“Or up his backside?” Piper asked with a laugh.
“You know me well,” Levi said. He shrugged. “When training camp started back in July and continued through summer, I was good. Though I admit, my copacetic attitude began to fray at the edges after the season began and Monte’s ineptitude climbed to previously unseen heights.”
“He was bad,” Piper agreed.
“And yet, the itch to take his place—to prove that I could do better—had faded to almost nothing.”
“Bull.” Piper gave Levi’s thigh a light pinch. “I know you never completely lost hope.”
“Hope is failure’s best friend.” Levi took a breath then slowly exhaled.
“And, his worst enemy.”
“You were never a failure,” Piper said, her words gaining heat.
“Yes, I was.”
“You can’t fail when you were never given a chance to succeed.” She squeezed his arm. “Sunday is the beginning, Levi.”
“Or the end,” he said.
“You’re not a fatalist,” she insisted. “If you were, we wouldn’t be friends because I’d have dropped you long ago.”
“Life without my Piper?” Levi asked. “How would I survive?”
“You would barely get by, hanging by your fingernails to the edge of a cliff,” Piper told him, only half-joking. “And with many, many regrets.”
“True.” Resting his cheek against the top of her head, he sighed. “I need you for a lot of reasons.”
“Name one,” Piper urged him.
“Today, my sanity tops the list,” Levi said. “Half an hour with you on the couch beats hours with a shrink—any day.”
“Does my Levi feel better?” Piper asked.
“Mm,” Levi agreed with a contented sigh.
“Then let’s eat cake.”
When Piper tried to disengage herself from his embrace, Levi shook his head, his arms holding her close like two bands of steel—warm and inviting steel, but impossible to break. Not that she made much of an effort.
“Five more minutes,” Piper warned, her smile hidden in the soft cotton shirt that covered Levi’s chest. “Then, I need chocolate.”
“Deal.”
Inch by inch, Piper could feel the muscles of Levi’s body relax under her. Encouraging him, she lightly rubbed his arm. He was such a rock, steady and true, always there for her, always willing to put her first. But every now and then she was reminded just how human he was.
Like everyone, Levi needed a place where he could let down his guard and allow himself to be vulnerable. Piper said a silent prayer of thanks that he saw her as his safe haven.
“Happy birthday,” he whispered.
“Thank you,” Piper said. “In all the excitement, I almost forgot.”
“I didn’t,” Levi assured her. “I’m glad there’s a special day when I can give thanks that you’re in the world.”
Piper’s eyes stung and she knew if she weren’t careful, she would turn into a blubbery mess any second now. Blinking, willing the tears not to come, she slid from Levi’s embrace.
“For such an educated, sophisticated man, I wonder at the sugary, sentimental mush that sometimes comes out of your mouth,” she said, her lip curling into a sneer. “Sheesh. Get over it already.”
Chuckling, Levi rolled to his feet and followed Piper to the kitchen.
“You can’t fool me. Outside, you’re a tough businesswoman. Inside, nothing but gooey, marshmallow fluff.” Levi nodded toward the cake. “Perfect example number one.”
Piper lit the candles before setting the five-layer chocolate fudge cake on the counter in front of Levi. Licking a bit of frosting from her thumb, she frowned.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Every year, Darcy sends you a birthday cake. And like every year, you’ve found a reason to make someone else blow out the candles.” Shaking his head, Levi tugged her hand until she stood next to him. “This time, you do the honors.”
“In twelve months, my birthday will come again,” Piper pointed out. “On the other hand, making your debut as an NFL starter is a once in a lifetime moment.”
“Damn, you’re stubborn,” Levi growled. “Fine. We’ll extinguish these suckers together. Okay?”
“Okay,” Piper agreed, always happy to get her way—even if Levi received one as well. “I’ll count to three, we’ll each make a wish, then blow.”
In unison, they huffed, they puffed, and five seconds later, tiny swirls of smoke billowed toward the ceiling. Taking two dishes from the cupboard, Piper cut into the cake. As she plated each piece, she breathed in the heady scent of chocolate and her taste buds wept in anticipation.
“By the way,” she said, taking a seat across from Levi at her dining room table. “Why were you so late getting here? Darcy called after you left her office, but you didn’t arrive until another three hours had passed.”
“Were you worried?” Levi asked as he washed a bite of cake down with a swallow of milk.
“I was curious,” Piper said. And worried, but she kept that piece of information to herself.
“I should have called you.”
Damn straight, Piper thought. Rather than sound like a petulant nag, she remained silent and waited for him to continue as she let a mouthful of chocolatey goodness melt on her tongue.
“When I left Darcy’s office the team waited in the hall.” Levi laughed. “Every single one of them.”
Levi went on to describe the scene, painting such a vivid picture that Piper felt she’d been there.
“Dylan kissed you?” Piper asked.
Levi nodded, sending her a sardonic smile.
“You should have returned the favor.”
“Not you too,” Levi said, rolling his eyes.
“You have a bromance, not a romance. Yet, when you get the chance to kiss a man as sexy as Dylan Montgomery, you shouldn’t let the moment slide.” Piper grinned. “I wouldn’t.”
“You like Dylan?” Levi slowly set down his fork. His eyes narrowed to a thin slit. “Since when?”
“Everyone likes Dylan,” Piper said with a casual shrug.
“You aren’t everyone.” Levi crossed his arms and waited. “Go on. Answer my question. How long have you had a thing for Dylan? Does he know? Have you been on a date? Without telling me?”
“Down, boy.” Piper chuckled. “You needn’t worry. You’re not in danger of losing your playmate to me.”
“Who said I was worried about losing Dylan?” Levi muttered.
Pleased more than she wanted to admit, Piper smiled.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she assured him. “Like you, Dylan and I are just friends.”
“Just friends?” Levi asked with a raised brow.