Page 168 of Outcast’s Vow

I nod at the sheet.

“Is that it?”

His cheeky smile widens.

“Might be.”

“Okay, unveil it.”

With a happy flourish, he does. The sheet slides off, and underneath is a framed painting.

But it’s not just any painting.

“Is that...”

“Yes, Highness, it is.”

It’s Juniper Wren’s My Soul on the Rocks.

My mouth hangs open. I am floored.

“Is it real?” I ask.

“I hope it is,” my husband replies. “I paid a lot of money for it.”

“How? Wren’s a recluse. She doesn’t sell her art. This painting has been fought over for years.”

Baptiste shrugs.

“I’ve got Fabien,” he explains. “He’s in the art world. He has connections. It was a difficult pursuit, but you know how much I love those...”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is.”

I shake my head, letting the surprise land.

“I can’t believe it,” I say quietly. “I love it.”

Baptiste beams.

“I love you, Sylvie.”

“It must’ve been so much trouble to get.”

“Any trouble is worth it for you, Highness. Trust me, you are trouble.”

Now it’s my turn to cheekily smile.

“I’m your trouble,” I reply.

“From the first day,” my husband says. “Trying to find you in that rainforest. The way you gave me hell those days we were together. You were a troublesome prize for me.”

“And you were everything I feared,” I retort.

“Now look at us.”

“Married.”