After a traumatic past, Stephanie Rosen has put her demons firmly behind her. Her revamped career as a pet photographer is blossoming and she's finally ready to re-enter the dating world and rediscover her hibernating sensuality. Except there's only one man she'll consider for the role. And the Navy Surface Warfare Officer she has in mind has been on a ship halfway across the world for months on end... until now.

Lieutenant Daniel Murphy has never forgotten his one-night stand with Stephanie. Hell, her abduction was his personal call to serve. He'd do anything to help her out, yet how can he reprise his role as a no-strings-attached lover when his feelings for her are anything but casual? But with only twenty days of leave at his disposal, his personal life is all about the short term. And Stephanie's bid for sensual reawakening is very, very convincing. He just needs to use their steamy private alliance to show her what a formidable team operation they could become... forever.

*an earlier draft of this story previously published by Harlequin as Full Surrender.