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 contented 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.