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Mindy looked equal parts chagrinned and embarrassed. “Can you untie me?”
Jesus Christ!
Blake walked over to the bed, hastily loosening the knots on her wrists, careful to keep his eyes on Erika. He was terrified she’d make a run for it.
Mercifully, she stayed put, though that felt like a small comfort, considering the expression on her face was pure murder.
How the fuck was he going to explain this?
Once Mindy was free, Blake turned away from her, gripping Erika’s elbow and guiding her down the hallway. When they were in the living room, he placed himself between her and the door, ready to tackle her if she tried to make a break for it.
“Erik,” he said. “I didn’t know she was here.”
Erika frowned. “She’s tied up.”
He hadn’t told her about Mindy’s ridiculous talent because he took enough teasing from her about the puck bunny.
“It’s her party trick.”
Erika snorted. “Of course it is. Might be a neater trick if she could untie herself too,” she muttered.
Blake couldn’t quite interpret that response. It sounded not only like she believed him…but like she was amused.
That couldn’t be right. Could it?
Before he could test that theory, Mindy came down the hall.
“Sorry, Blake,” she said, glancing from him to Erika and back again. “Last night’s game was awesome. So I thought I’d surprise you.”
“You did,” he murmured.
Mindy laughed humorlessly. “Yeah. Well, I guess I’ll leave you guys to…” She waved her hand, gesturing to him and Erika. “Whatever this is. Bye, Erika.”
Wow. Mindy finally got Erika’s name right. Not that Blake expected that to help him get out of this predicament.
Erika lifted her hand. “Bye, Mandy.”
Tou-fucking-ché.
Blake had to bite his lip not to laugh out loud.
The second the door closed behind Mindy, Blake started talking. “Erika, I swear to you?—”
“Blake,” she started.
Panic was his overriding every other emotion as the stress of the past few days caught up with him. Because even if he hadn’t said the words, she had to fucking know how he felt about her. He threw his hands in the air. “Goddammit! You don’t really think I would bring Mindy back here, would sleep with her after what you and I?—”
“I don’t,” she interjected loudly, cutting his tirade short. “I know you wouldn’t do that.”
For the first time since seeing Mindy in his bed, Blake managed to take a full breath. “You do?”
She nodded. “Of course I do.”
Her eyes were softer now, the anger he’d seen in his bedroom completely gone. Suddenly it occurred to him maybe that ire wasn’t directed at him but at Mindy. It gave him the courage to take a step closer.
“God, I missed you,” he whispered.
His confession made her smile, which made his heart beat faster.
