Chapter 1: The Sunken Tub

ALL THE RANDOMLY GENERATED MATERIAL FOR THIS STORY:

Eight words to include and inspire: Ravage, Brainwash, Oppose, Round, Small, Scream, Butter, Necklace

Names: Janet and Duncan

Dialogue to include: Just give me my cut of the money, and I’ll be out of here.’

Opening line: He was successful, attractive, and charming—but she’d learnt that people of that age always had secrets.

He was obviously successful, attractive, and charming—but she’d learnt that people of that age always had secrets. From behind, the mysterious, handsome man Janet was ogling was easy enough on the eyes that she could almost forget that she was waiting at the airport to pick up her ex-husband as he flew in from an overseas trip. The mystery guy was wearing neatly pressed slacks that clung to a nicely toned ass, and a navy business jacket that highlighted his broad shoulders. When he turned just slightly, she made out a thick, neatly trimmed deep auburn beard and mustache to go along with the wavy hair a similar colour. Mmm, a man her age or older who still had a full head of hair and body that would know how to rock her world. Not permanently, of course. A one-night stand or a few heated trysts would be all. Commitment was the wrong choice—Janet had learnt that the hard way with her ex, Duncan. Now that she was thinking of him, it was strange that this man had a similar body shape ... perhaps (although she’d never believed in them) that was just her ‘type.’

Now she really was thinking about Duncan. God, and why such an unpleasant task on a Saturday? she lamented to herself, and she checked her watch again with a small zing of annoyance. And of course, the bastard was late—ten minutes late. Fuck you too, she tried to telepathically send him. Finally deciding her stare was getting creepy, Janet turned away from the delicious man and instead boredly surveyed the nearby custom baggage store. ‘Duncan,’ she grumbled under her breath. ‘You’re always late.’

‘Yes, my dear, of course, you’re right,’ came his smooth, familiar voice from over her shoulder, and she barely had time to blink in surprise before Duncan’s hand—his touch still much too familiar—was at her waist, and he planted a kiss on her forehead. His customary spicy cologne filled her nostrils, bringing back too many memories...

Only when he stepped back did she realize she hadn’t recognized her own ex-husband. The man she’d been married to for twenty-one years. She’d slept with her face next to his the majority of those nights, and still—the auburn bearded man in a flattering, navy tailored suit was a stranger to her until she saw his eyes.

‘I understand that you’re angry, Janet.’ Duncan’s even, reasonable voice came through the door. ‘But we really should discuss this. We’re not married anymore; we’re just business partners. And for the sake of our business, sweetheart, you had better start getting a more professional attitude about all this. You can’t just sulk in the bath when I do something that upsets you!’

‘Just give me my cut of the money, and I’ll be out of here,’ Janet said sardonically, running her fingers through the hot, scented bubble-bath. She’d gotten to keep their apartment in Staten Island after the divorce, and if she was honest, the memories of fighting with Duncan through the bathroom door while she lay and became a prune in their gorgeous, sunken tub still weren’t all that far in the past. It gave her a strange sense of déjà vu. At least now they wouldn’t have the steamy make-up sex. Sex really had been one of the only things that kept their marriage alive for so long—the passion they shared in bed had diffused many an argument over the years.

‘It’s not as simple as that,’ Duncan said. She could hear his patience thinning. ‘Listen, Janet, just come out. I’ll explain the legal things and where you can sign, and—’

‘I’m having my bath,’ she said petulantly, playing with the pearl necklace she never took off. It had been her grandmother’s, and her good-luck charm all the way through her business career ... just not through her marriage. ‘I don’t feel like fighting anymore, Duncan. You’re not going to brainwash me, and I don’t want to oppose you. Besides, showing me up like that was uncalled for. You say we’re only business partners now—that’s our only relationship, true; but why, then, do you adopt such an unprofessional attitude as to be late for our meeting? The first supposedly friendly meeting after our divorce? Who’s unprofessional now, Duncan?’

Fine, she’d admit it gave her just a little power thrill to call him out so blatantly on his hypocrisy, and a little smug smile crossed her lips. She stretched, comfortable in the water, and played with the clip that secured her long, curly hair brown out of the sudsy water.

‘Damn, Janet. You’d make a good lawyer. I don’t know why the stocks interest you that much, baby, when you could make a better living somewhere else.’

‘Don’t call me that, Duncan. I don’t belong to you anymore. Besides, when I see all the corruption in you, I definitely don’t want to be a lawyer—or anything like you.’

His tone was soft but bitingly sweet. ‘Oh, baby. Don’t you see that this little business venture of ours profits off the corrupt? You’re accepting tainted money, sweetheart.’

‘Fuck off.’

‘I told you, I have a deadline. No time for games, Janet. I have to be in Vegas by seven A.M. on Tuesday. You sign now, or you don’t sign at all.’

‘There’s time,’ Janet said. ‘Your flight doesn’t leave until—’

He cut her off. ‘My legal attorney gave me a deadline for this, baby. I can’t just ignore it.’

When she was silent too long, he opened the door and burst in. Although he’d seen her naked thousands of times before, and her body was mostly covered by suds, Janet still gasped and tried to cover herself.

‘Didn’t you just talk about professionalism, Duncan?’ she sputtered.

Her ex-husband had abandoned the suit jacket, and his tie hung over his shoulders, the way he’d usually worn it after coming home. The top few buttons of his light green button-up shirt were undone, exposing just a hint of strong, tanned chest.

‘We’re both breaking that rule,’ he said. ‘Cool off, Janie, I’ve seen your tits a million times. They’re not about to get in the way of our business transaction.’

Janet frowned, but lowered her hands. Her breasts had always been one of his favourite things about her body—she was surprised he could be so removed. Did Duncan have someone he was fucking back in Manhattan? The fact that he might conflicted her in ways she didn’t have time to examine now.

‘What do I have to do to convince you, Janet? You’re always the one saying that when we meet, we should attempt to be nice to each other, at least civil, and work towards a good place after divorcing!’

Janet closed her eyes. He was right. But before she could say anything, he went on:

‘My therapist says maybe you and me have unfinished business, baby.’

‘Don’t call me that,’ she said automatically, but without heat.

‘She also says that maybe we should find a way to resolve the conflict that remains. Find a way to move on. She suggested that we sleep together again.’

Janet’s mouth dropped open, but Duncan wasn’t done. ‘Maybe that’s really the only way I can convince you to sign this for me. And maybe, eventually, to forgive me. It always seemed to help us get along in the past.’ He was unbuttoning his shirt now, liquid brown eyes holding her’s electrically.

‘Maybe,’ she admitted. It had been harder, since this break-up, as well as easier, and maybe—maybe he was right. Maybe this could help them with unfinished business. She’d already been willing to sign, but if Duncan thought this was something that would convince her—well, she wasn’t about to say no. He’d been the best lover she’d ever had.

His shirt was gone now—and wow. In the nine months they’d been separated, Duncan had grown a beard, gotten a longer haircut, and been working out—he was more toned and bulked up, and Janet had always been more than satisfied with that aspect of him already. Her eyes followed his hands, which were undoing his fly. Those sophisticated pants revealed his form-fitting briefs and the bulge inside them.

It was true: if there was one thing Janet had really missed about her ex-husband, it had been his cock. Duncan had loved her like no other ever had.

‘It’s been a long time since I fucked you in the bath,’ Duncan said softly, stepping out of his briefs to reveal the familiar outline of his hard cock. While she’d never seen her ex-husband bearded before (and found it quite sexy, actually) she had always enjoyed his thick auburn bush.

‘Yes,’ she agreed, as he stepped into the suds next to her. Having his body so close, even though they weren’t even touching, made her tingle with anticipation—excitement, nervousness, arousal...