Someone knocked.
Well, that was scarily accurate timing.
“That’s my cue,” Mina drawled. Like Blake, she had no desire for after-sex chitchat. They met up, banged, and parted ways. Easy. Simple. No strings attached.
“I’ll walk you out.”
Blake opened the door, expecting to see Luke’s burly frame filling the doorway. To his shock, he found Farrah standing there dressed in…sheep pajamas?
Yep, those were definitely fluffy white sheep marching across her shirt and pants. They were so adorable and such a departure from Farrah’s usual polished style Blake couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
“Hey, I—” Farrah stopped when she saw Mina. One look at Mina’s tousled hair and swollen lips, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what she and Blake had been up to.
Surprise and another emotion Blake couldn’t place flitted across her face.
Tendrils of guilt snaked up his spine.
Wait. I have nothing to be guilty about. Blake was single. He could hook up with anyone he wanted.
“I can see myself out.” Mina stood on her tiptoes to plant a lingering kiss on Blake’s mouth. He returned it with hesitation, hyperaware of Farrah’s presence. “Call me later.”
She nodded at Farrah on her way out. “Nice jammies.” She sauntered down the hall and disappeared into the stairwell.
“Sorry,” Farrah said, that strange expression still on her face. “I didn’t know you had company.”
“It’s fine. She was leaving anyway.” Blake leaned against the doorframe. Nope. Guilt had no business here. None at all. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“It’s nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, you wouldn’t be standing here.”
Farrah blew out a breath. “Ok, I don’t want you to read too much into this, but I got you something from Thailand and wanted to give it to you before I forget.” She handed him a small elephant figurine. He’d been so busy staring at the sheep he hadn’t noticed the elephant. “It’s modeled after an elephant at the sanctuary we went to. He reminded me of you.”
Blake took the elephant and rubbed his thumb over the intricate stone carving. A lump formed in his throat. He couldn’t remember the last time he received a gift from someone who didn’t expect something back.
The pit of loneliness that had plagued him for the past week shrank from the size of a fist to the size of a pea.
Stop being a pansy and toughen up. It’s an elephant, for chrissakes.
Blake ignored the warmth flooding his veins and flashed his signature smile, the one that he knew made girls melt. To his annoyance, Farrah remained unfazed. “Was the elephant also handsome and athletic?”
“Cocky and a showoff.”
“I’ll take it.” Blake assessed the elephant. Heck, it was a good-looking animal. “Thank you. This is so thoughtful.”
Farrah looked embarrassed. “It’s not a big deal. Just a trinket I picked up.”
“Well, I appreciate it. Shows how much you missed me.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“I did not miss you.”
“You thought about me.”
“Hardly.”
“You thought about me enough to buy this.” Blake brandished the elephant in triumph.
Farrah’s expression was priceless.