Free In Bed with the Bodyguard by Lynne Silver Page A

refocused. “I don’t know what spy satellites you’re talking about, or should I say, ‘I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you’?”
    “Get in line,” she said.
    He patted her shoulder, then turned to give the car following another look. “Ari, I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. I promise.”
    She took her hand off the wheel to give his a squeeze. “Thanks, Lance. I’m lucky you had time off work to stay with me.”
    He couldn’t think of a response to her comment. He still itched to get back to work, but if he hadn’t been injured he wouldn’t be here now with her.
    “Ari?” He’d heard Valerie call her that diminutive, and he liked it. It suited her.
    “Huh?” She turned back to the road.
    “Turn onto the next residential street and find a safe place to park. Someplace I can get out of the car.”
    She raised her eyebrows and shook her head but followed orders. Within a minute she slid into a spot on a tree-lined street, and the gray car pulled in behind them. Lance debated a moment, then decided to let them make the first move. He was ninety-nine percent certain the car following them was a government car, not a potential security threat.
    He didn’t have long to wait. Two men, overdressed in suits on the warm evening, sauntered over to the car and tapped on Arianna’s window. She threw a bewildered and frightened glance at Lance, and he smiled to reassure her. “Open the window.” Then he reached deep into his pocket to pull out his Secret Service identification. One never knew if flashing badges could smooth things over.
    “Ms. Rose.” One man greeted her, flipping open an FBI badge. “Is there a reason you pulled over?”
    “Um.” She pointed to Lance. “He told me to. Why are you following me?”
    The federal agent ignored Arianna’s question and leaned down to peer in the window at Lance. “Sir. Step out of the car, please. Keep your hands in sight.”
    Lance sighed. He’d never been on this end of an investigation before. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped out of the car. Immediately, both suited men’s eyes widened when they recognized him.
    “Gentlemen,” he said.
    “You’re Agent Lance Brown, correct?”
    “Yes.” He glanced into the window at Ari to give her a reassuring look.
    “It’s an honor to meet you, Brown,” said one agent. “We’d been working on identifying the man staying with Ms. Rose. This makes our job easier.”
    “How’s your leg doing?” asked the other. “What are you doing with Stanley Rose’s daughter?”
    A sinking feeling entered Lance. His hero status for saving the president was in jeopardy if he got caught up in a scandal embroiling Arianna or the Rose family. Up until now, all the media had focused on Stanley Rose. Other than last night, he hadn’t seen much of Stanley Rose’s daughter in the press.
    “Why are you following us?”
    “Ms. Rose is a person of interest in her father’s absence, but we are not at liberty to say more until we understand your relationship with her.”
    “I’m a friend.”
    “Just a friend?” One agent raised a brow. “You spent the night last night. You saying nothing happened between you and a pretty thing like her?”
    Annoyance flared. “She isn’t a thing, and we’re friends.” He hoped they hadn’t seen inside Ari’s office this afternoon. It would be hard to explain away the smoking-hot kiss from earlier if they were truly only friends.
    “Well, tell your friend we will be keeping her company for a bit to see if she gives us any hint as to her father’s whereabouts.”
    “She doesn’t know,” he said, praying Arianna had told him the truth. He’d be up shit creek if he were caught lying to the FBI, unknowing or not. “I don’t think she and her dad are close.”
    “How long have the two of you been friends?” the other agent asked.
    “We met through mutual friends. Her best friend is married to my close buddy.” He hoped they didn’t see through the