Page 87 of He's The Reason Why

“That’s how we get you. First, you get hooked on this, then we shift you to the hard stuff.” She finished off her coffee with a satisfied slurp. “So Marshall’s off the hook with his deal now?”

Blake pushed his coffee closer to her. “Hell no. He still has to honor his side. That’s why it’s a deal, not a bet.”

An evil spark of inspiration struck. “Does it void things if I approach him first?”

“No…,” he said slowly. “Not sure I like where this is headed.”

His face took on a stony expression she was beginning torecognize as a massive stubborn streak hidden beneath layers of charisma.

She rolled her eyes at him. “I’m not going to sleep with Marshall. But does hehaveto get horizontal with me, or can it just be a kiss?”

A slow, sly smile worked its way onto Blake’s face. “A kiss is enough, and it counts if you approach him. I made sure of that.”

Her wicked grin matched his. Even though she should be offended, she wasn’t. She liked Marshall. He was fun to hang out with, and he’d been a huge help. The voice work had gone so well in part because of him, so she couldn’t be mad at him for something as silly as this.

She wasn’t mad at Blake either, she realized. Marshall was superficial fun, and Blake was…

He was…

Damn he was a good time. She liked him. A lot. He was passionate about his craft, and he didn’t screw around when it came to getting stuff done. A girl could depend on a guy like that.

Waking up to find him staring at her, though, made her feel more jittery than the coffee. It was too soon. They’d only known each other a few weeks, and it was just a fun romp in the sheets. It wasn’t like they were anything serious. They weren’t even dating. They were…hell. She didn’t know what they were.

In the harsh light of the morning after, she could see how this could all go horribly wrong. She should never have indulged like this. She should have listened to her head and not her libido.

It wasn’t the sex that bothered her. It was the aftermath, especially right now.

If people found out, they’d think she’d screwed her way into a new career instead of earning it. Resentment over the unfairness of it bubbled in her chest.

She pictured the headlines and the tweets that would eruptthe second the public got wind of this hookup, and her stomach did a little tango with the coffee.

If she were still just a Bellamy Babe, it wouldn’t matter who she slept with. Now that she was trying to be more than that, it mattered. At least for now.

She looked at Blake with real regret. “You know we can’t do this again, right?”

He let out a long sigh. “I know. I was thinking the same thing.”

“You were?” That look on his face this morning had said more please, not let’s take it slow.

He scratched at the stubble on his chin. “Don’t get me wrong, I wouldlovea repeat performance, but it’s bad timing. We’re doing this project together. The stakes are too big to have that kind of drama get in the way. Not right now.”

It would be irrational to be upset to hear him echo her own reasons for backing off, but her throat tightened just the same. “I can just see the headline. Piper Bellamy sleeps her way to a new career.”

Blake winced. “I’m sorry, it’s not right, but that’s probably how they’d play it. You don’t deserve that.”

She appreciated that he saw the double standard that existed in the media and that he was trying to make this easy for both of them, but now that they’d said it out loud, disappointment sat around her like a heavy, itchy blanket.

Last night had been more fun than she could remember having in a long time. She wasn’t ready for anything serious, but she sure wouldn’t mind having a little bit more of Blake Ryan.

It was a shame it had to be this way. Sitting here in his kitchen drinking coffee felt so right she didn’t want it to end.

Not that it had to until she left the sanctuary of his home. Nobody knew what they were doing inside these walls. For thisone moment, the rest of the world simply didn’t exist. There was a lot of possibility in that.

After another long sip of glorious, life-giving caffeine, she asked, “So, since you already lost your deal, care to double down before I go?”

Chapter Fourteen

Blake couldn’t sit still after Piper went home. The house felt too empty, and he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Her scent lingered on the pillows. He could still taste her. Their heated rush ran through his thoughts over and over and over.

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