Page 62 of Wasted Lust

And then I get the three beeps that say he’s ended the call.

Harrison was the pilot we used to pull that last Company takedown. He’s really a friend of James, but he always liked me better than James because James is a crazy asshole.

A lovable crazy asshole, though. I’d love to see him and Harper again. But they almost never leave the yacht they live on. But seeing Rook and Veronica is just as good. Better, probably. I can talk men with them.

Jax is just as good a catch as their husbands. I bet they’d approve of him.

I set the alarm on my phone for ten AM, and then climb back in bed to daydream about Jax. I’d like to get to know him better. I don’t know if I want to take that job he’s offering, but he said he likes me either way. Maybe I don’t need to work or go to school at all? Maybe I can sit around and be lazy and live off my money?

I don’t have to decide now, though. So I drop it and drift off to sleep thinking I haven’t felt this happy in years.

“What are you doing?” Harrison asks as we settle into the short flight to Fort Collins.

“What do you mean?”

He shoots me a dubious look. “I’m not stupid. You call me when you need to get somewhere fast. So what’s going on today?”

“Just Sparrow’s birthday, that’s all.”

“You sure about that?”

“Jesus, Harrison. I’m not a kid anymore. I do grown-up stuff and I don’t have to explain myself.”

He sighs. “I know that. But I don’t want you taking any risks.”

I squint my eyes at him. “I swear to God, I’m just dropping by for a visit.”

“So you want me to wait around and take you home?”

“Uh…”

“Or back to that town that is not your home?”

“No. OK, look. I’ll tell you something, but don’t tell anyone else. It’s my thing and I’ll deal with it, OK?”

He gives me a conspiratorial nod. “OK.”

I take a deep breath and let it out with my words. “I got kicked out of grad school.”

“What?”

“My mentor said I wasn’t serious about anthropology as a career and I needed to take a sabbatical to think through my options.”

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean that’s it?” I know what he means. This man has been with me through some pretty fucked-up Company plans. But I’m not about to tell him Nick is back or the FBI is asking me to join up with them. “That’s a big deal, you know. I’ve been working my ass off for years for this and it all gets taken away in one afternoon.”

“When did this happen?”

“Yesterday.”

“Who lives in Falls City?”

“My boyfriend,” I huff. “Any more questions?”

“Where is he now?” Harrison’s squinting his eyes even more. He knows I’m hiding something, but what I’m saying makes sense, so what’s he gonna do about it but ask more questions?

“He left for Denver last night. For business.”