Page 35 of Penalty Kick

Dash tried to mimic Tanner’s movements, his hands feeling clumsy and thick. For the life of him he couldn’t quite figure out how the kid had gotten his hands to twist the way they had. Probably a lifetime of repeating that motion. In this moment though, it was only adding to the frustration.

“This?” Talia asked, moving her own hands the same way Tanner’s had—and how his own hadn’t. How had she done that? Dash nodded, earning him a smile. “He was asking if you were okay. He’s very sensitive to other’s moods—same way a puppy is. He can feel you’re upset and was trying to show that he cares.”

Mierda…

“I should not have snapped at him. I am sorry. I should apologize.”

“Yes, but first, you’re going to tell me why you are so grumpy. Did something happen at training?”

“No.” Dash wished it had been that simple. Training was actually going well. Every day that passed he was sure that he was that much closer to being back in the starting eleven. Both Gunnar and Cowboy had stopped treating him like a pariah, and more like he belonged as part of the squad again.

“Then what?”

Dash sighed, his body deflating as he exhaled. “I got a text from my mother. She and Maria will not be arriving tomorrow.”

“What, why?”

The concern on her face morphed from a reaction fueled by anger to one fueled by compassion. The softness and worry in her eyes made Dash’s heart squeeze. She might have a tough, sarcastic exterior, but beyond that was someone who cared so deeply for those in her life, and it was nothing short of amazing.

“Maria is sick. Nothing serious, or so Mamá says—just a cold. But she does not want her to travel while she is feeling this way.”

“I’m so sorry.” Reaching out, Talia slipped her hand into his, giving it a squeeze. It was still as soft as it had been the other night at the carnival, sending a wave of comfort through him. “You must be crushed.”

Crushed. That was the perfect word for it. How Talia had known exactly how to put it, he didn’t know, but she had hit the nail on the head.

“I know how important it was to you that she was coming to see you play.”

“I do not know that she even would have seen that,” he commented.

“Dash, it’s okay to be hurt.”

“Tanner did not deserve my outburst.”

“He didn’t. But I’ll let you in on a secret; it’s not the first time someone has gotten frustrated while trying to communicate with him. Sax, Heather, Felicity, and I have all had our moments. He is, unfortunately, used to it. It’s why he tries so hard to be understood.”

“Then I am in good company?”

Talia laughed. “You are. But an apology would still go a long way.”

“Then I best get to it. We have a practice to finish.”

Turning away from her, he started to head back to the group, who was circled up and stretching with Liam. Talia’s grip on his elbow caught him off guard, spinning him back toward her.

“After practice, let’s go somewhere. Grab pizza or something, and we can talk about this morning. Sound good?”

In his mind there wasn’t much more to say on the matter—Maria wasn’t coming, end of story. But if Talia wanted to go somewhere, be with him, he wasn’t about to turn that down. Even if it meant talking about this until he was blue in the face.

“Sí, Bonita.”

“Then we better get this practice moving along!”

Standing up on her tiptoes, she placed a soft, almost chaste kiss on his lips. As sweet and innocent as the move was, Dash’s body reacted like it had been the most sensual act on the planet. Fire raced along his skin, and his dick hardened as her lips brushed against his. The wicked little smile she gave him as she walked away didn’t help anything. He was in so much trouble.

At least this is good trouble…

* * *

"Pizza is good,” Dash said, rubbing his hand up and down his front, back arched as they walked out onto the exit ramp of the pizza joint.