Page 34 of The Backup Bride Proposal

“Not monitoring you like watching you, but keeping an eye on the production to make sure things run smoothly. And so far all I’ve been doing is making out with you. Which makes me look opportunistic.”

“Opportunistic how, exactly? Are you trying to get a leg up in the entertainment industry?”

“Of course not.”

“You want exposure on entertainment sites, get your face on social media and television by being seen with me?”

She looked horrified. “I’d rather have all my teeth pulled.”

“Do you want to get me to marry you so you can get half of my money?”

She snorted, then laughed. “Marriage? That’s the last thing I ever want.”

“Then there’s no opportunity here for you.” He brushed his knuckles down her cheek, along her neck and across her bare collarbone. “Except kissing, and what comes after that.”

She shuddered and tilted her head back. “Now I wish we weren’t standing in the middle of Brenna and Finn’s driveway. Table that thought for later, okay?”

He wished they were somewhere else more private right now, too. “Consider it done.”

She grabbed the gift bag out of the trunk and they went inside.

The house was big and spacious, with high ceilings and wood beams and a plethora of tall windows that let in light.

He saw the bar in the corner of the living room and headed straight for it, mainly because that was where all the guys hovered.

He met Jason Callum, Erin’s husband, who he found out was a veterinarian, and Owen Stone, Honor’s husband, who owned a microbrewery. He also met Finn Nolan, the owner of this house and Brenna’s fiancé. Finn worked as a carpenter at the vineyards and also brewed whiskey. Clay and Alice Henry arrived. They owned the property adjacent to the Bellinis. Alice was a matchmaker and Clay ran their ranch.

Wow. They were such interesting people. He could spend a lifetime talking to all of them and still not learn everything. No wonder Mae liked living and working around them. Kane couldn’t wait to talk to everyone individually.

“So you’re the movie star, huh?” Jason sipped whiskey while leaning against the bar.

“Actor. Not a star of anything.”

“I don’t know, bro,” Finn said. “I really liked that action series you starred in. You gained a lot of muscle for that role, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. Months of eight hours a day doing grueling squats and bench presses, and more protein than I ever want to take in again.”

Owen grimaced. “That’s a lot of gym time. But in your job you probably have to do that a lot.”

“Not as much as you think, except for that action series. And, honestly? It was brutal. I don’t ever want to do it again.”

Jason poured him a whiskey. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” He took a sip. “Excellent whiskey. You make this?”

Finn grinned. “I did. Thank you.”

“Great house, too.”

“Thank you. It took a while, but it’s got four bedrooms and three bathrooms plus an office. It has enough space that Brenna can get away from me whenever she wants to. There’s a big yard for whatever we want it to be. It has everything we’ll ever need. This is our forever home.”

Finn’s Irish lilt lit up with happiness as he described the house, then walked them through for a tour.

What must that be like? To be so happy in love and looking forward to a future.

Kane had had a happy enough childhood, had awesome parents, though there were some question marks about what was going on with his mom and dad right now. The problem was he’d tried to address it and neither of his parents had been forthcoming with answers, so he’d tabled it for now. All he could fathom was that they were busy doing their own thing, just like he was doing his own thing. He supposed that was what adulthood was about. His parents had always been happy for his life but had focused on living theirs separately. He’d never seen that as an issue because he’d been happy as hell to have his own independence.

He’d lived a nomadic lifestyle ever since he’d started this life as an actor. It had kept him busy, though not exactly fulfilled.

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