“You just had to adopt two of them didn't you, Kaylee?”

“They're brothers. I couldn't separate them!” She bounces up and down excitedly in the sand as the two little basset hound puppies wrestle with each other at our feet. Two little puppies that are wild and curious and full of energy, and Kaylee's sweet heart just couldn't say no to leaving one of them behind.

Just what have we gotten ourselves into?

“Someone abandoned them, Pax. Who does that? These were the last two at the shelter, and I fell in love with both of them.” Her voice trails off.

“You know what I love most about you?” I pull gently on one of the leashes, guiding the little guy I've got on my leash off his brother.

“What?” She pulls the other one away, finally getting them apart.

“Your heart.” I've never met someone who is so genuinely caring about everyone and everything around her. Doesn't matter if it's a person, an animal, or the environment. She's convinced trees have feelings. She smiles up at me. “I mean it, Kay.” She blushes at my admission.

“You know what I love most about you?” She squints one eye as the afternoon sun bounces off the Pacific Ocean and right into her eye.

“What?”

“How determined you are. How you never give up. How you fight for everything you want.”

“Like you?” I chuckle, and she swats my arm.

“Seriously, Pax. You just landed your dream job—”

“Stop right there, Kaylee. I’m blessed to have this job. I am. But at the end of the day, it's just a job. I can get any other job, any other day. You're what's important to me.”

“You're what's important to me, too.” She leans in, wrapping her arms around me, tangling the leashes in the process.

“I love you, Kay.”

“I love you more, Pax. More than you could ever imagine.” I hear her voice crack with emotion. She rests her head against my chest, and I take in the scent of her coconut shampoo. To think I almost lost her because of a jealous publicist makes my heart sink and my stomach churn. But she's here, with me, and I'm never letting her go.

“Kaylee?”

She pulls away, releasing her grasp on me. She looks up at me with the biggest blue eyes I've ever seen. Eyes that I can see my future in. Happiness. Peace. Marriage. Babies. Growing old together. She's it for me. I clear my throat and choke down the growing lump in my throat.

“Marry me. Show me you'll be mine forever.”

“What?” she says, pulling completely out of my arms.

“You heard me. Marry me, Kaylee Rose Burton. Make me the happiest man in the world. Be my wife. Be the mother of my children. Be mine. Forever. Please say you'll marry me.”

Her eyes begin to mist over, and her hands begin to shake. I pull the small velvet box from the front pocket of my shorts and drop to one knee on the soft sand.

“Kaylee, do me the honor of being my wife. Let me love you forever, and always.” I flip the lid open, and she falls to her knees directly in front of me as she reaches for the box with her trembling hand.

A perfect four-carat princess cut diamond sits perched on a simple platinum band. I went for classic and understated, yet stunning. Just like Kaylee.

“Yes, oh my God, yes!” she says, her voice breaking. I pull the ring from the box and slide it onto her left ring finger as tears fall from her eyes and slide down her soft cheeks. I hate seeing her cry, but I know these are happy tears. “I can't believe this is happening,” she says under her breath as she wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand.

“From the moment I met you, Kaylee, I knew you were different. You were more than one night to me—you were my future. I knew that I wanted you to be mine forever.”

“Forever,” she whispers.

“Forever,” I respond.

We sit quietly on the beach, Kaylee wrapped in my arms as the puppies rest next to us in the sand. This is what happiness feels like. The woman you love wrapped in your arms, the cast of the setting sun, and sleeping puppies.

“What should we name them?” I ask as Kaylee drags her left hand down the long soft ear of the little guy lying next to her, rolling her new engagement ring between her fingers.

“Clooney and Pitt?” she says with a laugh.

“You want me to show up on set next month and tell George that my fiancée named our dogs after him and Brad?”

She tips her head back and laughs. A deep, resounding laugh. The kind of laugh that tells me she's happy—and I'm so fucking in love with her and that laugh.

“Yes.” She twists in my arms and presses her lips to mine. Soft and supple, warm and inviting. “They’re cute, just like Brad and George.” I shake my head and chuckle.

“Let's go.” I nudge her. “We have to get ready for tonight then I have plans for us.”

I stand up and brush the sand from the back of my shorts. I help Kaylee up, and she does the same.

“Oh, yeah, like what?” She smirks, knowing damn well what I have planned. Devouring her sexy fucking body over and over again until we both pass out.

“If I told you we'll never make it to the Oscars. Now let's get Clooney and Pitt home.” I wink at her, and she smiles back. She knows what she's in for.

I shake my head at the names Kaylee has picked out. Fucking Clooney and Pitt. Only Kaylee could convince me to let her name our dogs after two of Hollywood’s leading men.

As we walk down the beach and toward the path to the Malibu beach home we just purchased, I take one last look at the beach, the setting sun, and at Kaylee. Everything in this moment is beautiful and perfect, and I can't wipe the smile off my face.

* * *

I step out of the limo and gently help Kaylee to her feet. Before I even turn around, a young voice is at my side calling my name.

“Mr. Myles, I'm Abigail, your publicist. I'll be getting you through the press line this evening.” She smiles at me, before looking at Kaylee who is adjusting her dress. “Ms. Burton.” She nods at Kaylee, who offers her a hand to shake which she takes.

This is my first big event without Kendall. She was always by my side for premieres, press tours, and award ceremonies, guiding me through the press line and ensuring I was talking to the most influential reporters in Hollywood. I accepted Kendall's resignation after the incident in London, and my agent has been less than enthused that I've yet to hire a new publicist, so he hired one to help me get through this premiere.

“Shall we?” I gesture to the red carpet laid out before us. Abigail raises her hand to stop me, before glancing quickly at her clipboard and back to Kaylee and I. Squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin in a show of confidence, she licks her lips before speaking.

“You two made quite an appearance on the beach today. Puppies and an engagement…” She looks up from her clip board through her long lashes at me. “You're on the front page of every entertainment site and not because you’re expected to win actor in a leading role.” She rubs her eyebrow, looking distressed. “I've given instructions that there are no personal questions, but with today's events, I can't guarantee—”

“What are my odds?” I ask, flashing Abigail a smile. Abigail blinks rapidly, not sure how to answer my question. “What are the odds of me winning? You know, they bet on this shit in Vegas.”

She shakes her head and looks at her clipboard as if it’ll magically have the answer before she starts pounding away on her phone.

“Relax,” I interrupt. The word is meant for both Abigail and Kaylee. Abigail let’s out a breath and looks to Kaylee before they both look at me. “We're not hiding the engagement, but tonight is about the Oscars. That's our focus and those are the questions I'll answer,” I tell Abigail before turning to Kaylee. “And you. Breathe. Smile. You're beautiful. You're my fiancée, we have nothing to hide. Don't hide your hand or that ring, and you do not have to answer any questions you don't want to. This is just another night, nothing is any different from any other red-carpet event.”

Kaylee nods and takes a deep breath and Abigail glances sideways while mumbling, “Just the Oscars.”

I can see how this must be overwhelming to both women so I try to lighten the tone of my voice. “Now let's do this, okay?” I tell both of them.

“One hundred to one,” Abigail says before leading us away from the limo and down the red carpet past the first group of reporters.

Fucking one hundred to one. Those are my odds. I swallow hard and plaster on my best smile. One hundred and one would have pissed me off last year, but this year…I’ve already won. I have the most beautiful woman in the world, and that is all I need.

“Paxton! Is it true you and Kaylee are engaged?”

“Paxton! Kaylee! Over here!”

There are literally a million flashes, so many that it's blinding. Kaylee's laced fingers through mine squeeze my hand so tightly it feels like a vice.

We stop on the red carpet and all the reporters huddle together taking our picture. One after another they shout questions at Kaylee and me.

“Are you engaged?”

“Is it true Kaylee is expecting?”

“Will there be a Hollywood wedding?”

“Are the puppies rescued or from a breeder?”

“Are you excited to work with George Clooney and Brad Pitt?”

“What are your thoughts on the scandals rocking Hollywood?”

Question after question is fired at us, and I don’t give a shit about any of them because the only thing that matters to me right now is smiling up at me. I'm a fucking lucky bastard for living the life I do. Fame, fortune, and a job most would kill for. But honestly, I'm the fucking luckiest guy in the world because who knew that one wild night could turn into forever.