Water Dragon (The Bride Hunt Book 2)

by Charlene Hartnady

  She laughed, so he suspected he had blurted a couple of choice expletives. She was tiny. Narrow hips, a flat belly and really full breasts. They were barely contained in two tiny triangles. Her nipples pushed up against the fabric. Green. The bathing suit was a turquoise green. Her favorite color. The males had managed to find one like he had asked, only they’d picked up the sexiest one they could find. There was another tiny triangle that covered her sex. He could make out her mound. Fuck me! His cock throbbed.

  Candy moved her dress in front of her, covering herself. “It’s too much isn’t it? Maybe too little is a better description.”

  “It’s perfect.” His voice was so guttural he could barely even recognize it as his own. “I don’t think I want you wearing it in front of anyone else, but here and now… fuck… you look so damned sexy.”

  She smiled, relaxing a little. “It leaves so little to the imagination. You should see the back. Actually, you shouldn’t. I’m going to put this back on.” She gave her dress a little shake and blushed so hard.

  “Don’t.” He couldn’t believe what he was about to say. “You wanted to swim. Go on in.” He looked at the ocean. “I won’t look.” Then he looked down at his hard as rock dick. “I can’t help my reaction though. I’m sorry if it makes you feel uncomfortable, but…” For just a second, he had the unnatural urge to cover himself with his towel but he fought it. Shifters didn’t do such things. His reaction was normal and something his female needed to get used to. If luck was on his side, she’d see a lot more of his engorged member in the not too distant future. And up close and personal at that.

  She shook her head and smiled. “It’s fine. Thank you. I’m being silly.” She tossed her dress on her towel and turned around.

  Torrent grit his teeth to stop from making a choking sound. The bikini bottom didn’t cover her ass much. It was cut high up on her ass cheeks. Tight. Her ass was so damned tight. His balls ached.

  “Are you checking out my ass?” He could hear that she was smiling.

  “Maybe.” His voice cracked and he tried to clear it.

  She laughed as she looked back over her shoulder at him. Then she looked a little shocked but seemed to shake it off. It was something he had noticed about her. It was like she didn’t laugh often. He planned on rectifying that as a matter of extreme urgency.

  She dipped her toes in the incoming surf. “Cold.”

  Torrent jogged towards her. “That’s perfect and exactly what we both need.” She squealed when he caught her around the waist and pulled her into the surf with him.

  She sucked in a breath as he pulled her into the water and then screamed and kicked. “You asshole.” He could hear that she was smiling. “It’s freezing.” She laughed. It was a deep sound that resonated from her belly. He loved hearing it.

  Torrent laughed as well. “It’s not so bad.” He tugged her in a little deeper. They bobbed up over the incoming waves.

  “No, it’s worse.” She laughed some more, her lips were turning blue and her teeth chattered.

  “One day...” He pulled her into his arms and she snuggled into him, looking for warmth. She felt so damned good against him. He kept his hips back so as not to scare her. His erection hadn’t diminished in the least. “In the not too distant future, you’re going to be mated to me. Your core temperature will go up and you’ll love swimming in our ocean. I want to show you something.” He moved her closer to the shore and dove into the water.

  He stayed under for a good five or six minutes before breaking the surface in the vicinity of where he had gone under.

  Candy was closer to the beach, about knee deep. She had both her hands cupped over her mouth and her eyes were wide. What the fuck! She was crying. Then she screamed his name, her whole body sagged in what looked like relief.

  Shit!

  He swam to the shore using hard strokes and ran from the water.

  “Oh my god.” She was still crying even though she still looked relieved. Candy smacked his arm as soon as she reached him. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” She hiccupped and tears continued to stream down her cheeks. “I thought you had drowned or something. Oh my god!”

  Torrent felt something clench inside of him. “You were worried.” He put his arms around her and she tried to push him away.

  “Of course I was worried.” She sniffed. “You disappeared beneath the waves. After a minute or two I started to panic. What the hell, Torrent? Don’t you ever do that to me again…” She pushed at his chest and grit her teeth.

  “Oh, sweetheart.” He cupped her cheeks. “I’m a water dragon. We can’t drown.”

  “Bullshit! Enough of that cocky bullshit. You’re the king. Your people need you and care about you… I’m sure. Sky does. She thinks highly of you.” Her cheeks were tear soaked, her eyes still held remnants of the panic she must have felt.

  He wiped the hair from her face and kissed her eyes. “There was no risk. I can’t drown. Water dragons can breathe underwater.”

  “Really? Seriously? Why didn’t you tell me? I was worried sick about you.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m so glad you care so much about me.”

  She cleared her throat. “I was worried for your kingdom, that’s all, I hardly know you.”

  Torrent couldn’t help but to chuckle, he nuzzled into her neck. “If you say so.”

  She melted into him, her breasts mashed up against his chest. He could feel her hard little nipples. His erection came back with a vengeance and he pulled his hips back. “For the record…”

  She made a noise of agreement.

  “The whole breathing under water thing.” He pulled away so that he could look into her beautiful eyes. “I didn’t tell you because I planned on showing you. There’s a really big tub in my chamber and breathing under water comes in handy.”

  Her pupils dilated. Candy licked her lips and squirmed. The scent of her arousal surrounded them like an invisible cloak. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply. Just say the word. Do it! Tell me what you want. Please!

  Candy pulled away. “I think I’m going to catch some sun.”

  Torrent nodded. Disappointment coursed through him. Candy wanted him, he wasn’t sure why she was holding back.

  Two days later…

  There was a loud crashing noise. Candy sat up. She sucked in a breath and put her hand to her chest and tried to get her bearings. It was dark. Not quite pitch black. The moon hung low in the sky, surrounded by a billion stars.

  She was on a bed. A really big, four-poster bed. Silk sheets pooled around her waist.

  “Sorry.” A deep, masculine voice cut through the night. “Did I wake you?” There was a rustling noise of a blanket moving. It came from the floor instead of the couch. It was Torrent.

  She sighed softly. “Did you fall off the couch?”

  Torrent chuckled. “Yup.”

  Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, or lack thereof. The moon was about three-quarters full, so it gave off a ton of light.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Of course, yes.” She could hear that he was smiling. “I’m a king, the strongest of all my people. Do you think that such a little fall would harm me?”

  Before she could say anything, he continued. “I land on my ass at least five times a night. I’m starting to get used to it. That, and sleeping on the floor. The only shocking thing is how you managed to sleep through it. This is the first time you’ve woken up.”

  Five times a night! Poor guy. “Oh! I’m sorry. I’m a deep sleeper.” Candy chewed on her bottom lip. She could hear that he wasn’t trying to make her feel guilty or trying to change her mind about sharing the bed with him. In fact, Torrent had been nothing but sweet and kind over the last few days. Her defenses were weakening. It was time to come clean, to tell him all about her past. She hoped that he wasn’t the kind of guy that would be put off by her previous profession. There was only one way to find out.

  Torrent rose to his feet
, he used the blanket to cover his manly bits but his ass was on full display. Her eyes had completely adjusted to the dark and she could make out his spectacular glutes. She tried not to stare as she settled back under the covers. Tried and failed. Holy macaroni! Sweet baby Jesus. What a spectacular sight he made. For a moment she was tempted to turn on the side lamp so that she could ogle him good and proper.

  Then he lay back down on the couch, laying on his side, he scooted as far back as he could. There was no room for movement. His big body took up the entire sofa. If he so much as breathed too hard he was going to fall again.

  Shit!

  What difference did it make if they shared a bed? They were both adults and besides, the bed was huge. They could both lie sprawled out on this thing and not make contact with one another. “Torrent.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You can get in bed… with me… but only if you promise to stay on your side.”

  There was a long, heavy pause. “Are you sure? Because I’m okay here. I’m also a really good sleeper. That’s probably why I keep falling off this damn thing.”

  She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sure. You stay on your side, I’ll stay on mine and we’ll be golden.”

  “I can live with that.” He got up off the couch and took two steps towards the bed, then he stopped. Torrent ran a hand through his hair, before clasping the back of his neck. “Um… should I put on some pants?”

  Yes!

  Shit!

  Candy swallowed hard, trying not to panic. This wasn’t a big deal. “You said you can’t sleep unless you’re naked.”

  “I’ll be fine.” His voice was gruff. Torrent turned towards the closet.

  “Wait. If you’re on your side and I’m on mine, your being naked shouldn’t make any difference.” No difference whatsoever. “Right?” There was a slight shake to her voice.

  “Are you sure about this?” He pulled the blanket tighter around his middle.

  “Definitely.” Maybe she should go and put on some underwear. No! She was in an oversized shirt, which she pulled down. The thing came to just above her knees. They were fine, more than fine. One hundred and fifty percent. No, two hundred percent. Surely!

  “Okay then.” He walked to the other side of the bed and pulled down the covers.

  Candy scooted further onto her side, she turned to face the opposite direction. The bed dipped and the sheets rustled. He really was way over there on that side. Although she could feel his presence, although she could hear him breathing and smell that wonderful manly scent of his, she couldn’t feel his heat. They were fine. This was okay. “Good night,” she whispered.

  “Good night.” His voice was low, with a raspy edge. “And, Candy?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for this.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  She lay there in the dark for what felt like ages before finally falling asleep.

  “Candy.” Torrent whispered her name ever so softly into her ear. He did it in a way that was sexy and seductive. She was wet and needy. Dripping wet. Then she called his name on a sob.

  He was there, between her thighs. His manhood thick and ready, a drop of pre-cum on his tip. “Are you ready for me?” He growled, his eyes the most beautiful pale blue.

  “Yes,” a moan this time. There was a reason she shouldn’t be doing this but she couldn’t remember exactly what it was. She wanted him and he wanted her. They were about to take what they needed from one another. It was as simple as that.

  He called her name again as he pushed himself inside of her. “Take what you need.” She grit her teeth. “Just take me,” she ground out.

  “Candy.” More urgent this time. “Wake up, Candy.”

  She opened her eyes on a soft moan and immediately tensed up. What the hell? She swallowed hard and tried to keep herself from panicking. The room was filled with morning sunshine and she squinted her eyes. She began to find her bearings. Please don’t let this be real. Please.

  Torrent touched a hand to her back. “Easy. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

  Her nightshirt rode somewhere up around her hips. Torrent was on his back, still on his side of the bed.

  “Oh god!” There was a definite edge of panic to her voice.

  Her one leg was thrown over him. She could feel his hard… member under her thigh. Her… oh good lord… you-know-what was plastered up against his thigh. She may or may not have been rubbing herself against him. Please no!

  It was a dream. A filthy dream. She buried her face into his chest. “Please tell me I’m having a nightmare.” Her voice sounded muffled.

  He laughed and since her chest was plastered across his, she felt it acutely.

  Torrent trailed his hand up and down the top of her back. One of his hands clasped her waist, holding her in place. “I don’t know, I was enjoying it, only, I would prefer it if you were awake. More fun that way.”

  “I’m glad you woke me up.” She tried to pull away but he held onto her. “This is so embarrassing. I’m so sorry!” She was plastered up against him. Did she say any of those things out loud? Please no.

  ”I’m not sorry. Your body knows what it wants and so do you. Stop fighting this, Candy.”

  “It’s too soon for us to be tied together. I would love to have sex with you… there I said it.” She huffed out a breath. “We can’t though, not yet. I need to talk to you about a few things and it’s too soon. Too big of a commitment.”

  “I’m glad you’ll at least admit that you want me.” His voice was gruff. “That’s a start.”

  “Um, can I move back now? Give you a bit of space? I’m so embarrassed.” She wanted the floor to open up and suck her in.

  “I love the way you feel against me. I fucking love it.”

  She covered her face with her hand. He was so hard beneath her thigh. Her pussy was pushed up against him. The dream had made her achy and needy. It was so vivid. Her clit was throbbing. She could feel how slick she felt.

  “We don’t have to have sex, Candy. There are other things we could do.”

  “Like what?” Stupid question. “Don’t answer that.”

  He chuckled but the laughter soon died and his chest rose higher as he pulled in a big breath. “Let me ease you. Let me taste you, Candy. I want to make you come more than I want my next breath.”

  She sucked in a ragged breath of her own. She wanted to say yes but oral sex often led to full blown sex and they needed to talk. She needed to come clean. What if he was disgusted with her? What if he couldn’t be with someone that had sold their body for financial gain? This was moving so fast. If she was honest with herself, she already had feelings for him. If their relationship became sexual, even if it wasn’t full blown sex, she might just fall for him and then what?

  He squeezed her hip and eased her nightshirt down, pulling her away from him in the process. “I’m sorry.” He put his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. “I messed up. I was supposed to wait until you initiated intimacy. I’m rushing things.” He kissed her softly on the top of her head.

  She wanted him. She really wanted him. She could feel how much he wanted her right back, yet he was respecting her wishes. Or at least, what he thought were her wishes. “Wait.” She huffed out a breath. “No sex, but we can fool around.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Definitely. I don’t think I’ve ever been hornier in my whole life.”

  “Me neither.” He kissed her softy, his lips soft against hers. “What do you want? How do you want it?” He pulled her onto his lap, so that she was straddling him. His massive cock was flush against his well defined abs. She was sufficiently covered by the shirt.

  A shiver ran down her spine. No one had ever asked her before what she wanted. “Um.” She took her bottom lip between her teeth.

  “Tell me,” a deep growl. “What do you like?”

  If this was happening, it was happening right. Candy grabbed her hem and pulled her shirt over her head.

  To
rrent snarled. “Fuck!” He stared at her chest. All out gaped. “I need to touch you.”

  He was asking for permission? How refreshing. Normally guys just groped her. They had paid after all. It was like she belonged to them and not in a good way. She was more like a possession than a person. Oh shit! He was waiting for her answer. “Yes. You can touch me.”

  He cupped her breasts, squeezing and kneading them. Then he grabbed her mound. “You have a thin strip of hair.”

  “Don’t dragon females have hair down there?”

  He shook his head. “I like pussy hair.” He cleared his throat. “I like your pussy hair.”

  “Thanks, I think.” She moaned when he touched her opening.

  “Mmmm.” A deep rumble. “You’re soaking wet. Were you dreaming about me… us?”

  She nodded. “I’m surprised I didn’t call out your name.”

  “Were we fucking?” His nostrils flared.

  She nodded.

  “Was it good?” His eyes glinted. “It had better have been good.”

  “Yes, it was amazing.”

  “Did you like me inside you?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was breathy. “A little too much.”

  “Good.” He pressed her opening a bit firmer but without actually breaching her.

  The need to ride his hand hit her hard. She managed to stay still after one small thrust of her hips.

  “So damned receptive. Such a turn on. Now…” His eyes darkened as they narrowed them on her. “Tell me what you want. My mouth? My hand? All of the above?”

  She felt her cheeks heat and rolled her head back for a beat.

  “Tell me. I can see that it’s on the tip of your tongue.”

  “Okay.” Could she really tell him? Yes. “I like to be fingered. I want your mouth on my clit and when I’m about to come…” She paused and pressed her lips together before pulling them into her mouth.

  “Tell me.” His voice was as rough as sandpaper. The extra gritty kind.

  She pulled in a breath. “When I’m about to come I’d like you to stick your finger in my… you know… my…” She couldn’t say it. Couldn’t believe she had said this much.

  His eyes flared as they widened. His jaw tightened. “Your ass?”