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- Herausgeber: Slow Burn Publishing
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
Billionaire seeks surrogate…
She has a debt to repay and I have a need…for a child.
It is strictly a business transaction, nothing more. After the baby is born I’ll never see her again.
But bringing her into my home is a mistake. It could cost me everything. She’s curious. Sassy. And the biggest test to my patience.
How can I handle a child if I can’t handle her under my roof? It doesn’t help that her hormones are raging and she wants to murder me in my sleep.
I’m not that bad of a guy, I only run the mafia. And she can never find out.
This slow-burn age gap Mafia Romance is a standalone with a happily ever after.
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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UNWILLING VOW
MAFIA MARRIAGES BOOK FOUR
WILLOW FOX
Copyright © 2021 by Willow Fox
All rights reserved.
Edited by Marla VanHoy
Cover Design by MiblArt
Published by Slow Burn Publishing LLC
V2
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
CONTENTS
About this Book
Chapter 1
Olivia
Chapter 2
Jace
Chapter 3
Olivia
Chapter 4
Olivia
Chapter 5
Jace
Chapter 6
Olivia
Chapter 7
Jace
Chapter 8
Olivia
Chapter 9
Olivia
Chapter 10
Jace
Chapter 11
Olivia
Chapter 12
Olivia
Chapter 13
Jace
Chapter 14
Olivia
Chapter 15
Jace
Chapter 16
Olivia
Chapter 17
Jace
Chapter 18
Olivia
Chapter 19
Jace
Chapter 20
Olivia
Chapter 21
Jace
Chapter 22
Olivia
Chapter 23
Jace
Chapter 24
Olivia
Chapter 25
Olivia
Chapter 26
Jace
Chapter 27
Olivia
Chapter 28
Jace
Chapter 29
Olivia
Chapter 30
Jace
Chapter 31
Olivia
Chapter 32
Jace
Chapter 33
Olivia
Chapter 34
Jace
Chapter 35
Olivia
Chapter 36
Jace
Chapter 37
Olivia
Chapter 38
Jace
Epilogue
Olivia
Giveaways, Free Books, and More Goodies
About the Author
Also by Willow Fox
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Unwilling Vow
(Mafia Marriages Book Four)
Billionaire seeks surrogate…
She has a debt to repay and I have a need…for a child.
It is strictly a business transaction, nothing more. After the baby is born I’ll never see her again.
But bringing her into my home is a mistake. It could cost me everything. She’s curious. Sassy. And the biggest test to my patience.
How can I handle a child if I can’t handle her under my roof? It doesn’t help that her hormones are raging and she wants to murder me in my sleep.
I’m not that bad of a guy, I only run the mafia. And she can never find out.
This slow-burn age gap Mafia Romance is a standalone with a happily ever after.
1
OLIVIA
Once you hit rock bottom, nothing matters. Nowhere else to go but up is a lie.
You can always fall harder, faster, farther, straight to Hell.
“Tell me why you’re doing this?”
His question catches me off guard. It shouldn’t, but I don’t have an answer that he’ll want to hear. The truth isn’t pretty. It’s rough and torn around the edges, much like I am.
Broken.
Worn.
Abandoned.
“I need the money,” I say.
He’ll probably cross me off his little list.
He scribbles something down on his notepad that is situated across his lap. One leg is folded across the other.
He’s laid back, comfortable. Hell, the man could be a model.
I’m trying not to bring up my lunch.
His eyes narrow. There’s some thought fleeting through his head. I have no idea what it is and whether it involves this interview or he’s wondering what he should order for his next meal.
Jace Barone.
Billionaire. Owner and director of Barone Industries.
He owns a bunch of subsidiary companies, but Barone Industries is known for its massive reach into technology for medical, professional, scientific, and innovative purposes. At least that’s what I read in the brochure on my way up to his office.
His smile is tight-lipped. He’s barely looked at my resume, unimpressed.
“You have children at home?”
Excuse me? What kind of question is that for a job interview?
I purse my lips together. It’s none of his business. “No.”
“But you’ve done this before?” Jace asks.
He closes his leather binder containing his notepad and fiddles with his pen, tapping it against the black leather grain. “Usually, the interviewee explains why they should be chosen, what they have to offer, aside from looks.”
How dare he!
I want to wipe the smug look right off his face.
“Listen, I’m sorry. It was a mistake coming here,” I say and stand. It wasn’t entirely my choice, but I’m here, and I need a job, but I can’t be an assistant to an asshole billionaire. I have no experience, and he’s highly unprofessional. Shockingly, he hasn’t been sued.
His interview skills are significantly lacking and make me more than slightly uncomfortable.
“Sit back down,” Jace growls at me.
I slump back into the chair. I can’t imagine he’s going to hire me.
Is this to torture me? There’s desperate, and then there’s pathetic.
I’m feeling like the latter.
He places his leather folder on the desk in front of him and clasps his hands together. “I apologize if I’m a bit on edge. My personal life has been an uphill battle these past few weeks,” Jace says.
I force a smile. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not, but I appreciate your consideration,” he says. “Now, I want to know why you’d like to carry my child.”
The color disappears from my face. The room spins, and the next thing I know, all I see is darkness.
2
JACE
Did she seriously just faint during the surrogacy interview?
Interviewing at my office was a bad idea. I can’t believe Matteo, my second in command, this was his idea.
I should fire his ass.
One second, I’m talking, and she doesn’t appear to be paying attention to me. The faraway distant look made my stomach knot.
I’ve seen that look before.
My younger sister faints a lot. Unlike most people, I’ve learned to see the signs.
I leap out of my chair and catch Olivia on her way down to the ground before she can hit her head.
She blinks several times, staring up at me.
With her lying on the ground, I pull out my phone to call 9-1-1.
“That’s embarrassing,” she mutters under her breath. Olivia tries to pull away from me to stand.
“Just sit tight,” I say. “I’m calling an ambulance. You just passed out.”
“I’m fine,” she says as she sits up. “Please don’t call an ambulance.”
It’s hard not to worry, and I can’t afford to get sued. I don’t let her stand.
“Just stay there,” I insist. I crouch down to her level, keeping a close eye on her. The color is slowly coming back to her cheeks. I grab a bottle of water off my desk. It’s still sealed from this morning. I haven’t opened it for myself yet.
I twist the top off and hand it to her. “Drink,” I command. She needs to stay hydrated.
Her hands tremble as she brings the bottle to her lips.
“Do you pass out a lot?” I’m trying to make small talk. There’s no way she can be the surrogate for my child if she has health issues that lead her to pass out randomly in strange places.
She shakes her head and winces. “No, I didn’t eat breakfast.”
I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s nearly four in the afternoon. “What about lunch?”
She smiles, tight-lipped. “Skipped it.”
Why the hell hasn’t she eaten anything all day? “I think we’ve discovered the culprit,” I say.
How can she skip two meals? Is she worried about her weight? I try not to glance her over, but she’s got luscious curves. She doesn’t look like she’s starving herself, but what do I know? I’ve barely spent twenty minutes with this woman.
I reach for my phone, and she places a hand on my wrist. “Please, I can’t afford the medical bills.”
There’s desperation behind her tone. “Let me message one of my employees to get you something to eat,” I say. “It’s on me. Okay?”
She reluctantly nods.
Good, I’m glad I don’t have to argue with her and convince her to sit tight while I have to force a meal down her throat. That would be far less comfortable.
I cancel the original call and text Matteo.
Grab me some orange juice and a sandwich. The 3:30 just fainted in my office.
Matteo is typing back. Three dots flash on the screen before my stomach flops.
Your 3:30 surrogacy appointment was canceled a few hours ago.
Then who the hell is the girl in my office?
3
YESTERDAY MORNING
OLIVIA
There’s a sharp knock on my car window, startling me from slumber.
I slept in my vehicle, in the Walmart parking lot.
It’s morning and sunny out. It takes a few moments for my vision to adjust to the brightness.
Shit, it’s the mafia.
Luka Caruso, he’s don for the Caruso family. The big boss. Why the hell doesn’t one of his guys harass me instead?
Luka likes to make it known that he’s in charge of this city.
My husband, John, did business with the Carusos. Lucky me, John is dead, but he never paid his debt, and it’s been handed down to me.
Even in death, my husband screwed me over. He was a shitty husband, but he didn’t deserve to die. Late at night, sometimes I wonder if Luka Caruso is to blame for John’s death.
I roll down my window. It’s not like I have a choice in the matter. Even if I run, Luka will find me.
My mouth is dry and I worry what he might do to me. Will he cut off my fingers? Set my car ablaze?
“I don’t have it. As soon as I get a job, I’ll pay you back,” I say, desperate.
Can’t he tell that I’m living in my car? It’s not like I’m driving a new sports car and sleeping in a mansion.
He pulls out a business card. “You have an interview tomorrow. If he asks, tell him that your friend Avery Seymore sent you.”
“You know Avery?” I ask. My stomach tenses. Is she in their debt, too? I haven’t seen her since the funeral, Austin’s.
He doesn’t answer my question.
Why would I expect him to tell me anything? I’m lucky he hasn’t put a bullet in my head yet. He will if I don’t pay him back for my late husband’s debts.
How much of the city does the Caruso family own?
I should run. Leave town. Get out while I still can, while I’m alive. These men don’t play games. They murder innocent people.
I glance at the business card for Barone Industries. Everyone has heard of the company. They’re one of the top five organizations in the world.
“What kind of job is it?” I have a resume, but it’s not like I have a ton of work experience.
“Does it matter? You owe the Carusos, and we’ve come to collect. Convince Jace Barone to hire you, and we’ll let you live.”
“The billionaire?” I squeak. It’s no secret he’s one of the world’s richest men. How am I going to convince him to hire me?
What can I offer him that no other candidate can?
4
OLIVIA
There’s a shift in Jace Barone’s demeanor. His eyes flicker as he reads the text message on his screen.
“It’s really no bother. I can go,” I say. I probably shouldn’t have admitted that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. It’s not that I didn’t have time or didn’t want to eat.
I didn’t have the money.
My wallet is empty. And I’ve been living out of my car for the past two weeks since I’ve been evicted. Not that he needs to know that. I’m not here for a handout.
I’m here for a job and to fix an already bad situation, not make it worse.
I press my hands flat on the floor and intend on standing.
“Sit back down,” he commands.
“So, I guess the job is out of the question?” I laugh nervously and roll my lips together.
He runs a hand through his thick, dark hair. His dark green eyes bore into mine. I hate to admit it, but he’s devilishly handsome. Much hotter than my last fling, which put a baby into me. He left the minute I got pregnant and then came running back to marry me once the kid was born and he lost his job.
Talk about real love.
It sucks.
“Job,” he says and stares at me. His eyes tighten, and there’s that strange flicker again. His dark green irises have speckles of amber and gold mixed in. It’s hypnotizing his gaze. “What job do you think you’re here for again?” he asks.
“Now, who hit their head?” I ask.
Is he testing me and making sure that I’m coherent after the fainting spell?
“An assistant position with your organization, Barone Industries,” I say. “My friend, Avery Seymore, told me about the opening.” I recant exactly what Don Caruso told me to say.
Jace can’t know that I’m consorting with the mafia.
No one can know the truth.
“Assistant,” he mulls over the words and strokes his jaw. “I do need an assistant, but I wasn’t aware we were hiring anyone from the outside.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know an Avery, and I have to apologize for what probably felt like an interrogation earlier.”
“A quite inappropriate one, I might add,” I say.
Does he realize the type of questions that he asked could get him in hot water? Anyone else and they’d have been fired over his questions.
There’s a firm knock at the door.
“Come in,” Jace says.
Another striking gentleman in a business suit, perhaps a few years younger than Jace but not by much, brings in a wrapped deli sandwich, bottle of orange juice, and a bag of potato chips. It looks like he stopped in the cafeteria and grabbed a pre-made sandwich.
It looks delicious.
My mouth waters at the sight of it.
Maybe I can take the sandwich and scram. I don’t want to be under his scrutiny or answer any more of his inappropriate and awkward questions.
“How about you have a seat at my desk?” Jace asks.
The gentleman bringing in the food gives Jace a peculiar look. He looks older than I’d expect from an assistant. Maybe that’s why they’re hiring for the position?
“That isn’t necessary,” I say. I want to leave as quickly as I can, but I get the feeling he’s not going to let me leave until he says I can go.
“I wasn’t asking,” Jace says.
He helps me to my feet, one arm around my waist, the other on my arm as he practically lifts me.
I feel lightheaded, not that I admit it to him. The last time I had bouts of dizziness was after the funeral.
Jace keeps his hold on me, probably making sure I don’t fall. I’d be a huge liability if I got hurt, and while he’s a billionaire, I’m sure he doesn’t want to have to pay me to go away and never speak about it.
He doesn’t stay a billionaire by throwing his money around.
Jace escorts me to his enormous leather chair and makes me sit at his desk.
The material is soft and cool. It’s far more comfortable than I could have imagined. The chair probably costs more than the current value of my car parked outside.
Once he’s confident that I’m not going to fall, he glides the chair closer to the desk and swipes at the papers, putting anything confidential into his desk drawer, locking it after he’s done.
The key, on his keyring, slides back into his pocket.
The other gentleman places the food on Jace’s desk.
It’s a bit of overkill, but I reach for the orange juice first. My hands shake, and I fumble with the lid.
Jace takes the bottle from me, opens it, and hands it back.
I smile sheepishly. “Thanks.”
“Boss,” the other gentleman says and nods toward the door.
“I have some things to deal with. Can you sit here, eat your lunch, and not get into trouble?” Jace asks.
I feel like he’s talking to me as if I were a young child. He is putting himself out for me, though, so I nod and take a sip of my orange juice. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I want to leave, but he’s probably right. If I pass out in the elevator, who is going to help me down to the car?
And I can’t afford an ambulance ride, let alone a massive bill from the hospital, which is what I would get without insurance.
Jace retreats from the office, closing the door.
He’s standing on the opposite side. I have no clue what he’s saying, but he’s quite animated with his colleague.
Jace looks pissed.
Is it because of me?
Is he upset that the gentleman took a few minutes to grab me something to eat? I don’t want to be an imposition.
I unwrap the sandwich. While I want to savor every bite, I can’t. I’m starving.
A turkey sandwich never tasted so delicious in my life. I don’t care that the bread is cold, slightly stale, and dry.
I gulp the orange juice between bites. The taste is rich and thick. Sweet like molasses. Best of all, there isn’t any pulp. However, I wouldn’t be particularly picky.
Already, my head feels attached again, and the dizziness vanishes with each passing minute as I devour my free meal.
As soon as I finish my lunch, I’ll head out. Hopefully, he won’t be by the door, and I can sneak out, never to see him again.
5
JACE
“Who’s the girl?” Matteo asks.
I’m standing across from him just outside my office. I can see Olivia through the open blinds. The blinds were added at my insistence, to give a modicum of privacy, but now I realize there’s hardly any privacy at all.
“Olivia Summers. She thought she was interviewing for an assistant position,” I say and rake my fingers through my hair.
How the hell did this get screwed up?
Matteo’s cheeks burn. “I fucked up, boss. I should have told you directly that your interview was canceled.”
“Who the hell sent Ms. Summers upstairs to my office?” I’m about ready to have their head.
“I’ll find out for you, sir,” Matteo says.
I exhale a heavy puff of air, staring at the girl seated at my desk.
No one ever sits in Don Barone’s chair.
Ever.
But the longer I stare at her through the blinds, the more I realize I want her.
Not for an assistant. And certainly not intimately.
Don’t get me wrong, she’s hot, with a rocking, curvy body, but I don’t mix business with pleasure. The last thing I need is some girl learning my deep, dark secrets.
They’re secrets for a reason.
I hardly ever date as it is. There are too many women out there looking to chase after my money. It’s easier to play the field.
Safer.
Cheaper.
I don’t need a girlfriend hanging on my arm at functions. I’m the boss of Barone Industries. Who the hell do I have to impress? No one.
“I want her,” I say, staring at her through the window.
“Excuse me?” Matteo says and clears his throat. He’s expecting me to say something else and pretends he didn’t hear what I said.
No, he heard me correctly.
“I want her as my surrogate.”
“Sir, you can’t just go in there and—”
“The hell I can’t. I’m Jace Barone.” I do whatever the hell I damn well please. It helps that I have more money than I need, and I get the feeling the little tiger in there is desperate for a job.
Except it’s not the job she came in here hoping to get hired for.
“Think about what you’re suggesting, sir,” Matteo says.
He’s always levelheaded. Calm.
I’m impulsive.
He’s the yin to my yang. It’s what makes him a great second.
But I’m the boss, not Matteo. Which means even my worst ideas I can see through. No one can fire me. Sure, I have a board of directors whom I have to deal with, but I’m not suggesting that this little tiger come and work for me professionally.
Though it’s not the worst idea.
Sleeping with her, burying my cock inside her tightness, is the absolute worst idea.
And fuck it if I can’t keep a clear head.
Most women chase me. The fact that she seems immune to who I am, it’s sexy as hell.
Hell, she’s sexy. Just the way she carries herself and isn’t afraid to speak freely. That’s hot as sin.
I return my attention to Matteo. He can object all he wants. I always get my way.
“I have contract lawyers who can ensure everything will go smoothly.”
“Even so, to even make such a suggestion could be grounds for a lawsuit. The woman came into your office for an assistant position and then you suggested she become a surrogate. We’ve been using an agency. Don’t you think it’s best if we continue to do things as we have been?”
He can tell the agency to go fuck themselves. No one notified me that the surrogate had canceled our appointment. They should have reached out to me directly, not my second, Matteo. It was probably an oversight, but one that is a problem.
“I think I should ask her before dismissing the idea entirely,” I say, staring at Matteo.
I fail to hear the office door open.
Olivia steps out, her pale blue eyes wide and bright. She tucks a strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. She’s beautiful.
Stunning.
I can imagine the perfect mix of our children. While I hope it’s a boy to carry on my legacy, I’d even be happy with a little girl who would resemble her.
She’s what I’ve been looking for.
While unconventional at best, I’ll give her a choice.
The decision is entirely up to her.
But I always get what I want.
“Thank you for lunch. I should head out,” Olivia says, glancing between me and Matteo. Her shoulders are slumped. She’s trying to be invisible, but that’s not possible.
I could never forget a woman like her, and we’ve just met.
“Before you leave,” I say and rest my hand on her arm. I guide her back into my office and shut the door before Matteo can interrupt.
I’m sure he’s biting his tongue, wanting to scream how bad an idea this is. I’m no idiot. I never thought it was ideal, but sometimes things happen. Opportunities fall at your feet on your doorstep, and you have to take them.
I’m giving her that opportunity.
The chance of a lifetime.
“I don’t want to take up any more of your time. I’m sure you’re busy, and you’ve already been too kind,” Olivia says. She’s fumbling with her words.
There’s a nervousness to her exterior, which is sweet, endearing. In another life, we might have had a chance.
But I’m not that man, the sweet, wholesome husband.
I can’t be that man.
I’ll never be him. I’ve accepted my role, my fate. I’ve spent my life focusing on my organization, both Barone Industries and the family, the men I support.
There’s no room for a wife or queen on the throne.
“I have an offer that I’d like to make you,” I say and clear my throat.
Olivia’s eyes widen. They’re the brightest blue that I’ve ever seen. They sparkle from the reflection of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It’s sunny outside. Blindingly so today.
“You’re offering me the assistant job?” she asks.
“No,” I say. I keep my voice calm and collected. I don’t want to lead her on in any way. “Have a seat.” I gesture to the chair that she was in earlier for the interview.
I perch myself at the edge of my desk while she sits. This way, I’m close enough if she has another fainting spell that I ensure I’ll catch her.
“Do you faint very often?” I ask.
Her brow furrows. “No, this is the first time that I’ve ever passed out,” Olivia says. “I’m sorry. What does this have to do with the offer that you’re making?”
It’s no wonder she’s confused. I haven’t spelled things out for her. “I am looking to hire a surrogate,” I say.
“Let me guess. You aren’t hiring an assistant?” Olivia asks, disappointment all over her face.
“Not at this time,” I say. I clasp my hands together in front of me. “I am searching for a woman who would be willing to carry my child. Have you had kids before?”
“You’re asking me to be the surrogate?” Olivia coughs, and I reach for the bottle of water from earlier, offering it to her. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little flustered. I didn’t expect that type of offer.”
“I’d be willing to pay the surrogate fifty thousand dollars per month, along with a healthy stipend for maternity clothes and any other necessities. Medical care would be paid and provided for by my physician of choice. I want the best for my child.”
She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth.
I’ve made her uncomfortable. I should have seen that coming. I’m not an idiot, but asking her was downright stupid.
“Have you had children before?” I ask.
It’s a requirement with the surrogate agency for a woman to have had at least one healthy, full-term pregnancy and delivery.
“Yes, a son,” she whispers. “He’s, uh, with his father.”
I glance at her hand. “You’re divorced?” I don’t see a ring on her finger.
Her eyes tighten, but she doesn’t answer.
It’s unusual for a father to have full custody.
Could she not afford a good lawyer? I want to help her.
Matteo would scream at me to back off and leave well enough alone. But I can’t do that. I don’t want to do that.
“How about I let you think it over,” I say. I retrieve a business card from my wallet and flip it over, scribbling my cell phone number on the back.
I hand her the card, and she exhales a shaky breath.
“Let me know what you decide.”
Wordlessly, she takes the card from me.
I escort her out of my office and to the elevator, ensuring she finds her way downstairs. I press the down button, and she stands there, staring at the card.
The elevator dings, and she steps inside.
“Just think about it.”
