The Bride Hunt Box Set: Books 1-3

by Charlene Hartnady

  Torrent smiled. “You are good company, Candy, I can understand that these men would pay good money to have you spend time with them.”

  She tried to smile back but there was a huge lump inside her throat. “That’s what I did for the first year or so that I worked at Kitty’s. I went out on a couple of dates a week, got myself my own small apartment and managed to start a savings account. Even back then, I had this dream of proving myself, of doing something with my life. I could see that it was going to take too long though. I didn’t want to be an escort for years and years. Some of the girls at Kitty’s were making bags of money.”

  Torrent frowned. “They were doing the same thing as you and yet making more, that is not fair I hope that you spoke to this male … What is his name again?”

  “Ellis.” She clenched her teeth, just saying his name made her angry. “It was around that time that Ellis approached me. Those women who were making more money than me … they weren’t simply going on dates. They were offering more to their clients.”

  Torrent’s frown deepened. He picked up his glass of wine and took a big glug.

  “They often granted their dates sexual favors in return for more money. Lots of money.”

  “Did your boss know about this?” Torrent’s eyes were so pale that they practically glowed. His voice was low and evenly delivered but his body radiated tension.

  She nodded and swallowed hard. “Oh yeah, he knew all about it. He encouraged it. Ellis took a big cut of all of the income. I had become accustomed to being independent. I had big dreams. I realized that I was never going to get out of the hole I found myself in, that I was never going to be able to study or further myself unless I did something drastic. Something short-term that would bring in good money. When Ellis approached me—”

  “You had sex with males for money?” His voice was hard as flint. “Is that what you’re going to tell me?”

  “You promised to hear me out,” she whispered.

  Torrents eyes were definitely lighter, they even seemed to be glowing a little. He reached out and picked up his wineglass, and then drained the contents. “Go on. I will listen to all you have to say.” His eyes stayed on the glass in his hand.

  She pulled in a deep breath. “Ellis approached me, and I agreed but on my terms. I agreed to try it out. Some of the men who I spent time with thought that they were God’s gift to women. Some of them were downright assholes. I knew that a ton of the guys were married.”

  Torrent growled but caught himself doing it and snapped his mouth shut, pursing his lips together. His hands were fisted in his lap.

  “The agreement between Ellis and I was that I got to choose who I dated, who I had sex with. There was no way I was going to disrespect other women and have sex with a married man. I saw what it did to my mom and …” She paused. “I had rules regarding the sex. What I was comfortable with and what I wasn’t.”

  Torrent jumped up to his feet. “I’m sorry,” his voice was gruff. He looked distraught. Candy felt tears prick in her eyes. This was not going well. It was a disaster.

  He grabbed the back of his neck and squeezed. “I wasn’t expecting this. I need a minute.” He strode away, walking for about a hundred yards and just stood there. After a couple of minutes, he made his way back and took a seat in front of her. His chest heaved. He still refused to look her in the eyes. Torrent nodded. “Go on.” He clenched his teeth.

  If he couldn’t accept her past, this wasn’t going to work. Her eyes burned. Her throat felt tight.

  You can finish this. Suck it up.

  “There were two guys that I initially agreed to have sex with. Two quickly became four. I refused to allow Ellis to increase the number. A lot of Kitty’s is based on referrals, the guys talk. It quickly became known there was a woman, an escort who was exclusive. Who turned away huge amounts of business. As a result, more men wanted to date me and my price increased. I refused to take on any more clients. If someone dropped out, only then would I agree to date a new person.”

  “Only you weren’t dating them, were you?” His eyes lifted to hers, they were filled with … hurt. Just as quickly they seemed devoid of emotion. “Were you fucking them all?”

  Candy cringed at how horrible it sounded. “Not always.” There was a definite edge to her voice. “They still enjoyed spending time with me, going out with me, doing mundane things with me. Most of these men were lonely. It wasn’t just about the sex.”

  “Maybe not to them,” he interjected.

  “It wasn’t about the sex for me either. It was about the money … period. I went into this with my eyes open. I needed to make money quickly in order to move on with the rest of my life, except …” She paused. Her lip quivered. She took in a breath to soothe her nerves. “I was wrong. Selling myself like that, it wasn’t for me. Some women love it, they thrive off it. It makes them feel powerful. Being desired by so many different men and to such a degree. These guys throw enormous amounts of money at you. Some of the women loved the sex. They loved climbing from one bed into the next. They got off on it.”

  Torrent poured himself another glass of wine and downed half of it.

  Candy reached for her own glass and took a tentative sip. It felt like vinegar going down her throat. “It wasn’t like that for me. It was soul-destroying. I needed the money but I wasn’t willing to just do anything or anyone to get it.” She needed to tell him everything but it was a struggle for her. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “The sex did nothing for me. It was all fake. I never had one orgasm, not ever.”

  He didn’t say anything. Didn’t even look at her.

  “Then one day, one of my clients left and I refused to have him replaced. You won’t believe it, but that started an even bigger frenzy. There was a waiting list. Ellis went to my three remaining clients and they agreed to pay more. One of the three guys I saw started dating a woman and then there were two.”

  Torrent nodded. “How long were you—” he cleared his throat, “an escort?”

  “I was seventeen when Ellis put a roof over my head. A few months later I started dating and by the age of nineteen I was having sex with my dates for money. I’m twenty-four now, so that’s almost five years.”

  “How many men have you had sex with?” His jaw was tight. His brow furrowed.

  “How is that even relevant? How many women have you had sex with? I’m sure your list is a hell of a lot longer than mine. All of my sexual experiences barring two were business transactions.”

  “Two?” he said, finally looking at her.

  “My first boyfriend and you.”

  He made an irritated snorting noise. “I didn’t pay anyone or expect anyone to pay me.”

  His words stung. “At nineteen, it seemed like a good idea. By the time I was twenty-four, not so much. Like I said, I was down to two clients. I only had sex with the one. Harold is impotent.”

  Torrent finished the rest of his wine. “What do you mean? Impotent … I’m not sure—”

  “He couldn’t get it up,” Candy huffed. “If I’m honest with myself I wanted to get out much sooner. I spoke to Ellis about it. He kept on talking me into staying. My rate kept on going up and up. ‘It’s money for jam, Candy. Don’t do something stupid, Candy. You’ll regret it if you leave, Candy.’ He knew exactly what to say. My list of rules grew longer and my clients fewer.”

  “So that impotent male didn’t have sex with you?”

  “No,” she shook her head. “He had been married three times and was so afraid of women being after him for his money that he stopped dating altogether. He said that he preferred to take care of the money side of things upfront. At least with him and I, there were no lies. I went with him to functions and just spent time with him. He’s a lonely old guy. It still felt wrong though.”

  “Maybe because it was.” Torrent’s throat worked. “Tell me about the other male.”

  She shrugged. “Why is it important? I’m not asking you about all the women you had sex with, am I?�
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  “I want to know.” He looked deadpan and emotionless.

  “Charles is a really sweet guy. He’s also pretty old, must be in his late 70s. His wife died a couple of years back and he can’t bring himself to date ‘real’ women.”

  “Real women!” Torrent made a snorting noise

  “Well, although Charles and I spent plenty of time together, we never had a real relationship and therefore he never felt like he was cheating on his dead wife. It was a business transaction. Probably a tax write off.” She laughed, it came out sounding a little high-pitched.

  “Did you rut with this male?” There it was again, that look of hurt. It lasted just a split second; if she blinked she would’ve missed it. His jaw tightened up some more.

  Candy nodded. “On occasion.”

  “When did you last have paid sex with a male?”

  “Why do you want to know all of this? It’s not important. I didn’t enjoy having sex with these men. At first it was just a duty I was expected to perform and then it slowly became something I hated. I would never put down the women I worked alongside, but it wasn’t for me.”

  He blinked a few times. “When did you last have sex with this male?” he repeated the question like he hadn’t heard her response.

  It irritated her. “It’s not relevant. When did you last go on one of your stag run thingies? When did you last have sex with one of your she-dragons? Was it good for you, if so how many times did you come?” A tear escaped and she wiped it away. “Well?”

  “When did you last rut the male?”

  Another tear fell. She ignored it. “I don’t know.” She was struggling to think. “A while ago.”

  “Was it days before you came here? Weeks? Months?” His eyes were hard and so light. They reminded her of when she’d first seen him. When he was in full hunt and attack mode. Two cold, hard glaciers.

  She shivered. “Months. It was months, okay? I’ve been trying to leave the business but Ellis wouldn’t let me. I finally stood up to him the day I was taken by one of your dragons. Ellis wanted me to take on another client. He wouldn’t listen to me.” She was breathing hard. Tears coursing down her cheeks. “I could tell that he was never going to let me go. He’d lined up another client for me and was taking me to see the guy that afternoon. He didn’t give a shit about what I wanted. I was an asset to him and nothing more. We argued. He hit me.”

  Torrent snarled. The sound was loud and terrifying. His entire face morphed into the picture of violence. He sprang back up to his feet and walked away, cursing loudly.

  He paced and stomped and paced some more. His hands no longer fisted at his sides, were now clenched onto his neck. After what felt like forever, he strode back to her. “Come. We are leaving.” He began tossing things into the bag.

  “We need to talk about this.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about. Thank you for telling me about your past. We won’t speak of it again.”

  Candy narrowed her eyes at him. “We have to talk about it. I should have told you about it sooner.”

  Torrent shrugged. “It makes no difference.”

  “I can see that you’re upset. Speak to me.”

  “I don’t like the idea that you had males pay you for sex. I knew you had a past, you mentioned yourself that you weren’t a virgin. You said far from it. I knew you had lovers but this is a difficult concept for me. It doesn’t matter though. None of it does. We are bonded.” He grit his teeth together in a semi-snarl. “Soon to be mated.”

  “Of course it matters. It matters a ton.”

  “It doesn’t. I chose you and you chose me. We are one step away from becoming mates.” He shrugged again. “Let’s just go.” He threw the rest of the items into the bag, haphazardly. Torrent yanked off his pants, tearing them in the process. Within seconds, he was in dragon form. Not before she noticed how hard he was. What the!? She didn’t understand it. Torrent was spitting mad and yet his cock was as hard as rock. She’d just told him something that had upset him. It didn’t make sense.

  Candy didn’t have time to think on it, she barely had time to put the backpack on her back and he was lifting her into the air. Her stomach lurched as they accelerated quickly into the sky.

  Chapter 14

  The next morning …

  Candy reached for the space next to her. The sheets were cold and empty. Within minutes of returning back to the chamber, Torrent had left. He mentioned something about having a meeting. Candy could see that he was talking rubbish. It was written all over his face.

  She felt empty yet filled with sadness all at the same time. Candy chewed on her bottom lip to keep it from having a wobblefest. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep from crying. He needed his space, time to think things through. Hopefully he wouldn’t leave her waiting too long and hopefully he would open up and talk a little more about his feelings without being an asshole. Maybe they could still work through this. She was still here, so there was hope.

  It was strange how a couple of days ago, she would’ve jumped at any opportunity to go home, yet right now, all she wanted was to make things right with him. To stay and make a future with Torrent. Her chest hurt. Her heart ached.

  She forced herself to throw off the covers and get out of bed. If she stayed in this fetal position, she was sure to feel worse.

  Candy got up, showered, ate breakfast and went through the motions of a normal day. There was no sign of Sky. She longed for companionship and someone to talk to. She mainly prayed that Torrent would come home.

  Home.

  It was weird how she’d come to think of this place as home and in such a short time. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t met anyone or experienced life amongst the dragons. She hoped to get the opportunity.

  Candy made lunch and read a bit. Then out of sheer boredom and frustration she put on some workout gear and spent an hour going through her aerobic routine. After a shower and a change, she felt no better. Anger had started to creep in. How dare he judge her like this? No-one had the right to judge another person without walking in their shoes. Here was a guy who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He’d never wanted for anything a day in his life. He was a complete manwhore by his own confession and yet he judged her.

  Asshole.

  In many ways, he was just like those arrogant dickwads she avoided. The ones who were against her rules. The ones she never agreed to date. Men with more money and arrogance than they knew what to do with.

  If he walked through the door right now, she was going to give him a piece of her mind. It was a half an hour before the door finally did open and if anything, she was even more angry.

  Torrent didn’t know what to do with himself. He spent the night in his office. Hadn’t slept even a wink. All he could think about was Candy.

  He knew that she had rutted other males. It was something he tried not to think about. She had a past and previous sexual encounters, just as he did. It was a given. It was something he always thought that he could handle. Something he never questioned.

  Hearing her talk of accepting money for sex made him want to go into a blind rage though. She had been young and gullible. That male, Ellis had used her. That much was clear to him. Even if she hadn’t gone into this with open eyes and a clear mind, it had been for the right reasons.

  To have a future. To better herself in the long run.

  Torrent could understand these things. But fuck! It filled him with rage. Moreover, it filled him with the need to claim her. To make her his.

  It made him mad with need. His dick was hard and throbbing and had been ever since she’d told him. Call it instinct, driving need. It didn’t matter. It was there and it rode him hard. Torrent felt sure that once he finally claimed her, he would be able to move past this. Not a minute sooner. In fact, the rage and frustration was growing by the second. Need was also a fantastic contender in the race of emotions.

  All of this turbulence raced through him. His teeth felt sharp, he could feel his scale
s rasping beneath his skin.

  Claim!

  Now!

  Candy was his. His. He moved swiftly down the hallway. It was time to claim her. No, it was way past time. So overdue, it wasn’t funny. He would finally have her and they would never speak of it again. Not ever.

  Torrent unlocked the door and tried to open it carefully. One of the hinges tore from the frame. Not too bad, considering. He righted the door, pushing it back into its frame.

  Candy stood on the other side of the couch. She had a hand to her chest and her face was pale, her eyes were wide.

  “Mine,” he rasped, his voice barely human. “Mine,” he tried again. Still guttural but with better pronunciation.

  Her eyes widened even more and she sucked in a breath. “What’s going on?” she stammered.

  “I’m done waiting.” He could only pray that she understood what he was saying. It didn’t really matter. This wasn’t about words anyway.

  “We need to talk.” She held up a hand.

  Torrent chuckled. It seemed his female had other ideas. Well tough luck. He advanced on her.

  Candy backed up one step and then another, and another. “Wait.” She held up both hands. “We really do need to talk.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.” He was pleased with how calm and understandable his words were even though they came out in a deep rasp.

  “There’s a ton to talk about. I put it all out there and I can see that you are not taking it well.”

  “I didn’t come to talk.” He closed the distance between them and clasped an arm around her waist.

  “Torrent, wait,” Candy pleaded. She pushed against his chest.

  “Don’t you want me?” He narrowed his eyes. He didn’t know what he would do if she denied him. He wasn’t sure that he could control his beast for much longer.

  Rut.

  Take.

  Claim.