Captain Wonder

by Anne

  The fingers stopped abruptly and Sara didn't know whether to be glad or not. She told herself she was glad and squelched any arguments from her heart.

  "How'd you know about Sylvia?' he asked quietly.

  "Somehow I couldn't picture you without a girlfriend."

  She heard him change position and felt somehow that he had moved away from her. Her body missed him. even though he could not have stirred more than a few inches.

  "She's an actress," he said. "I met her when she did a Captain Wonder episode. You might remember her, she played an astronaut."

  Why did it hurt to hear him talk about another woman? she wondered. "I never paid that much attention to the different shows, I'm afraid,"

  "That's right." He laughed. "You aren't a Captain Wonder fan."

  She wasn't too sure she could say that anymore, and she was grateful for the darkness that hid her blush. "Has she been in anything else?" Sudden, unwelcome images popped into her head. In his bed, his bathtub, his heart. . .

  "She was in three episodes of Dallas last year and a made-for-TV movie that never got released." he said. "She's no threat to Katharine Hepburn."

  His laughter seemed an affront. "You shouldn't talk that way about her," Sara snapped. "Not if you care about her."

  Mike was silent for a long time. Long enough for the crickets to grow unbearably loud and for Sara to regret her sharp words. He was already farther away from her than she wanted. She didn't want him to go away completely.

  "She's a nice kid." he said finally. "She thinks we ought to get married, but I don't think either one of us is quite ready for that step."

  Saras heart felt lighter, but she did not want to wonder why. "Would she care that you were here with us?"

  "No."

  Was that a sign of Sylvia s lack of love for Mike or just a sign that Sara was no real threat? "My mother always said that if you weren't sure you wanted to get married, you surely didn't."

  "I think she's right.'

  There was a laugh in his voice, but Sara didn't know what he found so funny. Did he sense the fear in her heart when she spoke of this girlfriend? Why was it there, anyway? She didn't want to care what he did, but the girls would. They wouldn't want him to be unhappy.

  Sara decided-It was time to get away from him.

  She wasn't thinking rationally anymore. "I think I'd better check on the girls. Then I'm going to bed. It's been a long day." She rose to her feet.

  He stood up and folded the blanket. "I hope you sleep well tonight. I promise, you'll be safe. You shouldn't ever stay awake when Captain Wonder's around. You should sleep better knowing he's there watching over you."

  "Right." She laughed, knowing how ridiculous the idea was.

  "I detect disbelief. Just wait until the Dark Avenger darkens your door. Then you'll be glad I'm around."

  "Definitely."

  They climbed Inside the camper and saw that the girls were quiet. Mike took another brownie.

  "I think I’ll take a bath and then turn in," Sara murmured.

  "Want me to check your water?"

  "No, thanks." But her heart was racing as she undressed, and the cool water did little to reduce the fever in her blood. What would Mike think if he were in here with her? Would he find her as attractive as she found him? Would his hands want to explore her body and find ways to bring her pleasure?

  There was no way he could know her thoughts, but Sara somehow found it hard to meet his eyes when she left the bathroom. She felt relieved when he went in to bathe, grateful for the added time to collect her thoughts. She put the brownies away, fixed her bed, and settled in comfortably.

  The small light she left on over Mike's bed lit the room with a comfortable, secure glow. She closed her eyes and felt herself relaxing, sinking into a peaceful doze. But her eyes flew open when she felt someone sit on the edge of her bed. It was Mike.

  "I didn't want you to feel left out," he said softly, and leaned forward. "I realize you don't kiss men, but I thought you might make an exception for Captain Wonder."

  His lips brushed hers ever so gently. Then they touched her forehead, one cheek, then the other. Finally, they returned to her lips, clinging to them with sweet promise as a warmth flooded her veins. Her body cried out to him, but she did not move. Only their lips touched, and all too soon that touch was broken.

  "Good night." he whispered, then was gone.

  She blinked and saw him climb up Into his bed. The light went out and the camper was bathed in darkness.

  What was that he'd said? she tried to recall. That she should sleep better knowing he was there? But how was she going to do that now?

  Five

  Sara was standing In her classroom when one of her students burst through the door.

  "Captain Wonders here!" he cried.

  Sara felt a rush of excitement. Why was he here? What did he want? She took a step closer to the door and suddenly Stevie Turkle, the terror of the third grade, burst into the room dressed in a Captain Wonder suit. Before Sara had a chance to acknowledge her disappointment, the room was filled with more small, third-grade-sized Captain Wonders, all running around and screaming.

  "Stop it and sit downl" she shouted at the children, trying to restore order. "None of you Is Captain Wonder!"

  Suddenly a tall figure appeared in the doorway. He, too, was wearing the familiar black and red suit and the children ran screaming toward him. "It's Captain Wonder!" they shouted.

  It wasn't, though. It was Tom. Couldn't they see the difference? "No, it's not Captain Wonder," she tried to tell them, but the room was too noisy. The laughing children danced around the man, the noise getting louder and louder. "It's not him, it's just Tom," she shrieked, but no one would listen.

  Her eyes flew open. It was morning. She stared at the camper ceiling in relief, the quiet of the room contrasting with the noise of her dream. Lord, he was haunting her. She couldn't even get any peace In her sleep.

  "Sara?"

  She turned her head to find Mike standing next to her bed. He was wearing only a pair of running shorts, and he had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. Her body was engulfed by a sudden wave of desire.

  "Want some coffee? It's freshly made."

  "All right." She watched as he went back to the galley and poured her a cup. trying to will her treacherous senses to behave.

  "Milk?"

  She nodded and sat up, leaning against the seat back as she pulled her blanket up over her hardened nipples. She might look ridiculous, she thought, but her fool nightshirt seemed practically transparent. Sitting here with the blanket up to her armpits was better than wrapping it completely around her so she could dash to the bathroom and get dressed. And certainly better than letting him see the effect he had on her.

  "Here you go."

  He handed her a cup, then sat down at the foot of her bed. leaning against the opposite seat back as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She wished she could look as casual, but it had been quite a while since she'd had a half-naked man in her bed. Or any man, for that matter.

  "Take your shower already?" she asked, forcing her eyes onto her coffee and away from the slightly damp mat of blond hair on his chest that her fingers ached to touch. She took a sip of her coffee. It was hot and very strong, she noticed. Just the thing to restore her sanity.

  "Yes, I’ve been up for a while. Started the coffee, then showered and shaved. I'm not a lazybones like some people.1'

  "This is my vacation, remember? I get to sleep late occasionally."

  He smiled and stretched his legs out in front of him. They were almost touching hers. She wanted both to move closer and to move away, but she did neither. There was a blanket between them, after all. It wasn't as if they were really lying together. Her cheeks grew red as her mind ran through a quick scenario in which they were lying close together. Very close together. She gulped her coffee.

  "Actually. I'm glad that you slept well," he said. "You seemed pretty beat last night, but
you look a lot better this morning."

  Sara knew exactly what she looked like in the morning and was sure that the word better did not quite describe it. Her hair would be mussed, but it was too short to look attractive that way. Her eyes would be puffy and her skin pale. Not a tempting sight, she mourned. She was equally sure that Sylvia in the morning presented a far different picture.

  She had no idea what the woman looked like, but she could envision her exactly. Long, exquisite hair. Rosy cheeks and gorgeous eyes. She probably applied her makeup in her sleep so that she woke up looking perfect.

  "Ifeel better this morning too," she said, not certain whether discussing Sylvia was preferable to listening to her body's yearnings. "I'm all set for a busy day. Are the kids still asleep?"

  "If they aren't, they're being suspiciously quiet, and that doesn't seem like them."

  "No, it doesn't."

  They were silent for a moment, both fiddling with their coffee cups. Then Mike looked up at her. "You know, I've been thinking a lot about last night."

  "You have?" His kiss flew into her mind, and with it, all the conflicting emotions she'd felt at the time. The desire, the confusfon, the fear, but mostly the desire. She imagined his lips on other parts of her body. She thought of his hands stirring forgotten embers to life.

  "I think you were right when you said that if I had to wonder whether I wanted to marry Sylvia, then I probably didn't."

  "Oh?"

  "Yes. I'm fond of her, but not overwhelmingly so," he said. "I would think that if I were in love with her, I would be missing her, but I'm not."

  She squelched the sudden bubble of happiness that began to rise at his words. "Doesn't exactly sound like love then," she admitted. "Not that I'm any great expert on the subject."

  "You probably know more about it than I do, so I'm going to take your word for it. When I get back to Los Angeles, I'm going to tell Sylvia that I'm not going to marry her.

  "Will she be upset?" She would be, Sara was sure. If Sylvia thought she had Mike, she would be devastated when he walked away.

  "I doubt it. I think she's decided that her career isn't going too well, and getting married and having a family is a graceful way to bow out. She'll probably just try to latch onto some other guy with money."

  "If you think that's how she sees you, why have you stayed around this long? Why were you even considering marriage?"

  He smiled. "Hey, us guys with money get lonely too, you know. Since I'm sponging off you, you should have figured that out by now."

  She wanted to protest his choice of words and tell him that she was only too happy to have him along, but he had gotten to his feet and was staring toward the rear of the camper.

  "Howdy, girls," he said. There was some giggling in reply. He turned to Sara. "I think I'll put my shoes on and take a walk. That'll give you all time to get dressed."

  "All right. Thank you," Sara said quickly.

  He was gone in a moment. She climbed out of the bed she had shared with him in one way, but not in the way she would have liked. The Captain Wonder on her chest was rather wrinkled from the blanket and she tried to shake the wrinkles out. but his face seemed permanently smashed. Well, that's what he got for sticking so obscenely to her chest, she told herself with a half-smile.

  "Come on, girls." she called. "Let's get dressed."

  They tumbled from the bed. "Can we wear our new T-shirts?" Kari asked.

  "Nope." Sara went to her drawer and pulled out shorts and a shirt, suddenly nervous and determined not to let Mike get any closer to her. "I think you should save them for when we get home. You wouldn't want someone to see your shirts and then recognize Mike. He wants to relax, not be pestered for autographs."

  "You wear your Captain Wonder shirt," Megan pointed out.

  That's a nightshirt and no one sees me in it."

  "Mike does."

  "I think Mike knows he's Captain Wonder," Sara said. "Let's just not let the rest of the world know right now."

  Kari nodded. "Yeah, let's keep him to ourselves."

  Sara smiled. She liked that idea, even if it was only for a few more days. She plugged in her curling Iron. No reason she shouldn't look presentable for a change, she decided, even If she was going to do her best to build a wall around her heart.

  The day passed all too quickly for Sara. They spent the morning at Hoover Dam, then went back to the camper for lunch. She tried hard to relax around Mike, pretending that he was one of her brothers or cousins, and not the sexy idol of millions. It worked only as long as she couldn't see or hear him. and when he was at least ten feet away. Any closer, even if her back was toward him, and her body burned with desire. She did not need her eyes or ears to tell her he was there.

  After lunch they all took a hike through the woods. The girls skipped ahead of Mike and her, occasionally darting off the path to explore things, and showing little interest in the adults' conversation. Although she couldn't quite relax around Mike, Sara realized she could still enjoy his company- He made her laugh more than sh,e had in a long time, though her laughter became rather strained when he suddenly took her hand.

  It was a natural thing to do, she told herself. The path was narrow and they were brushing shoulders often. But her heart started to race and she began to have trouble thinking coherently, let alone speaking. Could he feel the tension racing through her? she wondered. Did he suspect the kind of thoughts that had been haunting her?

  In spite of her concerns, Sara felt disappointed when they left the narrow path to return to the camper and the reason for holding hands was gone. She tried not to think how empty her hand felt, and just hurried the girls inside to put on their bathing suits.

  While Mike changed in the bathroom, she and the girls used the rest of the trailer. She had bought both of the girls brightly colored tank suits just for the trip, but she hadn't bothered with any such extravagance for herself, figuring that her old two-piece suit from her honeymoon was still fine. Now she regretted her frugality. That suit was more than ten years old and looked it. What's more, her stretch marks showed. To cover up her worst faults, Sara thought ruefully, she'd have to stand in water up to her waist. No, up to her chin. Her chest wasn't anything to brag about either.

  "Safe to come out?" Mike called from the bathroom.

  "Yes." No reason for him to stay in there any longer, she thought. Her looks wouldn't improve in the next five minutes, She had busied herself gathering some towels together when she heard the bathroom door open.

  A low whistle pierced the air. "My, my," Mike said softly. "Who's the gorgeous lady that wandered in?"

  As the girls giggled in delight, she spun around to find him looking at her with definite approval in his eyes. The blush that covered her body must have looked brighter than a bad case of sunburn.

  "Mommy says she doesn't look good in a bathing suit because her baby lines show," Megan told him.

  "Baby lines?"

  "Stretch marks," Sara explained quickly, wondering when Megan would learn to keep her mouth shut.

  li don't see any." Mike said.

  "She's got the towels over them," Karl pointed out.

  Her own two daughters were out to get her! "Don't you think we ought to be going?" she asked.

  No one paid any attention to her words as Mike walked over and gently pulled the towels from her hands.

  "See, there they are," Karl said, touching the marks with her finger.

  "What is this? Show and tell?" Sara asked in a mocking tone.

  To her delight and dismay, Mike's finger began tracing along the same path as Karl's. "I don't think they're anything to be ashamed of," he said.

  She trembled under his gentle touch and did not dare look into his eyes for fear he would see the yearning in hers.

  "I can barely see the lines, but just knowing they're there makes you look even better to me," he went on.

  His voice was a whisper-soft caress that turned her blood to fire. Her knees were threatening to give way under h
er and Sara thought there was nothing shed like better than to sway into his arms.

  "See, Mom, we told you they didn't show,” Megan said, bringing her back to reality.

  Sara took the towels from Mike. "You guys are all just too nice. Thank you for the reassurance." She shooed the girls toward the door, trying hard to ignore Mike's overwhelming presence. "Don't you think we ought to get out there before the sun's all used up?"

  "Oh, Mom!" the girls groaned, but hurried out happily.

  Mike stayed right behind her. She could feel his eyes on her and wished she had wrapped the towels around her body. But then, he'd said she looked good. Had he really meant It, or was he just being polite? Courtesy didn't demand that he make any comment, she reminded herself. Feeling confused, she locked the trailer door and walked down to the beach at Mike's side.

  The beach was marvelous—smooth and clean and almost empty. The water was pleasantly cool and the sun hot. Sara felt herself glowing in the perfection of the setting and under Mike's admiring gaze. She joined him and the girls in the water to play for nearly an hour, then climbed out and lay down on her towel to get a tan. Mike stayed with the girls for a while longer, but then left them playing in the sand to sprawl next to Sara.

  "Did they wear you out?" she teased.

  "Are you kidding?" he scoffed. "I could have stayed in the water with them for hours yet.' He leaned on his right arm as his left hand reached over to touch her. Ever so gently, he let his fingers trace the stretch marks. Her stomach quivered in delight.

  "Ticklish?" he asked.

  "Only my stretch marks."

  He smiled slowly, his eyes warm and inviting, promising things that her mind might not understand but her heart could. "I guess I'd better find a different place to play, then," he said lightly.

  His fingers slid slowly upward, past her waist and up to her breasts. He let one finger wander over the edge of the cup and down over her smooth skin. The heat of the sun was nothing like the fire racing in her blood at his touch. Her hands ached to touch him, too, but something kept holding her back. Maybe It was the girls' laughter floating toward them from down the beach, or maybe it was the beach itself. She wasn't used to being seduced in public.