Page 65 of Taboo

There is dead silence.

“What?”

They looked at each other, then back at her and started laughing. It was so loud that several people turned in their direction. At first, she was embarrassed, but when she thought about it, she started laughing too. And damned if that wasn’t a fantastic feeling.

“Yeah, I was…well, I didn’t know what I was. I mean, who does that happen to? I tried my best to be bad…have a one-night stand, enjoy myself for once…and, of course, I shag someone I have to deal with through work for weeks.”

“And he came here to see you this weekend?” Dee asked.

Julienne waited until their food was served and the waitress left them alone before continuing.

“Yes. We had agreed to be just friends.”

Dee choked on her coffee.

“What?’

“Uh, that man doesnotwant to be just friends.”

“Yeah?” May asked, slathering an immense amount of butter on her toast.

“Oh, yeah. When I walked up, he looked like he wanted to beat the shit out of Micah.”

May snorted. “Good luck with that.”

“Oh, no, he could do it,” Dee said. “He’s huge. Definitely has a little bit of Samoan in him.”

“And he used to be an Army Ranger,” Julienne offered.

“Oh, damn. Do you have a picture of him?” May asked.

She pulled out her phone. “Yes.”

They had been out on the lanai Saturday, the sun had been setting, and he looked over at her and smiled. She couldn’t help but take the picture. She’d been staring at it dreamily for days now.

“Damn, woman…is he really as big as he looks?”

Dee nodded. “He is.”

“He is pretty,” May said.

Julienne snorted. “I accidentally told him that the night we met.”

She took her phone back and slipped it in her purse.

“So, what’s going to happen with you two?” Dee asked.

“We agreed to keeping it a fling.”

Dee shook her head. “Not going to happen.”

“What?”

“Whether he knows it or not, that man is not going to let you go back to London without a fight.”

“He has to. My life is in London.” Why did that make her sad? And why did her argument not feel right? It left her feeling unsettled.

“Either that or he’ll follow you there. That is one hooked man.”

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