Not yet, anyway. He’d like to get there with her. He liked her sharp wit, her beauty and, God, he really liked the way she smelled. All he could think about was getting closer to her.

  But he was a patient man, and he could wait.

  “Bricktown Brewery,” she finally said, making an abrupt turn. He followed.

  “Yeah?”

  “Great food. Awesome beer. TV screens for sports. Nice, relaxed atmosphere. Really, there’s nothing better.”

  “I can’t think of anyplace I’d rather eat.”

  They made it to the restaurant, which was exactly the kind of place he needed. Filled with couples and families and had TV screens all over. They were seated at a booth and, though their server did a double take, she didn’t say anything to him.

  “You think she recognized you?”

  He shrugged. “No idea. Sometimes people think it’s me, but they don’t want to say anything only to find out it’s not. Then they’ll look foolish, and no one wants to look foolish. And I try not to give them that sly ‘Yeah, it’s me’ kind of smile.”

  “Low profile, right?”

  “As much as I can.”

  He ordered a specialty beer, a dark ale that looked really good. Mae ordered a blueberry ale and then they perused the menu.

  “The burgers here are so good,” Mae said. “And order the sea salt caramel sweet potato fries. They’re incredible. Sweet and spicy because they add jalapeño.”

  His stomach growled at the description. “Oh, yeah. We need those.”

  Their server brought their beers and set them on the table. She hovered and Kane thought that maybe she was going to say something about recognizing him.

  “Do we know each other?” she asked him.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Are you sure? My older brother went to college with a Clyde McKellum and you look just like him.”

  He wanted to sink with relief. Instead, he shrugged. “Oh. Sorry. That’s not me.”

  “Damn. You two could be twins. Anyway, are you ready to order?”

  She took their food orders, then wandered off. Mae snorted out a laugh. “Clyde?”

  “What? I could totally pull off Clyde.”

  “Sure you could.”

  He leaned forward. “Have you ever been mistaken for someone else?”

  “Just once, in a store when I was about ten. Some woman thought I was her daughter and started screaming at me from across the store. I knew that wasn’t my mother so I stood there and then the woman started walking fast in my direction. My mother saw her and was convinced the woman was trying to kidnap me, so she threw herself in front of me. Then there was a very loud confrontation between my mom and the other lady.”

  “So where was her daughter?”

  “About ten feet from me, giggling in one of the clothing racks.”

  “Bet that mom felt awful about arguing with your mom. And yelling at you.”

  “Not really. She was pissed at us for keeping her from looking for her real daughter. As if we’d been the ones to hide her in the clothes rack.”

  “She sounds like a piece of work. No wonder her daughter was hiding.”

  Mae laughed. “Right? But that was my one and only brush with being confused for someone else.”

  “That’s because you’re beautiful and unique.”

  She took a sip of her beer and cocked her head to the side. “Do those lines usually work for you?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not one to use lines unless I’m working. Do guys hit on you with cheesy lines?”

  “More often than you’d think.”

  He shrugged. “Some men have no game.”

  She took a swallow of her beer. “Oh, and you do?”

  “Of course I do. I’m suave and sophisticated and know how to talk to a woman by being honest and sincere.”

  She gave him a look, then laughed. “Come on.”

  “Hey, I gave it my best shot.”

  “Try not to be so nauseating next time. You almost ruined my appetite.”

  Their server brought their meals, and Kane figured that all conversation would stop while they shoved food in their mouths. But it didn’t. They ate and argued baseball—games and teams as well as individual players. Since it was nearing the postseason and both their favorite teams were likely going to be in it, they both had a stake and staunch opinions as to who was best. His team, obviously.

  But he liked that she knew her sport and argued it so passionately.

  “These sweet potato fries are good,” he said. “But this spicy caramel sauce? I want to bottle it and take it home with me and eat it every day.”

  “Right? It’s so good. Though I couldn’t eat it every day. My ass would be huge.”

  “Your ass is outstanding.”

  He saw the way her cheeks pinkened and thought about how rare that was. Most of the women he knew accepted compliments like it was their due. Mae, on the other hand, was like a rare gem.

  “Well. Thank you. And where is home?”

  “Right now? On the Bellini property.”

  She slanted a look at him.

  “Fine. I’ve got a place in L.A.”

  She popped a fry in her mouth, chewed and swallowed, all the while studying him. “Condo, town house, home, or sprawling mansion?”

  He laughed. “Definitely not a sprawling mansion. Just a small house with some privacy.”

  “Do you like living there?”

  “I don’t really live there. It’s just a place where I stay when I’m filming at one of the studios.”

  “So you don’t consider it your permanent home.”

  “No.”

  “What would you consider your permanent home, then?”

  “Texas.”

  “Do your parents live there?”

  “No. They live in Arizona now, though I was raised in Dallas. The ranch is close to there. But I’ve only ever felt really at home on the ranch.”

  “The ranch where your grandpa lives?”

  “Yeah. That’s home. Always has been, always will be.”

  She leaned back, took her beer in hand. “I’d like to see you on that ranch.”

  He’d like to see her on the ranch. In tight jeans and a T-shirt, wind blowing through her beautiful hair. Just the visual of it…His lips curved. “I could make that happen.”

  “Oh, sure. You just head on down to Texas in the middle of filming a movie.”

  “We get breaks, Mae. We don’t work seven days a week.”

  “Well, anyway, that’d be interesting. Do you have horses?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, it’s primarily a horse ranch. We do have some cattle. Also have chickens. Some goats, too.”

  “Nuh-uh. Really?”

  “Really.”

  “And your grandpa takes care of all of them himself?”

  “No. He has help. It takes more than one person to run a ranch.”

  “That’s good. I can’t imagine someone at his age trying to wrangle all those animals by himself.”

  Kane smirked. “You haven’t met my grandpa. He’s probably in better shape than I am. He’ll go to his grave training horses.”

  “If that’s what he loves to do, then that’s the way to go, right?”

  He liked that she understood. “Yup.”

  They each had another beer, and then Mae insisted on paying the bill, which Kane thought was ridiculous because after all, he made a ridiculous salary. But he also understood fairness, so he stepped back and she paid. They took a walk again and it was even nicer now that it was dark.

  “Thanks for taking me to this place. Food was great.”

  “My company was even better,” she said.

  He didn’t disagree. “Yeah, it’s nice having you around. You’re like…like…”

  She was waiting for him to say something, he knew. The problem was, every time he looked at her, stared into the depths of her liquid brown eyes, he had a tendency to lose himself.

  “I know,” she said, shooting a crooked grin at him. “Men are dumbstruck with awe over me.”

  “Hell yes we are.” He stopped, then moved in closer, unable to help himself. He slid his hand around the side of her neck, nearly trembling at the feel of her skin against his palm.

  He waited for her to pull away, to shove him away, actually. She didn’t. Instead, she tilted her head back and her glossy lips parted in invitation.

  Unable to resist her delicious mouth, he put his lips to hers.

  * * *

  ••••••

  Mae had lost track of place, or time, or even what planet she was on. All she knew was that Kane was kissing her, his hands sliding over her skin, and this was delicious, dangerous territory. She should stop him right now.

  But how could she when his lips were soft yet his intent so strong as he slid his tongue inside, making her feel simultaneously hot and shivery cold? She couldn’t help herself. She had to explore, so she slid her hands up his arms to his shoulders while he moved that fantastic mouth of his over hers. She could just imagine his mouth would be magical on her—

  Someone coughed loudly, a clear signal that this volcanic kiss was not for public viewing. Kane was the first one to pull away, his breathing harsh as he licked his lips and dragged his hand through his hair.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I kind of got carried away.”

  “Yeah, me, too.” Too carried away. She didn’t even know this guy. And she also had to work with him.

  The one thing she prided herself on as far as her romantic life was always making good decisions. Well, at least after Isaac, anyway. That had been a disaster. But after him? Always good decisions. With dating she kept it light and easy and never set up any expectations. She was also honest with any guy she went out with, letting him know she was in it for fun and nothing long term. That way if some man was looking for the love of his life, he’d know right away that it wasn’t going to be her.

  She’d met and dated some amazing, beautiful men. And then promptly dropped them—amicably, of course. For the past couple of years it had worked out perfectly.

  She wasn’t dating Kane, so she had nothing to worry about. It had just been one kiss between them.

  But when she lifted her gaze to his, the heat in his eyes nearly melted her to the walkway, making her want to feel his mouth against hers again. And again.

  “We should probably go.”

  Those words were the cold slap of reality she needed. “Yes, we should.”

  They started back toward the house, Mae’s thoughts a jumbled mess the entire drive back.

  She shouldn’t have kissed him, because now his full lips and his strong hands and the way his hard body felt against hers were all she could think about.

  And once she set her sights on a guy, she wouldn’t be satisfied until she had him. But she was absolutely not going to have Kane August. He wasn’t even her type.

  Liar.

  Okay, she didn’t actually have a type. She liked men of all different shapes and sizes and colors. As long as there was an attraction, she’d move forward with a guy, knowing it was only a temporary thing anyway. It wasn’t like she was looking for forever.

  She figured Kane August wasn’t a forever kind of guy. He was actually kind of perfect for a fling except for one thing—he was famous. And she wanted nothing to do with being in the spotlight.

  “You’re quiet,” he said as he exited the highway. “Are you okay?”

  She pulled her gaze away from the passenger window to smile at him. “I’m great. How about you?”

  “Also great. I was just wondering if you were upset about the kiss.”

  He had to bring it up, didn’t he? “The kiss was also great. And I’m not upset about it at all.”

  “Good. I wouldn’t mind continuing where we left off when we get back.”

  “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. Look, there’s no doubt we have chemistry, Kane. But you’re…not really my type.”

  Again—liar.

  His lips curved upward as he turned off the street and headed down the back roads. “Yeah? What is it about me that you find repulsive?”

  “Now you’re being ridiculous. I never said you were repulsive. But you are an actor, and I can’t do that.”

  “You were acting just fine.”

  “Not what I meant. I meant your celebrity. I don’t want to be a part of that.”

  “I don’t know if you paid attention, but we had dinner at one of your tourist spots tonight and not a single person noticed me.”

  “Our server did.”

  “Yeah, she thought I was Clyde.”

  She let out a frustrated breath. “I’m not looking for any kind of relationship, Kane.”

  He turned up the drive leading to the main house. “Great. Me, either. We’re like perfect for each other.”

  Dammit. She should have just told him the kiss sucked.

  He pulled up to the front of the house and stopped the car, walking around to her side to let her out.

  “Hey, thanks for having dinner with me,” he said, taking a step toward her. She thought for sure he was going to pull her into his arms for a kiss. And, honestly? She wasn’t sure she’d want to push him way.

  But, instead, he held out his hand, a smirk on his face. “Good night, Mae.”

  Now she was irritated, though she had no right to be. She gave his hand a quick shake. “Night, Kane.”

  She stomped up the steps, knowing he stood there and watched her. When she got inside, she refused to look out to see if he drove away.

  Kane August was the most annoying man she’d ever met.

  Chapter

  eight

  “Okay, today, Mae, we’re going to be in the vineyard,” Alexis explained. “We’ve cleared the area, but as you know we only have the location for a brief time.”

  Mae looked over to the edge of the vineyard, where Brenna and her father, Johnny, watched. Glared, really. She couldn’t blame them. The vineyard was their baby, and the idea of strangers trampling on the family livelihood had been a source of contention ever since the production company laid out the plan for filming. But they’d promised Brenna that the few scenes taking place in the vineyard would be short.

  Mae was nervous on about twelve levels. For the scene today, which required touching. For the vineyard, which meant there’d be oversight from the Bellinis. The whole family was out there watching.

  She hoped they could get through this in a hurry. She’d studied her lines, though they weren’t her lines, but she had to work through them for Kane so he could do his part.

  After makeup and hair finished their touch-up, she was told where to stand. Kane was going to approach, but her job was just to stand there as if she were inspecting grapes, though she knew nothing of grapes or how to inspect them. Fortunately, Brenna had given her some quick instruction on what to do so she looked like an expert.

  As was typical, her back would be to the camera so that Everly would fill in when she showed up. She shouldn’t be nervous because her face and voice would never be on camera. And this wasn’t her first time, so, dammit, Mae, relax already.

  If only she could forget about that kiss.

  “And, action.”

  Immediately pushing everything else from her mind, she got into the head of the character, studying the vines as if they were the only things that mattered. When Kane stopped in front of her, she looked up in surprise, just as the script said she was supposed to do.

  “What are you doing out here?”

  “Looking for you.”

  “Have you heard from Brian?”

  “Not yet. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”

  She tilted her head back to meet his gaze, remembering all the body cues. “Will he? Or has he changed his mind?”

  Kane picked up her hand. “He loves you, Caroline. You know he’ll show up.”

  “You didn’t. Not when I needed you.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry I said that. This isn’t about you.”

  He ran his thumb over the top of her hand, making her shiver. “Maybe it is.”

  This would be where the character would turn away, where the camera would see her face.

  “Annd, cut,” Alexis said. “Good job.”

  They ran through it a couple more times until Alexis was satisfied, and then they broke to set up for the next scene. Mae walked toward the craft table to grab some water, her throat so dry she could barely swallow.

  “You did great,” Kane said, coming up beside her to grab a glass of iced tea.

  “Thanks.” She started walking. He walked with her.

  “Is it getting easier?”

  She laughed. “No. It’ll never be comfortable for me.”

  “It should. You’re a natural. You could be an actress. You really get into the character. I wish the camera could pick up your expressions, the emotions you convey. You’re good, Mae.”

  “Thanks. If I ever decide to become an actress, you can write me a letter of recommendation.”

  He laughed. “I’d definitely do that.”

  They’d stopped at his trailer, and he walked up the steps, opened the door, his expression one of invitation.

  Since she had no intention of kissing him again, she figured she could hang out for a few minutes with him. She walked up the steps and he shut the door.

  “Make yourself comfortable. You want something else to drink? I have tea, fruit drinks, sparkling water.”

  She held out her bottle. “I’m good with this, thanks.”

  He flopped onto the sofa, so she took a seat in the cushioned chair across from him.

  “Afraid I’ll bite you?” he asked with a smirk she wanted to slap right off his face.