Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

official events I definitely wouldn’t have worn my sunflower dress, I just wished
he’d asked me to buy a few elegant clothes and not bought them for me as if he
didn’t value my opinion—which was, of course, the case.
The four months until November flew by—an endless row of sleepless nights,
teary tantrums, and hard workdays.
On the morning of my bachelor night, I squatted in front of Daniele. He was
staring down at the iPad, watching a series he liked. His hair was tousled in the
front and knotted in the back, but he refused to let Sybil comb it. I hadn’t had the
patience to hold him while she did it. We’d have to buzz it short once the
wedding was over. “Daniele, I need to talk to you.”
He didn’t look up. I reached for the iPad, but he twisted around. “Give it to
me.”
His small shoulders rounded in. It was his only reaction. I grabbed the device
and pulled it away. “Soon someone will move in with us. She’ll be your new
mom. She’ll take care of you and Simona.”
Daniele’s face scrunched up, and he threw himself at me, pummeling my
legs with his little fists. “That’s enough,” I thundered, grabbing his arms.
My anger disappeared seeing tears running down his face. “Daniele.”
I tried to hug him to my chest, but he squirmed away. Eventually, I released
him. In the days after Gaia’s death, Daniele had sought my closeness; now he
was back to ignoring me. I wasn’t sure what Gaia had told him before her death,
but it was clear that it made Daniele resent me.
I put the iPad down in front of him then straightened. Without another word,
I left and went upstairs to Simona’s room. The nanny hurried out. In a few days,
I’d finally be able to get rid of the nannies, and Giulia would take care of
Simona. I bent over the crib. Simona stared up at me and smiled a toothless grin.
I gently slipped my palms under her tiny body and lifted her into my arms.
Cradling her against my chest, I stroked her dark blond head. Both Daniele and
she had inherited their mother’s hair color and eyes. Pressing a kiss to Simona’s
forehead, I remembered the first time I did it two days after she was born. Gaia