Liam's hand fell to his side. He'd probably reached the same conclusion. "We should head over to the kids' zone."
"Right." She backed up a few steps and he used his crutches to put another few feet between them.
Where the chemistry between them on the field and in the office had energized her, their almost kiss initiated an awkward tension that felt as heavy as the humidity weighing down the air. Sipping the rest of her water, Claire did her best to look anywhere but at Liam.
When they finished, he tugged his mask in place and waited for her to do the same. Then he tossed her the keys to the golf cart. "You drive. I'll navigate."
Claire nodded and slid into the driver's seat. She'd done without a lot of things over the years. Ignoring her attraction to Liam wouldn't be that hard, would it?
CHAPTER SIX
SAVANNA
FOR THE THIRD TIME in an hour, Savanna checked her appearance in the full-length mirror by her closet. Slade had been mysterious on the phone. Dress casually and don't wear high heels had been his only clues. Not knowing their destination bugged her like crazy, but he'd had a point: if she didn't know what to worry about, then she wouldn't waste time worrying.
Instead, she'd spent the week thinking of him and trying to guess what he might have planned.
Hopefully, the dark jeans, white shirt, shrunken red leather jacket, and brown leather ankle boots would be appropriate.
She didn't think he'd suggest they go skydiving or anything that extreme, but who knew? An adrenaline-junkie might not see that as extreme.
The loud rumble of an engine burst over the late afternoon stillness. Rather than fading away, it cut abruptly in front of her apartment. She lifted the curtain away from her bedroom window. In the parking space directly across from the small patch of lawn separating her building from the parking lot, Slade swung off of a large motorcycle. A black leather jacket molded to his shoulders and torso and faded jeans encased long legs. With his boots and dark Aviator glasses, he looked sexy and a hint dangerous.
Her pulse pounded, lit with nerves and anticipation. She dragged her gaze back to his bike. Black and chrome, it gleamed in the sun. A far cry from her safety-first gray sedan parked in the next spot. Maybe she should offer to drive.
Unless that was the date. Her clinging to him while he sped the bike along the roads with nothing more than their clothes as protection from possible collisions.
Swinging a black helmet, Slade strolled toward her sliding glass door. A moment later, the intercom buzzer sounded and Savanna rushed to answer it. He smiled and waved through the glass and then pulled off his glasses and tucked them into his shirt collar.
She tugged the door until it slid wide enough to gain him entrance. "Hey."
His gaze roamed from her eyes to her boots and his smile widened. "You look great."
"What I'm wearing is okay for what you have planned?"
"It's perfect."
"Good." She self-consciously tugged at her jacket. "Then what do you have planned?"
"Do you really want to know now or should I keep quiet until we get there?"
Her flat shoes put her eyes level with his neck. She raised her gaze until it connected with his laser blue stare. "You mean the exciting date isn't riding on the motorcycle? I heard you pull up."
"No, but I thought we'd take my bike to get there."
"I've never ridden on one."
He stepped closer until only a foot separated them. The scent of leather mixed with cologne beckoned her closer. "Do you want to? I promise I won't go too fast. It's a great ride. There's nothing like it."
When he put it that way, with the promise in his voice and the heat in his gaze, how could she say no? But fear wiggled its way through. "What about a helmet? I won't ride without one and I won't take yours."
"I have that covered." His fingers linked with hers and he pulled her through the open door and over to his bike. He opened a side compartment and pulled out a helmet painted in teal with tiny particles that sparkled in the sun. "This one is yours."
The bright color made her smile. "Teal is my favorite color."
"I know. You told me when we were in the cafeteria." He pressed the helmet into her hands. "I picked this up for you yesterday."
"You bought me a helmet?"
"I want this to be fun for you. I thought if you liked it enough, maybe you'd go for a ride with me again sometime."
"Slade." Her nerves quieted. "Thank you."
A shrug accompanied his grin. "We should get going so we don't miss our reservation."
"We're going to dinner?"
"Dinner will be included." He walked back with her and waited while she grabbed her purse and locked her door. "We're actually doing something that I've never done before."
She pulled up short. "Wait. What?"
"But it's safe. I swear. I did my research." He drew her helmet over her head and fastened it before donning his own. "I can't wait to share it with you."
The excitement glinting in his eyes was a contrast to the apprehension tensing her muscles and slowing her steps to the motorcycle. When he swung his leg over the bike with practiced ease and tapped the seat behind him, fresh frustration washed through her. She didn't want to be afraid anymore. She needed to break whatever it was inside her that so strongly resisted taking chances.
She climbed on behind him. "I'm ready."
"Hold on tight." He moved her hands from the sides of his waist to fully wrap around his hard torso.
Pressed against his back, she inhaled the scent of leather and Slade. The warmth of his jacket seeped through her shirt and when the engine roared to life, her pulse leapt and goosebumps dotted her skin. His hand closed over hers and squeezed, and then they were moving. Out
