Page 307 of The First Taste

The two giants stand up, turning to greet me. I walk forward, my pulse pounding. I shake their hands, grimacing as Frick, the woman, grips my hand a little too hard.

"Hello. We are pleased to meet you." She smiles at me and her accent is thick, something vaguely Middle Eastern. It pairs well with her sandstone-colored skin, I think.

"Pleasure to meet you as well." I shake hands with Frack and wince again, as he is too strong for his own good.

Ending the encounter as soon as possible, I turn to the other young man. "And who is this?"

"That’s Rob, my personal assistant," Dare says. "But don’t pay him any attention right now. I really want you to meet your new security detail."

"Security detail?" I glance at Frick and Frack and then back to Dare. "Is that really necessary?"

He encourages me to step forward and then slides his arm around me. I freeze up at first, but he gives me a sharp look.

"Everybody that has money has security. It’s really not optional for you."

Frick clears her throat and smiles evenly. "We will be with you all the time. There will be other guards with us, but we will be taking point."

I screw up my face. "If you think it’s really needed…"

“It is, believe me. I'd rather have them following you around everywhere and nothing bad happen than be sorry after something bad does happen.”

I give him a skeptical look but shrug. "Okay. I guess." I wave my hand to the whole penthouse. "Are you going to show me around?"

Dare smiles at Rob and then tells Frick and Frack they can wait downstairs in the security room on the fourth floor. Frack waves goodbye to me, Frick bows her head, and then they hustle to the elevator.

I take a deep breath and look at Dare while biting my tongue. He'll get an earful about it later, but for now, I'm focused on Rob.

"I’m sorry, Rob, was it?" I extend my hand, and he shakes it, his grip much less aggressive. "It's nice to meet you. Do you mind if I steal my fiancé for a minute?"

Rob blinks. "I swear, I thought that Dare had somehow tricked you into coming here. Hearing you say that is just surreal for me."

"Rob," Dare says with a glare. "Why don’t you run along and make sure that the photographers get in here okay."

Rob nods his head and agrees. I'm left alone with Dare after his hasty retreat.

"Well? Shall I show you the place?"

I glance at the thin rice paper walls between this room and the living room. "Sure. My only question is, those walls seem so thin. Will that not be a problem when the baby comes?"

"Oh, we won’t be here that long. Maybe two months at the most. You'll probably barely be showing by then." He looks at me, his gaze tightening on my face. "You're about, what? Two months along?"

For some reason, the question hits me with a thud like a baseball bat to the chest. The wind is knocked out of me briefly, and I put my hands on my knees. Closing my eyes, I nod at him.

"What are you doing?" he asks sharply. "What is this?"

I suck in a deep breath and straighten. "Nothing. I just hadn’t really thought about that quite yet. God, how can I already be two months into a pregnancy and barely have any idea?"

Dare picks at a piece of lint on his dark suit sleeve, shrugging a shoulder. "I don’t know. This is the first one that I’ve ever been up close and personal with. I don’t exactly have a lot of pregnant lady friends."

"Ha ha," I shoot back. "Well?" I slide my arm into his, feeling a hint of satisfaction at how well we fit together. "I don’t know exactly what has come over me, but I am a little tired, to tell you the truth."

He smirks down at me and executes a mocking bow. "Allow me to show you the bedroom. Right this way, mademoiselle."

He shows me around the loft quickly, walking past the chic living room I have already seen, an office area, another all-white living room area that’s quite cozy, and an empty space walled off on two sides.

The thin white paper walls seem just like a bare room. "What is this going to be?"

He shrugs. "Undecided. I thought maybe you would like to pick out some furniture for whatever suits you. I’ve already filled a room with office equipment and a desk. So maybe this can be your private quarters."