He was going through the motions and had been for years. He’d done what he needed to do to get through a day and counted himself lucky to simply wake up in the morning.

Did he have any right to bring Sylvie into his world? Would she save him or end up drowning beside him?

He took a deep breath and tried to force the pessimistic thoughts out of his head.

He concentrated on how she’d felt in his arms. Soft and warm and perfect.

He wanted her. It felt good to want something again. Something for himself.

He would convince her to stay with him, that he could provide enough joy to counterbalance the annoyance of dealing with his family.

“Mr. Darois? Is everything all right? Your mother is a bit worried that something is wrong with all the comings and goings so late. She’s staying up to make sure you’re okay.” Mrs. Graham stood on the porch, still wearing the uniform she insisted was in keeping with her station in the house. It was a blue button-up dress with a white apron and sensible shoes. He’d told her she could wear whatever she liked, but she’d refused.

“I’m coming.” He had some good news for her.

He jogged into the house, hoping tomorrow would be a good day for his mother.

And a special day for him.

chapter four

“What do you mean, you’re getting married?”

Sylvie dropped her bag on the big desk in her office and turned to her assistant. “I mean, I need to move a couple of my appointments this morning because I’m getting married over at the courthouse at ten and I promised my mother we would go have a nice breakfast with Rene and Cricket after the ceremony.”

Her mother had insisted, and when she’d texted Rene to let him know, she’d gotten back a polite It would be our greatest pleasure.

She’d stared at that last word for way too long. Pleasure. In less than an hour she would be Rene’s wife, and he’d made it clear their physical relationship was all up to her. He would be more than willing to pleasure her.

She would be living with him . . . Maybe she was technically already living with him since he’d been true to his word and there had been a moving crew at her place bright and early this morning. Not that it would take them long. Most of the furniture wasn’t hers. She’d packed her own clothes and shoes and makeup. They’d quickly had her books and other possessions safely boxed up, and she’d been informed that a professional service would handle cleaning the house she’d lived in since she’d become the mayor.