Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Hope’s POV

I smiled again when I remembered Mr. Wallace’s expression after I handed him the almond donut.

After Levi refused to even touch it, I immediately thought of him.

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We had gotten acquainted during my second week with the team when I got hopelessly lost trying to find the equipment * room. Mr. Wallace had patiently toured me around the entire facility while carrying a mop bucket with one hand and rambling proudly about his grandchildren with the other.

He talked about them constantly. How he worked extra shifts just so they could eat something nice once in a while. It reminded me too much of home.

My smile softened at the thought before fading completely.

That was exactly why I couldn’t afford to fail here.

I glanced down at the stack of care plans spread across the desk. Every player already had one prepared except for two people.

Connor’s folder sat off to the side untouched.

I still couldn’t bring myself to look at it properly.

Instead, my eyes drifted toward’the only completely blank folder left.

Levi Reeve.

I sighed and leaned back in the chair.

How exactly was I supposed to make a treatment plan for someone who refused to let me assess him in the first place?

I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

10:45 PM.

Crap.

The last bus home would leave soon.

Maybe I should just call it a night and try again tomorrow. Friday was still technically one more chance before the practice game.

I slowly stood from my chair and began gathering my things when a shadow suddenly stretched across the doorway. I startled violently and pressed a hand against my chest.

Levi stood there silently. The overhead light behind him cast sharp shadows across his face, making his expression even harder to read than usual. His dark hair was slightly damp like he had just showered recently.

My pulse skipped embarrassingly.

“How long have you been standing there?” I asked.

He ignored the question. Instead, he walked inside the rehab room quietly before sitting on the nearest treatment bed beside my desk. Then he held out one arm toward me lazily.

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11:42 Wed, Jul 15

Chapter 12

I frowned.

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“What?” I asked cautiously, crossing my arms. “Are you here to give me another command? Because if it can wait until tomorrow, I’d really appreciate it. I can’t miss the last bus.”

“Check it,” he muttered.

“What?”

His voice was too low.

“I can’t understand you.”

Levi clicked his tongue impatiently before suddenly grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head in one swift motion.

My breath caught instantly.

Oh.

Oh, wow.

His chest was lean and sculpted, every muscle defined sharply beneath his skin marked with faint bruises and old scars. His abdomen tightened as he moved, and my eyes shamefully followed the motion downward before I caught myself.

“What are you doing?” I blurted out, instinctively shielding my chest like I was the one suddenly half-naked.

Levi sighed heavily before pointing to his shoulder.

“Check it,” he repeated more clearly this time.

I froze.

Wait.

Did I hear that correctly?

Was Levi Reeve-the same Levi Reeve who had tortured me with a forty-dollar coffee and a twenty-five-dollar donut just this morning-actually asking me to assess him voluntarily? Or had exhaustion finally made me hallucinate?

His brows lowered. “Are you going to assess me or not?”

He started standing again.

“I will!” I immediately rushed forward to stop him.

Unfortunately, my foot slipped slightly against the floor from how fast I moved. Before I could react, I stumbled directly onto his lap.

My eyes widened. His hands instinctively grabbed my waist to steady me, and the coldness of his palms burned straight through my clothes.

My face was inches from his. His grip tightened once unconsciously. Then his glare returned full-force.

I scrambled off him so quickly I nearly fell again.

“Sorry!” I exclaimed, immediately throwing up two peace signs in panic for some reason. “I’ll assess you now.”

Levi exhaled slowly through his nose like he was testing the limits of his patience.

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11:42 Wed, Jul 15

Chapter 12

“Make it quick.”

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“What made you change your mind?” I asked carefully while trying very hard not to stare at his abs again.

Seriously. This man looked like he had been handcrafted by the most creative people in the world. I shook the thought away aggressively and forced myself back into professional mode.

I moved closer cautiously before pausing.

“I can touch you, right?” I asked softly.

There was a hint of surprise in his eyes after my question.

“What?” I laughed lightly. “Has nobody ever asked you that before?”

Something flickered briefly across his face. However, it was gone almost instantly. His jaw tightened, eyes darkening strangely before he looked away.

In the end, he didn’t answer.

I puffed my cheeks slightly and lifted both hands in surrender.

“Don’t worry,” I teased lightly. “I washed them.”

He sighed impatiently again. “Just do your job.”

I rolled my eyes quietly but stepped forward anyway. The moment my fingers touched his skin, my breath nearly hitched again.

His muscles flexed automatically beneath my touch, hard and tense even while relaxed. I started with his lower body first to avoid focusing too much on his shoulder immediately.

The second my hands pressed into his thighs, I frowned deeply.

“What the hell?” I muttered under my breath.

Everything was tight and strained to an alarming degree.

“When Nate was still your PT, how often were you assessed?” I asked while pressing carefully along the muscle.

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