Dara rolled over, covering herself with the satiny smooth sheets on Sonny's bed and watched the steam peek out from the bathroom as Sonny took a shower. Dara eyes roved the dark bedroom and despite it's looming ceiling and shadowed corners, she'd come to feel safe here. Safe, warm and loved.
Dara stopped her eyes, startled by her thoughts. Loved? What was it that she was feeling everytime she came into this room with Sonny? What was she getting from him? Love? Sex? Neither or both? Confusing for sure. She'd tried several times to talk to Sonny about what was going on between them, but he seemed to dismiss the conversation and chose instead to pursue other interests with her, not that she minded, but that was before and now, she was feeling different.
Dara sat up, tugging the sheets with her as she leaned against the headboard. For the past few weeks, everything had felt split in half, like she was leading two lives. The one of Dara Jensen A.D.A. and the other of Dara&Sonny, lovers at night. Dara blushed slightly at the word 'lovers', she'd slept with men before Sonny and never had called any of those relationships by that name. Then again, what she had with Sonny she couldn't even begin to describe.
"What's going on behind those dark eyes?"
Dara's head turned slightly to where Sonny was standing, clad in only a white towel, hung around his waist while he patted his arms and chest dry with another. For a moment, Dara simply drank in the sight before her, forgetting his question completely.
"Dara?"
Dara looked up and blushed deeply, her gawking hadn't gone unnoticed by Sonny as he flashed his dimples at her knowingly while he moved the second towel to his head and began to rub furiously against the wet hair.
"So what were you thinking about just then?" he asked, taking a seat at the foot of Dara's side of the bed.
"Just the past couple of weeks."
The drying slowed dramatically as another dimpled grin appeared. "Oh really? What about the past couple of weeks?"
Dara toyed with the sheets, suddenly feeling nervous about where she was taking the conversation. "I'm just wondering about where it's going."
Silence. The drying stopped altogether and Sonny slowly removed the towel from his head. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.
"I want, no, scratch that, I *need* to know what's happening here, between us."
Sonny frowned slightly, "are you worried about others finding out?"
Dara shook her head, "no, that's not it, although I'm certainly not ready to let people know about us yet."
Sonny nodded, understanding what she was saying, relations between people like him and people like her could get both into serious trouble, no matter how many times he told people he was 'out' and now a legitimate business man.
"Well, what is it then?" he asked.
"I don't really know, except that every night for the past two weeks, I make my way here, we make love and then I go home. We never talk about it and I need to talk."
Sonny sighed, he knew this was inevitable, talking about it, Dara had broached the subject a few times, but he'd managed to avoid it. Somehow, he got the feeling, distracting Dara was going to be more difficult this time around.
Dara recongnized the look on Sonny's face, she'd seen it before.
Reluctance.
She tried to ignore it in the past, giving herself a hundred reasons as to why he wouldn't talk, but now she was feeling frustrated, even impatient.
"What are you thinking?" she prodded gently.
Sonny tightened his eyes shut, "I don't know what we are Dara, but you first called it sex and now you're calling it something else. Something more," he said softly, opening his eyes. His heart jumped and Sonny felt the pit of his stomach tremble. He tried a few times this conversation with Brenda when she noted how rarely they spoke of their relationship, it was an area Sonny feared. Most women he had grown up in the mob with had no interest in those kinds of discussions, they were there for a basic purpose as was he. No attachments, no connections, no desires to take it any further than the primal urge both were feeling. Lust, desire, need, he could handle this, he could do dirty talk like nobody else. He could make the most brittle woman blush by whispering a few select words into her ear. He could make them scream, he could make them delirious, he could extract the kinds of sounds most men never get the joy of hearing from their mate, he could make them do anything, be anything and feel anything, he was that good.
Hot, lustful, erotic, passionate and purely mad sex he could do.
Love was just a four letter word. So was Dara, but now both were seemingly becoming more than that.
"Sonny, it *was* sex the first time, but now, you're right, it is something more. What I have with you, is beyond anything I had with any other man."
"How? I mean, in what way?" Sonny asked, moving closer towards her.
"Everything in my life is different. I can't sleep at home, I can't concentrate at work and I feel different, especially when I'm with you," she said quietly, her voice trailing off as her head bowed slightly from embarassment, she was heading into a territory she never spoke of.
Sensing more needed to be told, Sonny took her hand, "tell me," he urged her.
Dara took a shaky breath before continuing. "I've never slept with a man, not the way I have with you, before. The first time was sex, I'd been there before, but even then, I couldn't shake you from my system. That second time was something I'd never done before. The way you looked at me, the way you made me feel, deep down inside of me and the things I did to you...I-I've never experienced that before."
Sonny straightened, somewhat taken aback by her revelation. No one had ever been this forthcoming with him before. "I made you feel that way?"
"I think you helped me unlock something, because now I feel that everytime I climb into this bed with you, I-I'm making love to you, that I'm loving you," Dara said, her voice trembling.
"Oh," Sonny said, his voice nearly a whisper. She was falling in love with him, he could feel it coming from her, in everything she did and said and had been saying and doing for two weeks now.
"How do you feel?" Please, please, please, she urged silently, talk to me.
"How do I feel?" Sonny repeated and Dara nodded, her eyes studying him curiously. She'd said what she wanted to say, now it was his turn.
Sonny's eyes darted nervously around the room as he backed up slightly. What could he say? He cared about Dara, that was for certain. He thought about her to the point where he'd physically give his head a shake to get her out of his mind, to no avail. He wanted to please her, he wanted to feel everything he saw that radiated behind her chocolate coloured eyes, but now, all he could do was grasp for something he knew, he understood because *this* was certainly not it. It scared him, to his core, because he knew something was there, deep down inside of him, longing to be released from its confinement. Sonny took a deep breath and blinked, he couldn't let that out, he couldn't give her the answers she needed to hear and he needed to say, but he couldn't leave her so uncertain, he would show her.
Sonny's face relaxed as he moved his seat closer to hers, giving her a once over he knew would get results. Dara's heart fluttered as Sonny's eyes took a deliberate slow trail from her eyes, to her neatly covered chest. His hand reached up, his index finger hooking the middle part of the sheet and tugged at it gently, while his other hand gently cupped the side of her face. Dara sighed with pleasure, but opened her mouth to stop this before it got out of hand, they neded to talk, she told herself firmly, and yet here she was, being distracted again. Her hands feebly took Sonny's but she couldn't budge his.
"Sonny," she murmured softly but Sonny's mouth cut off her words when his lips latched firmly onto hers in a deep, lingering kiss. The sheets dropped freely and when Sonny's tongue tickled her lower lip gently asking permission, she complied willingly, having completely forgotten what she wanted to say to him. The two fell backwards against the soft pillows, lost in each other once again. For the briefest moment, Dara's memory flashed to their earlier conversation before disappearing once again as Sonny threw his towel to the ground and gently covered her smooth frame with his before starting a long trail of kisses along her naked skin.
******
Vitali Inc.
Dominik Vitali looked up from his desk, his growling stomach having informed him it was time for a late snack. He often worked late at the office, a workaholic by nature. The office building was littered with only security now, perhaps a few frantic employees attempting to finish reports up before the next morning.
"Burning the midnight oil?" came a soft voice from his office doorway.
Dominik turned quickly, startled by the voice. Anthony Moreno gave him a quick smile before entering the office, shutting the door quietly behind him. His dark eyes roved the room quickly before settling on his eldest nephew as he took a seat in one of the plush chairs that sat in front of Dominik's desk.
"I called your Mother, she said you were still here," Anthony explained, leaning back slightly in the chair. "She says you work too hard," he continued a second smile brieftly crossing his face.
"I enjoy the work, she knows that. What brings you here?" Dominik's voice was calm, almost pleasant. Over the years, he'd learned to approach each encounter with his Uncle's business cautiously.
Anthony grimaced slightly, "Danté, I'm worried about him."
Dominik allowed a smirk, "you worry about Danté?"
Anthony nodded, "he's my baby sister's youngest child, of course I worry about him." He shifted slightly in his seat, his gaze travelling to the windows, catching a glimpse of Port Charles at night, before turning his attention back to Dominik. "He's involving himself in something he has no business to."
Dominik gave a slow nod, "I understand, but Danté is not a child, he is well aware of what he's getting himself into."
"He's well aware of the perks, he's not so willing to understand the finer points."
Dominik had to concur, it was Danté's spoiled upbringing that had led to this. Danté was the baby of the Vitali family, getting whatever he asked for and never held accountable for his behavior. In and out of exclusive boarding schools as a youth, drug problems and violent behavior with countless arrests by the police. Dominik was only grateful their Father had not lived to see this and that their Mother had chosen to ignore it. She was just happy that he came to Mass with her every Sunday and was 'home' for dinner a few nights a week.
"What does this have to do with me?" Dominik asked quietly, dreading the answer.
Anthony gave a warm smile, "everything Dominik, he is your brother and listens to you, perhaps you could take some time to point out his mistake at attempting to take my position in the family business," he requested, his voice warm, but hinting the menace Anthony was so well known for.
"I have spoken to him before, but Danté will follow his own path, you know that."
Anthony's eyes flashed with anger, "your Mother's happiness is important to me and I know she worries far too much about him, and I have tried to take him under my wing in recent years in hopes that when the time came, he would be ready and well suited to take over but I was foolish to think his impulsive and selfish behavior would end. It has come to a breaking point," he warned Dominik.
Dominik rose from his chair, having had enough of this, "I am telling you right now, do not attempt to drag me or this company into your world with Danté. I would hope the two of you would work to an arrangement, at least for Mother, but regardless of what you do, coming to me for help will get you nowhere," he said, his voice tight and firm.
Anthony rose slowly, his eyes cold, "you would leave your brother to fend for himself? You know he will not win."
Dominik narrowed his eyes, "Danté has never thrived on winning, it has always been about the race."
Anthony glared at his nephew in contempt, "perhaps you should tell him that next time he comes here to complain about his situation. I'd hate for my sister to have to mourn another Vitali death," he advised, his tone laced with the hatred that had grown in leaps and bounds between himself and Danté in recent months.
With that, Anthony gave Dominik a quick nod and left quietly. Dominik remained standing, before heading over to the windows that looked over the city.
Anthony was right, it had come to a breaking point.
*********
Sonny's Penthouse
"You keep distracting me," Dara murmured as she rested her chin on her hands as they sat on Sonny's chest. She gazed at him as he gave her a dimpled grin.
"I like distracting you," he stated truthfully as he carefully began rubbing his left leg against her right one. Dara giggled playfully but pushed his leg away and snuggled closer to Sonny. "I mean, we were talking and then all of a sudden you start making your moves on me and here we are, nearly an hour later."
"What, you didn't like that?" he asked innocently, delicately pushing a strand of her hair from her face, securing it behind her ear.
"Of course I did, but we didn't finish what we were talking about," Dara said, her voice growing serious.
Sonny's smile faltered slightly, "oh, right, let me see, you wanted to know how I felt," he said mischievously. Dara nodded, encouraged by his willing demeanor and smiled gently at him.
"Well, what do you want me to say?"
Dara sighed, giving Sonny a knowing look, "how about the truth?"
Sonny's jaw twitched slightly, she really wasn't going to let this up, not unless he improvised. With an impish grin, he clasped his arms around her and rolled over on top of her.
"Hey!" she protested before Sonny cut off her indignation by gently lowering his head to hers and demanding her attention in a long searing kiss. After what seemed like forever, Sonny pulled his mouth away, mere inches from hers. Their eyes locked, "does that answer your question?" he murmured, but before she could respond Sonny turned up the seductive charm a notch. His tongue darted out and slid slowly along her lower lip, all Dara could do was shiver with desire. As his tongue began its trip along her top lip, Dara opened her mouth slightly and gently bit the tip of his tongue.
"Owwwww!!" Sonny shrieked as he drew back, Dara quickly took the upperhand and rolled the pair over once more, now she was back on top, although now they were firmly tangled up in the bedsheets. Dara gave Sonny a jubilant grin as he rubbed his tongue gently.
"You don't have to play dirty," he remarked in a childlike injured tone and Dara laughed.
"Oh really? I thought you would have admired my distracting tactics," she noted and Sonny bit a smile back, quietly noticing how beautiful she looked when she threw her head back and laughed the way she did. Dara narrowed her eyes playfully and pointed a suspicious finger at him, "you sir, were avoiding the question," she accused.
Sonny pouted, jutting out his lower lip as he attempted to draw sympathy from Dara. "I'd answer the question but now all of a sudden, my tongue is sore," he complained loudly, "maybe if someone made it better," he drawled suggestively to Dara. Leaning forward, Dara gave him a quick kiss on the nose but refused to comply, "no way, you're getting nothing from me until you answer the question." Her tone was serious but her face was relaxed. Sonny couldn't feel the same relaxation, she really didn't seem to want to avoid the topic any longer. He couldn't really lie to her, she was an attorney after all, she'd smell the blood in the water, besides, he didn't want to lie to her if he didn't have to. Sonny sized up his situation, he could talk or he could go the much preferred route and avoid the question by distraction, he'd done it before and with this little game already underway, he was certain he could do it again.
Dara tilted her head gently, studying him carefully. Something was going on in his head, and the fact that she could feel the tension underneath her gave her a bad feeling. He seemed to always seize up whenever she pressed him further than he seemed willing to go. Before she had a chance to ask him, Sonny had once again grabbed her and quickly rolled them over, before he had the chance to do a victory call, Dara just as quickly countered. Unfortunately, the two had run out of bed space and landed on the cold floor with a shriek and a thump. The two giggled gently, but Sonny soon resumed the game and quickly pinned Dara.
"Hey, I'm cold," she whimpered as she struggled against the sheets that had now firmly tied her lower body and limbs together with Sonny's. Sonny's eyes twinkled as he tugged the last bit of the comforter off the bed and put it underneath Dara's back. He again lowered himself onto her, his arms surrounding her neck and head as his fingers gently played with her hair. His dark eyes bore into hers and yet, without words, he saw the same question was still staring back at him.
How did he feel?
Sensing a turning point, Dara ventured forwards. "What's going on behind those dark eyes?" she asked, her voice soft and sounding so safe.
He had lost, she would not drop it and he would not talk about it.
"Nothing."
The coolness of his voice startled Dara, and her face filled up with concern. Her hand reached out to caress his face and he pulled back, the gesture wounding her deeply.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I don't want to talk about it." His voice never changed, cold and detached.
"No, you're holding something back," she protested, her voice growing increasingly concerned.
Jerking himself off her, Sonny untangled himself from the sheets and rose, sitting on the edge of the bed, his gaze never meeting hers. Dara leaned against the wall, pulling the sheets up around her. She'd never seen him like this before.
"Sonny, talk to me," she asked anxiously. Sonny said nothing and again, she reached her hand out and again, he pulled away from her. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice now trembling. Sonny's head turned from her, the breaking in her voice tore him up but he wouldn't give in to it.
He couldn't. The truth, his truth prevented him, it always had.
"I don't get why you're behaving this way, all I want is for us to talk about our relationship, it's okay if you're scared, it wasn't easy for me either, but Sonny, we need to do this, because everything is changing now," Dara pleaded as she took the seat next to him on the bed.
Sonny's eyes closed tightly, it was all rushing back to him. His Mother crying at the kitchen table after Mike had left her. "He's poison Michael! Your Father is poison!" she had cried angrily. Memories of Deke violently striking her, the blows sending her crashing to the floor as she cried out in pain as he called her all sorts of horrid names. The cruel laughter of Joe Scully's mistress when he nervously admitted his virginity as she seduced him in the back of a limousine. "Seventeen and still a virgin?! What's wrong with you little one? Can't get it up for the ladies?!" she bluntly howled, before straddling him and promptly deflowering him. His first time and he'd left feeling like a whore, vowing never to let a woman manipulate his feelings like that again. The string of beautiful women that followed, tiring of each quickly, until Brenda Barrett crossed his path. Brenda. He'd loved her but had messed everything up and now she was dead. Lily, a woman he never loved but swore to take care for, blown to bits while pregnant with their child. It was his fault.
He was poison. Loving a woman properly without killing her was a myth to him. He was just like Mike, he was just like Deke and he was just like Joe Scully's mistress. He was ugly, vile and repulsive.
Poison. Something Dara Jensen shouldn't even consider falling in love with.
So he had to stop her. He'd make her leave. He'd make her hate him. It would hurt like hell, but he'd do it. It was crazy, once again, travelling the downward spiral, but he had to do it. Otherwise she'd be just like his Mother, just like Brenda, just like Lily. Poisoned and dead.
Sonny turned towards Dara and observed the tears that were slowly pooling in her eyes, her lower lip slighlty trembling, the worry evident as she tensely sat.
"We don't have a relationship Dara. That's not how I operate. You're good in bed but unfortunately you do what most women do and bring feelings and emotions into it and that's just not my thing," he said slowly and without emotion.
Dara's face fell. "No, I don't believe you," she said her voice shaking violently, the tears now spilling down her cheeks but Sonny shook his head. "I like the chase, it turns me on but once I've captured you, I lose interest after awhile."
Dara trembled, but she still refused to accept this sudden change in him. "No, I don't believe you," she repeated, this time stronger.
Sonny's insides churned violently, looking at her face, he knew he was winning. She was fighting it, but he was going to win. His hand reached out and he pulled the sheets from her grasp, revealing her nude figure.
"C'mere," he purred as he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Dara drew back, pushing his arm from her. "Stop it," she warned him.
Undeterred, Sonny cupped her face in his hands and pulled her towards him again. "No, stop it!" Dara demanded loudly and shoved him from her. Dara jumped from the bed, shaking no longer from disbelief, but from anger. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she shouted.
Sonny's tight expression mirrored hers, "ME?! What about you? First you play the innocent tease that first night, then you damn near have sex with me in a maintenace closet at the Grille, then we do it on your living room floor! For a couple of weeks, you come hear and we have a good time going at it, I know you wanted it, don't tell me it was love Dara, it was sex. Pure primal sex. Now will you get back over here and let us finish what we started?"
Dara drew back against the wall, completely and utterly horrified at the man in front of her. His vile grin, his cold eyes, everything in his body language said sleaze. What was she doing here? With this man, with this *kind* of man? She should have known better, damn it Dara, you should have known better than Sonny Corinthos. Fuming with rage and drenched with growing shame and humiliation, Dara stumbled around the room, tears still streaming down her face as she blindly searched for her clothes. In miraculous speed, she dressed, even taking time to glance at the mirror on the dresser and straightening her outfit. Looking into it further, she saw Sonny staring out the window, his back to her.
Dara turned to leave, but stopped, she wasn't done with him yet.
"Look at me."
Sonny paused before silently turning to look at her. Guilt swept him as he saw the pain that so obviously burned every inch of her, but he remembered his curse and kept firm to the task.
"I don't know what's wrong with you, but this isn't the man I know."
Sonny gave her a leering grin, "oh but I am the man you are looking at, it's not my fault if you bought the romance bit. Come on Dara, we had fun, I'll bet no one else can do to you what I can." Sonny swallowed hard, this was so painful, but it was for the best. Maybe Dara had been right in the beginning, maybe them together was just not meant to be. But he was lying to himself even then, it was him, it was always him that ruined a beautiful thing.
Dara took a step back, as if struck by a mighty blow. Her face hardened.
"Fuck you," she said, her voice now matching his cold and detached tone and with that she left, slamming the bedroom door behind her.
Sonny sat, jumping slighly as he heard another door slam, the front door. She was right, they were always right about him. He was dangerous, destructive, short tempered and cruel. He didn't know how to love anything or anyone, he'd always find a way to destroy anything good in his life.
And now here he was again.
Brenda. Lily.
But not Dara. At least this time, this one could move on.
"Leave me," he croaked softly. "And for God's sake, never come back."
******