Page 72 of Inevitable Inheritance

“It is a very time-sensitive issue, Derrick,” Charlie reminded him.

“We know,” he said, going to Taylor and pulling her up gently by the arm. “Come on, Taylor.”

Once she was out of her chair, Derrick put his arm around Taylor and basically dragged her from the boardroom. Outside the door, Henry was there with her coat.

“This way, Ms. Preston,” Henry said. Taylor noticed Derrick scowling, but she had way too much going on in her head to worry about his problems. In fact, he was one of her problems.

She let herself be led down the hall, to the elevator, and into a car.

“No limo again?” she said absentmindedly as she fastened her seat belt in the SUV.

“They found out you were here, and then pictures of us at lunch ended up all over the web, and the mob of paparazzi quadrupled in size.”

“Why am I so goddamned popular?” Taylor snipped as she rubbed her hand in her face. She hadn’t realized how very tired she was until she sat down. Or maybe it was that she was now so weighed down by how hinged her responsibilities were on a relationship she wanted no part of.

“Well it’s because—”

“It was a rhetorical question, Derrick,” Taylor said, rolling her neck and leaning it back against the seat, closing her eyes.

“Taylor.”

She heard him, but her eyelids felt really heavy, so she didn’t open them, she only responded. “What?”

“You’re home,” he told her, very close to her ear.

Taylor jerked up, knocking Derrick in the cheek with her head. “Ow! Damn! Did I fall asleep?”

“Yes,” Derrick said, rubbing his head. “You snore.”

“I do not snore! You take that back right now!”

“No. You sounded like a sawmill. I was embarrassed for you,” Derrick said, opening the car door.

“I do not snore!” Taylor said, scrambling across the seat after him. They were in the garage of the Fletcher mansion, and Taylor spotted Henry. “Henry, do I snore?”

“I would rather not say, Ms. Preston,” Henry said very stoically.

“I hate you both,” Taylor said and stormed to the elevator, trying unsuccessfully to close it before they could make it in.

They took the elevator up to the kitchen and were met by a very angry-looking Nan.

“You all are very very late, and it is only her first day at work!” Her face was red, and they all took a step back toward the elevator in unison. “Who let her work that late?” She demanded, her eyes glued to Derrick.

“No way. This isn’t my fault—I got her to come home,” Derrick defended.

Nan then turned her Terminator-esque gaze on Henry. “Aren’t you supposed to be keeping her safe? Do you think it is safe for her to be at work until all hours of the night?”

“Aunt Nan, I—”

“Don’t ‘Aunt Nan’ me!”

Taylor was gloating in the fact that they were getting yelled at, especially since they had both made fun of her just moments earlier.

And then Nan trained her gaze on Taylor.

“And you, young lady, need to learn balance! If you don’t eat all day—”

“Derrick took me out for a late lunch,” Taylor interjected quickly.

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