from the pocket of the plaid shirt I’d bought for the occasion, much to Frankie’s disgust, but I wanted to do this right. It wasn’t about all of the money we had or the luxury I could offer her. This was about me and her. The savage girl who a mountain man had found shivering in the snow one day. I’d even let my hair grow long in the last few months, ignoring Winter and my brothers when they reminded me it needed cutting again. And while I’d been in Mexico, I’d let my beard grow in too.
Tyson bounded back and forth, barking excitedly like he understood what was going on and I cleared my throat to remind her that I was still here.
“Did you have this place built to look like-” Winter’s breath caught again as she looked around at me, her eyes widening as she found me on one knee on the green grass which filled the clearing around the cabin. I’d wanted to do this in the snow like when we’d met, but I couldn’t wait that fucking long. So grass it was.
“Winter,” I said in a low voice, looking up at this perfect creature who had bound herself to me in love, blood and heartache. “Every day I spend with you, my heart feels whole in a way I never believed possible. Every day we spend apart I ache for you in all the ways a man can ache for his woman. I’ve killed for you, I’d die for you, but more importantly than any of that, I want to live for you too. I want to wake up every single day for the rest of my life with my savage girl by my side. I want to own and devour you, worship and consume you, I want to breathe you in and never exhale again. I’m already yours in every way that counts, but I want you to say the words. I want to hear you promise it in front of everyone we love and scream it for the whole world to hear with that beautiful voice of yours which was caged for too long. I want to carve your name into my heart and wear the scar as proudly as you wear all of yours. I want to own you, Winter. You and no other for the rest of time. I want you to be mine and only mine. So what do you say?”
Her eyes filled with tears as she stared down at the box in my hand, the platinum ring which I’d had made especially for her. It had leaves inlaid with emeralds the colour of her eyes moulded into the sides of the ring itself and the ruby at the heart of it was fitted in place to look like a rose, the deep colour matching her hair. We had a sock full of priceless diamonds I could have used to make it, but I didn’t care about that, this ring was her, it was life and beauty and freedom and as she extended her trembling left hand towards me and let me slide it onto her finger, my heart pounded with happiness so great I felt like I could drown in it.
I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed her skin, growling with desire and pleasure as she ran her other hand through my hair before sliding it under my chin.
I looked up at her again as she tugged, her pupils dilated and her expression fierce as she demanded I get to my feet.
I stood up, as silent as she was, watching her as she stared at the ring on her finger for a long moment before slowly reaching out to unbutton the top of my shirt.
The moment she had access to the bare skin beneath, her finger pressed to my flesh and she looked deep into my eyes as she slowly traced three perfect letters over my heart.
Yes.
Before I could say anything to express the explosion of happiness that spilled through my veins at her answer, her mouth met with mine and I fell into her kiss like she really was a goddess and I was nothing but a slave to her. And a slave I would happily be, with no desire to ever break free of my chains.
Our lips moved against each other with the desperation of two stars destined to collide and consume one another, while knowing that we’d enjoy burning out together for as long as we possibly could before that final blast of power destroyed us.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against my chest as I carried her towards our new cabin. Just a mountain man and his savage girl. Two lost souls who could only be found in each other’s embrace. Filled with the knowledge that we’d never be alone again.
Desperate to talk about Beautiful Savage?
We have a dedicated Facebook group where you can do just that! Share all the spoilers you like because everyone in there has read the book – woohoo!
Click here to join
And don’t forget to come and join our READER GROUP while you’re at it!
Haven’t read Rocco and Sloan’s story yet? Read Beautiful Carnage now!
Read free in Kindle Unlimited or buy it now!
“If she sleeps in my bed every night, she’ll end up falling in love with me…and that’ll be awkward as hell when I have to kill her.”
SLOAN
He’s my twisted nightmare.
My blood bound enemy.
My ruthless desire.
Our fates were spun the night he tried to kill me and now he’s back to destroy me for good.
It’s always been us versus them. The Calabresis against the Romeros.
This city is ours but they vowed to take it from us. And when they couldn’t, they took me instead.
Now I’m chained by the cruellest of them all; the man who wrapped his hands around my throat and tried to squeeze the life from me all those years ago.
But I won’t fall prey to him. I’m older, fiercer and I’ve grown claws of my own.
Rocco Romero thinks he can keep me captive, but he’s about to regret bringing a sleeping tiger into his home.
ROCCO
She’s my greatest failure.
The name that always haunts me.
My dirty little secret.
And when I had the chance to kidnap her from her wedding, nothing on God’s green earth could stop me.
She’s mine. I could take her life, her body or her heart if I wanted to.
But my brothers refuse to believe me.
So when they bet I can’t make the little principessa fall in love with me, of course I step up to the challenge.
And when she’s down on her knees, pouring her heart out, I’ll crush it in my fist.
I’m lining the Calabresis up like dominoes. And she’ll be the first to fall.
BOOKS BY CAROLINE PECKHAM
THE BOYS OF SINNERS BAY SERIES
BEAUTIFUL CARNAGE: A DARK MAFIA ROMANCE
RUTHLESS BOYS OF THE ZODIAC (SET IN THE WORLD OF SOLARIA)
(CO WRITTEN WITH SUSANNE VALENTI)
DARK FAE
SAVAGE FAE
VICIOUS FAE
BROKEN FAE
SUPERNATURAL BULLIES AND BEASTS (SET IN THE WORLD OF SOLARIA)
(CO-WRITTEN WITH SUSANNE VALENTI)
ZODIAC ACADEMY: ORIGINS OF AN ACADEMY BULLY (A PREQUEL NOVELLA TO THE SERIES)
ZODIAC ACADEMY: THE AWAKENING
ZODIAC ACADEMY: RUTHLESS FAE
ZODIAC ACADEMY: THE RECKONING
ZODIAC ACADEMY: SHADOW PRINCESS
ZODIAC ACADEMY: CURSED FATES
THE AGE OF VAMPIRES SAGA
(CO-WRITTEN WITH SUSANNE VALENTI)
ETERNAL REIGN
ETERNAL SHADE
ETERNAL CURSE
ETERNAL VOW
ETERNAL NIGHT
ETERNAL STORM
ETERNAL LOVE
THE VAMPIRE GAMES NOVELLAS
A GAME OF VAMPIRES (SERIES PREQUEL - FREE)
– FREE WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO MY MAILING LIST!
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE
THE VAMPIRE GAMES: SEASON 1
V GAMES
V GAMES: FRESH FROM THE GRAVE
V GAMES: DEAD BEFORE DAWN
THE VAMPIRE GAMES: SEASON 2
WOLF GAMES
WOLF GAMES: ISLAND OF SHADE
WOLF GAMES: SEVERED FATES
THE VAMPIRE GAMES: SEASON 3
HUNTER TRIALS
HUNTER TRIALS: INTO THE DARK (COMING SOON)
THE RISE OF ISAAC SERIES
CREEPING SHADOW
BLEEDING SNOW
TURNING TIDE
WEEPING SKY
FAILING LIGHT
THE RISE OF ISAAC NOVELLAS
FALLING FIRE (PART ONE)
FALLING FIRE (PART TWO)
If you'd like to stay updated about my upcoming releases then I'd love for you to join my VIP mailing list.