sawyer never blamed them. he would've done the same. but the moment he saw julietta's tears, a strange yawning emptiness rose up and tried to strangle him. she had actually cared. kissed his scars. yelled at him for even mentioning she might want to leave. she'd demonstrated everything kind and good and he didn't know what to do with it.

the endless women before her blurred into a line of nameless faces who'd only seemed interested in his scars to make sure he got them off. he'd never had a lover kiss him with such tenderness, let alone shed tears over something she didn't know or understand. his heart squeezed with so much emotion he couldn't process the flood. sawyer refused to analyze the weakness. much better to concentrate on her stinging anger and insults than on such an intimate gift. he might never recover.

a whole week had already passed, and he'd been swamped every evening with work. when he finally dropped into bed, slumber eluded him. only the image of her naked body and wet heat rose to his closed lids until sleep was impossible. he ached for another evening, but had decided earlier on to wait. another night spent in her company might throw him off his game-and he needed to be in control in order to keep giving her the pleasure she deserved.

it was also good for his suddenly slipping emotions. when was the last time he'd actually gotten mushy over a woman?

wondered how her day was going, or what she was eating for lunch, or what television show she watched before bed?

never.

the answer was simple. pull back for a bit, and then go in for another night once he was solid. and to think he'd been worried about her getting attached.

sawyer cleared his throat. "julietta, as we discussed, we're preparing la dolce famiglia to take up this main space for foot traffic. you'll need to pick your team carefully for this one since we won't have the main equipment on the floor."

she nodded and examined the empty store. her severe black suit was his personal favorite. it was the most conservative, with a pencil-slim skirt and a double-breasted jacket that covered most of her delicious assets. with her hair twisted up tight and her proper white blouse, the urge to rip away her prim demeanor engulfed him. he always loved the naughty librarian fantasy. maybe he'd make her keep the suit on. hike the hem up her thighs, lay her back on the desk, and rip off her panties. he'd test her control by commanding her not to make a sound, then do everything with his tongue and teeth to make her scream.

his cock rose and he quickly switched his thoughts. all he needed was tanya to think she turned him on and he bet he'd get a late night visit. her designer skills were flawless, but she reminded him of a female predator. sawyer shuddered at the thought.

julietta spun on her heel. "i can make this work. though i'd rather have the other space we discussed."

his lip twitched. damn, she had spunk. he'd assumed she'd pretend the erotic evening had never happened.

instead, she'd switched into full business mode without a hitch. no heated glances across the conference table or blushes when their gazes met. she treated him with the detachment of a business partner, which drove him even crazier.

"actually, i do remember the discussion. since i was able to clearly demonstrate why that wasn't a possibility, i'm surprised you brought it up."

"hmm, i guess i forgot." she kept her voice bland.

"perhaps the conversation should have been more memo-rable."

he almost choked at her impertinence. wolfe shot him a strange look, then went back to his notes. she also owned a wicked sense of humor. oh, she was going to pay for that remark. only his endless practice of hiding his emotions allowed him to press down his growing arousal. "perhaps you're right." he pinned her with his gaze. "i'll be sure to make myself clearer in the future."

her delighted smile ruffled his nerve endings. "good.

practice makes perfect," she chirped. "now, let's check out the kitchen. i want to be sure the setup is what we agreed upon."

her heels clicked in front of him in a siren's song. her gracefully swaying ass lured him to follow, and sawyer realized julietta conte had blossomed to her full power.

god help him.

they toured the site, tweaked plans, and finally finished in the late afternoon. he made sure he escorted the other members of the team out first. would she follow his lead and allow him some alone time? sure enough, sawyer spotted her lingering with wolfe. was she just as desperate to touch him? like a horny teen, he wanted his hands all over her, his full week of celibacy at the limit. he did a quick sweep of the room and tried to catalogue a safe place he could get her naked without giving the construction crew a thrill.

he came up behind them and caught a slight smile on wolfe's lips. funny, he'd watched wolfe interact with females and rarely saw him spare any interest. something about julietta allowed the boy to relax, and that was a miracle. "thanks for your input today," she said in her usual crisp tones. "i hope you'll be able to take some downtime for yourself."

wolfe shrugged. "don't need much. i like the work."

"i know the feeling." she hesitated, and shifted her feet. "i want you to come to dinner sunday. at my mother's house."

sawyer drew back in surprise. wolfe had the same reaction and seemed to stumble on his words. "umm, thanks, but i'm busy."

"what are you doing?"

he paused and ducked his head. "working."

those cocoa brown eyes sharpened and focused on sawyer. "i'm sure your boss will give you a sunday afternoon off."

"not unless i'm invited, too."

she pursed her lips in annoyance. "i invited wolfe only."

sawyer shrugged. "we're a package deal. i'm not miss-ing out on homemade pasta while he chows down." he jerked his thumb. "besides, he won't even appreciate a good cooked meal. he eats crap."

wolfe glowered. "no, i don't. if you'd actually shop for food instead of eating at your desk every night, maybe i'd cook."

"yeah, like you clean, right?"

"and you're from the merry maids service, huh? next time work on your dunk shot. i saw the big mac wrappers on the floor."

julietta gasped. sawyer glared and tried to change the subject. "forget it, let's just move on."

"you went to mcdonald's?" julietta whispered. "that's disgusting."

ah, crap. he was going to kill wolfe. "okay. i wanted a hamburger. a reminder of home."

he struggled not to laugh at her obvious horror. "you could have eaten a real hamburger at roberto's. he would have been happy to make one for you."

how the hell could he describe the need for that awful sauce and endless salt he occasionally craved? sawyer remembered the first time he'd tasted it-half of it in the wrapper on top of the garbage can. he'd never tasted anything so good in his life, and each time he ate one he was reminded of how far he'd come. of course, he'd never share such a story. and why was he suddenly cowering? he pulled himself to full height. "it's not the same. am i invited to mama conte's, too?"

"fine."

"umm, i'll pass, julietta. thanks for the invite though."

sawyer watched in fascination as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave wolfe a pointed stare. "you're coming. noon. no need to bring anything with you."

panic lit the boy's eyes. "i, uh, made other plans. i can't go."

she never backed down. "i'm inviting you to dinner with my family, wolfe. my mother loves to cook for guests, and this will give her pleasure."

a twinge of sympathy coursed through sawyer. wolfe rarely mingled with anyone other than at work-related meetings. every time sawyer tried to get him to join him for dinner or any type of social activity, he refused.

wolfe lifted his head and stuck out his chin. "i don't do well with mothers. they don't like me."

she smiled, reached out, and touched his hand. wolfe didn't even flinch. "you don't know my mother. she'll adore you. i am asking you to come as a favor to me. mama's been lonely without her children home, and you will make her happy."

oh, she was good. who could possibly refuse such a heartfelt invitation? he watched wolfe crumble piece by piece in front of him.

"fine. i'll come."

"grazie."

wolfe made his exit. "i gotta go. see you at home."

he rushed out without another word and finally left them alone.

the smile vanished. his ice queen reappeared and came out to play. "i see you're a bully even outside the bedroom."

he glanced at the construction crew and decided it was time to remind her who was boss. "funny, seems like you stepped into the role perfectly. poor wolfe didn't know what hit him. now, follow me."

he turned and started for the back room. raw mate-rials blocked most of the space, but he'd spotted a sturdy wooden table in the corner that would serve his purpose.

she trotted after him, caught up in the argument. "he needs to be included in something bigger. being isolated for too long is harmful."

"wolfe learned early he could only trust himself. it'll take him time to come around. watch your step."

she jumped over a cord and sidestepped a power saw.

"a good meal around a table with people he trusts is important. running to the mcdonald's drive-thru serves no purpose."

he winced, grabbed her hand, and maneuvered her through the open frame. "i made a mistake, okay? is that a good reason to try to keep me from mama conte's cooking?"

"i thought we agreed you wouldn't attend sunday dinners."

"i changed my mind. especially since wolfe gets to go.

over here."

the room was dark. he guided her deeper into the space until her back pressed against the table. sawdust and pieces of wood were scattered over the surface. "he uses his appearance to keep people away. mama will see right through it, and maybe he'll realize not everyone will judge him. where are we?"

"or he can freak out with bad memories of his own family dinners and backslide. i'm trying not to push him too hard." he grabbed the rag near him and wiped off the table. "sit up here for a moment."

"replacing a good memory with a bad one is one way to heal. believe me, i know. why am i sitting on a construction table, sawyer?"

anticipation ripped through him. "because i want to make you come."

he watched the emotions ripple over her face. shock.

fascination. fear.

and lust.

he stepped in between her legs and eased the hem of her skirt up. she offered no resistance, her mind evidently working into a steam of rational lectures on exactly why this wasn't a good idea. he took advantage of the pause, widened her thighs, and pushed her back so she was off balance.

her hands gripped his shoulders. the pulse beat madly at the base of her throat, and her scent rose to his nostrils.