Passion and comfort. That was what Rene Darois was for her. He was excitement and safety, all wrapped in a gorgeous man package that got her heart racing every time she saw him.
She was about to be his wife.
She took a step back. If she didn’t, she might fall into his bed tonight. She had to take a deep breath and worried he could actually hear her heart pounding. “Okay, I think we’ve got that down.”
“I don’t know. We might need more practice, but I agree it’s enough for tonight.” His breath was slightly shaky, proving he hadn’t been unmoved. “Sylvie . . . thank you.”
Her heart threatened to melt, because that reddish blond hair of his was always perfect, and now it was slightly messy, and she could see the young man he’d been in his green eyes, the one who’d happily slept on a sleeping bag in her grandfather’s ratty old cabin and got up in the early dawn hours to spend time with an old man.
“I’m happy to do this for you.” She frowned at her next thought. “But I have to tell my mom. I’m not sure how she’s going to handle it.”
“She’s going to put a love spell on me and threaten to whammy me if I hurt you.”
Rene did know her mom. Her mother would be thrilled by the idea of putting one over on Charles Darois. She would view it as a grand adventure and throw herself into the con. “The good news is she puts all her love spells in jasmine tea. It’s pretty tasty.”
A grin crossed his face. “Good to know.”
“Hey, Rene, are you done with all the kissing stuff, because Remy caught a lucky turn and wiped me out. Hey, Sylvie.” Armie strode into the room. “I’m off for the night. What time’s the wedding?”
She felt herself flush. She’d been caught kissing Rene. Of course, since he would be her husband by tomorrow, she should probably get used to it. “The best time would be before noon. The judge takes a lot of fishing trips in the afternoon.”
“Excellent. The poker group wants to support you, and we always knew the two of you would get together,” Armie said as he headed for the front door. “See. Women aren’t the only ones who can get the word out. You need some help moving in, Sylvie?”
She was going to have to move in here. No one would believe she was Rene’s wife if she wasn’t living at Darois House. “Yeah. I’ll probably need some movers, though I’ll leave the furniture.”
“We’ll be there to help get you out asap,” Armie promised. “And I’m real happy to hear you’re giving him a second chance. ’Night, all.”
“I have to pack.” She hadn’t thought about this part at all. She’d spent all her time making the decision and then strategizing about how to deal with the family. She hadn’t thought about logistics.
Rene pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll have a team at your place in the morning. All you have to do is direct them. And I’ll put together a small reception for us. Obviously there’s no honeymoon, but we can explain that. What’s your ring size?”
She stared at him.
He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “This is what I do well. You figure out the big plan and I’ll handle all the details. I’m good with them. What kind of ring do you prefer? We’ve got several family pieces, but if you want something new, I can have it here by morning.”
She wasn’t great with details. It was why she had a very organized assistant. “I wear a seven. Whatever is fine. You pick.”
That brightened him up. “Excellent. I think we’ll go with the vivid yellow cushion cut. It’s only two carats, but it’s spectacular.”
Only two carats? She would definitely be giving that back if they got a divorce.
If. Not when. If.
Yes, she was in so much trouble.
* * *
* * *
Rene watched as Sylvie drove away in her perfectly respectable but sedate sedan. How fast could he get her a pretty Mercedes? She would look good driving around in a flashy car.
“Andre is going to kick your ass, you know.” Quaid stepped out onto the porch. He was the last of his friends to leave, but then he was likely sticking around to lecture him again on what a bad idea this whole thing was.
Quaid had been his attorney since Quaid’s father had retired and taken on fishing as a lifestyle.
“You know why I didn’t call him.”
“Because you think he’s going to have a problem with you using his sister to solve your business issues,” Quaid pointed out. “Which is precisely why you should have let me find a woman who won’t cause chaos. Or you could explain to Dre that you’ve been in love with his sister since college, and maybe he’ll be cool with his best friend and his sister having a shot at happiness.”