Ghostly Interests by Lily Harper Hart Read Free Book Online

know-it-all.”
    “You love me anyway,” Zander said, slinging an arm over Harper’s shoulder. “Where do you want to start?”
    As much as he irritated her Harper also found solace in Zander’s presence. Even the simple act of putting an arm around her made her feel loved. “Do you know where the business classes are held here?”
    “I’ve never actually been here,” Zander admitted. “I’ve never had a reason.”
    “What about cruising for buff college students exploring their sexual identity?” Harper teased. “I would think that would be right up your alley.”
    “I never considered that before now,” Zander replied, feigning interest. “It’s like a buffet and I have an all-you-can-eat pass.”
    “You’re sick.”
    “Seriously, where do you want to start?” Zander asked, his face sobering. “I can tell you’re bothered by this. We should get to work.”
    “I’m bothered because she’s a young woman who had her life cut short and she’s obviously … struggling … with her new reality,” Harper countered. “I think anyone would be bothered by that.”
    “I didn’t say you were wrong to be bothered,” Zander said. “I merely said I could tell you were bothered. Do you want to tell me what else is going on?”
    Harper found herself on the defensive. “Who said anything else is going on?”
    “You’re acting … weird,” Zander said. “You were fine this morning even though you had horrendous bedhead and killer morning breath. You were in a good mood after we got paid at Undercurrents. You pouted throughout lunch, but that was mostly for show because you wanted to rain on my parade.
    “Ever since we saw the ghost, though, you’ve been a morose pill,” he continued. “I’ve had just about as much as I can swallow.”
    “No one said you had to come,” Harper challenged.
    “We both know that’s not true,” Zander said. “We’re a set. Where you go, I go.”
    “Then stop complaining,” Harper said. “And … thank you. I love you.”
    “I love you, too,” Zander said, pulling her in for a quick hug. “Now, point me in the direction of information and I shall glean it for you.”
    “Sometimes I think you missed your calling when you didn’t stick to drama in college,” Harper said. “That whole accounting degree you graduated with is completely wasted on you.”
    “If I didn’t have that degree I wouldn’t be able to run the business so smoothly.”
    “There is that,” Harper said, rolling up on the balls of her feet and giving Zander a kiss on the cheek. “You’re still a pain.”
    “I think that’s one of the reasons we get along so well,” Zander teased, tugging on a strand of her hair. “Come on. Let’s do this. I’m starving.”
    “We just ate.”
    “I’m a growing boy and I need my nutrients,” Zander replied, nonplussed. “I burn thousands of calories every day because my body is a temple.”
    “Does that mean you expect people to worship you?” Harper asked, cocking an eyebrow.
    “You already worship me,” Zander said. “You just don’t want people to know it because you think it will hurt that women’s lib thing you subscribe to.”
    “You’re driving me crazy.”
    “Then we should get moving,” Zander said. “A happily ever afterlife is beckoning Annie and we have to deliver it to her.”
    After studying the crowd for a few moments, Harper set her sights on a group of boisterous males cavorting in front of the university center. She approached them with a wide smile. “Um … hi.”
    The man at the center of the group glanced at Harper, breaking into his own grin as he ran a hand through his blond hair. “Well, hello.”
    Harper fought to tamp down her irritation. This guy had “alpha” written all over him. She was a fan of testosterone. She wasn’t a fan of men who thought that excused bad behavior. “I don’t suppose we could ask a few questions, could we?”
    “You can ask me anything you want, sweetheart,” the man