Page 123 of He's The Reason Why

Della paused at her door and batted her eyelashes. “Can you get the door, please? My hands are full.”

“Goodnight, Della.” Piper opened the door and gave her sister a very pointed look.

Della eyed the phone. “Can I meet him?”

“No.” Her answer was immediate and a little too loud.

She had no idea how much undressing Blake had done, but if she had to bet, he was at least down to underwear, because he knew she’d have to catch up.

The idea of that sent a rush of heat to her face and other places farther south.

“Why not?” Della’s grin was so broad it was going to split her face in two. “Is he naked?”

Piper continued down the hall. “Good night, nosy butt.”

“Night, Pipsqueak,” Della called after her. “I hope you have sweet,sweetdreams.”

Della giggled as she shut the door.

She thought she heard Blake laugh too, but she waited until she was behind her own closed door before she checked on him.

Blake lounged on his bed wearing absolutely nothing but a grin. “Deal’s a deal, Princess.”

She propped the phone on the dresser and then took her own sweet time catching up.

Chapter Twenty

January 17 was a lot colder than Blake had expected it to be, considering they were in Nevada. An unusual cold front had descended from Canada and swept across the state, leaving a bracing chill in the desert air that had everyone’s teeth chattering.

The first scenes they were going to shoot were in an abandoned building they’d converted to a bar, near a small, unincorporated town called Tonopah. It was halfway between Vegas and Reno, which meant it was hours away from everything.

The only things that existed for miles in any direction were cacti and this ghost town. It would make an excellent spot for a horror movie. He’d already sent pictures of it to his mother just in case she knew someone who needed this kind of setting.

They’d completely taken over three hotels in Tonopah for the entire month, which had made the people in town extremely excited, but there hadn’t been enough rooms to house everyone.

It had been Marshall’s idea to set up a trailer park like they’d had on his last movie to house the cast, which had been alogistical nightmare to set up, but now Blake had to admit it had been worth the headaches and fees.

Sixty-two RVs now clustered around a recently installed pad that supplied water and electricity. It looked like they were hosting the next Woodstock, but at least everyone was always close by and ready at a moment’s notice.

The only bright lights out here came from the neon sign they’d created for the bar, their own spotlights, and the stars.

That was probably why it was so cold. There was nothing to stop the wind. He swore it made even the cactus shiver.

He’d sent his assistant into town, an hour away, to buy all the blankets she could find just to keep the crew warm between takes, but she wasn’t back yet. The food trucks had heroically supplied both hot coffee and hot chocolate, but they’d since run out of both.

It was eight in the morning on the first day of filming, and they were already sleep-deprived, freezing, and out of coffee.

“You two ready for this?” Piper asked. Her eyes shone as she watched the bustle going on around them.

“Hell yeah,” Marshall said. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “I love it when a plan comes together.”

“We didn’t plan on this weather,” Blake told him.

“It won’t last forever.” Marshall bared his teeth at the wind. “Could be worse. Could be—”

Blake held up a hand. “Don’t say it. You say the r-word and it’ll happen, and we don’t have time for that.”

“Why not? Today’s shoot is mostly inside. You worry too much,” Marshall said. “Besides, I maintain a little rain would enhance the mood.”

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