Finally, he said his goodbyes and approached the car. The driver opened the back door of the SUV for him, unaware that Amber was hiding inside. He didn’t see her until he was three quarters of the way into the car, and his face lit up with surprise.
“Amber!”
She laughed from the excitement building inside of her and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Surprise!”
He kissed the side of her head while he hugged her. “You scared the hell out of me. Wait.” He pulled back to look at her, his arms still circling her like he didn’t want to let go. “You were in here the whole time while I was outside making small talk with fans?”
She nodded. “Yeah. It’s OK. I loved seeing that side of you.” Robert was easily recognized. His face, and body, adorned billboards endorsing everything from sports equipment to nutritional products. He did commercials for a major sneaker retailer that were broadcast on every TV and cable network. But to Amber, he was just Robert Blade. Her boyfriend. A regular guy. He never threw his money around. His home, although oversized and luxurious, was modest compared to his wealth.
He cupped her cheeks in his hands and looked at her face as if seeing her for the first time. His eyes scanned hers, then perused the perimeter of her face. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in so long.” His thumb gently moved across her chin. “You didn’t have this freckle when I left a few days ago.”
“What freckle?” she asked, suddenly feeling bashful.
He brushed the edge of her jaw with a soft kiss. “This one right here. I’ve never seen it before. Were you in the sun?”
Shewasin the sun. She’d sat in the park for two hours and read a lengthy study on orthopedic biomechanics the day before Thanksgiving because the practice closed early and the cloudless day offered vast sunshine. The heat of his breath blew all thoughts from her mind, and she couldn’t concentrate on anything except the gorgeous attentive man who was looking at her as if she were the only thing that mattered in the world.
She watched, immobilized, as his lips slowly ghosted over her cheek, causing her to let out a small whimper.
“I missed you so much,” he whispered. “I love you, Amber.”
Her heart felt as if it abruptly stopped and then started back up again at an accelerated pace. When she spoke, her voice came out in a breathy purr. “I love you too.”
His smile could have lit up Atlantic City as he gazed into her eyes. Then his lips slammed into hers with enough heat to set her body aflame. Her fingers trembled as she played with the back of his hair, and she felt tears pooling behind her closed eyes. This wonderful man loved her. He never asked her to be something she wasn’t or change in the least bit. He accepted her. And he made her feel like the brightest star in the sky. “You make me so happy.”
“You make me happy.” He grinned. “Look at the smile on my face.”
“You always smile.”
“Not like this.” He squeezed her in a hug. “I’ve never been in love before. This is a first for me. I had no idea it would feel like this. It’s as if I’m living for the first time. The world’s more beautiful because you’re in it. Because you’re in my life.” A look of wonder passed over his face. “Everything in my life is better. All because of you.”
She pressed her face into his shoulder, fighting the emotion that made her eyes wet. Each word replayed in her head, but it wasn’t just the things he said, it was the way he said them and the utter sincerity behind them.
“I spoke to my dad yesterday,” Robert said. “He always calls to wish me luck before a game. And afterwards to tell me how great I played, whether we won or lost.”
She didn’t know that, and it made her envious of the relationship Robert had with his father. “He’s sounds like a great dad.”
“He is. I spoke to my mom too. They invited us to dinner.”
“They did?”
Robert nodded. “They want to meet you. I talk about you enough.”
Warmth flooded her heart, and it doubled in size. “I’d love to meet them.”
“Is Tuesday OK?”
Warmth radiated in her heart at the idea of meeting the people who were responsible for raising the amazing person sitting next to her. “It sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to meet them.”
As they approached the entrance to Mr. and Mrs. Blade’s Howard Beach home, the front door opened. A tall man with a strong built and a full head of thick hair, more gray than blond, stepped outside wearing a welcoming smile and embraced Robert in a huge hug. “Good to see you, son. I’m glad you could make it.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Mr. Blade, clearly responsible for Robert’s good looks, turned to Amber with eyes bluer than his son’s. “You must be Amber. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s my pleasure. Robert speaks so highly of you. I feel as if I know you already.” She wanted to hug him but refrained and shook his hand instead.
“Come in. I don’t know why we’re standing outside. It’s freezing.” He opened the door and extended his arm so she could enter first.
