My Beautiful Enemy
Read My Beautiful Enemy Online
Authors: Sherry Thomas
Copyright © 2014 by Sherry Thomas
Excerpt from
Ravishing the Heiress
copyright © 2012 by Sherry Thomas
Cover image © Gregg Gulbronson
The right of Sherry Thomas to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in this Ebook edition in 2014
by HEADLINE ETERNAL
An imprint of HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by arrangement with Berkley,
a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
A Penguin Random House Company.
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library
eISBN 978 1 4722 1455 3
HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
An Hachette UK Company
338 Euston Road
London NW1 3BH
Contents
Chapter 19: The Last Line of the Note
Excerpt from RAVISHING THE HEIRESS
Find out more about Headline Eternal
Sherry Thomas is one of the most acclaimed romance authors working today. Her books regularly receive starred reviews from trade publications and are frequently found on best-of-the-year lists. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award.
English is Sherry’s second language – she has come a long way from the days when she made her laborious way through Rosemary Roger’s
Sweet Savage Love
with an English-Chinese dictionary. She enjoys digging down to the emotional core of stories. And when she is not writing, she thinks about the zen and zaniness of her profession, plays computer games with her sons, and reads as many fabulous books as she can find.
Connect with Sherry online at
@sherrythomas
or
www.facebook.com/AuthorSherryThomas
. To find out more about her books visit
www.sherrythomas.com
.
‘Ravishingly sinful, intelligent, and addictive. An amazing debut’ Eloisa James,
New York Times
bestselling author
‘Enchanting . . . An extraordinary, unputdownable love story’ Jane Feather,
New York Times
bestselling author
‘Something altogether different . . . Thomas is known for a lush style . . . [and] transporting prose even as [she] delivers on heat and emotion and a well-earned happily ever after’
The New York Times Book Review
‘Original, vibrant, intelligent, and thought-provoking . . . Thomas makes magic’
Romantic Times
(top pick)
‘Deft plotting and sparkling characters . . . Steamy and smart’
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)
‘Thomas tantalizes readers . . . Lively banter, electric sexual tension, and an unusual premise make this stunning debut all the more refreshing’
Library Journal
(starred review)
‘Sublime . . . An irresistible literary treat’
Chicago Tribune
‘Sherry Thomas's captivating debut novel will leave readers breathless. Intelligent, witty, sexy, and peopled with wonderful characters . . . and sharp, clever dialogue’
The Romance Reader
‘Layered, complex characters . . . Beautiful writing and emotional punch’
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
‘Big, dramatic, and romantic’
Dear Author
Fitzhugh Series
Beguiling The Beauty
Ravishing The Heiress
Tempting The Bride
The Luckiest Lady In London
My Beautiful Enemy
Hidden beneath Catherine Blade’s uncommon beauty is a daring that matches any man’s. Although this has taken her far in the world, she still doesn’t have the one thing she craves: the freedom to live life as she chooses. Finally given the chance to earn her independence, who should be standing in her way but the only man she’s ever loved, the only person to ever betray her.
Despite the scars Catherine left him, Captain Leighton Atwood has never been able to forget the mysterious girl who once so thoroughly captivated him. When she unexpectedly reappears in his life, he refuses to get close to her. But he cannot deny the yearning she reignites in his heart.
Their reunion, however, plunges them into a web of espionage, treachery, and deadly foes. With everything at stake, Leighton and Catherine are forced to work together to find a way out. If they are ever to find safety and happiness, they must first forgive and learn to trust each other again . . .
To Louis Cha and Gu Long,
for making my childhood magical
Wendy McCurdy, for the wonderful creative freedom I enjoy.
Kristin Nelson and everyone at the Nelson Literary Agency, for always being there.
Janine Ballard, for her invaluable guidance in shaping the final draft of this book.
Samantha Whiting, for answering my questions about display cases in the British Museum. Her answer did not make it into this version of the story but I am no less grateful.
My friends, for being the best friends ever.
My family, for handling my deadlines with panache.
And you, dear reader, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
O
n a storm-whipped sea, some prayed, some puked. Catherine Blade wedged herself between the bed and the bulkhead of her stateroom and went on with her breathing exercises, ignoring fifty-foot swells of the North Atlantic and the teetering of the steamship.
A muffled shriek, faint but entirely unexpected, nearly caused her pooled chi to scatter. Really, she’d expected more reserve from members of the British upper class.
Then a blunt sound, that of an object striking the human body. She frowned. Was it a passenger banging into the furniture or had she heard an act of violence? She checked for the box of matches she carried inside her blouse.