Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

“It’s not just the pain. Until this moment, men were allowed to kiss my hand
or dance with me at social gatherings, nothing more. And now you’re here, over
me, half naked, and I’m half naked, and soon we’ll both be naked, and you’re
going to…” She sucked in a deep breath.
“I know,” I said quietly. “Don’t start to cry.”
She drew her lower lip between her teeth. After a moment, she said firmly. “I
won’t cry.” Then she peered up at me. “Why do you care? You’ve seen worse
than someone crying.”
I had. Far worse, and I hadn’t given a shit. But Giulia was young, too young,
and my wife, the woman who was supposed to become a mother to my children.
Fuck. This was such a mess.
She was biting her lip, not looking at me, but at something only she could
see.
“Giulia,” I murmured, and her gaze settled on me. “Help me with this.”
She looked at me with those big eyes and nodded slowly.
Relief filled me. Bringing my head down, I kissed her lips lightly. Then
again. At the third kiss, Giulia’s lips moved hesitantly against mine, and I sucked
her lovely plump lower lip into my mouth. She made the smallest sound and
closed her eyes. My tongue stroked her open and dipped in, tasting my wife for
the first time. Hell, so unbelievably sweet it was going to kill me. Not stopping
the kiss, I rested my palm on her ribcage.
Her eyes shot open, and she flinched slightly. I drew back from her mouth,
watching her as I stroked my palm down her side then back up—a soft touch, the
promise that I’d treat her with care. “Will you let me undress you?”
Again, the silent nod. I sat back on my haunches and helped Giulia into a
sitting position. Then I hooked my fingers under the hem of her nightgown and
dragged it upward. She lifted her arms so I could pull it over her head. I
discarded the flimsy thing on the floor and turned my attention back to Giulia.
Her arms were loosely crossed over her chest. Biting her lip in that cute way, she
lowered them slowly, giving me a perfect view of her breasts.
God, she was lovely.
I reached for her and gently ran my knuckles down the valley between those
pretty breasts. Giulia twitched, nose crinkling, holding back one of those giggles.
Her cheeks turned red. “I’m sorry.”
“No,” I said in a slightly lower voice. I’d rather she giggled than cried, and
right now she thankfully didn’t appear as if she was close to tears.
“You’re very beautiful,” I told her. Because it was the truth and because I
didn’t want her to be self-conscious. It would only make her tense more.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I murmured as I traced the outside of her breast with my
knuckles. Her nipples hardened, and the blush on her cheeks spread all over her
face. I was glad that I hadn’t listened to my conscience and asked Luca to cancel
the wedding because she was too young for me. Right this moment I knew she’d
be mine forever.