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Derrick wasn’t sure why this was called a drawing room, he only knew this was always where staff brought his father’s business associates, and he figured it would be no different for Taylor. He was about to ask her if she knew why it was called a drawing room when the door burst open, cutting off his words.
Todd came through in his hurried strides and then stopped abruptly, forcing Charlie to walk into his back. He grunted and nearly fell. Todd’s mouth was hanging open, and he was staring at Taylor.
“Taylor, you, uh, you look,” Todd stuttered, and Derrick had to cover his mouth. Todd prided himself on being an asshole, a role he took on exceptionally well. To see him stuttering and trying to pay a compliment was out of the ordinary, to put it mildly, and comical.
“Thank you, Todd,” Taylor said, putting him out of his misery.
Charlie handled things differently, but then again he always did have more finesse. Charlie crossed the room and took Taylor’s hands in his. “You look beautiful, Taylor, so grown up,” he said and kissed her cheek. When he leaned back, there were tears in his eyes. “Your parents and grandparents would be so proud of you,” he said softly.
Derrick saw Taylor’s bottom lip tremble and crossed the room to stand next to her. But she instantly pulled herself together, took a deep breath, and said, “So let’s talk about security.”
Todd spoke up first, “We have got you the best.
“And who exactly is the best?”
“Henry Lowsley is—”
“Right here,” an accented voice came from the doorway.
Henry Lowsley was easily over six feet and as wide as an industrial refrigerator. The T-shirt he wore seemed to be painted in place, and the crazy mass and number of muscles beneath it were so big they looked almost fake. Derrick was pretty sure the guy had gotten lost and was really supposed to be going to audition for the WWE or John Cena’s body double. His red hair, blue eyes, and fair skin would have made him look like a schoolboy if not for the huge size and military haircut.
And it totally pissed him off that Taylor’s jaw dropped at the sight of him.
What the fuck does that mean?He wanted to ask.Are you attracted to him? Why don’t you look at me like that?
Instantly Derrick had a dislike for Henry.
“Hello, Ms. Preston,” Henry said in his Irish accent as he approached Taylor. He offered his hand, which was the size of a frying pan, to Taylor.
“Hello, Mr. Lowsley. Nice to meet you,” Taylor said. She sounded level and professional, not at all like a giddy schoolgirl, and that settled Derrick a little. “This is my—”
“Fiancé, Derrick Fletcher,” Derrick interjected. He was curious to know what Taylor was going to call him, but he wanted to make it clear to Henry that he was important. Very important. Like, I don’t care how pumped up you are, I will deflate you if you look at my girl wrong.
Even if she was unhappy to be his girl, and was being forced into it, she was still his.
“Of course, Mr. Fletcher. It’s a pleasure.” Mr. Lowsley extended his hand, and Derrick took it firmly. Really firmly. However, if it bothered Henry Lowsley in the slightest, he didn’t let on.
“So, Mr. Lowsley—”
“Please, call me Henry.”
“Okay, Henry, please tell me how you plan to rectify my apparent security problem,” Taylor said dryly.
“There is nothing apparent about it. You have a very serious problem, Ms. Preston,” Henry informed her. “You have zero security anywhere. There is no personal security on staff, and all of the security that is in place at Preston Corporation and Preston Manor is outdated. It probably has not updated since the eighties.”
“And you know this because?” Taylor questioned.
“Because when I broke in there today, no one came to find me,” he responded matter-of-factly.
Taylor’s eyes bulged.
“Seems like it would be better for you to work at my place,” Derrick bragged to Taylor.
“Well, your place was a little better, but not much, Mr. Fletcher. I got in there too—you left milk out.”
Yeah, Derrick didn’t like Henry.
“You were in my—”