The backup bride proposa.., p.23
The Backup Bride Proposal, page 23
Kane smiled at Jeff. “I don’t think I’m needed here anymore. I’ll let you two talk.”
Kane walked out of the gazebo, leaving Sarah and Jeff looking at each other.
“And…cut,” Alexis said. “Great work, everyone.”
And just like that, Kane and the other two actors laughed and high-fived.
Whew. That had been a tight scene. Kane grabbed a bottle of water from the table, along with two of the cookies she had made.
“Wow,” she said. “There was some emotion in that scene.”
“Yeah,” he said, taking a bite of a cookie. “Alexis digs that stuff. I’m glad we hit it in one take.”
She shook her head. “Well, you—and your actor friends—are very good at it.”
He had started walking away from the area, so she followed. “Thanks. I need to change out of wardrobe and into something that looks a lot like what I’m wearing now.” He tossed the other cookie in his mouth and mumbled something that sounded like “I’ll be right back,” so she waited while he climbed into the costuming chamber.
He came out about five minutes later dressed pretty much the same—except this time the jeans were relaxed and he was wearing a T-shirt and scuffed boots.
“You look a lot more comfortable,” she said.
“Feel that way, too. I know it’s still early, but how much more work do you have today?”
“Just paperwork. Calendar stuff and notes. Why?”
“I thought we might go somewhere. I don’t have any more scenes today. Feel like getting out of here?”
She shrugged, figuring she could catch up on work later tonight. “Sure.” She’d worn leggings and tennis shoes along with a long-sleeved shirt and she had her sweater, so she was probably appropriately dressed for…wherever.
They went to his car and he took off, taking them onto the expressway and heading toward the city. When he pulled off at the sign for the zoo, she smiled.
“Like the zoo?”
“I love zoos. I try to visit them at every city I’m in.” At the stoplight, he turned to her. “How about you? Do you like them? If you don’t we don’t have to go.”
“I love them. Let’s do it.”
* * *
••••••
Kane was so relieved that Mae seemed to enjoy the zoo as much as he did. He supposed he should have suggested it to her instead of just driving here and hoping for the best. But he wanted to surprise her with a fun day out.
“My therapist suggested I get out and do some fun things instead of hanging out in my trailer stewing in my anger juices.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Anger juices? That sounds gross.”
“Yeah, like my mood lately. And he’s right, so I figured I’d do something that makes me happy.”
She looked over at him and smiled. “I’m glad you decided to seek therapy.”
“It’s been helpful, though it’s early. But you were right that it’s good to have someone to talk to that doesn’t know me personally. I can really dive in and lay it all out there without judgment or personal bias.”
“Therapy is super helpful. I recommend it for everyone.”
They arrived at the zoo and started at the snakes. He’d told Mae she could choose where they went. They could take the elephant train, or go see the giraffes, but no, she wanted to see the snakes.
He loved this woman. Uh, he loved the things she loved, anyway.
No, you love her, jackass. You should think about telling her that.
That was the last thing he wanted to do. Love didn’t last—that much was clear after seeing what had happened with his parents. But he and Mae were getting along great right now. Wasn’t it best to keep things the way they were without fucking it all up with love and forever and bullshit like that?
Just have a good time, and when it was over, it was over.
Great pep talk, self.
“Look at this boa,” Mae said, grabbing his hand to bring him over to one of the more colorful snakes from the Amazon.
“Pretty cool.” He was not a snake fan, but Mae seemed to love them, so they wandered and she gushed over all of them.
“Did you have pet snakes as a kid?” he asked.
“Me? Oh, God no. My mom would have freaked. But I dated a guy in high school who was into snakes. He had quite a few, and he took very good care of them. He taught me a lot and let me handle them. They’re amazing creatures, but you need to respect them.”
“So they don’t bite you. Or eat you.”
She laughed. “Right.”
After the snakes they went to the elephants. He’d always enjoyed the elephants. “Did you know that elephants feel things? Emotions, like sadness and happiness and love?”
“I didn’t know that,” she said. “But they’re such majestic, beautiful creatures, and their eyes tell a story, so I’m not at all surprised.”
“I did a movie in Africa and got the opportunity to travel into the Serengeti, see the animals in their natural habitat without disturbing them. It was incredible. Herd upon herd of elephants living freely, along with rhinos, lions and an abundance of other creatures.”
“That sounds amazing. It must have been an incredible trip.”
“It was. We…you should go there sometime.” His first impulse had been to talk about taking a trip together. What stopped him? The fear that there was an expiration date to their relationship? That if he’d asked she’d have said no?
He wanted her in his life.
Maybe you should start by asking her.
That voice in his head was really pissing him off.
They spent another hour or so there, visiting the monkeys, bears, lions and tigers. It was great to wander, and no one seemed to recognize him, likely because the animals were much more interesting than he was. Fortunately, the paparazzi hadn’t been on his ass lately. He was either getting better at dodging them or maybe they were all on holiday break. Either way, he enjoyed a nice leisurely couple of hours at the zoo with Mae, until they both decided they were thirsty and hungry, so they headed out.
They drove for a while out of town until they found a Mexican restaurant that had a parking lot filled with cars. Kane always knew that was how you could tell a place had excellent food, so they stopped there.
Not much to look at on the inside, with small tables and a couple of booths, but the smells coming from the kitchen made Kane’s stomach grumble. The whole place was bustling. They were seated at an empty table in the corner and a server came right over. He ordered a beer and Mae wanted iced tea. Chips and salsa along with queso appeared right away.
“This is so good,” Mae said, talking while sliding another salsa-filled chip into her mouth. “I’m so hungry.”
He popped a chip into his mouth, the salsa like a tangy appetizer whetting his appetite for something more substantial. A lot like the woman who sat across from him, always stimulating his hunger for more.
Drinks were brought and the first thing Kane did was guzzle down half the glass of water.
“You were really good in your scene today with…I only know her character’s name, Sarah.”
“Right. That’s Hannah. She’s pretty great. Always shows up prepared and she’s easy to play off of.”
“Which makes your job easier, right?”
“Exactly.” He scooped up some queso on his chip and slid it into his mouth. “David is good, too. He and Hannah have awesome chemistry. I’m sure you saw it in their scene.”
“I did. I don’t know how you all do that—the faking of the love thing.”
He laughed. “It’s called acting. You just replace yourself with the character. It’s that character’s feelings and emotions, not yours. If we make it look real, then we’ve done a good job. If we do a good job, we get booked for other jobs. That’s how we become successful.”
“I see. It’s just that easy, huh?”
“No, it’s not easy at all.”
“Because you can be good—just like a lot of actors can be good. But there are only so many parts out there, right? Which means unless you’re the top one percent who’s constantly in demand, it’s always a fight to get the good roles.”
Mae had nailed it. Which was pretty impressive for someone who wasn’t on the inside of the business. “Pretty much.”
“So are you?” she asked.
“Am I what?”
“In the top one percent.”
Kane took a long swallow of his beer. “Not even close. I do okay. I work fairly steadily. But I figure I’m average.”
“Huh.” She leaned back and studied him, and when their server returned they put in their order. “I’ve always considered your work above average.”
His lips curved. “You’re not talking about my acting, are you?”
“Not at all.”
“So you think I’m a hack.”
“I didn’t say that.” She leaned forward to take a sip of tea and scoop some queso onto a chip. “However, now that I know you’re not a true movie star, I’m rethinking our entire relationship. If you’re a nobody, how will I become vicariously famous?”
He snorted out a laugh. “I had no idea that was one of your goals.”
“It wasn’t. But I am a stand-in bride, you know. I have my own reputation to consider, even though no one will see my face.”
“Yeah, but they’ll see your butt, and I speak from experience when I say you have one very fine ass, Ms. Wallace.”
She batted her lashes and tilted her head. “Why, thank you.”
The server brought their food and they dug in. Kane’s enchiladas were excellent—loaded with beef and cheese, and the rice and beans were outstanding. Mae shared a bite of her chimichanga and the chicken was tender and flavorful.
“Good food,” he said after he’d completely obliterated everything on his plate. And some of Mae’s as well.
“It was. I’ll definitely have to come back here. But now my stomach is full and I need a nap.”
“Want me to rent a hotel room so you can sleep off our dinner?”
She gave him a wry smile. “Nice try, but since I blew off most of the day, I have to go to work.”
Too bad, because he wanted to get her alone. But he also respected her work, so he drove them back to the Bellini property, pulling up in front of the main house.
“Thanks for the great day,” she said as she unbuckled her seat belt. “And for the awesome food. I’m only sorry that I found out this late in our relationship what a loser you are.”
“Oh. You’re funny.” He got out and came around to her side of the car and pulled her out, pinning her between the car and his body. “Given enough alone time with you, I can show you just how much of a winner I am.”
“Does that mean sex? And what exactly do you win at? Coming first?”
He rolled his eyes. “I always make you come first and you know it.”
“Hmm. My memory is a little fuzzy. I might need reminding.”
He pressed up against her, showing her how quickly she could get him hard. Her breathing quickened and she reached between them to rub her palm against his erection.
“Your place,” she whispered. “And hurry up.”
“Yeah.” He put her back in the car and tried not to run to his side. He drove them around the property, parking in the closest spot. They got out and he took her hand, trying not to drag her to his trailer. But, dammit, he was in a hurry.
He held the door for her and she walked in, Kane right behind her, closing and locking the door. He turned her to face him, his hands in her hair, his mouth on hers, taking in the taste of her, the feel of her body moving against him.
She whimpered against him, dropping her purse, shrugging out of her sweater at the same time she toed out of her tennis shoes. He pulled off his jacket and started unbuttoning his shirt while he walked them toward the bedroom.
By the time they got there he had his shirt off and his jeans unzipped. Mae sat on the bed and wriggled out of her pants, teasing him by drawing the straps of her bra down each arm, then turning around for him to undo the clasp. He was dropping his jeans at the same time he undid the clasp of her bra.
In the next few seconds they were both naked and on the bed. He reached over and grabbed a condom, tossing it nearby so he could focus on Mae, sliding his hand over her breast, taking a nipple into his mouth, feeling her lift upward to give him more.
“No foreplay,” she said, raising her legs. “I’m ready for you to be inside me.”
Since he was more than ready, he grabbed the condom package and tore it open, put it on, then rolled to his side, grabbing one of Mae’s legs to rest it over his hip. And then he slid inside her.
“This what you wanted?” he asked, moving in, then out.
“You are what I want. Just like this.” She swept her hand over his chest, then held on to his shoulder while she moved against him.
Then there were no words as they both gave and took from each other, their lips and tongues meeting in a frenzy of passion. Their movements increased as they chased that pleasure that led to an explosion in record time. That they came together surprised the hell out of him as he held on to Mae while she trembled against him. He had to admit it had left him shaky, too.
He’d never shared a passion as intense as he had with Mae. And he knew why, though he pushed those feelings deep down. Right now he just wanted to feel the aftereffects of really awesome sex.
They lay like that for a while, until Mae pushed at his chest. “I need to go. I have work to do.”
“Okay.”
They got up and cleaned up in the bathroom, then got dressed. Kane drove her back to the house and walked her to the front door. He pulled her close and gave her a lingering kiss that made him want to hold on to her much, much longer. But they finally pulled apart and he saw the heat, the emotion in her eyes, reflecting what he felt.
“See you tomorrow,” she said.
He smiled. “Yeah, you will.”
He walked down the steps to his car, turned to see her standing at the door watching him, then got in and drove away, unable to lose the smile on his face.
You love her.
“No, I don’t.”
Yeah, you do. Better pull your head out of your ass and figure out your shit, dude.
Inner voice was right about that.
Chapter
thirty
Mae absently stirred her coffee, the drone of voices in the room like bees buzzing around her. Her thoughts lingered on yesterday, on the intimate way she and Kane had connected. It had been furious and passionate, the two of them as one.
Which seemed hokey as hell, but there it was. She knew him like she’d never known another man.
She loved him.
“Okay, Mae,” Erin said. “What’s going on?”
She snapped out of her daze and looked over at Erin. “Excuse me?”
“We’ve been talking and talking and you haven’t said a single word,” Honor said.
“Yeah,” Brenna said. “You’ve just sat there with a goofy grin on your face. What’s up with you?”
“Oh, uh…nothing. I stayed up late working so I’m a little tired, that’s all.”
“Uh-huh.” Erin gave her a once-over. “We’ve all had that ‘little tired’ look before, honey. It’s called great sex.”
Brenna snickered. “Still going hot and heavy with the actor, huh?”
“I think it might be more than that,” Honor said.
She blinked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know we’re family,” Honor said. “You can confide in us.”
“Oh, well. It’s just…” She didn’t know why she was trying to hide her feelings. They were right—they were her family. “I’m in love with him.”
They all stared at her.
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Brenna asked.
“Honestly? I don’t know.”
“Has he said anything about how he feels?” Honor asked.
“Not a word. He’s gone through a lot of emotional stuff lately, so I don’t think this is the right time to tell him how I feel.”
Erin frowned. “What do you mean? What emotional stuff?”
“It’s not for me to say. I just know that talking to him about relationship things right now wouldn’t be good for him—or for me. We’re getting along fine and I’d like to keep it that way.”
Honor reached over and grasped her hand. “You know best, honey. Just know that we’re here for you any time you want to talk.”
“Thanks. And I’m good right now. Really.”
Erin grinned. “Then that’s all we need to know.”
“Great,” Brenna said. “Then we can get on with the meeting.”
An hour and an excellent breakfast later, Mae had taken her notes to her office and sat at her desk. She was due on set at ten thirty to film a scene with Kane, so she updated her calendar, sent out a couple of confirmation emails to vendors regarding upcoming weddings, then headed over to the production office, trying to tamp down her excitement about seeing Kane.
She checked in at the production office. The guy in charge there frowned. “Uh, they crossed you off the schedule today.”
And then she frowned. “Really? I was supposed to film with Kane. Can you point me in the direction of where he is?”
He checked the schedule, then told her where Kane was supposed to be, so she headed that way.
Surely there was some misunderstanding. Then again, she might have gotten the dates wrong, though that was unlikely. She was always good at managing her calendar and making sure it was always right.
As she came up on the scene that was being filmed, she slowed her steps, having learned that any extraneous sounds could ruin the scene. She moved as close as she could until she saw Kane and some actress, the two of them having a serious conversation. The actress had her back turned to Mae so she didn’t know who it was.
