Going Deep (Coastal Heat #1) by Maggie Wells Read Free Book Online Page A

on the auditorium stage.
    Setting to work on his lunch, he spoke easily of far-away ports and exotic cuisine. She watched him, fascinated by the flashes of familiar she caught in speaking with this stranger. When the Courier’s veteran fact checker first called Brian a twenty-first century Jacques Cousteau, Brooke had no idea who she meant, but some quick research on Monsieur Cousteau’s legacy left Brooke inclined to agree. Brian was the epitome of one of those geek-makes-good stories videogame-loving nerds cling to in the dark hours of the night.
    His show featured the same mix of science and adventure Mr. Cousteau’s documentaries brought to the world. The internet fueled a wave of nerd fandom that catapulted the boy she once knew from the ocean he loved and into the stratosphere of fame. Then they brought him crashing to the Earth by stripping away layers of the one thing he valued the most—his credibility.
    Brooke wasn’t surprised Brian ditched any chance at reclaiming his fame. Judging by this disappearing act on graduation day, he seemed to excel at walking away without looking back. Like everyone else on the Gulf Coast, she’d been waiting and watching, wondering what he’d do next.
    Ignoring her seafood gaffe, she switched tactics. “Your parents must be glad to have you back.”
    His smile spread slowly. “You act like I’ve been gone the whole time. I did come home for Christmases, you know.”
    “I just meant—”
    “I spent a few weeks gathering tar balls on the beach after the spill.”
    He spoke casually, but the words swirled with undercurrent. Another flash fire of embarrassment sucked the moisture from her mouth. He wrapped long fingers around his glass, sending beads of condensation scurrying. She stared, craving a few drops of the trickling moisture but too self-conscious to move.
    A frown creased the space between his brows. He licked a stray bit of tea from his upper lip as he lowered the glass and cocked his head. His gaze flickered to the table and back to hers. “Do I make you nervous?”
    The puzzled incredulity in his tone startled her. Brooke glanced down to find she was gripping the edge of the table, her knuckles shining white against her skin. Releasing her hold, she looked up to find him staring at her with an expression of desire so raw and unguarded it made her blood surge. His all-seeing gaze dropped from her eyes to her mouth, then slid down to rest on her throat. Like he was about to take a bite out of her.
    “Brian—”
    “Are you happy to have me back?”
    His voice dropped an octave. He spoke the question softly. It should have been lost in the hubbub of the crowded restaurant, but every cell in her body seemed preternaturally attuned to him. She spoke without conscious thought but pure emotion.
    “Yes.”
    It was the truth. She was happy to have him back. She liked seeing him happy and at home in a hole-in-the-wall barbecue shack. It was a relief to sit across from him as an adult. Now she understood the pull that confused her as a teenager. It was attraction, plain and simple. The connection between them was as elemental as water and air, and irresistible as gravity. It had always been there, sparking between them long before they were old enough to know what it was or had any clue what to do with it. They both knew now, though. And she wasn’t exactly sure how to handle it. Yet.
    Clearing her throat, she set aside the polite inquiries that were as natural to her as blinking and breathing. The only way she was going to get through this lunch with her ethics intact and the interview she needed, would be to plow straight through to the heart of the matter, niceties be damned. Wiping her fingers on a paper towel, she pushed her basket aside and picked up her pen. “When did you realize the footage had been switched?”
    Brian’s shoulders tensed and an eyebrow twitched, but he gave nothing away. His smile remained in place, but the warmth in his eyes