Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

Relief filled me at her reasonability. At least that distinguished her from my
late wife. She surprised me when she headed to the bedroom without prompting.
I followed a couple of steps behind her. For the first time, I allowed myself to
see her as a woman—something I’d avoided at all costs until now but was a
necessity for tonight.
The dress accentuated her narrow waist and the beautiful curve of her hips
and butt. Arriving in the bedroom, Giulia stopped and glanced over her shoulder.
Despite her obvious nerves, she smiled before she set her purse down on the
bench in front of the king-sized bed. Her eyes rested on it for a moment, her
blush deepening, then she cleared her throat.
I moved closer to her. Her strawberry scent wafted into my nose, making me
wonder if she’d taste just as sweet as her choice in perfume suggested. I took in
the intricate lace of her long-sleeved bodice, lingering on the swell of her
breasts.
“I have to cut you out of your dress,” I said as I unsheathed my knife from
the holster at my chest. Another tradition we couldn’t evade.
She regarded the blade with a small frown before she nodded. Turning
around, she tilted her head to the side so her hair wasn’t covering the lace top of
her back. Her throat was long and elegant, perfectly unblemished, and I had to
resist the urge to press my mouth to it and mark her as mine. Sparing her had
appeared easier when we hadn’t been married yet. That I had ever considered it
an option seemed ludicrous now. She shifted her face and peered up at me
through long lashes, nerves in her eyes.
“Everything okay?” she asked quietly.
“Of course,” I clipped, my voice harsher than intended because I was
annoyed at myself. She averted her eyes and stiffened.
An apology teased the tip of my tongue. It never passed. I slid my finger
below the lace to lift it off her skin. Goose bumps pimpled every inch of her
body when I touched her soft skin. I brought the knife down and cut through the
undoubtedly expensive fabric. The resulting hiss made Giulia jump. I stepped
back the moment the knife reached her skirt.
Giulia pulled her dress down slowly, her back to me, and I couldn’t look
away as she revealed inch over inch of her smooth back. She was topless and
only wearing a very skimpy white lace thong. My eyes rested on her perfect ass
cheeks, round globes I wanted to sink my teeth into and bury my cock in, a cock
that was growing hard watching her.
“Is it okay if I freshen up?”
Her voice tore through my rising arousal. “Of course.”
The gruffness in my voice made Giulia risk a glance up at my face. Then she
hurried into the bathroom. Terrifying my young wife before I had to claim her
was a fucking stupid thing to do.
Loosening my tie, I walked over to the bench and sank down. My wedding
ring, similar to my last one, seemed to mock me. I set my tie down beside me,
listening to the sound of running water. Giulia would need patience and care. I