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.
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
