Sweet Temptation(72)

Cassio’s dark brows snapped together. “I can try.”

Simona crawled toward us then, using my leg to pull herself up. After her initial suspicion toward me, she now barely left my side. “I didn’t think Daniele and Simona would take to you so quickly.”

“I suppose it’s an advantage they’re so young.” Too young to really understand what had happened, especially Simona.

“Yeah.” Cassio regarded Daniele.

“Why don’t you take Loulou with you?”

Cassio’s expression morphed to reluctance at once.

“Hear me out,” I said before he could argue. “Daniele loves her. If Loulou trusts you, maybe Daniele will too. I think it’s why he started trusting me.”

“That dog won’t let me anywhere near it. It’s a miracle the thing stopped snapping at me.”

Lifting Simona up, who kept tugging on my skirt, I faced Cassio. He peered down at me and his daughter, and his expression became softer. “You could start by calling it Loulou. Give it a try. Please.”

He frowned, shaking his head, then leaned down and kissed me, catching me by surprise. Simona made grabby hands for his chin, and he snatched her fingers up with his mouth, causing her to giggle. When he pulled back, my gaze found Daniele, but he still stood with his nose practically touching the window. “All right. But won’t Loulou run off once she’s outside with me?”

“She might. Keep her on a leash.”

I grabbed the leash on the way to the window front. Cassio followed close behind. It was strange seeing a man as tough and as used to ruling over fellow mobsters at a loss on how to handle a small boy. I supposed it was easier keeping dangerous men in line than gaining back the trust of a little boy. It wasn’t something he could force, coerce, or demand. I put Loulou on the leash, and Daniele looked up at once. “You and your dad take Loulou out for a walk.”

Daniele’s head rose even higher, peering up at Cassio.

“Come on, it’s cold outside. Let’s put on your snowsuit,” he said. He picked up Daniele, who remained quiet. Five minutes later, Daniele was dressed in his warm suit, and Cassio had tossed on a coat. I held the leash out to him. He took it in a way that made it clear he’d never held one in his life. The moment I opened the door, Daniele and Loulou slipped out. Cassio followed them, ignoring Loulou’s tugging toward the beach. I watched them for a moment until they reached the ocean. It was such a beautiful sight. Cassio’s enormous frame and beside him a tiny fluffy dog and a small boy…




I didn’t have much experience baking, so I could only hope everything would work out. At least I had experience painting, so maybe food coloring would literally be a piece of cake.

Simona sat in her high chair so she could watch me. Usually she preferred to stay mobile, but watching me bake a cake seemed to grab much of her attention. I split the dough into three parts and colored each differently. After covering it with buttercream, I sprinkled everything with funfetti.

Simona was obviously fascinated by the colorful sprinkles and made grabby hands, but I didn’t want her to choke on the tiny pieces. I put the finished cake into the fridge then grabbed Simona, wrapped us both in a thick wool coat, and walked out onto the porch. Despite the blistering cold, Daniele played in the sand. Cassio sat on the edge of a lounge chair right beside him, typing on his phone and darting the occasional glance at his son. Loulou perched right beside Daniele, her nose lifted into the breeze. I walked down the wooden steps to the beach.

Cassio’s head swiveled around, alertness brimming in his body until he leveled his gaze on me and Simona. He relaxed and put his phone back into his coat jacket. “Done with the cake?”

I nodded with a smile as I took in the heaps of sand around Daniele, who looked completely concentrated on the task ahead. “Your sister and her family will be here in an hour. We should get ready.” Looking at Daniele’s sand-covered state, cleaning would probably take a while.

Cassio straightened then squatted before Daniele, who briefly glanced up. “Aunt Mia comes to visit. We need to clean you up.” He grabbed Daniele gently and lifted him to his feet then began to brush the sand from his thick snowsuit. Daniele didn’t protest, his lips pressed together. He kept peeking at Cassio and in his eyes, I saw the same longing I so often caught in Cassio’s.

“Ready to go in?” I asked.

Daniele nodded and together we walked back. Cassio cleaned up Daniele. There were fewer protests than in the past. Daniele missed his dad too. I cleaned the kitchen and set the table, glad I’d agreed to Mia’s suggestion that they bring takeout. Cooking and baking would have been too much with my limited experience.

Mia had become even rounder since the last time I saw her at the wedding. Her husband Emiliano was Cassio’s age and only briefly shook my hand before he joined Cassio for an apéritif. Mia’s two daughters were five and two and absolutely adorable with their pigtails and cute dresses. “How’s the baby?”

Mia touched her belly. “He’s good.”

“He?”

Mia smiled, but Emiliano spoke before she could. “It’s a boy.” His relief and enthusiasm were unmistakable. Men in our circles still needed an heir. I took the takeout from Mia and carried it over to the table, a bit peeved that Emiliano had allowed Mia to hold it even if it wasn’t that heavy.