CHAPTER FOURTEEN
LEVI
As soon as Scarlett took note that the car was bogged, I truly thought this day couldn’t get any worse. But when we get to our room at the inn, and there’s just one bed, I realise how wrong I was for thinking that.
I see Scarlett’s clocked the same thing. Fuck. I need to do something about this. There’s no way I can sleep in the same bed as her. The same room would have been bad enough, but the same bed is just the worst kind of temptation.
Getting ready to head back down, I drop the bags to the floor. The movement sends a pain shooting down my arm from my shoulder, causing me to wince.
Scarlett’s on me in an instant. “Fuck, Levi. Are you okay? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you carry those bags.
I shake her off, moving further into the room trying to avoid meeting her eyes. She follows me. “Levi, please let me help you. We can’t have this getting any worse before you get better.
She drags her fingers across my bad shoulder and my resolve starts to falter.
“Sit on the bed, Levi. I’m going to massage your shoulder.” She whispers as she moves to her bag to grab out a cream.
I arch a brow at her. “You came prepared.”
She rolls her eyes, giving me an exasperated look. “This is quite literally my job, Carter. Now, sit on the bed.”
I take a seat at the edge as Scarlett comes to stand in front of me. Grabbing the hem of my shirt, she drags it up over my head, taking care not to jostle my shoulder too much. Tossing it to the side, she squeezes a dollop of cream onto her hand before placing the bottle on the bed.
She rubs her hands together to warm it before moving her hands to my shoulder, gently starting to work the cream into my skin. My muscles tighten instinctively, feeling a dull ache growing in my shoulder.
One hand moves toward the curve of my neck as the other continues to work my shoulder. “Relax.”
Her breath is warm against my cheek as I feel my muscles start to release, leaning into her touch now, rather than resisting it.
I tilt my head to the side to allow her better access to the sore muscles. Since the injury, I’ve been carrying so much tension that my body just feels so tired.
Her hands continue, slow and deliberate. My eyes fall closed at the tenderness of the touch, a low groan escaping me.
Both of us freeze for a moment before she continues, digging the heel of her palm into my shoulder.
I tilt my head back, looking up to meet her gaze, making my heart skip a beat as her hand starts to slow, until just her thumb is stroking my skin gently.
My breathing begins to grow more laboured as my gaze flickers to her lips. Blood rushes south and, fuck, my patience really is being tested today.
Jumping up off the bed, I stumble toward the bathroom, grabbing a towel along the way. “I need to have a shower.”
I stand under the spray, letting the warm water wash over me. What the fuck am I doing?
Finishing up, I wrap the towel around my waist before heading out making Scarlett’s head snap up from where she was rifling through her bag.
I watch as she takes me in, her gaze slowly making its way up my body until her eyes meet mine.
She huffs before taking her clothes and brushing past me, the door clicking shut behind her.
I hear the shower turn on, so I take that as my opportunity to get dressed, pulling on a white tee and grey sweatpants. Collapsing onto the bed, I make myself comfortable before pulling out my phone to text the guys.
Frost and Furious
Me
Stuck in Leavenworth for the night.
Hudson
Go get some, Carter.
Bennett
Have fun, dude.
Reid
Just a bit of a taste for what’s to come in
the next few weeks.
Cole
Enjoy the vacation.
Evan
Wait, why?
Me
Cars bogged. We had no choice.
I hear the shower shut off, so I close my messages.
It isn’t long before Scarlett comes out in a white set.
Her toned legs that seem to go on forever, the slight swell of her breasts peeking up over the top of the white cotton.
Long, chestnut brown hair still wet, resting down her back and over her shoulders.
I tilt my head back, looking up to the ceiling, willing myself not to react to her looking like that.
She snaps me out of my little trance pretty quick, “So what are we doing about the bed?”
“You can take the floor.” I shrug, making her jaw drop. “I’m injured.”
“Levi, it’s a king bed. We can just share the bed for the night.”
I refuse to give in, no matter how much I want to.
“Please, Scarlett. Is that just your way of getting me into bed? Pretty weak attempt if I’m being honest.”
Oops. I think I made her mad again, a crimson flush creeping up her chest.
“I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on Earth.” She glares at me before continuing, “We can share this bed if you don’t want to sleep on the floor, but you cannot make me.”
She’s so stubborn, there’s no way around this.
I roll my eyes as she walks closer, a soft scent of vanilla emanates from her, from what I assume is her body wash.
She climbs into the other side of the bed, the lamp beside the bed casting a soft golden light across her skin, catching on her collarbone, across her shoulder.
I break the silence, about ready for this day to be over. “It’s already eight and it’s been a long day. Let’s just get some sleep, yeah?”
“Sure, but let me get some more pillows first,” Scarlett says, as she ambles back off the bed slightly unsteady, walking over toward the built-in wardrobe.
She slides the door open, and I see extra pillows and blankets on the top shelf. Scarlett proceeds to grab all of them, and despite the pile being so high that she can’t see ahead of her, she somehow makes it to the bed without tripping or dropping anything, much to my surprise.
Once she makes it to the bed, she drops the bedding before starting to situate it – and by that, I mean placing the pillows right down the centre of the bed.
I look at her, perplexed.
“What…” I trail off, before starting up again, “Scarlett, what is this?”
“What I like to call a prevention guard.” She glances toward me before looking back and continuing, “It’ll make sure you keep your dirty mitts off me.”
Jaw? On the floor. Dick? Slightly hard.
I can’t help but smirk though. I don’t know why I would have expected anything else.
I try to seem unaffected, just rolling my eyes instead – which I seem to be doing a lot around this girl.
“Whatever,” I say as I pull back the covers and climb into bed.
I turn so I’m facing away from her, “Turn off the lamp when you’re ready, please. We need a decent amount of rest to be able to deal with each other.”
I hear a shocked laugh fall out of her before the lamp is off, cloaking us in darkness. I hear her shuffling around, the sheets rustling as she attempts to get comfortable before my eyelids get heavy and I doze off into a deep sleep.