Sweet Temptation

His jaw locked into place. I turned my back on him, needing a moment without his intense gaze. Dropping the towel, I grabbed a nightgown from a drawer. Cassio’s steps echoed behind me. “No. Don’t touch me. Not now. I need answers. If you refuse to tell me the truth, then I can’t have sex with you.” I slanted him a look over my shoulder.

Cassio began to unbutton his shirt—so calmly and precisely that for a moment I, too, wanted to roar and rage. I was glad when he moved to the door.

“I’ll take Daniele to bed.”

I sank down on the bed. I’d promised Cassio I wouldn’t move into another room, but right now I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep that promise. I wasn’t sure if I could stay, not as long as he left me in the dark over what happened. I didn’t want to be scared of my husband, but right now I was.

Daniele’s cries rang out, and I stood then hurried into his room. Cassio tried to change him into his pajama bottoms, but Daniele fought him. Eventually, Cassio released him, and Daniele hurried toward me, hugging my legs.

Cassio appeared like a wounded animal as he straightened. “Can you—?” His voice was rough, his jaw tight.

I nodded and lifted Daniele into my arms. Cassio watched with sorrowful eyes as I dressed Daniele in his PJs then put him in bed. Cassio pressed a brief kiss on Daniele’s forehead before he and I headed out and turned off the lights.

Silence tightened around Cassio and me as we stood in the hallway.

“Tell me the truth. If you want this marriage to work, if I mean anything at all to you, tell me what happened,” I begged.

Cassio looked at my bandaged arm. His shirt was half unbuttoned, and he looked exhausted. “I need a drink. Will you join me?” He held out his hand.

I hesitated, but seeing the tortured look on his face, I took his hand and followed him downstairs.

Sybil lingered in the lobby, her expression worried. “I prepared minestrone. It’s in the kitchen. I wasn’t sure if you were going to have dinner…” She trailed off. She probably heard the fighting and saw Christian flee the house.

“We’re not hungry. Go home,” Cassio clipped.

Sybil sought my eyes. I smiled. “Thank you for making us dinner. Have a lovely evening with your husband.”

She hesitated then grabbed her purse and coat before slipping out. Cassio squeezed my hand and pulled me into the living area. A fire burned in the hearth as it did every evening. Usually the sight warmed me from the inside, now it did nothing to dissipate the cold feeling of dread. He released me to head for the liquor cabinet. I sank down in one of the armchairs, stretching out my bare legs, relishing in the warmth the fireplace put out. “Fix me a drink as well.”

Cassio made a low sound, voicing his displeasure, but after a couple of minutes, he held out a tumbler with about an inch of amber liquid. I took it and sipped at it.

Cassio sagged down on the armchair beside mine, rolling around the ice cube in his glass. His eyes were on me. “I knew it would come to this. It couldn’t be any other way. It had to end like this.”

“This isn’t the end of anything,” I said. “Not if you don’t let it. Do you want to lose me?”

Cassio took a gulp then smiled bitterly. “Haven’t I already?”

“No, but you will if you don’t stop hiding the truth from me. What happened today… I can’t get over it unless you tell me what made you act that way. Help me understand.”

Cassio downed the rest of his drink. He stared into the flames and smiled bitterly.

My phone rang, making me jump. Cassio’s expression darkened, but I picked up. I didn’t have to check the screen to know who it was. “I’m fine, Christian.”

“I contacted a few of my loyal men in Baltimore. Dad won’t interfere, but I will if you need me to. Just say it and I’ll free you of him.”

That was betrayal. Considering how bad things were in the Famiglia at the moment, and how volatile Luca was, I couldn’t allow Christian to entertain these ideas. “No. I’m fine, honestly. We can talk tomorrow.”

“Giulia—”

“Tomorrow.” I hung up. “That look needs explaining, Cassio.”

He raised an eyebrow as if he didn’t know what I was talking about. I didn’t believe that for one second. His eyes practically burned with angry jealousy when I talked to Christian. It was something I couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

“How can you even consider that I’d have something with my own brother?” Downing half of my drink, I got up and knelt before him, touching his clenched fist resting on his thigh. He opened it so I could link our fingers. Behind the anger and suspicion in his eyes lingered a deep pain and vulnerability. It was the latter that hushed my own fury over what he’d done. “Please, tell me the truth.”