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She considered adding a champagne emoji, but in the end, she opted for something simpler and more appropriate.
xoxo
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Blake lathered his face, wetting his razor. He was out of bed a little earlier than usual this morning, but that was on purpose. He was going to see Erika today—within the next twenty minutes, even if he had to move heaven and fucking earth to make it happen.
He’d been disappointed and worried when he’d seen her texts last night after the game. Blake had spent a lot of time with her parents, who were totally awesome, so he’d been concerned about her dad. The guy was turning eighty on his next birthday, so Blake didn’t blame Erika for hightailing it out of the game to check on him.
He’d texted her, asking her to keep him in the loop, and she had, texting him several more times during the night.
She had convinced the old guy to go to the hospital for X-rays, which was a good thing because he had fractured his ankle. Unfortunately, that meant they’d spent several hours in the ER while he was fitted for a boot, after which, Erika had taken her parents home to get her dad settled.
Blake had no idea what time she finally made it home. He’d tried to stay awake, listening for her, but he’d fallen asleep sometime after three a.m. on the couch with Corky.
He’d also spent too much of the night analyzing those x’s and o’s she’d texted him, perfectly aware she had never used that sign-off before.
It was ridiculous how those two letters had taken him from dark to light in one-point-four seconds. He’d read her text about leaving the game early, and while he’d been concerned about her dad, there was a small part of him that worried perhaps she was using her parents as an excuse to avoid him.
Then he’d seen the xoxo, and something that felt very much like hope erased that fear completely. Between that and scoring the goals, he’d felt ten feet tall and bulletproof as he celebrated the win with old friends and his teammates.
Spending time with Elio, Alex, and their wives at Pat’s Pub had been a great boost for his confidence as Charley and Gianna both expressed how much they liked Erika, and how a man would have to be a fool not to snatch up a woman like her. They’d become less and less obvious about their matchmaking attempts as the night progressed, until Blake started to suspect Erika had said something to them.
He grinned when he heard a knock on his door. Despite her late night, it appeared Erika was just as anxious to see him as he was her.
“Come in. It’s unlocked,” he yelled from the bathroom, when he didn’t hear the door open.
“Since when do we knock?” he muttered to himself, relieved when he heard footsteps coming down the hall.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” he said, scraping the razor over his jaw. “Just need to finish shaving.”
He heard her and Corky moving around the bedroom, Erika no doubt playing with the puppy while she waited.
Grabbing the toothpaste, he brushed his teeth quickly because he’d already decided the second he went out there, he was kissing his girl senseless until there was no question between them that she was his.
Rinsing out his mouth, he ran his fingers through his wet hair, still wearing just the towel he’d wrapped around his hips after climbing out of the shower.
He grinned, deciding not to lead with the kiss.
Nope. He had a better idea how to get this party started.
Walking into his bedroom, he pulled the towel off and dropped it to the floor just as he looked up.
He scowled.
Because it wasn’t Erika waiting for him, playing with Corky.
It was Mindy.
Naked and tied to his bed.
What the fuck?
Blake frowned, thinking he’d spoken his thoughts aloud…until he realized he’d heard them in a female voice.
He turned, panicking when he saw it was Erika who’d asked the question. Then he recognized exactly what Erika was seeing from her vantage point in the doorway to his bedroom.
“Shit,” he cursed, bending down to retrieve his towel, covering himself with it before turning back to Mindy. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing here, but get dressed!”
