A loud squeal rings out from behind me, and I whirl around to barely miss catching my niece with both hands. She taunts me for a moment by sticking out her tongue, then runs through the ajar screen door to the fenced yard beyond it. I can't help but smile as I feign frenzied pursuit. If I were to actually try, it would be trivial to catch Piper and tag her out, the difference in speed between a grown man and a nine-year-old girl is far too immense. Still, I indulge her fantasy; there's nothing quite like finally catching Piper and getting to pull her into my arms in triumph before carrying her back inside.
It is with this reward in mind that I scan the yard for my young niece, alighting upon her location after only a moment of searching. "Piper! Stop!"
"No way," she yells. "I'm faster than you."
I suppose it's about time to show my niece—yet again—that she is not in fact faster than me. I make a quick dash toward where she stands near the fence line, and as soon as I am within range, I grab hold of her left arm just above the elbow. Her other hand immediately reaches up to grasp mine, attempting to pry free. It's a futile effort on her part. In seconds, I have pulled her off balance and wrapped an arm around her waist to pin her against my chest. With a bit more leverage, I manage to lift her off the ground until we are eye level.
"I win," I say.
"No fair!" she protests, still struggling weakly against me. "You cheated!" She continues to squirm, trying desperately to break free. I'm once again grateful for the tall fence my brother-in-law put around their yard—it gives me plenty of privacy to play with my darling niece. Despite her struggling, I carry Piper to the hammock we have hanging between two large oak trees, lying down on my back in it with Piper still in my arms. The soft fabric provides ample cushioning so that even when Piper kicks at me, it does little damage.
"What do you want?" she asks, still upset at being carried like a baby.
"Just to hang out," I reply, holding her close to my chest, careful to keep her positioned in such a way that she doesn't brush my crotch. "It's been ages since we've had some alone time together."
"Really? You're gonna spend all day playing with me?"
"Of course."
"Well... okay then." She relaxes slightly, resting her head against my shoulder. I feel her shift her weight, causing us to slowly sink deeper into the hammock. After another minute or so of silence, Piper says, "I love you, Uncle David."
"I love you too, Piper."
She sighs contentedly. "You know what else I love?"
"What?"
"When you kiss my neck."
"Oh really?" I ask, turning my head to place a chaste kiss right below her earlobe. "Like this?"
"Nooo..." she whines, "Not that kind of kissing. The other kind."
"The one where your toes curl up, and you go all weak in the knees?"
"Yeah," she giggles, "that kinda kissing."
I know I shouldn't, but sometimes when I've visited my niece in the past, I've been unable to stop myself from doing just as she described and showering her neck with deep kisses when we're alone. The first time I did this, she became visibly aroused, which only made controlling myself more difficult. I try to rationalize that it's just innocent kissing, but I know deep down that is not the case, and given the opportunity, I'll take it farther than that.
With a soft sigh of resignation, I reach up to cup Piper's chin, rubbing my thumb across it before leaning into her neck and pressing my lips to her smooth and unblemished skin.