Page 317 of The First Taste

She arches a brow. “That sounds an awful lot like you're promising to be honest with me. Are you saying that?”

I shrug, clearing my throat. “Sure. As long as you are honest with me in exchange.”

“About everything? Even money? Even if it doesn’t flatter your ego?”

I laugh. “The truth rarely does. But yeah, I’m pretty much saying that.”

She looks at me and then yawns. Her head drops down onto my chest and she settles in like she has been doing it just like that for all of eternity.

I’m a little befuddled as to how to proceed, but I drape my arm around her loosely and stare up at the ceiling, contemplating my next move tomorrow. She falls asleep on my chest and soon the rhythmic sound of her deep breathing pulls me under.

Thirty-One

Talia

In the passenger seat of the Porsche, I run a hand over my carefully curled mane of red hair. I glance at my husband.

My heart thuds.My husband.

God, he really is my husband now.

Dare holds the door open for me and takes my arm, giving me a little smirk as we walk up the few feet to the Morgan estate. I am just as nervous as I was the first time I saw the mansion with its time worn façade.

But I have been coached this time. I know better than to let my nervousness show.

Instead, I paste a smile on my lips and pull Dare an inch closer, cozying up to him as we approach the enormous front door of the Morgan estate. We are dressed to kill, Dare in his usual suit, me in a clingy white dress that is strapless and ends just below my knee. I think the flowers that decorate the low neckline are meant to suggests that one might get married in a dress just like this. However, I couldn’t envision wearing such a dress on my wedding day. The clingy nylon fabric is almost see through.

It might be okay for some people’s weddings, but it is a far cry from the fairy tale wedding I have somewhere deep down in my heart. I know that my marriage ceremony to Dare Morgan will not be nearly so casual as my dress implies.

I can’t even sit down in this dress; then again, I don’t imagine that I will be able to in the beautiful princess gown that Rob will put me in when I publicly vow to be part of the Morgan family.

As we walk through the doorway, my senses are on high alert. I’m surprised to find quite a few people at the Morgan estate when I step through the threshold. I lean close to Dare, whispering my observation.

“There are a lot of people here, all dressed in their Sunday best. It’s funny, I don’t think I recognize anyone, but I’ve lived and worked in Harwicke all my life. Where do you imagine these people hide out when they aren’t at your family’s mansion?”

His brow furrows and he puts his lips close to my ear.

“I think that Burn and Daisy have called all their family and friends to announce their wedding. I wasn’t briefed before we came, but that seems like the obvious occasion.”

I nod. “Makes sense.”

“All right,” Dare whispers. “Get ready to put on a show. My brother is heading this way.”

Suddenly, I find that my mouth is dry as a bone. I scan the room, looking up all the lovely party guests in their finest cocktail attire. Out of the corner of my eye I see a waiter making the rounds with a stack of short glasses of amber liquid. Making eye contact with him, I raise my hand, summoning him with two fingers. He makes a beeline for me, and I take a glass off the tray before he even manages to tell us that it is whiskey.

I take a huge gulp just as Dare pulls on my hand, taking away the glass. “What the fuck are you doing?”

I look up at him and then realize that I am not supposed to be drinking. Beckoning for the glass, I spit the contents out. Dare frowns and shakes his head then puts the glass back on the tray. “Sorry. She is on antibiotics.”

The waiter looks confused but Dare just leans forward, accepting a new glass and waving the waiter away again. Once the waiter moves on, I look at Dare. He gives me a cool smile.

“Take it easy. You look like a rabbit caught in a snare.”

I glance around, whipping my hand at the people around me. “It’s not an unfamiliar feeling. I’m trapped in a place where I don’t know anyone. The rabbit and I are not in totally dissimilar circumstances.”

Dare puts his arm around my waist and pulls me close. “I’m the only hunter you have to worry about right now, darling girl. I’ll protect you from everyone else.”

I part my lips to respond to him but I don’t get the chance to say anything else.