The Dare
by Susan Kearney

All Dora wants is to be the woman he loves . . .
All Zical wants is to complete his mission . . .
All the enemy wants is total annihilation . . .

Blocked by the limitations of her computer hardware, Dora has used only her smarts, her humor, and her sinfully sexy voice to intrigue Rystani warrior-pilot Zical. In order to experience human sexuality—and consummate her love for him—she builds the perfect female body to inhabit. Being human is more difficult and more wonderful than Dora expected. She didn’t expect the sensation of touch to alter her emotions. Nor did she expect chocolate to taste so good. Or love to be so complicated.

But for a Rystani star pilot, accepting Dora as a crew woman, never mind a lover, is downright confusing. Even if Zical considered Dora fully human—which he doesn’t—his tragic past has made him swear off falling in love. But as Dora’s increasingly human allure becomes hard to resist, a threat to the solar system sends them on a dangerous mission to the very edge of the galaxy.

As Dora explores the full extent of what it means to love, can Zical’s sense of honor and his proud adherence to Rystani customs ever let him give his heart to a woman who created herself only for him? And as their enemies turn deadly, Dora and Zical must overcome their pasts . . . if they hope to fight for all of their futures.

Originally published July 2005 in mass market paprback by Tor Romance.

Other Books by Susan Kearney

Born in Secret
Braddack #1

Born in Danger
Braddack #2

Born in Mystery
Braddack #3

Devil in Paradise

Lunar Heat

Jordan
The Pendragon Legacy #3

Rion
The Pendragon Legacy #2

Lucan
The Pendragon Legacy #1

Beyond Magic

Dancing With Fire

Solar Heat

Kiss Me Deadly

Island Heat

Unleashed

The Quest
Perceptive Ones #4

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Susan Kearney's Bio

Susan Kearney used to light herself on fire four times a day. Now she does something really hot — she writes romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue.

While she hasn't performed her signature "fire" dive from a 10-meter platform in years, she started diving at age 10. By age 12, she'd won the New Jersey State Championship, and by college, she was a three-time All-American Diver.

While attending the University of Michigan, she earned a business degree that led to her diverse careers as, variously, a partner in a barter business, a real estate appraiser, a mover and renovator of houses, and a once- owner of three hair salons. Finally, in 1995, she sold her first book and became a full-time writer. She's currently plotting her way through her 30th novel.

Of all her careers, her favorite is wife and mother. She married her teenage sweetheart and lives with her husband, two children, and Boston terrier in sunny Florida. She now beats the heat not by diving into cold water, but with her new hobby — figure skating. Susan also enjoys writing science fiction, screenwriting, boating, and traveling to foreign countries.