Beautiful Beast: A Steamy Small Town Romance (Grimm’s Valley Romances Book 3) by NS Johnson

Author:NS Johnson [Johnson, NS]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Published: 2024-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The first light of dawn filtered through the curtains. Trix felt the heat of the rays, but when she opened her eyes, the room was already brightly illuminated. The last thing she remembered doing was reaching for the light switch. She had been about to turn the overhead lights out to give Beast the darkness he craved.

But she hadn’t. He’d stayed her hand. He’d walked towards her in the light. She’d thought he was finally ready to come out of the shadows, finally ready to let her see him, scars and all. The light went out for her instead.

The blindfold lay on the pillow beside her head. She couldn’t remember taking it off in the night. She couldn’t remember much except floating inside a tornado of pleasure.

Her body held tons of memories, though. Her inner thighs ached as she stretched in a salute to the morning. Her inner muscles trembled, and maybe even dribbled a bit of excess of the blitzkrieg from last night’s assault. In the fluorescence of the overhead light and the bright light of the new day, Trix faced a full-frontal assault.

Beast lay beside her. He was on his back, his breathing deep and even, the rise and fall of his chest rhythmic and soothing. His shirt was off, revealing his upper body in the gentle morning light. Trix’s gaze was drawn to the scars that marred his skin, telling marks that spoke of his past, of pain and survival.

The scars were a network of raised, rugged lines. Some long and winding, others shorter and more abrupt. They traveled across his shoulder and down his torso, a tangible map of pain. The texture looked rough in contrast to the rest of his skin. They were badges of a battle he had survived, each one telling a story that Trix wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

That was a lie. She did want to know. She wanted to understand how he’d been hurt. If there was more healing he needed to do. She was a romance enthusiast, and “wounded hero” was one of her favorite tropes.

A common theme in paranormal romance novels was the archetype of the wounded alpha wolf with a traumatic past, and the heroine who helped him overcome his demons. Authors like Nalini Singh and Kresley Cole had mastered this narrative, weaving stories of pain, healing, and love that resonated with so many readers. It was a formula that not only sold well, but also captivated the hearts of those who saw themselves in the fantastical tales.

Here lay Adam Best, a perfect specimen of wounded alpha— a man marked by his past, carrying both physical and emotional scars. His military background, his quiet strength, and the way he carried his burdens, all echoed the traits of those brooding, complex characters from her books.

Did that make her the heroine in his story? In her favorite novels, the heroines were strong, compassionate, and resilient— women who could see beyond the scars and the walls their counterparts had built.

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