Dangerous Desires

60

His hands slowly moved up to cradle my face, his touch gentle and reverent. He studied me closely, as if trying to confirm that I was real, that this moment was real, and not just a product of his longing and imagination. A thousand words seemed to linger on the tip of his tongue, unspoken. He wanted to say so much, to express all the emotions that were coursing through him, but nothing felt adequate. Instead, he just repeated a single word, a small whisper that held a universe of meaning.

"You're home..."

"I was always home, ever since I was 16..." I said gently. "Now I'm here with a son and a boyfriend, Tenebroso is your Grandson," I said again gently.

Antonio's eyes widened at my words, his mind struggling to process the information. He looked down at Tenebroso, then back at me, realization slowly dawning in his eyes. "Grandson..." he echoed hoarsely, the word unfamiliar on his tongue. He gently reached out a rough, calloused hand to touch Tenebroso's messy hair.

Tenebroso moved his arms to go to Antonio "It's weird how I always thought of you as a father figure. How I was going to get that adoption letter but there's no need," I continued gently.

Antonio's expression softened as Tenebroso reached out to him. He took the small boy in his arms, holding him gently. The sight of Tenebroso, the undeniable physical resemblance to me, was like a punch to the gut. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with a complex mixture of emotions. "Father figure..." he repeated, the words catching in his throat.

"This changes a lot but I'm not mad about it. How will the business find out about it? I need to tell Mark..." I said softly.

Antonio's demeanour changed slightly at the mention of the business. He tensed, his protective instincts kicking in. "The business..." he grumbled, a familiar hardness seeping into his voice. "We'll handle that."

He looked at me seriously, his gaze intense. "We need to keep this discreet for now. We can't let the wrong ears catch wind of this. Understood?"

"I understand but Mark needs to know. He is my partner after all," I said gently.

Antonio grunted in agreement, understanding the need to keep Mark informed. But that didn't ease the tension in his shoulders. "Just be careful," he warned, his tone gruff. "The less people know, the better."

"Mark is one of your best men at business. You've always trusted him and I trust him. He's very private about family stuff," I replied faintly.

Antonio looked at me for a long moment, mulling over my words. He did trust Mark, that was undeniable. But this revelation changed everything. He nodded slowly, his expression resigned. "All right," he said gruffly. "You can tell him. But not a word beyond that."

"I understand. I know you are overwhelmed right now. So am I. But you need to go back to your normal self and take a breather. You know how Mark is. He is my boyfriend, Tenebroso's Dad..."

Antonio huffed slightly at my words, but he knew I was right. He couldn't afford to let his emotions get the better of him, not when there was so much at risk. "I'll manage," he grumbled, his voice slightly more gruff than usual, a clear indicator of his internal struggle. "I always do."

Hours later.

Mark's arm was looped around my shoulders, a protective and comforting presence. He had sensed something was off at the party but hadn't pressed me for answers then and there. But now, in the privacy of our own home, he gently turned towards me. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"I found out at the party that Antonio is my real Dad... I don't know how he didn't realise these whole 5 years but now he has realised," I said fast.

Mark's eyes widened as I shared the news. He looked at me, a mixture of shock and surprise on his face. "Antonio... your real dad?" he echoed, the statement not quite making sense in his mind. I nodded fast.

Mark was clearly taken aback. He sat silently for a moment, absorbing the news. "Damn... that's..." he trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "How are you feeling about it?" he asked, turning to face me fully, concern etched on his features.

"It is so overwhelming... but it is like he's forgotten how to act. Like he totally forgotten who you were at the moment. I think he was overstimulated,".

He reached out and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's a lot to process," he said softly. "But you're not alone. I'm here for you, no matter what."

"I know you are and I love you for that," I said softly.

Mark smiled softly, his gaze filled with tenderness. "And I love you," he murmured, bringing my hand up to his lips to gently press a kiss against my knuckles. He then sighed slightly, his expression hardening a tiny bit. "We'll figure this out. Together."

I cuddled into him "Enough about this conversation, it's freaking me out," I laughed gently to play it off.

He ran a hand gently through my hair, his touch soothing. "All right," he agreed, catching on. "What would you like to talk about instead?"

"Me and you," I looked up at him.

Mark's smile widened as he looked down at me, his eyes locked onto mine. "Me and you, huh?" he echoed, his tone slightly teasing. He shifted to pull me closer to him, his arms wrapped tightly around me. "What about us?" he asked, his voice low and warm.

"I was thinking that we could start planning on another child..."

He held me close, his hands instinctively moving to rest on my hips. A soft, affectionate smile tugged at his lips. "You want another baby?" he asked gently.

"Yeah, I would love one," I smiled softly as I looked into his eyes.

Mark's expression softened, his gaze filled with affection and love. He brought a hand up to cup my face, his thumb gently tracing the line of my jaw. "I'd love that too," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Another little bundle of joy..."