Page 6 of Hollywood Humbug (The Naughty List)

I stared at him, cheeks flaming hot, mouth open, unsure what to think about his comment.

We arrived at the restaurant before I could respond, so I decided not to say anything and hoped he wouldn’t bring it up again. Especially since I kind of liked the idea of dressing up for him. Maybe not as a panda or bunny…I was going to kill Natalie.

* * *

Kane was very private,and we did not know how this date would go, so it did not surprise me when he took me to a small, easily overlooked restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway. I was more than okay with his decision since it meant having him all to myself, without the interruption of fans or paparazzi.

When we walked inside, I gasped at the cozy, romantic atmosphere. It was also tastefully decorated for Christmas, which made it seem even more magical.

A middle-aged man in slacks and a white dress shirt warmly smiled as we approached his podium. “Reservation?”

“Yes, sir. Under Remington.”

“Excellent.” He pulled two menus from a wire basket beside him and said, “This way,” before leading us to a booth at the back.

They built the restaurant so that the entrance faced the hills, and the back wall looked across the PCH to the ocean, so our table butted up to the wall of glass, tinted just enough to keep gawkers from seeing inside. The sides of the booth were tall, so it felt almost like our own little world.

We ate, talked, and laughed for hours, learning more about each other’s families and our likes and dislikes and sharing funny stories from other jobs.

I wasn’t surprised when he finally got around at asking about my sister’s nickname for me.

“Does your middle name start with A?”

Sighing, I shook my head, then took a sip of my wine before setting the glass down. “It’s so ridiculous and it seriously drives my mother crazy.”

Kane raised an eyebrow and grinned, letting me know that he wouldn’t let it go until he’d heard it all.

“When my parents met, they fell in love instantly and wanted to get married. But, my father was,”—I used air quotes—“ ‘married’ at the time. He’d married a childhood friend who needed a green card when they were in college. Sophie—who is like an aunt to all of us—had met the man of her dreams and she and my dad were already in the process of filing for divorce.”

Kane nodded. “Sounds simple enough. Did your mother have an issue with the situation?”

“No, she completely understood and like I said, Sophie and her family are super close with us. But, the legal stuff takes time and well…my mom and dad…they couldn’t wait until he was officially single to…” My nose scrunched up. I really didn’t like thinking about my parents doing shit like that.

“She got pregnant with you?” Kane crowed, laughing hysterically.

“Yup,” I agreed, taking another large gulp of wine.

When he calmed, he cocked his head and winked at me. “And the A…?”

“The Scarlet Letter,” I mumbled.

Kane roared with laughter and since I enjoyed the sound, it didn’t the reason for his merriment didn’t bother me as much.

When the man reluctantly came over to inform us they were closing, I mumbled an apology, feeling a little sheepish that we hadn’t noticed the place emptying.

With a pat on my shoulder, he winked at me. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m glad you two were so comfortable and had such a good time that you wanted to stay. It means we’re doing our job right. Honestly, I hate to make you leave, but I need to get home to my wife before she banishes me to the couch.”

I giggled and took his offered hand, allowing him to help me scoot out of the booth and stand up. Kane thanked him and gave him a generous tip before placing his hand low on my back and guiding me outside and over to his Audi.

We settled ourselves in the car. Then he pulled onto the highway, took my hand, and laced our fingers together before resting it on his thigh. As we drove in comfortable silence, enjoying the peaceful evening views, I knew I was already falling for him.

Three

KANE

I’d expected my date with Scarlet to go well, but it turned out to be more than I could have hoped for. She was amazing, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was head over heels for her. Disappointment filled me when I drove through her gated entrance and parked in her driveway. I didn’t want the night to end. However, I wanted to build something with Scarlet, not have a fling in the sheets, so I was determined to go slow.

We sat in the car for a few minutes, neither of us making the first move to exit the vehicle.

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