Page 25 of Hollywood Humbug (The Naughty List)

“Okay, Scarlet, Kane. This is where you’ll kiss. Keep it light since this is the first time they kiss. Remember, they are still strangers, ” Paul, the director, announced as he returned to his seat.

Why was he swaying from side to side as he moved? I blinked a few times and realized it was just my eyes playing tricks on me. They were a little blurry, probably something to do with my stomach twisting and turning. Inhaling slowly through my nose, I reminded myself I only had one more scene before I was done for the day. I’d been feeling a little off, so I wanted to get home and nap before everyone showed up for the Christmas party at our house.

“Baby?” Kane’s low, velvet voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I focused on his worried face. “Are you alright?”

“Super,” I chirped, trying to act better than I felt.

His brow furrowed, but the director called places, and we dove back into our work.

“Can I kiss you?” Kane whispered with a hopeful smile.

“I don’t know...were you a good boy this year?” I teased.

Kane quirked an eyebrow. “If Santa looked like you, I’d have been on my best behavior every year.”

Grinning, I placed my hands on his shoulders and went up onto my tiptoes. “What if this Santa wants you to be naughty?”

I tipped my head back, and Kane’s mouth descended toward mine. My stomach lurched the second our lips brushed, and I jumped back, slapping a hand over my mouth. Afraid to throw up on set, I stumbled toward the dressing rooms as fast as I could. I barely made it to the first one with a bathroom before falling to the ground in front of the toilet.

“Scarlet!”

I didn’t look up when I heard Kane’s frantic voice. I was too busy purging my body of all things, food and drink.

I felt my hair being pulled back from my face, and a warm hand on my back rubbed soothing circles, helping to ease my nausea. Finally, when I finished dry heaving, I sat up, and Kane immediately pulled me back to sit in his lap.

“I knew I shouldn’t have let you come today,” he grunted after a minute.

“You and what army were going to stop me, Kane Remington?” I snipped as he helped me stand and walk over to the sink.

“You think your sisters wouldn’t help me, Scarlet Remington?”

I glared at him while taking the cup he handed me and rinsed out my mouth. “When did they all suddenly change to Team Kane? I’m their damn sister!”

“A sister who works too hard and is so busy doing stuff for everyone else that she neglects herself.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled. “It’s betrayal, no matter how you try to pretty it up.” I took a deep breath and tested my balance, feeling almost normal. “Okay, I’m ready, let’s go finish the scene—”

“Have you lost your fucking mind, red?”

I didn’t bother scowling at Kane for using the nickname; it had stopped annoying me a long time ago, and he knew it. “I ruined the scene, babe. If we don’t get back in there and get done, we’ll have to wait until after Christmas to reshoot the whole thing, and Paul will be angry—”

Kane put his hand over my mouth and rolled his eyes. “Paul told me to take you home to rest when I ran after you. The only thing anyone cares about is that you are okay. So, no arguments. We are going home.”

I felt like I should argue, but truthfully, I was tired as hell and ready to go home. “Fine.”

A pleased smile curled Kane’s lips. “I love you,” he murmured, melting all my insides.

“What do you want?” I asked suspiciously. Kane was never shy about telling me, or anyone else, that he loved me. But he was laying the smokey, seductive tone on thick, which meant he was gearing up to talk me into something.

“Nothing, baby. I mean, other than for you to be healthy.”

His expression was far too innocent.

I frowned and watched him closely as he took my hand and gently led me out of the studio into the lot where his Tesla was parked.

Twenty minutes later, I knew why it seemed like he was hiding something.

Natalie and Portia were waiting by our front door when we arrived home. Kane pulled the car into the garage, and my sisters stalked over, waiting until he helped me out before descending on me like a pack of rabid wolves. That might have been a little harsh…but seriously.

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