Rules of Attraction by Susan Crosby Read Free Book Online

headed away from the living room. He followed.
    â€œI’ve been sanding my kitchen cabinets,” she said over her shoulder, “so I don’t want to sit in the living room, if you don’t mind. Can I get you something to drink?”
    Can’t answer the question, Claire? “I’m fine, thanks.” Her kitchen was spacious, and adjoined a breakfast room with a sliding glass door overlooking multiple-level decks and a nicely landscaped garden. The kitchen appliances looked fairly new, but the rest of the room hadn’t been updated in a long time. All of the cabinets looked freshly sanded.
    He spotted a dog bed and encouraged Rase to lie down there so that he wouldn’t be underfoot.
    Claire dusted herself off a little then washed her hands. He was caught off guard by how much her casual look appealed to him. Maybe it was the red sneakers. Or the body-hugging T-shirt that molded her frame, emphasizing her curves. Or maybe he liked the baggy, faded overalls because those metal fasteners just begged to be unhooked. Or perhaps he was so used to the corporate wardrobe of the women he usually dated, Claire stood out in comparison. “I’m fun,” her look seemed to say. He’d already noticed that.
    â€œJennifer’s mother is a—” What could he call her?
    â€œPsychic?” Claire supplied with a half smile.
    â€œIs that what she is?”
    Claire hung her hand towel neatly over the oven handle. “She’s a massage therapist, and an excellent one. As for being a psychic, who knows? She’s never predicted anything for me, so I have no way of verifying it. Is there something in your past you don’t want to catch up with you?”
    â€œIsn’t there something in everyone’s past?”
    She frowned thoughtfully. “No,” she said finally. “Not mine. So. What brings you here?”
    A need to see you. “I kept in touch with the D.A.’s office. Thought you’d like to know that your sister hasn’t used her credit cards all week, which you probably know is outside her normal use pattern. She’s an everyday user, and a big spender.”
    â€œEspecially since she got her check a couple of months ago, to settle my parents’ estate.”
    â€œWhat you might not know is that she withdrew a substantial amount of cash from her bank account the day before she left.”
    â€œThe day before?”
    He nodded. She grabbed a soda from the refrigerator. Her hand shook just a little.
    â€œSo, everything was planned,” she said. “It didn’t matter that I’d told her she had to move. She was already leaving.”
    â€œLooks like it.”
    She leaned her elbows on the counter. “How much is ‘substantial’?”
    â€œI can’t give you a figure. Enough to live in luxury for quite a while.” He sat on a bar stool when she offered the seat with a gesture. “Have you heard from her?”
    She took a sip of her soda. Damn, she was sexy when she was evasive. He almost laughed at the thought. He couldn’t remember enjoying a woman more. Maybe part of it was that she was forbidden.
    â€œI’m not the enemy,” he said. “As I told you before, whatever you tell me stays between us.”
    She took a seat beside him at the breakfast bar, muttering a quick “Sorry” when she bumped against him. The innocent, accidental brush of her arm against his sent his hormones on another mutiny.
    â€œShe called her mother today,” Claire said. “But she didn’t say where she was. Except—”
    He waited. He was good at waiting.
    â€œShe said something to me. A hint, kind of.”
    â€œWhat?” he asked.
    â€œThat she was starting the life she’d always wanted.”
    â€œDo you know what she means?”
    She met his gaze directly. Her eyes took on a little sparkle. She seemed to be suppressing a smile. “She’s always had it in