Sweet Temptation

by Cora Reilly

Cassio dressed in his three-piece suit, looking impressive and powerful, with tiny Simona on his lap in her sunflower dress. He hadn’t even complained about the flowers.

Again, Daniele’s eyes slanted to Cassio, who was staring down at Simo...

“We went to the dog park again, right?” I said to Daniele, who gave a small nod before dropping a piece of pork on the floor.

“I was thinking we could spend the weekend down at my beach house.” My eyes widened. It had been a while since I was at a beach.

Cassio tried to catch Daniele’s eyes.

“Loulou will love the beach.”

Daniele’s mouth tugged into a small smile. Then his gaze darted to something behind me. He bit his lower lip.

“No, honey,” he rasped, and that word warmed me like hot cocoa. “It’s a warning.”

“Giulia?” The low rumble of his voice penetrated my thoughts. “Too hard?”

He cupped the back of my head then pressed a kiss to my crown.

“Did Daniele say anything yet?” “No,” I said. “He communicates with nods. His birthday is in two weeks, right?”

“Yeah. Three years. I still remember when I first held him.”

“I saw a photo of a newborn. They don’t look very cute with all...

“He was already cleaned when I held him the first time a few hour...

“Don’t the nurses hand the baby over to their parents r...

“I wasn’t there when Daniele...

“Gaia preferred to give birth alone.”

“What about Simona?” Cassio shook his head.

“Isn’t it unfair toward you not to let you experience the miracle of birth?”

“Why won’t you talk to me about the past?” I said softly.

“Stop prying, Giulia. You won’t like what you’ll find. Now sleep.”

“That’s an impressive show of reflexes.”

But I don’t know why I caught this thing. It’s ugly.”

Cowboy boots, black shorts with suspenders, a bright pink sweater, and an oversized coat that would have fit me as well. It was a fashion nightmare. Worry tightened

“Never mind, if you have to think about it this long, I probably don’t want to know. Just promise to be careful, okay?”

Daniele stood beside her. She held out her hand, and he took it. I froze, my heart squeezing a little tighter.

“If it pees on the white carpets, it’ll sleep outside.”

Giulia rolled her eyes as if she thought I was joking.

The dog began to sniff everything. At least, it didn’t attack m...

Daniele followed the dog like he was ...

“So… can you cook?” I raised an eyebrow. “Of course not.”

“Tomorrow we can spend the afternoon on the beach.”

In the past I’d spend many late nights on the porch alone, seeking solitude. Gaia never joined me.

Simona was strapped to Giulia’s front in the sling while Daniele and Loulou jogged along the edge of the water. The dog barked at the waves, trying to snap at the frothing water.

What a stupid thing, but it made Daniele and Giulia smile, so it could stay for now.

“While you were busy banging your young wife, Luca went berserk. He killed his Uncles Gottardo and Ermano, and that cousin of his whose brother’s throat he crushed.”

Simona tugged at my pants and slowly pulled herself up. I reached out to steady her as she grinned toothlessly up at me.

“Kiara!” “Who?” “My cousin Kiara. She’s Ermano’s daughter. What about her and my aunt?”

“You should have told him everything, Cassio.”

“Father, it’s going to be fine. The past is the past. Telling Luca now would definitely be my death sentence.”

Simona was busy with a picture book that simulated animal noises, and Daniele sat on the blanket beside her, only half focused on his game while he kept throwing glances toward his sister’s book.

“What’s going to happen with Kiara? Have you heard anything?”

“Matteo contacted us and asked if we’d be willing to take her in.”

“She needs a home and we’re family.”

“Your mother and I have worked hard to improve our family’s standing, taking in a traitor’s daughter could ruin all our efforts.”

“When can your father and I expect a grandchild from you?”

“Simona and Daniele are both young. Taking care of them takes up all my time and energy.”

“They aren’t yours, Giulia. You have to make clever decisions. Having a child of your own will solidify your position, especially if you ...

“Daniele will be Underboss, Mom. And if I ever want a child, it won’t be ...

I wanted to be the best mother for Daniele and Simona, and a third child wouldn’t make the task any easier.