Changing the Rules (Richter Book 1)(50)

Neil’s jaw, on the other hand, was tight.

“Are you ready?” Sasha asked in Russian.

Claire nodded. And with a squeeze of her hand holding Cooper’s, reluctantly let go.



Cooper watched her leave, and for the first time since they met, hope flared so brightly inside of him he wanted to scream. The cruel irony that their first kiss was going to be their last until . . . he had no idea how long . . . was the only thing biting at his joy.

“Remove that expression from your face before I’m forced to remove it for you.” Neil’s words were measured.

Yeah, even that didn’t dim Cooper’s sunshine. “Are you telling me you don’t approve?” he asked Neil flat out.

His boss, and friend, was slow to respond. “Why do you think I sent you away?”

Cooper remembered their conversation. It had been short and clipped.

“I see what is going on. Do I need to remind you how old she is?”

“Eighteen going on thirty.”

“Stop at eighteen. And under my protection.”

Cooper had already concluded his attraction wasn’t appropriate and was doing everything he could to stay away. But he loved his job and couldn’t imagine finding work somewhere else.

“Everyone here is my second family.”

Neil looked him dead in the eye. “Second. We are her first.”

“What do you want me to do, quit?”

Neil shook his head. “I’m expanding in Europe. Many of our clients have second homes there. My wife’s family . . . Richter proved there is need. I’d like you to head the operation.”

“You’re sending me to Europe.”

“I’m suggesting you request a transfer.”

Which was better than being fired.

“You need distance and she needs an opportunity to figure out what is best for her without distractions.”

Much as Cooper had wanted to argue the point, Neil had been right. And his solution made sense.

Cooper pushed his memories aside. “I requested the transfer.” He looked Neil in the eye, saw some of the tension fade.

“I would have fired you if I didn’t approve and wouldn’t have let you come back if I thought Claire wasn’t . . .” Neil didn’t finish his thought. “Just don’t rub it in my face.”

Cooper wanted to laugh so hard it hurt. “She’s a daughter to you.”

Neil wasn’t one to overtly show his emotions, but he was failing that self-imposed rule with Claire.

“We’re the only family she has.”

Cooper couldn’t stop smiling. “You’re a giant teddy bear.” He knew he was pushing Neil’s buttons. There wasn’t a soft anything on the man’s body.

Any teasing, if you could call it that from Neil, was gone from his next message. “If you hurt her, I’ll be forced to hurt you.”

Cooper could accept that.

With a moment of quiet understanding, he broke up the heavy air with one question. “Does this mean I can call you Dad from now on?”

And Neil grinned.



Claire sat in silent reflection as Sasha drove to the decoy house. Much as she would’ve loved to be thinking about the case, the only thoughts in her head involved Cooper and the churning he’d caused in her body.

She glanced at Sasha, who hadn’t uttered a word.

“Aren’t you curious?”

Still there was silence.

“Surprised?”

Claire leaned her head back and broke up the quiet. “I was. Did you know Cooper went to Europe to stay away from me? How was I so clueless?”

“You’re not clueless now,” Sasha finally said.

Claire ran her fingertips along her mouth, still felt the press of his lips. “Am I making a mistake?”

“I’m not the one to deliver advice on personal relationships.” Sasha made a turn off the freeway.

“That doesn’t stop you from having an opinion.”

When it seemed Sasha wasn’t going to say anything, Claire pushed. “C’mon, Sasha. You’re a sister to me.”

That title had grown on the other woman in the past six years. When Claire used it, she usually got what she wanted.

“I was preoccupied at the time Cooper left for Europe. The time I spent overseas and the few occasions Cooper and I worked together, his questions centered on you. It was easy to deduce why. Him leaving was the right thing to do.”

“I’m still not so sure about that.”

“Time and wisdom will change that opinion,” Sasha said.

“You still haven’t said if you like the idea.”

Sasha glanced over and a smile crested her lips.

That was all the approval Claire needed.

“Now, I have a question for you.”

These moments with Sasha were rare. Claire ate them up. “Go for it.”

“How is the sex?”

She blurted out a laugh. Not at all surprised about the question. If there was one thing Sasha had taught her, it was to be open about her sexuality and what her needs were. “I don’t know.”

“Excuse me?”

“We haven’t.” She cleared her throat. “Cooper wasn’t lying when he said we had done nothing to create suspicion. In fact, tonight was the first time we kissed.”