With a sickening motion, his other hand ripped at her shirt. Buttons flew. The delicate fabric ripped and the sound echoed in her ears with memory. His big hand grabbed at her breast as the world began to spin in terror.
Suddenly, he screamed.
The knife dropped. Selina didn't hesitate. She whirled and grabbed the bottle by the neck, then swung it around in a slashing arc.
The bottle hit him hard against the temple and he fell down.
As the screams echoed, Selina turned to run, then caught the burning smell of flesh.
Flames lit the mark on his arm. His shirt caught on fire. As blood trickled from his head, he shook his arm frantically, but the symbol heated in perfect scrawls and lines.
Selina watched, transfixed, unable to move as she watched Forrester burn.
The scene unfolded as if in a dream. The door crashed open, and Daniel ran into her apartment. He turned his head and screamed in the hallway, "Call 911!" Then rushed over to her, his hands frantically checking her for blood, his eyes forcing her to meet his and break her spell.
"Selina? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"
She nodded and pointed to Forrester. "He hid in my apartment." Her body shook. "He's burning."
On another level, she wondered why Daniel didn't seem shocked at the sight of Forrester and his arm in flames. With calm motions, he moved to the kitchen, filled a glass of water, and dumped it on top of Forrester. The fire died, but the scent of cooked flesh rose to her nostrils. The man writhed and moaned with agony.
The next hour played out in slow motion. The police. Questions. Her neighbors poking their heads nosily through her door. Removing Forrester in handcuffs. Daniel calmly answering the police and explaining he came to pick her up for dinner, walked in the door, and found Forrester on the ground with a knife at his side. The police concluded there must have been some kind of substance on his arm that caused the alcohol to burn his arm.
Finally, the crowds were gone, and she was left with Daniel alone in her apartment.
He tucked her on the couch and covered her with a blanket. Made her some hot tea. Then sat beside her and held her close.
His arms and body caused a familiar ache and memory to pound. She knew his scent. The feel of his arms. The muscled chest and strong legs.
And thought of Dante.
Why hadn't he appeared? This time Daniel had saved her, but the betrayal of her midnight lover cut deep with agony. Hadn't he sensed the danger?
"Selina, look at me."
He tipped her chin up. As she looked deep into his eyes, another image burst forward, until they twisted together in a mark of fire and rattled her soul. The final puzzle piece clicked into place.
Her finger came up to trace the jagged scar on his cheek.
Both men had been marked.
Both men had the same seething gaze that shred past the surface and bared her essence.
Both men's touch made her ache with desire.
Dante.
Daniel.
Suddenly, Selina knew. Her heart stopped, then sped up so fast she felt as if she were choking at the sudden rush of blood. "Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm the man who loves you."
She stared at his beloved face, reflecting the two men she'd fallen in love with, and pressed trembling fingers to her mouth. "H-h-how is this possible?"
Half of her wanted to jump into his arms. The other half was still in shock from the attack, and the knowledge she'd been lied to. As if he sensed her conflict, he gently framed her face between his hands and gazed into her eyes.
"My real name is Dante Stark. Everything I've told you has been the truth. After my mother was attacked, I came into my true powers and went to live with my aunt. She helped train me and taught me to control the call of fire. Shortly afterward, I began being pulled into scenes of assaults. It was a difficult gift for me to handle, requiring secrecy. My aunt held a huge trust fund from my parents and when I turned twenty-one, I inherited it. I invested in a few companies, learned everything about property and real estate, and then decided to start my own company. Inferno Enterprises."
Selina gasped. She felt his body tighten in a muscle lock, but he continued.
"I realized I couldn't keep a low profile. I'd be required to do social networking and become well known. It began to conflict with my real gift - to help women. I realized I needed secrecy, so I decided to put my friend and business partner, Chase King, in charge of Inferno. I wanted to be a part of the day-to-day operations in a manner that would allow me to keep a low profile. I began working in the mailroom, which was a perfect cover."
"My God, this whole time you were the owner of Inferno?"
He nodded. "When you came to me with the Forrester problem, I was sick. One call would've gotten you the promotion. But I knew you needed to solve it and make your decisions on your own."
He knew her. Knew how her heart and her mind worked, and respected her enough to accept it instead of changing it. Still, her mind spun, and she pulled slightly away from him, needing some distance. "Did you know that Forrester had attacked before?"
His face darkened in self-disgust. "No. When I mark the men, I don't know their names. I only know once they're marked, if they ever try to touch a woman with any violence, the symbol will burn. If I had known or you'd shared the knowledge, I would have stepped in sooner. I would've never let you get near the scumbag. I'm so sorry, Selina. Can you forgive me?"
Her world tilted on its axis. Joy fought with confusion and a sense of betrayal. While she fought her growing feelings for both men, struggled with accepting each of them on their own terms, Dante had known the truth. Or Daniel. Who was he really?
A chill skated down her spine. He looked at her with so much love and devotion, yet he allowed her to suffer. He never trusted her with the truth. And all the time Daniel came into her office, offering friendship and support, he'd known everything about her. Had the power to promote her. Had she fought this hard to achieve partnership for nothing? Was he always going to promote her no matter what choices she made, because he had strong feelings? Her brain ached and she desperately tried to sift through her thoughts.
"It's not about forgiveness," she finally said. She hugged her arms around her chest. "It's about trust. Did I work this hard for nothing? Were you on the sidelines, ready to jump in and give me what I wanted because you wanted me?"
His lips tightened. "No. I swear to God on everything I hold dear, each step in Inferno was your doing. Chase was always in charge of the day-to-day operations. You proved your worth on your own accord, and no matter what happened with Forrester, Chase would've given you partnership. I respect you, Selina. I would never take something so precious from you."
She believed him. He realized her drive to succeed on her own made up the core of who she was, and he'd never interfere. "And Forrester? If he hadn't broken in, would you have ever told me the truth?"
Pain darkened his eyes. "Yes. I was going to tell you tonight."
"As Daniel? Or Dante?"
"Both. I am both, Selina. I've loved you as Daniel for over two years, and Dante the moment you allowed me to help heal you. I'm asking you to allow both men to love you."
Her lower lip trembled. "I already do," she whispered. "But why did you wait so long? All this time, I was so confused, torn between both of you. Your voice. Your scent. Why didn't I put it together?"
"I was careful. And sometimes we miss what's right in front of us for a reason. You weren't ready to know. Besides the mask, I made sure to wear my cologne as Dante, but not Daniel. I deepened my voice. There may have been clues, but I think you needed to believe in both men for a while."
He was right. She needed Dante's tenderness and touch. She needed Daniels' friendship and quiet passion. Together, they made her whole.
"I love you. I had to say good-bye to you as Dante because I didn't think a relationship could ever work. Not in the light. But what you said to me that night was true. I needed to take a chance. I just don't know if I'm being a selfish bastard by asking you to be with a man like me. If you'd even be able to handle it. I can leave. Give you time to think. I'll do whatever you need."
She stared up at him. Agony carved out his features, but his jaw clenched with determination. He was offering her a future if she was brave enough to take it. And in that blinding moment, Selina realized all roads had always led to him. It may have been a twisting path filled with thorns, but the outcome was worth it.
She reached up and pulled his head down. When her mouth met his, a groan escaped his chest, and his lips sipped at hers, gentle and as delicate as gossamer, treating her with a care and delicacy that rocked her soul.
Then his tongue slipped inside her mouth.
Fire.