THERE’S SNOW ESCAPE
PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
MILLY TAIDEN
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Curvy Charlotte just got invited to visit another planet—a shifter planet where her best friend is getting married to a lion king. If that isn’t strange enough, two panty-melting hot guys are looking at this big girl like she’s a piece of cake, and they haven’t had dessert in years. She shouldn’t be interested, but…girls just want to have fun, right?
Brecc and Eros need a mate before the Elders force someone on them. They’re getting desperate, and they hire Gerri to find them a woman. She delivers curvy, outspoken, and gloriously sexy Charlotte. Now they just have to get her to stay. Forever. Simple. Not.
When Charlotte’s visit turns from cool sightseeing to getting her freak on with two shifters, things take a turn for the naughty. She needs to figure out why Brecc is so distant and what’s the drama with the Dragos. Things escalate to the point she has to do her own growling in order to be heard. She’s about to realize when two wolves choose a mate, there’s no escape.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Published By
Latin Goddess Press
New York, NY 10456
http://millytaiden.com
There’s Snow Escape
Copyright © 2015 by Milly Taiden
Cover by Willsin Rowe
Edited by: Tina Winograd
Dee Carrell
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Property of Milly Taiden
August 2015
—For Dee
Thank you for the friendship, the love, and the encouragement. I love you.
ONE
Charlotte Marzan stared at the older woman on her doorstep. It was way too early for prank calls. “I’m sorry, who did you say you are?”
“My name is Gerri Wilder. I came with a message from Bella.”
Charlotte bit back a yawn and shoved the long, unruly curls away from her face. She looked a mess. Nobody ever knocked on her door before noon. They knew better. They’d face injury and possible death if they did, especially with her being unable to sleep lately.
She blinked. Gerri, wearing a pair of cropped pants and a flowy blouse like she’d been born in them, was flawless. “Bella. My Bella?”
As Gerri’s new assistant, Charlotte’s best friend Bella had gone to another planet to help the matchmaking woman find a lion king his mate. Bella was supposed to be gone for a few months. Not forever!
Gerri grinned, glancing at Charlotte’s Hello Kitty pajamas. “I think King Alyx would disagree with you on whose Bella she is. But yes, your friend, my assistant, and now, the queen of Nova Aurora.”
Charlotte pushed away the haze in her sleep-deprived brain, wishing to get Gerri into focus. “Do you want some coffee? It’s just way too early for you to hit me with Bella being a queen. I need at least three cups before any of what you’re saying makes sense.”
“Sure.” Gerri nodded, gripping a black tote bag in her grasp. “May I?” she asked, pointing inside the house.
Charlotte stared for a second. “Oh, yes. Sorry. Come in. I don’t usually get visitors this early.”
“A bit crabby in the morning, are you?”
“Crabby?” Charlotte laughed. “More like Michael Meyers resting bitch face. I don’t get enough sleep, so waking me up when I finally do sleep can get people in trouble.”
“At the risk of being murdered, I had to wake you.”
Geez. She needed to wake up quickly, but she’d had serious insomnia lately, and the feeling of anxiety over something didn’t let her rest. Clearly it was taking a toll on her ability to think.
Bella would blame it on Charlotte’s lack of a sex life. It was a strong possibility, considering she hadn’t really had sex since her divorce over a year ago. As things stood, her blue-bunny vibrator was her best friend during those long, lonely nights.
If only whatever it was would happen already. She’d always been this way—sensing ahead of time when a big change would take place, but unable to figure out what it was.
Gerri followed her into the living room. She was glad she lived the minimalist lifestyle, or Gerri would have noticed she hadn’t cleaned up in forever. As it was, she would not invite anyone into her bedroom. It was a war zone in there.
“Please sit,” she said, pointing to her powder-blue sofa. “I have an automatic coffee maker. It’s already brewed. I just need to pour. Cream and sugar?”
Gerri nodded. “Thank you. Hold the cyanide.”
Charlotte grinned. “You’re spunky, aren’t you?”
“Darling, you have no idea.”
She headed for the kitchen and went on autopilot while she filled mugs with coffee, cream, and sugar.
Bella had gone to Aurora, a shifter planet, with Gerri to help find a king his mate. Though the information was top secret, Gerri allowed Bella to tell Charlotte. To the rest of her family, Bella sent letters saying she was going on an extended vacation. Vacation. But then, how the hell did Bella end up being queen?
She gulped the first mug in the kitchen while preparing Gerri’s and then took the pot and the fixings to drink more in the living room. Her hands shook, making the tray tremble in her grip. This was insane.
Bella leaving for another planet had been hard enough to understand, but now hearing her friend was staying made Charlotte question what was real and what was fake. Charlotte prided herself on logic. She needed tangible proof to believe what others told her. This came from parents who constantly promised things and never delivered.
She sat, giving her mind a moment to focus, and glanced at Gerri. The matchmaker had a very intense look on her face.
“So you have a message from Bella,” Charlotte said, gulping on her second cup of coffee.
“Yes. She said she loves you dearly, but she’s staying in Aurora,” Gerri said, lifting her mug to her lips and taking a sip.
“Hang on a sec. You mean she really is staying? Like forever? This isn’t a prank?” Talk about being slapped with crazy news at the ass crack of noon.
Gerri put the cup on the coffee table and pulled out a tablet from her one-of-a-kind Hermes bag. Charlotte would know it was one of a kind. Her mother had a collection of Hermes when Charlotte lived in their house. Her mom worried more about her bags than her kids.
Gerri sighed. “It’s probably best if you talk to her yourself.”
Oh great. She’d get a chance to speak to Bella on another world.
What. The. Fuck.
She felt like she’d woken up in some kind of prank, and the joke was on her.
Gerri pressed on the ridged glass on the tablet, and a voice sounded.
“Communication ready.”
“Please connect,” Gerri spoke to the tablet.
Charlotte stopped her cup mid-way to her mouth and gawked at a hologram of Bella and two other men in her living room.
“Is this thing on?” Bella aske
d, glancing at one tall, hunky guy.
“Yes, it’s on,” he said, cupping her cheek and gazing at her adoringly. “Karel, she wants to see her friend.”
“Bella?” Charlotte squeaked. She gripped the sides of her seat. Her heart pounded like she’d run a million miles, though the most Charlotte ever did was walk or hike. Running had a big-fat HELL NO attached to it.
Bella glanced straight into what Charlotte assumed must be a communication device and smiled. “Charlotte!”
“Bella!” Charlotte gasped. She saw her friend but could also see her furniture through Bella. “Are you okay?”
Bella nodded, smiling widely and hugging the tall guy with the sand-colored hair almost twice her size. “I’m wonderful.” She cleared her throat and bit her lip. “I’m glad you’re sitting, because there’s something I need to tell you.”
Charlotte slowly slid to the edge of her seat. “Okay?”
“I’m getting married!”
Charlotte gaped at her best friend. The happiness in Bella’s face came through, even though she was see-through. “Oh my gosh! This is…” She almost choked on her own words trying to talk so fast. Her heart tripped with joy for Bella. “How? What the heck did I miss?” She hopped to her feet and rushed forward wanting to hug her friend over the wonderful news and then remembered it was a hologram image of Bella. “I’ve got to see you!”
Bella laughed and wiped at her cheeks. “Oh my god. Stupid hormones got me crying already.”
“Hormones?” Charlotte frowned, the smile leaving her face and fear clutching her gut. “You sure you’re okay?”
Bella’s radiant grin only grew wider. “Yes. I’m going to have a baby.”
Charlotte stumbled back, her knees giving way as she fell onto the sofa with a thump. “You’re what?”
Bella nodded, excitedly. “I’m going to have a baby!” She made a frustrated motion with her hands and pouted. “Dammit, Char. I need you here. I can’t do this without my best friend.”
“You don’t have to.” Charlotte instantly warmed to Bella’s words. Screw the fact that she was hit with serious news before her third cup of coffee. “I’m sure we can find a way to get me there with you. There’s no way in hell you’re getting married without me.”
Bella bounced on the balls of her feet. “I’m so happy to hear you say that. Gerri can arrange for you to come. Make sure Becca takes care of your house and belongings. You might want to close up the house and put stuff in storage.”
Holy hell. How long would she be gone? She’d been in such a funk missing Bella. After almost a month without her best friend to talk to, she started getting depressed. Her sister, Rebecca, busied herself with writing articles for the women’s magazine she worked at, leaving Charlotte feeling alone without Bella.
“Okay. I can handle all that. I’m sure we can get that taken care of within a week or two.”
Bella sighed. “Oh, Char. I can’t wait to show you how beautiful it is here.” She opened her eyes wide. “There’s one more favor I need from you.”
Charlotte didn’t hesitate. “Anything, chica. You know I’ll do it.”
Bella leaned into the big guy holding her and bit her lip. “I need a wedding dress.”
She sucked in a hard breath. “Bella…”
“I know, I know. You hate shopping. But this is for me. All you have to do is find a dress that’s my style, and we’re about the same big-girl size. If it fits you, it’ll fit me. Just give enough space for him or her,” she said, pointing down to her belly.
Like Bella, Charlotte was a big girl with big curves. Also like Bella, Charlotte had learned to love her curves and send society’s views on beauty to hell. Her latest project, thanks to the prodding of Bella and Becca, was a self-published book that became an instant bestseller. She’d done it mainly to let other women, who were treated like crap because of their size, know they were not alone.
“I’ll find you a dress. I promise.”
TWO
Charlotte had gotten the majority of her belongings into storage in record time. She’d been living off her savings while she’d written her book, and now that she’d had such amazing sales with it, she hadn’t found the urge to get a job. She’d kept her house devoid of plants because she always forgot to water them. There wasn’t much for her to do.
Ding. Ding.
She jumped at the sound of the doorbell and glanced at her two packed bags. Gerri had been particular about asking her to keep things to a minimum, but had told Charlotte there was an area with amazing snow and ice she’d probably want to check out. A lover of all things snow, Charlotte had packed her winter clothes in hopes of visiting the colder area.
Ding. Ding.
“Coming!” she yelled, rushing to the front door. With a single yank, she opened it and saw her sister, Rebecca, frowning in the entryway. The urge to slam it closed and shut her lovely sister out hit Charlotte with the speed of a freight train.
“What the hell do you mean you’re going away?”
Ah, shit. She’d so hoped to get away without having to explain anything to Becca. If Charlotte was the see-it-to-believe-it type of person, Becca was twice as bad. Anything shifter-related and her sister would roll her eyes. Sure, Becca knew of shifters. Everyone did. Charlotte knew human females mated to shifters. Bella’s family members had gone through Gerri to find mates in the past. Rebecca didn’t think shifters were interested in human women.
“Come on in, hermanita.” Charlotte sighed.
“Don’t try being nice now. You’ve been ignoring my calls, Char. Where are you going? Why are you giving me your important papers?” She gasped as she looked around the empty house. “Where is your furniture?”
Charlotte met Rebecca’s gaze with a shrug. “I told you I need a break. I need to get away.”
“If you tell me you’re going to some strange swinger island to have copious amounts of sex, I can understand that. But this looks like you’re moving away forever. You’re way too uptight lately. You need to get some in your life.” Rebecca laughed.
“Becca!” Charlotte chuckled. “No, I won’t be getting sex with ten guys at a time. Lord knows I can’t seem to attract the right type of man as is.” She shoved her hands in her pants pockets. “And I get some, thank you very much.”
“A drawer full of toys is not enough.”
Charlotte widened her eyes and shook her head. “How do you know it’s a drawer? More like a trunk, but who’s counting?”
“Whatever. I swear, the lady’s dog next door gets it more than you.”
Charlotte gaped. “Duke? He’s fixed!”
Becca shrugged, still glancing around the almost-empty house. “Tell that to the way he humped the mailman just now. Those two have something special going.”
Charlotte laughed. “You’re nuts. Besides, I think the mailman already has a thing with the cat across the street. She jumps him every time they open the door.”
Becca raised her brows. “Maybe you should invite the mailman over for coffee. See if he brings out the mating instincts in you. You need sex in your life. All these animals can’t be wrong.”
“If I could find a man who isn’t so full of himself that he sounds like he can suck his own dick, I might have more sex,” she retorted. “Anyway, sex is the last reason why I’m going away.”
“Is it our parents?” Rebecca ground out, slapping her hands to her wide hips. “They’re fucking up again, and you’re upset, aren’t you?”
Wow. Had it always been this bad? Her running off because her parents were never there? Charlotte’s memories all consisted of wanting to get away—to climb a mountain, skiing or snowboarding and clearing her head from the pain of another broken promise by their parents. To say they hadn’t been there was an understatement. They’d had enough hired help that the girls were watched at all times, but never anyone consistent enough for them to feel connected, loved, and cared for.
“No,” she was quick to reply. Her father’s lack of follow-through
with any plans they made had slowly killed her inside. Any love she’d had for her parents drifted away the more they showed how little they cared to spend time with her. After further thought, she realized she’d started out wanting to get away from the second book responsibility and their father. “I really just need a change of pace. I’m tired. I’m depressed without Bella, and quite honestly, I think I’m hitting a mid-life crisis or something.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “You’re thirty-five. Thirty is the new twenty.”
“That’s all well and good, but I have a failed marriage and no real prospects in my life,” she admitted. “For a thirty-five-year-old to feel this…old sucks. I need a clean slate.”
Rebecca sat down, worry growing in the depths of her eyes. “What is it you want?”
“I want what every woman wants. What I know I deserve,” she said. “I want to find happiness. I lived in a loveless marriage for too long, with a man who never really gave a shit about me. Who only saw me as someone to flaunt around his friends because our parents had money. He fell in love with my bank account. Not me.” She gulped at the raw feelings in her throat. She’d never said these things to her sister. She hadn’t said them to herself.
“Charlotte, I know.”
“No,” she shook her head, “you don’t.” For the first time, in a long time, she opened up the feelings she kept hidden to herself. “Do you know how difficult it is to see happily married couples and know that would never be me? Because even though my husband acted like he cared, I could see in his eyes that the words were said for my benefit. Not out of honesty.
“It was hell to listen to our supposed friends tell me that my husband, the man who vowed to love me, made fun of my body and weight thinking I wouldn’t ever find out.
“Worst of all, to live with the regret of knowing I wasted seven years of my life on him? That it took me that long to grow the fucking balls to tell him to go fuck himself?” She licked her lips. “No. You don’t know. I live with the regret of wishing I’d taken a stand sooner.”
There's Snow Escape: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 7) Page 1