Page 38 of The Ghost

“And you did?!” Theo gasped as if that was the worst thing a girl could possibly do.

“Yes,” I replied. “I went to his room. But nothing happened. We talked.”

“Why do I doubt that?” Theo growled, showing his annoyingly male stripes. What was it with these guys? They thought that all you had to do was get a girl somewhere private and she would strip off all her clothes? I had more brain cells than that.

“I don’t know why you would doubt that,” I told him, “since it’s true. Not that he wasn’t coming on to me, but I’m not an idiot.”

Theo paused, glancing at me as if I’d just said something that made sense. “And then what?”

I looked away, running a hand through my hair. “He told me that the CIA was in on his disappearance. That he was attacked while he was out in the field and woke up in some kind of super-secret installation. He said he had amnesia—”

Theo scoffed, putting a sound to my own opinion on the subject.

“Exactly,” I agreed. “I don’t buy it for a second.”

“Amnesia is the oldest story in the book, and it’s not actually that common,” Theo informed me.

“I know,” I said. “But that’s the story he was sticking with.”

“And that’s supposed to explain where he’s been for three years?”

“That’s what he said,” I reported. “And then he said a whole bunch of stuff about us getting back together. I walked out before he could get too affectionate.”

Theo sighed, pausing his steps. He looked up at me with a hopeful expression, one that made me want to laugh. I tried to look at it from his point of view. Ryan was quite obviously trying to drive a wedge between us. I wouldn’t have thought he would be so bold as to lie to Theo. He must have known Theo would come to me and demand an explanation.

But his one fatal mistake was in thinking that Theo wouldn’t believe me. It was going to take more than an ex-fiancé to tear us apart, especially one who was so suspicious.

“I wonder if he’s working for New Dawn,” I said, voicing my reservations out loud.

“What makes you say that?” Theo asked.

“I don’t know,” I responded. “Just a feeling I had. There are a lot of holes in his story.”

“We could clear things up by asking the CIA,” Theo suggested. “A few of the higher-ranking agents are here right now.”

“I guess so,” I considered, chewing on my bottom lip. “I’m not sure I would trust them either.”

Theo sighed, walking up to me like the lover I knew. He touched my shoulder gently, peeling the shirt open so he could take a look at the wound.

“Does it hurt?” he asked.

“No,” I said. “It’s still numb.”

“At least that’s done,” he allowed. “At least we don’t have to worry about them tracking you anymore.”

“Do you think they know about this base?” I asked, inhaling his scent. He smelled like a bar brawl had happened in a dumpster. The clothes he wore were wrinkled, and his hair was all askew.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, leaning in to kiss me.

I turned up my nose, giving him a perfunctory kiss before pushing him away. “You need a shower. Where have you been?”

Theo smelled one sleeve, agreeing with me. “In a cockpit, and then in a basement and a public restroom, and then a cockpit again.”

“Well, you need to go take a shower,” I informed him, pushing him toward the bathroom.

“Will you come?” he asked, turning on his bedroom eyes.

I laughed, scrunching up my nose as I hit the lights and pulled open the shower door. “You first.”