Free Daring Her Love by Melissa Foster

Eric’s presence before she turned and saw the intense look in his eyes. Hugh and Bree retrieved the equipment from the backseat while Kat tried to remember how to function like a normal person instead of a jealous groupie.
    “That look you gave me back there was definitely a turn-on,” he said quietly enough that only she could hear him.
    “It was the look of insanity.” Like the torrent going on inside me right now.
    His eyes narrowed as he rubbed the back of his neck and stepped in closer. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was jealousy.”
    Kat circled the car to help carry the equipment. “Don’t flatter yourself.” She hoisted a bag toward her shoulder, and Eric intercepted it, pinning her in place with a dark stare.
    “I thought you wanted to get to know me better. Shouldn’t I be flattered by your look of insanity ?”
    She closed the car door, and they headed across the parking lot toward the track. The girls who had fawned over Eric and Hugh had joined a group of people by the clubhouse. Kat tried to ignore the insanity prickling her nerves.
    “Don’t you get enough of an ego boost from being fawned over by strangers?” She knew it was a bitchy thing to say, but she was powerless to stop the attitude from flying in his face like a big red flag. He stopped walking and gripped her arm—hard. The wicked look in his eyes told her that he didn’t see it as a red flag at all.
    “I said I was interested in enjoying you , Kat. That means you , not some girls who want an autograph.” The hint of anger in his voice had her stepping back, and him stepping forward. “I’m a public figure. I get hit on all the time.”
    “Good for you.” She walked toward the track where Hugh and Bree were setting up the equipment, and he gripped her arm again, more gently this time, keeping her beside him.
    “Yes, good for me.” The words were cold, but his eyes were warm. “I can get as much ass as I want, whenever I want. I can also risk disease or bad press, right? That’s real attractive.  Let’s not forget the shame that follows a good hookup.” His tone turned thoughtful, and Kat swore she saw a shadow of hurt wash over his face. “We both know that shame, don’t we?” 
    She knew that shame, and she hated it almost as much as she hated that she’d made him feel bad for just being the celebrity he was. “Yes,” she said quietly.
    “For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel that shame, Kat. Not for one second after being with you.” He paused, and she wondered if it was so she could let his words sink in or for him to gather his thoughts as his eyes searched hers. “I know we just met, but I feel something between us that’s more powerful than I’ve ever felt before. I want a chance to explore that with you.”
    He slid his hand to the nape of her neck and stepped in closer, bringing their lips a whisper apart. He didn’t seem to care who saw them, and she didn’t care either, because being this close to Eric, feeling his heat embrace her, seeing the desire in his eyes, consumed her. She desperately wanted to press her lips to his, to tell him she was sorry.
    She opened her mouth to apologize, and before she could say a word, he said, “I’ll never lie to you and pretend that there wasn’t a time when those types of girls turned my head. But right here, right now, there’s only you and me. And until we decide otherwise—until you and I make that decision together—you don’t have to worry about what I’m doing with any other woman.”
    He stared at her for a long stretch, long enough that his words sank into her heart and filled her with hope.
     
     
    THE SECOND ERIC had seen jealousy flash in Kat’s eyes, he’d known that he never wanted to make her feel that awful emotion again. And he was going to do everything within his power to ensure she never had a reason to feel that way. After signing autographs for the women, he’d asked Hugh if he’d mind if he asked Kat out,