This story was in desperate need of a rewrite since its inception in 2011. So this is the updated version. I think it reads a lot better.

Chapter 1

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

Scarlet's new neighbor was the talk of the block at least, according to Jill, who lived next door. Scarlet had overheard Jill and Anna talking earlier that evening as she stepped outside to check her mail. Pretending to study the addresses on her envelopes, she subtly listened in.

"I hope they're better than the last neighbors we had," Scarlet thought, recalling the previous occupants a family with three boys, triplets on the cusp of puberty. They had been loud. Very loud. Thankfully, their parents had decided that Vegas wasn't the ideal place to raise three rambunctious kids, packed up, and moved away, leaving the house vacant.

"No, I haven't seen him," Jill said, crossing her arms.

"Well, I hope he's single," Anna replied with a grin as she started walking away. "We could use a good-looking single man in this neighborhood." She waved a hand over her head in farewell.

"Single and good-looking," Scarlet muttered, leaning against her mailbox. Not like Anna needs another single, good-looking man in her life. She snorted to herself, then glanced across the street. The house did look occupied. A large dumpster sat in the driveway, and the windows had all been painted black. Now that she thought about it, she had seen a U-Haul parked there the other night.

Well, let's just hope he's quieter than the last ones.

With that thought, she turned back toward her house. The setting sun signaled that it was time to start her usual nighttime routine. But as she pushed away from her mailbox, she noticed Jill still standing in her driveway, staring at the new neighbor's house as if she had seen something. Scarlet hesitated, then decided she didn't have time for whatever it was. She still needed coffee before her run.

"Mmm... coffee," she hummed as she headed inside.

Scarlet Lee, at 25, didn't have much of a daytime life. Most of her time in the sun was spent at dawn, mowing her lawn before bed, or at dusk, grabbing her mail and going for a run. She worked as a night trader in the foreign exchange market, making a living on a reversed schedule. Owning her own house at her age wasn't common in the current economy, but she had made it work.

After finishing her coffee, she locked up, tucked her keys into her pocket, and stepped onto the lawn. She took her usual spot and began stretching. Just as she was about to start her run, movement near her mailbox caught her eye.

A figure leaned against it.

Scarlet startled, pressing a hand to her chest to calm her racing heart.

"A little late for a run, don't you think?" The deep voice was smooth, almost teasing. The stranger's dark eyes molasses-colored and intense swept over her before settling on her face.

Scarlet took a cautious step back. "Um… sure, I guess it could be." Her emerald gaze met his.

"You know," he mused, "it might not be safe for a pretty woman like you to be out after dark."

A street lamp flickered to life across the street, casting him in light. He wore simple black jeans and a fitted black cotton shirt that stretched across his toned torso. The way it highlighted his sculpted abs and lean arms didn't go unnoticed.

Scarlet's eyes flicked back to his face. He was smiling, revealing a set of perfectly straight, white teeth.

Taking a slow breath, she replied, "Only if the people out at night are unsavory enough to attack an unarmed woman in her own yard."

To her surprise, he laughed.

"Jerry Dandrige," he introduced himself, stepping closer and holding out a hand. "I just moved into the house across the street."

Scarlet hesitated before extending her hand. The moment she did, he caught it and lifted it toward his lips. He didn't kiss it, but held it close enough that she could feel his warm breath on her skin.

Scarlet quickly withdrew her hand. "I'm Scarlet," she said, stepping back and folding her arms. "And as you can see, I live across the street."

"It's getting late, and I really—" she started, but he cut in smoothly.

"—must get going," he finished for her, his smile unwavering.

"Yeah… if I don't start now, I won't be back in time for a conference call," she blurted, then internally cringed. Why am I giving him my schedule?

His smile widened, as if that detail intrigued him. "Well then, I won't keep you from your evening jog."

"Morning run," she corrected without thinking, mentally kicking herself again.

His eyes gleamed. "Ah… another night owl." He leaned back against the mailbox, watching her.

Shifting on her feet, Scarlet nodded. "Yeah, I work at night. So, um… yeah." She sighed, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. What am I doing? I sound like a nervous schoolgirl.

Desperate to change the subject, she glanced toward his driveway. "Remodeling, I see."