Author's Note:

You guys are so awesome! I was a little nervous about that last chapter and I'm so glad that you seemed to like it. I never meant for this to be a super long fic, so I will try to wrap it up in 10 chapters or less. In the meatime, I feel that we are missing the Lante action on the show right now.

And by action, I, of course, mean super hot sexy time. )

So please note the mature content rating, maybe pour a glass of wine first (if you are over 21, of course!), and then enjoy this chapter!

xxoo ;)

CHAPTER 5

Lulu paused at the closed door, her hand lingering over the knob. She heard nothing but silence. The house almost seemed to echo with it. Lucky had taken their parents to the small store they'd passed on their earlier walk, figuring Lulu might want some time to speak alone with Dante. She inhaled slowly. His revelations had shocked her. Nothing she had imagined had even come close to the true story. But she couldn't help still feeling betrayed. Dante had allowed her to go on feeling completely heartbroken. It was something she never could have believed of him, no matter what the circumstances.

She swiped her hands under her eyes, hoping to clear the last of the tears before going in. Gathering herself, she knocked softly twice before opening the door without waiting for a response.

He was sitting on the edge of a small twin bed, his head in his hands. The Italian in him wasn't embarrassed about his emotional outburst in the other room, but he felt dejected, like he was still doing the wrong things, making the wrong choices. Lulu didn't need to be screamed at, and he'd let his fear and doubts get the better of him. He looked up at her, letting his hands fall and resting his forearms on his knees as he searched her face.

She'd stopped crying, but her eyelashes were spiky and wet still. Her face was very serious, and her movements were slow and deliberate. She closed the door behind her, and it clicked quietly. She said nothing, only moved across the tiny room to sit next to him, keeping a foot or two between them. She mirrored his pose, leaning forward and resting her arms on her knees. For a long moment they sat in silence. He stared at her feet, at the pink and silver that glittered over plain white tennis shoes.

"I didn't mean to snap at you about the shoes."

He looked up. It was the last thing he'd expected to come out of her mouth. Lulu sighed and ran a hand through her already tousled hair.

"For the holidays, I did this thing at work. I asked the staff to donate gently used items for families that were struggling economically. They could purchase new if they wanted, or even kind of adopt a family, spend time with them, take them shopping, whatever. That's what I did," Lulu paused and rubbed her palms against her knees. "It was a mom and her three little girls. Their father had been killed in the line of duty."

Dante stared at her. "He'd been in law enforcement here in France. They have very little extended family, and the mom was having a really rough time. My mom and I spent our entire Christmas with them, and helped the woman buy gifts for her daughters."

Now Lulu smiled. "The little girls pooled together and got me these plain white sneakers. Their teacher at school helped them find all these unused plastic rhinestones and stuff from the art classroom. They gave them to me Christmas night, after they'd opened their presents and we'd all eaten dinner together. It was one of the most beautiful moments in my life. I know they're not really my style, but I love them," she admitted, laughing a little as she looked down. "Whenever I wear them, I remember how excited those girls were as they waited for me to open them." Lulu looked up at Dante for the first time. He opened his mouth, and she could tell he was trying to find the words to apologize. "Don't worry about it. I don't even know why I told you that. It just struck a chord, and with everything…else…going on, I just wanted to tell you about it."

He shook his head. "I think that's amazing," he said softly. "I think you're amazing."

She looked down. "Dante, I don't really know how to feel about all of this. I feel terrible about what Brenda went through, and I know it affects you too. How could it not? But I'm still so hurt that you didn't tell me. After everything we've been through together, we should have been able to talk about this."

Dante opened his mouth, but said nothing. She saw his gaze flick to the little desk that sat next to the window of the bedroom, and to the brown file folder that was on the desk. She looked at him, his jaw clenching, and she got up and strode across the room.

He was at her side in a flash, gripping her wrist before she could open the file. "Lulu, no," he growled. "You don't need to see what's in there."

She simply looked at him, straight in the eyes. Eventually she felt his grip loosen, and she could see the resignation on his face. He released her hand and walked a few feet away, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

Lulu was nervous now, and could feel the tension that radiated off Dante. She swallowed and opened the file, sliding out a stack of papers.

The first picture had her mouth dropping open, her face flushing in shame, but she tried to gather herself, and began flipping through the rest of the photos. At the first tampered picture, she couldn't quite suppress the small sound in her throat, and suddenly he was there again, tugging her away.

"Please Lulu," Dante pleaded, but she shook her head. He stayed by her side this time as she looked at herself over and over. He'd been through the file countless times, trying to find some clue, but the photos never failed to anger him. Lulu was in every single one, sometimes a casual shot of her shopping, or drinking coffee. Others were intimate moments, capturing her body and face in frozen moments of passion, or distorting them in gory images of blood and death. She reached the photo of herself topless again and realized she'd reached the end. She set the stack down and stood still for a moment. Dante had an arm solidly around her waist, waiting for her to speak. When she didn't, he took his chance.

"Lulu, I never wanted you to see these. I'm so sorry. I don't know how he got some of these shots – I could never find anything in the apartments or rooftops across the street. When you left, the photos stopped coming for awhile. I tried to make myself believe I'd saved you. And that I deserved my own pain. Losing you, letting you walk out believing I'd had an affair, I thought it was better than losing you to whatever the Balkan would have done to you. I had nightmares, Lulu, where I'd find you covered in blood. I had one dream where you were hugely pregnant, and we were setting up a crib together. Then this…this gunshot…and you were on the floor, dying in my arms," he choked. She turned to him, saw the tear sliding down his face, let her own tears fall without bothering to wipe them away, and slid her arms around his neck as he brought his other arm around her waist. They embraced and stood, swaying slightly in the dying light coming through the dusty window, both offering and taking comfort.

"I never stopped loving you," he whispered against her hair, fisting his hand in the long waves that ran down her back. "I never stopped wanting you. I just wanted you alive more."

She ran a soothing hand up and down his back, leaving her other hand on his neck, sliding her fingers through his hair. He was holding her tightly, his hands large and warm on her back and in her hair. He was everything solid that she remembered, and she shuddered as she thought of the photos that he'd received, and had probably looked at over and over again. He gripped her even harder as she shook in his arms, and he pressed a kiss to her hair, then a second one, before sliding his hands up to her face, framing it gently.

When he lowered his mouth she met his lips without hesitation. He kissed her gently, keeping their bodies pressed together as his lips moved over hers, and sliding his tongue against hers softly when her lips parted. Still framing her face in his hands, Dante pulled away slightly, pressing his lips to the corners of her mouth, then her cheeks where her tears were still drying, her eyelids, and then moving back down to her mouth. She must have made some small noise, because he pulled away again, looking concerned. She was already breathing a little heavily, and she could feel his desire against her. She stared into his eyes and felt her shaky heart fall all over again.

This time it was Lulu who moved first, almost violently pulling him back down to meet her lips. Dante sensed the change in her immediately, and his mouth moved over hers crushingly, bruising her lips, his hands clenched in her hair once again. Moving her forward with his body until her butt hit the edge of the desk, he let go of her hair and spread his hands down to grip her hips tightly. Heart thudding in his chest, his fingers molding the shape of her hips, sliding under her thighs, he pressed against her. She lifted one leg to wrap around his waist, and he gratefully slid his hand to grasp her butt, knowing he wasn't being as gentle as he wanted, but unable to control himself. Her own hands were moving wildly over his back, tugging at his shirt, wanting to feel his skin. He broke away from her lips long enough to toss the shirt off, then yanked her back against his body. She moaned against his mouth as her hands now moved over his bare skin, stroking the rippling muscles in his back as he pressed her back. Lulu's leg swung around him once again and he moved quickly, sliding his hand under her other leg to wrap it around him, hitching her up completely. Their mouths were fused together as he carried her to the small bed, laying her down first and then covering her body with his. He tore himself away once again to rid her of the tank top she was wearing, his body reacting instantly to the sheer white bra she wore underneath. Suddenly curious to see if she still matched her underwear, he kept moving down, tugging at the drawstring on her pants before yanking them down, stopping only to take off the shoes he now thought suited her perfectly. Moving back up to brace himself over her, he looked down and groaned. She did indeed still wear matching panties. They were a sheer white that sat low on her hips but rose high under her butt so that the tuck of her ass was completely visible. Her legs were spread open to accommodate him laying over her, and he could see her wetness through the thin material. He stared at her hungrily, moving his gaze back up to her breasts, letting his hands trail there as well, and he circled one nipple slowly. Already hard, it puckered even more under his touch, and he lowered his head, drawing it into his mouth through the sheer fabric. She gasped and arched her back, giving herself over to him, pressing fully against his mouth as he suckled her. He glanced up at her as he moved to her other breast, and kept his eyes on her face as gave it the same treatment. She was biting her lip, her head thrown back, and she moved her hand up to cover the breast he'd just left.

Watching her manipulate herself made Dante tighten painfully against his jeans, and he groaned against her breast. Pushing himself up, he undid the buttons on his jeans and wrenched them off. Then he tugged her bra up without un-fastening it, pulling it over her breasts, over her neck. She lifted her arms over her head to help him take it off, but he stopped at her wrists, circling the bra around them like a rubber band to keep them together. Her eyes snapped to his as she realized his intention. He let go of her hands and she tried to move, but the bra was wrapped too tightly around her wrists. He grinned slowly, sexily at her as she wriggled under him.

He reached up to check the tightness. "Does it hurt?" he murmured, not wanting to cut off her circulation.

"No," she pouted, still struggling lightly. "But now I can't touch you."

He chuckled and bent to kiss her again. "That's the idea, baby," he whispered against her lips. "You were driving me crazy." His hand trailed down her arm and she shivered as he reached her breast again. "Although pretty much everything you do drives me crazy," Dante admitted, his voice hoarse with desire as she continued to move under him. "See, now you're doing it on purpose," he accused. "If you're not careful this will be over before it starts." She bit her lip again and lifted her hips, testing him. Growling, he shoved her legs apart even farther before sliding his hand down her belly, feeling her muscles there tense as he neared the valley between her thighs. He stroked her smoothly with one finger, and she gasped. He watched her face as he stroked her again, nearly losing control as he felt her warmth. He slid his finger beneath her underwear, felt her pulse against his hand, and he continued to watch her. Her head was thrown back again, and the way her arms stretched over her head forced her breasts up so that he could see her hard nipples still begging for his attention. But the smell of her was too strong to resist. He impatiently tugged Lulu's underwear to the side with one hand, and slid the first finger of his other hand inside her at the same time.

"God," she cried, thrusting her hips forward and toward his waiting mouth. When she did, he licked at her, tasting her for only a second before she left him. He let her figure it out, let her learn where he was at, so that with each pump of her hips he was close enough to taste her again and again.

"Not enough," he murmured, yanking her underwear down, tearing it off one ankle before he slid back up and gripped her butt with his hands. "Look at me," he demanded, and she had no choice. She watched as he lifted her hips, forcing the perfect angle. She felt her vision going blurry, and he gripped harder, snapping her eyes open again. His eyes glinted in satisfaction, and she felt his mouth on her again, sliding his tongue over her, into her. Her legs splayed open as he brought her closer and closer with each second, but she still didn't look away.

"Please," she sobbed, straining against the bra on her wrists once again. Dante smiled against her, removed his hands from her butt and flicked her clit with one finger. He kept it there as she exploded, pulsing against his hand, turning her face toward the pillow as he moved up her body. Bracing himself over her, he positioned himself at her entrance as her body continued to shake. Her eyes flew to his as she felt him slide inside, forcing her orgasm on and on with his finger, not letting her stop, crushing his mouth against hers once again as he entered her.

"God, you're so tight," he managed, trying to slowly ease into her. She moaned against his mouth and lifted her hips, helping him deeper inside. He hissed out a breath as he felt himself go all the way in, and he stilled for a moment, wanting her to adjust to his size.

He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her softly. She blushed a little and he looked at her curiously.

"I, ah…haven't been with anyone since, um…you," she admitted, and he felt his cock swell inside her in response. He lowered his forehead to hers and let out a shaky breath. She moved him, everything about her. The same woman who would wantonly touch herself for him, who was afraid of next to nothing, would feel embarrassed at not having been with another man after Dante. She humbled him.

He kissed her again, slowly and easily, letting their tongues meet naturally, and she began to move under him. Sliding out again, he thrust back, more easily this time. His breathing uneven, he kept going, slowly and steadily, battling the urge to pound into her. She began to struggle again. She still couldn't move her arms, but her legs were free to wrap around him, grip him closer. Still he tried to stay in control, kissing her with the same slow passion as he made love to her.

"Dante," Lulu breathed. "I'm not going to break, you know." He looked in her eyes, the humor and the desire in them. As he pulled out again, she kissed him, trying to time it perfectly. Right as he began to slide back into her, she sucked hard on his lip, and was rewarded with a deep, hard thrust that he couldn't control.

"Oh, God," she managed, throwing her head back before looking back at him, the hunger evident in her eyes.

"Okay, I can take a hint," Dante teased breathlessly. "But you'd better hold on," he suggested, wrapping her fingers around the iron bars of the bed frame. He slid his hands down her body, once again cupping her butt and lifting it before thrusting back inside her, hard and fast. He watched her hands clench the frame and grinned wickedly, lowering his head to her breast.

"Told you," he breathed, sucking hard on her nipple, his cock aching for release. But he stayed with her, each pump forcing a cry out of her open mouth. She gripped the frame as he drove himself into her, over and over again, forcing them further up the bed so that eventually her head hit the frame. Swearing, he tried to tug her down the bed without having to leave her. She moved at the same time on the tiny bed, and they tangled in the sheets, falling hard to the floor.

Dante landed with Lulu straddling him, and she cried out in pleasure as the fall forced him deeper in. Her hands still bound, she leaned forward over him to rest them on the floor, teasing him with her breasts. He grasped them with both hands as she began to ride him, pinching the nipples lightly as they swung temptingly over him. He felt her begin to clench around him and forced his hips up to meet her, moving his hand down to where they were joined once again and letting her orgasm carry him over the edge. He poured into her as she was still climaxing, her name on his lips, his heart in her hands. And knew he was home.

They were splayed out on the floor, legs tangled together, Lulu's head resting on Dante's chest, eyes drooping as she listened to his heartbeat slow.

He played with her hair, brushing it away from her face, letting it slide through his fingers.

"I wasn't either," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She shifted sleepily. "Hmmm?"

He moved so that she would be forced to look at him, and she made a small sound of complaint until she looked him in the eyes.

"I wasn't with anyone after you either," he revealed. Her eyes softened, and she lifted a hand to his cheek, pressing her lips to his.

"I love you, Lulu," he said, swallowing nervously. "I never thought I'd have the chance to tell you that again. Now I don't ever want to stop saying it. Please, come back to Port Charles with me. Or we can live here, it doesn't matter. Once we get out of all this shit with the Balkan we can be together, anywhere you want. Lulu…will you marry me?"

Her mouth dropped open in shock, and she tugged the sheet up a little. "Um. Wow. Ah, I don't -"

She stopped at the muffled sounds coming from the hallway, followed by Lucky's voice.

"Mom, I wouldn't go in there until they come out. Lulu and Dante have a tendency to -"

The door swung open as Laura came in with a concerned look on her face. She stopped short as she took in the sheets on the floor, and her daughter and her daughter's ex-boyfriend obviously naked under those sheets.

"Oh. Oh, my goodness."

Lucky peered around behind her and immediately backed out again, his voice fading as he walked quickly back down the hallway.

"That, Mom. That is what they have a tendency to do."