“I never asked you to.”
“When I’m done with this, we’re going to pick this conversation right up where we left off.”
“Yeah, some conversation. If it involves you dictating to me, then I’m not particularly interested. I think I’ll just head to bed.”
“The hell you will. We’re not done.”
The smile she gave him was evil. Then she started to strip. Sports bra first. Then yoga pants. His cerebral cortex shorted out. She didn’t give him a chance to recover. Instead, she turned on her heel and strode down the hall to the bathroom.
Fuck.
chapter thirteen
On his first trip through the neighborhood, Rafe didn’t slow down when he passed the house in question. It was a decent neighborhood with neatly manicured lawns and trees planted in rows along the sidewalks, the kind of place he could see himself living in someday. And surprise, surprise, his imagination conjured up a helpful image of Diana there with him.
Rafe would have never thought he could enjoy such simple, basic pleasures as coming home to a woman who was happy to see him. But seeing Diana was quickly becoming his favorite part of every day. She always had a smile for him that made him feel about ten feet tall.
The warmth he felt just being around her was unlike anything he’d ever experienced with a woman before. This wasn’t just desire. Desire he was familiar with. Rafe loved women and certainly hadn’t been a monk in his past, but it had always been enough to spend a night with a woman and then move on. It made him feel like an asshole, but he’d never wanted anything more than that. Some people functioned better on their own, and he’d always figured that the only family he needed was Nonna, Lucia, and the gaggle of kids he’d always known his sister would one day have.
He wouldn’t have described himself as lonely before. There was an uncomplicated beauty in living alone and having every part of his life regimented. Due to his years of training to be invisible, it was easier to be alone. But he couldn’t deny that a part of him was awakening being around Diana. She didn’t ask for much from him other than his company, and she made him feel that was a gift. He’d puzzled over it for days before realizing that she simply liked him as he was. What a revelation.
So when Rafe finally got the details from Matthias about Diana’s ex-boyfriend, there was no question of how he’d handle it. When they’d met, she’d been scared and hurt, and no amount of time would erase that image from his mind. For a man like him, there was only one thing to do when someone he cared about was in danger.
Eliminate the threat.
Rafe shook his head. He couldn’t kill the guy. After years being in ORUS, and to a lesser degree the FBI, it was hard to shed their kill first, ask questions later mentality. But he was transitioning back into a civilian. This was what he’d always wanted and what he’d bargained so hard for. He couldn’t do anything to jeopardize his chance to live freely again, so he would have to step carefully.
But just because he couldn’t kill the guy didn’t mean he couldn’t take care of the problem. By the time he was done, Corbin James would never even look askance at another woman. He’d be lucky if he wasn’t pissing into a bag.
Rafe continued to drive around, making sure not to linger too long on any street until he saw what he’d been waiting for—a blue SUV parked in the driveway. Rafe smiled.
Corbin James was home from work.
He parked on the street behind the house and walked through the back neighbor’s yard to a small copse of trees right behind the house. According to Matthias, Mr. James had a dog. Rafe had never had one, but the little he knew about them included how often they needed to be taken outside, which would give him the opportunity he needed. Rafe glanced at his watch and waited patiently. Ten minutes later, a man stepped out onto the back porch with a puppy on a leash.
Moving quickly, Rafe scooped up the dog, jerked the leash from James’s hand, and deposited the pup inside the house, closing the door behind it. The little guy would try to protect his owner, and he’d never enjoyed the thought of hurting a defenseless animal. The dog didn’t even bark, just pressed its little face against the glass, observing Rafe curiously.
“Some guard dog you’ve got there,” he commented as he turned around.
The other man backed up, his eyes darting nervously between Rafe and the back door.
“What the hell, man? Who are you?”
Rafe punched him in the gut and then cradled him on his way down to the ground. “I’m the guy who is going to kick your ass.”
Corbin wheezed, in too much pain to even scream. Rafe had hit him right in the lung, so he wouldn’t be breathing normally for a while. Plenty of time for them to have a talk.
Well, for Rafe to talk and for Corbin to listen.
“Get away, help!” The soft scream was cut off when Rafe grabbed him by the throat. He enjoyed the man’s look of terror. Was that how Diana had felt when this asshole had kicked her in the ribs? Had he stalked her around this house, letting her feel the terror of being hunted before he’d hurt her? The thought of her being scared and helpless enraged him, and his hand tightened around the other man’s throat. The gurgling below him was the only thing that prompted him to loosen his grip.
Don’t kill him.
“Is that her dog?” Rafe glanced back at the house as the thought occurred to him. That seemed like the kind of thing that Diana would have talked about. She was such a gentle spirit—he couldn’t imagine her leaving a puppy behind easily.
“Who? That’s my dog. Just got him. I’m sorry I forgot to pooper-scoop yesterday!”
Rafe scowled. “Do I look like I’m from the fucking homeowners’ association? I don’t care about your dog’s poop. I’m here because of Diana.”