Charmed by His Love
“Chapman is unmatched and unforgettable.”
*
Praise for novels of Janet Chapman
“A romantic, funny, quietly intense story of wounded survivors reluctantly finding love.”
—Publishers Weekly
“If anyone can make me fall in love with a ninth-century warrior who also spent several centuries as a dragon, it’s Janet Chapman. I always love her secondary characters … I love the humor that she injects [in
Dragon Warrior
].”
—
Fallen Angels Review
(Five Angel Review)
“The idea of a time-traveling warrior, who was once a dragon, courting a modern woman is steamy fun … As funny and steamy as can be expected from Chapman … Well executed!”
—
Fresh Fiction
“Janet Chapman’s
Dragon Warrior
is head and shoulders above any shape-shifting or paranormal romance … A spectacular and brilliant novel for those who love the juxtaposition of the paranormal and the real world … A PERFECT 10 is a fitting rating for … a novel which is both tender and joyful, but also has beasts looking for peace and a new way of life after centuries of struggle.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Delightful romantic series with a paranormal twist … Chapman brings plenty of warmth and fun to the story by enlivening it with a rich cast of characters. You can’t go wrong with a Chapman story!”
—
*
RT Book Reviews
(4 stars)
“From exceptionally moving scenes to delightfully amusing moments, the originality of
Dragon Warrior
keeps your total attention … Creatively innovative with inventive plots and particularly appealing characters.”
—Single Titles
“Readers will be enchanted with Chapman’s love of Maine in her latest romance, a story filled with wit and tenderness.”
—
Booklist
Jove titles by Janet Chapman
HIGHLANDER FOR THE HOLIDAYS
SPELLBOUND FALLS
CHARMED BY HIS LOVE
Charmed by
His Love
Janet Chapman
JOVE BOOKS, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have control over and does not have any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
CHARMED BY HIS LOVE
A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Jove mass-market edition / June 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Janet Chapman.
Excerpt from
Courting Carolina
copyright © 2012 by Janet Chapman.
Cover art by Jim Griffin.
Cover handlettering by Ron Zinn.
Cover design by George Long.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or
electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of
copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-58545-0
JOVE
®
Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
JOVE
®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “J” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is
stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the
author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
Any similarities between Duncan MacKeage and my own driven, never-say-die, magical hero are, of course, purely coincidental. You’re still standing guard at the gate of my dreams, husband, and you still rock my world!
Chapter One
Peg Thompson slid open the side door of her minivan and gave the four children inside her well-perfected, I-mean-business scowl. “Okay, you clean and handsome little human beings, your challenge for the day is to
stay
clean and handsome until
after
the wedding. And when we come back here for the reception, you will change into your play clothes
before
you go near any food. Got that?” Peg paused for effect, stifling a smile when every last one of them vigorously nodded. “So that means until we leave for church you will stay away from mud puddles, melting piles of snow, and the lake.” She lost her scowl when her gaze landed on her youngest son. “And nobody goes near the scientific equipment on the beach, or any of the scientists. Charlotte, you’re in charge of Jacob, and Isabel, you’re in charge of Peter.” She held up her hand when both girls started to protest. “This is Miss Olivia’s special day, and as her bridesmaid I have to help her get ready. So could you all please just cooperate with me this morning?”
“But
Mommm
,” Charlotte protested anyway. “I need to help Sophie. Today’s special for her, too. She’s going to be the maid of honor and she’s getting a new
dad
.”
“And Henry needs me,” Isabel chimed in, not about to
be out-whined. “I have to make sure he looks all handsome because he’s getting a new
mom
today.”
Peg was fairly certain the last thing Henry wanted was Isabel’s help, considering the girl had blatantly been stalking the poor boy for the last two weeks. “Henry’s grammy and auntie Caro are making sure he’s all handsome. And besides, as the best man he’ll be busy helping his dad get ready. Now, are there any questions or comments or concerns before I turn you loose on Inglenook?”
Jacob, bless his little heart, actually raised his hand. “Do I come get you if I see that scary man?” he asked, giving a shudder as he shrank back into his booster seat.
“Not today, big man,” Peg said with an encouraging smile. “This morning we need to stay focused on Mac and Olivia’s wedding. But first thing Monday morning, you and I are going to find the man who scolded you, and after you bravely tell him you’re sorry for climbing on his submarine and that you won’t ever do it again, you will see that you don’t have to be afraid of him.”
And then I’m going to send you away,
Peg silently added,
and give the bastard hell for scaring two years off your tender little heart.
“So okay,” she said as she stepped aside and waved them out of their seats. “Be good this morning, and by noon you can all turn back into the noisy, disheveled little heathens that I know and love.”
“I’m not changing out of my party clothes until after the reception,” six-year-old Isabel said as she jumped out of the van and smoothed down the front of her dress. She squinted up at Peg. “And don’t forget to take a picture of me dancing with Henry so I can bring it to school. Rhonda Beekman is telling everyone that I made up my new boyfriend.”
“Trust me,” Peg drawled, “if you get Henry to dance with you, I will definitely take your picture.”
“Mom,” eight-year-old Charlotte said as she helped Peter get his booster seat belt untangled. “Does Sophie have to change her last name to Oceanus, too?”
“Nope. She’ll remain Sophie Baldwin until
she
gets married, unless she decides to keep her maiden name.”
“I’m going to change my name to Oceanus when I marry
Henry,” Isabel said as she fussed with the bow on her dress. She held out her hand. “Come on, Peter. Let’s go sit in the gazebo and see if we can spot any whales.”
Not about to be caught dead holding his sister’s hand, Peter jumped from the van and bolted toward the pine-studded peninsula that jutted out between Whisper Lake and the new Bottomless Sea. “You can watch for whales,” he called over his shoulder. “But I’m watching for sharks!”