Page 198 of Riches and Romance

The open affection Hal lavished on them tugged on Kat’s heartstrings and reminded her why she wasn’t interested in being a weekend hookup, not even for mega-hot, ultra-orgasmic Eric. She wanted more for herself.

“Bree,” Hugh said with a hopeful smile, “it would be great to have some professional shots for the announcement of the foundation’s scholarship next month. We were thinking that in addition to the pictures you’ll take at the foundation picnic tomorrow, maybe you could take a few shots of us today?”

“Sure. We should take those at the track, though, right? With you guys in full race attire?” Bree asked.

Kat pictured Eric in the jumpsuit she’d seen racers wear. She loved a man in uniform. Cringing inwardly, she realized how superficial that was, a little too reminiscent of her past, and again she reminded herself that she was supposed to be taking charge of her future, not hooking up for a weekend.

“That would probably be best,” Eric said. “Kat, I hope you’ll be joining us at the picnic tomorrow.”

Kat’s stomach flipped at the prospect of spending more time with Eric. So much for her resolve to remain distant. She’d go anywhere he asked. Twice.

“Oh my gosh,” Bree said. “I forgot to mention it. I’m so sorry, Kat.”

“I’d love to go. It’ll be a great experience to watch your PR people in action. Thanks for the invitation. I guess I’ll go change and fix my makeup for the pictures.” Kat stood, and Eric rose beside her.

He smiled as he pulled her chair out for her to step around. “Kat, is it okay with you if we tag along? I don’t want to take over your shoot, or make you uncomfortable by being there.”

Little did he know that he made her the best type of uncomfortable by doing hardly more than breathing. She knew that his being there when she was having her picture taken would be distracting, but this was take-charge Kat. She was facing her fears and she was not going to run from this one—fear of falling for a player who could make her body sizzle with nothing more than a glance.

“Thanks for asking, but I’m fine with it. It’ll be fun.”

The wicked glint in his eyes stayed with her long after she walked inside, and she knew her attraction to him was too intense to be ignored.

CHAPTER 6

DOWNTOWN WESTON HAD been builtto replicate an old Western town, complete with old-fashioned storefronts and hitches to tie up horses, although Kat imagined those were just for show. She couldn’t imagine anyone riding a horse into town for business. It was late enough in the afternoon that the streets weren’t crowded but still early enough that Brianna and Hugh were garnering attention from people walking by while they set up the photography equipment. Bree smiled and answered their questions easily, as if this were what she’d done every day of her life. Kat knew better. Becoming a professional photographer had been a lifelong dream for Brianna, and although she’d worked with a well-known photographer in Richmond and she was talented beyond belief, it wasn’t until she and Hugh had come together that she’d allowed herself to indulge in the activity she loved most as something more than a hobby.

Kat tried to calm her nerves by looking herself over one last time in the full-length mirror Brianna had brought with them. She’d had no idea that taking pictures would be such a production. They’d had to take two cars to allow for all of Bree’s equipment. Kat assumed they’d find a few locations in town and then maybe take a couple of candid shots with the mountainsin the background. She’d thought the whole photo shoot might take an hour, but Hugh and Brianna were setting up big white umbrellas and plugging lights and fans into generators. It looked like a movie set, and it had Kat’s nerves going all sorts of crazy.

The longer she looked over her cap-sleeved navy blue dress, the more she worried that the neckline was too low or the dress was too tight. She caught sight of Brianna and Hugh in the mirror, wondering if she should ask Brianna if she should change since they’d brought several outfits for the photo shoot. Hugh touched Brianna each time he walked past. He leaned in close and whispered something that made Brianna blush and turn toward him. When Hugh wrapped an arm around Brianna and lowered his lips to hers, Kat shifted her eyes away from their reflection and caught Eric’s.

He wore a pair of faded jeans and a black T-shirt. She knew now that the just-been-fucked hair was his natural style, and like every time she saw him, her stomach fluttered and flipped. He was standing a few feet behind her with a serious, assessing look in his eyes that made her worry over her outfit again.

She glanced over her shoulder, trying to see the back of her dress to make sure she hadn’t gotten dirt on it. “Do I have something on me, or does this dress just look bad?”

“You could wear rags and you’d still be the most beautiful woman around.” His smile was warm and sincere. A flash of the gentleman had come out to play.

“Thank you,” she said, relieved by both the warmth and the compliment. “You looked deep in thought.”

“Did I? I’m just thinking about the scholarship fund for the foundation. I’m excited to get it launched.” His eyes turned serious again.

This was a side of him she hadn’t yet encountered. “You mentioned a foundation and scholarship earlier. What type of foundation is it?”

“It’s called the Foundation for Whole Families. We help children of drug-addicted parents and reunite families whose lives have been shattered by drugs.” His brows drew together. “There are so many children who need help. Many are barely making it from day to day; they’re in need of food and general caretaking. These kids need to know that someone cares about them.”

The passion in his tone and the intensity of his gaze coalesced, bringing him into a whole new light in Kat’s eyes. This was not the all-about-sex player she’d met in the bar. This was a man clearly affected by the plight of those he was helping, and that touched her deeply.

“Our efforts are focused on the safety and future of the children, of course, but the goal isn’t to simply remove them from their unsafe environments. We provide counseling for the entire family, treatment when necessary, and ensure that the children have a safe place to stay while their parents are in treatment, or for some, while their parents are in jail. But that’s just the beginning. These children need to have a chance at a future, not just the tools to get there, and that’s where the scholarship comes in.”

“You’re giving them hope for a better life. And you saidwe. Are you on the board for the foundation?”

A humble smile reached his eyes. “I’m actually the founder. The picnic we’re going to tomorrow is for the foundation. I give a lot of my time to the foundation, and to the kids.”

She wondered how many more layers were hidden beneath his bold facade. This side of him was so unexpected. She wanted to know more, not just about the foundation, but also about Eric and what made him tick.

“I knew we were going to a picnic for charity, but I had no idea it was for your foundation.”

“The picnic not only enables us to do fundraising, but to visit with families we’ve helped and thank our donors. It’s one of my favorite events.” He ran a hand through his hair, and a contented look filled his eyes. “There’s no better feeling than knowing a kid—a family—has a chance at being whole and having a future.”

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