Page 37 of He's The Reason Why

“Sure.Mi casa es su casa.”

Piper followed him up the rest of the way to the front door while he toted the basket without any apparent strain.

He wore a dark-gray sleeveless T-shirt, basketball shorts, and bare feet. When they’d been in the studio, he’d been in jeans and a light denim jacket, so she hadn’t really noticed how defined his arms—and, hell, everything else—were.

She’d done her best to act like Blake was just another guy, but now it slammed home exactly why he’d been named Sexiest Man of the Year. His hair was a little mussed, his arms belonged on a superhero, and his tan literally glowed in the morning sun.

He was a freak of nature. A god sent to tempt and torture mere mortals, and he kept glancing at her with such deep confusion that it would have been comical on any other man, but on him, it just looked intensely, seductively sexy.

“Come on in.” Blake carried the basket into the living room and set it down on a large square coffee table with a thump.

She might have gone a little overboard on her apology-in-a-basket.

Piper stared around her, entranced. The smooth stucco walls and arched doorways gave the whole place an airy, light feeling, while the exposed wood beams made it cozy. Arched picturewindows gave her a peek at a sparkling, grotto-style pool just past a large, tiled patio out back. It was like she’d stepped out of California directly into the Mediterranean.

“Your home is spectacular.”

“Thanks.”

She tore her gaze away from the backyard to study the man who called this amazing place home. “It’s not what I expected at all.”

“How so?”

“I thought you’d have more of a man-cave. You know, big screen, oversized chairs. Beer fridge.”

“That’s down the hall.” Blake stared at the wicker basket. “What is this?”

Right.

She hadn’t come here to ogle the man’s resort-style pool or the man himself. She’d come to fix things.

She turned her attention to the goodies she’d brought with her. “I was thinking after I left yesterday, well really after I talked with my sister, that you might not know what to do to heal your vocal cords, so I brought you a little help.”

“A little…” Blake gave her an incredulous look.

She pulled out a humidifier and handed it to him. “Use distilled water, and keep it in whatever room you’re in. I have three so I don’t have to move them around. A steam shower is great too. Or a steam room. From the looks of this place, you probably have one.”

She was so full of nervous energy that she was actually babbling. Why was it so hot in here? Didn’t he have air-conditioning?

“No. I don’t.” He hesitated, as if deciding whether he should say something, then muttered, “I think there’s one at the gym.”

She pointed at the stalks of eucalyptus. “Take this into theshower or steam room with you. It’s great for your sinuses and really helps the throat.”

“You want me to take weeds into the shower?”

“It’s not a weed.” She pulled out the stack of lozenges she’d taped together into a tower. “You can never have too many of these.”

“Great.” It was the first item that made him perk up. “I tried to find these last night, but nobody had ever heard of them. I went through that box you gave me by ten.”

“You did?” It was her turn to look dumbfounded. “I didn’t think you listened to me at all.”

“You were impossible to ignore.” He pried one of the boxes loose and opened it. “Besides, my throat hurt, and while these do taste like the underside of a compost pile, they really helped.”

“Oh. Good.” She was happy he’d taken at least some of her advice. Maybe the next part of this conversation wouldn’t be as painful as she thought it would be. “There’s more.”

She tugged out the boxes of tea and the tea kettle. “I thought you might not have a kettle, so I brought one, and this is my favorite tea. I always drink this before and after a show.”

She put the kettle down next to the humidifier and fished out several dark jars of honey. “This is for the tea. Manuka honey, from New Zealand. It’s excellent for throat health, and if you have a cold, use it to make a hot toddy.”

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