julietta turned and took a few steps back. waited for him to grab her and challenge the statement. push her to cop to the emotion like he did all those hours in the bedroom, wringing out every honest response her physical and emotional body hid from him. but he said nothing. disappointment flooded her, but she told herself it was a good thing. better to keep the relationship on neutral ground or they might destroy each other. "we'd better go. i have a meeting at noon."

he followed her out in silence.

sawyer rapped on the door and tried to ignore his sweaty palms. un-fucking-believable. he'd gotten dragged into pa-rental hell without the benefit of any previous experience.

but julietta was right. time to grow some balls and take control of this situation.

the kid opened the door. "i'll take one of those meat-ball subs."

sawyer snorted. "i'm not here to take your dinner order, smart-ass. i have leftovers from yesterday we can heat up."

"cool. what's up?"

wolfe wore one of his usual long-sleeved cotton shirts, a pair of jeans, and white sport socks. his headset fell around his neck, and the echo of some loud type of rock music pinged in the air. the crazy spikes of his hair were damp and soft, falling into thick curls that told sawyer the kid had once had a nice set of locks before he decided to torture them. "i wanted to talk for a minute."

a wall dropped between them. the easy manner disappeared, and a gleam of resolution pierced through tur-quoise eyes. "sure. umm, listen, i was gonna say this to you later, but i figured you had a lot going on with the wedding.

i'm heading out."

sawyer moved into the room, causing wolfe to back up. dread settled in his stomach, but he kept his tone light.

"heading out where?"

wolfe shifted his feet. "you're getting hitched, and i've got itchy feet. figure i'll help you finish out this deal and move on. maybe back to new york."

"you don't like working for me anymore?"

"no, i like it. let's be honest, man. we never spoke long-term arrangements here. i've been saving my money for a while, and i think i can support myself now. after all, you paid me a great salary. you've helped me a lot, and it's time to get on with your life. do you think you could give me a recommendation? if you want to, of course."

sawyer took a deep breath. his nightmare was coming true. perhaps julietta was right. behind wolfe's blank ex-pression, a glimmer of misery and anxiety shone in his eyes.

he'd normally agree with wolfe in an effort to make him happy, let him carve his own path in life. but sawyer realized he was just a kid who had no direction. no one cared enough to ask him to stay.

he was taken back to that night in a flash.

"please don't go, sawyer." danny's face was full of fury, pleading, rebellion. it was dark, and a sliver of moonlight leaked from the broken blinds and played upon the mattresses. "i'm coming with you."

he stuffed the few clothes and belongings he had in the bag and kept his head averted. he was afraid to leave danny alone with asshole, but the sooner he got out, got a job and a place to stay, he could come back and get him. if he stayed here, his foster father could still use danny as leverage. if he left, maybe the kid would fall off the old man's radar and he'd get some peace.

the plan was simple. get out, get successful, and save danny. then go to the authorities and nail the son of a bitch.

his time had finally come.

he reached out and squeezed the boy's shoulder. the sharp thrust of bone met his palm. sawyer ignored his foster brother's trembling lower lip and forced a smile. "listen, dude, it's going to be all right. i'll get a job and come back for you, and we'll leave this shithole behind. in the meantime, keep low. don't push him, and when he drinks, lock yourself in the bathroom; there're weapons in there in case you need them."

"okay."

the flat acceptance told him danny didn't believe him.

when he left, he swore he'd make it right, but a few months later, his opportunity was gone for good.

sawyer stared at the boy before him, the past and pres-ent mingling in a strange psychedelic haze. he'd failed danny. if he let wolfe walk away without a fight, he'd never forgive himself. something deep inside him broke open and oozed out in a big mess he usually refused to deal with. his instincts screamed for him to run away and not look back.

instead, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared hard at the boy.

"i don't want you to go."

wolfe jerked. ran a hand through those damp curls. "i told you i'd stay to finish the deal."

"i'm not talking about the deal. i'm talking about you."

he took a ragged breath and tried to say the words. "you do an incredible job for me with purity. when i first took you in, i just wanted to show you another way to go. i was your age and barely surviving when a guy did me a favor and helped me. changed my whole future. that's what i originally wanted for you, but i never thought about how long you'd stay or what would occur. i never say it because i suck at mushy crap. but i got attached. i like having you around. i like the man you're becoming. and i don't want you to leave."

the vulnerability of exposing himself made him want to bolt for the door, but he forced himself to stand still. the shock on wolfe's face was almost worth it. his mouth hung open in an almost comical way before he realized it and snapped his lips closed. "but-but you're getting married."

sawyer shrugged. "so what? julietta wants you to come live with us, too. we got a big-assed mansion where you can have plenty of space and privacy. plus julietta cooks.

and we get to go to mama conte's house on sundays if we want. no maid, though, and i have a feeling women get pissy about that sort of thing, so you'll need to be neater."

the boy bit at his cuticle in the nervous gesture sawyer noted meant he was thinking hard. "i don't want to get in the way. don't want to be a charity case."

his voice flicked like a lash. "don't say that. you're no charity case to me, damnit. i care about you. i think you're an awesome kid, and i want you to stay." he paused.

"please."

sawyer caught the gleam of delight in the boy's bright blue eyes at the admission. finally, he had done something right. "okay."

sawyer grinned. he had won. "get your crap packed, because it has to be done by saturday. and you're coming to the wedding. we'll have dinner afterward and then go to the new digs."

"no honeymoon?"

"nah, too much work. are we good?"

joy bloomed when wolfe slowly nodded. a banked relief carved out the features of his face. for a crazy moment, he ached to give the boy a hug, but he kept his reaction muted, sensing it would be too much emotion for both of them to handle at the moment.

"okay. we're good."

"cool." sawyer walked out of the room, shut the door, and leaned against it in relief. once again, his ice queen had been right. he hadn't wanted to delve into the snake pit with wolfe, but it had been worth it. he wanted him in his life for the long term and if julietta hadn't challenged him, the boy would be walking away and leaving them both unhappy.

he wondered what other type of surprises his wife-to-be had in store for him.

the dominant part of his makeup roared to shove past both of their barriers and take her to bed. once he put his hands on her, she would melt and allow herself to give up control. but after only two nights, he already craved more.

going into a marriage with a woman who threatened his sanity wasn't smart. how would he handle the intimacy of seeing her on a daily basis? sharing meals? evenings? he needed time to find his balance, and that meant no sex. for now. companionship. work. simple rules. simple emotions.

as long as she never wanted more from him.

two years. he needed to bear down and last two years before he'd be able to walk away, knowing his promise was technically fulfilled. he wondered what it would be like to be a real husband to her, to build a life with children and family and fullness. but the empty place inside him was too cold, an endless landscape of arctic ice.

yes. it was too late for him.

he accepted the fact and trudged into his bedroom.

chapter thirteen

julietta gazed down at the diamond on her finger. three carats, princess cut, flawless in clarity. the setting was platinum gold with no other diamonds fighting to compete.

her husband knew her taste well-simplicity and elegance.

too bad he wasn't real.

the ceremony was exactly what she'd wanted. thank goodness venezia and dominick were in london for business. she wanted no family members there to witness the sham occurring before a catholic priest. she'd always dreamed of getting married in colleoni chapel with its famous rose window showing off the flanked carved medal-lions of caesar and trajan. the intricate detail and intimacy of the small church in bergamo provided the perfect back-drop. her elegant rivini wedding dress was exquisite with detail, from the tightly fitted strapless bodice to the spill of chiffon of the fuller skirt, fluid with movement in a deep creamy white color. the diamond combs held her hair up in a classic upsweep and flashed bright within her dark hair.

her shoes were custom-made, with encrusted diamonds over the four-inches heel and toe, playing a game of hide-and-go-peek as she walked down the aisle.

when she moved to the high altar, the rich murals and frescoes etched on the walls exploded with images of color and sacredness. her mother and wolfe stood by their sides as light streamed through the stained-glass window and julietta waited to see if god would send down a thunderbolt in a sign that this marriage was doomed.

instead, the day was mild and spring warm, and the singer lent a haunting note of beauty as she sang, her voice along with the organ's chords lifting and echoing toward the arched dome ceiling and stirring emotion julietta refused to recognize. her mother beamed with pride and a satisfaction that ripped at julietta's heart. when she recited her vows, she wondered if her father's spirit was finally pleased.

unlike her sisters, she'd rarely dreamed about weddings and had never imagined walking down the aisle with anyone.

when she gazed into those shattering golden eyes, her heart lurched in a beautiful agony of need. the truth whispered deep inside her in mocking tones.

she wanted it to be real.

what would it feel like to be the woman sawyer loved?

the one who opened up all those dark, dusty corners of his soul and let fresh, clean air blow through? he'd possess his mate with a fierceness and primitive air that no man could equal. but there was also a sweetness in his soul that called out to her. she remembered him bathing her so tenderly, the gentle touch of his finger across her cheek, the passionate way he'd ordered her never to demean herself.

"julietta? are you okay?"

she shook herself out of her musings and looked up.

the object of her thoughts stood in the doorway of the room she claimed as her office. after dinner, they'd headed to their new house, and both of them had immersed themselves in work, retreating to their separate space. wolfe had long since gone to bed. the quiet, impersonal environment mocked the idea that a wedding had taken place just hours ago. it was business as usual, with ipads and laptops and furious text messages to business associates. the house roared up and seemed to demand more personal contact from its inhabitants. "sure, just wrapping up some loose ends."