Shadows of Truth and Deception (Levi • OC)

CHAPTER 14 - Restraint

restraint /rɪˈstreɪnt/ — a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control; self-control

     The following days were all the same—waking up beside Levi, horny and frustrated, breakfast, bossing Aiden, Jasper, Carter, and Isaac around during training from where she sat on a bench, lunch, resting, dinner, going to sleep next to Levi, horny and frustrated.

     It was a mission to convince everyone she could at least overwatch her squad's training if not participate, but they forbade her from attending practice twice a day. So she spent the afternoon hours reading the files she'd stolen from Franklin's office. They were three files, each about one of Franklin's most notorious men—one on Nikolai Petrov, one on Jannes Jensen, and one on Magnus Gerber. She studied them one by one, though reading all mission reports and analyses of their strengths and weaknesses was time-consuming. By the time she finished Jensen's file, she was so exhausted from reading such horrid things she decided to pick up a book instead.

     "Why are you frowning?"

     She lifted her eyes from the book's pages to see Levi enter his bedroom, sweaty from training. With narrowed eyes, she watched him remove his jacket, taking in the sight of his muscular body—the shirt was wet enough to cling to him in an annoyingly beautiful way.

     "Nothing," she groaned in reply, returning to reading the book.

     She had gone to Hanje's office to choose a book to read since the woman had a whole wall of bookshelves, and was intrigued by a book with an anonymous author. She quickly learned why the author wanted to be unknown—it was a romance book. But not just any type of romance book, no. A romance book with pages-long detailed descriptions of very, very intense sex.

     And Reinae, who had not gone without sex for longer than a couple of weeks in years, who was sleeping next to a man who gave her the best sex of her life and would not touch her until she was healed, was struggling. She was like a lion being starved—very irritatable, very moody, and very, very hungry.

     "What are you reading?" Levi asked as he walked to the bathroom.

     "Mind your business," she hissed, keeping her eyes on the book—it was better that way because she could hear Levi undressing.

     She felt his stare on her, the way he raised an eyebrow and then shrugged, turning on the water in the shower.

     Idiot, Rei thought to herself, continuing to read. She kept her eyes on the book while Levi came out of the bathroom only in his briefs, while he climbed to his side of the bed, leaning on the headboard while picking up a book from his nightstand. His was most certainly not about steamy sex.

     "I'll go shower," Rei groaned, climbing off the bed.

     "With a book?" Levi asked with a raised eyebrow, glancing at the book she was still holding.

     "Do you mind?!" she snapped.

     Levi, confused by her attitude, seemingly couldn't decide between smirking or glaring, so he only shrugged again, focusing back on his boring book.

     Idiot.

     She practically slammed the door of the bathroom closed. Sliding her hand through her hair, she stared at her reflection. How could he lay next to her every night—awake, for that matter, since he rarely slept—and not be dying of need after proclaiming how much he'd longed for her? Maybe it was all bullshit.

     Or maybe he just needed a little nudge.

     Reinae knew he wouldn't touch her—her wound was not quite healed enough to make him relax. But she didn't have to be the only one struggling.