"I need you to follow me." The tall stranger whispered to her from the shadows. And just like that, Sophie Giovanni was tapped for a top-secret mission with innocent lives at stake. Brian Riley believed she possessed the knowledge to smoke out a deadly terrorist--all she had to do was trust the handsome Special Forces soldier with her life. Brian needed Sophie. But training her in the art of covert commando warfare was proving more challenging than he'd anticipated. He swore nothing would compromise this operation...until passion caught him by surprise. Now keeping Sophie safe was his only mission--no matter what the cost to his heart or life.

Cindy Dees started flying airplanes while sitting in her dad's lap at the age of three and got a pilot's license before she got her driver's license. At age 15, she dropped out of high school and left the horse farm in Michigan where she grew up to attend the University of Michigan.

After earning a degree in Russian and East European studies, she joined the U.S. Air Force and became the youngest female pilot in the history of the Air Force. She flew supersonic jets, VIP airlift, and the C-5 Galaxy, the world's largest airplane. She also worked part-time gathering intelligence. During her military career, she traveled to 42 countries on five continents, was detained by the KGB and East German secret police, got shot at, flew in the first Gulf War, met her husband and amassed a lifetime's worth of war stories.

Her hobbies include professional Middle Eastern dancing, Japanese gardening and medieval reenacting. She started writing on a one-dollar bet with her mother and was thrilled to win that bet with the publication of her first book in 2001. She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at www.cindydees.com.