Dragon Waves: A Shifters in Love Fun & Flirty Romance (Dragon Island Hideaway Book 2) Read online

  © 2018 by Rinelle Grey

  www.rinellegrey.com

  All rights reserved.

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  Table of Contents

  Blurb

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Blurb

  When Audrey catches her fiancé kissing his assistant right before their wedding, her whole life was turned upside down. Determined to start over, and figure out what she really wants for herself, she sets out on their honeymoon to Dragon Island Hideaway Resort with her best friend. The cute resort manager, Hayden, seems like just the thing to help her get over her heartbreak, but when she touches him, it ignites a flame in both of them.

  Dragon shifter Hayrian has no intention of getting involved in a relationship, especially not right now. If his clan’s risk of exposure, and his responsibility to run his parent’s resort in their absence, weren’t enough, he knows that he couldn’t tell a potential mate who he really is. He hadn’t counted on meeting Audrey. He wants to break through her calm and collected exterior, and help her realise that some men can be trusted.

  But with his parents away, and the resort seemingly falling apart around him, can he find time to convince her he’s different?

  Dragon Waves is book 2 in the new Dragon Island Hideaway series.

  Join Rinelle's Dragon Clan and be the first to hear all the latest news - new books, freebies, exclusive scenes, updates, and more, including a free copy of the prequel novella to Return of the Dragons, Loyal Dragon Shifter.

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  Prologue

  “You look beautiful.”

  Audrey stared into the mirror, pleased, at least, with her hair. The hairdresser had managed to turn her deadly straight, auburn hair into an elegant updo that made her feel good. The white ball gown wedding dress she was wearing? Not so much. Personally, Audrey suspected she looked a little like a marshmallow. But it was kind of Eliana to say she looked beautiful.

  She hadn’t chosen the dress for herself anyway. Mark had said that he’d always loved those huge, puffy dresses, said it made him feel like everyone married a princess. Just the thought of him thinking of her as his princess made her lips lift in a smile.

  Today she would marry her prince, and they’d be happy forever. That was all that was important, not the cake, not the flowers, and certainly not the dress.

  “Thanks,” she said, and gave Eliana a smile. Her friend’s maid-of-honour dress was far more elegant—deep blue and slim fitting. Then again, Eliana looked great in anything.

  She was a true friend though, and right now, she grinned at Audrey, misty eyed. “Here, let me just take some photos.”

  Audrey stood still while Eliana snapped a few pictures with her phone. “Don’t post those anywhere,” Audrey warned. “You know it’s bad luck for Mark to see me before the wedding.”

  Eliana laughed. “Don’t you go getting all superstitious now. That’s not like you,” she teased.

  Audrey’s request had little to do with superstition. “I’m just looking forward to seeing his face when I walk down the aisle. I want that to be the first moment he sees me.”

  “Are you decent in there?” Audrey’s dad called out.

  “Yes, come on in.”

  Her father’s eyes widened when he saw her. He gave a low whistle. “You do scrub up, don’t you?”

  Audrey shook her head in amusement. “It’s been a long time since I was a muddy kid, Dad,” she reminded him.

  Her mother bustled in behind her dad. She gave Audrey a cursory up and down, assessing glance, but must have found nothing out of place, because she gave Audrey a harassed smile, and said, “We need to wait a few minutes before we make our entrance. Apparently Mark needs to take care of something before we start.”

  A twinge of annoyance niggled at Audrey’s mind. Mark had said he would turn his phone off early in the morning. That nothing would interrupt their perfect day.

  She forced the thought away, smoothing out the irritation with practiced skill. Mark was a senator, and as such he had a lot of responsibility, especially right now with all this dragon business going on. When they’d planned their wedding date neither of them had anticipated the discovery of what had previously been considered fantasy creatures, right here in Australia, so she guessed a little leeway was to be expected. At least he had been able to get time off.

  “Well, that gives me time to go to the bathroom, which is going to be nearly impossible in this dress,” she said brightly.

  “I’ll give you a hand,” Eliana offered.

  Audrey nodded. “Check that there’s no one in the hall.”

  Eliana peeked out the door, and declared the corridor empty, and both of them headed out. The bathroom wasn’t far, but it did bring them close to the function room, where all the guests were gathered and waiting. Audrey kept her eyes and ears open, not wanting to run into Mark and spoil the surprise.

  They were nearly to the bathroom when she heard voices in a nearby room. Mark’s was easy to recognise, and his assistant, Louise’s, not much harder.

  Audrey grimaced. Mark had insisted that they invite the woman, even though Audrey had felt it unnecessary. She didn’t like Louise, and not just because she inevitably seemed to be taking Mark’s attention away from her. No, Audrey’s issue with her was the way she always seemed to look down her nose when she spoke to her, as though she thought any time Mark spent with her was wasted time.

  Audrey couldn’t make out their words, luckily the door was closed, so she hurried past. But as she came level with the door, something niggled at her mind. Their voices were slightly raised now, as though they were arguing about something. She’d never heard Louise and Mark argue before. Was something wrong?

  For just one moment, Louise’s voice was clear. “She’s going to ruin your career if you go through with this.”

  Audrey’s heart froze. She glanced over at Eliana, wondering if she’d heard too.

  Her friend made a face.

  Audrey hesitated, waiting to hear Mark’s reply. He would tell Louise she was wrong, wouldn’t he? He’d defend her.

  “I’m doing this to help my career, Louise, not ruin it. Audrey is the model wife, always well presented, calm, and collected. My electorate loves her.”

  For some reason, Mark’s words did little to make Audrey feel better, even though it was all true. He had defended her, true, but he hadn’t said a word about loving her or about her being right for him.

  It was quiet in the room now, and Audrey wondered what they were saying. Was Mark still defending her? Or was he placating Louise with more weak arguments?

  Audrey hesitated, remembering her earlier concerns about Mark seeing her in her dress. She wanted him to be surprised, but deep down she knew that if she didn’t talk to him about this, the day would be ruined anyway.

  She yanked open the door, opening her mouth to tell Louise to leave, and that she was no longer invited.

  The scene that met he
r eyes shocked all words out of her mind.

  Mark had his arms around Louise, and the pair were locked in a passionate embrace, kissing as though their lives depended on it. They hadn’t even noticed her.

  Audrey’s heart stopped, and her mind refused to work at all. She struggled to take in what she was seeing.

  Eliana put her hand on her arm, as though trying to offer comfort, but Audrey barely noticed.

  It was hard to breathe. She stumbled back, crashing into the door.

  The noise alerted Mark to her presence, and he broke off the kiss. His eyes met hers, and they widened in shock and horror. He pushed Louise away, as though he could somehow undo what they’d been doing.

  “Audrey, I can explain.”

  Louise, though, looked like a cat that had gotten the cream, content and satisfied. Like she’d planned this down to the last dramatic detail.

  Mark’s earlier words suddenly made total sense. They’d been the truth from his perspective. He was only marrying her because he thought she’d be good for her career. Nothing else.

  His actions with Louise proved that.

  “There’s nothing to explain. Obviously this wedding was a mistake,” Audrey forced out. She kept her head high, trying to distance herself from the ache that burned somewhere under the surface. She refused to feel that pain right now.

  She could hang on to her dignity, if nothing else. Ironically, that was one thing Mark had always praised her for, how she always kept her cool, even when she was angry or upset. Maybe he’d somehow known it was going to save him from a scene one day.

  She backed away from the door, not even sure where she was going anymore. Back to the room she’d left? Where her parents were? She couldn’t even begin to imagine explaining this to them. The whole idea was mortifying. If she started to talk, all the dignity in the world wasn’t going to stop her from bursting into tears.

  “Audrey, this isn’t what it looks like.” Mark sounded desperate.

  Desperate over what this would do to his career, no doubt. Bitter bile rose in Audrey’s throat.

  Her mind was numb. She didn’t care about anything. She fled down the corridor towards the entrance of the building, Eliana following closely behind.

  Once Audrey was out in the sunshine, some of the numbness started to melt away. Then everything just plain hurt. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she stared around blindly. She needed to get away, to find somewhere to hide until she could decide what to do next.

  There. Parked in front of the hall was the limousine that had brought her here, the one that would take them to the reception, and then to the airport to leave for their honeymoon.

  That thought was like a knife twisting in her gut. She remembered planning the week-long holiday at a tropical island resort with Mark. No assistants, no phones, just the two of them. Now she couldn’t help wondering if it ever would have happened. Would there have been ‘private’ calls with Louise all week, disguised as dealing with this dragon nonsense?

  The beribboned car was a stark sign of how much she’d been fooled, and all she’d lost. But the vehicle also offered an escape. Audrey pushed away the painful feelings and hurried towards it, tears blurring her eyes. She ripped open the door and stumbled in. “Drive,” she ordered.

  The man looked startled, as well he might. He wasn’t expecting to be called on for hours yet. He put down the book he’d been reading and put on his glasses. “Where would you like to go?”

  Audrey had no idea. She just stared at him blankly.

  “Away from here,” Eliana ordered, climbing into the other side of the vehicle. “Just drive around town for a while.”

  The driver looked at Eliana, then at Audrey, then to Audrey’s relief, he nodded, and started the engine.

  Just in time too. As they pulled away from the kerb, Mark ran out of the building towards them, waving his arms, as though trying to tell them to stop.

  Audrey looked away. If she never saw him again in her life, it would be too soon.

  “Are you all right?” Eliana asked, her voice sympathetic.

  Audrey just nodded, because she wasn’t sure she could speak without bursting into tears again.

  But thoughts were tumbling all over themselves in her mind, refusing to be silenced. How could Mark have done this to her? How long had things been going on between him and Louise? This whole time? How could she have been so blind?

  More importantly, what was she going to do now? She’d quit her job, worked her final day last week, planning on throwing herself behind Mark and helping him with his work. When he’d asked her to marry him last year, soon after he’d been elected, he’d said he wanted her to share in all parts of his life, personal and professional.

  Obviously though, he’d never intended to go through with that. He wasn’t going to give up Louise. Perhaps he’d expected her to work alongside his mistress. That thought turned her stomach.

  How had she been such a fool? Now that she knew, she could see the signs everywhere. How many times had he worked late? How many times had Louise called him away from something that they’d been planning on doing together with little warning? He’d always been so apologetic, but he’d always gone. And it hadn’t been about work at all.

  They’d been playing her for a fool. And she’d fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.

  “What am I going to do, Eliana?” she asked, feeling near tears again.

  Her friend gave her a hug. “Be glad you found this out before you were married,” Eliana said firmly. “You deserve better than that piece of garbage.”

  Audrey shook her head. She didn’t disagree with Eliana’s assessment, but it didn’t help her feel any better right now.

  Her whole life stretched out before her, empty and meaningless.

  She was thirty years old. Too old to start again. And she didn’t even know what she’d do if she did. She’d never really had any real career aspirations. The only career choices she’d ever been passionate about, like becoming a wildlife photographer, would never be enough to pay her bills.

  She’d thought she had it all figured out. She’d help Mark get himself firmly established, and then they’d start a family. That would have been enough for her.

  But now that life was all lying in ruins.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she gave up even trying to stop them. “There’s nothing left.”

  “Nonsense,” Eliana said firmly. “You don’t need Mark to enjoy your life. In fact, I bet you’re going to have a lot more fun without him.”

  “How?” Audrey said hopelessly. She was grateful to Eliana for trying to cheer her up, but she couldn’t see any joy in her immediate future.

  Yes, she objectively knew that this pain would fade, and that things would get better in time, but right now, all she could see was a huge mess to be sorted out. “I’ll need to find an apartment.” She’d moved in with Mark nearly a year ago. “Move all my stuff, do something with all that food, and send back all the gifts. Not to mention get rid of this dress.”

  She stared down at the huge ball of lace and beads, suddenly hating it. “Maybe I can resell it. It’s probably too late to get our money back on the honeymoon too.”

  “Hmm.”

  There was something in the tone of Eliana’s voice that cause Audrey to look up. Her friend was smiling. She was up to something.

  But Audrey couldn’t help her heart lifting a little at the thought. “What are you thinking?”

  “I think a week away at a tropical island resort—alone—is just what the doctor ordered.”

  Chapter 1

  “He’s not even grateful for everything we did to help him,” Hayrian grumbled. “He’s just run off and left us with all the work.

  His older brother, Rowan, gave him a grin. “I don’t see you lining up to get mated, even if it would get you out of work,” he teased.

  Hayrian gave a shudder.

  No, he had no intention of getting mated. Not in the near future anyway. He was only twenty-six
, far too young for a dragon to be even thinking of permanent mating. Just because his younger brother, Damrian, had thrown all that to the wind to mate his childhood friend didn’t mean he had to.

  He had far too much fun to have yet before settling down. Although apparently not being mated was more work than fun.

  “Besides,” Rowan said, “You should be helping out of the goodness of your heart, not in the hopes that someone will be grateful to you.”

  Unlike his younger half-brothers, there wasn’t a bit of dragon in Rowan’s genes. He was human, through and through. But that didn’t stop Hayrian from loving him. He’d grown up admiring his older, human brother, and wishing he could be more like him, but the reality was, they were as different as chalk and cheese.

  Nothing seemed to ruffle Rowan, whereas Hayrian constantly felt like he had something to prove.

  What he was trying to prove, he’d never been quite sure.

  “Of course I’m glad Dam is happy,” Hayrian said gruffly. “I just hope he isn’t going to spend too long off galivanting with Zara. No matter how much I love him, doing two jobs isn’t going to be possible for long, especially since we’re already understaffed with Mum and Dad away.”

  Their parent’s absence was wearing on all of them. His mother and father had never been away from the resort for more than a few days, and though the three brothers had worked at nearly every position in the resort at some point in their lives, running it completely by themselves was new, overwhelming, and more than a little stressful.

  Rowan nodded. “I’m sure Damrian will be back to help as soon as he can think straight. And Zara too.”

  That thought cheered Hayrian up a little. Zara had lived here since she was little, just like they had. She’d be able to help almost as much as Damrian. They just had to get through a day or two while the pair basked in their newly mated bliss, then things would settle down, right?

  He heaved a sigh and headed down to the jetty to greet the new arrivals for the day.