Page 12 of The Stranger's Code

I looked over at him, his eyes closed as we drove down the street.

“Who are you, Cameron Miller?” I asked, underneath my breath, curiosity filling my mind.

And can you really see me like you say you do?

5

CAMERON

Oh,my God.

I’m such an idiot.

Flashes from a few nights ago played in my mind, over and over again. I was dancing at the bar, my hands on Levi’s face, Levi’s shoulders. I was saying things to him that I shouldn’t have said, letting my thoughts escape my mouth. He hadn’t seemed too put off by any of it, but there was a good chance he was just being polite. Which meant that I needed to steer clear of Levi for a few more days, keeping my distance as best as I could.

If I wasn’t careful, I was going to blow this whole thing. How was I supposed to study Levi for my big, breakout role, if he kept me at arm’s length? And all because of things I’d said while a little too tipsy at the bar?

Rolling my eyes at my own behavior, I walked over to the bedroom mirror. I shifted my stance, trying my best to stand just like Levi, faking his swagger. I instantly deflated when I realized how hard it was going to be, capturing even a small part of his essence on screen. The more I learned about Levi, the more I realized that he was genuinely one-of-a-kind, and anything I did would be a pale imitation?—

“Shit. It’s cold in here.” I frowned, my train of thought suddenly off track. I blew a breath and could see fog, a telltale sign that something was very wrong. If I was back in Los Angeles, I would’ve called my assistant, who then would’ve called my handyman. Hell, I might’ve called the handyman directly if it wasthis cold. Since I wasn’t back in L.A., it took me a second to run through my options.

Eventually, I decided to just call the main line for the ranch. I was sure they’d dealt with things like this before. Although, I was hoping that they’d actually have a fix for the freezing cold that didn’t involve starting a fire and bundling myself in blankets. A second after dialing the main line, I brought my phone up to my ear, ready to explain my situation.

Knock.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I hung up the phone and headed towards the front door to the cabin. When I pulled it open, Levi was standing there, with a toolbox in one hand and a thermos in the other. “Hey.”

“Are you… psychic? Is that another thing to add to the list of things that you are?”

Levi smirked. “Not psychic. Just made sense to check on you. I figured something may have been knocked out of place during this cold snap we’re having.”

When he finished speaking, he held out his thermos. Confused, I took it into my hands.

“Wait. Is this thermos for me?”

“Absolutely not.” He grinned. “But you look a little cold. It’s coffee. A little cream. A little sugar. A good balance.”

“Sounds perfect. Thank you.” I eagerly took a few sips of coffee, my body thankful for it. I then opened my door wider, encouraging him to come on in. Levi nodded, as he stepped through the doorway.

“Oh, wow.” He blew out a heavy breath. “This place is freezing. Your heater might be a goner.” He turned towards me, with a playful wink. “Or it would be, if you didn’t have me over to look at it.”

“You fix a lot of heaters?”

“Growing up on a ranch, you learn how to fix a lot of everything,” Levi replied, already walking over to where the heating unit was stored. He rolled up his sleeves before he knelt down in front of it and popped open his toolbox. I took a seat next to him, wanting to watch him in action.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Nah. I’m good.” He was focused on the work in front of him. He continued like that, tinkering with the heating unit, quietly solving the problem. As we sat in silence, I felt something building inside me, something that I needed to let out before I couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’m sorry about the other night, at the bar.”

“What?”

“I think I may have said some things that I—” I hesitated for a moment, my nerves getting the better of me. “Just. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize for anything, Cam,” he replied. “It was a fun night. I mean, I had fun, at least.”

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