Page 39 of Taboo

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” he said hoping for a distraction.

The door opened and Mary, the receptionist, gave him an apologetic look. He was confused until he saw who followed her into the office.

Shelley Lancaster had been the woman of his dreams once upon a time. Rich, dark hair dripped over her shoulders in an artful arrangement, as she sauntered into the office as if she had a right to be there. She was wearing fuck me heels —no thank you—and a tight Hawaiian print dress. Her face was caked with makeup, which stood out to him. He’d never really seen her wear that much makeup, but it had been years since he had seen her.

“Sorry, Aleka, but she insisted on seeing you.”

And more than likely threw a fit when Mary wanted to ask Alek’s permission before she was announced.

“No worries, Mary.”

She hesitated and he nodded to her. He’d known Mary most of his life, and she knew his history with Shelley. Hell, everyone knew, since they’d been the reigning king and queen of their school. First loves and all that nonsense. It was actually first lust because he paid no attention to all the issues with her personality because he had been so hot for her body. But he had been a seventeen-year-old idiot when they first started dating, who like all men at that age, tended to think with his dick.

Shelley hurried over to the desk as if to embrace Alek, but he remained seated. There was no reason to make nice with a woman who had dumped him.

“What are you doing here?”

She pouted and Alek resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The same plays would not work on him now.

“I’ve been trying to get hold of you, but it seems my calls aren’t getting through to you.”

“Yeah, they are. I just didn’t want to see you.”

She stood there, her eyes widening in shock. It wasn’t that he said anything particularly mean to her. She’d said much worse when she broke up with him over a decade ago.

“I didn’t sign on to be some Army wife traipsing around after you, living on an enlisted salary. You’re not worth it.”

Her annoying voice cut into his memories. “Why would you say that?”

Alek sighed, trying to come up with something to say that would make her go away.

“I had a feeling you wanted to go over our good times together.”

“Yes. I thought we could have dinner some night this week.”

“With your husband?”

“I’m divorced.”

And there you have it. She wouldn’t be interested in Alek if her husband had kept her, but she’s not that good at hiding her motives. He’d been so naive back in the day, but as an adult, he knew he would never fall for her act.

“And what does that have to do with me now?”

She smiled and fluttered her eyes at him. If he wasn’t so irritated with her, he would have laughed in her face. It was comical looking, but he knew that she thought it was seductive. Jesus, his dick really had made him stupid when he was in high school.

“Now that you’re back in your rightful role with the family, things could change between us.”

Any humor he had dissolved in that moment. She had always been calculating, but this had moved into the totally a bitch column.

“Rightful role?”

Her smile broadened as she leaned forward, a move that always got him when he was dating her. She would flash him a little tit and he would do whatever she wanted. It was embarrassing to admit, but he had been young, and stupid, and, well, the hormones were not his friend.

“Yes. Now that you gave up playing soldier, you are definitely on the market.”

“Playing soldier? You think what I did for the last fifteen years was playing?”

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