Dante's Fire(10)

Hours passed, and finally the lights flickered on. Selina lingered to  chat with a few associates, then made her way to her office. She shut  the door behind her, turned and let out a shriek.

Daniel stood by her desk, a quiet and intimidating figure. "You scared  me!" Her hands shook and she tried to hide them by striding across the  room and fiddling with papers. "What are you doing in here?"

"Waiting for you." His gaze raked over her face. "I'm sorry I startled you. Just wanted to make sure you were doing ok."

The thought of Gary smirking at the closed door suddenly made her antsy. "I'm fine. You closed the door."

"Yeah. I'm sorry, is that a problem?"

"Maybe. We should open the door."

"Why?"

She let out a breath. "So people don't think we're doing it in my office."

Instead of shock, a smile curved his lips. "Cool. They think you'd do the mail guy, huh?"

Selina stared at him, then burst into laughter. "I should've known you wouldn't care."

He strode toward her and stopped a few inches away. Her body tensed as the sensual energy radiated from him in waves. "Do you?"

She cleared her throat. "No. It's just, well, I'm working on the Forrester deal and I don't need any distractions."

"Am I a distraction?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

He never moved, but she felt as if he had taken a step closer. The scent  of clean soap and lemon drifted from his skin. Different from the musky  scent of Dante. Yet, both of them made her senses wake up and a deep  need curl from within her belly.         

     



 

God, she was so confused.

"I don't want to screw up your deal, Selina." Suddenly, he backed up and  gave her space. She let out the breath she was holding and immediately  relaxed as if the danger had passed. "I care about you. I just want a  chance to--"

"To what?"

The question lingered in the air. Something passed between them and  Selina knew their relationship had pivoted to a new axis. The lines of  friendship and more blurred, misted, beckoned.

"I think you know," he said softly.

"I'm not ready," she burst out.

His face softened. "I understand. Have dinner with me tonight."

The invitation shocked her. What was happening between them? And why did  she crave to sit with him over a plate of food and talk without  worrying about being interrupted? Why did she suddenly need to know more  about the man who had popped in and out of her office for the past two  years? Who made her laugh, became her friend, and never pressured her  for more?

"I don't know."

"Fair enough. I'll wait."

He turned to leave but the words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them. "Yes, I'll have dinner with you."

He nodded. "I'll pick you up. Seven?" She nodded, not really able to speak. He smiled. "Can I have your address?"

"Oh, sure." She scribbled it on the back of one of her business cards  and pressed it into his palm. The contact of skin on skin burned.

"Good. See you tonight." He turned and left.

Selina sunk into her chair and buried her face in her hands. What had  she done? Complicated an already deepening complication. But the idea of  not being alone tonight washed over her in relief. She was never sure  if Dante would appear. He only seemed to come when she woke up from a  nightmare, but preparing for bed had become excruciating.

She refused to think about her decision any longer. Maybe dinner with  Daniel would answer her questions and finally confirm he wasn't right  for her. Then she could move on, relieved she'd given it a shot, and  they could go back to their comfortable relationship.

She went back to work and ignored the tiny voice inside that screamed "liar."







Dante watched her twirl a forkful of pasta with the ease of an expert  and enjoyed the view. Her conservative suit replaced with a pair of  relaxed black pants, a vivid purple blouse with an intriguing tie at the  bodice, and low heeled black boots. She'd left her hair down and the  chocolate strands swung back and forth, as she moved her head. The  depths of her eyes seemed brighter in contrast with the purple, but  Dante also caught the lines of fatigue and darkened shadows. He knew she  didn't sleep much, and it was beginning to show. With the stress of  closing the Forrester deal, he figured she was running mostly on  adrenalin and eventually she'd crash.

He needed to make sure he was there when it happened.

But as Dante or Daniel? Both identities were beginning to bleed into one  another. His nightly visits pushed him to explore their daytime  relationship in a desperate attempt to see if it could be real. Hell, he  was in love with her, but a real date would tell him the things he  needed to know. What would she really think of the Daniel who worked in  the mailroom for a living, had no real family to speak of, and no real  ambition? He needed his masked persona to continue his mission. This  date could prove they were completely incompatible in the real world and  finally release that damn secret hope driving him insane.

"I guess you know my secret now," she said.

Dante took a sip of his Chianti. "There's only one?"

"The biggest one of all. I eat like a pig."

He laughed, taking in her almost clean plate of pasta, garlic bread and  salad. "About time I had some competition from a woman. I always feel  lonely eating four courses while she eats one."

"I guess you don't date many Italians." Those jeweled eyes burned with  curiosity but she tried to remain casual. "I don't care if French women  don't get fat. I like my pasta."

Dante grinned. "My parents were Italian. I can make a mean gravy."

"Are you close to your parents?"

He kept his tone light. "Unfortunately, they both passed. I miss them every day."

She nodded with sympathy. "I think if we have a good relationship with  our parents, we're supposed to miss them every day. They gave us our  foundation. They gave us everything."

Her words warmed him. "What about you? They must be proud of your  success at Inferno." He waited to see if she'd share the same  information she'd shared with Dante, late at night, tucked under the  covers. Or would she hide behind casual excuses, not ready to share  secrets on a first date?

She reached for her own wine and swirled the ruby red liquid around the  glass. "My parents died too. I was little though, so I barely knew them.  I spent my life in foster care, but things were good." Her smile was  like a frickin' rainbow on a rainy day. The thought embarrassed the hell  out of him. Next up, he'd be reading sonnets from her poetry book.         

     



 

"I'm sorry, Selina. That must've been tough on you. Bet that's how you learned to be so tough and handle the men on your team."

"Yep, I had training. Many of my foster siblings taught me how to stand  up to bullies and play with the big boys. Never let them see you cry.  Keep your head down and your nose clean. If you're hit first, hit back.  And don't be a Mary."

A shadow crossed her face, and Dante knew she thought of that night,  when fighting back wasn't enough. He spoke fast. "And why property? Were  you an Apprentice fan?"

Laughter replaced the darkness. "You gotta love Trump. I fell into it. I  used to imagine who would live in certain houses, and made a game out  of it. Instead of cutting out pictures of cute guys to post on my wall, I  had a bulletin board of mansions. I was a good salesperson too. Not to  brag, but it's almost like I have this gift. I can look at an empty lot  or a space and know if it's going to work. Almost like an image appears  before me. Weird."

"Like a super power?"

"Yeah, I like that. I always wanted to have my own superpowers. Always dreamed of being Catwoman in bad-ass leather."

"You're named after her, you know."

She lowered her head and glanced around nervously. Dropped her voice. "I  don't know what you're talking about. We have nothing to do with each  other." The ridiculousness of the conversation filled him with pleasure.  This was a woman he could kick back with and enjoy. "Your secret's safe  with me. Favorite superhero?"

"Thor."

He rolled his eyes. "Girls. There's only one real superhero to kick everyone's ass and that's Superman."

"Screw you. Thor is cosmic and he'd win every time."

"A hammer? You really think a hammer can beat up Superman?"

Her eyes sparkled with light and humor. "A little kryptonite and your man is down. Can't do that to Thor."

"I think you just have a weakness for blondes."

Her laugh rang out strong and clear. Arousal squeezed through him, the  need to possess her both physically and emotionally. Dante breathed in  and out and prayed the moment would pass. He'd need to keep his napkin  firmly on his lap for a while. "Maybe. So, if I like blondes and you  like French women, where does that leave us?"

Her playful words held a hint of a question. Satisfaction hummed through  his veins. She was attracted to him, but didn't know how to handle it.  Stripped away from the office barriers, their connection burned bright  and hot. The easygoing manner between them just added to the pleasure.  He deliberately let the silence lengthen and leaned in.