Dangerous Desires

40

"You have no idea how much this means to me," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I've been in love with you for so long, and I never thought you'd feel the same." Mark pulled me closer as I wrapped my arms around his neck, his free arm encircling my waist. He held me tightly against him, relishing the feel of my body pressed close to his. "I've imagined this moment so many times," he murmured, his voice low and filled with desire. "But nothing compares to the real thing."

I smiled softly at his words "This is real..."

Mark smiled back at me, his eyes sparkling with affection. He could feel the warmth of my body seeping into him and the sensation was both exhilarating and comforting. "Yes, it is," he agreed, his voice filled with conviction. "This is real, and I'm never letting you go."

After a few hours, we returned to his apartment. Antonio entered the apartment, his expression stoic as he made his way over to me and Mark. He didn't say a word, but his sharp eyes flicked between the two of us, taking in the tender moment we were sharing. Mark looked up at him, his arm still encircling my waist. "It's done?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of relief.

Antonio gave a brief nod, his face still expressionless. "Yeah, it's been taken care of," he confirmed, his voice gruff. Mark let out a small sigh, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. 

"Good," he said, his gaze flickering back to me. "That's one less thing to worry about."

"I was thinking this whole time when Arsenio asked me to talk with him. I asked him if he had sex with the girl. He said no but his face was full of guilt," I said to Antonio.

Antonio clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing as he heard my words. He had known it all along, but hearing it confirmed like this still made his blood boil. "That lying bastard," he grumbled, his voice low and tinged with anger. "I always knew something was off about his answers."

He shot a sidelong glance at me, a look of understanding in his eyes. "You were right about him," he said quietly, a hint of respect in his tone. "The bastard was trying to hide something from the start."

"I fell in love with him when I was 16 but I was a minor. Then when it was my 20th birthday party, things changed. He was loving towards me but he doesn't keep relationships long. Is he a player?" I asked.

Antonio nodded briskly. "Yeah, he's a player, through and through," he stated, his tone flat and matter-of-fact. "He's never been one to commit and he always ends up moving on to the next girl. It's like he doesn't know how to stay loyal to just one person."

"He is a good father to Tenebroso,".

Antonio let out a snort, his eyes narrowing as he considered my words. "Sure, he might be a good father, but that doesn't excuse all the other crap he pulls," he retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. "Being a good dad doesn't make him a good person or a decent boyfriend."

"I will not let him keep seeing his son, he deserves to see him," I replied.

Antonio nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Yeah, I agree with you there," he said, his voice gentler now. "He might be a piece of work, but he's still Tenebroso's father. The kid deserves to have a relationship with him, even if the guy isn't the best role model."

He paused for a moment, his gaze flickering over to me again. "But you need to look out for yourself, too," he said gruffly, his protective instincts kicking in. "Don't put up with his bullshit just because you're trying to do right by Tenebroso."

"Well, me and Mark are trying to start a relationship," I said gently.

Antonio's eyebrows shot up at my words, surprise flickering across his face. His eyes flicked over to Mark, who was still standing beside me with his arm around my waist. "Huh," he said, his voice betraying a hint of astonishment. "You and Mark, eh?"

He studied the two of us for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Well, I gotta admit, you two look good together," he said finally, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "And at least I know Mark's not a piece of crap like someone we know."

"For sure, I do want to ask you something though," I looked at Antonio.

"Yeah, what is it?" Antonio asked, shifting his weight and giving me his full attention. 

"I know you are mostly at the manor, can you keep an eye on Arsenio especially when Tenebroso is with him?"

Antonio's expression darkened at my request, a flicker of anger passing over his face. He knew exactly why I was asking him that and the thought of what Arsenio was capable of made him tense. "Yeah, I can keep an eye on him," he growled, his jaw clenching. "And you can bet I'll be ready to step in if he tries anything stupid."

"I know Arsenio tell you things, I think he will open up about the cheating to you," I replied.

Antonio grunted in agreement, his expression still hard. "Yeah, the bastard usually comes to me when he needs to talk," he said gruffly. "I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to confide in me about this whole situation."

"Arsenio is just a playboy, I have realised that. Now that I have something with Mark, I know my life will be better," I said gently. Mark smiled down at me as I cuddled into him, his grip on me tightening slightly. He could see the determination in my eyes and it made him proud.

Antonio let out a low chuckle, his expression softening as he witnessed the tender moment between us. "Yeah, you deserve way better than that lowlife and I think Mark is more than happy to give it to you," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement.