After the tragic death of his mother, Nathan Salerno decided to live a life devoid of love. His only goal in life was to live up to the expectations of his highly feared Mafia Boss father and make him proud to have him as an heir. As the anniversary of his mother’s passing drew near Nathan prepared to do what he did every year— disappear. When his childhood friends convinced him to join them on a vacation instead, Nathan’s life was changed forever.
Carter Steele couldn’t remember her mother and thought she would never heal from witnessing her father’s murder. After that tragic night she moved to Hope Beach under a new identity. Her new life was far different from her previous one and hiding her true identity was harder and lonelier than she’d ever expected. That was until she spotted the handsome blond in the BMW.
Will Nathan and Carter’s love survive the obstacles they face?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvCSXBQs-Fo
Chapter 4: Beautiful Stranger
The plane ride to Hope Beach was the most fun Nathan had experienced in a long time. He’d forgotten how much fun it was to hang out with Mickey, and even though he didn’t say it out loud, he was kind of looking forward to the trip with his brothers.
When they got off the plane Nathan was greeted by the warm winds and sunny sky. He was glad they made it to Hope Beach before dark so he could look around the “little piece of heaven,” as Kyle called it. And he was right. Hope Beach was beautiful. The sunny sky, warm breeze, the beautiful luxury homes, manicured lawns, and the gorgeous Hope Garden, all took Nathan’s breath away. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the beautiful assorted flowers that gave the garden a rainbow effect. It made him remember his mother. She loved gardens and she’d spent most of her time tending to her own. Gardening was a skill she had taught Nathan when he was very young. His father would always tell her that it wasn’t a skill that a man needed to possess, but his mother continued to teach him anyway. Nathan didn’t mind it at all, as a matter of fact, it brought him peace. Together-with the help of professionals- he and his mother built a beautiful garden that Nathan hadn’t visited since her death.
Nathan was still admiring the beauty as he waited for the stop light to change. When he looked up he saw the light was still red, so he turned his attention back to the garden. He noticed a large rose garden full of beautiful roses of various colors and his eyes settled on the yellow patch, those were his mother’s favorite. He remembered how she used them as decoration in their home and on his favorite big white gazebo, and the memory brought a smile to his face. It was memories like these that made him miss her even more.
He was enjoying the good memories of his mother when he noticed a pair of gorgeous brown legs appear in front of the yellow roses directly in his line of sight. His eyes began to journey upward to see the owner of those beautiful legs only to find a woman with her back toward him. She bent forward and picked up a rose that wasn’t rooted in the ground, giving Nathan a mouthwatering view of her incredible ass in the pair of khaki shorts she wore. Damn, he thought biting down on his bottom lip. She had the perfect ass, round, plump, and it looked soft as hell. Nathan was sure it would fit so perfectly in his hand.
When she stood up, she flipped her beautiful long hair over her shoulder. Nathan didn’t know if he had ever seen hair that beautiful before; it was like a thick black cloud that made its way down, ending in the middle of her back. It looked so soft; Nathan yearned to feel it against his skin. His eyes traveled to her beautiful legs again and he admired her gorgeous skin tone. God, her skin looked as smooth as silk, and so sweet like a rich Hershey’s chocolate bar. He really wished she would turn around so he could see her face.
And he got his wish.
When she turned around, for the second time in minutes, something in Hope Beach had taken Nathan’s breath away.
He was stuck, gazing at the stunning woman standing in the rose garden. She looked to be far away in thought as a small smile appeared on her beautiful face. She brought the rose up to the most beautiful full lips Nathan had ever seen, and placed a soft kiss on it. Nathan’s breath caught as a rush of memories flashed through his mind of him and his mother in their garden. His mother would pick up one of her roses and kiss it then recite something she made up that Nathan just couldn’t remember at the moment.
Shaking his head of the memory, his attention went back to the beauty in the garden. Her hair blew in the wind, and the sun kissed her smooth milk chocolate skin perfectly. She looked like an angel. Nathan was fighting to stay in the car, but it was like an invisible force was pushing him to jump out of the car, take her in his arms, and kiss her senseless. He wanted to know her name. No, he needed to know her name. He needed to know the memory that put that beautiful smile on her face. He needed to know w-
“Nathan! Hello, earth to Nathan!”
Nathan blinked rapidly and shook his head. What the fuck was wrong with him? Was he actually considering jumping from his car to run across the street and confess his love to a complete stranger? Holy shit…
He looked at Mickey, who was giving him a striking What-the-Fuck look. Nathan frowned. “What?”
Mickey pointed to the traffic light. “It’s green. It’s been green. Where the hell were you man?”
He could hear the horns blare from the drivers behind him but he wanted to steal one more peek at the beautiful stranger. When he looked her way once more, his breath caught in his chest. She was looking at him! She had a confused expression on her face, most likely wondering why the idiot in the black BMW was holding up traffic. Their eyes met, and damn it, Nathan was stuck again!
Her eyes were the most beautiful hazel with a hint of green and they held him captive, he was powerless against them. A slow smile appeared on her beautiful face and Nathan couldn’t help but mirror her smile. She raised her hand and waved at him which made him smile wider. She let out a shy giggle and shook her head, and Nathan could have sworn he swooned like a little bitch.
Nathan was completely captivated by her. Her smile was warm and her eyes were expressive, it was like they were having a conversation without even speaking to one another. He was going to run to her, he needed to run to her. God, why the hell did he want to run to her? What the fuck was wrong with him?….
Catarina's Thoughts:
Michelle Hardin has written a Mafia love story that spans 19 years. In part 1 the story starts with with a gorgeous, blue eyed blond 5 year old boy extending his hand out to a scared little 3 year old girl who's skin is like milk chocolate and beautiful long dark hair, taking her out to his mothers beautiful rose garden. He gives her a yellow rose and asks her to kiss it a make a wish. They never see each other again after that day.
19 years later Nathan Salerno, mafia underboss, ruthless killer, who does his fathers dirty work for the family, never getting attached to any woman because of how he lost his mother, spending years looking for the 3 year old girl he once meet has a child, only to have his wish and dreams shattered when told that she die when her family was killed.
He stopped himself from getting to close to any woman, he was destined to spend his life alone. No wanting to commit. Every year on the anniversary of his mothers death Nathan would spend that time doing nothing on this time joining his crew in Hope beach.
Carter Steel living her life on her own after the murder of her father, spending 2 year on the streets of St Louis, scrimping and saving to finally move to Hope Beach. She was all alone in this world.
Carter and Nathan's world collide when he sees a mysterious girl in a garden at hope beach that picks a rose and kisses it. Through a mutual friend they meet and 19 years of being apart bring out the most passionate love affair, bringing them back together.
This book part 1 will leave you wanting to know more wanting answers to all the questions that are asked, you want these two loves to live happily ever after, and you can see the chemistry between them from day one. This is not any mafia book, it has the blood and guts, murder and death but it also has the love story that only time can bring together, both Carter and Nathan can be ruthless but they calm one another, they are hot and sexually fired.
You will fall in love with all of the boys in Nathan's crew because they are so protective and just so loving and accepting of Carter. They can see she really can tame the Salerno bad boy, but also see how Nathan can control and be possessive and protective of his princess.
You definitely have to read book 2 to see how this story ends. I gave part 1, 5tars, and was drawn to the story line, I found it easy to read and could put it down. Michelle Hardin has written a book I will read again and again, thats how much I loved it.
AMAZON US~ http://goo.gl/ljZ6rX
AMAZON UK~http://goo.gl/DeYYhe
Lies. Secrets. The truth. Each of them has a deadly consequence that seem to guarantee that Nathan and Carter will have to spend their entire lives looking over their shoulders. Carter feels like a walking target and Nathan's determined to make her feel safe again. While revelations threaten to pull them apart, Carter and Nathan fight hard to keep their love strong.
This and more in Part two of the edge of your seat trilogy Dangerous Beauty Part Two - A Mafia Princess.
Chapter 1: I Love you…
No one ever warns you about what happens when you fall in love. But why would they? There’s no point. When it happens, there’s nothing you can do to prevent it.
When you fall in love, you don’t just give your heart, you give your entire self. You put your heart in the hands of another, and that person becomes a lifeline. Your heart beats for them. They are the air you breathe. They are your smile, your laugh, your joy, and your sadness. That single person has the power to build you up until you feel a hundred feet tall—or shatter you, leaving you broken and scrambling to pick up the pieces of who you once were. Of who you were with them.
Love does this—
What happens if that person dies? What happens when the person who holds your beating heart in their hands no longer lives? Do you die with them? Well, that would certainly be easier than trying to continue life without your heart, your smile, your laughter, your joy—and even your sadness.
How can you continue living in a world without the one person that made your life so much more than it was before?
One day at a time?
Bullshit.
How can you make it to the next day if there is no tomorrow? If there is no year from now?
If you lose the person that makes you more than you were before you met, life becomes one long drawn-out day. The misery never ends, and there is no moving on.
“The One”. You hear people say it all the time. How they want to find “The One”. Well, what if you found “The One” and they were taken from you. How do you continue to live, sanely, in a world without “The One” person that fit you perfectly?
How?
Quick Answer. You Don’t . . .
That was the conclusion Nathan came to when he slipped into hysterics, Carter lying unconscious in his arms.
“Carter! Carter, wake up, baby!” He gently touched her face. “Wake up, Carter. Please! Let me see your eyes, honey.” Her eyes remained closed. “Carter, I’m begging you! Baby, open your eyes. Carter, please! Carter! Honey, open your eyes! Carter, wake up!”
When Carter’s eyes remained shut, Nathan held her close and did something he hadn’t done since he was a child. He cried. He held her tightly in his arms, begging and praying to God and anyone else who was listening to bring her back to him. He would give everything he possessed just to hear her voice, to see her smile at him, to hear her musical laugh, to have her grow old with him. He begged and pleaded while burying his face in Carter’s neck.
“Nathan?”
Nathan lifted his head quickly at the sound of Carter’s voice. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she looked up at him through glassy eyes.
Nathan sighed with relief, “Carter, baby, thank God. Look at me, honey, and try to stay awake for me.”
“Nathan, it hurts,” she cried softly.
The doors of the elevator opened, and Nathan rushed in, carrying Carter, while Anastasia quickly pressed the button for the first floor.
“I know, honey. I know. I’ll get you to the hospital as quickly as I can,” Nathan said frantically. He held her close as the elevator began its descent.
Nathan couldn’t think straight while she was in his arms, barely conscious. He would never be able to forgive himself for not keeping her safe from this. He didn’t understand how Mitchell had managed to pull this off, but he’d find out. He knew that Mitchell, Kent, and Patrick couldn’t have pulled this off without allies on the inside helping them get past security and gain control of the elevators. Nathan silently vowed at that moment that he would find every man involved and make him pay—severely.
He focused on Carter. He could see she was struggling to stay awake. When her eyes began to close again, Nathan gave her a light shake. “Carterina, baby, keep your eyes open.” She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. She slowly brought her hand to his face and wiped away his own. “I need you, Carter,” he confessed as more tears fell. “I need you, I can’t live without you, baby. I need you to fight for me. Please,” he pleaded with her desperately.
A sob escaped Carter’s lips, “I’m so sorry, Nathan.” She winced when pain shot through her head, but she didn’t stop talking, “I made a mistake. I’m so sorry,” she cried.
Nathan pressed his face against hers, “No, no, baby. Don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault, its mine. But I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
Catarina's Thoughts:
Well what can I say, Michelle Hardin has written a masterpiece, that leaves you intrigued and wanting more. In Part 2, just as you think Nathan and Carter/Caterina has found their Happy ever after, they are ripped apart again.
If you love a book that is filled with mystery, suspense blood and guts you will love this series.
You will be happy and sad, you'll meet new characters, and you will continue to love Nathan and Carter/Caterina.
Book 1 leaves you shocked by the appearance of Carter's Mother, book 2 is filled with more twists and more pain. You will be left hanging for more. I hope Michelle Hardin doesn't take long to release Part 3, and I hope the bond and love that Nathan and Carter/Caterina can survive.
I gave this book 5 stars and and really love this series so far. It would be a series I would recommend to those who love a good mafia love story.
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