Page 45 of Just My Luck

Wow. Billionaires really were a different breed. She might have understood him better if he actually had been an alien.

She tightened the belt of her robe. The soft carpet felt so nice on the soles of her feet. One night in the lap of luxury…she planned to enjoy every second of it.

“We’ll have to book a suite ASAP. The Kona Queen is in demand.” Then something else occurred to her. “You’ll have to get some support documentation for us. We need to be completely legit.”

“Of course. More calls,” he made a note in his phone, “that I will make to my assistant first thing tomorrow.”

She smiled to herself. He learned quick. He respected her input, at least while she was standing right in front of him. And he looked damn good in his clean white t-shirt and the heather-gray sweatpants with a University of South Carolina logo on them. Sharing a hotel suite with him was not going to be any sort of hardship at all.

21

Lincoln was so wired by everything that had happened over the past day that he had trouble sleeping. As he watched the rain slash against the window, he was hyperaware of the fact that Zara was tucked into the bedroom next to his.

Had she forgiven him? He didn’t think so. There was still something in her eyes, a reserve that hadn’t been there before. He wouldn’t blame her for walking away. Instead, she was throwing herself wholeheartedly into the CHUM hunt.

She really was one of a kind.

And now he was going to get more time with her, as her manny. Was that why he’d agreed to her insane plan?

Just between himself and the storm outside, probably. The chances of them learning anything seemed minuscule. But maybe he could win back her trust by being the best manny she’d ever had. That would make it all worthwhile, so long as everyone stayed safe.

Before he drifted off, he decided to check in with his people. He reached for his laptop and propped it on his stomach.

Only one message had come in, but it was a doozy. It came from the head of his IT department.

We’ve traced the ‘free power’ memes to Rory Baker. What do you want us to do?

Ah hell. He respected Rory. The pilot had saved his life, and besides that, he just plain liked him. During their time in the jungle, they’d formed a bond. He knew what Rory was up to…he was trying to get the word out about the CHUM because he didn’t want a small group of billionaires to control it.

Fair enough, but he was under an NDA.

Nothing, for now, Lincoln wrote back. Just find him and track his movements.

His tech lead answered immediately. He’s at Nahele Camp.

So Rory had gone back to the research camp where they’d been taken after their plane had crashed. He’d gone back to where he’d met Mathilda.

With Mathilda Wheeler? That would be handy; he could question both of them. She was still at the top of his list to interrogate when he had the time.

No, she’s not there.

Interesting. Was Rory looking for the CHUM in the jungle? Nah. How could it have gotten back there from Kona? No, Rory was there for Mathilda, probably waiting for her return.

Keep me posted, he finally typed. And get some sleep.

He could sense the man’s shock in his brief, Yes sir.

Lincoln set his laptop back on the nightstand. Rory didn’t have the CHUM. If he did, he wouldn’t be spreading those memes around the Internet. Mathilda probably didn’t have it either. If she did, Rory would be putting her in danger by activating the curious conspiracy theorists of the world. He would never do that.

But to be completely sure, Lincoln would have to go back to the jungle and interrogate Rory. Which he would do, after he’d resolved this Tanaka situation. He needed to know what the man was up to.

A random thought occurred to him. What if Tanaka was just here to vacation with his family?

He chuckled at the thought. As if Tanaka ever did anything without a hidden agenda or three.

Still amused, he finally dropped off to sleep. And dreamed.

He dreamed that he was flying above a jungle with strong sweeps of his arms. He could fly! He’d always known he could fly, and now it was confirmed. He couldn’t wait to tell the world, but for now, it was pure exhilaration to swoop down a few inches above the treetops, then soar high again. At the edge of the jungle, he reached the ocean and flew over the waves. The wind was steady under his body, and he knew it would never let him down.