Page 5 of Hollywood Humbug (The Naughty List)

“Annnnd,” he prompted when I paused a little too long.

“Well, it was Christmas. And we’d been sipping hot toddies…” He waited patiently until I finally told him the rest. “We were a little tipsy, and I decided we needed to make snow angels. It was Natalie’s idea to strip down to our skivvies. She thought they’d turn out better if our clothes weren’t in the way.” Kane doubled over in laughter. “While we were doing it, our younger sister, Portia, snapped a photo.” My lips curled up into an evil smile. “Then we both threw flour at her until she was as covered in it as we were. She didn’t take it well since she had a date arriving thirty minutes later.”

Kane wiped tears from his cheeks before looking at me again. The warmth in his gaze made my stomach flutter and my heartbeat speed up. “I look forward to seeing that side of you, red.”

I pursed my lips and glared at him, although no heat was behind it. “Stop calling me, red. And there is no way in hell that you will ever see me like that. My parents have banned us from getting tipsy together, anyway.”

Kane raised an eyebrow, and I huffed. “You ski off the roof one time…”

“Stop,” Kane said, holding his hand in the air while his head hung down and his shoulders shook. “I can’t take anymore tonight.”

“Okay,” I said with a shrug.

He stood up and picked up his jacket, putting it on as he prowled over to me. “I’ll drag all of your stories out of you eventually, but I have a feeling they are going to scare the shit out of me, so we’ll space them out.”

“We’ll see,” I quipped, making him laugh again. “For right now, though. I’mstarving.”

“We can’t have that. Why don’t you call your sister back when we’re in the car?” He suggested.

“Sure.” My heels clicked on the travertine tiles as I walked to the foyer and retrieved a shawl from the coat closet. Kane took it from me, then draped it over my shoulders before lacing his fingers through mine.

Once we were on the way to the restaurant, I checked the ten texts from my sister demanding to know who that was and what was going on, then pressed her name to call her back.

“Who the hell, A?” she screeched as soon as she picked up. “I’ve been freaking out!”

“Clearly,” I drawled.

“Seriously, A. Some guy answers your phone to tell me you can’t talk and then hangs up. I didn’t know if you were dead, or alive, or being killed, or if he was some guy playing secretary so he could give you multiple orgasms!”

Kane chuckled, and I sighed, realizing he could hear her yelling through the phone.

“Calm down, Nat. I’m sorry it freaked you out. It was a joke. He’s my…” I glanced at him for a second, unsure how to describe him. “Date,” I finished lamely.

“He sounded familiar.”

This thing between us was way too new to share with my busybody family, and Kane was a very private guy, so I hurried to answer so she wouldn’t dwell on why she recognized his voice. “You know how it is. Every guy in Hollywood sounds the same.”

Kane slanted a look my way, and I rolled my eyes as I covered the phone. “Do you really need your ego stroked?”

He shrugged, and I couldn’t help giggling. “You have the sexiest voice in Hollywood, Candy.”

He looked smug until I called him Candy, then his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Candy Kane,” I explained with a smug grin before returning to my conversation with my sister. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“I just wanted to make sure you packed the sexy, spandex panda suit and the slutty bunny costume. The one with the leash that—”

“Call you tomorrow,” I yelled over her. “Love you, byyyyeeee!” Then I hung up and prayed that he hadn’t been paying attention.

No such luck. Kane glided to a stop at a red light and turned to look at me, his face speculative.

“What?” I asked causally.

He shook his head. “I’m trying to decide if I want her to be joking.”

“Excuse me?” I sputtered, dumbfounded.

The light turned green, and Kane flashed me a sexy grin before facing the road once more. “I don’t like the idea of you wearing anything like that for anyone else, but I can’t say I wouldn’t be intrigued to find those in your closet.”

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