Sweet Temptation(51)

Cassio and I took the children to bed after dinner. Cassio put Simona down in her crib while I helped Daniele change. It was easier that way. Daniele didn’t get as upset, and so shortly before he was supposed to sleep that was for the best. I covered him with his blanket when he lay in bed and tousled his hair. “Loulou will love the beach.”

Daniele’s mouth tugged into a small smile. Then his gaze darted to something behind me. He bit his lower lip. A shadow fell over us and a moment later, Cassio bent down and kissed Daniele’s forehead. “Sleep tight.”

I stood and with a last wave at Daniele, I extinguished the lights and closed the door. I followed Cassio down the hallway, but before we could reach the staircase, he turned to me, grabbed my neck, and kissed me deeply, stealing my breath. My body sprang to life immediately as he pressed me into the wall, his big palm on my breast, kneading, his hips grinding against me. He was hard, digging into my belly insistently.

“Bed,” I whispered.

“Fuck no.”

I blinked but Cassio didn’t allow me to get my bearings. His mouth on mine, he grasped my upper thighs and hoisted me up. “Right here. Against this wall.”

My eyes widened. Cassio bit down on my throat then lavished the spot with his tongue. “What about Sybil?”

“Gone.” His growl vibrated against my skin. Holding me up with one muscled arm, and the pressure of his strong body, he slipped his hand between our bodies. The hiss of his zipper sent a shiver down my spine a moment before he shoved my panties aside and entered me in one hard stroke. I arched, half in pain, half in pleasure. It was the first time he took me without much preparation.

His mouth pressed against my ear. “Didn’t I tell you to stop wearing those over-the-knee socks and ridiculous dresses?”

I met his gaze, grinding myself against him, chasing the pleasure even as my body fought to accommodate Cassio’s length. “Is this my punishment?” My lips teased up into a challenging smile.

Cassio’s grip on me tightened as he thrust up again, driving me against the wall. I dug my heels into his lower back. “No, honey,” he rasped, and that word warmed me like hot cocoa. “It’s a warning.”

I laughed. It wasn’t a good one. The words never left my lips because Cassio started pounding into me, harder and deeper than before, forcing my body to yield to him, and it did. Soon I was so slick around him, the wet sound of our bodies joining filled the hallway. Cassio’s harsh kiss swallowed my cries of release when I came in a violent shudder. He lowered me to the floor and my legs almost gave out. “Down,” he ordered.

My eyes flashed up in indignation at the demand, but his dominant expression and the primal hunger in his eyes spoke to a part of me that definitely didn’t mind his commanding attitude. I dropped to my knees.

His fingers tangled in my hair as he took my mouth.

I kept my eyes on his face, loving to watch him let loose.

Afterward, he pulled me up to my feet, tilting my head up. “Okay or too hard?”

I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my face into the crook of his neck, touched by the consideration in his voice. I was slightly sore and would probably continue to feel that way until tomorrow, but it felt good in a naughty way, as if Cassio had left his mark inside of me.

“Giulia?” The low rumble of his voice penetrated my thoughts. “Too hard?”

I shook my head with a small sigh. He cupped the back of my head then pressed a kiss to my crown. The gesture was so loving, it kindled emotions in me I was scared to allow. After all, this was a marriage of convenience before all else. I didn’t want to love him before he loved me.

What a silly thing to think. As if you could postpone your love until it was convenient. I pulled back and allowed him to lead me into the bedroom.

Later in bed, I snuggled against Cassio, my cheek on his chest, his fingers tracing my upper arm. We had already extinguished the lights and were trying to fall asleep. From the lingering alertness in Cassio’s body, I knew he wasn’t anywhere close to sleep. “You can’t with me in your arms, right?”

I didn’t want to sound hurt, but I did.

Cassio paused in his stroking, his ribcage expanding under my head in a sigh. “Let’s see. I promised you I’d try.”

“Okay. Like you’ll try to trust me.”

Silence followed. He was trying. I couldn’t ask for more.

“Did Daniele say anything yet?”

“No,” I said. “He communicates with nods. His birthday is in two weeks, right?”

“Yeah. Three years. I still remember when I first held him.”

“I saw a photo of a newborn. They don’t look very cute with all the grime on them.”

“He was already cleaned when I held him the first time a few hours after he was born.”

“Don’t the nurses hand the baby over to their parents right after birth?”

“I wasn’t there when Daniele was born.”

“Oh, work?” I guessed.

Tension radiated from Cassio, and I knew it hadn’t been that. “Gaia preferred to give birth alone.”

I was glad the darkness hid my expression. Why would a woman not want her husband with her when she gave birth to their child? “Oh.”

Silence filled the dark. “What about Simona?”

Cassio shook his head.