“Logan?” she whispered questioningly as he knelt down in front of her on one knee.
“Caroline, it’s been an insanely amazing, painful, beautiful, perfect year since you walked into my life,” he spoke softly to her, his smile fading into seriousness. Caroline gulped as she glanced up and saw that the crowd was transfixed on the two of them, she felt her body beginning to tremble from it all.
“It took me so long to make you mine, a mistake that I will regret forever. But I won’t make that mistake again. Now that I have you, now that you’re mine, I can’t let you go. Maybe I’m selfish, or maybe that’s just love, but I know that you are it for me. I love you and will love you for the rest of my life, no matter what your answer is.” He looked nervous as he reached into his pocket, his other hand still holding hers. He pulled out a large black ring box, and flipped it open in front of her.
“Caroline Sanders, will you make me the luckiest man that ever lived and say you’ll marry me?” She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks as she listened to him.
“Of course I’ll marry you, Logan Clay.” She sniffed, her voice shaking. Just a few months ago she’d turned down a proposal from her ex because she had thought it was too soon, but now she knew it had nothing to do with time. It was about your heart, and Logan had always had hers.
Logan’s face lit up and he grinned, taking the ring out of the box and sliding it onto her finger. Kissing the back of her hand gently, he finally stood up to face her.
“She said yes!” She heard one of the band members exclaim to the crowd causing an uproar of shouting and cheering. Caroline laughed through her tears as he took her face in his hands and wiped them away. She threw her arms around his neck and they kissed for the first time as an engaged couple.
“You’re so perfect, Caroline. This is perfect. Here in the bar where it all started, now with you in my arms makes it the perfect end,” he whispered to her as his forehead pressed against hers.
“This isn’t the end.” She smiled, kissing him again. “Our story is just beginning.”
EXCERPT FROM TAINTED BODIES
The Photographer Trilogy, Book One
by Sarah Robinson
PROLOGUE
Kate Jackson had never been a natural public speaker, so standing on the side of the stage waiting for her entrance was causing knots to start clutching at her stomach. She smoothed her skirt and tossed her hair behind her shoulder, letting out a deep breath, hoping to calm herself when she heard her name being said as the audience burst into applause. Throwing on her least nervous smile, she stepped out from behind the curtain and walked to the center of the stage, waving to the crowd.
“We are so excited to have you here,” the woman who introduced her said, shaking her hand.
“Thanks so much,” Kate replied, as she took the podium and looked out over the audience. She cleared her throat and steadied herself as she began.
“If you had asked me a year ago if I would ever be standing in front of a room of law enforcement personnel giving a speech, I would have called you crazy. But since then I’ve had the fortune, but also the horror, of experiencing a unique case study that police departments from all over the country have inquired about. My case reaches much further than me and it’s possible we’ll never know the true extent of his reach. I’m here today to present the case a serial killer infamously known as The Photographer.”
Kate took another deep breath, a bit nervous, but slowly calming herself.
She had never liked public speaking so this was no walk in the park for her. All the faces in front of her looked eager and fascinated which began to give her more confidence.
This was her stage now, he had held the spotlight long enough.
CHAPTER ONE
Kate Jackson stepped onto the metro car around eight in the morning, heading for work in her usual routine on a crisp Thursday. She had been working in a retail position for a large organization that sold office furniture to companies all over the country. The job was entirely unrelated to what she had gone to school for since she had graduated in the top ten percent of her class from the University of Maryland with a psychology degree. Sales wasn’t her dream job, but at least it was a job.
The metro car roughly slammed from side to side as Kate held onto the railing above her and tried not to fall on the surrounding people. It was proving not to be a simple task.
Probably not the best day to have worn these heels, she thought, as she warily watched the homeless man behind her eyeing her rear end. Finally, the operator announced her stop and Kate fought her way for the doors before they closed, as everyone else on the car seemed to be doing the same thing in fifteen different directions. Squeezing through, she slid past the crowd and snaked her way to the escalators, then up and out of the ground, onto the street.
She never looked forward to going to work in the mornings even though she appreciated the pay check. The tough economy had made the job market cut throat and Kate felt lucky to at least have found anything to pay her bills. She had been gifted the job from a friend of her late father, who pitied her situation and owned the company. Lenny had become a great father figure for her and her sister since their father had passed away and had helped them out of many difficult situations over the years.
Sighing with relief, Kate spotted her favorite hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, and looking at her watch, she decided to reward herself for her timing by stopping in for a tall vanilla latte. She opened the door to be greeted by the delicious smell of coffee beans and her favorite smiling barista. The Java Jolt was a morning must-have for her and she felt her spirit lifting every time she walked through those front doors.
“Miss Kate, good to see you this morning, would you like your usual?” asked Jimmy, a high-school student whose favorite days at work were the days that Kate comes in.
Kate was always surprised at the attention she received from men regarding her looks. At five foot six inches, she wasn’t particularly tall. She was far from stick thin, instead probably a few pounds over what she should be. She had dark brown, curly hair that hung all the way down her back and jumped about in any way it pleased, regardless of what she wanted.
Her pale skin contrasted her dark, piercing brown eyes, brunette hair color, and ruby red lips causing an almost doll-like look to her. She dressed simply but professionally, going for comfort more than glamour, if you didn’t count her high heel shoes. But even with her striking features, Kate often thought of herself as plain, which made her oblivious to the hints and attempts at flirting from the young barista.
Kate smiles at him. “Thank you, Jimmy, yes please.”
“Jimmy, add a large brewed coffee, two creams, and one sugar to that vanilla latte order,” said a deep voice behind her.
Kate whirled around to see the face that belonged to that deep voice and was struck by the tall, handsome grin staring back at her.
“Excuse me? Do I know you?” Kate asked, defiantly, stomping her foot on the ground in an attempt to look more confident.
“Well you should if you’re planning on buying me a drink, or do you just make a habit of buying strange men their coffee?” The tall man smiled at her, teasing.
Jimmy, awkwardly pausing with the two empty cups in his hands, waited for Kate’s approval before he made either drink. Kate couldn’t decide whether she was furious at how rude this gentleman was or whether she was charmed by his initiative. Kate finally smiled slightly and nodded her consent, so Jimmy set about making the two drinks while watching out of the corner of his eyes at the interaction between the two jealously.
“I’m Kate. Kate Jackson,” she said, extending her hand to him.
“Derrick Kane.” His hand strongly grasped hers and his dark brown eyes pierced into hers, smiling at her with a wide, boyish grin that made her heart beat a little faster.
For the rest of Kate & Derrick’s story, as well as the thrilling, suspense-filled investigation of the infamous serial killer known as ‘The Photographer’, read the rest of T
ainted Bodies. Or grab a discounted copy of the series in the digital boxset with all three novels in the trilogy, plus a bonus deleted scene. Your copy is waiting at any of the major retailers! Purchase the entire series today!
The Photographer Trilogy
Tainted Bodies (Purchase on Amazon here)
Tainted Pictures (Purchase on Amazon here)
Untainted (Purchase on Amazon here)
The Photographer Trilogy Boxset, including all 3 books and a deleted bonus scene (Purchase the discounted boxset on Amazon here)
DISCLAIMER: Due to violent and dark subject matter, this book is intended for readers over the age of 18 years old.
READ OTHER BOOKS BY SARAH
The Photographer Trilogy – (Romantic Suspense)
Tainted Bodies (Purchase on Amazon here)
Tainted Pictures (Purchase on Amazon here)
Untainted (Purchase on Amazon here)
The Photographer Trilogy Boxset, including all 3 books and a deleted bonus scene (Purchase the discounted boxset on Amazon here)
Forbidden Rockers Series – (Rockstar Romance)
Logan’s Story: A Prequel Novella (Purchase on Amazon here)
Her Forbidden Rockstar (Purchase on Amazon here)
Rocker Christmas: A Logan & Caroline Holiday Novella (Purchase on Amazon here)
Her Dangerous Drummer (tentatively coming 2017)
Kavanagh Legends Series – (MMA Fighter Romance)
Breaking a Legend (Purchase on Amazon here)
Saving a Legend (coming June 2016, Preorder on Amazon here)
Becoming a Legend (coming 2016, Preorder on Amazon here)
and more...
More books and series by Sarah Robinson are coming soon, check her website for the latest news and releases! Signed paperbacks are also available on the Author’s Website.
SUBSCRIBE
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This is the revised edition of Sand & Snow: A Winter Novella that was originally published on December 10, 2014. While the original version was wonderful and did break into Amazon Bestseller charts, I felt that it was lacking a lot. When I first wrote this series, I had never written a novel before. It was my first foray into the entire field and I didn’t have an editor or know what I was doing.
With each publication, my writing has improved and I love looking back at my books and seeing that arc of change throughout time and my pages. Therefore, I did not want to change this novel too much, since I want to stay true to who I was back then. It’s gotten a pretty new cover and more fitting title, as well as a few steamier scenes thrown in here and there.
It is still the same story, and the same characters that you fell in love with in 2014. Thank you all for your time and patience as you have watched me and helped me grow as a writer.
Don’t forget to check out the beginning of Logan and Caroline’s story in Logan’s Story, then in Her Forbidden Rockstar. Plus more to come from Haven’s other band mates!
~Sarah Robinson
STAY TUNED
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’m going to keep this short and sweet, because this is now my sixth book and you can really only write acknowledgments so many times before you become repetitive! This little novella is purely a fun, enjoyable segue between Caroline and Logan’s love story, into the next book in the series which will focus on Dylan Moore’s life.
I am absolutely in love with my characters from this series. They are completely fictional, not based on anyone I know, or any life I’ve led (I wish!), which is one of the best things about it. I’ve created a pure fantasy story that I can escape into for a few hours a day as I write about their lives.
I can’t forget to give a give thank you to my personal assistant, Holly Morales, and everyone in Robinson’s Rockstars, my fan club, for always being there to help me and promote me. To Nicole from The Seymour Literary Agency, thank you for taking a chance on me and helping me start the Kavanagh’s journey!
Last, but never least, thank you to my husband for not only allowing me the time and space to be able to write, but for supporting me entirely. He edits all my books before anyone else has seen them, and loves my characters as much as I do. He takes care of me in ways I never thought I needed, or maybe I thought I could do all on my own. Being married to Justin Robinson has taught me to trust another person with my heart, my life, my everything. And there will never come a day where I regret that decision.
I would marry you again, a million times over.
Table of Contents
DEDICATION
CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH SARAH
READ OTHER BOOKS BY SARAH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
EXCERPT FROM TAINTED BODIES
READ OTHER BOOKS BY SARAH
AUTHOR’S NOTE
STAY TUNED
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Rocker Christmas: A Logan & Caroline Christmas Forbidden Rockers Novella Page 8