CHAPTER FOUR

Absently pushing a shopping cart, Hannah wandered the aisles of the home improvement store. Knowing Sam’s history, she’d expected one night, a weekend at most was all any woman ever got from him. She’d had Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning. He’d left this morning and returned with warm beignets and coffee.

By nine-thirty, he had his duffle bag in one hand and his arm around her. “Ah, chère, I...I have to go. Maman, she expects me at church with her this morning. I’ll see you later, oui?”

Yeah, sure, oui, my ass.

She couldn’t believe she had bought into Mama Cezelia’s patter that this scent made specifically for her would attract her true love. Wear it around him and he couldn’t resist her. Hell’s bells, she and Sam had darn near bathed in it this weekend.

And where was she now? Alone, in the superstore looking at hardware she didn’t know how to use. Why? Because it reminded her of Sam.

The heavy seam of her jeans rubbed her thong against her still swollen clit. Every step down the aisles reminded her of the erotic awakening she’d experienced. Damn it, she’d never be able to look at her dining room table, kitchen island, sofa, her deck lounge or any piece of furniture in her house the same way again. It looked like she was going into debt redecorating.

No more Mama Cezelia’s special oil. When she returned home, it was going into the trash. From now on, the only oil in her kitchen would be plain old EVOO.

“What you lookin’ for, chère?” Sam’s thick, honeyed drawl flowed over her, raising her temperature to an unhealthy hundred five.

She straightened and turned to him. In heels, they were at eye level. At least she wasn’t looking up at him. No, she had the pleasure of seeing he was freshly shaved and in clean, casual jeans and a white oxford shirt. A waft of Mama Cezelia’s oil hit her, weakening her resolve. It took all her willpower not to lean forward and sniff his neck. Why was she had never noticed the hint of musk?

He cupped her chin and leaned in to kiss her.

The damned man had dabbed a bit on his pulse points. “How did you find me?”

“You weren’t at home, so I drove here first, hoping I’d find you here, because this—” He waved at the aisle. “—is where we changed our lives.”

“Changed our lives? What do you mean by that?”

He grasped her hips and pulled her hard against him, his erection pressing against her abdomen. “I want you, chère, not for one night o’ one weekend, but forever. I know your maman and papa are gone. So, I ask Maman if she want another daughter. Maybe some beautiful grandbébés. I told her I have this teacher—”

“Are you asking me to marry you?”

“Oui.”

“And you asked your mother first?” She bit back a grin as his ears turned red.

“Ah, chère, Maman, she needs to know first so if you say non, she and Mama Cezelia can set about changing your mind.”

“Well, in that case, I guess I’m going to have to say, yes.”

“Bon. This morning Maman talked to Pére Henri at the church. He said three weeks from Saturday is good day. Now that you’ve said oui, he will post the banns.” He reached into his front pocket and knelt before her. Taking her left hand, he slid an old-fashioned diamond ring onto her finger. “This was Maman’s. You’re family now, chère. There’s no gettin’ away from me, now.”

She tugged him to his feet. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she smiled at him, finally seeing beyond the laughter and fun to the love in his eyes. “Good, you’re stuck with me forever and more.”