“We’re standing in a tree,” Nora said, “waving at giraffes. I think the paint fumes did permanent damage.”

Cyrus laughed. “Paulina showed it to me on our first real date. I knew about the tree, but I didn’t know you could see the giraffes until she dared me to climb it.” He couldn’t wait to bring their kids here.

“You and Paulina are a great couple,” Nora said. “You two have my blessing.”

“Good. I was thinking about not marrying her until you said that.”

She glared at him. “Smartass.” One giraffe stuck its tongue out at another. She laughed gently. “Céleste has to see this.”

“What about Søren’s son? Fionn? When’s he coming to visit?”

She blinked. He saw her do it and he wished he hadn’t asked. “He’s not.”

They were quiet together a moment, watching the giraffes.

“You ready to get down?” he asked.

“Almost.” She reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a set of beads—rosary beads.

Nora clutched them in her hand for one second more, then reached up and draped them over a low branch. They carefully climbed down, leaving the silver rosary beads glinting solemnly on a high branch.

“Feel better?” he asked once they were on the ground again.

“A little,” she said. Then, “Do you really want me at your wedding?”

“Yeah, I do. Paulina does, too.”

“What the hell are you going to tell people when they ask who I am? Just your friendly neighborhood dominatrix?”

“I’ll tell them the truth. I’ll tell them you’re my friend.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be there. It’ll be my honor.”

They both stood back to get a good long view of the tree.

“Pretty tree,” Nora said.

“Yeah,” Cyrus had to agree. “It’s not too bad.”

He took her hand in his and squeezed it. She squeezed back.

“You were kidding about wearing a leather catsuit to my wedding, right?”

“Guess you’ll find out.”

The End.

About the Author

Tiffany Reisz is the USA Today bestselling author of the Romance Writers of America RITA®-winning Original Sinners series from Harlequin’s Mira Books.

Her erotic fantasy The Red—self-published under the banner 8th Circle Press—was named an NPR Best Book of the Year and a Goodreads Best Romance of the Month. It also received a coveted starred review from Library Journal.

Tiffany lives in Kentucky with her husband, author Andrew Shaffer, and two cats. The cats are not writers.

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More Books by Tiffany Reisz

Novels

THE BOURBON THIEF

THE LUCKY ONES

THE NIGHT MARK

THE RED (The Red #1)

THE ROSE (The Red #2)

The Original Sinners Novels

THE SIREN (Book #1)

THE ANGEL (Book #2)