BOOK 1 OF THE ‘THE CHARMER’ SERIES
CHARMING THE WARRIORS
BY Danielle Sanderson
Kindle addition
Self Published by: Danielle Sanderson
Copyright © 2013 by Danielle Sanderson
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, media and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
This book is for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.
Contents
Chapter 1
2 weeks later
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Den
Zara
Chapter 11
Sallack
Zara
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Dallah
Zara
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Parrise
Zara
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
3 weeks later
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 1
I am sitting on our large leather sofa when Den walks in with a cheesy grin on gorgeous his face.
“Hey handsome,” I say with a smirk.
Den is my best friend, has been since the age of 8 years old. Den is a beautiful man with black hair styled just long enough to see it has slight curls to it. Everywhere we go he gets girls turning their heads to watch him go by, many of them do so with open mouths.
“Oh babe, you really know how to make me feel special,” He says with a wink smiling widely.
I get up and kiss his cheek on the way to the kitchen to make us a drink, while he sits down, reaching for the remote.
“Have you managed to find our perfect location yet Zara?” He raises his voice, to reach me in the kitchen.
“No not yet. Have you?” I question back.
He shakes his head ‘no’ as I walk back in to the living room, drinks in hand.
We have been looking to move and start a new life for ourselves. We want something different, something fun, but homely. Being here has never felt like home. So now, we are just trying to find the right place but nowhere has called out to us, yet.
Den and I live in the English Countryside of Suffolk, its fine here but we want more, the best part of all is that Den and I will be making a new life and home together. We have no living relatives that we know of; to have to leave or worry about leaving behind as we were both adopted at young ages.
Our adoptive parents were definitely not going to miss us. Sheila and Tom Carter were too busy with their careers to notice us. We received more love and attention from Alice our child minder, who sadly passed away 5 years ago now.
My birth mother gave me away to social services at the age of 3 because she couldn’t’t manage with me on her own without my father on the scene, well that is what I have been led to believe.
My childhood was dull up to the day Den came to live with us at the age of 11, three years older than me, after being in the system from the tender age of 9 months. I remember that day as if it were yesterday, a tall, gangly, almost scruffy looking boy standing with my adoptive parents. With his eyes downcast and shoulders slumped, looking so lost I just had to walk up to him. Taking his larger hand in my small one and looking up at him smiling,
“Hello Den, my names Zara.”
He lifted his head and our eyes met for the first time, green eyes sparking back at me with a hint of a smile on his lip. He returned my greeting with a gentle squeeze of my hand and from that day, I knew we would be the best of friends, which we are; we live together eat together, everything. He is my life and I his.
“Hey Zara, wanna get something to eat I’m starving.” Den interrupts my sad thoughts, thankfully.
“You’re always starving!”
He laughs at my bluntness.
“True, but get that sexy butt moving.” He replies with a wink. If I were one of the admiring girls, I would be blushing right now; however, I just give him an eye roll, as I am more than used to his charming ways, well not always.
“Yeah give me 2 minutes.”
Going to my bedroom I flip my head over and fluff up my hair for volume, I put some mascara on and a bit of blush. Quickly slipping into my favorite pair of tight jeans that Den says makes my butt look cute, and a peach colored jumper I’m ready.
“Ok, I’m done,” I tell him walking back in to the sitting room.
Den is still flicking through the channels so I grab his hand pulling him up, which is hard because he is made of pure muscle and over 6 foot tall.
“Wow you really were 2 minutes, well done!”
With that, he turns me facing the door and swipes by butt, receiving a snort from me in return.
We jump in my beaten up old beetle and drive down town to a burger and grill place. Once we are inside, we are lead to a two-seat table. We don’t bother looking at the menus as we always have the same thing, ‘Burger n fries’. I look over at Den noticing he has something tucked in his leather jacket.
“Watcha got there,” I say pointing at it.
“Oh yeah, can’t believe I forgot. Here!”
He passes me a map, now looking excited. I open it up on the table and look at him questionably.
“A map?”
He smiles at me pulling a pen out of his pocket and passing it to me; I’m looking at him with a raised eyebrow as he chuckles and explains,
“Well we have been looking for somewhere to relocate for years; soooo shut your eyes, spin the pen and stab the map!”
I can’t help but laugh at him for looking so proud of himself, so I might as well play along, shutting my eyes and just going for it. When I open my eyes, I look straight into Den’s, he is looking at where the pen landed with a big smile; looking down I laugh when I see where it has landed.
“Well, how about that. North Carolina!”
I twist the map around and pass him the pen.
“Ok, your turn!” I tell him with a smile.
He takes the pen of me and shuts his eyes; I keep my eyes on him to make sure he does not cheat. As the pen hits the map, we both look down at the same time.
“Shut up,” We say in perfect sync.
I am still gazing down at the map, when I feel his eyes on me. When I look up brilliant green glowing eyes meet me.
“You ok Den?” I ask, looking at him in wonderment, he is breathtaking when his eyes change like this. His eyes don’t glow often, but when they do, I look at him as something magical. I have no idea what makes his eyes change, neither does Den, to be honest we just don’t care.
“Yeah babe, so North Carolina it is then?”
“Why the hell not,” I tell him excitedly.
I am not sure why but it just feels right, I mean what is the likely hood o
f that happening twice!
“Zara there’s nothing stopping us, we have the money to get there from savings and we can pick up jobs easy enough with our talent and good looks!”
I laugh at that one as he sighs and goes on,
“Hey, listen you’re stunning, you really are, stop doing that eye thing when every man compliments you!”
If I really was as beautiful as he makes out, why did he never want me, as I wanted him?
“Please Den?” I say as a silent ‘shut up your embarrassing me’.
“Please Zara! Just listen just once let me finish ok!”
I reluctantly nod my head to him.
“You don’t see it because you don’t look. If you really looked, you’d see what everyone else does. What I see, your thick long blond hair that looks like silk, those honey brown eyes of yours and that killer body, oh and them tit…”
“Den!” I shout and playfully punch him in the arm, blushing profusely. He sees my expression and bursts out laughing, soon followed by me. It’s not that I think I’m unattractive; my body has changed for the better. I now feel, and look like a woman, whom I should at 22. I have had lots men look at me with lust in their eyes; nevertheless, none of those men capture my desire as Den does. Unfortunately, Den uses his stunning looks to sleep with everyone and anyone. He is a true player and deep down I think he will always be this way, so I feel like I carry a curse: to only have eyes for my best friend! Who sees me as a freaking sister? However, I will keep hold of a little hope in finding a man that I will love as much as I do Den, and for him to love me in return.
“Come here!” He grabs my face and gives be a loving kiss on the lips, making my heart do a flip, if only he knew what that did to me.
“Phew, has it just got hot in here?” I joke. Luckily, before I embarrass myself any further, our food arrives.
When we get back to our place, we sit together on the sofa; reaching for the laptop, we do a quick search for the best prices on flights. We book our plane tickets; check out bus routes, and prices of motels, just as a stopgap until we can rent somewhere. Our flights are booked for 2 weeks time, which gives us time to give notice on our flat, quit our jobs and to sell the stuff we won’t be taking, which should be most of it as we’re travelling light. We said that once we found somewhere we could agree on we would jump in with two feet. We have been waiting too long and we are too excited about what could await us.
Having worked in clubs and restaurants from the age of 18, I have always liked being around people, meeting new faces, and socializing. Den is a qualified car mechanic; he was always fixing up and taking apart cars since before he left school so we hope to find jobs doing more or less the same things as we have here.
We have saved every penny from what we have left after rent, bills, and food, having enough saved to take us anywhere, and survive for at least 6 months. Deciding as teenagers, that this is what we want to do, make our lives someplace different anywhere in the world, and as soon as we had found the right place, everything else will slide into place perfectly. That’s what we believed as children! As adult’s we are taking a risk and hoping for the best outcome, follow our hearts as Alice used to tell us daily. As long as we are together, we will be happy, but if we find somewhere we could fit in, be accepted for who we are, were be ecstatic.
2 weeks later
Stepping out of the airport the first thing that hits me is humid weather and the feel of the summer sun all over my body; I close my eyes and tilt my face to the glorious sun. Den pulls me to him by the waist and whispers in my hair,
“Come on Zara plenty of time for that later.”
“Yeah I’m coming.” I say smiling up at him.
We get directions to the buses that are going out. When we get to the dozens of buses, I look to Den; he just shrugs his shoulders walking over to one 7th in line. We decided once we arrived we would just keep picking randomly, like with the map, as it worked so well last time.
“Ok I’m feeling this one,” He says smiling cheekily.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, look the driver is smiling at us, it’s a sign,” He says jokingly, making me laugh.
He walks over to the driver who stands at the back, loading up the bags. Den starts chatting to the man as if he is an old friend so I decide to hang back and take in my surroundings and loving the feel of the sun on my skin. Den comes jogging from round the back of the bus and grabbing our suitcases but not before kissing my cheek and patting my bum.
“Get your sexy ass on there babe, I’ll be 10.” With that he jogs back to the where he came from.
Ok let’s do this, I’m ready, I think. I find a space with two seats and wait for Den, who steps on the bus 10 minutes later with the bus driver. Sitting beside me, Den places his arm around my shoulder and kisses my head as I gaze up at him, feeling so lucky to be here together.
“Hey you’re going to love the town we are going to. I spoke with the bus driver about a few of the town’s that we are stopping at, and…hey guess what he kept doing?”
Before I can make a guess, he jumps back in.
“Sniffing me, how weird is that! Anyway, he mentioned a town called ‘Nickel’ it’s quiet, but it has a few restaurants bars and a club. He said the rent there should be cheap and that it’s a friendly little town and we’ll feel right at home in no time.”
I look over the top of the seat in front of me at the bus driver, good-looking man probably in his 40s. I don’t get any bad feelings from him I’ve have always been a good judge of character just by a first look and Den seems more than happy about the idea of getting off at this town, so looks like it is settled. I spin back to look at Den.
“Yep sounds good to me ‘Nickel’ it is.”
“I feel like this is the place Zara, just from the name… What? Is it my eyes?” He asks, as I watch him in awe.
I touch his cheek with the back of my fingers; it's as if being here has made him even more stunning. I hope its catching!
“You ok Zara?”
“Ummm yeah of course it’s just, wow your eyes…” I look at him, overwhelmed with the splendor of his blazing green eyes.
“Yeah?” He says with a wide grin and raising an eyebrow. He is such a flirt.
“Yeah” I say as a laugh and an eye roll.
“Babe I can’t wait to get to this place. Laurence the driver said if we ask in one of the bars called ‘Quirks’ they should be able to put us up till we find somewhere to rent.”
“Oh brilliant, how long will it take to arrive in Nickel?”
He looks down at his watch I had bought him for Christmas.
“Maybe 2 hours and 30 minutes” He tells me with a grin.
“Cool. I can’t wait to see what real America is like.”
Getting my lip-gloss from my bag, gliding it over my dry lips, I smile as I hear Den release a soft growl.
“Hey maybe you are a Werewolf,” I tell him as he starts to laugh a real belly laugh, which makes me smile widely.
I don’t really believe he is a Werewolf; I just love to be the one to make him smile. He growls at things I do or say, or when he is pissed off, I have grown up with Den’s glowing eyes and growling so I never question it, and I would not have him any other way; it is what I love about him.
“I’d still love you either way you know that, right?” I tell him.
“I know you would.” He says pulling me onto his lap as I lay my head on his warm solid chest.
“I love you Zara.”
“Ditto.”
Chapter 2
We arrive at Nickel Town a couple of hours later; as we’re the only ones getting off the bus at this stop, I cross my fingers praying we have made the right choice. As Laurence the driver passes us our luggage from the storage compartment he tells us, it is a mile walk to the outside of the town and we should be able to get a lift from there, this makes me feel a lot happier.
After walking for about 20 minutes, I look to Den with a sigh.
“
You know, I shouldn’t have worn these heels,” I say pointing to my once stunning shoes, sadly now covered in dirt and dust, whilst trying to walk in a straight line, avoiding the stones.
“Sure you should have, they will take one look at you, and beg us to stay,” Den says with a mischievous wink.
“Ok let’s do it,” I say bravely.
In the distance, there is a sound of an engine, gazing up the long road; I see a pickup driving down this way. I turn to look at Den and raise an eyebrow at him.
“What do you think?”
“Yeah go ahead these bags are getting heavy; give him one of your stunning smiles.”
“Ha! Yeah let’s give it a try, nothing like harmless flirting.”
I playfully wink at him, making him laugh. As we wait for the pickup truck to come within a few yards of us before I start waving my arms at the driver like a damsel in distress, which I sort of am, expect for the hunk of a man behind me snickering at my desperate attempts to get a lift into town.
Thank God. The driver pulls over right next to me as I step up to the open window with a smile.
“Hello I’m sorry to bother you, but is there any chance of a lift into town?”
OH. MY. GOD! I have no idea how I just said all of that without swaying or dribbling, this man looks like a dark angel, so hot, with intense brown eyes with specs of gold looking back at me, and he smells amazing. I’m now actually blushing like a schoolgirl, how embarrassing! I’m meant to be charming him!
Den is the only man to have ever made me blush, so finding the only other man to make me feel this way is a big deal for me.
He looks at me with the edge of his lips curving into a smile.
“It would be my pleasure…”
Trying to get control over myself, which is hard with my heart almost beating outside my chest, I suddenly comprehend that Mr. sexy is waiting for an introduction.
“I’m sorry, my name is Zara and this is Den.”
I stand there mouth open wide as Den comes up behind me in a protective gesture and pushes his hand past me for the handsome stranger to shake.
Charming The Warriors (The Charmer) Page 1
