“You give me time,” she said quietly. “You let me be a real partner to you in this and you don’t treat me like some flimsy thing that needs protecting. I can handle your family. Let me sit at your side next time. If you want a queen, Rene Darois, don’t treat me like an ornament.”

He took a deep breath, looking into those gorgeous brown eyes of hers. He could lose himself in them. He nodded. “All right.”

Her lips curled up. “Good. Now show me to my room and know that if we decide to make a go of this, I might use it as a closet, but I’m not going to sleep apart from my husband.”

Hope lit inside him and he felt lighter than he had a few moments before. Sylvie Martine didn’t know if she loved him. That meant she didn’t not love him.

It meant she might decide to really love him.

He leaned over and put one arm under her knees, the other going around her back and hauling her up. “I will fill that closet with Chanel and Gucci and Prada.”

Her eyes had gone wide, but her arms had gone around his neck and there was a genuine smile on her face. “What are you doing?”

“I can’t have a real wedding night, but I can carry you over the threshold and hope that you’ll let me kiss you before I bid you good night.” He started down the hall.

“I might be persuaded to do that,” she agreed.

The night was looking up.

chapter six

“Namaste.” Joy LeGrande lowered her head and ended the session with all the reverence of a true believer, but then her head came back and all that peace and serenity was replaced with the energy only a businesswoman could achieve. “And don’t y’all forget. I’m having a jewelry party at my place on Friday. Ten percent discount to the first ten women who show up and bring a friend. I’ve got summer jewelry celebrating all our traditions.”

Hallie snorted quietly. “That means she made gator necklaces, but it’s all right because I heard the gators are all wearing crosses and holding the Bible to prove she’s not into satanism.”

Sera’s eyes widened and she leaned in from the other side of Sylvie. “Why would they think gators are satanic?”

Oh, Sylvie knew some folk could take almost anything and make it satanic. “I don’t think it’s the gators. I think it’s the yoga. Joy goes to that church outside town. They have very specific ideas about how one should move one’s body, and yoga does not make the cut. They don’t dance, either, but Joy doesn’t have a problem with that. I’ve heard she’s getting her Zumba certification.”