Hero Unmasked: 3 (Heroes of Saturn)

by Anna Alexander

  “Breathe.”

  Her lungs expanded, immediately following his command.

  “Good. Again.” He nodded when she complied and smiled, which threatened her composure all over again. “I can feel your nervousness like I swallowed a live octopus. It’s only me. Relax.”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  “Why not?”

  She felt her eyes boggle and gestured wide to indicate his grandness. “Because you’re you. The Chameleon.”

  “I’m Cam. Just a man like any other.”

  She snorted, much to her horror. “Yeah, right. Doesn’t matter. There are so many questions I want to ask you but don’t know if I should, or if I even want to know the answers to them. I don’t think I can have a normal conversation with you without coming off like a major dweeb and I…I…”

  It hurt too much to look into those all-seeing eyes. Why couldn’t she stop talking? With every word she spouted it was as if she was cementing her status as an uncouth goofball.

  “Tell me, Fiona. Please.” He recaptured her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

  “I want you to like me,” she admitted in a small voice.

  “I do like you. That’s why I’m here.”

  No, like me, like me. Like me enough to throw me on the floor, smother me in lemon cream and lick me clean, like me, she wanted to shout. Instead she responded with a soft. “Oh.”

  “Ask me anything and I’ll answer, if I can.”

  Her gaze immediately flew to the cowl covering his head and face.

  Will you take off your mask?

  She bit her tongue and tried to force her mind onto another topic.

  “You hesitate when I know there is something specific on your mind.”

  “No there isn’t.”

  “Fiona. I will let you in on a secret only the sheriff knows about.” He leaned closer. “I can sense emotions.”

  “Sense? Sense how?”

  “When I told you I sensed your nervousness, I really can. Whatever emotion you are feeling, I feel too.”

  “All emotions?” she asked, though she knew the answer.

  The corner of his mouth quirked up and his eyelids lowered. “All of them.”

  “This information does not put me at ease.”

  His chuckle slid over her like warm butterscotch. “I promise I won’t hold anything I learn against you, even though you intrigue me beyond reason and I desperately want you to elaborate on some of what I’ve sensed going on inside you. In case it escaped your notice, I want you to like me too.”

  But she did. She liked him a lot. Probably more than he was ready for.

  “Ask me,” he encouraged with a whisper.

  Dare she make such a bold request?

  No.

  He wore the mask for a reason and for all intents and purposes, they were still strangers to each other. Would the shape and planes of his face make a difference in how she felt about him? God, she hoped she wasn’t so shallow.

  What had she done thus far to warrant the trust needed to expose himself in such a fashion? Nothing. And she was going to prove that in her mind, he was more than a superhero.

  “Where are you from?”

  His eyes widened then narrowed, and for a moment she thought she had empathic powers and was able to taste his suspicion that she was hedging her own curiosity. He nodded once then answered, “How familiar are you with Saturn?”

  “As in the planet? Wait. Are you an alien?” she shouted before she could temper the shock in her reaction.

  “Yes, I guess that is what I am to you. I’m actually from the largest moon. You call it Titan, but to me it is Skandavia.”

  “You’re serious, aren’t you? Well, of course you are, but, seriously?”

  Who knew aliens were so hot? No, she didn’t mean to think that. But still. Who knew? He was certainly no little green Martian. Although Martians were from Mars and he was from Saturn, maybe that was the difference.

  Why was she even debating this?

  There was an honest-to-God alien sitting in her dining room, holding her hand! Since the Chameleon’s first appearance, the townsfolk have been speculating about his origins. They all suspected he wasn’t exactly human, but to know for certain he was an alien? From outer space? Pow! There went her mind, officially blown.

  A strangled laugh choked her throat. “How? I mean—Wha—Why?”

  “Breathe. Breathe, Fiona.”

  “I’m trying.”

  “I know it must be difficult to believe, but it’s true.”

  “Why did you leave? Are you here on your own?”

  The light in his eyes dimmed as he looked away and chewed on his bottom lip. Had she hit upon an off-limits topic already?

  “No.” He squeezed her hand. “Don’t shy away. I haven’t talked to anyone about my origins, and I didn’t think it would be so difficult to do so.”

  “You don’t have to tell me anything.”

  “I want to. I want you to know me.” He drew in a breath. “This uniform I wear marks me as a guard for the royal family. Like with any nation, there was discontent and the king did not handle the rising conflict well. Not even the sage advice of our wisest council could sway him. I…was banished for failing to keep our queen safe when she risked meeting with the revolutionaries on her own.”

  “Earth was to be your prison?”

  “Yes.”

  “And your powers? Do all people from your world have them?”

  At this, he chuckled. “No. These abilities I have were unexpected. Except for the heightened empathy. It’s so cold on Skandavia we communicated by reading each other’s emotions. But the strength, the speed, I never imagined, and believe me, it took me awhile to gain control.”

  “Did you have no one here to help you? No one to confide in?” She leaned forward, completely fascinated by his tale. An alien!

  “With this?” He placed his palm over the center of his chest. “Too risky.”

  Then why me? The question blistered her tongue. She didn’t let it free for she didn’t want him to think about how unexciting she really was.

  “Thank you for trusting me. I won’t tell anyone anything.”

  “I know.” His smile made her insides quiver. “How about a toast? To new friendships.”

  “That sounds nice.” She clinked her glass to his and took a healthy swallow of the fruity wine.

  “Now, tell me more about you—” he began and was cut off by a muted buzzing sound emitting from his belt. He withdrew a cell phone and frowned at the display before answering. “Ya?”

  Interesting. There was a way to contact him without using the Cedar police force as a courier service. Fiona took another sip of wine and tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation. So what if the voice on the other end carried a distinctly high-pitched, female tone? If he wanted her to have his phone number, he’d let her know.

  Dear Lord, he could sense her emotions! Patience, patience, she chided herself and focused on controlling the slight, miniscule, surge of jealously that shot through her heart. A needy, clingy woman would probably turn a man like him off.

  Cam replied to whoever called with a series of one-word sentences and an occasional grunt before ending with, “I’ll be there soon.”

  Disappointment squeezed her around the chest before she lassoed it tight and buried it deep inside her mind.

  “You’re getting stronger at doing that,” he said as he slipped the phone back into his belt. “I almost didn’t feel you at all.”

  She tried for her best doe-eyed innocent expression. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m disappointed too.” He ran the tip of his finger down her cheek and along the curve of her jaw and all the tension in her melted. “Don’t be afraid to feel emotion around me.”

  “Some things I want to keep to myself. Besides, if you can sense my emotions, you can sense other’s as well. I don’t want to burden you.”

  “You will never be a burden, Fiona.” He sighed and rose from
his chair. “Obviously you know I have to leave. That was the sheriff. The snow is coming down fast and a logging truck has jackknifed at the bottom of 518 and is blocking most of the road. Traffic is light now, but it has to be moved before anyone crashes into it. Unfortunately Mac, the tow truck driver, has also slid off the road and is delayed.”

  She rose as well. “No. I understand. You have to help. That’s what you do. Can you wait one quick second?”

  “Of course.”

  She hurried into the kitchen and tossed several brownies into a plastic bag then ran back to his side. “Take these for later. Who knows when you’ll get a break.”

  He palmed the bag before placing it in his pouch. “Thank you. Can I see you again?”

  “Yes, please.”

  He reached out and brushed the hair behind her ear, following the shell down to her neck, lightly skimming the sensitive flesh with the hot pads of his fingers.

  All the air left her lungs and she swayed into his touch as pulses of electricity zipped along her skin, tightening her nipples and turning her thighs to jelly. God, those light touches were so addictive.

  Cam gasped and his fingers tightened on her shoulder. “Ah, Fiona. You make it difficult to leave. I grieve over the night we could have had.”

  What? What did you have in mind and can it still happen?

  She swallowed her tongue and tried for her most serene smile. “Good luck and be careful.”

  His hand fell away as he moved toward the door. An arctic chill swept through the house when he opened the door, yet it was the impending loneliness of him leaving that chilled her to the bone.

  “I have to.” She heard him mutter before he spun back around and cupped her face in his palms, stilling her for the descent of his mouth.

  He kissed like he was built. Strong and hot, like the richest molten cocoa. The cold was banished as his big arms enveloped her in his heat and pressed her against the hard length of his body. His hips ground into the softness of her belly, making her whimper. Good gravy, was he hard.

  This total loss of mind control was a novelty. Who knew that one smoldering kiss could sap all her strength, leaving her unable to do anything but hang like damp cheesecloth?

  Just as she was about to pass out from the lack of air, he let her go, catching her arm as she stumbled.

  “Tomorrow? Same time?” he panted.

  “Ah, um.” She nodded, her throbbing lips refused to work.

  Before she could blink, he was gone, only the path of his quick footsteps in the already deep snow indicated his direction.

  Her hands shook as she closed the door. Pressing her head against the cold glass, she enjoyed the cooling sensation on her skin before she jerked back with a gasp.

  Tomorrow? He wanted to see her tomorrow.

  How much of her did he want to see?

  She raced to the bedroom and dove into her underwear drawer, searching for the sexy pair of black lacy panties Aunt Bridget gave her for a joke to wear when she dragged her to see the Chippendales the year before.

  “Oh shoot. Razor.” She dashed into the bathroom and rummaged through the cabinet, shouting in triumph when she found her last new razor cartridge.

  It didn’t hurt to be prepared. And if Cam was interested in sampling her confections, she was going to make sure the presentation was perfect.

  Chapter Five

  Snowmagedden was the name the news anchors gave the storm that raged outside. Three feet of snow and ice had fallen overnight, covering half of the state and creating panic all over the entire Northwest. In some places it piled five to six feet deep. Needless to say, Fiona never made the drive into work.

  Along with the heavy snowpack, the wind was barreling down the mountain at speeds of up to sixty miles an hour. Between cars sliding off the road and tree branches coming down like rain, the news had been broadcasting nonstop and the police had been going just as hard.

  It had taken her thirty minutes to clear a path to the stockpile of firewood near the shed and another ten to get a blaze rolling in the wood-burning stove. If it was possible to sit on the metal hearth to get the feeling back into her frozen limbs, she would have jumped on bare-assed naked.

  There was a reason why she hadn’t followed her parents when they moved to Buffalo, New York, and harsh winters was it. When the weather turned sour, they quickly relocated to Arizona, but by then she had opened up the shop and was content to stay put.

  The power went out as Fiona watched the noon news telecast with a pillow clutched tight to her chest. She never realized how silent silence was until the hum of the refrigerator and the buzz from a bright light bulb was suddenly cut off like a meat cleaver through a power cord. Alone in her house with the wind howling outside, she felt as if she were left all alone on the planet.

  While her little house was not out in the sticks, she wasn’t close to town either. It could be hours before power was restored, but her gut told her it was probably going to be a day, if not more. She paced a circle around the living room and pulled at the ends of her hair. By her feet sat a stack of books. Not one of them interested her enough to go beyond page one. Sitting and waiting was not her style. Relaxation was a scheduled event, usually occurring after a hard day’s work.

  How could she pretend that the day was a holiday when people were in danger? Aunt Bridget was alone, Mags had texted her saying the pipes in her rental house burst and Cam was probably out protecting the town.

  She pressed her nose against the sliding glass door and worried her lip. The sky was a deep, dark slate, making day appear almost nighttime. Cam’s footprints from the night before had long since been obscured with the continual snowfall. The glass fogged over with her breath and she wiped the spot clear with her sleeve then frowned as she caught sight of movement in the distance. From the vast expanse of white and gray a figure emerged, trudging slowly through the snow. Had a wild animal gotten lost and was looking for shelter? Perhaps it was a motorist who had crashed and needed help?

  The motorist was a more dangerous creature, in her opinion. There was being charitable and then there was allowing a mass murderer into the house. Of course, what would a mass murderer be doing out in the middle of a snowstorm? Didn’t matter. A stranger was a stranger.

  Speaking of strange, the figure was huge, with a large hump on its back. Its torso disappeared, making it look like a floating head. A second later, the image was whole again.

  “Cam,” she breathed and opened the door to shout, “Cam.”

  He lifted a hand and hurried his steps.

  “Why are you letting the cold air in? You’ll freeze,” he said as he neared. Once inside, he shut the door and pulled the drapery closed. “Do you have a towel? I don’t want to track water everywhere.”

  “Yeah. One second.” She ran to the bathroom for the cloth. “Is everything all right? Why are you here? Not that I’m sorry you’re here.”

  “Thank you.” He nodded and took the towels from her. He had toed off his boots and socks, which made her smile. Of course he’d have big feet. Large, strong, gnarly man-feet with scars and bumps. The feet of a soldier. “How are you faring?”

  “Fine, all things considered. I have heat. That’s more than some.”

  “True. True. Even I’m finding the cold too much to bear.”

  “Well, come closer to the fire. How long have you been out?”

  “Most of the night.” He blotted at the snow covering his head and shoulders. “One accident turned into two, then ten, then when the wind picked up, the trees began to come down. I’ve never seen trees explode in such a fashion before. The willow tree in the middle of the square split right down the middle. The trunk splintered like toothpicks.”

  “Oh no. I love that tree. It’s been there since time began.”

  “Unfortunately, it’s one of the many causalities of this storm. I’m afraid once this snow has cleared, Cedar won’t appear as it once was. Your shop is fine, but the roof collapsed on the shops on the other side of the
street, and I’ve lost count of the number of homes that have been damaged.”

  “Has anyone been hurt?”

  “Physically? Nothing that won’t heal in a day. Emotionally? Well, only time will tell.”

  “God, I hate snow.” She gestured to the pot of water bubbling on the stove. “Would you like some coffee? How about soup? I can feed you something hot.”

  “Coffee sounds wonderful.” He settled back into his chair with a chuckle. “Look at you. French press. Heavy skillets. You’re a regular pioneer woman. Ready for anything.”

  “I know wood-burning stoves are considered retro now, but the power goes out at least once a year and with a regular fireplace you have to sit in the hearth to feel any heat. I’ll take a good ole potbellied monster anytime.”

  “The Anderson’s home was blazing bright when I passed by there earlier. I heard part of their remodel included two generators.”

  “You know a lot for a person who lives in the shadows.”

  “The shadows keep the best secrets.”

  What she wouldn’t give to learn what he did in the shadows. “I’ve thought about getting a generator, but then part of me thinks I’m just asking to lose power if I do. How do you take your coffee?”

  “Slightly sweetened.” He took the offered mug and sniffed appreciatively. “This smells fantastic. We don’t have sugar where I’m from and it’s now my favorite food group.”

  “No sugar? You mean you didn’t have desserts or candy? I can’t imagine a world without sweets.”

  “We had confections, but nothing like here. If you brought your talents to my planet, you would be worshipped like a goddess.”

  Heat from his smile warmed her cheeks. “You liked my brownies?”

  “Loved them. I made the mistake of sharing them with the officers I was working with last night and almost didn’t get one. You have many fans.”

  His compliment filled her with pride like no other she’d ever received. Why was that? Was it because she valued his opinion more than others, or was it pure attraction that made her want to lay her head in his lap like a puppy and beg for more attention?

  Outside the pop and crackle of tree limbs bursting and crashing to the ground quieted and the hush rolled into the house. Unable to remain still, she reached for the poker and opened the front hatch to prod at the blazing logs.