When Army Ranger Lieutenant Mike Caldwell goes missing on a secret assignment in a country far away, his desperate comrades call in the one person who has a real shot at finding him. Sheila Scranton was once engaged to Mike, but he couldn't deal with her 'gift,' her ability to read minds. Now that ability represents the only real chance to find and rescue him. Sheila reluctantly agrees to use her talent to locate him. She succeeds, only to have him reject the contact. He doesn't want her to share the grim experience as his captors attempt to extract information from him. To keep him going under horrible conditions, she works on diverting his attention, first by reviewing their history together, then with an assortment of sexual fantasies she thinks he'll enjoy. When she promises to try those out on him, it helps him decide he needs to survive long enough for rescue. He's had second thoughts about their earlier breakup and wants to give their relationship another chance. Sheila's not sure she's ready to trust that, but she's leaning toward giving it a try. Those rescuers better hurry, though. His mind might be willing but his body can't take much more.

Excerpt:

“Wowza, that one’s hot,” one of my younger co-workers said. “I hope he comes around again.”

“He will,” one of the other women said. “Did you see the way he looked at Sheila? We’ll see him again.”

But we didn’t. I kept thinking about you and hoping. I’d never been so instantly attracted to a man before. But after a few days went by with no word, I had to face the fact that you weren’t as interested in me as I’d been in you. Sad, but that’s the way it was.

I even tried to find an excuse to call you again, but nothing really came to mind.

The meeting was about getting the money for some new body armor, he interjected. And I felt it too, when we shook hands. I was in the middle of something at the time and it took a few days to get it done before I was free to call you.

Ah so.

Three days later, when I’d given up and convinced myself to forget you, you called me at home and asked if I remembered you and if I’d like to see a movie with you.

I had to get my breath under control before I could answer. “I…remember…Yes! Sure I’d love to see a movie with you.” I stumbled through words to that effect. We arranged it for the next day, which conveniently happened to be a Friday.

The movie had a superhero and car chases and lots of explosions. Just my style. Yours, too, as it turned out. Over dinner we talked and laughed about it, shared favorite scenes from other movies, and discussed what we’d seen and what we planned to rent when we had the free time.

Then we moved onto childhoods, education, favorite books, and finally we got to politics. We didn’t agree over everything, but you listened to my arguments and responded calmly and intelligently. We talked for so long we lost all track of time and didn’t even realize they were closing until someone came over to tell us.

When you drove me home, I spent the entire trip wondering if you’d kiss me goodnight and what that would feel like. Could I do it well enough to please you? The worries were more appropriate to a love-struck teenager than a mature woman in my twenties.

I think you read my mind, though. I looked into your eyes and saw this wicked flame. You had a kind of crooked grin too. I knew I was going to get what I wanted.

Couldn’t resist.

Your mouth came down on mine and―Holy Hannah! It was everything I’d hoped―and more. Your lips were warm and firm and soft, but insistent. You brushed them over mine, and little tingles of pleasure went zinging all through me. Your tongue rubbed over my lips, and heat poured through me.

My whole body sizzled. It was one of those “so this is what it’s all about” moments. Surges of electricity zipped along my skin, melting me from the inside out. I wanted, needed to be closer to you.

Your tongue slipped inside and swiped so slickly, sweetly around my mouth. This luscious fire exploded inside me. It seemed to echo all the way down to the ends of my fingers and toes. I couldn’t think or hear or see or do anything but feel.

The rest of the world disappeared into a haze of irrelevance. There was only us and the blaze we created.