CHAPTER 9

The silence was deafening.

Sonny stood frozen in shock, unable to tear his eyes from Olivia's. Jason's face gave away nothing. Olivia took a small step towards Sonny, her eyes pleading.

"Sonny, you are the father of my son," she whispered. "Please let me just get this out," she begged, taking another step. "I promise I'll explain everything, but the first thing you need to know is that-", she was cut off by Sonny, who seemed to jolt as she got closer to him.

"The first thing I need to know?" he questioned harshly, his eyes blazing. "Are you telling me that Dante is my son? And that you allowed me, and everyone else in the world, to believe that you were such a slut that you had no idea who the father was?" He could feel himself losing control now, and he fought to keep his anger in check. "Is that what you're telling me, Olivia?" he yelled, turning quickly away from her. He began to pace the room, and for a moment the fire crackling was the only sound that could be heard.

Olivia pressed her lips together, knowing she'd just put a rip in a friendship she'd had for years. And knowing the worst was still to come.

"Dante is your son," she agreed. "And yes, I did what I had to do to make certain that he was safe," she said vehemently. "If that meant that everybody in town, my family, my priest, everyone thought I was too promiscuous to even name my baby's father, than that was what I had to do," she said, her voice breaking as she remembered the shame and disappointment she'd faced from so many people.

"Sonny, take a look around you," Olivia gestured wildly at the expansive house, the antique furniture and bulletproof windows. "You knew, even back then, that this was what you wanted. And I knew it too. When I realized I was pregnant," she said, pressing a hand to her stomach, "I was so terrified." Olivia held up a hand as Sonny whirled to face her and started to speak.

"I was terrified of you," she said, and something flashed across Sonny's face, too quickly to read. "Not of you physically," Olivia said quickly, "but of your world, of what had already become your world. I wanted Dante nowhere near that part of your life! And I knew, Sonny, I knew that it would have been inevitable."

Jason's eyes locked with Sonny's and the unspoken thought went through both of them: Michael. Not for the first time, Jason re-affirmed his decision to stay out of Jake's life.

Sonny's thoughts were racing, yet he could only think of one question. "Does he know?" he asked quietly.

Olivia shook her head. "No Sonny, he doesn't know." She touched Sonny's arm gently. "But he will soon."

Sonny let out a short laugh. "I guess you're coming clean with both of us, then," he muttered, and a new thought occurred to him.

"Why now, Olivia? Why bother telling us now that he's fully grown, and, I'm assuming, has no place anywhere near my line of work?"

Olivia felt light-headed. "That's not…entirely true," she managed. "You've already met."

Jason's looked up sharply, awareness dawning in his eyes. "Dominic," he said softly, and Sonny turned to face him just as Olivia collapsed on the floor.

Dante kept one of Lulu's hands in his and walked over to the nearby sofa. The cabin was more five-star resort than cozy weekend retreat, and the rooms were spacious and kept in immaculate condition. He barely noticed the surroundings though. Lulu was obviously upset about something, and this time, he was determined to get it out of her.

But even as he sat down next to her, she jumped up, walking away and wringing her hands. He sighed and leaned back to wait, spreading his arms out along the back of the couch.

"Look," she finally said. "Maybe we could just get things in order here first. You know, make up a bed, see what food we have. This can wait."

Dante nodded slowly. "Lulu, I've worked pretty hard to not put any pressure on you here," he said. "Obviously there's something you need to say, but you're having a hard time getting it out. Why not just spill it? Tell me what's bothering you. We can figure it out together."

Lulu let out a short laugh that had no real humor in it before turning to face him. She walked slowly back to the couch, stopped, and looked down at Dante. She lowered herself to him, slowly straddled his legs and wound her arms around his neck. His reaction was immediate and unwanted. He put his hands on her waist, ready to lift her off of him and demand an explanation. She leaned forward and caught his earlobe in her mouth. As she scraped lightly with her teeth, he sucked in a breath, and his body betrayed him, his hands on her waist holding her closer instead of pushing her away. She slithered down, leaving a trail of long, hot kisses down his neck. Her hands found their way under his shirt, and as she tugged it off and tossed it on the floor, he ran his hands along the outside of her thighs. He tried to remember the point he'd been trying to make, but her mouth was on his, her tongue dancing with his, and he gripped harder.

The air seemed to thicken, and the only sounds were of their heavy breathing and the shifting of clothing. Lulu started to lift her shirt, but Dante's hands forced hers down. He never broke eye contact with her as he tore the shirt over her head himself. She wore no bra, and she shook her hair out, allowing it to flow around her as he streaked his hands back down, filling them with her breasts. She bit her lip and let out a small moan as he bent forward and took her nipple in his mouth. He sucked hard, and she clutched at his shoulders as he continued his assault, her body rocking against his. He looked up at her as she looked down, and their eyes met again as he ran his tongue around a hardened nipple, slowly, tortuously. She trembled, her breath coming in gasps, and he now he lifted her to lay her down on the sofa. She wriggled out of her jeans as he stood to pull off his, and then he covered her body with his, positioning himself between her legs. He let her feel his desire hard against her, and she began to move under him, desperate for release. She arched her back, and he finally allowed himself to slide into her. He sank into her, filling her completely, then pulling himself almost entirely out. Over and over, his strokes smooth and achingly slow. She tried to stay with him, lifting her hips and forcing their bodies to stay connected. The sound he made was close to a growl, and he fisted one hand in her hair, tugging sharply so that the slim, smooth line of her neck was exposed. She gasped and he pressed his mouth to her frantically beating pulse, licking and sucking on the vulnerable skin as he quickened his pace. With his other hand he grabbed behind her knee, pulling her leg up and at the same time, thrusting deeper inside her.

Lulu cried out as the orgasm ripped through her body. Dante felt her tighten around him, and he brought his mouth back to hers, savoring the feeling of her muscles clenching with the aftershocks. He climaxed as she was still gasping his name, and he could do nothing but collapse on top of her.

He lifted his head, and as Lulu looked in his eyes, the anger in them was palpable. He stood suddenly, and tugged on his jeans in silence. She wrapped a blanket from the couch around her, and tried to collect her thoughts and catch her breath. Dante walked to the fireplace and looked down at the flames before he spoke.

"The next time you want to use sex as a distraction, you should think again," he said, his voice low and barely controlled.

Lulu felt a tear slide down her cheek, and she brought her knees up, hugging them close to her body. She was cold and defenseless. And she knew he was right. She had used him, had used his feelings for her and his lust for her as a stalling tactic.

Several moments passed until she spoke again.

"Have you ever heard of Shadybrook?"

Author's Note: Okay, okay, I'm sorry…another two cliffhangers! But I felt things were going a little too smoothly for Dante and Lulu, and I didn't want anyone out there getting bored, lol.

I have always felt that Lulu's history needs to be addressed with Dante. So that's what's up next, along with another mystery text, I think!

Please continue to review. Hopefully you are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it!