"I've been on a few dates with him already."
"But how do you know he's a good man? You can't trust these superstars."
"You're generalizing, Mom. I've known him for three years. He does a lot of work with the kids in the foundation."
"Hmm." Mom poured coffee, then handed Savanna one of the steaming cups. "Careful, it's hot."
She bit back her response that yes, she could see the steam rising from the cup the same way she'd held in her retort when her mother had cautioned about the knife's sharpness while Savanna had sliced strawberries earlier.
Dad reached for the creamer. "Where is he taking you?"
"I don't know yet. It's a surprise." Again, Slade had told her to dress casually. Her shorts, blouse, and sandals fit that description.
On screen, the camera zoomed in to a close-up of Slade, his face lit in a grin, laughing at something one of his teammates said. His stats were displayed across the bottom of the screen.
Mom sighed. "Well, what is he like?"
"He's kind. Generous. Adventurous."
Dad frowned and held out his phone. Photos of Slade filled the screen. "He's a thrill-seeker. I typed in his name and there's as many photos of him doing something dangerous as there are of him on the baseball field."
"Savanna." Mom set her cup down. "You shouldn't get involved with a man like that. He'll end up getting you killed."
She huffed out a breath and stared at the ceiling, cursing herself for ever mentioning that she was dating Slade. "He's not reckless. He's very... careful with me. We've gone for a hot-air balloon ride and indoor rock climbing."
Mom squeezed her eyes closed and massaged her forehead with all ten fingers. "I'm going to worry about you tonight, not knowing where you are or what you're doing. You better call me when you get home."
"I'm not a kid. I can take care of myself."
"Not if you get injured. Look, there he is inside a race car. You can't take care of yourself if you hit a wall at two hundred miles an hour."
Oh. My. God. Shaking her head, she stalked to the window. "I wouldn't go zooming around a track at that speed. He knows that. You're being crazy and not giving me enough credit."
"I'm not crazy for caring about you. What do his parents think of him doing these things? Do they approve?" Mom matched her temper for temper.
But at the mention of his parents, Savanna's anger faded. "He doesn't have any. He was adopted as a baby and didn't have a good home life. I think it was actually pretty bad."
The fire sparking in her mother's eyes fizzled and her face creased in concern. "That poor boy."
"I know." She sighed and then gave her mom a hug. "You guys can stick around and meet him if that'll make you feel better, but don't say anything about what I told you."
The game ended at three-thirty, and at four-thirty, Slade knocked on her door. She didn't hear the motorcycle's roar, so he must have driven his car. Her dad let him in before she could and she inwardly cringed as introductions were made, but her parents refrained from saying anything about his "thrill-seeking."
Slade kissed her cheek, dressed just as casually in shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers. "Are you ready to go? We have a half hour drive and we don't want to miss our reservation."
Mom stepped closer to Savanna and cast Slade a distrustful glance. "Where are you going?"
"Para-sailing in Marina del Rey."
Savanna opened her mouth, but her dad spoke first. "Isn't that a little dangerous?"
Slade met Savanna's gaze before turning to address her father. "Not at all. It's one of the safest water sports. The place we're going has highly trained, certified, licensed captains and crew members. I wouldn't take any risks with Savanna."
She slid her hand into his. "We should go. Mom and Dad, thanks for coming over. I'll call you this week."
"Call us tonight so we know you got home safe."
Heat flushed into Savanna's cheeks. "I can't promise I'll remember to call. I'll try to remember to text, okay? Don't worry so much."
She hugged them both, and then they shook hands with Slade. Her dad turned back once on his way to his car. "Be careful."
Slade nodded. "I'll always keep Savanna safe."
She waved him inside and closed the door. "I'll just be a minute. I need to get my—"
He pulled her into his arms and his mouth descended, hard and hungry, covering hers, coaxing it open. One hand fisted in her hair, and the other splayed wide across her low back. He drew her lower lip into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth before caressing it with his tongue.
Her right hand, trapped between them, clutched at his shirt. She slid her other hand around his back and held tight.
His fingers trailed up her spine, setting off a series of tingles. "Missed you."
She felt the murmur against her lips, tasted how much, and freed her mouth enough to whisper, "Me too" before drawing him to her once again. He smelled like soap and cologne and tasted like mint and magic.
With a low groan, he lifted his head. "We need to leave if we don't want to miss our reservation. But if you want to skip it and stay here..."
"Did you have to pay ahead of time?"
"Yeah. But don't worry about that."
"No. We'll go." Even as she drew away, happiness at seeing him burst out of her as bright as sunlight. She couldn't stop smiling. "I'll get my purse."
An hour later, fitted with life jackets and harnesses, they sat next to each other on the flight deck of a private boat in the ocean awaiting lift-off. Slade grasped her hand. "How are you doing?"
"Pretty good. A little nervous. I'm sure you can tell my palms are sweating. The harness is like being strapped into a swing, but I feel like we're waiting for a roller coaster
