"God I love you," he breathed into her mouth. Lulu melted at the words, knowing he said them with absolute honesty.
"I love you so much. More than I ever thought possible," she confessed, the corners of her eyes shining with moisture.
Dante pulled her back to his chest and held her there, kissing her hair after she settled into him. They lay there, breathing gently in silence for long minutes, enjoying one another's embrace. Lulu was beginning to doze off when she felt his body shift. "Where you going?" she asked, unable to conceal the hint of desperation in her voice.
"It's too early to go to sleep. I'm gonna clean up and then I'll be right back." He kissed her swiftly on the lips and kicked the sheets off his legs before heading for the bathroom. Lulu mmm-ed at the sight of his naked form walking away and he laughed to himself before closing the door behind him.
She stretched in bed and buried her face in the pillow next to her, breathing in his scent and smiling. She felt better than she had in ages. It was amazing that only an hour ago she had felt self-conscious and nervous. Now she felt empowered, sexy, untamed. Lulu threw the sheets off her body and sat up, examining her nakedness with pride. Her skin was milky white, but splotches of red sprinkled her from where she had been grabbed, caressed, kissed. She ran her hands over these spots and closed her eyes, remembering how it had felt when his hands had been there.
The sound of a door opening broke her from her reverie and Lulu looked over her shoulder as he stalked toward the bed, taking in his gorgeousness and licking her lips involuntarily.
Dante felt himself grow hard at the sight of her sitting with her back to him, completely naked, her hair over her shoulder and her eyes on him. Her eyes grew wide and she smiled at seeing his body's reaction.
He stopped once reaching the edge of the bed and simply held out his hand to her. Lulu turned herself to face him fully and allowed him to lift her from the bed to stand in front of him. He pulled her body flush against his and began kissing her lips and neck, his hands caressing her back. Lulu's arms slid under his and around to his back, feeling his muscles tighten against her palms. Her head fell back in pleasure as his mouth continued its assault on her neck, his hands now roaming between their bodies.
Dante pulled back suddenly and Lulu looked momentarily confused. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he smiled. "The water's probably getting cold though." He started walking backwards, yanking Lulu with him towards the bathroom door. Two candles had been lit in the room and created a beautiful effect on the glassy surface of water where Dante was leading her.
He helped Lulu step into the porcelain tub and she lowered herself into the warmth after grabbing a hair clip from the counter and pulling her hair into a hasty bun. After she was settled, Dante too submerged his body behind her, causing the water level to rise just above the sides, spilling over onto the floor. Lulu giggled and Dante proclaimed an "oops" before laughing himself and wrapping Lulu in an embrace as she settled her back against him.
Lulu closed her eyes and concentrated on the sensation of water lapping and Dante's hands slowly caressing her. One set of fingers ran gently up her chest and onto her neck and chin while the other trailed downward, both hands causing goosebumps as they went.
Reaching over the tub, Dante extracted a bar of soap and dipped it beneath the surface of water while Lulu sat up to give him room. Lifting it from the water, Dante lathered his hands and replaced the soap on its stand before massaging Lulu's back and shoulders. The silkiness of the soap combined with the smoothness of his touch made Lulu moan in pleasure. His hands circled in front of her, beginning at her collarbone and moving slowly down. He caressed her breasts, feeling their weight and reveling in the goosebumps there as they were above the water. Her nipples were strained and his fingers couldn't resist tugging on them, causing Lulu's breath to hitch and Dante's erection to swell.
He positioned himself on his knees, the water cascading down his body and continuing to drip into the tub, and he tugged Lulu upwards so that he could continue lathering her body. She folded her legs beneath her and lifted herself up. Dante took the soap once again and dipped it beneath the water before folding it in his hands. He led his hands further down her back and onto her gorgeous backside, lingering there as he caressed up and down and side to side before allowing his fingers to slide over her hips and into another kind of silkiness. Lulu's thighs teetered and she held her breath as his hands dipped lower.
Teasing, Dante brought his hands to her abdomen to finish his task. Once done, he reached for a large cup on the floor and dipped it below the surface of water before pouring it onto her shoulders, washing away any excess soap. He did this three more times before Lulu was clean and then began to resettle in the tub.
Lulu stood up completely then and turned. Dante's eyes grew wide at the sight of her looking down on him, but before he could react she was lowering herself back into the tub, this time facing him. She smiled mischievously and reached across his body to pick up the soap. His eyes smiled in understanding and he relaxed.
She began like he had, at shoulders and chest and trailing downward. Lulu lingered at the scar in the center of his chest, being extra careful to touch softly. With a little prompting, Dante lifted himself back to his knees and Lulu continued to wash him, now focusing her hands between his shoulders and down his spine. When she reached the dip at the small of his back, she slowed her pace and increased the pressure of her fingers. She loved how solid he felt.
Dante closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip as she massaged his backside. His impatience was palpable.
Lulu only kept him waiting a few strokes longer. Her hands were back on his stomach, feeling their way down onto his hips and then into the water. Dante sucked in a sharp breath and lifted his body so that her hands were now above water, grasping their prize.
He pulled her to him forcefully and kissed her hard. One of her hands released him and circled his back while the other stroked him slowly and deliberately. Their bodies slipped against one another as the soap on Dante transferred to Lulu and they both laughed. Lulu pulled back and Dante's smile warmed her.
She reached over the tub and came back with the cup to wash them both off. She did this purposefully and, when finished, stood up and held out her hand to him. He too stood and reached behind him to retrieve a towel. Instead of handing it to her, he spread it on the floor to soak up the water he had spilled earlier. Grabbing a second towel, he dried her body first before using it on himself. Mostly dry now, Lulu and Dante stepped out of the tub and onto the cold tile. Dante found two plush robes hanging on the door and wrapped Lulu in one snugly before taking the second.
Dante pulled Lulu back to him and kissed her warm cheeks, neck and finally her lips. She sighed into him, opening her mouth to allow his tongue entrance. The intensity of the kiss escalated quickly and Dante had her back against the door. Cursing himself for tying her robe, his hands were fighting with the cloth belt when he heard her laugh. He pulled his face back from hers and looked at her curiously.
"Sorry," she giggled.
"For what?" he looked confused. Then he heard a faint rumbling.
"I hardly ate anything at dinner," she explained.
Dante laughed out loud. "Well that and we did sort of work up an appetite, didn't we?" he winked. "I'll be right back." He kissed her quickly and opened the bathroom door.
"Where are you going?" Lulu called after him.
"I'm going in search of food," he explained, pulling his robe closed tight and grabbing a pair of house shoes. Lulu sat on the corner of the bed and Dante stalked over to her. "Please please don't put on any clothes." He leaned down to kiss her for a long moment, causing Lulu to lose her breath. Then he was out the door.