Born A Hero. Paula Riggs Detmer

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      FIRSTBORN SONS

      PROFILE

FIRSTBORN SON:	Elliot Hunter
AGE:	31
STATS:	6'0"; sandy brown hair, mesmerizing green eyes, massive shoulders, deep chest, strong, sensitive hands that are accustomed to holding both a scalpel and an assault rifle
OCCUPATION:	Brilliant surgeon working with Medics Without Limits
AREA OF EXPERTISE:	Reconstructive surgery under difficult, sometimes primitive and often dangerous conditions
PERSONALITY:	Dark and brooding
FAVORITE SPORT:	White-water kayaking
MOST CHARMING CHARACTERISTIC:	A husky laugh that wraps a woman’s heart in irresistible warmth
BRAVEST ACT OF COURAGE:	Performing life-saving surgery on a young mother on her kitchen table while war raged on the street outside and bullets thudded into nearby walls
PREFERRED ROMANTIC SETTING:	A champagne dinner for two in front of a crackling fire—clothing optional!
GREATEST PASSION:	Seducing a reluctant auburn-haired, amber-eyed enchantress into rekindling a sizzling love affair

      Dear Reader,

      Welcome to another month of hot—in every sense of the word—reading, books just made to match the weather. I hardly even have to mention Suzanne Brockmann and her TALL, DARK & DANGEROUS miniseries, because you all know that this author and these books are utterly irresistible. Taylor’s Temptation features the latest of her to-die-for Navy SEALs, so rush right down to your bookstore and pick up your own copy, because this book is going to be flying off shelves everywhere.

      To add to the excitement this month, we’re introducing a new six-book continuity called FIRSTBORN SONS. Award-winning writer Paula Detmer Riggs kicks things off with Born a Hero. Learn how these six heroes share a legacy of protecting the weak and standing up for what’s right—and watch as all six find women who belong in their arms and their lives.

      Don’t miss the rest of our wonderful books, either: The Seduction of Goody Two-Shoes, by award-winning Kathleen Creighton; Out of Nowhere, by one of our launch authors, Beverly Bird; Protector with a Past, by Harper Allen; and Twice Upon a Time, by Jennifer Wagner.

      Finally, check out the back pages for information on our “Silhouette Makes You A Star” contest. Someone’s going to win—why not you?

      Enjoy!

      Leslie J. Wainger

      Executive Senior Editor

      Born A Hero

      Paula Detmer Riggs

      To Matthew Detmer Riggs, our firstborn—and a loving, decent man with a soft heart and the soul of a poet. We love you dearly.

      Bound by the legacy of their fathers, six Firstborn Sons are about to discover the stuff true heroes—and true love—are made of….

      Dr. Elliot Hunter: This life-hardened Firstborn Son is called to duty after a terrorist bombing. Now he is passionately joining forces with the woman he once loved.

      Dr. Katherine Remson: When this top-notch pediatric surgeon takes on this crucial assignment, she finds herself spending her days—and her nights—with the commanding man from her past….

      Baby Alexa: This eight-month-old baby girl was pulled from the rubble, but what is the fate of her parents?

      Dr. Gordon Hunter: On the verge of retiring, he’s called on Elliot to take on this important mission. But he hasn’t told his firstborn son everything….

      King Marcus Sebastiani of Montebello: The bitter feud between King Marcus Sebastiani of Montebello and Sheik Ahmed Kamal of Tamir is escalating. Especially now that the heirs to both thrones are missing—and a forbidden love affair has been unveiled…

      A note from author Paula Detmer Riggs, author of over twenty-five Silhouette books:

      Dear Reader,

      Six firstborn sons, six irresistible men who were once adorable little boys with scraped knees, grimy faces and boundless energy—what a terrific premise for a series! At least I thought so, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to introduce you to one of these larger-than-life heroes.

      Elliot Hunter is a man hardened into bitter cynicism by the tragic loss of his wife and son. Once a charming rogue with an irresistible grin, he is now a surly loner, cut off by his own choice from his family and friends. A skilled surgeon with Medics Without Limits, he has saved countless lives and healed countless others, but seems powerless to heal himself.

      As I wrote his story, I found myself thinking of my own firstborn son who had once suffered a similar tragedy—the loss of his son. Like Elliot, he’d once been a happy-go-lucky rogue with a heart-melting smile, a mischievous charmer laughing his way through life—and if truth were told, often a bit too insensitive to the feelings of friends and family. Dealing with such all-encompassing pain changed him, as suffering invariably does.

      Readers familiar with my work know that this is a recurring theme running through nearly all of my books. Why? Because I firmly believe life constantly tests all of us in both large and small ways. The way we deal with those trials is, to me, a telling measure of a person’s character. In this story, Elliot comes very close to losing his way—and then Katherine Remson returns to his life. As she holds up a mirror and makes him see the man he’s become, he is forced to make the most important decision of his life.

      Will he choose to step from the frozen darkness of grief into the sunshine represented by her love or remain trapped in a prison of his own making? As his story unfolded, I laughed and cried and truly wanted to brain that stubborn hunk with his own stethoscope. In the end, though, I fell in love with him right along with Katherine. I hope you will, as well.

      Contents

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      Chapter 17

      Chapter 18

      Chapter 19

      Chapter 1

      Climbing out of the limousine, Dr. Katherine Remson decided she had stepped through the looking glass and followed Alice into Wonderland.

      A mere sixteen hours ago she’d received an urgent phone call from Dr. Gordon Hunter to report to Montebello to assist the medical staff