Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

Recommendations

Info

The red roses one of the maids had bought for Gaia as a gift for our eighthanniversary lay crumpled beside the limp body. Red roses to match the bloodstainedsheets and her white dress. A desperate attempt to mend a marriage thatcouldn’t be mended. Proof of my own failure.Seconds ticked by as I regarded my wife. Even lifeless, she was stillbeautiful. She’d chosen to wear her wedding dress when she killed herself. It stillfit her perfectly. The crystals on her bodice glittered in the glow of the lamp. Afew of them were sprinkled with blood, making them appear like rubies. Theymatched the gemstones in her necklace. She’d even curled her hair the same wayshe’d worn it on the day we made our vows. How long had she planned this?Picking up my phone, I called Father. I rarely called him after dinnertime. Heand Mother spent their evenings watching classics or playing backgammon. Nowthat he’d retired, they had time for it. Their love had been something I strived foras a young man, before marriage, before Gaia.“Cassio, don’t you have a dinner reservation with Gaia?”A dinner to flaunt our failed marriage in public. “Gaia is dead.”Silence. “Can you repeat that?”“Gaia is dead.”“Cassio—”“Someone needs to clean this up before the kids see it. Send a clean-up crewand inform Luca.”I hung up. A sheet of paper on the bed beside Gaia’s body caught my eye. Icrept toward the bed. Death didn’t bother me, not when I was the harbinger of itso often, but every fiber of my being revolted against going anywhere near thecorpse of my wife. The opposite arm that wasn’t hanging off the side of the bedwas draped over her chest. The blood from the slit wrist had soaked the fabric ofher wedding dress. Her lifeless brown eyes fixed on the ceiling, even in deaththey were full of accusation. I closed her eyelids then picked up her last letterwith shaking fingertips.Her elegant handwriting and the expensive stationery promised a love letter,but of course it was nothing like that.
My breathing had slowed as I read Gaia’s letter to me. I couldn’t move,could only stare down at her last words. I wasn’t sad about losing her. I’d neverhad her to begin with. She’d been Andrea’s, even after his death. I felt a deepsadness over what this meant for Daniele and Simona and a raging madnesstoward the people who were responsible for this mess. Toward her parents who’dforced her into a marriage with me, even though they’d known the truth. It was
Page 3 and 4:
Copyright ©2020 Cora ReillyAll Rig
Page 5 and 6:
Chapter Twenty-FiveEpilogueOther Bo
Page 7 and 8:
I stared down at my blood-covered h
Page 9 and 10:
handed Simona to me. My baby girl h
Page 11 and 12:
Faro handed me a martini before he
Page 13 and 14:
“Oh,” I said. It wasn’t that
Page 15 and 16:
Mom had been very clear that I woul
Page 17 and 18:
I stumbled away from the door when
Page 19 and 20:
She tipped her chin up, trying to l
Page 21 and 22:
I was still shaking when I entered
Page 23 and 24:
with Luca. Everything is agreed upo
Page 25 and 26:
had refused to have me present whil
Page 27 and 28:
Faro handed me a flask. “For you.
Page 29 and 30:
with a challenging smile. “And ho
Page 31 and 32:
“I would have had to marry either
Page 33 and 34:
to worry about how to please a husb
Page 35 and 36:
winning. He didn’t appear like so
Page 37 and 38:
Giulia had been gone for a while…
Page 39 and 40:
Luca’s uncles—my fellow Underbo
Page 41 and 42:
Relief filled me at her reasonabili
Page 43 and 44:
reaction, her expression… they we
Page 45 and 46:
I swiped my thumb over her nipple,
Page 47 and 48:
“Do you take the pill?” I asked
Page 49 and 50:
“Do you find me pretty?” she as
Page 51 and 52:
The corners of Cassio’s mouth twi
Page 53 and 54:
What had I done wrong? Didn’t he
Page 55 and 56:
sheets in thirty minutes. Her nosy
Page 57 and 58:
She smiled sheepishly. “You are r
Page 59 and 60:
She gave a small smile. “Don’t
Page 61 and 62:
one of the lounge chairs, but Cassi
Page 63 and 64:
don’t want them to wake.”“Whe
Page 65 and 66:
Annoyance hummed under my skin. Giu
Page 67 and 68:
don’t need to get up.”Giulia on
Page 69 and 70:
I froze, caught off guard by his su
Page 71 and 72:
mouth. His big hand covered the bac
Page 73 and 74:
headed downstairs, Giulia close beh
Page 75 and 76:
tonight?”“I don’t know.” I
Page 77 and 78:
“Goddamn it,” Cassio said harsh
Page 79 and 80:
Mrs. Moretti. I glanced at Cassio,
Page 81 and 82:
Simona rolled around the kitchen in
Page 83 and 84:
fork to him. After a moment of cons
Page 85 and 86:
Elia and Domenico sat in the front.
Page 87 and 88:
Mother touched my cheek. “You’r
Page 89 and 90:
hair was tousled as if she’d fall
Page 91 and 92:
not convinced.”Her nose tilted up
Page 93 and 94:
because of it, the sight of his str
Page 95 and 96:
became increasingly good. I moved m
Page 97 and 98:
couldn’t make sense of me. I push
Page 99 and 100:
tries to close it.“Thank you,”
Page 101 and 102:
to heal.”Would she be as optimist
Page 103 and 104: She nodded. She still didn’t look
Page 105 and 106: Elia came toward me, carrying two c
Page 107 and 108: Cassio wasn’t home in time for di
Page 109 and 110: wanted. “Just how stupid do you t
Page 111 and 112: Giulia tried to squirm away from my
Page 113 and 114: cupping her head harder. “I’m g
Page 115 and 116: moaned loudly, which died when I pu
Page 117 and 118: Simona fell silent and was staring
Page 119 and 120: I hated that there was a distance b
Page 121 and 122: expression and the primal hunger in
Page 123 and 124: I held the hat out to her, and she
Page 125 and 126: “Not how?”Our breath fogged up
Page 127 and 128: killed his Uncles Gottardo and Erma
Page 129 and 130: of the MC was only a matter of time
Page 131 and 132: I tried to wait up for Cassio, but
Page 133 and 134: Daniele and I settled on the floor.
Page 135 and 136: party. Clutching the edge of the so
Page 137 and 138: shouldn’t.”Elia appeared in the
Page 139 and 140: and Christian had worked together f
Page 141 and 142: unsure what to expect after what I
Page 143 and 144: followed him downstairs.Sybil linge
Page 145 and 146: The PastThis day had been an absolu
Page 147 and 148: well. We’d talk later.Taking a de
Page 149 and 150: the blood. “Fuck,” he growled b
Page 151 and 152: Father shrugged as if the matter wa
Page 153: open, then stumbled toward the crib
Page 157 and 158: The presentSlowly, I turned away fr
Page 159 and 160: what I said.”“I did. You protec
Page 161 and 162: Knowing what I did now, goose bumps
Page 163 and 164: “We could spend his birthday at t
Page 165 and 166: “If it protects you and the kids.
Page 167 and 168: It was cold but sunny when we arriv
Page 169 and 170: Daniele didn’t protest, his lips
Page 171 and 172: my own heart skipped a beat. She cr
Page 173 and 174: Daniele deserved a happy childhood
Page 175 and 176: Mansueto obviously wasn’t going t
Page 177 and 178: Giulia had taken the picture down f
Page 179 and 180: Giulia organized Simona’s first b
Page 181 and 182: tell you again. I love all three of
Page 183 and 184: about contacting Luca first. That w
Page 185 and 186: prefers to pretend the kids are his
Page 187 and 188: I took him deeper into my mouth, in
Page 189 and 190: We spent our first summer vacation
Page 191 and 192: the memory will fade with time. He
Page 193 and 194: “No sex in the ocean. I’ll free
Page 195 and 196: “They also cry, vomit, and poop,
Page 197 and 198: “I’m pregnant,” she whispered
Page 199 and 200: never forgive me if I told him. I c
Page 201 and 202: talk to anyone. I’ll be there in
Page 203 and 204: your state.”“I’m fine. Don’
Page 205 and 206:
Luca glanced behind me at Elia and
Page 207 and 208:
“Please,” I said hoarsely, tear
Page 209 and 210:
I closed the door on Giulia’s ter
Page 211 and 212:
“I know.”I left. Faro still wai
Page 213 and 214:
He’s been sick for a long time. T
Page 215 and 216:
while whispering words of comfort.
Page 217 and 218:
at Mansueto’s funeral, but we had
Page 219 and 220:
other and laughing. It was warm for
Page 221 and 222:
The Camorra Chronicles:Twisted Loya
Page 223 and 224:
I usually avoid these at all costs
Page 225:
Cora is the author of the Born in B
show all

Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?