Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Hope’s POV

It felt like there was something I had forgotten.

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It also felt like I shouldn’t be sleeping at this moment, and there was a nagging voice in the back of my mind probably the angel on my shoulder-telling me to wake up.

However, I felt far too comfortable to move.

It seemed the devil won again because I only snuggled deeper into the coolness pressed against me.

It felt so nice against my body. Like a cool pillow on a hot day.

The pillow suddenly vibrated.

My eyes fluttered open.

“Aren’t you enjoying this a little too much, Hope?” Levi asked dryly. “My shoulder’s falling asleep.”

My eyes widened. The realization hit me all at once. Levi was staring down at me with one brow raised while I was draped over him, my head resting on his shoulder. His bad shoulder, in particular.

I scrambled away so quickly that I nearly fell off the bed.

“Sorry!”

My gaze immediately dropped to his shoulder, and a small gasp escaped my lips.

A bruise was beginning to form there, and it was darker than I had remembered it.

I heard him sigh.

I opened my mouth, fully prepared to apologize again, but he cut me off before I could say a word.

“It’s not because of you.”

My brows furrowed. Then, I remembered what happened during the game. I knew I wasn’t mistaken. Connor had definitely dug his knee into Levi’s shoulder when he stood up.

“I knew it,” I muttered.

Levi glanced at me.

“Your shoulder already wasn’t okay a while ago,” I said. “You were bluffing when you told me it didn’t hurt.”

A corner of his mouth lifted.

“There’s nothing to do about it.”

“But-”

“I’ve lived with this pain long enough.”

“But you-”

“What is Hope going to do, hmm?” he asked teasingly.

hu, Jul 16

Chapter 80

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I pursed my lips. The fact that he was joking around irritated me more than it should have. The first game was fast approaching, and the progress of his healing might actually deteriorate!

“I’m going to talk to Connor,” I declared.

The teasing look somehow vanished from his eyes.

“You’re not going to talk to him.”

That response caught me off guard.

“Why not?” I asked, challenging his gaze.

“When he drove me to the rink this morning,” I continued, “he told me about wanting to become the frontline center.”

Levi’s expression changed.

“I think this is part of his plan.”

“You went with him to the rink this morning?”

I frowned. “Yes,” I answered. “But that’s not the point, Levi.”

His expression remained unreadable.

“It’s your injury,” I continued. “How are you supposed to play during the first game if your shoulder is getting worse?”

Instead of answering, he simply looked at me. A look that somehow made my heart skip.

Before I could demand a proper response, the sound of keys jingling outside the room made both of us glance toward the door.

My eyes widened as I watched the doorknob turn.

Without thinking, I dove beneath the blanket, my entire body colliding with Levi’s. The moment I buried myself against him, I realized something horribly embarrassing. Levi was still very much naked.

“Oh wow, Levi.”

Beth’s voice filled the room.

“Everyone’s worried about you, and you’re just locked up in your room.”

I froze. If Beth discovered me here, I would never show my face in public again. Ever.

I felt Levi trying to shift the blanket downward.

My eyes widened. I quickly pinched his side to stop what he was doing, causing him to jolt.

“What?” Beth asked suspiciously. “Did something bite you?”

“You could say that.”

The amusement in Levi’s voice made me want to strangle him. This man sounded like he was enjoying himself.

Meanwhile, Beth continued speaking. “Is your shoulder alright? I already talked to Connor.”

My grin disappeared. I also felt Levi go still beneath me.

Chapter 80

“He said he didn’t mean it,” Beth continued. “But honestly, I don’t know.”

I listened carefully.

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“Delaney and Dennis insist it was an accident, though, so there might not be any repercussions, especially when they’re uncertain if you could play for the first game.”

Levi hummed while Beth sighed deeply.

“Your team won, though. I guess the original lineup is still much better than the newer players. It was expected, but the guy did well even without you around.”

“Hmm.”

“Are you even listening to me?”

Another hum.

I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. Beth sounded seconds away from smacking him.

“Someone already posted an article about the incident,” she continued. “I don’t know who the snake inside the rink is, but somebody leaked it immediately.”

That caught my attention. An article? Already?

Things were escalating faster than I thought.

“Another headache for me,” Beth muttered.

As she spoke, I suddenly felt movement beneath the blanket.

My eyes widened.

Levi’s hand began inching closer to my chest, and my heart started racing. It got nearer and nearer to my chest, his finger brushing against the sensitive buds.

I couldn’t help the soft groan that escaped my lips.

“What was that?” Beth suddenly stopped talking. I stopped breathing again and wanted to make Levi actually stop breathing.

“What was what?” he countered.

“You made a weird sound.”

I buried my face against his side, making myself even smaller.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Beth asked. “You’re acting strange.”

“I’m fine,” he brushed it off.

“Did Hope already check on you?” she continued. “I haven’t seen her around.”

My entire body went rigid.

“Oh, Hope already checked on me. Very thoroughly, I must say,” he added, making my jaw drop.

Even though I couldn’t see him, I could hear the smirk in his voice! If Beth walked two steps closer and shifted the blanket, we would be finished!

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Chapter 80

Fortunately, she either missed the implication or chose to ignore it.

“Anyway,” Beth said, “can you play during the first game?”

Levi finally sounded serious.

“Yeah,” he answered right away. However, I, too, wasn’t sure about that. He really took a nasty fall a while ago.

Beth sighed heavily. “Margaret is attending.”

Even the mention of her name was enough to make me feel nervous.

“She wants to see if everything is running smoothly.

Just then, a ringtone suddenly echoed through the room.

Beth groaned. “Speaking of Margaret. It’s her. Perfect timing.”

“You really know how to stir up trouble, don’t you?” she muttered.

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