Carina giggled. “you’re blushing. That says it all.”

Curiosity made her face her sister. “Hmm, since you could have been in my place, maybe I should ask you. Didn’t you spend some time with Sawyer before Max?”

Carina made a face. “I didn’t fool around with my new brother-in-law, Julietta! We shared a short kiss that meant nothing. He was a nice distraction while I trying to make Max jealous. But he had all this brooding, sexual energy that seemed quite yummy for the right woman. It wasn’t like that at all between us.” Her dark eyes sparkled. “But with you he’s so different. Calmer. Happier.”

Julietta jerked back. “really? How do you know?”

The women shared a worried glance. “Why do you seem surprised?” Carina asked gently. “you got married. you’re obviously madly in love. Is something else going on?”

odd, she’d always been close to her sisters but had never shared her personal secrets. Venezia was too different to understand, and Carina was always too young. The girlfriends she hung with were always chosen from work and rarely scratched the deeper surface of sharing thoughts, dreams, and fears. Her innate loneliness had become such a part of her makeup, she’d never thought to question it. But since Sawyer had stormed into her life, she craved more.

Including friendship.

Her heart pounded and she dragged her sweaty palms down the length of her skirt. “We didn’t elope like we told everyone. We had to get married.”

Carina gasped. “Are you pregnant?”

“No. Mama made us.”

A short silence fell over the table. The sounds of the band starting up, glass tinkling, and laughter rang out.

Maggie cleared her throat. “Umm, Julietta, I think you need to tell us everything.”

Julietta did. When she was done with the whole story, a lightness tingled through her body. For the first time, she didn’t feel so isolated. How silly of her to be so afraid of opening up. The serious looks on their faces told her how much they cared about her, and that her fight was theirs.

Carina took her hand and squeezed. “I’m so sorry, Julietta. I had no idea you were going through this.

Meanwhile, I was telling the girls we finally had proof the love-spell book worked.”

The memory of creating the love spell and burning her list in the fire shimmered before her. Such an odd coinci-dence. “Nope, I guess this time it didn’t have the power. At least not compared to Mama.”

Carina took a deep breath. “I have my own truth to tell.

Mama made me marry Max.”

Julietta gasped. “What are you talking about? you married in Vegas.”

Her sister nodded. “We slept together. Mama came to visit and found us. She threatened Max and me, and we ended up eloping.”

Maggie drained her margarita in one long gulp. “you guys are starting to freak me out here. you’re making her sound like some crazy mob boss.”

“Her reasons were solid, and Mama is very strict on tra-ditional values and doing the right thing. She also told me she knew I was in love with Max and that she would never have forced me to marry someone I didn’t love.”

“Weird. Two forced marriages in one family.” Maggie frowned, as if a thought flickered past. “you know, I’m not sure you know this, but your brother and I weren’t really married when we came to visit you guys. It was supposed to be a fake to let Venezia get married.”

Julietta’s mouth slid open. “No. Not possible.”

“yeah. I never planned on saying anything, but it seems this is confession time.” She gave a laugh. “of course, the fake marriage ended up real when your mother surprised us. Father richard showed up, and all of a sudden, I was saying vows and . . .” She trailed off. “oh. My. God. Do you think Mama knew we were faking it? She was sick, and Michael was afraid to say no.”

Carina pressed her lips together. “remember how surprised we all were when she was perfectly fine a few hours later? Like nothing ever happened. Maggie, I bet she knew and forced you to marry Michael!”

They all lapsed into quiet, analyzing the actions of the woman who’d raised them. Maggie whistled. “Damn, she is a mob boss. A love-mob boss. I don’t know whether to yell at her or kiss her.”

Alexa spoke up. “Umm, since we’re all confessing how we fell for our husbands, I think it’s my turn. Mama Conte wasn’t involved, though. But I ended up marrying Nick for money to save my mother’s home. We struck a bargain to be married for a year. No sex, no love, nothing.” She grinned.

“of course, that didn’t work out the way we planned, thank God. We fell in love and eventually worked it out. But isn’t it strange how all of us at this table were forced to marry our husbands?”

Maggie grabbed her wallet and slid off the stool. “Wait here. I’m getting another round for everyone. We need some serious alcohol.”

Carina leaned across the table. “you need to tell him the truth, Julietta. He loves you—I see it in his eyes when he looks at you. And the way he treats Wolfe? He watched over him the whole time at Mama’s. Making sure he was comfortable, trying to engage him in conversation. When Dante jumped on his lap and Wolfe smiled, Sawyer looked so damn happy it was like he was his father.”

Alexa nodded. “Sometimes you have to take your shot.

It may have started because Mama Conte bullied you and on paper it sounded like a good arrangement, but he has real feelings for you. He’s probably terrified, and you’ll need to take the plunge. What do you have to lose?”

Everything.

“It could change us,” she whispered. “As long as we don’t push, things can stay the same. We’re content. We still have each other. Maybe with more time, he’ll come around.

Sawyer was very clear he doesn’t believe in love.”

Alexa smiled gently. “Nick was the same way. Something was broken inside, but eventually we were able to heal it together. He still has some flashbacks from his lousy par-ents, but we deal with it. He knows I’m not going anywhere.

Sawyer needs to know you’ll fight for him. you deserve happiness, Julietta. A real marriage. Maybe children one day.”

Carina nodded. “And if Sawyer can’t give this to you, you may have to make a choice. When Max and I had trouble, I realized it became more about me. I didn’t think I was worthy of him. Took a while to get my head on straight and then I got him back. Something tells me you’ve always avoided relationships for a very good reason. once you figure it out, you don’t have to be scared any longer.”

Her sister’s words crashed through her with a bone-deep truth. How many years was she going to wait to feel worthy of love? Would she spend the rest of her time work-ing endlessly, being satisfied on paper but empty in her soul?

Maggie plunked the drinks down and grinned. “Guy tried to pick me up at the bar. So cool. Now, let’s finish this group therapy session and do some dancing. Salute.”

The glasses clinked.

…

Sawyer rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. Two a.m.

He didn’t expect her to come to him tonight, but he couldn’t seem to fall asleep until he knew she’d gotten home safe.

He cocked his knee for a better position. of course, she was fine. She was in a close-knit group, and Maggie could kick anyone’s ass, but he’d expected her a few hours ago. What if she drank too much and got sick? Would Carina call him?

He shifted for the hundredth time and glanced at his cell phone. Maybe he’d call. Just once. Maybe— The sound of heels clicking echoed in the air.

relief coursed through him. She was safe. Good. He ached to open his door to see her himself, but he forced himself to remain in bed. Time to go back to sleep. Nothing more to worry about.

Long minutes ticked by. He heard the adjoining bath-room door open. Water running. He imagined her brushing her teeth, donning her nightgown, and falling into bed.

She’d probably fall into a deep slumber from a fun night out while he’d been tortured for hours babysitting, male sitting, and then waiting for her to come home.

He punched the pillow. rolled over.

The door opened.

The hallway light splashed through and illuminated her naked body. She stood perfectly still and let him drink his fill. The high tilt of her breasts, the hard stab of strawberry nipples. Her dancer-type body was beautiful in its muscled symmetry and grace, the curve of hip, length of thigh, right to the perfectly trimmed dark mound that covered her sex.

He sat up in bed and waited.

She crossed the room, hips swaying, hair brushing her naked back in a sleek waterfall of dark silk. Her eyes were filled with a focus and purpose that stopped his heart. He opened his mouth to halt her, half afraid of her intentions, but his dick had swelled to the max and Sawyer knew he’d sell his fucking soul to claim her tonight.

She crawled, on hands and knees, across the bed. Swung her leg over him and straddled his thighs. A groan rose up and escaped. He reached for her.

“No.” The velvety, dark voice of a powerful goddess made him pause. “you’re not allowed to touch me. Tonight we play by my rules.” She shook out her hair and ran her fingers down his cock. “Hands over your head. Grip the head rails.”

A strange panic fluttered through him. He never played sub and was uncomfortable not being in control. No way.

“Baby, you know you love it when I’m in charge. Let me show you how much I missed you.”

He reared up to flip her over, but those gentle hands suddenly wrapped around his erection and squeezed. Hard.

The breath let loose from his chest, and arousal hit and grabbed him in a death grip. His balls tightened at her calm power. “Wrong. We play my way, or I leave. I’m not kidding, Sawyer. Think carefully before you decide.”

Holy shit, her demand touched his skin with pure flame.

He studied her face, looked into her eyes, and realized something else was going on, something he didn’t know and didn’t want to find out. He opened his mouth to call it off, but her hand did some magic stroking, and he shuddered helplessly.

Sawyer slid his arms over his head and grasped the rails.

She purred like a cat and all that silky skin poured over him like warm sticky honey. He’d play her game for a few, then wrest back control when she was too far gone.

Confident in his plan, he enjoyed the shift of her body and the clench of her thighs as she adjusted herself over him.

He waited for the ease of foreplay, the glide of her mouth over his, the stroke of her hands on his body.

Instead, she lowered her mouth and took his shaft deep.

He bucked up at the sudden move and gritted his teeth.

Jesus, her tongue swirled around and licked with an exper-tise that made his eyes roll in the back of his head. Her hair spilled over his stomach and thighs, the strands sweeping and tickling his skin and wrapping him in a sensual cocoon.

Completely under her spell, his fingers tightened on the wooden spindles.

She demolished him. Her teeth scraped the underside of his length, while her fingers massaged his testicles. Deep moaning sounds from her mouth vibrated off his erection and tumbled through his body. He stretched to monstrous proportions until his skin was pulled so tight he didn’t think he could hold off any longer.