Forensic accountant Yvette Fisher has always been good at reading numbers—but she's completely misread her mysterious neighbor. Vincent Benoit keeps odd hours, receives unmarked packages, and she's pretty sure those aren't fireworks going off in his garage at 2 AM. As a woman who's made a career exposing financial criminals, Yvette knows suspicious activity when she sees it. She's been building a case against him for weeks. When armed men break into her home, everything changes. In thirty seconds flat, her "criminal" neighbor neutralizes two trained killers and saves her life. Turns out Vincent isn't laundering money—he's a former Marine Raider who designs tactical gear for the government. And those men weren't random burglars. They want Yvette's latest forensic investigation buried, along with her. Now her house is a crime scene, official protection is delayed, and she needs somewhere safe to finish exposing a billion-dollar conspiracy that's killed thousands of soldiers. Vincent's fortress-like home is the only option, but living with a lethal former special ops operator comes with complications. Like weapons demonstrations in the basement. Tactical gear scattered around the kitchen. And a host who thinks the best way to keep her alive involves teaching her to fight back. The bigger problem? Every heated argument about her safety turns into explosive chemistry that threatens both their control. When the conspiracy's masterminds bring the war to their doorstep, Yvette must choose: hide behind Vincent's protection or stand beside him as an equal partner in the deadliest investigation of her career. Sometimes the most dangerous man is exactly what you need to survive. Sometimes the smartest woman is exactly what he needs to win. A steamy standalone novella featuring a brooding former Marine Raider, a fearless forensic accountant, forced proximity, and enough sexual tension to melt your e-reader.