Three Simple Rules (Blindfold Club 1)

The likelihood of Logan calling me was next to nothing. My cell phone number was too close to a Thai restaurant’s, and last month I’d given up trying to explain to annoyed customers that they’d dialed wrong. I hadn’t gotten around to updating my work file with the new number because weekend emergencies didn’t happen in graphics.

By the time I was done showering, I’d replayed the conversation in my mind several times. What I knew for fact was he’d told his mother he had a girlfriend. After that, it was speculation. Either his mother didn’t know my name and had seen it on the envelope, or he’d told her we were dating.

I was dressed and about to call Payton when my front door buzzed.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Evie, thank god you’re okay,” Blake’s voice crackled through the intercom. “Can I come up?”

There was no putting him off, so I jammed my finger on the button. A minute later he was through my door, pulling me into his arms.

“Are you all right?” He crushed me against his body. “Don’t you realize how dangerous that was? Going home with some random guy from that place?”

I pushed away from his embrace. “He’s not random, he’s my boss.”

“Is that some sort of sex club term?”

“No,” I snapped. “He’s my boss. As in, the manager of the graphics department.”

Blake’s face contorted in a mixture of horror and confusion. “You know him?”

“Yeah.” And no, not at all.

I folded my legs beneath me on my couch, and seconds later he joined me. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all. I wondered what he’d told Amy, but didn’t bother to ask. It didn’t matter. His angry comment to Payton had shown me a side I hadn’t seen before, and it was going to be tough to repair the damage.

“I know I shouldn’t have said it when I did, but I’m not sorry I said it.” Even with the exhaustion, he looked handsome. Just like the man I had been in love with until last night. “I love you.” It came out just as forced as last time.

I leaned forward and cradled my head in my hands. “I can’t deal with this right now.”

My phone chimed with a new email. It wasn’t my personal account, it was the office. It could only be one person. Typical form for his emails, it was short and direct.

I need your number, the one on file is incorrect.

I set my phone down on the coffee table and pushed it away. I decided to deal with the man sitting beside me first.

“If you love her, then go love her. Payton’s right, Amy deserves a man who’s honest with her. And so do I.” My eyes ticked over to the phone, and then back to him. “If we were meant to get together, I think it would have happened for us.”

“It’s all messed up, I know. Tell me what you want. Do you still love me?”

“I seriously cannot have this conversation right now.”

“Why?”

What the hell did he mean, why? Because I’d just had the most amazing sex of my life last night with a man who was fascinating. His comment about “next time” danced through my brain and tortured me.

“Last night was way intense,” I said. “I haven’t processed an ounce of it yet. But since you brought it up, I guess you remember New Year’s Eve.”

His expression softened. “I think about it a lot.”

“Did you tell Amy about it?”

I knew his answer would be ‘no’ because it’s not awkward between Amy and me. At least, not on her end, unless she’s some sort of insanely gifted actress. I highly doubt she’d let Blake continue his friendship with me in its current capacity if she knew I was in love with her boyfriend.

When he didn’t answer, I went to the door to show him out.

&n

bsp; “I need you to give me some space right now. I’ll call you later in the week.”