When danger threatens, will their instant connection be enough to survive?

She's the good daughter. He's the privileged playboy. Their forbidden attraction could cost them everything.

Layla Habib has always played by the rules -- working for her father's PI business while pursuing her teaching degree, living the life her traditional father expects. But when she locks eyes with the gorgeous stranger who walks into her favorite coffee shop, something shifts inside her. Ben is everything she shouldn't want -- privileged, carefree, and completely out of her league.

Instant attraction. Undeniable chemistry.

Their connection is all-consuming, the kind of love-at-first-sight that rewrites your entire future. But when her father unknowingly takes on Iranian operatives as clients, Layla's world explodes into a nightmare of espionage and murder. Her father is arrested, then murdered in prison. Now she's being hunted by the same people who killed him.

With a mysterious security team offering protection through disappearance, Layla faces an impossible choice: vanish forever, leaving Ben behind... or risk not only her life but his as well.

In a world of espionage and danger, their instant connection becomes their greatest strength -- and their deadliest weakness.

A steamy, emotional prequel to the ALIAS series featuring forbidden romance, star-crossed lovers, forced separation, protective hero, witness protection, interracial romance, and a love worth risking everything for. Perfect for readers who love their romance with high-stakes suspense and emotional depth.

About the ALIAS Series:

What happens when disappearing is your only option -- and falling in love wasn't part of the plan?

ALIAS helps people vanish when their lives depend on it. This pulse-pounding romantic suspense series features protective alpha heroes, strong heroines fighting impossible odds, found family dynamics, forced proximity romance, enemies-to-lovers tension, workplace romance, witness protection, second chances, and the healing power of love wrapped in danger, desire, and deadly secrets.

Each book delivers standalone romance with series-long suspense. Start with DUPED and fall in love with the operatives who protect the innocent while discovering that the heart is both the most vulnerable target -- and the strongest shield.

Perfect for fans of: Sandra Brown, Suzanne Brockmann, Elizabeth Lowell, Julie Ann Walker, and readers who love romantic suspense with instant attraction, forbidden love, and heroes who will sacrifice everything.

What readers are saying:

"Breathless adventure!"

"This book kept me guessing to the end. Loved the characters and the story line."

"I'm a huge fan of Sandra Brown, and Lisa Hughey is giving her a great run for her money."

Tropes: Instant connection ? Forbidden romance ? Star-crossed lovers ? Forced separation ? Second chance romance ? Protective hero ? Witness protection ? Interracial romance ? Love at first sight ? Enemies hunting them ? Found family ? Suspense romance ? Steamy romance

Content note: Steamy romance with suspense, danger, espionage, and emotional depth. HEA guaranteed.

• We started tracking this book on July 4, 2023.
• This book was $0.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 7 times in the past 1,005 days.
• The current price of this book is FREE last checked one hour ago.
• The lowest price to date was FREE last reached on April 3, 2026.
• This book has been FREE 4 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $0.99 last reached on May 8, 2025.
• This book has been $0.99 4 times since we started tracking it.
• This book is currently at its lowest price since we started tracking it.

• RomanceMulticultural & Interracial
• RomanceAction & Adventure

• Publication Date: June 15, 2023
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 176 Pages
• File Size: 34 KB