Chapter 2

Raegan tooka sip of her freshly brewed coffee as she stared out the small window above her new kitchen sink. Well, the sink wasn't new, nor was the quaint little house she'd just moved into a few days ago. But it was all new to her, and more importantly…

It brought her closer to the man she planned to kill.

The Nordic-like god she was staring at now, however, was not her intended target. But if she discovered her new neighbor was in bed with the man she was after, his would be the next name on her list.

You kinda have to know his name first, don't you?

Her inner voice's flippant thought brought Raegan's focus back to the window. Or, more accurately, to the man moving with purpose through the grass along the south side of his house.

The same side, as it so happened, that faced hers.

I do believe the realtor forgot to mention this place came with a view.

For the past several days, the two-story craftsman had sat empty, and there'd been no movement in or around the property. Not until early this morning, when her new neighbor finally decided to make an appearance.

And what an appearance it was…

With his back to her, the sexy blond began climbing a tall ladder leading him to one of the lower sections of his roof. Dressed in jeans and a pair of brown work boots, the incredibly fit, shirtless man carried a small metal toolbox in his right hand as he kept his balance with his left.

Well, hello there, Mr. Muscles.

Broad, square shoulders. Impressive biceps. A perfectly tight backside, and thighs that stretched the well-worn denim. And that back…

You always were a sucker for a well-defined male back.

Even from here, Raegan could make out the dips and grooves of the man's taut, toned physique. And since he was still facing away from her as he continued to climb, she took advantage of the stolen moment by soaking in as many details as she could.

Her neighbor was taller than average. At least a few inches over six feet. She guessed his weight to be about two-forty, possibly two-fifty. Not that ten pounds in either direction made that much of a difference.

No matter which way she sliced it, the man was a solid wall of well-defined muscle.

Bringing the warm mug back up to her mouth, Raegan pulled more of the steaming liquid between her lips. When she'd asked the real estate agent about the people living around her, the woman had mentioned something about the guy in the house north of hers being former military.

The possibility had instantly piqued her interest, and seeing him now, he definitely looked the part. But she knew better than most that being part of an honorable group such as the military didn't automatically make someone a good guy.

One thing Raegan did know about the mouthwatering blond who'd just reached the top of the ladder…he'd finally returned home at two-thirty-four in the morning from wherever he'd been.

You only know that because you were already awake.

Yes, insomnia's silver lining was that she often noticed things she'd otherwise miss. The occasional hoot of an owl. A nearby dog barking at something in the shadows. Emergency sirens piercing through the night air from somewhere else in the city.

And when the outside world"s noises became too loud, she would turn to infomercials and vintage TV shows to occupy her mind. Anything to distract her from the source of her inability to sleep.

Speaking of distractions…

Raegan blinked herself back to the present, her gaze returning to the window facing her new neighbor. While she'd been lost in thought, he'd reached the roof and was now on his knees, facing the front of his house, and searching for something in the small toolbox before him.

Of their own accord, Raegan's eyes followed the sinewy lines running the length of his bare arms. With a slight shift, her gaze landed on a partially obstructed view of the man's cut obliques and the eight-pack she'd seen minutes earlier.

It was obvious he put a lot of time and effort into keeping his muscular physique. Because of vanity, perhaps? Or, if he really was former military, perhaps his need to stay fit was simply an old habit he couldn't seem to break.

It had been three years since she'd been discharged from the military, and Raegan was even more dedicated to her time in the gym than ever before. Of course, her motivation for keeping fit was the same as it always was.

To be ready.

I have to be ready.

And she was, too. When the time came for what she had planned, Raegan was more than ready to do what needed to be done.

But something she wasn't prepared for…

Her handsome neighbor turned his gaze in her direction. His movements were slow, and thankfully, Raegan caught the slight shift in his focus a split second before their gazes would've met.

She dropped out of his line of sight, crouching low in front of the cabinet below her sink.

Shit, shit, shit!

Her heart raced, and her fingertips tingled as a shot of adrenaline rushed through her system. With it came a barrage of questions as her mind whirled to figure out what to do next.

Had he seen her? Did she duck too late? And why had he looked over at her in the first place?

Raegan thought about that last unspoken question and wondered if the guy had the same deeply embedded instinct as she did. Maybe he could sense when he was being watched.

I do. I know when eyes are on me.

For months after the attack on the base in Iraq, Raegan had been forced to live with that gnawing, uncomfortable feeling. She remembered the stares of uncertainty as if she were a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. The looks of pity that made her want to freaking scream with frustration and anger.

The expressions of sympathy and sorrow that made her want to kill.

So yeah, if her sexy new neighbor really had served, there was a damn good chance his instincts were also in a constant state of high alert.

You should go over there. Use the opportunity to introduce yourself and see what you can learn.

Yes, because meeting the man after getting caught staring like some creep was always the best way to convince someone to open up to you. Rolling her eyes at the thought, Raegan shook her head and forced herself to come up with a better, more optimal plan.

Her mental brainstorming session was interrupted seconds later when a very unpleasant sound started to bubble up from somewhere inside her sink.

What the…

She dropped to her knees and spun around on the tiled floor to face the set of white double doors. Reaching out, Raegan pulled on one of the small, matte black knobs and opened the one on the left.

As she did, the low gurgle came a second time. It was a bit louder and with a touch more force than the first, and when it happened again…

She closed her eyes and hung her head with a sigh. She didn't have to see the inside of her sink to know a decent amount of water—and who knows what else—had just erupted out of the drain connected to her garbage disposal.

Not again.

Her second day in the house, Raegan had experienced a similar issue. So naturally, she'd promptly grabbed her small tool kit, removed the P-trap, cleaned it all out, and voila! Everything was back in perfect working order.

Until now.

Guess my little meet and greet with Mr. Muscles will have to wait.

With a groan, she opened the door on the right and pulled out the small plastic box containing a set of essential hand tools. She inwardly cursed the malfunctioning drain and began removing the few items arranged inside the cabinet…

Dish soap. Window cleaner. Furniture polish and rag. Bug spray.

After flipping up the twin set of plastic tabs that had been keeping the tool kit secured, Raegan opened the lid and grabbed the wrench. At the last minute, she remembered a very important step in the sink-unclogging process and scooted to a nearby lower cabinet to retrieve her largest mixing bowl.

Once that was in place beneath the plastic P-trap—to catch whatever nastiness would assuredly leak out—Raegan tucked her upper body halfway inside the cabinet. She had the wrench in place, and her wrist was just starting to turn when an unexpected thought suddenly popped into her head…

You could ask him for help.

She froze; the slip joint nut she'd been about to loosen remained secured as the idea began to fully form.

Think about it. As far as this guy knows, you're merely some random, single woman who just moved in next door. It might work to your advantage if he thinks you're one of those girls who doesn't know a wrench from a pair of needle nose pliers.

Raegan pulled herself out from under the sink and sat resting on her knees. Maybe she was on to something. If she could convince this guy she was the average, all-American girl next door type—as opposed to the government-trained killer she was—he might be less suspicious when she started asking more about him.

Make it seem as if you're interested in getting to know him better, and he might open up about all sorts of things.

Things like whether he knows there's a monster living right down the street.

As her sink attempted to regurgitate more of the watery goo, Raegan followed her gut and placed the wrench back into the tool kit. Closing the lid, she snapped the plastic tabs back into place before returning it and the other items she'd pulled out back under the sink before shutting the doors.

Praying this worked, Raegan began crawling—yes, crawling—out of the kitchen and into the rental's modest living room. If she could see him as clearly as she had, he could easily have seen her, too. But if she stayed down and away from the windows, the stranger next door may just as easily convince himself he'd been seeing things and go on about his day.

Once she'd made it to the small hallway in the back half of the house—where she didn't have to worry about being seen through a window—Raegan pushed herself up to her feet and walked the rest of the way to her bedroom.

Since she always kept her bedroom windows shut and the curtains pulled, she moved around freely as she contemplated what she should wear.

The whole girl-next-door look wasn't exactly her go-to style. Give her a pair of comfortable jeans, her boots, a T-shirt, and her favorite leather jacket any day. But, thanks to her current job's dress code, Raegan did have a small selection of dresses and other more girlie options.

Deciding it best not to look too obvious in her efforts, she went with a plain, light-pink tank top, cut-off shorts, and a pair of slip-on white canvas shoes. After a quick look in her full-length mirror, she went into her en suite bathroom to run a quick brush through her hair and apply the tiniest bit of makeup.

Raegan stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Less was definitely more for the kind of look she was aiming for, and the simple mascara and lip gloss suited her well. Rolling her lips inward, she rubbed them together to evenly disperse the shimmering nude lacquer.

The low, one-sided braid was a last-minute add that gave the look the one thing it was missing.

There. You look as innocent as an angel and sweet as pie.

Not giving herself time to change her mind or second-guess the plan, she flipped off the light on her way out of the bathroom before making her way back to the home's front entrance.

Decide. Commit. Do.

It had been three years, and still, Chief Tupper's voice was as clear as day in her head. And just as she would if he'd been standing right beside her, Raegan followed the man's mantra and reached for the locks.

Working from top to bottom, she released the chain lock, flipped the deadbolt free, and turned the lock on her knob before opening the door and stepping out onto the small, gabled porch.

A breeze blew past, and she had to tuck a few wayward strands behind her ear to keep them free from her eyes. The average high in Chicago this time of year was mid-to-upper seventies, but today was a much warmer eighty-four degrees.

God, I hate the heat.

Knowing there wasn't anything she could do to change it, Raegan drew in a deep breath, held it a few seconds, and then released it in one long, slow exhale. With another quick inhale, she lifted her chin, put on her friendliest smile, and descended the home's three front steps before cutting a hard left across the grass.

Her steps were silent as the soles of her shoes sank into the manicured lawn. When Raegan cleared the northeast corner of the rented house, she was relieved to see her neighbor hammering away at what she assumed were new shingles.

Brilliant deduction, Rae. Not like the guy has two bundles of replacement shingles sitting right next to him or anything.

Blinking the annoying—but accurate—voice away, she continued following the invisible path between his house and hers. Several yards of grass separated them, but the ground was fairly flat and easily traveled.

Raegan was halfway between the two homes when she heard…

"Hello."

Deep. Masculine. And every bit as sexy as the man it belonged to.

With a hand shielding her eyes from the sun, she stopped and looked up to see the man she'd been watching from her window, looking straight into her eyes. Her lungs attempted to pull in a full breath, but for some reason, the feat seemed more difficult than usual.

"H-hi," Raegan stuttered back.

The slight hesitation in her voice was fitting for the persona she was hoping to pull off, only…

That wasn't an act.

Feeling a bit thrown off her game, she did a quick mental check because she'd never been the type to stutter. And she damn sure wasn't one to hesitate.

Except…you just did.

Realizing the man on the roof was still staring down at her, Raegan cleared her throat and offered him her friendliest smile. "I'm Raegan," she introduced herself as a good neighbor should. "I, uh…" She thumbed toward the house behind her. "I just moved in next door."

"I noticed," he rumbled low.

Um…he had?

His words had her heart stammering inside her chest. Did that mean, despite her best efforts to the contrary, he'd seen her spying on him earlier? Or had he merely meant he'd seen a car in the driveway when he'd gotten home at zero dark thirty in the morning?

Act normal, Rae. You're just a normal girl from next door, remember?

"Oh." She gave a nervous chuckle. "You…did?"

You hesitated again? Really?

"Yep." Her neighbor nodded with a slight grin that made her imagine all sorts of naughty things.

And stop thinking about sex, for crying out loud! He's an unknown, and you have a vibrator. Now focus!

Before Raegan could say anything more, her neighbor had already dropped his roofing hammer into his toolbox and was swinging his powerful legs over the top rung. Resuming her steps, she forced slow, steady breaths in and out of her lungs as she covered the remaining distance between where she'd stopped and the tall, metal ladder.

As she walked toward him, she absolutely did not pay close attention to the way his jeans stretched over the man's tight, tempting ass. She also didn't feel a sudden rush of arousal from the close-up view of the magnificent back she'd admired earlier.

No, siree, Raegan didn't notice any of those things because, as she'd so dutifully reminded herself seconds before, hooking up was not her reason for being here. Intel. She was here solely to gather intel from the man who'd just stepped foot back on the grass and was walking her way.

"Hi," her neighbor greeted her again as he covered the short distance between them. "I'm Rocky."

"Raegan Perry." Her brow furrowed with a slight tilt of her head. "And Rocky? Really? Did your parents hate you or something?"

She wanted to pull the insulting words back the second they fell from her lips. Since that was a physical impossibility, Raegan hurriedly tried to apologize.

"I'm sorry." She gave her head a quick shake. "I didn't mean to?—"

"It's okay." The man's broad, bare shoulders shook with a deep chuckle. "My real name is John, but everyone calls me Rocky."

Rocky, it is.

"It's nice to meet you, Rocky." Raegan slid her palm against his outstretched hand.

His long, thick fingers curled around her in a strong yet gentle grip, and she wasn't the least bit prepared for the sudden jolt of electricity his touch had created. The slight hitch in her breath was unnerving as the tightening in her lower belly when the man's light blue eyes met hers.

Pretty.

And now that she was standing right in front of him, Raegan found herself craning her neck backward and squinting against the sun so she could study the rest of his enticing features.

His golden hair was slightly mussed on top, the locks there a smidge longer than those on the sides and back. Something else Raegan noticed, now that she was close to him, was the slight hint of auburn sprinkled sparingly throughout.

That unexpected discovery nearly made her smile, though she had no earthly idea why.

Moving on, she quickly finished committing the rest to memory…

A strong, square jaw. A nose that had obviously been broken at least once before. A tiny scar slicing through the left side of the man's luscious upper lip.

And while John "Rocky" Rockland wasn't handsome in the traditional sense of the word, Raegan still found herself wildly attracted to him. Not that her underserved hormones mattered at the moment.

So maybe now would be a good time to let go of his hand. And then you could, you know…possibly say something about why you're even here.

The plan. She had to get back to the plan.

"Sorry." Raegan pulled her hand free with a small smile. Ignoring the unforeseen void the warmth of his touch had left, she finally got to the reason she was here. "And I'm sorry for interrupting your work up there, it's just…" She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to help with the whole I'm just a helpless girl vibe. "I kind of have a problem with my kitchen sink, and I was hoping maybe you could take a look?"

"Sure." Rocky didn't hesitate to agree. "Let me grab my toolbox real quick?—"

"I have one," Raegan blurted before rushing to add, "I'm not sure if it'll have everything you need, though. It was a gift from my dad."

That last part was a lie, but thankfully, one the other man seemed to buy.

"Well, then…how 'bout I go take a look and try to see what we're dealing with. Then, if I need to, I can come back out and grab what I need."

"Really?" She let her eyes grow wider than necessary. "Oh, man. That would be awesome! Thank you so much!"

Easy with the bubbly excitement, there, Rae. You want him to think you're clueless about how to fix a clogged sink. Not that you're a total moron.

But Rocky didn't stare down at her as if he thought she was a moron. Instead, he rewarded her with another friendly smile.

"No problem." He motioned across the yard to her house. "Lead the way."

Feeling relieved that the first stage of her plan had gone off without a hitch, Raegan began the short trek across the grass and back over to her house. She didn't get too cocky, though. Just because the guy was willing to take a look at her sink, that didn't automatically mean he'd be willing to share personal information with a complete stranger.

But a flash of a smile here…a bat of her eyelashes there…and maybe, just maybe, she'd find out all there was to know about the enticing wall of muscle living next door.

"Ignore the mess." Raegan shot him a quick smirk over her shoulder as she opened her front door. "I just moved in a few days ago, and I'm still working my way through all the boxes."

Truth be told, she'd had plenty of time to unpack, but she'd been using her free time on something of far greater importance.

"Trust me, I get it." Rocky followed her over the threshold. "I've been needing to fix the shingles on that section of roof for a bit, but I had to go out of town for work for a while. Got back late last night, so this is the first chance I've had to mess with it."

Rather than immediately ask about his job, Raegan led him past the small, open dining room on her right on her way to the kitchen. Stopping in front of the sink, she pointed to the source of the issue.

"That's what I've been dealing with."

Rocky's blue gaze fell to the bits and pieces of whatever it was that had been forced back up into her sink.

"Looks like a clogged drain," he rumbled low. His eyes lifted back to hers before he asked her, "You said you have tools?"

"Oh. Right. Guess you'll probably need those, huh?" Raegan opened the cabinet below the sink and pulled out the small tool kit for him to use. "I hope this has what you need."

"If it's what I think it is, this should work just fine."

His fingers brushed against hers as he took possession of the plastic case, and it was all she could do not to outwardly react. And what the hell was up with that, anyway?

She didn't lose her breath at the sight of a man. Of course, she'd also never gotten all gah-gah over a guy just because his hand happened to innocently come into contact with hers.

You got him here. Now, start trying to find out what you can.

Knowing her inner voice was right, Raegan pushed aside all thoughts other than those related to what she wanted to know.

"You said you had to go out of town for work?" She kept her tone as breezy as possible. "What do you do?"

Rocky talked and worked at the same time. "I'm in private security."

"Really?" Raegan kept her expression schooled. "Like…alarm systems and stuff like that?"

"And stuff like that." One corner of his mouth curved. "What about you? What do you do?"

Stay vague and keep the focus on him.

"Nothing exciting, I assure you," she answered truthfully. "I work at a bank."

She was actually the lead security guard there, but that information was need-to-know, and this man didn't.

First rule of undercover ops…when asked details about your life, stick as close to the truth as possible in case the enemy decides to check out your story.

Not that Raegan considered Rocky the enemy. She didn't know him well enough yet to make that kind of determination. But hopefully, if she played her cards right?—

"Hey, do you have a bowl or a pan or something I could put under the pipes, so I don't make a mess?"

"Sure." Raegan quickly retrieved the same bowl she'd had out earlier, inwardly smiling for having thought this part through ahead of time.

She'd purposely waited for him to ask rather than make the preemptive offer, because someone who knew nothing about kitchen pipes wouldn't necessarily know a drop pan was needed in a situation such as this.

"Will this work?" She held out the bowl for him to take.

"That's perfect. Thanks." Rocky slid it beneath the P-trap before ducking his head and shoulders back under the sink.

Of their own accord, Raegan's eyes began to wander across the bare, sculpted landscape of his core.

Too bad you aren't looking for some casual fun. If he looks this good shirtless, just imagine what he looks like without those jeans…or whatever he has undernea?—

"Which bank?"

The slightly muffled rumble cut through her scattered thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what?" She blinked herself back to the real world.

Okay, seriously. She really, really needed to get a grip on her hormones and keep her focus on the real reason she'd invited this man into her house.

"You said you worked at a bank," Rocky reminded her as he worked. "I was asking which one."

"Oh. Right. I, uh…I work at the U.S. Bank over on East Washington," she gave him a truthful answer. "It's right next to?—"

"You're kidding." Rocky's wide-eyed face appeared again. "That's like two blocks from my office."

Her heart kicked into high gear. Shit. This guy not only lived next door, but he worked close to her place of employment, too?

Paranoia threatened to settle in deep, but then Raegan reminded herself of one very important detail…

Relax, Rae. The realtor said he bought his house several months ago. It's not like the guy could've known you'd be moving in next door.

Raegan's throat worked with a quick swallow as she brought her rising suspicions back down to a saner level. Of course, Rocky hadn't anticipated her arrival. Hell, up until a week ago, even she hadn't known this was where she'd end up.

But after spending three years of her life stewing with the need for revenge, the faces of those she could trust sometimes blurred with those she shouldn't. Even so, until she knew more…

"So you work out of an office." She forced a quick smile. "When you said private security, I guess I pictured you going into people's homes and installing those little doorbell cameras and whatnot."

Rocky leaned his back up against the opened cabinet's frame, his sinewy forearms coming to a rest on his drawn-up knees. "My team does design and install security systems, but we also provide other services."

"Like what?"

A strong, bare shoulder lifted in a quick shrug. "Lots of things, really. My team and I do things like run surveillance or conduct a private investigation …"

Find out the name of his company.

"You said it's close to where I work." She kept her tone light. "Would I have heard of it?"

"Maybe. But we're not exactly your average security firm, so I doubt it."

When he didn't offer more, Raegan made the executive decision not to force it. Being interested in her new neighbor was one thing. Push too far too fast, and there was a chance she'd screw this whole plan up before it even got started.

"That's cool." She put on a friendly smile and let the rest go for now. "Well, whatever y'all do, it has to be more exciting than working at a bank."

"It has its moments."

An odd expression fell over him, then. But before she could try to get a read on it, Rocky began twisting his upper body back under the sink and changed the subject.

"Pretty sure the issue in here is a clogged P-trap." He tapped the u-shaped PVC pipe with the wrench. "That's this curved piece of pipe, here. If stuff doesn't get eaten up well enough by the garbage disposal, it can start collecting in this U-shape, here. If you get enough build-up in there, it'll keep the entire system from working properly."

"That makes sense." She pretended as if what he'd just shared was brand-new information. "Is it easy to fix?"

"We're about to find out."

Minutes later, Rocky had already cleared out the P-trap and was putting the pipes back together again. Sliding himself out from beneath the sink a final time, he gave his hands a quick wash before grabbing a nearby kitchen towel and drying the moisture from his skin.

"That model looks pretty outdated." He leaned his massive form against the farm-style sink's porcelain edge. "And if that's the problem, which I'm almost positive it is, you're going to continue having issues until it's replaced."

I'll just buy one and install it myself.

"Hopefully, my landlord agrees."

"They should. Those systems aren't as expensive as they used to be, and they really don't take much to install. In fact, I just put one in a few months ago at my place. If it helps smooth things over with your landlord, I'm happy to do the install. That way, they don't have to waste time trying to hire someone, and you won't have to keep messing with it while you wait for it to get fixed."

The offer sent a slight spike in her pulse. If he installed it himself, she'd have another excuse to talk and ask more questions.

"That would be great," she responded to his offer. "But I don't want to put you out. It's bad enough I've taken time away from what you were trying to fix on your own house."

"You wouldn't be putting me out." Rocky turned and began putting the various items from below her sink back in their rightful place. "An hour, maybe two, and the job would be done. As for my place, I'm just replacing a few shingles that came loose with that storm that blew through here a few weeks ago. I'll be finished with that before dinner."

You could just ask him to come here for dinner, instead. Just as a thank you for the work he did.

Raegan considered this as she and Rocky finished cleaning things up. If she could talk him into coming over for dinner tonight, there was a good chance she could learn more about her new neighbor…and the security firm he claimed to work for.

"Since I'm already here, is there anything else you need looked at?"

The offer was as kind as the expression on his face, and for a second, Raegan felt guilty for her deception. But then she remembered her initial reasons for the ruse—and for moving here in the first damn place—and those same tendrils of guilt quickly faded away.

"Nope." She shot her friendly neighbor a smile. "That's it."

Ask him.

"Okay, then." Rocky began following her out of the room. "Let me know if that starts acting up again, and I'll come back over."

Ask him.

"I will. And…thanks again. I really appreciate it."

Having reached her front door, the tall man stopped and turned his head toward her with a smile.

"No problem." Those slashes in his cheeks appeared again. "My work schedule's not always predictable, but I'm happy to help with whatever I can."

Careful what you offer, big guy.

"Speaking of helping…" Raegan shoved her hands into the pockets of her cutoffs while giving him her best doe-eyed stare. "You mentioned being done with your shingle repair by dinner time, and since you were nice enough to abandon that task to come and help me with mine, I was thinking maybe I could have you over for dinner as a thank you for today."

"That's nice of you to offer, but it's really not necessary. Like I said, it wasn't a big deal."

"I know." She tried not to look or sound too desperate. "And it wouldn't be anything fancy. I was just going to order a pizza and maybe some wings and thought it would be nice to have the company. But I totally understand if you already have plans or?—"

"I don't." Rocky gave a slow shake of his head. "To be honest, I was probably just going to end up ordering a pizza, myself."

Here's your chance. You've got him hooked now slowly reel him in…

"So…should I go ahead and order two?"

Those blue eyes of his remained on hers a few seconds longer, and then, "Did you say something about wings?"

Bingo.

"You like mild or hot?"

"Hotter, the better."

Yes, I do believe I would have to agree.

"Six-thirty sound good?"

"Works for me, but only on one condition."

The roots of mistrust began crawling their way inside, but Raegan held them off long enough to ask him, "What's that?"

And when Rocky smiled down at her with that penetrating stare, he rumbled softly, "I get to bring the dessert."