Page 281 of The First Taste

Dare quickly strides just a few feet in front of me and reaches to open the door of his Porsche. He looks at me, his eyes shining with a certain kind of mischief. He tilts his head to the side, indicating that I should get in. My pulse racing, I climb in the car, and Dare shuts the door firmly on me.

Dare climbs in the car and starts the engine; he looks at me with a smirk. "You know, you’re leaving behind everything you ever knew. This town is a tiny pond. I am about to open your world and let you swim in the sea with all the big fucking sharks.”

He revs the engine, a grin exploding over his face.

"What?" I ask, perplexed. “Where are we going?”

He loosens his tie, ripping it off and throwing it behind him. "To the airport."

"The airport? Where are we really going?"

He pulls off with a screech of tires, a mischievous look in his eyes once more. "Somewhere quiet where we can practice being engaged."

For some reason, his answer makes a flush creep up my neck. I buckle my seatbelt and bite my lip, looking out the window.

We arrive at the airport in record time thanks to Dare's driving, which takes us well over the speed limit almost the entire way. He drives me to a private tarmac, where a helicopter is waiting.

He turns off the car and then gives me a once-over, from my hair to my shabby dress and my booted feet. “Before I slide the engagement ring onto your finger, I need to know for sure that you’re actually pregnant.”

My cheeks feel hot. "How am I supposed to prove that to you?"

He jerks his head toward the small airplane hangar that we are parked next to. "There is a lady doctor inside that building, waiting for you. You just have to pee in a cup for now. Later, there will be blood tests. But all I need to know is that you are carrying a Morgan in your womb."

"I don’t really feel comfortable showing anyone a test. But if it will make you feel more certain about it, then I guess I have no choice."

He gives me a chilling smile. "You really don’t. I’ll be waiting right here for you when you come out of the hangar."

Heading inside the hangar, I look around at the soaring ceilings and the small private plane that is parked in the middle of the large space.

"Are you Talia?"

I turn and see the doctor, a middle-aged woman with ebony skin and a short bob hairstyle. I nod, and she beckons me, leading me into a restroom. She offers me a cup, looking at me sympathetically. "I’m afraid I’ll have to stay while you fill the cup."

"Really?" I ask. "Is that necessary? I obviously don’t have anything with me. I can’t mess with the results."

She gives me a sympathetic smile and clicks the lock on the door handle. "The sooner you do it, the sooner it will be over. Trust me, I am not getting any more joy out of this than you are."

I look at her, judging that she is telling the truth about that at least. "Do you mind turning around?"

She turns her back on me, and I go through the process of filling the little plastic cup she gave me, my face burning the entire time.

After I’m done and I’ve washed my hands, I hand the sample off to her. She has put on gloves, and she quickly and efficiently dunks a strip into the cup of my urine. Exactly one minute later, with me fidgeting all the while, she looks at me with a smile.

Pulling off her gloves, she announces, "Congratulations. You’re pregnant."

She produces a small trash bag, into which she dumps the gloves, the test strip, and the urine.

"Thanks, I guess." I give her a little side eye as I let myself out of the restroom. She follows me, staying right behind me. When she sees Dare, she gives a thumbs-up signal.

I hadn’t realized until that moment that Dare was nervous. As he gets the signal from the doctor, the easing of the tension across his face is obvious. He beckons to me, turning to the helicopter and points to the pilot, who is sitting inside. The rotators start churning, whipping up quite a wind. It’s deafening from here, and I put my hands over my ears as I run up to Dare.

"We are not leaving in that, are we?"

He slings his arm over my shoulders, which causes me to tense up. He leans close, shouting in my ear. "Relax. This is your new life. Of all the things you have to get used to, this is one of the easiest."

"What if I don’t want to go?" I ask, looking at the helicopter.

"Are you really going to say no to me now? Literally all your money hangs in the balance. If you don’t do what I ask, I’ll find another woman. I had options for my wife. You must realize that."