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“I prefer to have dinner in the dining room,” he said simply.
I hated that there was a distance between us when we weren’t alone. “I didn’t know you’d be home for dinner.”
“I told you I’d be, and it’ll remain that way. If I can’t make dinner, I’ll give you a call.”
Sybil put a plate with roasted pork, mashed potatoes, and maple balsamic Brussels sprouts that were to die for down in front of him. He gave her a curt nod.
“I’ll check on the laundry,” she said and slipped out, leaving her half-eaten plate.
“We can have dinner in the dining room from now on,” I said.
Daniele grabbed a piece of his pork and tossed it under the table. Cassio’s expression shifted to anger, but I quickly shook my head then said to Daniele, “Now it’s your turn to eat a bite.”
Daniele speared a piece of pork and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing dutifully.
Cassio’s brows furrowed. “What’s going on?” His voice was moderately calm, but I could tell that he didn’t approve of the situation.
“Daniele and I have a deal. He can feed Loulou scraps if he eats a bite in turn.”
Cassio released a breath. Simona began to whine, stretching out her arms toward him. He got up, wiped her face and hands with a wet dishtowel, and put her on his lap before he continued with dinner. I stifled a smile. It was an adorable sight: Cassio dressed in his three-piece suit, looking impressive and powerful, with tiny Simona on his lap in her sunflower dress. He hadn’t even complained about the flowers. Again, Daniele’s eyes slanted to Cassio, who was staring down at Simona and didn’t notice.
I stroked his head gently. He peered up at me, his small face so sad and helpless, it turned my stomach over. If only he’d speak to me.
Feeling Cassio’s eyes on me, I picked up my fork and ate a bite of my pork. “How was your day?” He hadn’t told me anything about what he did during the day so far, but he hadn’t exactly been home early enough to talk.
“The usual.”
Maybe I should have expected an evasive answer like that. After all, Simona and Daniele were in the room. Talking about his type of business around them might scar them even more than their mother’s death.
“What did you do?”
“We went to the dog park again, right?” I said to Daniele, who gave a small nod before dropping a piece of pork on the floor. “And Elia helped me set up my painting room.” I couldn’t wait to paint again, to lose myself in my art.
Cassio’s gaze traced my face in a way that made me feel self-conscious. I straightened my bangs, wondering if he still hated them. They were part of me, had always been.
“I was thinking we could spend the weekend down at my beach house.”
My eyes widened. It had been a while since I was at a beach.
Cassio tried to catch Daniele’s eyes. The boy had definitely perked up hearing about the beach. “What do you think, Daniele? We can build sandcastles like last time.”
Daniele gave a small shrug, which was something.
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.
