“You can’t stop a shark.”

  This time, I do chuckle. I can’t help it. “Babe, this is what they do. We’re not going to be far from shore. You’ll be able to see land all around us.”

  “I know.” She huffs out a breath of air. “I just… I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s new and exciting and scary as hell.”

  Reaching over the console, I take her hand in mine. “We can do something different. This is your weekend.”

  “I want to see the dolphins.”

  “Then we’re going to see the dolphins. I’ll be next to you the entire time. I’m a great swimmer and a professional athlete. I have stamina for days,” I tell her, my voice pitching lower.

  “Trust me, I know,” she teases.

  “There she is.” I smile. I love getting to see all the different sides of her. “It’s going to be fun. It’s only an hour trip. You’re going to be so entranced with the dolphins you won’t have time to worry about what else is in the water.”

  “Promise?”

  “If the dolphins don’t work, I’ll find a way to distract you.” I glance over at her with a wink.

  “Foster! There will be other people on the boat.”

  “Not ours,” I say, pulling the rental into the parking lot where we’re scheduled for the private dolphin tour.

  “What?” she asks, whipping her head around to face me.

  “I’m not the most popular guy in the league, but I still get recognized. I didn’t want the day to be about me and the fans. I just wanted to spend the day with you, celebrating your birthday, giving you more firsts. So, I booked the entire boat for just us.”

  “That’s frivolous.”

  I shrug, trying to play it off like it’s nothing, and it’s not a big deal, at least not to me. “I can afford to be, and I never am. If there was ever a time in my life to be frivolous, it’s with you.”

  The words land heavier than I expect. They’re true in a way that goes beyond money. I’m careful with almost everything—decisions, plans, people—but standing here with her, that carefulness feels unnecessary. I love watching her take in the world like it’s brand new, love how her curiosity pulls her forward even when she’s unsure. I’ve done well for myself, invested smart, and planned ahead. I came from nothing, and I’m proud of where I am. And still, none of that feels as valuable as this moment. This trip alone is worth the ribbing I know I’m going to get from the guys when we get home. They’ve all called, and I’ve been avoiding them. I know I need to call them back today, or send a group text, or they’re going to be crashing into my condo, leading the search party. Those are Landry’s words from his last voicemail, not mine.

  “I can’t believe you rented the entire boat just for us,” she says, her voice hovering somewhere between disbelief and laughter as she looks around. Her eyes are wide with excitement, fear, and that subtle look of innocence from someone who hasn’t been able to see the world beyond where they were born and raised.

  I wink at her, enjoying the way her eyebrows lift just a little, and the light pink color that coats her cheeks. I hope that she never loses that. “You ready for another grand adventure?”

  She takes a breath, straightens her spine, rolls her shoulders back like she’s bracing herself against more than just the ocean breeze, and then she nods. “Let’s do it.”

  Her smile comes easily, but I catch the tiny tremble in her lip, the nerves she’s trying not to show. And that, right there, is what gets me. She’s scared, but she’s choosing to move forward anyway. I admire that more than I can say.

  She’s out of the car, and I rush after her, taking her hand in mine as we follow the signs to the boat. We meet Pierre, our tour guide, and are fitted for our life jackets, which I expect will freak her out, but instead has the opposite effect and calms her.

  “Are you ready?” Pierre asks.

  I give Eden’s hand a soft squeeze. “Ready, babe?”

  She nods, her smile as bright as the Florida sun. “I’m ready.”

  I nod to Pierre, and he gets to work. “Good girl,” I praise her, leaning in for a kiss. Her cheeks are flushed when I pull back. “What’s this for?” I gently rub my thumb across the apple of her cheek.

  “That’s what you say when we’re…” Her voice trails off.

  It takes effort not to smile. “When we what, Eden?” I ask, whispering in her ear. She shifts in her seat, and I lean in closer, pressing my lips just below her ear. “When I’m inside you?”

  She nods. “That.”

  My cock is rock-hard, just thinking about being inside this woman. Not wanting to scar Pierre by exposing him to the steel bar in my shorts, I grip her hips and lift her onto my lap. “Much better.” I kiss her neck, wrapping my arms around her. I don’t know what I expected, but it’s not for her to lean into my embrace as she reaches into her small purse, pulls out her phone, and holds it up to take a picture of us together. Her eyes are lit with excitement, and her smile—damn, that smile—is one I’d pay millions to see every damn day.

  “I promise this is just for me. I won’t share it or even show it to anyone,” she says.

  “It’s okay, Eden. I trust you,” I tell her. It’s true. I knew that by bringing her here I was taking a risk of being photographed. I’m not the face of the team, but someone who follows the game might recognize me. I didn’t even give it a thought. Honestly, I don’t give a shit if someone photographs us, as long as it’s not capturing us in an intimate position—that’s private—but I’m honored to have this woman on my arm. So what if the press thinks we’re together? I mean, we are. We’re sleeping together, we’re on vacation together. We’re not breaking any laws, just enjoying each other’s company. Of course, if the guys find out that way, they’ll give me shit, but let’s be real here, they’re going to give me shit either way. This is new for me.

  As the boat rocks gently beneath us, I realize I’d spend every penny of what I have to keep seeing that look on her face. The one that says she’s afraid, excited, and completely alive all at once.

  “To your left,” Pierre says, and we turn to look. Sure enough, three dolphins are swimming next to us.

  “That’s amazing!” Eden turns so she can get a better look, but she never moves from my lap. We float for another five minutes or so, and she’s radiating excitement.

  “You want to get a closer look?” I ask her.

  “Will you come with me?”

  “Try to stop me.” I smile. She nods, stands, and takes my hand, pulling me closer to the railing on the boat. I wrap my arms around her because I can sense her hesitation. “You can go closer,” I tell her.

  “No, I’m good here,” she says, placing her hands over mine and gripping them tightly. I feel a slight tremble in her touch, but that doesn’t stop her.

  “They’re beautiful,” she whispers.

  “You’re beautiful,” I tell her softly. I don’t know who I am right now. I’ve never been this guy. The one who is constantly touching and kissing my girl. I was never like that with Violet, at least not in public. With Eden, I’ve come to realize it’s not really a choice. My body reacts before I can think better of it. I need her close to me all the time, and that smile of hers… fuck me, that smile lights me up inside.

  We’re sitting at a beachfront restaurant after our dolphin tour, grabbing lunch, when her phone rings. “It’s Carrie,” she says, eyes wide.

  “Answer it. We’re just waiting on our food.”

  “I didn’t tell her that we were coming here. I wasn’t sure what I was allowed to say.”

  “You tell her you’re with me, and we’re on vacation. You tell her you got to see the ocean and the dolphins, and anything else you want to tell her.”

  “I don’t want to betray your trust or your privacy, Foster.”

  “Eden, babe, we’re here together. I can’t keep my hands off you. I’m sure we’ve already been photographed. I don’t give a fuck. You’re here with me. That’s where I want you, and I hope this is where you want to be.”

  “My job.” She worries her bottom lip.

  “We’ll handle it. Together. Now, answer the call before it goes to voicemail. Do you need to step away for some privacy?” I ask her, nodding toward the beach.

  “No.” She shakes her head and answers the call. “Hey, Care,” she says, her eyes finding mine, with a broad, yet worried smile. “I’m actually in Florida,” she replies to whatever her friend asks her. “Yeah, Foster and I decided to take a little vacation to see the ocean.” She pauses. “Yeah, together,” she answers, her eyes finding mine.

  I can’t hear what Carrie is saying, but hearing her say we’re together, I don’t hate it. I pause, letting her words creep into my chest, and wait. Nothing. No panic, no itching sensation to be anywhere but here. I just feel… content. I clear my throat and look out over the blue waters. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt content in my entire life. I love being on the field. I enjoy hanging with the guys and their families. But this overwhelming sensation that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be? That’s new.

  “So much fun,” she says as I tune back into their conversation. “I can’t wait to tell you all about it when we get home.”

  Home.

  My place feels more like a home than ever before when she’s there.

  “I think we’re here for a few more days,” she answers.

  “We fly home Friday,” I whisper.

  “Friday,” she amends. “Foster said we fly home on Friday.” She listens, and her cheeks don’t just turn pink. They turn beet red. “Oh, um, I don’t know if it’s a meet-the-friends kind of thing,” she whispers, obviously embarrassed by her best friend’s request to meet the man she flew to another state with without telling her.

  Do I want to meet her best friend? The only person in this world she considers family? Do I want her to meet mine? I can’t answer that, but I can admit that the idea doesn’t scare me away.

  “Okay. I’ll check in every day,” she says, laughing softly. “Love you, too. Bye,” she says, ending the call. “Sorry about that. She’s protective.”

  “Good. I’m glad that you have her looking out for you.”

  She nods. “She’s my family.”

  I open my mouth to ask her if she wants me to meet Carrie and her family, but our waiter appears with our food. Instead, we both dive into our meals, and the conversation moves to what’s next on our agenda today.

  “I think I just want to relax. Maybe walk the beach a little?” Eden suggests.

  “Sure, we can do that. Why don’t we take a drive up the coast a little, and we can find somewhere to have dinner, then we can walk the beach when we get back?”

  “That’s perfect. This day is perfect. Thank you so much for everything, Foster. This has already been the most amazing experience.”

  “For me, too,” I admit. “I think this is my favorite trip by far.”

  “What? Really?”

  “Yeah. We travel to games, but we don’t really get to experience much. It’s all work and very little play. This has been nice.”

  “You’ve taken other vacations, right?”

  I nod. “With the guys, but this one is still my favorite.”

  “You don’t have to say that to make me feel better about letting you pay for all of this.” She waves her arms around.

  Reaching across the table, I take her hand in mine. “I’m being honest, Eden. This trip with you is my favorite.” I’m starting to think that this woman might also be my favorite, but I keep that to myself.

  She nods, accepting my words, and we go back to our meals. We both decline dessert, but I’m sure we can find something on our ride down the coast to pacify a sweet craving, unless I can find a secluded spot to taste Eden.

  “It’s so pretty. I can’t get over it,” she says, twenty minutes later, as we drive along the coast. I feel her hand land on my arm, and I move, lacing our fingers together. “Thank you for this.”

  “You can stop thanking me,” I tell her. “I wanted you here with me.”

  I see her nod out of the corner of my eye, and I’m tempted to pull this damn car to the side of the road so that I can kiss her. However, before I can, my phone rings. I pick it up from where it rests in the cupholder and smile when I see Reid’s name. “I should probably get this,” I tell her.

  She nods, rolls up her window, and closes the sunroof. I tried to get a convertible, but there weren’t any available. Once the noise of the wind is locked behind the windows, I answer the call. “Hey,” I greet Reid.

  “He’s alive!” I hear Landry call out, and I laugh.

  “I’m alive,” I assure him.

  “Where ya been, Vaughn?” a voice I recognize as Baker’s asks.

  “Do you need an intervention?” Knox adds.

  “I’m actually in Florida.”

  “What?” Landry asks. “You went to Florida without us?”

  “Alone?” Reid asks incredulously.

  Here goes nothing. “I’m not alone,” I confess, and the other end of the call goes silent.

  “Sorry, man, I think there’s a bad connection. Did you say that you’re not alone?” Knox asks.

  “Yep.” I grin.

  “Who are you with?” Baker asks.

  “Eden. I’m with Eden.”

  “Eden? Do we know an Eden?” Reid asks.

  “She’s the reason you’ve been smiling?” Landry asks.

  I take a glance at her in the passenger seat before my eyes quickly go back to the road. Her eyes are on the ocean, but I know she’s listening. “Yeah, she’s the reason I’ve been smiling,” I tell them. I hear her small intake of breath, and my smile grows.

  “I have so many questions,” Reid says, and I chuckle.

  “We’re flying home on Friday,” I tell them.

  “Let me guess, we’re not getting answers until then?” Landry asks.

  “Probably not,” I tell him.

  “What are you doing right now?” Baker asks.

  “We’re driving down the coast. We’re in Clearwater. We just had lunch after a dolphin cruise.”

  “You took a dolphin cruise?” Landry asks, and I can hear the surprise in his voice.

  “We did.”

  “So many questions,” Reid repeats, and I laugh.

  “I’ll be home Friday.”

  “Dinner at our place Friday night,” Landry says.

  “We’ll see.”

  “Oh, he needs to check with his girl,” Knox teases.

  “Like you wouldn’t?” I ask him.

  “Shit,” Baker curses. “He pretty much just admitted that she’s his girl.”

  “Of course, she is,” Knox tells him. “He took her on vacation.”

  They bicker back and forth, and all I can do is grin. I’m not worried about her leaving. There’s no old fear of rejection, just good times and the beautiful woman sitting next to me. “I’ll talk to you all when I get home.”

  “We want to meet her!” Landry hollers as I end the call.

  I place my phone back into the cupholder, and even though I want to reach for her, I refrain, keeping both hands locked on the steering wheel.

  “You told them I make you smile.” It’s not a question. It’s more of her working out in her head what I said about her.

  “I did. You do,” I tell her honestly.

  “You make me smile, too,” she whispers, before rolling down her window and letting the ocean breeze once again flow through the rental. I do the same, also pressing the sunroof button as we continue along the shore.

  About an hour in, we stop for ice cream before heading back to our hotel. We decided to order room service and relax a little, which is an excuse for me to buy some time. I want to sit on the balcony with her and watch the sunset. I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not it’s a better view from the beach, on the sand, or up here, and finally, I chose here, at the top floor of our hotel.

  I keep glancing outside, waiting for the right time, and finally, dusk is upon us. “Want to sit out on the balcony with me?” I ask her.

  “Sure.” She shrugs. I offer her my hand, grab the extra blanket I stole from one of the spare bedrooms, and lead her outside. Sitting in the lounger, I pull her onto my lap, and she comes willingly.

  “Oh,” she says as a shiver races through her. “I was wondering why the blanket, but that wind is chilly.” She helps me place the cover over both of us. “Much better,” she says, resting her head back against my chest.

  “Are you warm enough?” I ask, wrapping my arms around her, holding her close.

  “Yeah,” she replies softly.

  We sit in silence, enveloped in one another as the sun sets over the crystal-blue waters.

  As the last peaks of the sun begin to disappear, I slide my hand beneath her shirt. “This okay?” I ask.

  “Everything with you is more than okay, Foster,” she replies softly.

  “Yeah?” I ask. “How about this?” I move my hand to slip beneath the tiny lounge shorts I convinced her to purchase last night when we were shopping. “Is this okay?” I lightly trace the waistband of her panties.

  “That, too,” she breathes.

  Sliding my hand beneath her panties, I find her pussy wet and warm. “And this?” I ask, running my fingers through her folds.

  “Mm-hmm,” she hums.

  Slowly, I slide one finger inside her, taking my time, stroking with a leisurely pace. “This?” I ask, my voice husky with desire.

  “All of it, Foster.”

  I stop asking as I add another finger. Her hand grips my arm that’s still locked around her waist, and her back arches away from my body. “That’s— How are you so good at that?” she asks, and despite the desire coursing through my veins, I laugh.

  “I think you’re biased,” I tell her. I mean, I am the only man who’s ever touched her intimately—well, not the only, but I know for certain, my cock is the only one on this earth that’s ever felt her from the inside.

  Her pussy clutches my fingers as a moan falls from her lips. “Foster.”

  “What do you need, Eden? I’ll give you anything.” Not just sexually. I know without a shadow of a doubt that if it’s within my power, I’d give her anything she asked me for.