Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

had refused to have me present while she gave birth to our daughter and only
allowed me near her on the second day. Anger resurfaced as it always did when I
remembered the past. Simona babbled, and I kissed her forehead again. She cried
when someone other than my sisters, mother, or I held her. I could only hope
she’d quickly grow used to Giulia’s presence.
I put her back down even though her cries tore at my heart. I needed to get
ready for a meeting with Luca and then my bachelor night after.
An hour before the official start of my bachelor night, which Faro had organized
for me, I met with Luca in my office. He and his wife Aria had arrived a day
early so he could see how business was going in Philadelphia. He wouldn’t find
reason to worry. I’d forgone sleep to make sure everything worked smoothly in
my city. Luca and I settled on the armchairs in my office. I was surprised he’d
agreed to come along to my stag party. Since his marriage to Aria, he’d pulled
back a bit.
“My aunt went all out with the wedding planning,” Luca said as he lounged
in the armchair. “She thought of everything from doves and ice sculptures to silk
bed linen.”
White silk bed linen. Linen I was supposed to stain with my young wife’s
blood on our wedding night.
I took a sip from my scotch then lowered it. “There won’t be a presentation
of the sheets because I won’t be sleeping with Giulia.”
Luca lowered his glass slowly, his gray eyes narrowing. He knew it wasn’t
because of Gaia, even if I hadn’t been with another woman since her death. “It’s
tradition. It has been for centuries.”
“I know and I honor our traditions, but there won’t be a presentation of
sheets this time.” Those words could very well mean my downfall. It wasn’t my
choice to ignore our traditions. Only Luca could make that decision, and it was
clear he wouldn’t. I’d considered sleeping with Giulia. She was pretty, but I
couldn’t get the image of her innocent, wide eyes out of my head or how young
she’d looked in her ridiculous clothes without a touch of makeup. The women of
my past had been my age—grown women that could take what I gave.
“With your first marriage, you had no trouble following our tradition. It’s not
something you can follow as you see fit,” Luca said sharply.
“The last time I married, the woman was close to me in age. I’m almost
fourteen years older than my future wife. She called me ‘sir’ the first time she
saw me. She’s a girl.”
“She is of age, Cassio. Today is her birthday.”
I nodded. “You know I do what you ask me to do. You know I rule over