Page 78 of Trap ’N’ Trace

“That’s another thing,” Dayne said. “Do you ever get tired of having your picture taken?”

“Hazards of the job.” On the other side of the ballroom, Colin stood with Penny, Elaina, Nat, and that wretched Crystal Lockwood. She gave a slight twist of her lips. One look at that woman was enough to make the air go sour.

“See someone you don’t like?”

“Does it show that much?” When had he come to read her thoughts so well?

“It does.” He squeezed her hand, making her realize how much she missed his touch. “Don’t worry. I don’t think anyone else can see it.”

“That’s a relief.” Since birth, she’d been carefully schooled in the art of masking her dislike for someone, especially at charity events. Even the truly detestable wrote sizeable checks.

They joined a group of three older men in their sixties. “Senator Graham.” She kissed the senator on the cheek. “It’s always an honor to have you at one of our events.”

He smiled down at her, reminding Kat of why she truly liked him. For a high-powered state representative, his warmth was genuine. “Katrina, it’s an honor to be invited. You look lovely as always.”

“Thank you, John. I’d like to introduce you to Dayne Andrews.”

“Senator,” Dayne said as the two men shook hands.

Next, Kat introduced the other men. “This is Charles Worthington, CEO of Worthington Consolidated. And Max Rocher, owner of Rocher Industries.” Dayne shook their hands.

“What do you do, son?” Senator Graham asked.

Beside her, Dayne tensed. “I’m an FBI agent.”

The senator’s face lit up. “What fascinating work that must be. I’ll bet it keeps you on your toes.”

“That it does.” The tension ebbed from Dayne’s body, leaving her wondering if he’d expected to be ridiculed because of his occupation.

“What kinds of cases do you work on?” Charles Worthington asked.

“It depends. I’m a K-9 agent, so I get assigned to a lot of search-and-rescue operations. Occasionally, I work on homicides, bank robberies, and terrorism investigations.”

“K-9?” Max Rocher’s brows knitted. “So your partner is a dog?”

Dayne grinned. “She is, and she’s the best partner I ever had.”

They all laughed, and Kat smiled up at him with a smug look intended to convey: See, you fit in better than you expected.

“Did I just hear your partner is a dog?” Senator Graham’s wife, Betty, slipped her arm around her husband’s waist.

Kat’s heart squeezed at the affectionate gesture. Forty years of marriage and they still loved each other.

The waiter who’d taken her order for the Chivas Royal Salute arrived with a cut crystal tumbler containing an inch of gold liquid. “Sir, your scotch.”

Dayne took the glass then held it up to the light, turning it around in his hand before taking a sip, then smiling like she’d never seen him smile before. “So this is what I’ve been missing all my life.”

“Is that the fifty-year-old Salute?” Senator Graham pointed to Dayne’s glass.

“It is.” Kat nodded.

“Well, son. You must be someone very special to our Katrina. She doesn’t whip out a ten-thousand-dollar bottle for just anyone.”

That was true. Even her father rarely passed it around when he was alive. With Dayne, she hadn’t thought twice about it.

Dayne choked. Clearly, he’d had no idea what that bottle cost.

Charlie gave him a few pats on the back. “Don’t waste any of it. Enjoy every last drop.”