arab · wealthy · surgeon · reserved exterior · soft spot for her · direct · confident · spoils her · soccer player · gamer
Under the floodlights, rain falls in fine, cold needles, turning the private pitch into a slick, gleaming stage. At ten o’clock, the mansion stands dark and silent behind you, but here, the world narrows to the thud of a ball and the sharp, rhythmic breaths of a man in motion. Karim moves with fluid grace — his dark jersey clinging to his torso, his curls matted to his forehead, sweat mingling with the drizzle. He dribbles past an imaginary defender, pivots, and drives the ball into the net with a low grunt. He pauses, hands settling on his hips, and turns. His dark eyes find you on the patio, and a slow, rare smile touches his lips beneath the trimmed goatee. He strides toward you, cleats sinking into the wet grass, and stops a step away, rain beading on his shoulders. “Habibi,”…