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“I’m sorry my job isn’t exciting enough for you. What do you need?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to see if you wanted to sneak off for lunch or something.”

There was silence on the other end of the line, and Carrie fought the urge to hang up. He had to think she was insane.

“Sneak off for lunch? I’m in charge of a secret service detail. I can’t just sneak off.”

Carrie felt embarrassment heat her face. “Yeah. You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll see you when you pick me up tonight.”

This time, shedidhang up before she embarrassed herself even further.

Less than thirty seconds later, the phone rang. It was Peter, and she hesitated before answering.

“What’s wrong Carrie? Spit it out.”

She scowled at the phone.Bossy fucker, isn’t he?“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie.” His voice was stern and filled with warning. An unexpected warmth unfurled in her belly.

“I shouldn’t have called. It was stupid. I was just feeling restless and caged in.”

“You have the app on your phone so I can keep an eye on you. You’re not trapped anymore.” His voice held traces of confusion.

“I know. It’s not that. Tom took me off the trafficking story. Said someone told him to bench me because of Upwood’s protective custody situation. At first, I thought you did it. I’ve never been taken off a story before. I’m not handling it well.”

The sound of papers shuffling came through the phone before Peter spoke again. “I’m going back to the CIA building in about an hour. Can you meet me at the Lincoln Memorial in fifteen minutes?”

That piqued her interest, and she bounced in her office chair. “I can if I leave right now.”

“Good girl. I’ll bring sandwiches and we’ll talk.” When Carrie ended her call, she was feeling less weighed down and even a little excited.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, she was standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, surrounded by tourists, when she spotted Peter walking toward her in his black suit and sunglasses. He looked like a walking cliche of a Secret Service agent today, but she’d seen him go to work in other outfits, so she knew it wasn’t like that all the time. In his hand, he held a bag of food and two bottles of water. She walked four steps higher so he could see her as she waved him down, cursing her shortness as she did.

When he reached her, he handed her a bottle of water.

“Drink.”

“You’re bossy, you know that?” she asked as she accepted the drink.

“It’s part of my charm. Now drink. That’s my requirement for sneaking off to have lunch with you.” Carrie suspected his eyes were just as stern as his frown under those sunglasses.

With a frown of her own, she cracked the seal on the water and took a long swallow. “Happy now?”

“Not quite but we’ll get there.” He twisted the top on the second bottle and took a drink of his own water. They had moved out of the path of the tourists, so he pulled out the two sandwiches.

He handed her one. “Hope you like turkey.”

She accepted the sandwich and bit into it. “Thanks.”

After a few bites without talking, she asked, “Do you want to do something crazy?”

“You mean crazier than chasing after a sex trafficking ring on the word of a mysterious stranger who calls himself RIP?”

Carrie laughed at that. He had a point, but she shook her head. “I mean something fun. Don’t you have time off soon? When is your last day at work?”

“Friday.”

“So, let’s do something. Something you wouldn’t normally do. We can find a place to go rafting or jump out of an airplane. Go on an amusement park hop for thirty days.” She clapped her hands together. “Yes, thirty days of roller coasters sounds fun.”

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