Page 79 of My Promise To Keep

I mean, I hadn’t, but now…

‘A lioness with a fuckin’ crown no less.’

‘It’s not a crown.’ I look down at the design. She’s beautiful, her eyes are bright and beautiful, the flowers surrounding her are soft in comparison to her strength, and the jeweled mandala on her forehead could be, okay, yeah, maybe it’s a crown.

‘Zoe, he is Leo —lion.And he gave you a lioness, a queen, his fuckin’ queen. This is the most romantic shit I’ve ever seen.’ She gulps her wine. ‘Fuck, I am so single.’

Did he do this on purpose? I gave him free rein. I let him tattoo what he wants, I always have, but why this? It’s not the design he originally put on me, so why did he change it?

‘You think he…’

‘Loves you? Yes, that is very apparent.’ She sips again, and we turn to look out across her backyard from our spot on the porch.

‘How am I going to explain this to Doug?’ The thought pops out of my mouth, and she snaps her gaze to me.

‘Maybe just don’t. Maybe you just stop hiding this thing with a man you’re clearly in love with.’ I inhale sharply. ‘Whyareyou still hiding it? It’s been two months that plays like a movie montage of sex scenes and saccharine-sweet dates. It’s obviously serious.’

‘I know, I just…’ Do I tell her about my reservations? Do I admit my fears about the future? ‘I just kind of love being able to see him without the pressure of everyone knowing.’

Bree nods, and I think she actually gets it.

‘So, what’s next?’

‘We’re going away together for the weekend.’

‘Where?’ She smiles softly.

‘I don’t know. He wants to surprise me.’

‘Goddammit, Zo. I want one of those.’

I laugh. My sister is beyond happy for me. I just wish she could meet somebody, too.

Plenty Of Dates. Plenty Of Sex

Zoe

Leo pulls into theparking lot of a hotel, and I turn to look at him, surprised.

‘What?’ He laughs at my expression as he turns into a space and puts the car in park.

‘What the hell is this?’

We said we would date. I wasn’t expecting fancy Atlanta hotels right off the bat.

Turning to me, he grins. ‘Zoe, this is our first night in a hotel together. I wanted it to be special.’

I bite my lip, but I can’t fight my smile. ‘You’re cute.’

‘Oh, trust me, what I’m doing to you the second we get into our room is the furthest thing from cute.’ He winks and then opens his door as my mind goes crazy with the possibilities.

‘Hello, welcome to theA. Do you have a reservation?’

The lady behind the desk smiles as we approach, and Leo steps up. He checks us in while I take in the lobby. It’s beautiful; glass and mirrors and lights make it seem like everything is floating. I pull out my cell phone from my back pocket and snap a few photos. Then I feel Leo’s hand on my lower back.

‘Come on, munch.’

He leads me over to the elevators, and then we travel up eleven floors. The corridor leading to the room is less dramatic than the lobby, but it’s neat and spacious and doesn’t have that funky foot smell that some hotels get.

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