The Bride Hunt Box Set: Books 1-3

by Charlene Hartnady

  “It’s really too soon to say.” Not well at all! She kept that thought to herself.

  “Come on, give me something!” Then Julie pulled a face. “You’ll have to excuse me. I know I’m being a bit nosy. You might end up being my sister-in-law. Also, I think we could be friends. It’s crazy because I’ve never had many friends, never had many people in my life. I’m really happy and…” She paused, raising her eyes to the ceiling while she thought up the right word. “safe and did I mention happy?” She smiled her ass off. “I wouldn’t mind a friend to share that all with. Sorry if I’m coming on too strong. If I am, you can say so.”

  Roxy laughed. “No, it’s okay. I really miss my bestie. She and I talk about everything but she’s not here and regardless if things work out or not, I won’t be able to confide in her, so I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you want to be friends with me.”

  “Good. Now that that’s out of the way, tell me about Blaze. What do you think of him? I know it’s a bit of a pain that the women don’t get to choose the guy, but—”

  “Well, actually…” Roxy felt heat flood her cheeks, “he didn’t choose me exactly.”

  “Out with it. What happened? The guys always choose the girls.”

  Roxy told Julie how the whole thing had gone down. The other woman went from looking shocked to laughing like mad. “You kicked Thunder in the balls?”

  “I cracked his royal jewels,” Roxy had to smile.

  Julie laughed some more. “That’s hilarious! And Blaze’s excuse for not picking you was that he’s too attracted to you?” She shook her head. “The guy’s got everything upside down. I think he got his heart broken or something. He doesn’t believe in love anymore.”

  “Was she a human?” Roxy blurted.

  Julie nodded. “I think so. How do you know, did he say something to you?”

  “It was something Thunder said about him sounding almost human because he had spent too much time with the humans. I’m putting two and two together.”

  “Yeah well, reading between the lines, I think the whole stick up the ass problem he has is because of what happened to him. So…” her eyes widened, “do you think he’s hot?”

  Julie must have seen something written in her facial expression because she jumped up and down. “He is pretty hot. At least he’s normally pretty good-looking except he’s let himself go a bit of late. His hair is overgrown and he has a semi-beard thing going. It’s like he’s halfway to beard but not quite there yet. He looks better clean-shaven.”

  “I don’t know, he’s pretty hot as he is.”

  “I’m so glad you think so. I really hope you guys work out,” Julie grinned. “He’s going to want to have sex with you soon. I hope you know that.”

  Her girl parts did a happy dance. This was followed by a rush of nerves induced by adrenaline. Roxy tried hard to remain neutral.

  “Don’t worry too much about it. Shifters are really good in bed… oh and they are really well-endowed but don’t let that scare you. They have had sex with human women before so he’ll fit.”

  “You didn’t just say that.”

  Julie smiled. “It’s a genuine concern when you first get a look at what’s going on down there. Trust me.”

  “I don’t even know if we’ll have sex.”

  “Silly lady!” Julie rolled her eyes. “Of course you’ll have sex. Sooner than you think, trust me. They’re charmers in their own rough around the edges way. You only realize you’ve had sex after you’ve had it.”

  Roxy gave a nervous laugh; she couldn’t help but looking at the huge bed. She felt both scared and excited. Just as long as she didn’t make the first move. Oh, and she had to say no the first time he tried anything on her. Her stomach clenched. Her hands felt clammy.

  It turned out that she needn’t have worried. Blaze didn’t come back that night. She had everything she needed. Plenty of food was sent to the room. She finally changed into her pajamas and went to bed.

  Roxy showered and changed the next morning. There was still no sign of Blaze. She had breakfast alone on the terrace. It was beautiful but lonely. Where the hell was he? Why wasn’t he there trying to get to know her? Trying to make some sort of an effort.

  She had to remind herself that he was the king. He had said that he had duties to attend to but surely he could’ve come back at some point? Even just for five minutes. There was only one bed so maybe he was trying to be polite and give her some space. Finally, after lunch, there was a knock on the door and he entered.

  She’d just been settling down to an afternoon nap. It wasn’t like there was a whole lot to do in this place. Especially since she couldn’t go out anywhere.

  Blaze didn’t look all that good. It looked like he’d been up all night His facial hair had grown out some more. It was straggly and unkempt. His hair had also grown out and seemed even more unruly than before. His eyes were bloodshot and he had a pinched expression.

  Like he really had a stick up his ass.

  She couldn’t help but think of Julie’s words. It was all she could do to keep from laughing. He still looked gorgeous though. Sexy as hell. Bastard!

  She sat up and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. It was loose, she didn’t like sleeping with her hair up.

  Blaze gave her the once-over, he frowned and his jaw tightened. What? Didn’t he like that she was asleep in the middle of the day? Maybe he thought she was being lazy.

  It couldn’t be what she was wearing. A plain white top and a pair of denim shorts.

  “I came to check in on you,” he stayed by the door. He looked tense.

  “I’m doing okay, thanks.”

  Blaze gave a nod. “Good. How is the food?”

  “Fine… really good actually.” She stretched and his eyes darkened. He looked… angry.

  “Do you have everything you need? I see that you are wearing your own things so your bag was delivered.”

  She nodded.

  “Good,” his voice was rough. There wasn’t even a hint of friendliness. “I’ll see you later then.”

  “Where are you going?” Lame! Lame! She sounded desperate.

  “I have some things I need to do.” Blaze was already on his way to the door. “Later.” He turned the handle.

  “Yeah, sure,” Roxy said. “Later.” But the door was already closing and clicking shut. What was that all about? The guy obviously didn’t like her. He had to have been talking shit when he said he was attracted to her.

  Wait.

  Stop.

  Maybe he was just really busy. She needed to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’d said that he would come by later. Maybe they could have dinner together or talk or something. Roxy started to feel better about the whole thing. It was going to be okay.

  Chapter 10

  The next day…

  So much for Blaze coming to see her. A lady who she assumed was a dragon shifter because of her height and build – bigger than a human woman – had delivered her dinner. That was it, no one else. No visit from Julie, no visit from Blaze. No answers to the ever-growing list of questions.

  Why did he even take part in the hunt in the first place? Especially since he had shoved her in his room and was ignoring her flat. What was the point of that? She thought she was here to get to know someone, to potentially start a future with them. It seemed that the dragon shifter had some serious baggage. Maybe he was starting to have second thoughts about the whole thing. She sure as hell was. This was not what she’d signed up for.

  It was late afternoon before the knock finally came. Blaze walked in. Nothing had changed. His hair was still an unruly mess, it looked as if he had been tugging on it and running his hands through it. His facial hair was getting out of hand. His eyes had a haunted look, there were black smudges underneath them. It looked like he hadn’t slept in days. The one thing that irritated her the most though was how good-looking he still was. Even scruffy and ungroomed, he still managed to look edible.

  His body was a thing o
f beauty. His muscles popped and tension radiated through him. His full lips were pursed and he folded his arms across his chest.

  He narrowed his eyes at her looking… angry. Why would he be angry? His eyes roved over her, a deep frown marred his forehead. “You’re lying down,” he stated the obvious.

  Roxy pulled herself into a sitting position, careful not to flash him. On a whim she had decided to wear one of her pretty summer dresses. It was a beautiful royal blue. It brought out the color of her eyes. It was one of those wraparound numbers that came to just above her knees. There was a deep ‘V’ in the front, so it also showed off a nice amount of cleavage. Enough to stir the imagination but not enough to give it all away.

  By the look on Blaze’s face, he obviously thought she looked hideous. Then she remembered his comments about her lying down. “It’s not like I have anything better to do,” she snapped back.

  “And what the hell are you wearing?” Okay, so he clearly didn’t like her dress.

  “What’s wrong with it?” she looked down. Guys always approached her when she wore this dress – not that she went out all that often with the intention of picking up guys. Certainly not in the last couple of months. When he didn’t respond, Roxy felt anger stir. “I look fine. It’s not like anyone can see me anyway. I may as well walk around naked or in my underwear.” She didn’t mean it. Her statement seemed to anger Blaze even more. “I’ll sleep whenever I feel like it. It’s seriously boring just sitting here all by myself.” She had to work to keep her emotions from coming through in her voice. Thankfully she managed to sound more angry than upset. She didn’t want him to know that he was getting to her. That this whole thing was getting to her.

  “Julie is coming by later,” Blaze said. “Is there anything else you need?”

  No way! No freaking way, he took a step back and then another, clearly on his way to the door.

  It was about time she gave this asshole a piece of her mind. Roxy clambered off the bed. She didn’t give a damn if he saw her panties.

  By the way his eyes widened and flared for a moment, she got the distinct impression that he had. She couldn’t give a rat’s ass.

  “Where are you going?” she carried on before he could answer. “Don’t answer that because I don’t care. All I have to say is that you are seriously rude and you’re one hell of an asshole!” Roxy walked towards him. Blaze took a step back and swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbed. “What’s wrong with me? Actually, I should ask you the same question. In fact, I’m going to: what the hell is wrong with you? Did you bring me all the way out here just to lock me up in a room? It’s been two whole days and I’ve seen you for all of five minutes during that time. If that.” She put her hands on her hips.

  “I’ve been busy.”

  His answer infuriated her and she took another step towards him, Blaze stood his ground, looking down at her. “That’s not good enough. Not by a long shot. Why did you partake in this whole hunt thing if you’re not interested in taking the time to get to know me? Have you changed your mind about this whole thing, is that it? You should’ve just let one of the others have me.” Not that she wanted to go to any of the others. She’d wanted Blaze. Roxy had foolishly believed that there was something there. A gut instinct. Well, she wouldn’t be listening to her gut feelings again any time soon.

  Blaze made a growling noise from deep down in his throat, it was a scary sound and she had to work to stand her ground and maintain eye contact. His eyes seemed to grow even brighter, they were even more beautiful. The most vivid green she’d ever seen. “I need to go,” his voice was deep.

  “What the hell?” she muttered more to herself than to him. “Fine,” she huffed. “Don’t bother coming back.”

  His sexy mouth twitched like he found her statement funny and it just angered her even more. Firstly, because she still found his asshole’s mouth sexy and secondly because he dared to find humor in this. She was serious. “I mean it. If you walk out that door, please don’t bother coming back…ever. It would be a waste of time.”

  “This is my chamber.”

  “You could have fooled me. You haven’t so much as showered or changed your clothes since we got back.” She took another small step towards him, closing most of the distance between them and gave him a sniff. No shit! The guy smelled heavenly. Woodsy, soapy and fresh.

  Blaze ground his teeth. “Stop that,” he growled.

  “I’m trying to understand how the hell you smell so good…” she sniffed again, “when you haven’t showered in days.”

  “I said to stop that,” an even deeper growl. “I have showered,” he added. “Just not here.”

  “Of course not. Why would you shower here since you’re avoiding me?” She gave him another sniff, just because it was pissing him off and well, because he really did smell damn fine. Quite frankly, she could sniff him all day. Yummylishous!

  “Stop doing that,” his voice was guttural.

  “Why? What’s the big deal?” What an ass!

  “Because I’m a shifter.” Those tendons on the sides of his neck popped out. Hello, Mister Angry. It was wrong on so many levels that he just grew even sexier the more pissed and obnoxious he became.

  “So what if you’re a shifter,” she put her hands on her hips.

  “You’re taking in my scent and declaring that I smell good,” his eyes narrowed.

  “Yeah, and?”

  “In shifter talk, that means you’re initiating sex. You may as well get undressed and go and lie on that bed with your legs open… it means about the same thing.”

  She swallowed hard. Oops! Then her mouth opened and said what it was thinking before she could stop it. “Well, sweaty sex would be better than the silent treatment you’ve been giving me. Some good old-fashioned humping would be better than sitting around all day twiddling my thumbs.”

  “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that,” Blaze was breathing hard, he turned and grabbed the door handle.

  Roxy let out a shrill laugh. “Run away! Yup, go! That’s fine. Good-freaking-bye!”

  He sighed, like he was relieved or something. His hand tightened on the handle.

  “But…” she quickly added before he could leave. “Don’t bother coming back. Oh yeah, I forgot this is your room. On second thought, I’d rather be introduced to someone else. I don’t particularly like the idea of starting over with someone else…” It wasn’t true but he didn’t need to know that. “or of guys fighting over me but—”

  Blaze moved so quickly that she only realized he had moved when his body was pressed against hers, when his hands clasped around her upper arms. “Fuck that!” Okay so maybe he hadn’t been all that pissed before. He sure as hell looked it now. “You are mine.” His voice was barely recognizable as human.

  This guy was just too much. “I don’t get you. You clearly don’t want me. You have no interest in getting to know me. You won’t spend any time with me. I came here in the hopes of—”

  “I know why you’re here. Fuck…” He let go of her and marched towards the other side of the room before marching part of the way back. He grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged on it before dropping his hand at his side. “We need to get something very clear. When I said I was attracted to you, I meant it.”

  “I don’t buy it,” she shook her head. Roxy knew when to call bullshit. “You’ve been nothing but cold towards me. We can’t even hold a conversation.”

  “You told me that you haven’t had sex in a while.”

  Why did he have to bring that up? Why had she told him in the first place? “How is that even pertinent?”

  “You scent strongly of arousal,” his nostrils flared. “Even though I can scent anger, I can smell your need as well.”

  Ground, please open up and swallow me whole. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that he might disappear when she reopened them. It wasn’t the case. Roxy tried not to blush, but it was like trying not to breathe. Her heart hammered inside her chest.

&nb
sp; “You were wet with need after our kiss and even more turned on listening to Thunder and—”

  “Please, can you stop…?” She held out her hand, it shook slightly. “You’ve humiliated me enough, don’t you think?”

  Blaze frowned. “Why is that humiliating? It shouldn’t be. Hell, Roxy…” His hand went back into his hair. “I can barely think or breathe around you. I haven’t rutted in fucking forever. Non-humans are highly sexual. You’re fucking killing me here.”

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. What did she say to that? Her being horny was making him angry. Was that right? Was she misunderstanding this?

  “I would love to stay and chat but all I can think about is fucking when I’m around you.” That’s when she noticed that there was a whole lot going on in his pants. “I can’t trust myself not to tear your dress off. Not when you smell the way you do, not when you look like that.” His eyes drifted down the length of her body and certain parts of her puckered, as if on command.

  His nostrils flared. “Don’t,” Roxy said. It looked like he was walking towards her but he continued to the door.

  “Don’t what?” He stopped in his tracks, his back stiffened. “My words are arousing you.”

  “I can’t help it. I’m attracted to you as well.”

  His whole body tensed up. “I’m going to leave. We’ll finish this later.”

  “When later, tomorrow? What will have changed?”

  His big shoulders moved up and down as he shrugged. “Maybe you should take care of things.”

  “What things?” He was really irritating the hell out of her. “You told me that dragon shifters are open and honest. You’re not doing that. You keep avoiding me or talking in riddles. Spit it out already.”

  Blaze turned. His intense gaze bore into hers. Oh shit! His hand was still on the handle behind him. “You should come a couple of times.”

  “You mean masturbate?” She could feel that her eyes were wide in her head.