When You Dare is Book One
in the series
Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor.
Book Two is Trace of Fever
Book Three is Savor the Danger and
Book Four is A Perfect Storm.
Read an excerpt from Book Two,
Trace of Fever.
Read an excerpt from Book Three,
Savor the Danger.
Read an excerpt from Book Four,
A Perfect Storm.
When You Dare
April 26, 2011
The tougher they are, the harder they fall…
Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.
Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…
Harlequin Single Title
ISBN-10: 0373775717
ISBN-13: 978-0373775712
Excerpt
Dare came into the hotel room quietly, saw Molly curled on the bed, and frowned. The towel barely covered her, and with her knees pulled up, he would get one hell of a peep-show if he moved to the foot of the bed.
Not that he would. In many cases he lacked scruples; it was a hazard of the job. But with women, with this woman, he wasn’t about to take advantage. Despite her bravado and commonsense reaction to her nightmare, he’d never seen anyone more emotionally fragile.
Besides, the less involvement he had with her, unscrupulous or otherwise, the better. He needed to figure out what had happened to her, and the quickest way to safely remove her from his care.
He’d known she was spent, on the ragged edge, but the fact that she hadn’t even pulled the covers over herself proved her level of exhaustion.
More than anything, she probably needed to eat. But should he wake her for that when she also needed sleep?
He wasn’t a damn babysitter, but since he’d personally gotten her out of Mexico, he couldn’t very well just dump her somewhere. By rescuing her, he had accepted an implied responsibility.
Trying not to rattle the bags and juggling the food with his other purchases, Dare closed the door and locked it. A glance at the bedside clock showed the time at one-thirty A.M. He’d only been gone a half hour, tops.
Luckily the WalMart across the street stayed open twenty-four hours. He’d found not only clothes for her, but food, too. Dressing and feeding her would go a long way toward resolving her most pressing issues.
With barely a sound, he stowed the drinks in the tiny fridge and put her share of the food into the microwave to keep.
Removing his wallet, change and cell phone from his jeans, he placed them neatly on the desk. Next he took out his knife and the Glock 9mm he carried, and set them beside his other belongings. He stretched out his knotted muscles. Too many hours crawling over rough ground, ducking for cover and demolishing men without enough sleep or food had left him tense and weary.
After pulling a chair out from the round table, he opened the covering on his pancakes and coffee.
He’d taken only one bite when she stirred, sniffed the air, and drowsily opened her eyes. Dare turned toward her.
She gave him a “deer caught in the headlights” look.
He studied her, a small bundle huddled tight on the bed, face still ravaged and eyes wounded. Never had he seen a woman look so vulnerable.
He swallowed his bite and, sounding as casual as he could under the circumstances, asked, “Hungry?”
She stared back, then struggled up to one elbow. Her expression changed, the wariness hidden beneath that intrepid bravado. “Starved. Literally.”
With all the dirt removed, her big eyes dominated her small features. More marks showed on her fair skin, one on her cheekbone and under her left eye, one on her throat, and a darker, angrier bruise on her right shoulder.
She breathed deeply, her eyes closing and her nostrils flaring. “That smells so good.”
Out of his seat already, Dare fetched her food. “Do you want to sit here, or eat in the bed?”
She hesitated, looking down for a moment as if uncertain of her welcome, not wanting to inconvenience him. “Table please, but… I should dress first.”
“All right.” He set the food on the table and opened the bag of clothes, pulling out a few T-shirts, panties and a pair of pull-on cotton shorts. “You can get more stuff tomorrow if you feel up to it. Something warmer, maybe, and nicer for the plane ride. But for now, I figured this would fit.”
She didn’t look at the clothes. The arm she leaned on barely supported her, and her breath went choppy with effort.
Voice weak, strained, she said, “I’m sorry, but… I haven’t eaten in too long and I’m feeling kind of… faint.”
Dare straightened, going on alert. Would she pass out on him?
“If…if you could help me into the bathroom, I’ll dress in there.”
Shit. He did not want her passing out alone, maybe hitting her head. “Yeah, no problem.”
Dare moved to the bed and slipped an arm behind her, then drew her to her feet. She swayed into him, one hand clutching at his shirt and holding on for dear life.
She made no attempt to step away. He didn’t ask her to. “What would you like to do?”
“I can’t…” She choked, cleared her throat, and her voice was so low he barely heard her when she said, “This is embarrassing, but the shower…” She swallowed. “I think I’m depleted.”
Easing her back onto the bed, Dare knew he’d have to be firm to get her agreement. “Okay, Molly, listen up.” He kept his tone as impersonal as possible. “This isn’t a big deal. I can dress you. I can even feed you.”
She rolled in her lips with embarrassment, a habit he’d already noticed.
“It’s nothing I haven’t done before,” he lied.
That brought her dark eyes up to his.
Damn, but her eyes could melt a man’s soul. “I’m in the personal protection business. You’re not the first woman I’ve rescued. You’re not even in the worst shape.” Another lie. Most women he retrieved were found in the first forty-eight hours before too much damage had been done—or they weren’t found at all. “Okay?”
Still with her gaze locked on his, she nodded.
“Good girl.” He grabbed the clothes from the bag, not really discomfited with the task, but he’d just as soon get past it.
Taking clothes off a woman, yeah, he had plenty of practice with that.
Dressing the near-dead… not so much.
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Reviews
I didn't want to put this book down!
I thought When You Dare was excellent! Molly's character was strong, a fairly independent chick who was ready to track down her kidnappers. And Dare was scorching the pages! You could sense his sex appeal from miles away. I thought the suspense was great, I really wasn't positive who the culprit was until closer to the end.... Even if you aren't usually a romance/suspense reader, I would give Lori Foster a chance. She won me over!
— Chick Lit Plus
(read the whole review)
I am over-the-moon thrilled that When You Dare is part of a 4-book series! The next book, Trace of Fever, is Trace's book. We meet him in When You Dare as Dare's colleague. Trace was more of a background character that we don't see too much of so I can't wait to get to know him better in the next book. And the third book, Savor the Danger, is Alani's book. She's another character that we meet briefly in When You Dare. I'm all smiles over here now. What's even more exiting is that these books are coming out back-to-back. I just LOVE when that happens!
— The Book Vixen
(read the whole review)
Dare is a "My Book Boyfriend!"
The Unread Reader selected Dare Macintosh to be a "My Book Boyfriend" of the week, saying "There is something about a man who likes to take the law in his own hands that always gets my heart racing, and Dare Macintosh of When You Dare by Lori Foster is no exception! Lethal and sexy, Dare doesn't hold back when it comes to protecting the innocent or the woman he loves."
— The Unread Reader
(see the whole post)
Want to play a game of Truth or Dare?
Foster has a very distinct and provocative writing style... Plus, I always have fun reading about characters who have a carnal attraction for each other yet often misinterpret what the other is feeling. And because I highly enjoyed the presentation of Foster's new line of Alpha Males, I will definitely continue with the series. The next book Trace of Fever is about Trace Rivers who was introduced in this first book. I'm really looking forward to reading it!
— The Unread Reader
(read the whole review)
I'll be honest and say the cover totally drew me to this book. Hello hot man chest and big gun. And Dare definitely does this cover justice. He leads a very rigid, strict life. He expects perfection and 100% effort from those around him. When Molly comes into the picture, his overprotectiveness goes into full throttle. Although this book is a romantic suspense, there is not a ton of action. Yet, with Dare's personality, it felt like there was more suspense than there really was. He is always on edge and always prepared. He is so overly cautious and just a bad ass. I think he is a really well done alpha male.
— Smexybooks
(read the whole review)
5 Stars! "...I just couldn't put it down!"
It reminds me so much of Ms. Foster's early writing style, the whole reason I fell in love with her work, that once I started it I just couldn't put it down. It's fast-paced, very believable, and the characters are so well developed that you can imagine them sitting on the dock at Dare's little hideaway up in Kentucky. It's fabulous all around.
— We Read Romance
(read the whole review)
A Page Turner, Bring on the Sequel!
The slow rise into love and trust for Dare and Molly was actually necessary, more so than I realized at first. It was as though I was watching two dear friends fall in love each day a little more intense.
— Book Junkie
(read the whole review)
4 and a half Stars! Hot Top Pick!
Fan favorite Foster kicks off a thrilling trilogy with a terrific tale of survival and treachery. The heroine has gone through hell and remained unbroken, but must still face some horrific situations. Foster does an excellent job laying the foundation for a relationship between the protagonists, while maintaining an aura of danger and suspense. A fantastic launch with more fun to come!
— Romantic Times
Foster's new romantic suspense series hilariously juxtaposes private mercenaries and publishing. When Dare Macintosh raids a human trafficking trailer in Tijuana to find a friend's sister, he also rescues the unconscious woman locked in with her: Molly Alexander, a sexy romantic suspense author who has no idea why she was kidnapped from a street in Ohio. After Dare gently nurses her back to health, she hires him to find out who wants her dead. Suspects abound, including her relatives, her ex-fiancé, and disgruntled fans. Foster dissects family dynamics as Molly and Dare eliminate suspects and find their initial hot sexual attraction deepening into something more. Dare's relationship with his gay assistant spotlights a healthy relationship between men, and readers will enjoy the strong plot and a glimpse of Foster's publishing world.
— Publisher's Weekly, March 2011
4 Stars!
I really enjoyed reading this book. I love Dare's character, I mean look at the cover, he is eye candy... yes? Lori does a really good job at describing his character as it goes along with his job. I think this was a great story, that won't leave you disappointed!
— Just the 6 of Us
(read the whole review)
Steamy, edgy, and taut, this romantic thriller is the first entry in a back-to-back trilogy (Trace of Fever and Savor the Danger ) highlighting mercenary heroes "Who Walk the Edge of Honor" and only accept missions that advance worthy causes. Get the summer off to a sizzling start. Ohio-based Foster (Back in Black) is a prolific and popular author noted for her sexy, fast-paced romances.
— Library Journal
(read the whole review)