Page 149 of The Temptation of Truth

“Funny.” She rolls her eyes. “You want help?”

“Yes, please.”

I hold the jockstrap harness out to her, and she helps me step into it before pulling it up and adjusting the buckles so it’s secure, but not too tight.

“Is it comfortable to move?”

I bend my legs, one at a time, then drop into a squat, and we both start to giggle. I’m doing squats in a jockstrap harness while naked in a hotel in Iceland, and I’m giddy over it.

“It feels good.” I stand, then hand her the dildo. “Dick me up.”

Mabel snorts, and then I snort, and then we fall into laughter again, until I’m giggling so hard I have to bend over and support myself on the mattress until I catch my breath. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and I’m just so damn elated that it’s with her.

God, I’ve missed her so much.

When we’ve composed ourselves, I stand, and hand the dildo back to her.

“I like the color,” she says as she fits it through the harness. “I’m partial to glittery pink things.”

“Well, I bought it because it reminded me of you,” I say on a laugh. “It was in a sex shop in Amsterdam, and I had to get it for you.”

She freezes. “You were in Amsterdam over a year and a half ago.”

I nod. “Yeah.”

She locks her gaze with mine. “You bought this for me over a year ago?”

I hear the question within the question, and give her a small, shy smile.

“I was always going to come back to you, Mabel. It was just a question of whether you’d want me.”

“I have always and will always want you.” She rubs at her eyes and laughs. “I can’t believe I’m crying over a dildo.”

I shrug. “Itisglittery pink.”

“Facts.” She taps my hip lightly, then takes a step back. “Finished.”

I put my hands on my hips. “How do I look?”

I don’t have to ask, though. Her face says it all. “This is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

A smile, sinful and mischievous, stretches slowly across my face, and I pull confidence from the way her breathing speeds up.

“Good.” I take a few steps toward her, then drag my finger down the middle of her breasts. “Because I’m a giver, Mabel Rossi, so lie back and enjoy what I have to give.”

EPILOGUE

MABEL

I can hearthe music blaring from the backyard as soon as I get out of the car, and it brings a wide smile to my face.

I grab my bags from the backseat and head into the house, and I’m hit with the scent of florals as soon as I step into the foyer. I look around the lower level and laugh. There are fresh flower bouquets in every room. Coffee table, dining table, kitchen counter. There’s even one on the landing at the top of the stairs.

My girlfriend is a real-life flower fairy, and I am obsessed with her.

Dropping my bags on the floor, I go to the kitchen and throw together a little plate of meat, cheese, crackers, and fruit. I also fill two glasses with water, because If I know my girl, she’s covered in dirt and dehydrated.

When I’m sure I can walk without dropping or spilling something, I head out the back door and down the little stone path that leads to Aurora’s greenhouse.