Daring Her Love (12 page)

“It takes a special woman to bring out the romance in a man,” Eric said casually, as if he hadn’t just sent her whole world spinning.

Hal set his napkin on his lap and said, “You’re all full of hogwash. Your hearts are driving your cart, not your heads.” He shook his head. “One day y’all will understand the power of love. You can’t dissuade it, you can’t escape it, and you sure as hell can’t rule how or when it presents itself.”

Kat didn’t care if it was wishful thinking or a rationalization on her part, but she clung to Hal’s words and felt better about her heart summersaulting in her chest after she’d known Eric for only two short days. 

BY TWO O’CLOCK Weston County Park was packed, and the fundraising event for the Foundation for Whole Families was in full swing. These types of events brought the foundation to life for Eric. He loved seeing the families they’d helped to reunite and enjoyed meeting some of their generous donors. When he’d first started the foundation, there’d been a part of him that had played out the scenario of a foundation such as this coming into his life as a youth, causing him to imagine reliving that part of his life differently. But he’d quickly nixed those painful dreams, knowing the impossibility of such a thing. Instead, he used those hopes to help grow the foundation, poured his passion and desire for a better childhood into every family they helped. Watching some of those families flourish made it all worthwhile.

He watched as Emily Braden, Hugh’s cousin, approached with her fiancée, Dae Bray, a demolition expert. Emily was an architect and an expert in the passive-house movement, and she’d been at Eric for a while to build green with his next outpatient center. He’d been meaning to contact her about his plan to build in Trusty, Colorado, the neighboring town to where Emily and Dae lived.

“I heard some smart-mouthed race car driver just bought the five-acre commercial lot a block off Main Street in Trusty.” Emily brushed her long dark hair from her shoulders and hugged Eric. “How’s it going, smart-mouth?”

“A pleasure to see you, too, Em.” He embraced her, then opened his arms to Dae. “How’s it going, man? I see being engaged hasn’t made her any less feisty.”

Dae pulled Emily into his arms. “That’s my girl.”

“I’ve been meaning to call you about checking out passive structures for the new Trusty Outpatient Center.” Eric noticed Hugh heading their way.

“Now you’re talking my language,” Emily said. “It’s not like I haven’t been drawing them up for the past three years, waiting with bated breath for you to get off your ass. I’ll email you Monday with some ideas.”

“Who’s the smart-mouth?” Eric teased.

Hugh joined them and greeted his cousin and Dae with open arms. “It’s a regular reunion.”

“We’re just passing through.” Emily pointed to the baseball fields, where two softball games were just beginning, one for older kids and one for adults. Emily pointed to the Wiffle ball field, and as she headed for the softball game, said, “But you boys should join that game.”

Eric laughed and waved as they walked away, his eyes skirting the property, seeking the woman who had so quickly touched his heart. He found her across the grassy field, carrying Christian and holding Layla’s hand as Brianna talked with another woman a few feet away. He could watch her all day long, and she looked so natural with the baby in her arms while chatting with Layla that it did funky things to his stomach again. He watched them walk over to a clown who was doing magic for a group of families. She pressed her lips to Christian’s cheek, then said something as she pointed to the clown. Damn, the emotions she incited in him had his whole body going warm and made his mind jump ahead to something he’d never imagined settling down enough to have.
Family.

He shifted his eyes away, the unfamiliar urges telling him that he was somehow falling for Kat after only a few days. He tried to focus on the people walking by, on Hugh’s voice as he talked about the picnic. Hell, on anything but the little voice in his head saying,
She’s the one. The only one.

He focused on the table with the raffle prize baskets, thinking about how few donations they’d received the first year. Now the table overflowed with donations. The Denver Broncos donated baskets of football paraphernalia, and dozens of local businesses donated goods, from jewelry baskets, books, and leather goods to lotions and hardware. The generosity of the community was endless.

“We did well, basing the event here,” Eric said to Hugh. It had been Hugh’s idea to make Weston the home base for the fundraiser each year, and since Eric hadn’t had the benefit of a close-knit community growing up, he was happy to become part of Hugh’s.

“Weston cares, that’s for sure.” Hugh pointed to Kat and Brianna. Kat was holding Christian and tickling his stomach. “Looks like Kat’s taken to my boy.”

Eric’s heart warmed again at the sight of her loving up Christian. “I can’t believe you’ve kept Kat a secret from me for so long.”

“Shit. You haven’t wanted a girlfriend. Ever. To be honest, I was completely floored this morning when I saw you two at breakfast, but Bree wasn’t. She said she knew the minute she saw you two together yesterday morning that you were meant to be together. Something about vibes.” Hugh cleared his throat, as if to say,
Told you so.

Eric had never been more excited to see a woman than he was this morning. He’d slept fitfully, wishing Kat were in his arms and wondering if she’d been thinking of him, too. It had taken all of his restraint not to walk down the hall and knock on her bedroom door. When he’d finally seen her, he’d had to fight the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her good morning. But after only one date, he knew that was presumptuous, regardless of how intimate they’d been, how close he felt to her, or the fact that she’d already promised she’d go out with him again tonight. Relationships weren’t something he had experience in, and he was taking his cues from her.

“I’ve always said that your wife’s a smart woman,” Eric said. “Kat and I connected on every level from the moment we met, and even so, this is all so new to me that I was a goddamn nervous wreck this morning. I was worried that she’d changed her mind. That she’d look at my history with women and decide I wasn’t worth the risk.”

Hugh slung an arm over his shoulder. “Dude, you’re an amazing man. You must know that. Any woman would be lucky to be with you.”

“This isn’t about being lucky to be with me. I know my downfalls. You and I both know that I’ve never been a settling-down type of guy, but ever since I began thinking about the future, I’ve felt different. And Kat…Holy hell, Hugh. Kat? She’s the most intense, passionate, intelligent woman I’ve ever met. I finally understand how you fell for Brianna so quickly.”

“And Layla, man. I fell for them both. I love Layla like she’s my own flesh and blood.” Hugh gazed lovingly at his family a few feet away and took a few steps in their direction.

“I know you do. I have to tell you, I meant what I said this morning. I’m thinking more and more about settling down and having a family. And Kat just might be the oil in my gears. I was thrilled when she didn’t shy away from me during breakfast.” Kat looked up, and their eyes caught. His heart skipped in his chest, and the ability to walk and talk at the same time suddenly eluded him. He stood stock-still and said, “I’m the lucky one, man. If she’ll have me, I’ll make sure she never regrets it.”

Before taking the few final steps to Kat, he said, “I think your father was spot-on about the heart leading this cart. I could no sooner walk away from Kat than I could walk away from racing.[vk.com/newreleasebooks]”

Chapter Twelve

ERIC HELD UP a burlap sack, smiling at Kat and ignoring the smirk Hugh was giving them while he and Layla stepped into their own potato sack. Rex and Brianna and about a dozen other couples were also preparing for the big race, while Jade, who was too pregnant to take part, stood off to the side with Christian, cheering them on.

“Wanna jump in the sack with me?” Eric asked Kat.

“Heck yeah, I do.” Kat held on to his arm, loving the feel of his hard muscles and the heated glint in his eyes. She lowered her voice and said, “Bragging rights. I can say I got the head of the foundation in the sack.”

His head tipped back with a hearty laugh. “Darlin’, you can have all the bragging rights you want where I’m concerned.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, and she nearly melted on the spot.

She’d spent the entire day in awe of the way he handled himself. The man hobnobbed with wealthy donors and heads of corporations with the same zeal as he scooped babies into his arms and tossed a ball with teenagers. He gave his full attention to the adults and children in equal measure, which endeared him to Kat even more. Eric’s presence was as stable and commanding as a towering tree. Kat imagined that he’d have been just as debonair in a dark suit and tie as he was in his jeans. And now, as he draped an arm around her, grinning like a fool, he also looked like an eager kid ready to win a race—and the whole combination of hot, sexy, and playful made her swoon a little more.

The race started with a roaring cheer from the crowd, and Kat promptly tripped on a lump of grass and lost her footing. Eric caught her before she face-planted into the dirt and pulled her against him.

“You okay, graceful girl?”

She laughed. “Nice. Let’s win this race!”

With his strong arm around her waist, they found their groove, quickly catching up to Rex and Brianna. Rex reached out and grabbed ahold of their potato sack.

“Going somewhere?” His Stetson was perched high on his head, and the challenge in his dark eyes made Kat burst out laughing and nearly tumble to the ground again.

Eric’s grip on her waist saved her. He shot Rex a competitive stare, and Rex was now laughing, too. “We’re only going one place, my friend. Ahead of you.” He glanced at Hugh and Layla and said to Kat, “Let’s let Layla beat us.”

She fell a little harder for him that very second and knew she was steps away from tumbling head over heels from not only the ground but for Eric, too.

Eric kept an eye on Layla, holding them back until she crossed the finish line. Layla was so excited, she jumped into Hugh’s arms, squealing with delight. Then she ran to Eric and Kat and hugged them both.

“You guys were so good. I’m sorry you didn’t beat us, but you still did really well!” She turned to Rex and Brianna and threw her arms around Bree’s neck. “We beat you, Mom! Dad and I beat you!”

Kat swore she saw longing in Eric’s eyes as he watched the scene unfold.

“You sure did,” Brianna said to her exuberant daughter. “You were amazing!”

“Yeah, but you were still great!” Layla hugged her again before racing back to Hugh and hugging him again.

Brianna’s gaze caught on Kat’s, and the dampness in her eyes nearly pulled tears from Kat’s. She knew how much it meant to Brianna for Layla to adore Hugh the way she did. She felt Eric’s arm circle her shoulder, and she leaned in to him.

“God, I love that little girl,” she said wistfully.

“I have a feeling you’ll have your own little girl who is just as wonderful one day.” Eric hugged her close, and when she gave him a quizzical look, he said, “What? You’re a woman who wants children. I’m just sayin’…”

She didn’t know what surprised her more—the fact that the man she’d pegged as a player was holding her in front of so many important people and talking to her about a future, or the fact that she could actually imagine a future with him after knowing him for just forty-eight hours.

Chapter Thirteen

ERIC WAS STILL riding high from the afternoon when he and Kat left the ranch for their date later that evening. They’d been inseparable after the potato sack race, and by the time they’d returned to the ranch after the picnic, they’d felt like a couple. He hadn’t hesitated to keep Kat in his arms as they visited with Hope, even though Hal was there chatting up the old mare—and thankfully, not only had Kat been receptive, but she’d reciprocated his affections in earnest.

He parked the car at the racetrack and cut the engine.

“What are we doing here?” Kat peered into the darkness.

“You’ll see.” He came around the car and opened her door, pulling her in close as she stepped from the car. “You said you liked to drive fast, and you really can’t do that safely on the roads, but here…”

“I am not driving a race car,” she said adamantly.

“No? Well, then, come with me, but first…” He lowered his lips to hers, giving in to the urge that had consumed him for far too long. Her lips were warm and sweet, and when he slicked his tongue over hers, she made the sound of surrender that he’d heard in his dreams, and it nearly sent him into full-on
take
mode. It took all of his focus to draw far enough back to speak.

“I love kissing you,” he said against her lips, then pressed his mouth to hers again. “I never want to stop.”

He had a burning desire, an aching need, for another kiss, and as he sealed his lips over hers, his tongue plundering her mouth, his resolve to take things slow frayed with every sexy moan that escaped her lips. His hand moved over her hip to the curve of her ass. God, he loved her ass. It was firm and round, and he couldn’t wait to see it bare beneath him. He was hard as steel, and every move she made brought him closer to losing all control and letting his hands wander to all the soft, dark places he craved.

Fuck.
This was anything but slow. But holy hell did she feel good, taste good.

With a groan, he tore his lips from hers. “Kat, I want to make love to you more than I’ve ever wanted any woman in my life, but…”

She pressed her hands flat on his chest, breathing hard. “We’re so bad for each other. Sorry.”

“No, darlin’. We’re perfect for each other, and this is all on me. I can’t resist you.” He lifted her chin so he could press his lips to hers again, lightly this time. “I want to give you a night you’ll never forget, and as much as I want that to include so much pleasure that you never want to touch another man, I promised myself that I’d be a gentleman.”