Dear Reader,
I hope you’ve enjoyed the conclusion of the Ster
ling family trilogy. Writing this series was an un
forgettable experience, and I hope you’ll find it as memorable as I have. Sebastian, Justin, and Julianna came alive in my heart in so many ways . . .
Writing is a revealing process, sometimes as much for the author as for the reader. Indeed, in the course of writing this trilogy, it proved a truly spontaneous endeavor. Plotlines cropped up that I never expected—and so did several characters! And I discovered things about the Sterling family that took me completely by surprise.
I refer, of course, to the issue of their paternity.
Yes, Sebastian, Justin, and Julianna shared the same mother. But did they share the same father? That they did was never in doubt as I wrote book one,
A Perfect Bride.
But then Justin posed the question in book two,
A Perfect Groom,
and then even I began to wonder...Should they know the truth? What would happen if they did?
There is no question, I put these three charac
ters through their paces. Because of that, in my mind, no one deserves a happy ending more than these three.
As for the resolution of the Sterling siblings’ paternity, I must confess ...I wrestled with this issue—oh, how I wrestled with it!
But, ultimately, this was
their
story. And in the end, it was Sebastian, Justin, and Julianna who stepped forward and guided me. Who spoke to me and told me what they wanted and needed ...What mattered most . . . and how their story should end. They knew the bond they shared as children could never be shattered—it could never be any different. It could only grow stronger. And so the message throughout the tril
ogy really never changed.
It’s all about family . . . all about love.
My very best wishes,
It was SAMANTHA JAMES’s love of reading as a child that steered her toward a writing career. Among her favorites in those days were the Trixie Belden and Cherry Ames series of books. She still loves a blend of mystery and romance, and, of course, a happily-ever-after ending.
The award-winning, bestselling author of fourteen romances and one novella, her books have ranged from medieval to Regency and the American West. Samantha is thrilled to be writing again in the Regency era and to present the third book in her series that began with
A Perfect Bride.
Please visit her on the web at www.samanthajames.com.
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“N
O ONE CAN WRITE A BOOK QUITE LIKE SAMANTHA JAMES.”
Catherine Anderson
“J
AMES DELIVERS DELICIOUS AND EXCITING ROMANCE.”
Publishers Weekly
“R
EADERS WILL ADORE HER ENDEARING, THREE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS.”
Romantic Times
“A
REMARKABLE WRITER.”
Lisa Kleypas
“S
AMANTHA JAMES WRITES EXACTLY THE SORT OF BOOK I LOVE TO READ.”
Linda Lael Miller
A Perfect Hero A Perfect Groom A Perfect Bride The Truest Heart His Wicked Promise His Wicked Ways One Moonlit Night A Promise Given Every Wish Fulfilled Just One Kiss My Lord Conqueror Gabriel’s Bride
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A PERFECT HERO
. Copyright © 2005 by Sandra Kleinschmit. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound™.
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Seven | |
---|---|
Julianna was up when Dane woke the | |
next morning. She… | 107 |
Eight | |
For the second day in a row, Julianna | |
arose before… | 121 |
Nine | |
The sharp blast of a pistol reverberated | |
through the clearing… | 136 |
Ten | |
Dane would not soon forget the terrified | |
scream that brought… | 155 |
Eleven | |
The last faint rays of evening trickled | |
in through the… | 170 |
Twelve | |
Julianna was still trembling when he | |
settled her into his… | 188 |
Thirteen | |
It was raining, a steady leaden mist so | |
reminiscent of… | 209 |
Fourteen | |
---|---|
It would have been impossible to say | |
who was the… | 222 |
Fifteen | |
Dane’s labored breathing eased to a | |
trickle. Slowly, he raised… | 236 |
Sixteen | |
“We have a most determined visitor, | |
my lady ." | 253 |
Seventeen | |
Despite everything, Julianna half | |
expected Dane to appear at her… | 272 |
Eighteen | |
“I do not mean to doubt you, kitten. | |
But weren’t… | 283 |
Nineteen | |
“Granville. We’ve not seen much of | |
your face of late… | 302 |
Twenty | |
The misty haze of twilight had just | |
begun to cling… | 312 |
Twenty-One | |
---|---|
It was not a time for reflection. Not | |
a time… | 328 |
Twenty-Two | |
Later that morning, Sebastian climbed | |
the steps to Julianna’s town… | 336 |
Epilogue | 352 |
Author’s Note | 356 |
About the Author | |
Praise | |
Other Books by Samantha James | |
Copyright | |
Cover | |
About the Publisher |