In Deep with the FBI Agent by Lynne Silver Read Free Book Online

also did search and rescue—but he liked his no-nonsense and laid-back approach to life. He was a good guy to have at your back, and he made Valerie happy, something she deserved. “It’s not bullshit. I never had a girlfriend in high school.”
    “Yeah, but you had a crush on one,” Lance said. “Am I right?”
    He said nothing, but stared steadily at his so-called friends and took a sip of ice water. Meanwhile, Ari and Valerie started listing every girl they could think of off the top of their heads from their class. They named nearly twelve girls but not Casey yet, though it was only a matter of time, and he couldn’t guarantee his poker face would remain.
    “It’s a work thing,” he interrupted. “There’s a case that may involve Montgomery Prep.”
    That brought stunned silence to the table.
    “Montgomery Prep?” Valerie finally managed. “What happened?”
    “Nothing specifically there, and I’m not at liberty to talk about anything else.”
    “You could tell Lance,” Ari suggested. “He’s got super top secret clearance, right, baby?”
    Lance looked amused. “Just because I guard the president doesn’t mean I get every state secret. Back off of Sam, okay?”
    “You’re the one who started it with your talk of high school love,” Arianna said. Then she turned fully to face her fiancé. “Did you have a high school love? Is she the one that got away?”
    Sam watched with interest now that the spotlight was off him and firmly on Lance, who was shifting in his seat and reaching for his water.
    “I had a girlfriend in high school,” Lance started, “but I have no burning to desire to see her again. You’re all the fire I need, baby.” He leaned over to plant his lips on Arianna’s, a move Sam both admired and didn’t really want to see at the brunch table.
    “Get a room.” He flicked a breadcrumb at Lance, who didn’t notice, being wrapped up in a passionate kiss.
    Valerie wasn’t even turned toward Jason, so secure was she in his love for her. “You liked Casey,” Valerie said softly to Sam.
    His grip on his water glass tightened, and he looked away from her before taking a breath and turning back. “What makes you say that?” Nice. He sounded relatively calm and indifferent.
    “Because you let her walk all over you in school. Anyone who looked at you or breathed at you the wrong way got a tongue lashing that was snide and eloquent; most people didn’t realize they’d been insulted until you were ten feet away. You used to let Casey say anything to you and you took it.”
    Damn, Valerie was way more perceptive than he’d given her credit for. He shrugged. “She was hot in high school.”
    “She still is,” Arianna volunteered, having broken away from Lance’s lip lock. “I had lunch with her a while back, and I may have volunteered to be on the reunion party committee after she sent flowers when I got engaged.” She turned to Valerie. “By the way, I signed you up too.”
    Valerie groaned, but didn’t look too bothered by her long-time friend’s presumptuousness. “Please tell me Casey Cooper is nicer than she was in high school. I don’t have the time or patience for drama.” Another pointed glance at her baby.
    “She’s nicer,” Sam said before thinking and gained all eyes back on him. “What?” He stared them down. “I also saw her recently.”
    Silence.
    “It was for work.”
    More silence.
    Valerie looked smug. “You liked her then, and you still like her.”
    Because this wasn’t high school, Sam manned up. “I’m thinking of asking her out.”
    Valerie clapped while Arianna’s eyes narrowed. “You’re too nice for Casey.”
    “Not true. I carry a loaded weapon for a living. How nice a guy can I be?”
    “Very nice,” Valerie said.
    “Well, if you ask Casey out, make it for a movie, not dinner. The woman never eats. She and I met for lunch last year. I swear, she ate two pieces of lettuce, no dressing.”
    “Whatever she’s eating is