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Zo: I’m okay. Just walking around. Spent some time with Amethyst. I really want to ride her.
Me: Well then I’ll take you out this week. Have you ever ridden a horse before?
Zo: Once. Long time ago.
Me: We can get you up on the horse again. Wanted to see if you wanted to go out tonight. The NorthPark has a movie night every Saturday in September.
Zo: Yeah. That sounds like fun. I’d love to go.
Me: Okay. Meet me at the house around five.
Feeling a sense of relief that she agreed, I get in my vehicle and start my day.
* * *
I pull up to my house a little after five. Stepping through the door, I disarm the security alarm and look around to see if Zoey is there.
“Zo?” I call out.
“In my room!” she yells from behind the closed door.
Walking up to her room, I knock.
“Come in.”
I open the door and step through. My jaw drops.
Zoey looks beautiful. Her red hair falls around her shoulders, framing her face. Her jeans hug her in all the right ways, especially around her ass. She has on a fitted, black V-neck tee that has ‘NOPE’ written on the front of it. Her breasts push up a bit in the shirt, giving me a great view of her cleavage.
“You all right over there, Ryker?” She walks up to me, squinting her eyes and stopping in front of my face.
“Uh, yeah. Just … you look beautiful.” My voice is hoarse as I try to regain some of my composure.
She laughs. “I’m just in jeans and a shirt.”
I blink. “There’s nothing sexier than a woman as beautiful as you in something simple like what you have on.”
Her cheeks suddenly get a rosy hue to them as she blushes from my confession. She looks down, and I place a hand on her cheek. Her eyes are sad when they meet mine again.
“Zo, just in case you’re overthinking my words, I’m not kidding. So, get out of your head and forget whatever’s upsetting you.” My thumb strokes her cheek, making my skin feel like it’s on fire. Every time I touch her, electricity shoots through my body, igniting every nerve ending I have.
“It’s not that. That’s actually the nicest thing anyone has said to me in quite a while. I’m just a little embarrassed,” Zoey confesses. Her lips are trembling, and it takes all my willpower to not claim them as mine.
“Darlin’, there’s no reason to be embarrassed. But I’ll make a mental note that you need more of those compliments in your life.” I wink and tap my head.
My restraint starts to slip, so I do the only thing I can that will allow me to keep touching her but not push her. I wrap my arms around her and bring her into me, resting my cheek on the top of her head. I close my eyes and breathe her in, smelling vanilla.
“Nothing I ever say or do will ever be to hurt you. I promise you that, Zoey.”
Hearing me, she nods her head against my chest. I pull away, give her a smile, and walk into my room to get changed.
Once we get to the park, we find an empty area near the back and set up our blanket. The city uses one of the walls from the maintenance building in the park to cast the movie on. People are spread out along the grass on blankets, and some kids run around between the playground and the movie area. My mother knew we were going tonight, so she was kind enough to pack us a little picnic to sit and eat while we watch the movie.
I pull out the fruit and sandwiches and lay them out in front of us. Zoey immediately grabs herself some food.
“So, what movie is it tonight? And they do this every Saturday?” Zoey asks as she unwraps a sandwich and takes a huge bite. “Oh my God, this is good.” She moans, grinning wide.
Clearing my throat and trying not to get turned on by her moans, I reach for my sandwich. “Yeah, they do this every Saturday in September. Weather permitting, of course, but it’s a nice way to bring the town together. Tonight, I think it’sGrease.”