When her best friend dies in her arms at a tropical tech conference, whispering a movie quote as his final clue, health policy researcher Maddie Ashford does the only thing she can. She stays to finish what he started.

She has no idea what Alan stole from Sophistry Systems. She only knows it got him killed. Maddie’s also figured out she’s not the only one looking. Alex Crawford calls himself a security contractor. Maddie calls him a thief, even if he is charming. Whatever the professional title he prefers, he’s morally flexible, annoying, and stuck to her like a piece of gum on the bottom of her shoe. Alex says it’s to protect her, but she knows he’s using her as his best lead. He also knows she knows it. Neither of them is willing to walk away.

The stakes are high, the slow burn is real, but Maddie is absolutely not backing down.

DRAFT

Rivals to lovers. Forced proximity. A sunshine heroine who also happens to be the smartest person in the room, and a far too serious thief who's starting to find that inconvenient.