Page 122 of Things We Fake
“I know your favorite chocolate.” He reached into his other pocket.
My eyes overflowed again as he took out a Toblerone candy bar and presented it to me.
That was it. I couldn’t care less about the expensive ring, about lavish gifts, or luxurious displays. Anyone could buy those things. But my man had brought me my favorite chocolate, like an otter bringing fish to its mate. To me, that was the biggest proof of love.
I wrapped my arms around him, kissing his face as he drew me into a bone-crushing embrace, our hearts beating close together.
“Just to be clear,” he whispered into my hair. “Will you marry me?”
I pulled back enough to look into his eyes. “Yes. Yes, I will.”
He brushed a strand of hair away from my face. “I promise I will never break your heart, I will always be faithful, and I will always make sure you have chocolate.”
I sniffed, unwilling to unwrap my hands from around his neck to wipe my eyes. “And I promise to be loyal forever, to respect you, and make sure I never mix your colored socks with the whites or blacks.”
“You know me so well.” He looked around. “Should we tell your family the big news?”
I glanced around at the house. Four noses were pressed to the windows.
I burst into laughter. “Let them stew a little longer. They’re on guard because of Neil. He was here today.”
I felt his biceps tense slightly under my fingers.
“What did he want?”
I shook my head. “Nothing important. I’m glad he came though. He gave me the chance to tell him what I’ve been wanting to tell him for years. Oh, and he was actually the one responsible for all the pranks. Thedating profile, the sex swing… The idiot thought he was doing some grand romantic gesture, and that you’d leave me, thinking I was a slut.”
Cam’s brow furrowed. “Wow. He did all that? And expected you to thank him?”
“Yeah. I hope Britt didn’t get the wrong idea when she received the sex swing.”
“About that…” He scratched his head. “She showed up at my door last night wearing only a raincoat and a whip.”
I stared at him, mouth agape. It was my turn to tense up. An absurd wave of jealousy washed over me. “And?”
“She didn’t believe I’d sent the sex swing because of a misunderstanding, but after half an hour of shouting, she finally understood I have no interest in her whatsoever.”
“Did you explain all this to her while she was naked?”
“I asked her to cover herself up, and when she refused I tied the raincoat around her with one of my belts. She was still stuffed up like a ham when I finally pushed her out of Sebastian’s apartment, but I left her some wiggle room so she could undo the belt eventually.”
“Oh, my God! You didn’t.” My stomach ached from laughter.
“I did. It was my favorite belt too, but I figure it was worth the sacrifice.”
Vinnie had appeared to inspect the newcomer and was sitting on the steps, studying us. I thought I detected a hint of approval in his slow-blinking yellow eyes.
When our laughter subsided, I wiped tears of mirth. “We’ve had quite an adventure together so far, huh?”
He grinned down at me. “This is only the beginning.”
Then he bentto kiss me.
Epilogue
Sue
The late August sun poured molten gold over the Tuscan hills, gilding the patchwork of vineyards and olive groves in a light so lush it felt edible. The road curled lazily—a ribbon between cypress trees, each bend revealing a landscape so picturesque it could’ve been painted by the Roman gods after a bottle of Chianti. Sitting in the passenger seat, I had one arm out the window, letting the breeze tangle through my fingers, while my other hand rested on Cam’s thigh.
