Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

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.
My head shot up, my cheeks flaming. “I’m sorry, sir,” I blurted. My proper
upbringing be damned.
Cassio stared down at me, glowering. Then realization settled on his features.
As far as first impressions went, this could have gone smoother.