Page 99 of Stroke of Fate

Keep your slutty hands off my what’s mine.

God, she is delusional. I have nothing that belongs to her.

Crumpling the paper into a tiny ball, I throw it in the trash with her half-eaten salad.

It’s nearing midnight when I quietly let myself into Levi’s apartment. We’ve been going back and forth between his place and mine.

Levi’s lying on the couch, school papers sprawled across the coffee table, while some sports channel plays quietly in the background. It’s the usual scene I walk into, and I’m not surprised when he looks up the moment I slip inside.

No matter how often I tell him not to wait up for me, knowing how brutal those early morning practices are on little sleep, he always shuts me up with a kiss and a promise to see me when I get home.

Tonight, I’m relieved to see him. The whole Sadie thing rattled me more than I’d like to admit. Confrontation like that never leaves me feeling good, even when it’s unavoidable. Deepdown, no matter how brave I act, I’ll always be the girl who’d rather turn the other cheek.

I take off my shoes and crawl onto the couch, stretching out across his rock-hard stomach, my cheek resting on his solid chest. His body heat and scent flow over me like a cocoon of comfort and safety.

The feeling of coming home has me letting out a content sigh.

My entire body relaxes as he wraps his arms around me, placing a kiss on the top of my head.

“Missed you.”

“Missed you too,” I murmur, happy to spend the rest of the night in his arms.

Knowing I have to shower and do my nightly skincare routine makes me want to cry, but I can’t go to sleep otherwise.

“How was work?”

I debate telling him about Sadie but decide against it. I don’t want to spoil the moment by bringing her up. Maybe it’s petty, but I know she’d find some weird satisfaction in knowing I’m thinking about our encounter long after it happened.

And as far as I know, she hasn’t been bothering Levi. I still don’t know the true extent of their history, and honestly, I think I’m better off not knowing.

All I can do is hope she gets over herself and finds someone else to annoy with her mean-girl act.

“Long and tiring.” I push up onto my hands to see his handsome face.

Sleepy eyes stare back at me.

My stomach still dips and flutters at the thought of him being mine.

He cups my cheeks between his palms. “You want to go to bed or take a shower?”

It’s cute how he still asks, even though he knows I never skip an evening shower after work, no matter how exhausted I am.

I turn my head slightly, nipping his palm. “A shower with you”

A moan escapes me as Levi massages my tight shoulders. Between the cascading hot water and how his hands ease my achy muscles, the last few hours melt away. The tension in my body swirls down the drain along with the water.

“That feel good?” he murmurs, kissing my shoulder. I hum contentedly.

When the last of the soap suds dissolves under the spray, his hands stop their magic. I turn in his arms, causing my peaked nipples to brush up against him. The sensation sends a surge of lust straight through me.

I need him.

Ache for him.

And when I see the desire swirl in those beautiful eyes, I know he feels the same.

Sliding a hand between us, I grip his erection that’s been present since I stripped naked.

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