Page 14 of Inferno

Pausing outside of the door, I take a deep breath. This is Emmy’s office, and I’m about to cross a line I can’t come back from. The last thing I want to do is invade her personal space or go through her things, but I don’t have a choice. I have to find something to indicate why we’re here.

Unable to put this off any longer, I open the door and step into the room while looking over my shoulder like a burglar who expects the cops to pull up at any minute.

Satisfied that I’m still alone, I close the door behind me and turn around and freeze.

“You.”

7

Emmy

“Me?”

Inferno stands as still as a statue, his face registering the same shock I’m feeling. I never thought I’d see him again, let alone at work.

“Yeah, you,” I say after swallowing the lump in my throat. “What are you doing here?”

He glances down at the mop and bucket he’s pushing and then back to me. “Uh, isn’t it obvious?”

The email Linda sent earlier about the new janitor pops into my head. “You’re the guy Linda hired?”

He stands a little straighter, his shoulders stiffening at my tone. “Got a problem with that?”

“No, of course not,” I reply quickly as I shake my head. “Sorry, I, uh…” I tilt my head. “Do we know each other?”

His lips slowly curve into a smile. “Not unless you count our very brief encounter the other week at that Mexican restaurant.”

“Right.” I tuck a strand of blonde hair behind my ear. “It’s just, even then…”

“What?”

“You just look familiar, that’s all.”

“I get that a lot,” he says. “One of those faces, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Anyway, I can come back if you’re still working,” Inferno says. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you. Honestly, I thought I was the only person in the building.”

“No, no, you’re fine.” I wave my hand dismissively. “I should’ve left a while ago, but I got caught up in notes. Gimme a few minutes, and I’ll get out of your way.”

“Take your time,” he says as he opens the door and begins to back out. “I’m in no rush, Emmy.”

“How do you know my name?” I snap, the note on my car rising to the forefront of my thoughts.

His eyes narrow, and for a moment, he looks like he feels guilty about something, but the moment quickly passes. “Your friend Steph told me.”

I release the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. “Oh, right.”

“I’m—”

“Inferno.”

He grins. “Or Dean. Whichever you prefer is fine.”

“Dean,” I repeat, letting his name roll off my tongue.

His nostrils flare, and fire curls in my belly. Dammit, this man ties me into knots. His dark eyes give off a dangerous vibe, but his smile is enough to make me not care.

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