I'm a pragmatic woman. A soldier. Necessity dictates my actions--look at the big picture, do the right thing. Duty first, personal desires second.

Finn Rasmussen is a straight-up hero. Brave. Honorable. Hot as sin. Behind his cowboy charm is a warm heart coupled with a warrior's soul. I could love this man, but that's a choice I can't afford to make. Not now. But something far more than friendship has sparked between us.

War is coming. The final showdown against a brutal, wannabe dictator. The stakes couldn't be higher for the survivors of the deadly flu pandemic: freedom or slavery.

Timing is everything and this is no time to fall in love. Only Finn doesn't buy my excuses. Doesn't want to be friend-zoned until the war is over. Safety and security are never guaranteed and he thinks it's foolish to wait for a time that may never come. He's right. But he doesn't know my secret, and I can't tell him.

Duty versus desire. Do I play it safe, or grab happiness with both hands?