Wild(34)

            Early-morning sunlight poured into the room. Frowning, I stared at the wide, curtain-free window and the tiny motes of sunlight and dust particles dancing on the air. I searched my mind, trying to remember where I was precisely.

            It all returned to me then, hitting me in a rush. I was in Reece’s old apartment. I was spending the summer above Mulvaney’s bar.

            I held still for a moment, and then remembered all the rest. The most important thing of all—a half-naked Logan Mulvaney was asleep across the room from me.

            I sat up with a bolt.

            The futon was empty, the throw folded neatly across the back like he had never been here.

            I dropped back on the bed, my fingers playing about my lips.

            I think you want me to do dirty things to you . . .

            Turning my head on the pillow, I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was eight A.M. I had to meet Dr. Chase and the other research assistants at eleven. If I got up now, I could manage to fit in a run.

            With a groan, I dragged myself out of the bed. A run was just what I needed. Endorphins pumping through my system that made me feel better, stronger. That helped get rid of all residual sexual frustration.





            Chapter 8

            IT WAS CLEAR FROM the start that I would be the grunt.

            After Dr. Chase met with us and outlined our duties for the next couple weeks, we left his office and walked to the library. It didn’t take ten minutes for the two grad students to assign me the task of accumulating the necessary statistics for Chase’s project on Strategies of Entrepreneurship. A task that amounted to hours on the computer. Snore.

            Gillian would write up my findings and actually get the pleasure of interviewing local businesses and conducting phone interviews with entrepreneurs on a national scale. Connor would be combining our data and using it to research social media commercialization tactics.

            “So we’re all set for now?” Gillain looked first at Connor, then at me, pushing her bright blue glasses up the bridge of her nose.

            Connor clapped his hands together. “All set.”

            I nodded, not really suspecting they were interested in my input. That was the impression I had gotten so far. I was the undergrad here.

            “Great.” Gillian started gathering her things and stuffing them into her bag. “I’m meeting Caroline for coffee.” She looked me squarely in the face as she uttered this. “She’s another grad student who applied to work with Dr. Chase this summer. Somehow she didn’t get picked.” She grinned a small, tight smile then.

            My return smile felt brittle.

            Looking very satisfied, she rose from her chair and marched away.

            “Don’t mind her,” Connor said as I stared at her retreating back.

            I looked at him with a shrug. “At least I know where she stands.”

            He snorted. “If Caroline had been picked, then she would have been bitchy, too, trying to outdo her. You actually made her day. Right now she gets to go meet with Caroline and act all sympathetic while inside she’s just patting herself on the back that she’s better than Caroline.”

            “Wow,” I murmured. “It’s going to be great working with her this summer.”

            “Hey.” He spread his hands in front of him. “You have me. I’m a nice guy.”

            I smiled slightly and started packing my things. “Well, I guess I better start on those stats.”

            He started gathering his things, too, stuffing his laptop into his bag. He fell in beside me as we walked out of the library. “So how did you get this job anyway?”