Sweet Temptation

A flicker of guilt filled me. I was making assumptions. Cassio had lost his wife and was left to tend to his children by himself. What if he was a man in mourning? He didn’t look it, though.

Still, considering that men in our world learned to hide their true feelings from a young age, his lack of emotion didn’t mean anything.

“Why don’t we go into my office for a glass of my best cognac and chat about the marriage?” Dad motioned down the corridor.

Cassio inclined his head.

“I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly in the kitchen. Our chef’s preparing a feast for tonight,” Mom said enthusiastically.

Both Cassio and his companion gave my mother a tight-lipped smile.

Did that man ever truly smile with his eyes and his heart?

I waited until they had all disappeared from view before I hurried downstairs and slipped inside the library, which was right beside the office. I pressed my ear against the connecting door to listen in on the conversation.

“This union will be good for you and me both,” Dad said.

“Have you told Giulia about the bond yet?”

Hearing my name in Cassio’s deep voice for the very first time made my heart speed up. I’d hear him say it for the rest of my life.

Dad cleared his throat. Even without seeing him, I knew he was uncomfortable. “Yes, last night.”

“How did she react?”

“Giulia is aware that it’s an honor to marry an Underboss.”

I rolled my eyes. I really wished I could see their faces.

“That doesn’t answer my question, Felix,” Cassio reminded my father with a hint of annoyance in his voice. “She’ll not only become my wife. I need a mother for my children. You realize that, yes?”

“Giulia is a very caring and responsible… woman.” The word didn’t fall easily from Dad’s lips, and it took me a moment to realize he meant me. I didn’t feel like a woman yet. “She’s kept watch over her brother’s child on occasion and enjoyed it.”

I’d played with my brother’s toddler for a few minutes when they visited, but I had never changed a diaper or fed a child.

“I can assure you Giulia will satisfy you.”

My cheeks heated. There was a moment of silence. Had Cassio and his companion misunderstood Dad’s words like I had?

Dad cleared his throat again. “Have you told Luca yet?”

“Last night, after our call, yes.”

They began discussing an upcoming meeting with the Capo, which caused me to zone out for a bit, getting lost in my thoughts.

“I need to call home. And Faro and I would like to relax for a bit before dinner. We’ve had a long day,” Cassio said.

“Of course. Why don’t you go ahead through that door. The library is quiet. We still have an hour until I introduce you to my daughter.”

I stumbled away from the door when steps rang out behind it. The handle moved, and I quickly rushed behind one of the bookshelves, pressing myself against it. I glanced toward the door. Cassio and Faro stepped inside. Dad gave them another fake smile then closed the door, locking me in with them. How was I supposed to get out of the library and upstairs with Cassio and his companion around?

“And?” Faro asked.

Cassio moved farther into the room and closer to me. He was frowning, but some of the vigilance had disappeared. “Exhausting. Mrs. Rizzo in particular. I hope her daughter doesn’t take after her.”

I pursed my lips in indignation. Mom was exhausting, true, but his words rubbed me the wrong way.

“Have you seen a photo of her?” Faro picked up one of the frames from the side table, chuckling.

Peering through the gap in the books, my eyes widened in horror. He held it up for Cassio to see. I was nine years old in that photo and grinning widely, showing off my braces. Two small sunflowers were attached to the sides of my pigtails, and I was dressed in a polka-dotted dress with red rubber boots. Dad loved that photo of me and had refused to remove it despite Mom’s nagging. Now I wished he’d listened to her.

“Fuck it, Faro. Put that down,” Cassio said sharply, making me wince. “I feel like a fucking pedophile looking at that child.”

Faro put the frame down. “She’s a cute kid. It could be worse.”

“I sincerely hope she got rid of those braces and awful bangs.”

My hand flew to my bangs. A mix of anger and mortification washed over me.

“It works for the schoolgirl look,” Faro said.

“I don’t want to fuck a goddamn schoolgirl.”

I flinched and my elbow collided with a book. It fell over in the shelf.

Oh no. Silence descended over the room.

I looked around frantically for an escape. Ducking my head, I tried to slip into the next aisle. Too late. A shadow fell over me, and I collided with a hard body. I stumbled back into the shelf. My tailbone hit the hard wood, causing me to cry out in pain.