Page 20 of More Than A Boss

5

The next several weeks flew by for Allie, with no suspicious activity or calls. They checked in frequently with Will and were reassured that things appeared quiet for the moment. In the meantime, the firm had hired a P.I. named Darcy Morgan, whom they had used several times in the past. She was an ex-cop who, deciding that the private sector was more to her liking, had hung up her badge to go into business for herself. It had paid off. She was feisty and fearless and relentless in her pursuit of information. Like a bloodhound, she was innately born to sniff out and follow the scent.

Late one afternoon, Allie and Zane were once again holed up in his office when suddenly the door banged open and a stunningly beautiful woman with jet black hair and eyes that matched, stormed in. Stella, trailing behind and apologizing profusely said, “I tried to stop her, Mr. Dunn. She wouldn’t listen!”

“Oh, Stella, zip it!” the dark beauty snapped.

She looked Allie up and down as if she were examining something distasteful. “Well, who have we here? Is this another one of your conquests?” she said snidely.

“Hello to you, too, Helen. Allie, Helen. Helen Allie,” he said as way of introduction. “How can I help you?” Zane asked her, unruffled.

“Can we please have a moment alone, Dear?” sounding more like a demand than a request.

“Allie, I’m sorry that Helen appears to have given up on all attempts at civility, but would you mind stepping out of the office and giving us a few minutes alone? I’m sure whatever she has to say won’t take long.”

“Of course,” Allie said, awkwardly rising out of her chair and wanting to put as much distance between her and Medusa as quickly as possible.

As she stood, she felt like her skin was being peeled off by the intensity of the woman’s glare. “She is a pretty one, I will give you that. Then again, you always did have excellent taste in everything, didn’t you, My Love? After all, you did pick me!” Helen said, laughing at her own wit.

Allie hurried out of the office, quietly closing the door behind her. So, this was the infamous Helen. All she could think was, poor Zane! No wonder he lost faith in women! Allie knew that Helen was also an attorney with a reputation for being merciless, in and out of the courtroom. She was also aware that she was no match for this creature and hoped to never get in her bad graces. But WOW, she might possibly be the most beautiful woman Allie had ever laid eyes on. She would love to be a fly on the wall in there right about now! Zane was quite a powerhouse himself and based on Helen’s entry, she would bet that sparks were sure to fly. She would also lay odds that Helen was the type that thrived on verbal sparring.

Allie walked over to Stella’s desk, and it was obvious that she was still upset. “Oh, that woman!” she exclaimed. “The nerve of her, storming in here and pushing her way past me. She is the most arrogant and rude person I have ever known. Thank God they divorced. I was hoping to never have to deal with her again, but I guess I’m not going to be that lucky!” she said angrily.

“Don’t worry about it, Stella. There wasn’t a thing you could have done to stop her. It must have been pretty hard working here while they were still married.” She normally didn’t engage in gossip, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

“You have no idea. I threatened to quit multiple times, but the partners would calm me down and convinced me to stay each time. At least she never worked for this firm. I couldn’t have handled that. She is the closest thing to evil that I have had the displeasure of crossing paths with.”

“I am sure her beauty captivates most mortal men,” Allie commented.

“Yes, like a black widow,” Stella said, finally smiling conspiratorially.

Allie walked behind Stella’s desk and bent down to give her a big hug. “You are the greatest, Stella. This office couldn’t function without you. I hope you know that. Maybe we should get you a taser for the next time she comes barging in,” Allie teased.

“I just hope there aren’t too many ‘next times,’” she replied.

—

“So, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Zane asked sarcastically.

“Oh, be nice, Zane. You know I still adore you! I don’t understand why we can’t have another go at it,” Helen said, seeming honestly bewildered.

“Ha, really Helen? You can say that after your ruthless attempts to destroy me financially and otherwise?” He shook his head incredulously.

“Zane, it’s only money! You said that yourself. There is no one out there like you. You are my equal! My alpha male! I need you!” she said, complaining like a petulant child that has been denied a toy.

“You should have thought of that when you were banging your married law partner. It would have saved a lot of heartbreak,” Zane said bitterly.

Walking around the desk, she came up behind Zane and leaned down, whispering seductively in his ear, “Baby, I know I broke your heart, but I’ve changed. I’ve come to my senses now. I was momentarily blinded by lust. I lost myself temporarily, totally stupid, I know that now. Surely you can understand, can’t you?” Helen pleaded.

“Helen let’s cut to the chase here. What are you really after?”

“Ouch, that hurts, Zane! Why would you think I’m after something? I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to stop in and see your gorgeous face. I miss you. Is that too much to expect after all of our history together?”

“Pardon me if I’m a little jaded here, Helen, but in my experience, you don’t do anything that is not calculated. Now, let me repeat my question: What are you doing here?”

“Well, if you must know, I have a bit of a dilemma. My house is under renovation, and I just can’t handle the disruption another minute. I was hoping that you would be generous enough to let me use our lake house temporarily. Only for a month or two,” she smiled slyly. “You can still come on the weekends and stay with me. Like old times.” Helen began kneading his tense muscles. “Darling, your shoulders are so tight! I know what I could do to relieve some of that built-up tension.” She leaned down and put her lips seductively against his ear. “We were always so good in bed together. Two wild animals mating!” she whispered, finishing by putting the tip of her tongue in his ear.

“Helen, cut it out!” he said, jerking his head away and brushing at his ear. “First of all, it is not ‘our’ lake house, it is mine. Secondly, if I were to let you use it temporarily, I would not be sharing it with you! That ship has sailed, and you know it. If you don’t, you are more delusional than I thought. You burned your bridges to the ground with a vengeance,” Zane said getting more perturbed as he spoke.

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