Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Hope’s POV

I settled into the passenger seat carefully and was instantly surrounded by Levi’s scent.

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It smelled really clean. That was the first thing I noticed. Fresh laundry. Crisp soap. A faint minty scent lingering beneath it all. As expected from a huge germaphobe like him. The inside of the car was spotless too, so ridiculously clean that I suddenly became hyperaware of my worn sneakers touching the expensive floor mats.

My gaze drifted across the sleek before landing on the glowing emblem at the center of the steering wheel.

Rolls Royce.

The latest model too.

It felt like I had stepped into somebody else’s life for the night.

A week ago, I was running between three part-time jobs, surviving off convenience-store coffee and four hours of sleep. Now

I was sitting in the passenger seat of Levi Reeve’s car after touching his bare chest less than twenty minutes ago.

Life was weird.

“Are you really going to give me a ride?” I asked suspiciously.

Levi didn’t even look at me as he adjusted the mirrors.

“Do you want me to let you walk instead?”

Honestly? With his personality, that sounded like something he’d actually do.

“I can do that,” I muttered stubbornly while reaching for the door handle. “I’m used to going home late anyway.”

But before I could push the door open, a sharp clicking sound echoed through the car. Locked.

I slowly turned toward him.

Levi clicked his tongue. “Where am I dropping you off?”

I stared at him for a second before giving up with a quiet sigh.

My gaze wandered outside the window thoughtfully.

There was absolutely no way this ridiculously expensive car would survive driving through my neighborhood without attracting attention.

Living in Central Manhattan sounded glamorous until people realized there were still parts of it swallowed by cramped apartments, broken sidewalks, and old buildings barely hanging onto existence.

My apartment sat exactly in one of those areas.

“Just drop me off at the Morningside bus stop,” I said. “My place is near there.”

Levi frowned immediately.

“I can drop you directly home.”

I shook my head, unable to stop the small smile tugging at my lips.

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Chapter 14

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Despite the constant glaring, the attitude problem, and the fact that he nearly made me spend my grocery money on coffee and donuts earlier, Levi surprisingly had soft spots hidden beneath all that arrogance.

Tiny ones.

Very deeply buried ones.

“It’s fine,” I repeated gently. “Your car probably wouldn’t even fit through the area.”

He clicked his tongue again-the man seriously communicated through tongue-clicking at this point-before finally starting the engine.

“Put your seatbelt on.”

“Oh. Right.”

I quickly reached for it, and the car smoothly pulled away from the rink.

The city lights blurred outside the windows in streaks of gold and white while New York at night unfolded around us like a

movie scene.

Tall buildings glowing against the dark sky. Street vendors still selling food on corners. Groups of people laughing loudly outside bars despite the late hour. Taxi horns echoing endlessly through the streets.

It was truly the city that never sleeps.

For some reason, despite living in Manhattan for two years now, I had never really appreciated how beautiful the city looked at night.

I was always too busy surviving inside it.

Too exhausted from work.

Too worried about bills.

Too focused on Connor’s dreams instead of my own.

Now, sitting inside this absurdly expensive car with soft music playing faintly through the speakers, the city somehow looked different.

My body slowly melted against the seat as exhaustion began creeping up on me.

The steady hum of the engine mixed with Levi’s quiet breathing beside me, and combined with the clean scent surrounding me, made me sleepy.

A yawn escaped my lips. Then for some reason, I started giggling softly to myself.

Levi glanced toward me briefly. “What?”

I covered my mouth immediately. “Nothing.”

“Why are you laughing alone like a psychopath?”

That only made me laugh harder.

The car slowed to a stop at a red light, and I finally turned toward him with a grin I couldn’t hide.

“It just feels ridiculous,” I admitted.

Chapter 14

His brows furrowed slightly. “What does?”

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“Everything.” I motioned vaguely around us. “Last week I was juggling three part-time jobs while barely making minimum wage. Now I’m working for the biggest hockey team in the city, actually using the degree I fought so hard for…”

I looked around the luxurious interior again before laughing softly.

“And now I’m riding in a Rolls Royce with Levi Reeve himself. If someone told me that a month ago, I would’ve thought they were insane.”

Levi stared at me quietly.

The red traffic light reflected faintly against his face, softening his sharp features for just a moment.

And for some reason, under that dim glow, he didn’t look intimidating at all.

The smile on my lips softened slightly under his gaze.

Then suddenly-

HONK!

A loud blaring horn jolted both of us.

A sedan sped past our car aggressively once the light changed, its driver rolling down the window dramatically.

“Fuck you and your car, asshole!” the man yelled loudly toward Levi. “Learn how to drive at a yellow light!”

Then he sped ahead recklessly.

Levi simply started driving again like absolutely nothing happened.

Meanwhile, outrage exploded inside me immediately.

Without thinking, I rolled the window down.

“You drive on GREEN, not yellow, you idiot!” I shouted back at the disappearing sedan. “Some people actually value human life!”

The cold wind slapped against my face. I huffed before rolling the window back up again and turning toward Levi sheepishly.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “I really hate reckless drivers.”

For a second, Levi said nothing. Then I noticed the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Was he… trying not to smile?

“Have you always been like this?” he asked quietly.

“Like what?”

“So fearless.” He glanced at me briefly again. “And… smiley.”

I raised my brows in surprise before laughing softly.

“Fearless? Definitely not.” I shook my head immediately. “I’m terrified of a lot of things. Snakes, for one. Also cockroaches that fly.”

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Chapter 14

That earned me an actual tiny huff of amusement from him.

“But smiley?” I continued thoughtfully while staring out the window. “I guess so.”

The city lights reflected faintly against the glass as I spoke.

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“The world can be really shitty sometimes,” I admitted quietly. “But there’s always something worth smiling about too. Even small things.”

I smiled faintly.

“I think that’s what keeps me sane.”

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