Soccer Date
"John!" Max laughed, as he wrapped his arms around her after Kara left for her friend's house. "This isn't fair!"
He nuzzled her neck, squeezing her tighter from behind. "Max, you've made my daughter a better athlete than me. She just scored six goals against me, and I never let her win. Indulge me."
"Oh, do you want to play?" she teased, squirming in vain in his arms. "John!"
He kissed her neck again, nipping along her jaw. "I love you screaming my name."
She turned around, wrapping herself securely around him. Kissing him, she pulled back. "Game on, Counselor."
He kicked the ball back to her. "Bring it, Deputy."
"Hands to yourself," she said, suppressing a smile, dribbling it between her feet as he backed toward their makeshift goal. Dribbling closer, she took her shot. "You're catching on."
He kicked it back to her. "You and Kara do this every day. She wants to be as good as you are."
"Were," she corrected. "I haven't done this in years."
"Why did you give it up?'
She took another shot, that he failed to block and shrugged. "I graduated, got this job, life took over. I miss it…it's been fun revisiting it with her."
He kicked it back. "You're good."
She shook her head. "I'm good against a six-year-old and you."
"Don't sell yourself short. You're good, Honey."
She stopped at that, his sweet words warming her from the inside out. "Thanks."
"You okay? You look like you're going to burst into tears."
"My parents never came to see me play. Ever. I had coaches tell me I was good and…I'm almost 30, why does it bother me?"
He shot the ball past her, just watching her for a long moment. My Max, she never looks vulnerable like this. "Your parents are fools."
"I know I'm not who they want me to be."
"You're exactly who I want."
She smiled at him, shaking her head. "I hate getting stuck in my own head with this. John, I'm good. It's your shot."