“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 Piper 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.