Family secrets and fresh romance collide in this heart-pounding Richter series installment by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee.
Title: An Unexpected Distraction by Catherine Bybee
Richter Series Book Three
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Length: 365 pages
Summary:
Family secrets and fresh romance collide in this heart-pounding Richter series installment by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee.
Jacqueline “Jax” Simon knows how to expose secrets: she’s a skilled operative with MacBain Security and Solutions. When Jax hears her parents are divorcing, she races to London to find out why. She’s determined to learn the truth, especially when her investigation uncovers why her parents sent her to Richter, the German military school that made her a fighter.
Andrew Craig collects Jax at Heathrow Airport as a favor. He’s heard she’s a handful, but he didn’t know she’s dangerously gorgeous too. His instant attraction could change his life…or end it.
Jax doesn’t want to fall for Andrew, but soon he’s worming his way into her life. Together, they infiltrate Richter to discover if it has returned to its covert purpose: training children to be spies and assassins and blackmailing parents to look the other way. As the attraction between the two intensifies, so do the secrets exploding all around them. How deadly are those secrets—and who will survive?
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Praise for the Richter Series
“Bybee delivers plenty of twists and turns on the way to a shocking ending while keeping forgiveness, love, and redemption at the story’s heart. The result is an emotional page-turner.” —Publishers Weekly, A Thin Disguise
“When it comes to writing contemporary romance with an edge of suspense, Catherine Bybee can do no wrong. Changing the Rules was an intense but fun novel where ancillary cast members from previous series found it was finally their turn to shine.” —Harlequin Junkie, Changing the Rules
Excerpt
She placed a finger to her lips, a silent signal to stay quiet, and nodded toward the bathrooms. Without checking to see if he would follow, she turned away so that all Harry or her dad would see was her back if they looked.
“Good to see you again,” Jax heard him say before she turned to look at him.
“Imagine my surprise to see the cabbie drinking with my family.”
His eyes widened along with his smile. “That was your assumption.”
“That you didn’t correct.”
He rolled his eyes. “Technicality.”
“Who are you?”
He opened his mouth and she stopped him. “I’d avoid any technical lies this time around.” She glanced at her watch. “In about thirty minutes I’ll know just about everything there is to know about you down to your last credit card transaction. Choose your words wisely.”
“My credit card?”
“I’m waiting.”
Andrew shifted from one foot to the other, arms folded over his chest. “Harry, my friend, asked me to pick up his handful baby sister at the airport and then watch over her to make sure she didn’t show up unexpectedly at his flat and stumble on her father before he could talk to her.”
She tried to find a weakness in his story. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh!” He moved aside so someone could walk past to the toilets. “Now, what are you doing here?”
“Confronting my father.”
“In a pub.”
“I went to Harry’s, but you guys were leaving.”
He took her elbow and moved her to the side as more people shoved past them. “Your confrontation will have to wait.”
“Why?”
“Gregory doesn’t know I know what’s going on.”
“What? Why?”
“He thinks I showed up to ask my friend to join me here.”
“Is that all you’re up to?”
Andrew looked at the ceiling. “A harmless beer or two.”
There was more to his story than that. “I’ll be sure and keep up the ruse.” She moved toward the bar.
“You’re staying?”
“I’m going to find out what’s going on with my parents, with or without them telling me.”
He grinned. “Like their credit card transactions?”
“Exactly.” She turned away. “And I’m not a handful.”
Her comment was met with a short laugh. “You passed out.”
“And woke up without pants on.” They made their way to her brother and dad, dodging other patrons en route.
“I thought you’d sleep better. I didn’t do any—”
“I didn’t say you did.” She stopped walking and turned to look at him. “Just don’t expect another peep show.”
Author Bio
Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total, she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned The Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, The Most Likely To series, and The First Wives series.
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