I didn’t understand why Kelly couldn’t just have a cab take her home, but Grace’s plea must have meant something to Devlin, because he nodded his head in understanding. The two of them said their goodbyes and left less than a minute later.
“That was really weird,” I said, shaking my head and locking the door behind them. “Did you do something to upset her?”
Bobby gave me an offended look and loosened his tie the rest of the way. “Of course not. We were having a very stimulating evening, if you must know. We were having a wonderful time—until her cell phone rang.”
I thought of Johnny and Fiona. When the two of them were first dating, my brother used to complain about how Fiona’s cell phone would always ring at the worst possible moment. She always had to rush off to her store to take care of some emergency. Of course, there were no emergencies—not at her store anyway. The flimsy excuses had been part of her cover as Fiera, a member of the Fearless Five, and a way for her teammates to contact her if they needed her help.
I wondered if Grace was doing the same thing. Using the phone as a way of swapping supersecret messages for Devlin—or even herself. I knew Devlin was Debonair, but who on earth could Grace Caleb be masquerading as? She didn’t strike me as the superhero type. Then again, neither had Devlin. And if Grace was a superhero, wouldn’t she be upset her grandson was on the other side of the law? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe she was an ubervillain herself. Or maybe she just didn’t know he was really Debonair. There were just too many maybes right now.
I pushed those thoughts away and concentrated on my current crisis. “I’m actually glad they’re gone.”
“Why? Don’t you like Grace?” Bobby’s face fell a little more.
“Grace is just fine. But there’s a problem with her grandson. A big one.”
We went into the kitchen. Bobby sat down and listened while I told him my theory about Devlin Debonair Dash. He glanced at the check, then at the drawing I’d retrieved from my room.
“The signature looks the same,” he admitted. “But are you sure, Bella?”
I let out a long breath. “As sure as I can be right now. I’m going to get Carmen and Lulu to help me verify it in the morning.”
“I see.” Bobby gave me a sidelong glace. “You like him, don’t you?”
“What? Of course not.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Bah! You think these eyes are too old to see what’s right in front of them. But they’re not. You like this Debonair, don’t you? There’s no shame in it. From what I’ve seen and heard, he’s a handsome fellow. And Devlin seemed nice enough at dinner.”
I never could get anything past my grandfather. So, I nodded. “In a weird way, I do. But things could never work out between us.”
“Why not?”
I looked at him. “You know why. I don’t like superheroes. I’m certainly not going to date one.”
“Ah, Bella. When are you going to get over this dislike, this prejudice of yours? Superheroes and ubervillains are a part of our lives. They always have been, and they always will be. You should be proud to be a part of it, not ashamed.”
If there was one sore subject between my grandfather and me, this was definitely it.
“I’m not ashamed. I’m just tired of it,” I snapped. “Do you know how many nights I would lie awake and wonder if you and Dad were coming home? If I’d get up the next morning and read in the newspaper about how some ubervillains killed Johnny Angel? Do you know what that did to me? To my mother?”
“Being Johnny Angel was something I had to do. Your father understood, and so did your mother,” Bobby said in a defensive tone.
“Why?” I asked, getting defensive myself. “I never understood why you had to do it. You didn’t have any powers. You weren’t even a real superhero.”
Grandfather’s face jerked, as though I’d slapped him. “I wasn’t a superhero, no. I couldn’t do fantastic things just by thinking about them. I wasn’t incredible in any way at all. But I was strong and brave and smart, and I helped people.” His green eyes glittered. “And that was the most important thing.”
“More important than keeping yourself safe for your family?” I snapped, hot tears gathering in my eyes.
“Of course I tried to keep myself safe for you. All of you. But helping others was something I had to do. Something I needed to do to be happy with myself. Someday you’ll understand,” Bobby said in a gentle tone.
I turned my face away and didn’t answer. Grandfather rested his hand on my shoulder. I tensed at his touch.
“Someday you will, Bella,” he repeated. “Someday you’ll understand why I did what I did. Why I became Johnny Angel. Your father too.”
I wiped away my tears. I thought I’d cried all that I could after my father died, but the ghost of Johnny Angel just wouldn’t let me be. Not even now.
Grandfather patted my shoulder. “I don’t know about you, but this old man needs his rest. Goodnight, Bella.”
“Goodnight,” I whispered.
Grandfather went off to sneak a cigar he thought I wouldn’t know about, and I slumped over the table. I let myself wallow in my misery and self-pity for a full minute before pulling myself back together.
My eyes flicked around the kitchen. Dirty dishes and plates from dinner covered the countertops. I really should wash them tonight, especially the bowl with the remains of the Chicken Marsala. Otherwise, the stains would never come out. It was busy work, of course, but I needed something to do. Something else to think about besides Debonair and superheroes and my murdered father.
I reached for the closest dish. My power flared, and the plate slid out of my fingers, clattered off the counter, and crashed onto the floor. The dish didn’t break, but pasta and sauce oozed over the tiles, as red as blood against the white floor.
Normally, I would have hurried to clean up the mess before it soaked in. Pasta sauce can be a real bitch to get out. But the more I stared at the red goop, the angrier I became. It was bad enough the men in my family felt the need to parade around in black leather, but why did they have to involve me in their schemes? I’d never asked to be part of a superhero family, and I’d certainly never asked to be cursed with an uncontrollable power, one that aggravated me at every turn.
So what if the pasta stained the damn floor? It wouldn’t be any worse than all the blood I’d washed out of my father’s clothes over the years. At that cheery thought, my power pulsed again, and more plates flew off the countertops, even though I was nowhere near them. Salad, breadsticks, and a carafe of wine joined the Chicken Marsala on the floor.
But I didn’t care. For once in my life, I was going to do what I wanted to. And right now, I didn’t feel like cleaning up.
I left the growing mess on the kitchen floor and headed for my room, determined to take a hot bath and fall into an oblivious sleep. Maybe tomorrow I’d feel more like my clean-freak self. Maybe tomorrow I could pretend everything was all right again—and not falling to pieces around me.
My bathroom branched off my bedroom and was almost as large. It featured a shower, along with a long counter topped with mirrors, and an old-fashioned claw-foot tub resting on four angel-head feet. I didn’t have quite the selection of assorted body oils and exotic bath scents Debonair did, but there was more than enough to meet my needs.
I ran myself a tub full of rose-scented bubbles and sank down into the steaming water. I sighed, long and loud, and rested my head on a folded towel I’d placed on the rim. I was still sore and bruised from my run-in with Hangman, and all the bumps and falls I’d taken in the past week. Not to mention my fight with Grandfather. It was one we’d had many, many times before, but it always left me feeling drained and upset and worn out. I closed my eyes and sank a little farther into the water.
POP!
Debonair appeared on the edge of the bathtub, and I couldn’t stop myself from shrieking. My power flared, and somehow, despite my towel, I banged my head against the side of the porcelain. Pain shot up the back of my skull, and my
eyes rattled around in their sockets.
“Bella! Are you all right?” Debonair asked, helping me sit up.
I touched the back of my head. A bump the size of a golf ball had already formed, throbbing with every breath I took. “I’ll be fine. Eventually.”
Debonair’s gaze was on me, hot and warm. I realized he was staring at my breasts, which had been exposed when I’d sat up. I scooted back down into the tub and scooped mounds of bubbles around me. Debonair looked amused by my attempts to hide my nakedness.
“What?” I snapped. “You’d do the same thing if the situation were reversed.”
Debonair picked up a handful of bubbles and blew them off his leather gloves. “Actually, I wouldn’t. I’d be trying to figure out how to get you to join me in the tub.”
I thought of what we could do in the tub together, and it didn’t involve a rubber ducky. Well, not the traditional kind.
“You shouldn’t hide your body, Bella,” he continued. “It’s quite beautiful.”
His words pleased me, but I still slid a little lower into the water. Me being naked anywhere near Debonair was not good. Even being in the same room with him was pushing it.
“You probably think all women are beautiful—even your grandmother.”
“Everyone is beautiful in their own right. But in your case, my interest is a little more devious than it would be in my grandmothers.” His eyes glowed.
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore a sudden surge that rippled through my body. “How is your grandmother, by the way?”
He frowned in confusion. “She’s fine. Why do you ask?”
Because she left in such a hurry. That’s what I wanted to say, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to confront Debonair about his real identity as Devlin Dash. Not yet. Not until I had more proof from Carmen and Lulu. There was still a small chance I was wrong, and I was too sensible to take the risk.
We sat there in silence. I kept sneaking peaks at Debonair’s face, comparing it to my memory of Devlin’s. It almost certainly had to be him. Same dark hair. Same nice cheekbones. Same straight nose. I couldn’t tell about the eyes, though. Not with Devlin’s thick glasses on his face. Who would have thought glasses would have been that good of a disguise?
“Well, I suppose I should be on my way. I’ll leave you to your bath.” He turned to go.
“Wait!”
I didn’t want him to go. He was a superhero who’d kept his real identity from me, who’d lied to me. I should hate him, but I didn’t. I just . . . couldn’t. No matter how hard I tried to pretend otherwise, I was attracted to Devlin Debonair Dash. More than I’d been attracted to anyone in a long, long time. Even if he was a damn superhero.
Debonair turned to face me. “Did you want something, Bella?”
I want you. I bit back the words. I didn’t need to get myself in deeper with the handsome thief. But I didn’t want to be sensible tonight. Didn’t want to play it safe or sane. I wanted to be kissed and held and loved, even if it was by a man whose motives I didn’t understand and probably never would.
“No,” I said. “But why are you leaving? You just popped in a minute ago.”
He stared at me. “Because if I don’t go now, I’m going to try to seduce you. And you said before you don’t want that. I might be a cad on occasion, but I try to respect a lady’s wishes. Every now and then, anyway.”
Sure, that’s what I said when I was alone and could think and be sensible about things. I wasn’t so sure that’s what I wanted when I was face-to-face with the most handsome man I’d ever seen—and slept with. So I made a snap decision. One I was probably going to regret in the morning. But I was sure as hell going to enjoy it now. After the day I’d had, I deserved it.
“So seduce me,” I said, rising to my feet. “Who knows? I just might enjoy it.”
22
‘Don’t tempt me, Bella.‘ Debonair’s voice was rough and raw with need.
“Me? Tempt you? I’d never dream of doing such a thing.”
I stepped out of the tub and moved closer to him, water and bubbles sliding off my body and making another mess on the floor. The rate I was going, the whole house would be a disaster area by morning.
“Besides,” I continued, “you’re the one who knows all about seduction. Not me.”
His gaze moved up and down my body, searing me with its heat. But he made no move to touch me. Seconds ticked by. Neither one of us so much as twitched. I barely breathed.
Debonair closed his eyes and dropped his head. Well, so much for my grand plan. Obviously, I wasn’t quite the mistress of seduction I thought I was. Maybe I should get some pointers from the folks in the Slaves for Superhero Sex club. I started to turn away and cover myself with a towel. But with a low, hoarse growl, Debonair gathered me into his arms and crushed his mouth to mine.
The smell of roses washed over me, and I sighed with pleasure. Debonair pulled me tighter, driving his tongue deep into my mouth before retreating and licking my lips. He pressed kisses to my eyelids, my cheeks, my neck. His gloves disappeared with a snap of his fingers, and his hands covered my breasts. They swelled and tightened in response.
“Do you want me, Bella? Do you burn for me like I burn for you?” he whispered against my breastbone, licking his way down my body.
I writhed against him. Lost in the sensations he stirred up inside me. Urged on by the relentless pressure mounting deep between my thighs.
The feel of his leather suit against my skin drove me crazy with need. My hands clawed at it, and I wished I had the power to teleport it away with my mind. I wanted to touch him. All of him. Feel his hard body pressed up against my own. Feel him moving inside me. Just like he had before.
My power surged, and somehow the fabric of his suit ripped, right over the scarlet rose on his chest. I didn’t care. I slid my hand inside the leather, stroking the coarse hair on his solid chest. Debonair shoved aside the bottles of lotions and shampoo on the counter, then picked me up and set me there.
I hooked my leg over his thigh, drawing him closer. He slid his fingers down my damp body, tangling them in the curls at the junction of my thighs. Then—
Someone knocked on the door.
“Bella? Are you okay?” Bobby’s voice floated through the thick wood. “I thought I heard something fall.”
Debonair kept right on with his exploration of my body, even though my grandfather was standing less than two feet away from us. His mouth teased my nipple, while his nimble fingers danced across my outer folds. My entire body quivered in response. Pleasure rippled through me, and I had to focus on answering my grandfather.
“I’m fine,” I rasped out, tangling my fingers in Debonair’s dark hair. “I just knocked over a couple of shampoo bottles.”
“It sounded like a louder bang than that,” Bobby said. “And I heard some noises coming from the kitchen earlier. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. I’ll be coming out soon,” I promised, panting for air.
“Well, all right. I’m going to bed. Call me if you need me.”
Muffled footsteps moved away from the door. At least I thought that’s what I heard. It was sort of hard to concentrate with Debonair stroking me. I caught his head in my hands and drew his lips up to mine again. Debonair responded by slipping his fingers farther inside me, even as his teeth raked across my lower lip.
I cried out my release in his mouth. But Debonair wasn’t satisfied. He kept right on stroking me, until I burned for him once more. Again and again he moved me, until I wasn’t sure where I left off and he began. Finally, though, the last shudder of pleasure cascaded through my body. I slumped against his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Well, Bella. If that’s how you’re going to respond, I think I’ll let you seduce me more often,” Debonair said in a playful, teasing tone. His eyes sparkled in the faint light.
All I could do was look at him, still too drunk with passion and afterglow to respond. Sometimes, it felt absolutely wonder
ful to be completely senseless. He pressed a kiss to my temple, then grabbed a towel from a nearby rack and wrapped it around my body.
“Now, go put on some clothes. And be sure to get a heavy jacket.”
“Why?” I asked, not wanting to move away from him.
He pulled back and smiled. “Because, Bella, I’m taking you out for a night on the town—Debonair style.”
Twenty minutes later, a heavy gray fisherman’s sweater covered my body, along with a pair of jeans and black boots with a low, sensible heel. I slid my arms into my favorite black wool pea coat and pulled a pair of fleece-lined gloves onto my hands. Debonair leaned against my dresser, nodding his approval.
“You should be warm enough in that,” he said.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “Why are you doing this? Why do you want to take me out?”
“Because, Bella, I want to spend time with you.”
He sounded sincere, but I still had a hard time believing him. He was Debonair. He could have just about any woman in Bigtime he desired. I couldn’t quite believe he wanted me, with my horrible hair and thunder thighs. Or that he was actually Devlin Dash under all that blue-black leather.
“But didn’t you already get what you wanted the other night when we slept together?”
He smiled. “Of course I did. Didn’t you? If it wasn’t satisfying enough, maybe we can try something different next time. Like maybe handcuffs? Or whips and chains? You never did tell me the answer to that question.”
I couldn’t stop blushing.
“Now, come on.” Debonair opened his arms wide.
I hesitated. This was not a good idea on so many levels.
“Please?” he asked, his voice quiet.
But I’d broken so many of my own rules the past few days. What was one more?
So, I stepped into his embrace and inhaled, letting his sweet, musky scent fill my lungs.
“Now, just try to relax,” Debonair murmured, gathering me close. “Teleporting can be a bit disorienting. We won’t go far until you’re more comfortable with it.”
POP!