry.” She turned to run into the kitchen, then whipped back around to point her finger and demand, “Don’t go anywhere.”

He placed his hands on his hips as if to argue but nodded in agreement.

Once in the cocoon of the kitchen, she leaned against the wall and braced her hands on her knees as she fought for breath.

What the hell was she thinking? It wasn’t possible. There was no way Cam and Officer Kilsgaard could be one and the same. What did they have in common? Besides a tall, muscular build, a sinfully sexy accent, and they both pulled the late shift at work on the same night?

Oh. My. God.

Don’t freak out, don’t freak out.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. She had to keep her emotions under control and think this through. Her head swam with the extra oxygen but her heart began to slow its thunderous beat.

Be rational and think.
The Chameleon appeared in Cedar way before Dhavin arrived in town. And she’d seen them standing side by side with her own eyes. It simply was not possible, unless Cam had a twin. Or Dhavin.

Or…Dhavin had a cousin. An equally tall and well-built cousin.

Fiona drew up short as the events of the day before came back. She remembered the confused wave Cam gave her before he went and made goo-goo eyes at the sheriff. Sheriff Briggs had been the first person to have her life saved by the Chameleon. Now she was married to Dhavin’s cousin. Maybe there had been more than one person who had come to Earth and now they shared the title to throw off suspicion as to who was behind the mask.

Holy crap. It was sounding logical.

“Fiona.” She jumped when she heard Dhavin’s shout. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Mags left the mop bucket out and I almost tripped over it. I’ll be just a minute.”

She rubbed at her lips as her brain raced to make sense of her crazy thoughts. It wasn’t as if she could march out into the shop and ask him if he was the Chameleon. Would he even tell her the truth if she did?

Her hands moved from her face to behind her neck then down her sides until she passed over the swell of her buttocks. The bulge of her cell against her palms gave her an idea. She withdrew the phone and pressed the reply button to Cam’s last text.

“Hit the freaking H,” she ordered her trembling fingers through clenched teeth.

Hey. Just got message. Sorry for delay. No worries about 2nite. Looking forward to tomorrow. Be safe.

She pressed “send” then crept to the doorway to peek out to the shop. Dhavin was watching the entrance to the kitchen with his arms crossed and a serious frown line bisecting his forehead. Suddenly his eyes widened and he jerked. After a quick scan of the room, he retrieved his phone from his belt.

Fiona bit back a gasp and watched with her heart pounding behind her ribs as he read the display then released an adorable smile. After another glance toward the kitchen doorway, he typed a response. His thumbs flew across the keys with an inhuman speed then he tucked the phone back into his pocket. A second later, her phone beeped and she jumped a foot in the air, the phone slipping from her grip. The black rectangle bounced from one hand to the other like a hot potato, almost hitting the floor before she wrestled it back against her chest.

With one eye closed in trepidation, she looked at the display.

One new message.

She drew a deep breath in through her nose and pressed the button. Her stomach clenched tighter when she saw it was from Cam.

You are the best. Will most definitely see you tomorrow. Until then I will be thinking of your kisses and the tight clench of your body around mine. Be safe,
konkattie
. If you need me for any reason, any at all, contact me or Officer Kilsgaard. Do not hesitate. Be safe as well.

The promise in his words made her nipples bead as the implication hit her like a cast iron skillet dropped on her foot.

She had sex with Dhavin Kilsgaard!

All this time she’d been ridden hard by the town beefcake. How could she not have known?

Even if she was horribly wrong about his identity, the image was now there. When she’d think of Cam without the mask, it’d be Dhavin’s face in her mind’s eye, gazing down at her with fire in his eyes, of
his
weight pressing her into the mattress as he thrust his cock deep inside her.

Agh! She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes to scrub away the picture. Spots floated in her vision from the pressure and the lack of oxygen to her brain as she began to hyperventilate.

A gentle hand fell upon her shoulder, but she leapt forward with a shriek as if she’d been electrocuted.

“It’s me, Fiona.” Dhavin held up his hands. “Just me.”

Damn it. Who the hell replaced the normally steadfast woman with this weakling who started like she was trapped in a haunted house while high on mushrooms?

She pinched her lips together and mentally lassoed her frayed emotions.
Keep it together, girl.
“Sorry. You startled me.”

“And you are frightening me. Please, tell me what is the matter.” He reached for her hand. The calluses on his palm sent shivers up her arms. These were the same hands that had caressed her entire body and teased her to orgasm more times than she could count.

She wrenched her gaze away from his big hand and was immediately ensnared by the worry on his handsome face. The tender look made her heart melt even as she wanted to scream “liar” right into his face. How dare he act as if he cared about her when there had been nothing but lies between them?

Space. She needed space before she blew up like Mount St. Helens and made herself appear even more stupid then she felt.

“I am feeling uncertain at the moment,” she answered in a slow, modulated voice. She spoke enough of the truth to hopefully deflect his ability to sense her falsehood. “I’ve experienced a lot this week, and this evening has been interesting, to say the least.”

“You look pale. Damn, if only I didn’t have to work, I’d take you home immediately. Can I call your aunt for you? I don’t think you should be on your own.”

“No.” She pulled away from his touch.
You don’t have the right to comfort me.
“I’ll be fine. Nothing that some space and time alone won’t put to rights.” And a big bottle of wine. The smile bunching her cheeks felt as plastic as a pair of wax lips. “Don’t worry about me.”

Dhavin rubbed at his jaw. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“What?” She placed her hand over her heart and batted her lashes. “Why would
I
lie to you?” She pushed against his shoulder, turning him to face the front door and guided him out of the kitchen. “Now go. The people of Cedar are waiting for your protection. And if I unexplainably find myself in trouble, I’ll call Cam.”

Under her hands she felt him still, the muscles of his back tensing. She held her breath and waited. Would he come clean about his identity now?

Her fingers flexed to dig into his back when he stepped away and glanced at her over his shoulder. “If you need anything, call. No matter the hour. Promise me.”

Her vocal cords stopped working, refusing to speak any more lies, so she nodded.

His lips parted, but he stopped short and pinched them together. She watched him walk out the door and followed behind him, waiting at the window until she saw him round the corner before her knees gave out and she slid to the tile floor, creating the saddest window display in history.

The cool glass was refreshing on her hot cheek and distracted her from the nausea rising up her throat.

There was no question in her mind. The knowledge went beyond her gut. It was as definitive as DNA.

Dhavin tricked her. He knew how she felt about him, yet he used her attraction for the Chameleon to trick her, seduce her and make her fall in love with him.

Honey, you could have said no at any time.

“Shut up,” she groaned.

Who cared if her libido was right? She was the wounded party. Of course she always had the power to say no. There had been a million chances to demand more from him and make him take off the mask, or just walk away. But the fantasy had been too good to let go. For one moment she wanted to touch the sun, even with the risk of incineration. Now the sunburn went straight to the bone.

Oh, how he must have laughed with his cousins about the frumpy Earth-girl who dropped her panties with a flash of his smile. How many other women had he duped so easily, or was she the only one gullible enough to fall for the Captain America persona?

As the flames of embarrassment licked up her neck, she couldn’t decide which was worse, knowing the truth about her hero or facing the moment when she’d have to confront him with his dishonesty. Continuing the charade was not an option. Look how well she controlled her emotions not five minutes earlier.

God, what was she going to do when she saw him again?

“Wait a minute.” She stared off into the distance as inspiration struck.

The question wasn’t what she was going to do, but what
wasn’t
she going to do.

From the pit of despair rose an idea so crazy, it lifted the hair on her arms. Hysterical laughter bounced around the empty shop like marbles being poured into a glass jar. Defeat turned into indignation that straightened her spine and brought her to her feet.

Her Scottish heritage taught her how to hold a grudge forever. The Italian side, an appreciation for revenge.

Dhavin thought he had her wet and panting in the palm of his hand, did he? The entire week he encouraged her to embrace her sexy, feminine side. Now was the perfect opportunity to show him how well she learned her lesson. He wanted a sex kitten? She was going to make his wet dream come true, and when she was done, he’d be left on the curb with the rest of the trash.

Fiona’s hands shook as she picked up a log to throw on the fire then dropped it back onto the pile. Up, down, up, down. Indecision had her playing yo-yo with the piece of wood. The interior of the little hunting cabin she borrowed was freezing, but a sheen of sweat gathered along her brow as her insides vibrated as if a swarm of bees took up residence and bustled with activity—their stingers poked her confidence and upset her stomach.

Screw it. She dropped the log and went into the bathroom to look over her appearance for the twentieth time in ten minutes.

To pull off this grand scheme she was going to have to get her shit together and calm the fuck down. Dhavin was scheduled to arrive any minute and everything had to be in place.

“Cam. Call him Cam,” she muttered at her reflection as she twisted the band holding her hair at the nape of her neck into place.

After what she spent on supplies, the last thing she wanted to do was blow the entire plan to hell because she called him by the wrong name. Who knew restraints could be so pricey? If all went as planned, every penny would be well spent.

Battery-operated lanterns bathed the wood-paneled walls in a soft white-yellow light. She had wanted the romantic glow of lit candles but decided against it for safety reasons. The Andersons were kind enough to lend her the cabin on short notice and she didn’t want to repay them by having the place burn down if the situation got out of control.

Not that she was planning on starting an altercation with Cam, but the reason she chose a neutral location was in the event she needed a quick getaway. Instinct warned her that once she confronted Cam about the truth, only dynamite would blast him out of her house. The man was freakishly persuasive when it came to getting what he wanted. This way she could lock the door before he ever breached inside.

The gentle knock on the door might as well have been the pounding of a battering ram by the way she nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Easy. Easy.” She took another glance in the mirror and drew a calming breath. Determination smoothed her brow as she prepared for an Oscar-worthy performance.

She crossed the two steps from the miniscule bathroom to the front door and pressed her ear to the wood. “Who is it?”

“Cam. And thank you for asking first.”

She opened the door and took in the sight of the Chameleon standing in the doorway in all his masked glory. As always, the only parts of his face that were visible were his eyes and his nose and mouth, but the sexy tilt of his lips and the wicked promise in the brown gaze unmistakably belonged to Dhavin.

Yep, she was the biggest idiot on the planet.

How did she not recognize him at first sight? Had she been brain dead all this time? What about the rest of the town? No way could she be the only one who saw what was beyond the rippling pecs, although if she was, she’d feel slightly better about being duped. Very slightly.

With the truth now literally staring her in the face, any remorse she harbored over what she was about to do disappeared as quickly as a grain of sugar in a rainstorm.

“Come in.” She stepped back to allow him inside. “I thought a change of scenery might be nice. It’s not much, but I think it’s cozy.”

Cam barely glanced at the extra-large futon made up in satin sheets or the butcher block table decorated with fine china. His hot gaze drifted over her from her neat ponytail down to her freshly polished toes. Under the black lace that covered her breasts, her nipples hardened, tenting the white cotton shirt she secured under her bust with one button.

“Wow. What gods did I please to be gifted with you?” He was on her in a blink, his big hands cupping her buttocks under the hem of her shirt and lifting her against his erection.

For half a second she basked in the heat of his kiss, yielding to the strength in his arms before her ego kicked her in the ass.

She pulled back with a gasp. “So, I guess you like my outfit.”

“I never thought a man’s shirt could look so sinful, or you so beautiful. There’s a purpose I sense in you tonight. A confidence I find intoxicating.” He leaned down for another kiss.

“Not so fast. I have lots planned for us tonight. Come.” She untangled from his embrace and gestured for him to take a seat at the table. “I made you a treat.”

“You are my treat.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her across his lap.

She slapped at his hands but straddled his legs, making sure to press the hot pad of her pussy against his cock. Good Lord, she shivered, he was hard already. “You’re such a horndog. I worked really hard to make this especially for you. It’s a super-secret family recipe that has been passed down for generations. I’ve been told that if a man eats one slice, he can stay hard all night long.”

His laughter rumbled in his chest. “And this is a family recipe?”

“They had to do something to stay warm during the cold Highland nights.”

“
Konkattie
, I can stay hard just by looking at you.”

Flattery would have gotten him everywhere the day before, but now she knew the score and refused to melt under his sizzling charm. She had a plan and she’d stick to it if it killed her.

“Ta-da.” She lifted the top of the cake carrier with a flourish, revealing a creamy, dreamy chocolate tart. “Here, let me feed you.”

She scooped up a healthy spoonful and held it to his lips with a sweet smile that widened when he eagerly accepted the treat.

He chewed once, twice, then his eyes widened with panic. She swore he was going to spit it out, but he swallowed with a loud gulp. His lips trembled into a weak grin.

“That, uh, that is a taste I’ve never experienced.” He spotted the glass of merlot on the table and snatched it up, downing the entire contents. “What is in that, exactly?”

“I told you, it’s a secret. Here, have some more. Delicious, huh?” She shoved another spoonful in his mouth and bit her lip to hold back her laughter as he gagged. “Oh, all right, I guess I can trust you with a little part of the recipe.” She leaned close to whisper, “The secret ingredient is black licorice.”

“Ah.” He coughed into his fist. “That explains that intriguing flavor.”

Eat it up, lover-mine.
She swirled the spoon into the thick concoction and prepared for another assault.

He caught her wrist and deftly removed the weapon from her grip before she was able to force another large spoonful into his mouth. “You know what this recipe can use, is more salt.”

He smeared the dollop of cream across the upper curve of her breast then bent to lick the area clean. Man, that was a smooth move, she’d give him that.

Revenge and desire engaged in a knock-down-drag-out fight in her heart with each flick of his talented tongue. After all was said and done, she still wanted, no craved, his touch and affection. That hadn’t changed since she learned the truth.

Syrup filled her veins and pooled in her loins in a delicious burn. Temptation demanded she grind against his erection, take her orgasm and leave him hanging on the edge, but the risk of detouring from the plan was too great to feed the need for physical satisfaction.

Deep down in her soul, she wanted to believe there had been something real about their relationship, at least something other than the way he made her body electric, but the romantic in her was going to have to go without. This night was about revenge, not what might have been. To see her plan to the end, she was going to have to shut down the part of her that held out hope, and she’d better do it quickly before everything got shot to hell.

“Cam.” She dug her fingers into the cowl and grasped at the hair beneath to pull his head up. “Cam, wait. I—I have something I need to talk to you about.”

“I’m listening.” The tip of his tongue danced along her collarbone. He slipped her shirt off her shoulders, allowing his fingers access to the clasp of her bra.

“No. Really. I’ve been thinking a lot lately and I have to tell you something before we continue.” Her breath stuttered as he cupped her breasts over the lace and tugged firmly on her nipples. No, no, no. He was not going to distract her. “Cam, I’ve been lying to you.”

He stilled with his lips pressed against her shoulder, and she froze along with him. Tension snapped between them like an invisible net for a long minute before he raised his head to look at her with a wary eye. “What do you mean?”

This is it. Don’t break character.
“I’ve lead you to believe something about me that wasn’t true, because I was afraid of what you’d say. But I like you, Cam. Really, really like you, and I don’t want there to be any more lies between us.”

His lips tightened and he nodded for her to continue.

A giggle tickled her lips with what she was about to say, but she pressed on. “I know the sex between us has been on the stale side and ho-hum.”

“Excuse me?”

If only she had a camera ready to capture the look on his face. Priceless. “Oh, I don’t entirely blame you, Cam, I mean, you’ve been trying so hard to make it spicy and exciting, and believe me, I’ve loved every minute of it. But the truth is, I want more.”

“More?” he asked, clearly baffled. What must he be thinking?

“I’ve led you to believe that I’m shy when it comes to sex. But, actually, I’ve been hurt in the past by men who have felt threatened by my intense sex drive. Those experiences have made me gun-shy on showing my true self. I want more with you, but I’m afraid of what you might think when you find out…” She closed her eyes and with a dramatic sigh exclaimed, “When you find out I’m a slut.”

He tilted his head. “I do not know this word.”

Dear God, please let her say this with a straight face. “A slut is a person who loves sex. A lot. My pussy is constantly wet and aching, desperate to be filled, and I think dirty, nasty thoughts all the time.”
Don’t laugh, don’t laugh.
She pressed her breasts into his chest and leaned over to whisper into the fabric that covered his ear. “The things I dream about doing to your cock, hmm, scandalous. I want to rub it and suck it deep into my mouth. I want you to slam it into me hard and rough. And your cum. God, I want to bathe in your cum.”

Never before had she spoken such profanity, but maybe she should have done it more if she received this type of reaction. His hips rolled, grinding his cock that had swelled so hard and hot, there may as well have been nothing between them from the way she felt every ridge pressed against the pad of her pussy. His skin was on fire, burning her palms, and his breath billowed over her chest in hot puffs. Who knew a few choice words could skyrocket him to the edge so quickly?

Buoyed by his reaction, she played up her trampy side, enjoying the illicitness of her words as much as he. “I want to share my fantasies with you. If my needs are something you can’t handle, tell me now and it ends here.”

“No! Tell me. I want to hear them. I want you, Fiona. Every wicked bit of you.”

“Well…” She slowly swiped her tongue along her bottom lip. Her cunt wept more cream as his eyes traced the movement. This was going to be so good. “I want to tie you up. I want you at my complete mercy and to do dirty things to you. But I know that will never happen.” She finished with a pout.

“Why not?” he panted. Dismay colored his whine and threatened to make her break character.

“You have super strength. Even if you let me, you can break out of your bonds whenever you wish. That defeats the purpose of having you at my mercy.”

“I won’t. I promise, I won’t,” he said with the eagerness of a child tempted with a new toy. “Tie me up.”

She fluttered her lashes with mock astonishment. “What? Surely you don’t mean that. What type of man wants to be dominated by me?”

“This one.”

“But you’ll break away the moment you don’t like what I’m doing.”

“I won’t. I promise,” he begged so sweetly. “Please, Fiona. I’m all yours.”

“Really?”

“By the Gods, woman. Yes!”

Suck-ah.

Never before had it been so difficult to hold back a smile and victorious fist pump as he folded like a cheap napkin at an all-you-can-eat barbeque.

“I’m trusting you to keep your word, but you’ve made me so happy. Come stand by the bed.” She pulled him to his feet and positioned him by the futon, praying the simple wood structure maintained its integrity, for it was about to receive the ultimate workout. “From now on you have to do everything I say. Everything. Understand?”

He nodded and licked his lips as if he were too excited to speak.

“Good. I’m going to undress you. Don’t lift a finger.”

She took her sweet time removing his clothes. The tunic was surprisingly heavy when she made him bend down enough for her to lift it over his head. Simply wearing the garment must be an exercise of its own. With each article removed, she brushed her fingertips over his skin, smiling as the muscles twitched with her touch. Standing behind him, she slipped her fingers up his spine and under the cowl. He tensed under her hand and she waited for him to tell her to stop. When he didn’t say anything, she smoothed her hands along his shoulders and down his arms. Goading him into revealing his identity now was not part of the plan.