She reached out to touch his arm, but he took a hasty step back. She stared at him. A cold ball of dread settled in the pit of her stomach at his inability to meet her gaze and the panic on his face. obviously, he didn’t want her to touch him. Which meant— “I thought about what you said last night.” The words seemed forced from his lips, but she made herself stand still and listen. “I think you were right.”

She refused to give him the satisfaction of letting him believe he meant something to her. Julietta forced a smile.

“I’m so glad. I was afraid it would be strange between us, and this deal is more important than a—what do you Americans say—a roll in the hay?”

His gaze lifted and pinned her. He looked deep, saw the lie, and accepted it anyway. Sawyer nodded. “yes. Thank you for putting up with me. I promise not to make you un-comfortable again.”

“of course. Are we still meeting today at three?”

“yes.”

“excellent. Thanks for coming to say this in person.”

“you are welcome.”

The excruciating politeness hurt more than knives rak-ing blood. Desperate to get him out of the office before a fissure broke in her facade, she turned and grabbed a file from her desk. “I better get back to work. See you later.”

She tore through pages where words blurred and heard the door open.

“I’ll never forget those two nights together, Julietta.

your gift to me was—priceless.”

He left. Julietta looked at the painting, now perfectly straight, and suddenly knew why she never took risks in her personal life.

…

When Sawyer got the call, he originally planned to give her an excuse and say he couldn’t make it. After all, he wasn’t lying. His schedule was packed tighter than a woman’s luggage. The last thing he needed with his sudden emotional upheaval was seeing her in the center of the storm. Hell, no. Unfortunately, she was just as stubborn as when he’d first met her, and she’d forced his hand in the only way he’d never refuse.

She’d simply told him she’d be waiting.

Sawyer grabbed for his patience while she served him a cup of strong espresso, less than twenty-four hours after he’d walked out of her home. After many minutes of polite chatter, Mama Conte finally sat across from him, took a sip of her brew, and leveled her gaze.

“I want you to marry my daughter.”

Sawyer looked around for the camera. Son of a bitch.

He’d seen Punk’d on MTV, but hadn’t it been canceled?

Betty White’s candid camera spoof was about old people.

or maybe this was a modern day version of Scare Tactics?

A grin curved his lips. “Sorry, I know about these shows.

you’re not getting me.”

A frown marred her brows. “What shows?”

His grin faded. Come to think of it, why would anyone want to tape this anyway? “I’m sorry, I think I misunder-stood. Did you say you want me to carry your daughter?

Carry her where?”

“Sawyer Wells, do not play stupido with me. I want you to marry my daughter Julietta. The one you are sleeping with.”

A strange squeak emitted from his lips. He’d heard the sound before—usually from weaker men who’d just realized they’d been outwitted and outplayed for food, shelter, or money. odd, he’d never been driven to make the sound before now. Kind of pathetic. reminded him of those mob movies like Goodfellas where the patsy rolled over and whined like a girl while he got the shit beat out of him.

What had she said?

“We’re not sleeping together.” Her disappointed look at his lie made him throw his hands up in front of him.

“We’re not.”

“you were the other night.”

Jesus, this was so not happening. Time to man up and take control of the ridiculous conversation. “okay, yes, we were. We did. But now we are not.”

“Why did you stop?”

“This is really none of your business, Mama Conte.” He kept his words firm as if speaking to an unruly child. “We were together and then decided it was best we continue our relationship in a strictly business format.”

She spit into the air. “Bah, business. My daughter has been obsessed with her career since she was young. This was originally a good thing. It taught her goals, responsibility. She grew into a determined, independent woman we all admire. But she is losing her soul for the good of a profit.”

Sawyer stood up. Whoa, this was not the time or place to dissect Julietta’s life. Not with her mother. Not with the strange feelings he had for Julietta still bubbling up with nowhere to go. The hell with disrespect, he was getting out of here. “Umm, this is not my business. I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but—”

“Sit down, Sawyer.”

Sawyer sat. Holy crap, was this what mothers did? Used some magic tone like a dom to make their children obey?

She closed her eyes, as if trying to draw strength from above.

When she opened them, a sliver of pure fear trickled down his spine. Mob bosses had nothing on this woman.

“I want you to listen to me. I am old. My heart is weak, my arthritis is strengthening, and I’m in the time of my life where I need to let go of my worries. Many things have been settled and bring me great joy. But there are two things that haunt me at night, keeping me from peace and from sleep, no matter how I try to surrender: my oldest daughter and La Dolce Famiglia.”

Her words came slow, deliberate. Sawyer sat back in his chair and gave her his full attention.

“I built this bakery on sweat, blood, family, and love.

I need to know it will reign for a long time, solid, without causing Julietta to sacrifice everything to keep it going. She will not delegate. She is too proud, too like her papa to believe anyone else can take care of our business. I need to make sure this merger between La Dolce Famiglia and Purity will be the key to her freedom. By signing such a contract, she is bestowing a piece of this legacy into your care. She is entrusting you to succeed, and she will have a long-term partner for support.”

Saywer shook his head in confusion. “Wait a moment.

We already told you the contract is signed. There’s no need for a permanent personal relationship between us. We are both loyal to our word and signed a business agreement.

our respective companies will grow and expand together.

you don’t have to worry about this. I give my word I’ll always look after Julietta and the bakery as my own.”

Her mouth softened into a smile. “you are such a good man, though you still don’t believe it.” She sighed deeply. “I hope that will come with time. I believe you, Sawyer. But contracts are broken all the time, and when the ink dries, and time passes, distance supersedes it all. There is only one way I know of to guarantee Julietta and La Dolce Famiglia will have a partner and supporter I can trust with my life.

Marriage. The sacred vows of marriage pledge a bond never to be broken. This is what I need from you.”

He needed to steer Mama Conte back on course. This was crazy talk. Sawyer decided the best way to blow up the plan was to play devil’s advocate.

“Mama Conte, I think you’re missing some important elements in your idea. First, marriages today are more slippery than business contracts. People get divorced, leave the other, have affairs. Marriage is not what it once was. The sacredness is truly gone.”

She tilted her head in thought. “Marriage is like everything else. It is what the person brings to it—whether it be a vow of celibacy, support, or profit. It is not the covenant that fails, but the people. once you and Julietta make that decision, you will not back away from your responsibilities.

This I know to be true.”

His first full-force panic attack beat at the gates of his mind but he fought back. “okay, fine. Let’s talk about Julietta. We may have slept together, but we don’t love each other. She has no interest in proclaiming forever with me, especially if she’s forced into it. I assume you know your daughter’s stubbornness?”

“I saw her with you. How she looked. How you made her feel.” Memories flashed past his vision, and for a moment, Sawyer glimpsed the woman Mama Conte had been when she was younger. “There are real feelings there, but they are caught up with logic and contracts and a bit of fear. She needs a man who can be a companion, who understands how her work feeds her soul, a man who doesn’t want to change her but accepts every pore of her being.”

“I’m not that man.”

The truth slammed through him. For a brief moment, he wondered what it would feel like to know he was the man who could give her all that. To hold her, keep her safe, finally let someone he trusted into his world. But it was only a mirage, not meant for people like him. especially not with someone like Julietta.

“you are. you are her match, and I knew when I saw you together. Two halves of a coin that have no idea how to merge. once you accept this, you will both be whole.”

Temper bit his nerves. enough of this bizarre vision of mergers and arranged marriages. “I’m sorry, Mama Conte, you are mistaken. I am not the man you believe me to be.

I don’t have enough to give to a permanent partner. And if you truly love your daughter, you would never force her to do something like this. you’d be sentencing her to a lifetime of unhappiness. Let me ask you this. Would you pull this kind of thing on your other children? Force them into marriage like puppets without giving them a choice?

Threaten or blackmail them into doing what you wanted?

or is Julietta different from the others because she chose differently? Answer that honestly.”

His victory was short-lived. He expected a shamefaced duck of her head. A defensive anger at his wisdom. Instead, she tilted her head back and cackled with pure glee. He stared at her in astonishment.

“your point is well taken. But I can honestly tell you I am not treating Julietta any differently from my other children.” Her eyes sparkled with laughter. “Trust me on this.”

He shook his head. “This is a moot point anyway. She’d never agree to this plan.”

“She will. If you ask her.”

He barked out a laugh. “Sure. And get my head ripped off in the process? No, thanks.” He softened his tone. “I don’t want you to worry about things. I promise La Dolce Famiglia will never falter, and I will always remain in your daughter’s life. Va bene?”

He got up to leave, satisfied he’d done all he could.

Sawyer turned toward the door.

“Do you remember your promise to me?”

The room shifted. He swayed for balance as his words trapped him in a vicious vise that echoed the squeeze of a boa constrictor around his neck. He bowed his head as his fate stepped forward and sucker punched him in the jaw.

He gritted his teeth together. “yes. I remember.”

“La devo un grande debito. Se lei mai ha bisogno di me, farò che lei chiede.”

“I owe you a great debt. If you ever need me, I will do whatever you ask.”

“I need you. This is what I ask. I want you to marry my daughter.”