Chapter 29

"So, you still haven't told me where it is that we are going?" Lulu told Dante, raising her head from Dante's chest to take a peek out of the airplane's window. Water, nothing but a blue body of water as far as the eye could see. Where was he taking her?

"Didn't I?" Dante answered, laying back on the white leather seats that together formed a wraparound couch. He felt kind of giddy inside, smiling as he realized that he and Lulu had just become a member of the mile-high club. She lay sprawled atop him, her arms perched at his side as she lifted herself to sneak a look outside.

"No, Dante, you didn't. I know that it is warm. A tropical island? Maybe Fiji, or the Carribean. I love Belize," Lulu said, trying to pry out of Dante their itinerary.

"I will note that for future reference. Lulu loves Belize," Dante replied, kissing her on the shoulder. The way she was reclining over him, her back arched, he had a bird's eye view of her upper body, his eyes roving over her incredible chest.

"We'll be landing soon, Mr. Falconeri," the pilot announced over the loud speaker. It always amazed Dante that no matter where you went from Port Charles, everything seemed like it was only an hour away.

"Time to get dressed, beautiful," Dante told her, as they shifted their bodies and quickly put back on their attire. When they were finished the seatbelt sign appeared and Lulu moved over closer to Dante as they fastened their seatbelts. Since she was a little girl, she had always felt nervous when the plane was taking off and when it was landing, her fear sending shivers up and down her spine.

Dante pulled her closer, noticing her anxiety, Lulu was afraid of flying. That was one more thing that he had learned about her. She could get on a plane like every other passenger, but as soon as the plane started to take off, her hands started to shake and her body started to tremble. Dante found it adorable, as he put his arms around her, moving her next to him.

"We'll be on the ground before you know it," he reassured her, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"That's what I am afraid of, Dante," Lulu replied, her hand reenacting the visual of a plane crashing to the ground.

"You're in my arms, Lulu. The safest place on the earth and in the sky. I would never let anything happen to you," Dante told her, smiling adoringly at her.

Lulu snuggled next to him, content and as she gazed into his eyes she knew that he was telling her the truth. His belief pushed her fear deep down inside and for the first time in years she didn't panic. She felt safe in Dante's arms and knew that what he said was the truth. Lulu's belief in Dante was just as strong as her love for him.

"We're here," Dante exclaimed, excited like a kid in a candy store. He looked out the window, pushing Lulu back as she tried to get a first glance of their destination.

"Patience, Lulu. You get your first view look from the steps of the plane," he told her, as she tried, unsuccessfully to look past him and out the window.

"Oh, look, the seat belt sign is off. Up," Dante told her, unsnapping her seatbelt and shooing her out of her seat.

"You are terrible, Dante. I want to see, I want to see," Lulu begged, practically jumping up and down.

The pilot stepped out of his cabin, smiling as he looked at Dante and Lulu. Mr. Corrinthos' people had told him to provide the very best for them and they had definitely enjoyed everything, he thought, as he looked at the table covered with the remains of champagne, strawberries and cheese. He watched how Mr. Falconeri looked at Miss Spencer, his every gesture and look revealing his love for her. She looked back at Mr. Falconeri with a look that would stop any man dead in their tracks, it was sultry and very sexy. Mr. Falconeri was one lucky man, Antonio thought, as Lulu walked past him and glimpsed her first view of the island paradise.

…...

"What do you think that you are doing? Get your hands off of me!" Brook Lynn demanded, wrenching her arm from Johnny Zacchara's grasp.

"I don't know why you are in Port Charles, Brook Lynn, but it sure as hell isn't because you need some familial bonding," Johnny shouted.

"I told you why, my mother-" Brook Lynn whispered, as Johnny shook his head.

"Bull-shit, Brook Lynn. I had someone look into your past. Your parents think that you are off touring and enjoying the high-life. They don't even realize what their precious little bundle has been up to for the past two years. Do they, Brook Lynn? So, unless you want me to call Dante and warn him about you, then you'd better start talking," he said, pulling her toward him, his face just inches away from hers.

"You checked me out!" Brook Lynn shouted back in a thick, New Jersey accent, "Who the hell do you-"

"What were you doing in Greece, Brook Lynn?" Johnny questioned, his body language demanding an answer.

Brook Lynn didn't like how he was speaking to her, his body practically touching hers. She liked to be in control and Johnny Zacchara did not seem like the type of guy to step back and give the reins to someone else.

"Not that its any of your business, Johnny. But, I was workin' on my music," she said, pushing him away from her, "I don't have to answer to you. Dante and Lulu know why I'm here. They know me and they trust me."

"Is that why you are so hot for Dante, practically trying to steal him from Lulu," Johnny told her, not giving an inch.

"I am not stealing anything from Lulu. Dante and I are friends. He is helping me through a difficult situation," Brook Lynn answered, running her hand up and down Johnny's arm, trying to sway Johnny his interest in her business.

"Listen, sweetheart. I'm not blind or stupid. Neither is Lulu, so if I were you I would keep my eyes open." Johnny replied, pushing her hand off of his arm.

"I may not know right this second what you are up to, but I am going to be on you every day and night, Brook Lynn. You won't be able to move without seeing my shadow. Do you hear me? And if anything happens to Lulu because of you, if she so much as breaks a fingernail, Brook Lynn-"

"Now, who's hot?" Brook Lynn replied, seeing the spark in Johnny's eyes when he defended Lulu.

"She's a friend. A very dear friend, Brook Lynn. I love her. I will always love her. I care what happens to her. So, you remember that. Sooner or later, whatever you are planning is going to blow up in your face, Brook Lynn," Johnny said, his fingers grazing the side of her cheek.

"And when they do," he whispered, "I am going to be right beside you, making sure that you reap the consequences."

…...

Lulu ducked, tucking her head down as she stepped out of the plane. The heat hit her like a punching bag, the sun blinding her eyes, as she carefully stepped off of the plane. She pulled her sunglasses from her bag and gazed at the beauty that surrounded her.

They were at a private airstrip, the jungle surrounding them, their own little tropical paradise.

"Is this Sonny's island?" Lulu asked, never actually having seen it before. She was standing on the ground, waiting for Dante to join her.

"Are you disappointed? I didn't think that you would care, but if it's a problem, this being Sonny's island, I can get the pilot," Dante told her, reaching her side.

"We can fly wherever you want. I just want to keep you safe." Dante replied, worried that she wasn't happy with his decision.

"Dante, I made a decision a long time ago, to let you decide whether or not you want a relationship with your father. I still stand by that. I may not like Sonny, but I don't hate him. I can't," Lulu told him, knowing it was true. If Sonny didn't do what he did, if he didn't live a life of crime, she would have never met Dante. She would still be that same cynical, immature teenage girl that was angry at the world and kept making mistake after mistake. Sonny had given her the best of him. He had given her the opportunity to meet and fall in love with Dante. For that, Lulu would always be grateful.

"I love this, Dante. I love you," Lulu replied, pulling him into his arms and kissing him.

"Isn't this ridiculous. I mean look at this place," Dante answered, using his hand to span the island. He'd never been anywhere outside of New York and especially never with a woman that he wanted to share his life with.

"You do realize that we are outdoors," Lulu explained to him, knowing that he had never so much as camped in his life. She wasn't sure if he could handle it.

"Oh, I can handle this, Lulu, " Dante answered, practically reading Lulu's thoughts. She smiled loving that they knew each other so well.

"I brought bug spray, suntan lotion, my aviators," Dante told her, looking down at the bag in his hand.

"Well, at least you remembered the important things," Lulu answered, smiling at him.

"What did you bring?" Dante asked, as they walked toward the waiting car. He handed the driver their bags and opened the door for Lulu, holding it open while he waited for her answer.

"Oh, something little to wear, a book," Lulu answered.

"A book? But, you told me that you are not big on literature," Dante asked, puzzled by her answer.

"It's a romance novel. I thought that you could read it to me," Lulu said, suggestively.

"That could be arranged," Dante answered, kissing her, "But, what was the something little?"

"While you were reading to me, I thought that you might be inspired by something slinky and silky," Lulu said, seducing him with her eyes and touch. Her hands played with the chains around his neck as she watched him take in a deep breath, exhaling it as they got into the car.

The car drove through the center of town, passing spanish-influenced adobe buildings of varied colors. Women and children stood outside selling their wares and stopping as the limousine drove through. They waved, the children rushing up to the car, with brightly colored bolts of cloth, necklaces and handcrafted sandals. Lulu was overjoyed with everything, loving how completely different it was from Port Charles. It was truly another world, like stepping back in time, before the age of technology, skyscrapers and overpass highways.

"If I didn't tell you already, Dante. Thank you," Lulu said, turning to him with tears in her eyes. She really loved their island paradise.

"Your welcome, but baby, we're just getting started. So, plan on having the time of your life," Dante replied, kissing her passionately on the lips, while the children in the street cheered and their mothers smiled.

The driver continued on, up a long, winding road in the jungle until they reached a clearing. Lulu's jaw dropped to the floor as she gazed at Sonny's hacienda. It was spanish stone with flowering plants everywhere. In the front was an open walkway with arched entries. It was breathtaking, Lulu thought. Simply beautiful.

Dante watched the expressions on Lulu's face as she gazed at his father's vacation retreat. The heat was stifling, the bugs eating at his skin, but all of it was worth it, as he saw the smile that spread across her face.

The driver stopped the car and opened the door for them and Lulu and Dante stood before the hacienda that was to be their home for the next few days.

"Race you to the ocean," Dante yelled, as the driver pointed him in the right direction.

"My bathing suit?" Lulu cried out, wondering what bag it was in.

"I told you not to pack it. You won't need it," he answered as she saw his naked butt running up the path to the beach.

"Oh, hell," Lulu said, chasing after him. She waited until she was out of the driver's range of view before shedding her clothes. Dante was already on the sandy beach, his toes playing with the water as it crashed against the shore.

"About that fantasy-" Lulu told him, walking up behind him, as Dante turned into her arms. Nothing was between them but the sand at their feet, as the waves caressed their feet. Dante looked down and felt the sand's grainy texture between his toes. He looked up and saw the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. The sun's rays dancing atop Lulu's hair and fair skin, sparkling on the sand. He loved her so much, grateful for this paradise away from the harsh reality of Port Charles. Their tropical paradise, Dante thought kissing her passionately. He only wished that they had more than a few days.

Several hours later, Dante and Lulu stepped out of the shower. Dante having very thoroughly inspected Lulu's body to make sure that every grain of sand was gone. She was completely satisfied at the moment and dropped onto the large bed and stared overhead at the ceiling fan.

Dante plopped down next to her, grabbing the book on the nightstand beside him.

"So, what's next on our agenda," he asked, his eyebrows raising at the title of the romance book.

"Dante's Inferno? I'm guessing that this is not Alighieri's version," Dante laughed, perusing the contents.

"It is about Sofia, a spanish princess who is told she has to marry a man twice her age, so that the family can restore their fortune," Lulu said, moving closer and trailing her fingers down his chest.

"She runs away, but finds herself in trouble, captured by Dante Castillo, a local land owner whose lands were taken away from him. He wants revenge on the man that he believes stole his land,"

"So, he thinks that Sofia's father is to blame?" Dante questioned, reading the back cover of the book.

"Sofia is headstrong, defiant and incredibly beautiful. Dante can't resist her," Lulu told him, running her hands up and down the side of his hips and back to his nipples, teasing them.

"Headstrong, huh? I can relate," Dante replied, enjoying Lulu's telling of the story.

"I think that you will really love this book, Dante," Lulu promised, kissing the side of his neck.

"I'm loving it already," Dante sighed, as she pulled his lobe into her mouth with her teeth.

"Page 56," Lulu said, as Dante had trouble concentrating with her lips all over him.

"56? What's on page 56," he asked, turning the pages until he reached that page. He skimmed down the paragraph, his eyes widening as he read the passage.

"Holy Crap!" he said out loud, turning his focus to Lulu's very excited expression.

"You want to try that," he asked, as Lulu pulled him off of the bed and reached for the ties to the canopy. Her eyes had a devilish sparkle to them that had Dante shivering and his toes curling, as she took each of his hands and tied them to the posts.

"I love romance novels," Dante thought as Lulu's lips once again claimed his body.