Pulling at her jeans, ripping the button, rough hands grabbing at her stomach, reaching further down...
"Wait!" Her mind processed the floating images as her body craved to surrender to her lover. Selina panted for control, as two visuals fought for dominance.
"It's okay, sweetheart, it's just me." Gentle fingers stroked her belly, her hips, and her thighs. His voice brought her back, anchored her to the bed, and relaxed her nerves. "Just let go and let me pleasure you. Look at me."
She looked down and saw him lay between her sprawled thighs. The raw intimacy of the scene struck her full force--the depths of her trust and love for the man in her bed. "Dante."
"That's right, sweetheart. Just me. Not them."
Her mind emptied. Her muscles loosened. She became aware of her arousal, of how close he was to the throbbing bud needing attention. A wicked smile curved those lips, even sexier since his mask hid the rest of his face. "Lay back, baby. I've been dying to know how you taste."
His head lowered.
Selina arched as his hot tongue slid inside her swollen folds and bestowed pleasure. She made little mewling sounds in the back of her throat as he tasted her, played with the throbbing nub, and then slipped his fingers into her wet channel, testing her heat. The orgasm grew closer but he held it back, until her head thrashed against the pillow and she begged for release.
He slid back up her body and took her lips. She tasted herself on his tongue and heard the rip of a wrapper as he rolled on the condom. Dante paused at her entrance with his long, pulsing length.
"Not them, Selina."
She gasped. "Not them."
"Look at me."
His gaze drilled into hers with a piercing intensity that crashed past her barriers to seize her very soul.
"Only me."
He claimed her. She shuddered as he filled every inch of her in one smooth thrust. He paused, allowing her to get used to the complete invasion. Her fingers dug into his back as the delicious tension seized every muscle.
"Okay?"
"Yes." Selina panted. "More."
He cursed, then moved. Pulling all the way out of her clinging heat, he set a slow, easy pace until her body softened and gave beneath him. For every inch of her surrender, he picked up the tempo, until she squeezed him mercilessly for more, lifting her hips as he brushed and teased the sensitive nub and kept her at the edge of climax.
She chanted his name as he brought her closer, then reached down between their bodies to rub.
"Now. Give me everything."
She climaxed hard and held tight to his shoulders as waves of pleasure crashed over her, through her, demanding everything she had. She gave it all to him in that instant. Her surrender. Her release.
Her heart.
His body tightened over hers and he gave a hoarse shout. Then shuddered as he gave his own surrender. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and drifted.
He made love to her twice more before the weak light of dawn struggled to break through the windows. Each time was more tender, more thorough, and echoed every emotion he felt but didn't say. His body told the truth each time he pushed inside her and kissed her.
"Give us a chance." She whispered the words as he sat up in bed and moved to begin dressing. She refused to cry, knowing it was his final decision. She prayed he could let them both be happy if he trusted her enough.
"I can't. I won't do that to you. It will never work."
"But you don't want to try." Temper heated her veins. "You've never even tried to have a real relationship. Why can't you trust me like I do you?"
He smiled behind the mask, his eyes deep and dark and sad. "Because I love you too much to destroy this."
Her breath whooshed out of her lungs. "You love me?"
"I've loved you since the moment I met you."
The words were strange, as if a hidden meaning lurked behind them, but she had no time to figure it out. She rose and tried to go after him, but he was already dressed and stood by the door. "But you're going to leave. I thought you had guts. Instead, you'd rather hang on to a perfect memory than reach for something real. Something messy and unsure, but possibly the best thing that could have ever happened to either of us."
His nostrils flared. Agony carved out his face. "Selina --"
"Don't. Just don't." She fought back the tears, hating to admit defeat. "I love you."
"I know." His voice reached out across the room and caressed her one last time. "But I won't be back." He gazed at her with a fierceness that shimmered, as if memorizing every inch of her figure.
Then he was gone.
Selina sat in the bed, in the empty room alone. And wondered if by healing her, he had broken her forever.
***
He was dying.
Dante sat in his apartment, staring into the darkness. His apartment was like him. Stark. Empty. Full of shadows.
The few rooms served a purpose, from the simple full size mattress with no headboard, to the furnishings meant only for survival. A couch. Coffee table. Television. Breakfast counter.
He slept here. Ate. Watched a few programs. And waited to be sent where he was needed. Why bother with pictures or decoration when no one would ever see where he lived?
He took a sip of the stinging cognac, hoping to force some warmth into his body. Iciness prickled along his skin and caused a distant numbness, from the outside straight to his soul.
She'd ruined him.
His fault. He knew he had been playing his own game of fire the moment he kissed her. Not following the rules was dangerous for many reasons. He combined two worlds into one. He’d thought there might be a chance if she fell in love with Daniel, but how could that work? Daniel was Dante. Eventually she’d find out the truth, and he’d be stuck with the same decision.
So stupid. His weakness and love for her had destroyed him. In a way, it was so much worse now. His one taste of her would never satisfy him. He’d dream of her every night of his life, stuck in a Purgatory he’d made himself.
He brooded and drank. This time, he refused to call Chase. He deserved to stay in hell. His separate identities existed for a reason. No one could ever know he was the same person. He needed to break it off with her on all fronts.
His heart splintered.
Was it time to move on? Disappear, buy a new business, change states and start over? God help him, just being near her was like a drug. Maybe he could continue being Daniel, her friend and mentor? Daniel, the mailman, who made her laugh and felt safe?
But he wanted more. Daniel wanted to strip her, kiss her, and make her want things she only dreamed about. With him.
He was completely screwed.
With a soul-tearing roar, the rage threw him and he surrendered. There was only one recourse. The only one he had left.
Tell her the truth.
Her accusation echoed over and over in his mind. Was he too afraid to trust her? When had he ever taken a chance on love? Had his own mother wanted his gift to become a curse? This woman called to him on every level. Wasn't it possible she was always meant to be his mate?
The thoughts echoed over and over with a haunting urgency that kept him from sleep.
Chapter Ten
S
ELINA stared down at the contract in her hand, poised on the edge of decision. Forrester had left two prior messages with a clear warning. Today at five o'clock was the deadline. He wanted to talk, and if she didn't meet him, the deal was off.
She closed her eyes and dug deep. What was she going to do? What was the right choice not only for her, but for everyone?
"Hey, boss."
She opened her eyes at the familiar voice that ruffled her nerve endings. Daniel walked into her office and laid the mail on the corner of her desk. She greedily took in his figure. Levis hugged his lean hips and thighs. He was wearing a Van Halen t-shirt, reminding her of their conversation from dinner. His long dark hair hung in rich, loose waves, emphasizing the raw bones of his face and the jagged knife scar down his cheek. His eyes burned with remembered intimacy and brought her back to the sidewalk in front of her apartment. Back to his kiss.
Guilt speared her, but she forced a smile. "Hey."
He studied her face. "You look sad. Bad day?"
"Yes." The weight of the explanation hung on her tongue but she couldn't express her mingled thoughts. Where could she start? The past and present loomed before her in an obstacle so overwhelming that she resisted the impulse to bury her face in her hands and cry. Not only did she need to make a decision on Forrester, she had to somehow get past her feelings for a midnight superhero that would never spend his life with her. Yet, Daniel was here, in the day-to-day world. The connection between them hummed at an insistent level. Maybe with Dante gone, she could focus on her burgeoning feelings for Daniel. In a strange way, she wondered if she was truly in love with two different men. So different, yet oddly the same.
"Is this about the Forrester deal?" he asked.
He waited for her answer as if he had all the time in the world. Selina was struck by the innate confidence in who he was. He worked in the mailroom, and delivered packages to the high executives of Inferno. He admitted he had no high ambitions, and no family. Yet, Daniel Stark didn't need to please anyone else. The way he walked, spoke and conducted himself every moment was a tribute to a strong man - a man who knew exactly who he was and what he wanted. The mystery nibbled at her subconscious and teased her to solve the puzzle.
Selina ached for his opinion. She wondered if she could word her dilemma in a way that wouldn't cause him to call the psychiatric ward. "I hit a wall," Selina admitted. "And I'm not sure how to proceed."
He nodded and crossed his arms in front of his muscled chest. "How about you talk and I listen? Maybe I'll see the missing piece."
Selina struggled to make sense of her thoughts. "I've told you how bad I want that promotion. My boss basically informed me if I close the Forrester deal, I gain the promotion. I choke, I stay put for the next few years and hope for another opportunity. Problem is, I discovered something about Forrester. Something almost impossible for me to overlook, let alone be able to work with."
"Is it a problem you can take to the higher ups?" Daniel asked shrewdly. "If it's something that skates on illegal, you can show just cause of why you couldn't close the deal, and that wouldn't affect your promotion."
"I have no proof," she said. "His word against mine. This is something only I know and can't forget."
"What if you walk away?"
She sighed and rubbed her neck muscles. "If I walk away, I can put Tom in lead and he may close the deal. But Forrester would be our big client, and unless I move off the team, I'd still have to deal with him. Come in contact. I don't know if it will work."
"Can you transfer to another team?"
"Not if I want to save my career and what I've been working for."
Daniel's eyes glittered. "Is there a way to fight him?"
"I don't think so," she said softly. "I need to make a decision today."
A few beats of silence passed as he concentrated. Maybe he would tell her what to do. Daniel may not know any details, but she almost craved someone to make the choice for her.
"If you've run out of time, go with your gut."
She blinked. "That's it? Go with my gut? My gut is confused and doesn't know what the hell to do."
Daniel tossed her a grin like they were conversing about a ballgame rather than her entire career. "Yes it does. You just need to listen to it."
Selina let out an impatient breath. "What if my gut is wrong, genius?"
His face lit up with an inner knowledge and confidence that touched a chord deep inside. "It's never wrong. It's just a choice. Decide what you can live with. There's no right or wrong path. There usually never is, because life is rarely in black and white. Only gray areas. What choice will keep you up at night, sick, regretful? Once you know that, you pick the other one."
The philosophy struck her with its utter simplicity. Daniel was right. There was no right or wrong choice, only her choice. She hated all of her options, but had learned in life there were no guarantees of any path chosen.
Selina shook her head and laughed. "You're amazing. You work in the frickin’ mailroom, and you know more about life than any man I've ever met. Who are you?"
Grief carved out his face as he fought the demons. "Do you really want to know?"
Electricity sizzled and jumped between them. The easy banter changed into something deeper, as his eyes burned with a sensual demand she knew and recognized. So familiar. “Yes.”
He nodded, as if he had made his final decision. “Then invite me to dinner.”
Heat tingled down her spine. A throbbing ache pulsed between her thighs as she realized he was ready to make a move and deepen their relationship. Was she ready? She was in love with Dante. Had given her body to him completely a few nights ago. But Dante wasn’t real. Daniel stood before her, flesh and blood, ready to make a leap into the unknown. He had more courage than her superhero in many ways. Could she take the jump with him?