“Oh, ye of little faith.” Levi sighed. “You’d be amazed by what I can accomplish if I want something badly enough. And make no mistake, Piper Winslow, I want you.”
Levi knew that in his current condition, he was all talk. Any action he took would have to wait for another day. However, Piper’s reaction—the way she ducked her head, the faint blush that stained her cheeks—almost put a spring into his slow, painful steps.
“Do you want milk or water?” she asked, conceding victory to Levi in tonight’s round of banter wars. He knew she’d be back for a rematch. When the time came—very soon, he’d be ready, willing, and able.
“One more thing,” Levi said before he left. “In case you plan to keep calling me old man? My body will recover—faster than you think. When I do, you won’t be quite as smug. If you think I can’t catch you, think again.”
“I’m fast,” she said with an unconcerned sniff.
“My legs are longer,” Levi reminded her.
“Yeah, well…” Frustrated by the kind of logic she couldn’t argue, Piper slammed a pan onto the stove. “You wasted ten minutes yammering. If you aren’t back when the soup is ready, I’ll eat without you.”
Satisfied that he’d shaken Piper’s complacency, Levi hustled to the bathroom. Well, hustled was a bit of an exaggeration. But the fact that he felt better than before she arrived wasn’t a surprise.
Piper was his joy. His sunshine. She was the best part of what made him happy all rolled into one beautiful, brilliant package.
Though she wasn’t ready to hear the words, one day, soon, he’d tell her. Piper, Levi discovered, was the love of his life.
CHAPTER TEN
▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲
“GOOD FOOD MAKES everything better.” Sitting back, Levi patted his full, happy stomach. “A top-notch dinner companion never hurts.”
“The color in your cheeks is back,” Piper said as she cleared away the dishes. “When I first got here you looked like death warmed over.”
“I felt worse.” Cautiously, Levi lifted one arm, then the other. “Not great, but better.”
“You work out like crazy. Eat right. Run a gazillion miles every day.” Piper shook her head. “Why did one little practice session take so much out of you?”
One little practice session. Levi almost laughed at Piper’s gross understatement. Then he remembered she wasn’t a football person. Even if she were, most fans had no idea how much work and energy players, coaches, and staff expended between games—nor did they care.
The people in the seats and those watching at home wanted one thing. They wanted their team to succeed. Most fans went away disappointed—it was the nature of the game. To be a winner, there had to be a loser. Simple. Often heartbreaking. But true.
“My body is in good shape—better than average,” Levi explained. “However, there’s a world of difference between the muscles I use to work out and the way my body responds on a football field. Apples and oranges.”
“I still say that Mac pushed you too hard,” Piper groused. “It would serve him right if you don’t show up for practice because you can’t get out of bed in the morning.”
“I’ll be there,” Levi said. “If I have to get Dylan and some of the other players to carry me, nothing will keep me away.”
“Okay,” Piper said.
“After all you had to say about overextending myself and possible injuries, all you have to say is okay?” Levi shook his head. “Explain your sudden capitulation, please.”
Washing her hands, Piper dried them, carefully getting each drop of moisture from between her fingers. Finally, she turned to Levi with a smile of resignation.
“I’ll never understand the love you have for football. The game is barbaric. If a player is fortunate enough to have a long career, he walks away—or limps—into a retirement filled with chronic pain.” Closing her eyes, Piper shuddered.
Levi had a dozen arguments he could recite but nothing he had to say would change the fact that Piper was right. Athletes in every sport tended to suffer long-term effects from their chosen profession. Everyone was different. Some bodies were better designed to take the physical pounding—on and off the field—that was necessary to remain at the top. But the pain was real.
With a sigh, Levi took Piper’s hand in his and tried to make her understand.
“I’ve loved football since I was a little kid. Everything about the game gets my blood pumping,” he said, smiling at the thought. “Almost thirty years a fan and nothing’s changed.”
“If spending a decade relegated to the sidelines didn’t dampen your enthusiasm, nothing will.” Piper’s fingers tightened on his. “I may not understand the sport you love but I admire your passion, Levi. We all deserve to have a job that makes us jump from our beds each morning. Or in your case, crawl.”
“By morning, I’ll be jumping,” Levi assured her. When she raised a doubtful eyebrow, he chuckled. “Maybe a small hop would be a more accurate description.”
“Agreed.” Piper’s green eyes crinkled at the edges. “Through no fault of your own, you’ve missed out on that feeling of excitement and anticipation. I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t do my best to support you. Your job. Your passion.”
“You’re a very good friend, Piper,” Levi said as he tried to clear the emotion from his throat without success. “The best.”
“To prove you’re right, I will help to get you back on the field tomorrow with as few lingering aches and pains as possible.” Piper held up a bag. “Claire Thornton’s miracle elixirs. Want a massage?”
Turn down a chance to feel Piper’s hands on his body? Levi scoffed at the thought. It was all he could do not to rip off his clothes, prostrate himself on the kitchen counter, and beg her to begin. Immediately.
“A massage sounds good,” he said, proud of how calm and collected he sounded. “If you sure you don’t mind.”
Levi wanted to kick himself for giving Piper an out. He should have given her a short but firm yes and left his answer at that. Worried he’d blown the chance of a lifetime, he almost melted with relief at her next question.
“Where will you be the most comfortable?” With a thoughtful frown, Piper looked around the room. “A regular table will be too hard on your body. We could pad the floor, but the angle will be awkward.”
“True.” Levi nodded, letting out a silent sigh of relief that the massage was a go.
“I’d suggest we use your bed, but—”
“The bed’s good,” Levi said in a rush. “Great idea. Perfect.”
“What if I spill the lotion? I don’t want to stain your mattress or sheets.”
The idea of ruining his bedding didn’t bother Levi in the least. He made good money—some might say an obscenely good amount, though he wouldn’t agree. If he needed to buy new sheets or a mattress, so what? He’d refurbish the entire bedroom if necessary.
However, Piper’s concern seemed genuine. So, for her sake, he played along.
“We can strip off the sheets and line the mattress with something that can’t be ruined.” Levi thought for a second. “I have an old blanket I meant to toss out.”
“Donate it to Goodwill,” Piper said with an innocent smile.
Too innocent, Levi realized and shook his head. Piper knew all the time that he didn’t care about the bed. He wanted her hands on him and she used his eagerness to tease and torment.
“Are you finished?” he asked. “I assume you’ve had your fun?”
“What about you. Any second I expected you to burst from holding in your excitement.” Piper snorted. “Work on your acting. I saw through your routine in a second.”
“Do I still get to have a massage?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Then I don’t care about anything else.” Levi headed toward the bedroom with slow, deliberate steps. “Start on my legs. They feel like lead infused rubber.”
Levi didn’t argue when P
iper instructed him to sit while she prepared the bed. She didn’t enter this room very often—until now she had little reason. He watched as she efficiently stripped the mattress, laid out the worn blanket, and took a series of bottles from her bag, arranging them in a neat line on the nearby end table.
Piper lit three candles. Levi breathed in the aroma of lavender, vanilla, and something heady yet elusive.
“Thyme,” Piper told him, easily reading his mind. “The point is to help clear your lungs and aid oxygen intake. Lavender relieves fatigue. And vanilla naturally relaxes your muscles and mind.”
“Do they work? Really?” Levi asked, doubtful.
“Maybe.” Piper laughed. “Maybe not. They certainly won’t hurt. As a bonus, the room smells so good.”
Normally, Levi preferred a home devoid of heavy, cloying fragrances. Clean and fresh was his wheelhouse. One of the things high on his list that he loved about Piper was that she didn’t use perfume or cologne. She simply smelled like herself—intoxicating.
Tonight, Levi was willing to make an exception. Piper seemed to relish her role, setting the stage, playing her part. She wanted to help him feel better. Who was he to argue?
“Take off your clothes and lie down on your stomach,” Piper instructed.
“Should I take off everything?” Levi was willing—more than eager. “Underwear included?”
“Your choice.” Piper shrugged. “Naked is probably a good idea since I plan to work on your gluteus maximus.”
In other words, Piper planned to touch his butt. Rather than react in an immature manner, Levi pretended he was unaffected. Not an easy thing when inside, he jumped around, snickering like a hyperactive teenager.
“Undress and get under the sheet,” Piper said. “The air feels a little dry. Where do you keep the humidifier I bought for you last year?”
“In the workout room,” he told her.
Levi laughed. He should have known Piper would leave him to undress in private. Just as well. His mind might be onboard for a seductive striptease, but his body wasn’t up for the challenge.
Slowly, deliberately, Levi tugged his shirt over his head. His muscles had loosened up considerably, but he wasn’t ready to test the extent of their flexibility quite yet. He felt stiff and tight.
Levi climbed onto the bed. What he needed were Piper’s skills as a masseuse, not a lover. At least for tonight. Tomorrow was another matter. Once he was back to his old self, all bets were off.
Unaware of Levi’s plans for their future, Piper entered the room and plugged in the humidifier. Turning the control to high, she stood back and waited, watching as a fine mist of water appeared.
“All set,” she declared. “The only thing you need to do is relax and let me take care of you.”
“That, I can do,” Levi said with a happy sigh.
Piper knelt on the bed as she opened the first bottle. Smoothing the contents onto her palms, she began, starting with Levi’s shoulders. Her touch tentative at first.
“A word of warning, I’m not an expert,” Piper said, her fingers digging into the muscles around his neck. “Everything I know came from a couple of hours spent on the internet.”
“Feels good to me,” Levi assured her.
“Promise you’ll speak up if I make a mistake.” Piper paused. “I don’t want to hurt you and make things worse.”
Levi opened his eyes, turning his head until he was able to look into Piper’s face. He smiled at her earnest expression. Damn, she was adorable.
“Forget what you learned and use your instincts,” he told her. “I trust you to do the right things.”
“But your body—your livelihood—is literally in my hands.” Her frown deepened. “I didn’t think this through enough.”
Sensing that Piper was about to bolt, Levi grabbed her wrist. The only problem with a super-intelligent woman was that on occasion, she tended to overthink the situation. Luckily, he had experience talking her down.
“Breathe. Focus. Reset.” Levi placed Piper’s hand on his back. “Concentrate and start slowly. You’ll be fine. I’ll be even better.”
“Promise?” she asked.
The smile on Piper’s lips told Levi she was over her momentary bout of nerves. Resting his head on his folded arms, he sighed.
“Have I ever lied to you?” he wanted to know.
“Probably not.”
Piper’s answer made him chuckle. Except where numbers were concerned, she didn’t believe in absolutes. People were human. They made mistakes. Even if they had the best of intentions, occasionally, they lied.
“I always try to be as truthful as possible,” Levi said.
“And you just showed a big why I can trust you,” Piper responded, a smile in her voice. “You don’t lie about lying. If you know what I mean.”
Of course, Levi knew what she meant. After all the time he’d known her and extensive study, he’d become a leading expert in Piper-speak.
“Slow. Steady,” Levi instructed, as her fingers found a particularly tight area. He tensed, then let out a happy groan. “Oh, yes.”
“Feels good?”
“Heaven.” Levi nodded. “Don’t stop.”
Piper worked her way down Levi’s body with the kind of diligence he admired. She missed nothing, including his butt. Sometimes, he decided—once in a blue moon—sex became the last thing on his mind.
Levi smiled. Maybe not last, but far enough down the list that he was able to shelve his healthy libido, at least temporarily.
“Turn over,” Pipe told him after she’d finished a toe-curling foot massage.
Complying, Levi rolled to his back, thrilled when he did so with pain-free ease.
“Claire was wrong,” Piper said. “Turns out, you are Superman.”
Confused by her nonsensical reference, Levi opened one eye. He followed her gaze to where the sheet was tented. With an unconcerned shrug, he waved away her concern.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m only at half-mast. An automatic bodily function. Consider me mildly intrigued, but not in any condition to follow through.”
Piper sighed, shaking her head before placing her hands on Levi’s head and gently kneading his scalp.
“Men are worse than dogs,” she quipped. “You’d have sex in the mud without blinking an eye.”
“I might blink.” Levi made a humming sound from deep in his chest. “But I wouldn’t say no. If you’re the one making the offer.”
“I won’t.” Piper’s answer was emphatic. “Mud isn’t my thing. I want clean, impossibly soft cotton sheets on a bed big enough so my partner and I can spread out and make things interesting.”
“Done!” Levi exclaimed. “You have a king-sized bed. As do I. My sheets already meet with your approval because you gave them to me as a gift for Christmas. All we need to decide on is, your place or mine. I vote we alternate. One week here, one week there. At least until we move in together.”
“Whoa, fella,” Piper warned. “Don’t get so far ahead of yourself. We shared one kiss. The jury is still out on whether or not there will be a second.”
“You’ve shifted your stance from absolutely not to maybe.” Levi tried not to let his feeling of smug contentment creep into his voice. “You want me. I want you. The next step is only natural.”
“You seem to be back to your old self.” Piper held up her hands. “I’m done.”
“What about my calves,” Levi entreated, using his best puppy dog eyes. There was no way he’d let Piper leave after their conversation had taken such an interesting turn. “The muscles have knots on top of knots.”
“Five more minutes,” she told him. “Not a second longer.”
When Piper cared about someone, she was the most generous person in the world. As a result, Levi wasn’t surprised when five minutes stretched into ten.
“Scientifically speaking, what is the probability that someone can be so relaxed that their bones melt into a co
ntented goo?” Levi asked as Piper moved the bottles of lotion onto a shelf in the attached bathroom.
“One hundred percent impossible,” she told him as she blew the candles out. “But I’m glad you feel better.”
“I feel freaking fantastic.” Levi took a breath, then took a chance. “Don’t go. Stay with me.”
“Not a good idea,” Piper said. “You need a good night’s sleep.”
The flash of regret—of need—in Piper’s expressive green eyes was all the impetus Levi needed to press his advantage. Desperate men rarely played fair.
“I’ll sleep better with you by my side.” He patted the bed. “I promise to be good.”
Looking down at her clothes, Piper hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“Wear one of my t-shirts.” Levi pointed toward the walk-in closet door. “Take your pick.”
“No funny business?” she asked.
“The first time either of us laughs, I’ll move to the guest room.” Levi crossed his heart.
Piper let out a resigned sigh and moved to the closet. She left the door slightly ajar.
“Brush your teeth while I change,” she called out.
“Can’t neglect our oral hygiene.” Levi rolled to his feet amazed to find that he was almost back to normal. “Now I understand why Claire made a fortune. Her products work miracles.”
“Give the masseuse a little credit.” From the doorway, Piper eyed Levi’s bare backside. Without blinking an eye, she tossed him a towel. “Cover up. Your assets are showing.”
“Ha. Assets. Good one.”
Levi chuckled as he wrapped the blue and white striped towel around his waist. He handed Piper a toothbrush straight from the package. This evening wasn’t the first time they’d brushed their teeth side by side, spitting and rinsing in unison. On the other occasions, rather than climb into his bed together, they retired to the living room and watched a movie.
Levi often wanted Piper to cuddle with him under his covers instead of on the sofa. Tonight, his wish became a reality.
Together they made the bed, smoothing the clean sheets over the mattress and ending with a stark white patchwork quilt—another gift from Piper. Fluffing the pillows, Levi tossed away the towel before taking his spot. He waited for her to join him.
The Backup Plan: A Friends to Lovers Sports Romance (One Pass Away: A New Season Book 2) Page 10
