Page 75 of Love Me Tomorrow

“You would be.”

“A man has to have his prerogatives.”

“You’re ridiculous,” she teases.

I tip her head to the left, pull back her hair, and eye the tiny, delicate bird that I tattooed behind her ear months and months ago. Next time I get her naked, I’ll find each and every tattoo I’ve marked on her skin. Kiss them, touch them. For now, I only brush my thumb over the black bird caught in mid-flight, relishing the shiver that wracks her shoulders. “Chasing shadows only steals the light, Rose.”

Startled, her wide gaze slips up to my face. “Who told you that?”

“My cellmate. First time I was in. Big, hulking bastard that was in for armed burglary. Nice enough guy if you didn’t bring up poker.” His is a motto I’ve lived by ever since. “That’s when the ink comes in for me. I feel the emotion. Allow it to submerge me and capture the downward spiral. And then I purge the fuck out of it by putting it on my skin. A memory. A piece of me etched in deep. Then I let it go.”

I don’t miss the way she scours me with her gaze. She studies my bare chest, my arms, the base of my throat, with more concentration than she ever has before. “Did you ever ink something about me? After California?”

Take the leap of faith.

Trust her.

I circle her wrist with my fingers, then bring her hand to my chest. In a low, guttural voice, I confess: “Hope is a funny thing. You beat it down. You starve it from within an inch of its life. But the shit goes nowhere. You may have sent me home, and you may have stayed on with twenty-six other dudes, and you may have told me we were nothing more than friends, but hope—stubborn as it is—didn’t take a hike.”

She draws in a sharp inhalation, looking at me like she can’t quite believe everything she’s hearing. “Owen.”

“So, no, I never did.” I offer a half-smile. “I take what I want, sweetheart. And one day, I knew I was gonna have you. I didn’t know how, and I didn’t know when, but you and me? There was always going to be a tomorrow. Always.”

Without giving me time to protest, she climbs onto my lap and drops her hands onto my shoulders. “Kiss me.”

So, I do.

Thoroughly.

22

Celebrity Tea Presents:

America’s Sweetheart Spotted in the Arms of the Inked God!

Dear Reader, I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen the evidence for myself, but Savannah Rose was spotted in the arms of Owen Harvey earlier this week. Yes,thatOwen Harvey. The inked god fromPut A Ring On It.(Have the drama gods finally answered my prayers? Yes, yes, I think they have.)

The New Orleans Dailyreported multiple sources spotting the couple dancing at what seems to be an infamous mayor’s ball in the Big Easy, and boy, did they look positivelysmitten.

For the sake of full transparency, I will admit that this is absolutely unprecedented. Eight weeks ago, we witnessed Savannah’s only emotional meltdown while on the show. The crew captured it all—the tears (Savannah’s), the stoic expression (Harvey’s), and the total pandemonium it caused within thePut A Ring On Itmansion once the other contestants realized that someone had been sent home before the cocktail party had even gotten under way. #FeelTheScandalBrewing

Now, I’m not one to gossip (HA!) but I will gladly partake in a little shameless speculation for the sake of you, my readers: I think Savannah has been seeing Harvey on the slick for months now, possibly even as soon as the show wrapped up filming back in February. Obviously, more evidence is needed before I can really solidify this theory, but, Dear Reader, you don’t do this for as long as I have without being able to read the clues well enough.

Savannah Rose and Owen Harvey clearly have a history, and it’s only a matter of time before it unravels before the entire world. The tea, as they say, is piping hot, and I’ll be waiting with bated breath to catch every moment of the impending Dramaggedon.

Because Iknowyou are dying to learn more about Owen Harvey, I’ve done a little research on Savannah’s current love interest—don’t say that I don’t have your back. Keep reading to discover the tea on our inked god, who may or may not be officially datingPut A Ring On It’s very first bachelorette.

Owen Harvey: The Details

Born: August 5, 1983 / New Orleans, Louisiana

Occupation: Tattoo Artist / Inked on Bourbon, Owner

Siblings: Gage Harvey, twin / New Orleans Police Officer

Social Media: Nothing (whoisthis man??) save for Inked on Bourbon’s online presence.

Interesting Factoids: Harvey seems to be a bit of a wild card. I did some digging (you’re welcome), and, when he was twenty, my research shows that he spent a total of three months in jail, on three separate occasions. One article linked to the Orleans Parish Prison even mentions him having been involved in a prison-yard brawl, which resulted in Harvey earning himself a fractured collarbone, a broken tibia, and a shattered arm. (Anyone else picturing a scene right out ofPrison Break?No? Just me? Perfect.)

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