Glad everyone liked the last chapter it was so much fun to write, and the reviews are womderful they mean so much. Hope you enjoy this, its short but it gets me where i need to go in the story. ENJOY!
11 – I Don't Want Us To Be The End of Me
Dante's POV
My Nona had always told me that a woman would be my undoing. Being my father's son with an arrogant streak a mile long I scoffed at her prediction stating that I would never get more caught up with a woman than she was with me. Boy was I wrong. In fruition of my Nona's words Lulu was becoming my undoing leaving me powerless to stop it. A woman was not supposed to have this kind of pull on me. It was not a part of the plan, but as I was quickly learning that what people plan, life unplans.
Lulu worked at unbuttoning my shirt and pulling it from my body in haste. At this point she could do whatever she wanted to me I was not about to make any complaints. Yes I was that whipped. "Condom." I heard her say as she set her sights on getting rid of my pants.
A string of curses went through my head when realized I didn't have one. There had not been a lot of dumb moments in my life, but this was surely going to go down as one of the dumbest. Stopping my movements, I confessed regretfully. "I don't have one."
Her hands instantly stopped as well staring at me in disbelief and raising a questioning eyebrow. "What do you mean you don't have one? Doesn't every guy know to have a condom in his wallet since he was like 16?"
"I didn't know you would change your mind." I told her sheepishly, seeking some understanding but there was annoyance clearly present on her features.
If the roles were reversed I would probably be annoyed as well. I had been trying for days to get her back into my bed, and each time she seemed in compliance something bad would happen. First her dress would not come off in the limo, then she was drunk and I didn't feel right about doing it then, and now I had no protection. I was one more incident away from banging my head against the wall in frustration.
"You put me on a balcony and go there." Lulu snapped pointing the pointer fingers of both her hands south to between her legs. "How else did you expect me to react?" She asked making it sound like I had given the stupidest explanation of the century.
"I didn't plan this it just happened." I snapped back, then realized I was getting angry and took a breath to calm myself.
Fighting with her was the last thing I wanted to do because if Lulu and I were to seriously argue I had a feeling it would not end well. We both were stubborn and had tempers, so there was no telling what would be said in anger.
Aggravated, I leaned my head again the island's cool marble surface not knowing what else to do. "Sex shouldn't be this difficult." I grumbled.
Lulu hopped off the island placated, and put her shirt back on. I blatantly ogled each shift in her body that was so poised it seemed designed. She tugged on my arm for me to face her and I made no attempt the hide my disappointment because this situation really sucked. "Stop sulking." She instructed with laughter evident in her voice but I was not amused. "Go find the nearest store, pick up a box and come right back. It won't take long."
My arms enclosed around her waist pulling her against me without any effort. Trying to sway her to my way of thinking, I buried my head into the arch of her neck inhaling her scent and kissing the pulse point that that was throbbing constantly. "Or we could just keep going."
Lulu and I were usually careful but the once or twice we had not been, we had not had any unforeseen consequences so I was willing to take the chance one more time. Call me an adrenaline junky, desperate, or just plain stupid, either way I did not want to break the mood just to go get condoms.
I heard her sigh breathlessly as she leaned her head against mine. My teeth gently nudged her skin trailing upwards to her succulent lips, then delved into every crevice of her inviting mouth. It took all the self control I could channel not to pin her to the wall and have my way with her.
Her breaths were strained as I tried to get her back onto the island but she pushed me back hard to get me to stop and I finally gave up. This felt like being a teenager again trying to with a girl, but I never remembered it being this difficult back then.
Acting like a kid who was sent to do chores when everyone else was outside playing, I folded my arms defiantly. Lulu continued to watch me directly showing no signs of relenting so I thought about my options: get the condoms and get laid or don't get the condoms and take yet another cold shower. "I'll be back." I put my shirt back on and re-buttoned my pants, then headed out to get what we needed.
It was beginning to get chilly so I picked up her previously discarded pants from the balcony and shut the doors. On my way out I heard a faint humming coming from Lulu's hoodie draped across the back of the couch. I reached into the pocket and retrieved her cell phone with the intention to give it to her but the name flashing across the screen caught my attention, 'Johnny Hm' it read. The cell finally stopped ringing and the missed call notification appeared, but instead of one miss call I saw 6 missed calls. What the hell? At first I tried not to let jealousy get in the way of reason, but I could not think of one logical reason that Johnny would call her 6 times other than the reason I dreaded: they were involved.
What I was about to do was a total invasion of privacy and something I would never do in my sane state of mind, but Lulu was proving to make me act out of nature. I looked through her text messages to see if Johnny texted her but there was nothing. Come on Dante you're going through her phone, this is pathetic.
"What are you doing?" Lulu's voice sounded behind of me making me almost dropped the device in surprise.
"Your phone was ringing and I was just about to bring it to you." I fibbed, discretely exiting her inbox and returning the phone.
She took the pants from me first and put back on, then took the phone. As soon as it was in her palm it rang once again. I was extremely tempted to take it from her and answer it myself, maybe then Johnny would get the hint and stop calling. For God sakes she just got married couldn't her give her a break.
Lulu looked at the screen, while I attempted to catch a peek as well. Just as I suspected it was Johnny again. "I should take this." Lulu said then disappeared back into the kitchen.
Instead of leaving to get the condoms like I was supposed to, I made myself even more pathetic and inched closer to the kitchen so I could eavesdrop on their conversation. To hell with logic, to hell with reason, to hell with respect for privacy; I was every shade of green on the spectrum with envy. Despite that we had both agreed to not seeing anyone else during the marriage, Lulu obviously had some connection to Johnny that was worth losing one million dollars. What did Johnny have that I didn't that she couldn't seem to let him go?
Lulu's POV
Yet again I was going back on my word and caving to Dante's charms. Forget driving myself crazy with this the no sex rule. It was not worth the aggravation so I was giving into my physical needs and would deal with the emotional fallout later.
"Hi." I answered knowing it would be Maxie grilling me on what happened last night. She usually called me from Johnny's home phone if she had randomly decided to spend the night there and didn't have her cell phone charger with her.
"Well it's about time you answered I've been calling all morning. Johnny told me you were drunk last night, does that mean Dante got some?" Maxie rambled, talking a mile a minute as usual.
Sometimes it astonished me how little tact she had, yet it worked for her and it kind of made you drawn to her even more because she tells you like it is whether you wanted to hear it or not.
"No, actually Dante was a gentleman; he let me sleep." Something I was still pleasantly surprised about.
"Really? Hmm rich, charming and has morals, no wonder you like him." She gushed and I rolled my eyes at the comment even though it was kind of true. "So if you weren't rocking Dante's world what were you doing that you couldn't answer the phone all this time?"
While I would have loved to talk about what had happened with Dante, I did not want to divulge too much over the phone so I kept it G-rated for now. "I'll tell you when I come by later."
"Ohhhh something did happen, tell me, tell me, tell me. Was it just as good now that you're married?" Maxie inquired, and I could imagine her practically salivating for information. She was a shameless gossipmonger and hated to be kept out of the loop.
"You're crazy you know that right." I laughed thinking of the scowl that was probably on Maxie's face since I was not giving up the details. "I don't have my car so I need you to pick me up, but later; I have to deal will Dante first."
"I'm sure you'll deal with him alright. I suggest you wear my pre wedding gift; Dante will be yours guaranteed if he sees you in that. And try the handcuffs and a blindfold for mystery."
Since I flat out refused a wedding shower, she thought it was necessary to still give me a gift. Maxie and I were not prudes but she was the more adventurous one of us; that should have been a sign to expect the worst or in this case the kinkiest. When I looked in the box there were black furry handcuffs, a whip, edible panties, warming massage oil, a leather black corset, a garter belt and thigh high stockings. I immediately gave her back the box, but she talked me into keeping it saying it would keep things interesting between Dante and me. This was of course before I told her the marriage was for convenience and not love.
There was no way on God's green earth I was ever going to wear that, but I was willing to try the handcuffs and the blindfold. The whip, leather and edible underwear were a bit much, especially since Dante and I were just hooking up. If it were a committed relationship then I would have put every single item in the box to good use without a second thought.
"I am not wearing that, but I might consider trying the handcuffs and the blindfold." Before I could say anything else there was a low thud nearby, like something had fallen. I assumed Dante had come back and accidentally knocked over something so I cut our conversation short. "I think Dante's back, call me later."
"Ok, have fun." Maxie sing-sang suggestively before ending the call.
Heading back into the living room Dante was in fact there picking up a vase that had toppled. "That was quick." I commented realizing barely 10 minutes had passed since I had been on the phone.
"Didn't go." Was all he said and I waited for the rest of the explanation but there was no further details.
"Well are you going now?" I asked trying to get more out of him, but his demeanor had gone blank and hostile, a far cry from the usual animated and charming Dante.
"No."
What bit him in the ass? Dante had a bad attitude for whatever reason and I did not appreciate getting the brunt of it since I had done nothing to him. He was fine before then all of a sudden he was on edge and acting passive aggressive. I had never actually seen Dante angry but if he was the type to blame innocent people for whatever problem he had then I was not in the mood for it. He could keep that bad attitude to himself.
"I should take you back to your apartment so you can pack." He spoke holding out my hoodie to me. It was the most words he had spoken since the beginning of this downward spiraling conversation.
I snatched it away from him with just as much of that nasty attitude as he was giving. "Don't bother I can find my own way home." Then walked out of the penthouse making sure to slam the door as hard as I could.
It took everything in me not the scream at the top of my lungs in frustration. I could not understand how he could flip from being hot and sexy to cold and stoic in barely 10 minutes. The worst part of it was I had no idea what I had done wrong to piss him off or if it was even me. For God sakes I married him to get him his stupid inheritance, in a church like his mother and grandmother wanted, and I was actually conceding to my no sex rule, what more could he possible want from me? I felt like the more I continued to give in this situation the harder I was getting slapped in the face in return. The fact that I felt something for Dante did not help to ease the sting, but made it hurt a hundred times worse.
I called Maxie to pick me up, but of course the ride did not come without the million and one prying questions. "What happened with you and Dante?"
I wish I knew. Was all I could think as I continued to rack my brain figuring out what I could have possibly done wrong. "Honestly I don't know. Everything was fine, then by the time I got off the phone with you he totally flipped on me."
"Are you sure he isn't bipolar like Sonny? You should be careful I think that stuff is genetic." Maxie remarked crassly.
Normally I would have brushed off her nonsensical comments but I was too wrapped up in needing an explanation for his sudden aloof behavior that I was willing to consider anything. Bipolar would be a good explanation but I highly doubted that because I would have seen an episode at least once in the three years. "I don't know but I don't want to stress about it. Dante had his chance and he acted like an ass, so I'm back to my original plan of keeping it strictly business."
"That won't work, you like him too much. If I were you I would give Dante a taste of his own medicine. Walk around in the tiniest pieces of clothing you own and show him what he's missing." She advised deviously.
I was not in the mood to play games with my heart especially if I did not know if I was going to be dealing with the real Dante or this less than captivating version of him. Every step Dante and I made in a positive direction we took two steps backwards. Maybe it was a sign that I needed to stop holding out hope for a change in our relationship. Dante and I were married for convenience and friends with benefits. He showed no signs of wanting to change that so it was time for me to face facts and accept our forlorn fate.
Dante's POV
As soon as Lulu left I wanted to go after her, but her conversation with Johnny mulling around in my mind prevented me from moving. I walked around the penthouse trying to get a hold of myself and snap out of this angry daze before I wound up doing or saying something I would regret. My instincts were usually good and Lulu never struck me as a blatant liar so I was totally floored that she would agree to no cheating then negate when the marriage was barely 24 hours old. If one of us was going to give up I figured it would have been me.
I could have called her out on it and ended the deal immediately but the truth of the matter was I needed Lulu more than she probably needed me. It still made no sense why my father would tie my inheritance to a marriage that was proving to be more trouble than it was worth. I was a good son, did what I was supposed to, loved my family and even went to Sunday Mass (mostly when I was being forced or guilt) but the point was I went. I did nothing to deserve this! But trust Sonny Corinthos to control the lives of everyone around him, even from the grave.
What stung the most was hearing her talk about trying blindfolds and handcuffs and God knows what else with Johnny. The thought of them together made me furious and sent my blood boiling to the point I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears. Snap out of it Dante, she's not worth it. I tried to calm myself as my fingers tightened around the vase I had previously knocked over, but rage won and I threw the vase against the wall above the fireplace. It smashed to unfixable pieces and I could not help but notice the irony of the crumbled pieces being similar to my situation with Lulu. Perhaps this was unfixable and I needed to back off and let Lulu live her life while I lived mine. So what she was into Johnny. So what she was probably sleeping with him. So what she might be in love with him. Like I care. Who was I kidding? I cared way more than I should have partially because of ego and partially because I liked her more than any other woman in my life, and wanted her to myself.
Maybe this was payback for all the times I had slept with women and not called ever, or cut them lose the moment they got too clingy. In my defense I was for the most part honest and told them I wanted nothing serious; it was not my fault they got attached. I remembered all the times I had given Lulu the same speech as all those other women: 'this was just friendly – friends with benefits – nothing more', and now I was acting like a jilted lover over a woman who was never truly mine to begin with. Karma really was a bitch.
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