Santa Laura, California - Present Day

Someone at a new Silicon Valley software company is selling cyber-secrets to the Chinese, and the United States Security Agency needs to find out who it is fast. Posing as a programmer in her first undercover assignment, Ani Sharif lands a job at Rexford.com. Using the knowledge she has gained working as a hacker and tracker for the government, Ani hopes to quickly get in and out, with the identity of the spy in tow. She has waited for years to get these kinds of assignments, and she will do whatever is necessary to be successful her first time out. When nothing of note is found at the company itself, Ani must find a way to get close to Richard Rexford and his personal laptop computer. Having only one brief and bitter interlude with a man in her life, Ani lucks out when she is able to use Richard's attraction to her to begin dating him. What she couldn't have foreseen is the growing emotions she feels toward Richard.

Richard knew that when he hired Ani he shouldn't get involved with her. However, the motorcycle riding, programming whiz wild child persona of hers quickly changes his plans. Richard senses an untapped well of passion in Ani, and her inexperience with men doesn't lessen the explosive heat they generate. Bondage games draw them closer and tie their hearts and souls together. But, Richard's background keeps him from trusting his emotions, and Ani can't completely trust that Richard is not the traitor she is looking for. When Ani is finally revealed as a spy, can they find a way to pick up the pieces of their shattered love?

Other suspects and players include Richard's father Thomas, his uncle Sundeen, his cousins Mark and Evelyn, Ani's foster sister Linda, programmer Kevin Wilson, as well as other employees of Rexford.com and rival company CompLine. Deceived by both his father and uncle while working for their company, CompLine, Richard is determined to have his new business succeed. CompLine is just as determined that Richard not succeed, and ferreting out the spy amongst them will take everything Ani has ever learned.

SPY GAME is a story of betrayal and trust. Ani wants to be an active and accomplished agent, yet the guilt of keeping secrets from Richard is a burden. Richard has always remained emotionally distant from women after being abandoned by his mother at a young age and watching his father go through many meaningless marriages. Their romance is steamy and contentious as both wrestle for control of the situation and their emotions. Good writing and plotting is marred by unlikely seeming occurrences (Ani has no 'cover' and is using her real name and taking suspects into her actual home) that are at odds with spying. Still, the interactions of the characters and the mystery keep the reader's interest. Intense and frothy at the same time, SPY GAME is an enjoyable tale.

Jennell