Medusa Seduction : The Medusa Project

by Cindy Dees

• ISBN13: 9780373275649
• ISBN10: 0373275641
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-12-01
• Publisher: Harlequin

Summary

"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.

Excerpts

Sophie Giovanni walked down the sidewalk, swinging her arms freely, breathing deeply and relishing scuffing the aspen leaves. It was a perfect fall day, cool and crisp and dry. The Wasatch mountain range ahead wore the first dusting of snow of the season, harbinger of the winter to come. Maybe this year would be the one when she'd get up the nerve to strap on skis again and fly down those mountains like she used to. The idea made her gut clench in raw terror.Maybe this winter.But not today.Back at Sophie's apartment complex, the tall man in the khaki pants and black polo shirt, who'd been working on his car for the past hour, watched her cross the street and head for the city park. She was the one in the tennis shoes, baggy sweat pants and a University of Utah sweatshirt. Show time.After waiting long enough to be sure the Giovanni woman wasn't coming right back, he approached her door, looked both ways, and deftly inserted a locksmith's gun in her lock. It popped open in a matter of seconds. He slipped inside, closing the door quickly and silently behind him.He moved around the apartment, pulling the shades and closing curtains to keep out prying eyes that might identify him later. Then he slipped into her bedroom and unfolded the collapsible duffel bag he'd brought with him. He checked his watch. She'd been gone ten minutes. He probably had ten safe minutes to get what he'd come for. He gave himself seven.Sophie tilted her face up to the gentle rays of the sun. She really ought to get out like this more often. The doctor said exercise was good for her knee. But after the skiing accident, she'd been leery of doing anything that might aggravate the joint. She'd worked her way up to jogging, but anything that might twist the joint like tennis or basketball--both sports she used to enjoy--forget it.Maybe she should take up one of her old sports on her lunch hours. To date, she'd made excuses to herself about the volume of work stacked up on her desk. But she really could stand to lose a few pounds. Ever since she'd turned thirty, she'd been getting a little rounder and softer.She couldn't do the exercise thing this coming week, though. The Morton case was going to trial Thursday, and she had a boatload of last-minute motions to type up for her boss.Maybe next week.He started in her closet, pulling out random shirts and slacks and stuffing them quickly into his bag. He moved on to her dresser drawers, snagging shorts, socks and a new exercise suit with the tags still on it. He opened yet another drawer. Stared down at the array of underthings and swore under his breath.Bypassing the colorful, lacy stuff, he grabbed a fistful of cotton briefs and the one sports bra in the drawer. But his fingers hesitated. Yearned toward the sleek satin and sheer lace. Aww, what the hell? He grabbed the slinky stuff and tossed it in the bag, too.He stepped into her bathroom and paused, inhaling in surprise. It smelled like a woman. A girlie one. He sniffed again, trying to place the scent. Peaches. Yup, entirely edible. Into his bag went toothbrush, hairbrush, hair dryer and the entire contents of her makeup drawer. He poked at a couple bottles of perfume. Took off the lids and sniffed them. The first one was too flowery. But the second one sent a shiver of delight down his spine. It was sexy and subtle. Naughty. Oh yeah. Into the bag with that. Shampoo, conditioner and deodorant rounded out his haul in her bathroom.A glance at his watch. Three minutes before he had to be out of here.He retreated to her bedroom and looked around. What else? He grabbed a picture of his target with an older woman whom she looked like--her mother probably--and tossed it in the bag. Her alarm clock and the book from her bedside table. A romance novel about a Scottish rogue of some kind. Into the bag with both. He spied a basket of yarn and knitting needles on the floor beside her bed. Not that sh