Page 4 of Hollywood Humbug (The Naughty List)

I smirked as I raised an eyebrow. “You’re that desperate to know why I call you red?”

Her cheeks bloomed with color, and I gently ran the tip of my finger over one. I fucking loved seeing her blush, and I was dying to know how far down it went.

“No. It’s just that I leave for New York in two days to spend Christmas with my family. I don’t,”—her entire face flushed as she continued—“I don’t want to wait until after Christmas to go on a date with you.”

My expression softened, and I cradled her face in my hands before leaning down to brush a much too chaste kiss over her lips. “Me either, baby. Tomorrow is perfect.”

Two

SCARLET

Kane Remington was lethal—the epitome of a Hollywood heartthrob. Tall, muscular, but lean—he played soccer whenever he got the chance—with short, dark blond hair, deep blue eyes, a chiseled jaw, and a diamond stud in his left ear. Not to mention the swoon-worthy smile that never failed to make my heart skip a beat and my cheeks heat. He was laid back, naturally suave, and he made me laugh. Who wouldn’t be taken in by all that wit and charm?

However, for the last year, he’d never indicated that he was interested in more than friendship. There were moments when I thought I glimpsed a spark of desire, but they were gone so quickly that I convinced myself I’d imagined it. So, I kept my emotions hidden, only letting them show when it was called for on screen.

Which was why I was pretty fucking shocked when he pressed me up against my car and asked me on a date. And I didn’t think twice before accepting.

He hadn’t told me where he was taking me, so I picked out a little black dress that could be casual or fancy, depending on the accessories. It hugged my figure, dipped low in the back, and showed off just enough cleavage to make the girls look good without crossing into slutty. I left my hair down but pulled one side back with a sparkly clip, gave myself smoky eyes, and painted my lips with a pretty, pink gloss—one that didn’t come off, which I hoped would come in handy later.

All my efforts were worth it when I opened the door, and Kane’s dark blue orbs flared with desire as they scanned me from head to toe. “Wow,” he uttered in a deep, raspy voice. It sent a shiver skittering down my spine.

“Hi.” I almost rolled my eyes at how breathless I sounded. For heaven’s sake, I was twenty-eight damn years old. Why was I acting like a freaking teenager?

Kane cleared his throat, pulling me from my thoughts. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks,” I murmured, inviting him in with a wave as I moved back to give him room to enter. I led the way to my family room, which had a view of the mountains beyond the Olympic-sized pool and sand volleyball court. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll only be a minute.”

He smiled and winked at me, causing butterflies to erupt in my stomach. “Take your time, baby. We’re in no rush.”

I glanced back at him as I left the room and was momentarily stunned. He was removing his jacket, which made his green, button-down shirt stretch tight over his muscles. Then he turned to toss it on the couch, and I nearly swallowed my tongue. The slacks he was wearing gave me a fantastic view of his perfect ass. My cheeks were probably bright red as I quickly dashed to my bedroom before he turned back around and caught me ogling him.

After slipping on a pair of black suede stilettos, I added a white gold chain made from charms resembling feathers and matching dream catcher earrings with those same feathers hanging from them. Pleased with my reflection in the mirror, I grabbed a sparkly black clutch and returned to the living room.

He was staring through the glass French doors, and I smiled as I sidled beside him. “The view is one reason I bought this house.”

“The view here is absolutely gorgeous.” Something in his tone had me glancing up, only to find him staring down at me. His lips curved sensuously.

We stood there for a few minutes, the air thick with tension and the promise of passion. I was seconds away from climbing Kane like a tree when my cell phone rang, breaking the spell. I pulled it out of my purse and cringed when I saw the goofy picture of my younger sister, Natalie, and me. Kane chuckled, and I shook my head, resigned to him seeing the ridiculous image.

Kane stopped me from answering by wrapping his long fingers around my wrist. Then he snatched my phone and answered with, “Scarlet will call you back.” He hung up, and my jaw dropped.

What just happened?

Before I could get an actual word out through my sputtering, he crossed his arms over his chest, keeping my phone tucked away, and stared me down. His expression was determined…but there was an amused twinkle in his eyes. “You can have it back once you’ve told me the story,” he informed me.

“Seriously?” I groaned.

“Seriously,” he replied as he plopped down on one of my forest-green couches and got comfortable.

I sighed, giving in because I knew he wouldn’t let it go.

“My sister, Natalie, and I were baking a massive batch of cookies for a charity event, and at one point, she slipped and fell on her ass”—I grinned at the memory—“while carrying a sack of flour. The bag exploded, and the contents went everywhere, but mostly covered my sister, making her look like the abominable snowman.” Kane chuckled, and the sound made my core tingle, but I refocused on the story in order to get it done and over with. I burst out laughing and grabbed my phone to ensure I captured the moment. Natalie glared at me and threatened to…let’s just say it involved spiders, and she was hitting below the belt. Still, I moved in closer to snap the picture but didn’t realize she could reach me until it was too late.” I gestured to where my phone was hidden. “As you can tell, she yanked on my apron, pulling me down next to her, then tossed a handful of flour in my face.”

Kane’s shoulders shook with laughter, and I put my hands in my back pockets, hoping he’d take that for the end of the story.

“Not a chance,” he teased with a shake of his head. “There’s more to that picture.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. “A battle ensued until we both collapsed on the floor, completely exhausted and covered in white powder from head to toe.”

---