She seemed to have no personal life. No family. No close friends. No pets. She worked long days, nights, and weekends. When there was a holiday party, she never showed up with a date. On the long Thanksgiving weekend, he'd come in to grab a few files for Chase and found her holed up in her office. He expected a long line of men trailing her like crazed rats following the Pied Piper, but there seemed to be no one in her life.
The one thing they did have in common.
His thoughts were interrupted when she signed off on her call, clicked her earpiece, and gave him an open smile. "Hey, Dan, how's your day going?"
Dante Stark - known as Daniel in the company - knew she actually cared about the answer to her polite question. He'd rarely met an executive so interested in the other employees, whether it be the mail carrier, office cleaner, receptionist, or a colleague. She treated them all exactly the same - with respect.
"I've had better. It's catalogue day again." He motioned toward the huge stack of glossy magazines in phone book weight. "I already saw the marketing department whipping out their credit cards. Seems tropical cruises are forty percent off. Pair that with thirty percent off at The Bathing Suit outlet and we have a mass exodus."
"I better get in there, then. No one's leaving until we approve the Tribeca campaign." She grinned with a hint of mischief. "Better make your PT appointment for later in the week. You'll be out of alignment if that pile is an indication of what's to come."
"Don't damage the male ego. I'm like a superhero, remember? Anyway, I have a whole team helping."
One perfectly arched brow rose. "Oh, yeah? Pete was in charge of delivering the catalogues last month, but you took over for him. He needs to retire, Dan. He's too old for this crap. He should be set up in a nice retirement home instead of schlepping an overlarge mail cart to thirty floors."
"Wants to buy his grandchildren lots of presents. He's a stubborn old coot - you talk to him."
"I'd rather deal with Forrester myself than mailroom Pete, thank you very much." They smiled at each other from across the desk and Dante felt the same low hum he always did in her presence. Intense. Sexual. Familiar.
He shook off the disturbing thoughts and focused on business. "How's the Forrester deal coming?"
Her face tightened. Dante hated the way this deal was draining her soul, but she was intent on making it work. If she led the team and signed the real estate mogul, she'd cement her place in the firm and prove she was one of the big players in New York property. Still, he wondered at what cost. "Slow. He's resisting, and I still haven't figured out why. Of course, he likes control, so I'm not surprised he'll delay his final decision to the last moment." She shook her head as if realizing her mail carrier knew every detail about her latest big deal. "How do you know all this?" Those gorgeous eyes narrowed with a bit of suspicion.
"You learn a lot delivering mail." It took all his power not to choke on his own saliva. Holy crap, if she only knew how close she was to the truth. His palms tingled. "And I could fudge a document, get you a raise and month's long vacation if you like."
Her face smoothed out and she relaxed back in her chair. "Yeah, sounds really good. Wonder who I should take with me on that extra long vacation," she said, her smile soft and subtle, but slightly wicked and definitely hot.
What was she really thinking? He cocked a hip and smiled. "I might be available"
"Seriously though, how do you know so much?"
"When anyone sees the mailman, they think we're not listening. Kind of like the custodian. I bet the cleaning crew know more about Inferno than anyone."
"Perhaps." She uttered the word softly, gazing at him with a bit more intensity than usual. His gut screamed for him to yank her into his arms and force them both to acknowledge the brewing attraction.
But he didn't. Just remained silent.
She smiled and changed the subject. "Hey, I saw Metallica is doing a concert. Gonna go?" she asked.
Dante grinned. His preference for wearing heavy metal t-shirts to work was a constant source of teasing. No thirty-five year-old dressed like an angry teen, but his job allowed it, and he never apologized for his taste. One of the benefits of being undercover-no one cared about his appearance. "Sure. Wanna come with me? Or is the opera in town?"
He'd spotted the tickets on her desk. Two. Sally from marketing said she'd gone with some blonde Swedish guy but he hadn't made it to date number two. Inferno was the water cooler of gossip, innuendo, and reality property television shows all rolled into one. Still, he used the information to keep abreast of who Selina dated. His satisfaction she rarely dated a man more than a few times bothered Dante, but there wasn't much he could do. She'd already gotten under his skin like some bellowing Frank Sinatra ballad.
Her husky laugh stroked his ears and tightened his jeans. "Don't be a music snob. La Boheme at the Met was beautiful."
He rolled his eyes. "Who died at the end?"
She shook her head. "Someone always dies in great operas. It correlates the tragedy and beauty of life, reminding us of our mortality."
"It's called depressing. A bunch of string instruments putting you to sleep, listening to a foreign language while you take bets on who's gonna die? That's beautiful?"
Her brow arched. "And heavy metal assaulting your ears while screaming about sex, drugs and rock and roll is better?"
God, he loved their discussions. Her sharp intellect and wicked humor always shined through. No wonder she was flying toward partnership. She was able to argue with the best, yet make the person feel valued for his opinion. His lips curved in a half smile of admiration. "Hell, yes. It's kind of like boxing. You have a bad day, listen to some metal, and all your angst disappears."
"A good cry is just as important."
"But less fun."
She laughed again. "Maybe. I guess we agree on one thing. Music--in any form--is important. It instills passion."
His gaze darkened. "As do other pleasurable things."
Her jeweled eyes flared, and he grit his teeth as the surge of sexual energy crested once again. Crap. He shouldn't have spoken to her like that. They bantered, flirted lightly, but rarely uttered any sexual challenge, knowing the lines could not be crossed. She'd never date a mailroom guy. She wore designer suites, attended the opera and feasted at five star restaurants. She was going for full partnership at Inferno Enterprises. The entire office would laugh at her if she'd dare be seen with the likes of him. Still, the flash of hunger on her face told him she felt the same kick of energy between them.
Dante wished he were the man to bring her that type of passion. He wondered if she was sexually satisfied. Wondered if she pleasured herself late at night to some fantasy of the perfect male figure in her life. Wondered if he got the chance to take her to bed if he'd ever be able to let her go.
He caught her quick indrawn breath. It was too much today. He couldn't trust himself. Left to his own devices, he'd go after what he wanted. Sometimes he lingered when she invited him to join her for a quick cup of coffee. Most times, he beat a quick retreat. No need to torture himself for too long in her presence, or delve further into the strange vibrations between them. They were casual friends, yet a galaxy apart. Economically. Physically. Emotionally.
At least on the surface.
Unfortunately, Dante knew that the surface was all that mattered.
She opened that lush mouth to speak, but he backed up with a wave and turned on the heel of his sneakers. "Better get back. See ya, boss. Good luck with Forrester."
"Thanks, Dan." She paused. "See ya."
The door clicked behind him. He never hesitated, just pushed his mail cart to the next office without a glance back.
Selina Rogers stared at the closed door and shook off the idea that Dan was more than a mailman.
She enjoyed Dan's daily visits, and looked forward to the break in her day. He was witty, intelligent, and always seemed to sense what she needed. It struck her as odd he knew things about her that no one else did. As if he had the ability to look deep into her whole being. One time she was feeling under the weather but pushing through, and he came with chicken soup from the cafeteria, forcing her to eat. He knew when she had sleepless nights and needed the coffee strong. Knew when she neared deadline she craved cupcakes from Magnolia bakery. She found out Dan fed her personal assistant updated information so she'd be taken care of. Who did that? A friend. A concerned co-worker? Or a man wanting...more?
For the first time, he'd finally gazed at her with a raw hunger she'd never seen.
And she'd liked it.