Claiming Her Heart: 3-Book Steamy Romance Bundle

Chapter 1
Jade

The dream is always the same.

I’m in the ring toss booth that I work at in real life, wearing my uniform: the bright blue-and-yellow striped shirt, the matching hip-hugging polyester skirt, and the cap that makes my head look like an acorn. In my hand, I’m clutching one of the prizes, a stuffed penguin with hearts for eyes. There are fireworks going off overhead, and the smell of cotton candy and deep-fried food hangs in the air. A sea of people are walking past my booth, but nobody is coming over to play the game.

And then I see him. Or I sense him, I should say. I can feel him weaving through the crowd, walking in my direction.

He’s the man I’m going to marry.

Somehow I know that, even though I’ve never even glimpsed his face.

I’ve had this dream maybe half a dozen times, and every time, it ends the same way. It simply fizzles out—vanishing into thin air—before my future husband can emerge from the crowd.

This time, though, I’m determined to keep it going. I know it’s silly, but I’m just so damn curious about who the guy is. So I plant my feet in this imaginary dream world. I focus on the crowd, watching and waiting for him to step out of it. He’s coming closer. I can feel it. He’s almost—

Riiiing!

Confused, I look down at the stuffed penguin in my hand. It’s vibrating and ringing like a phone. Its heart eyes are lit up and flashing pink at me.

Riiiing!

It’s that second ring that pulls me out of the dream. Suddenly, I’m back in my bedroom, surrounded by darkness, my work uniform hanging up on the back of the door. A few feet away from me, my cell phone is ringing on the nightstand, a photo of my best friend’s face lighting up the screen.

I grab the phone and press it to my ear, furrowing my brows as I answer the call.

“Hello?” I say, my voice cracking.

“Oh, thank God,” Isla’s voice spills out. There’s urgency in her voice that yanks me the rest of the way out of my sleepy state.

“Isla, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

“No, Jade. I am a million miles away from okay.” She lets out a weird-sounding sob. “I need you to take me to the hospital.”

“Oh my God. Where are you?”

“I’m at home. Please hurry.”

“Are you hurt? Should I call for an ambulance?”

“No! No. I’m just in a…situation…”

I slide out of bed and rush over to put my shoes on. “Come on. Tell me what’s wrong. I’m going to find out sooner or later.”

There’s a beat of silence, followed by Isla huffing out a sigh. “Okay. You know how I’ve been testing out those toys for work…”

“Oh, no.” I cup my hand over my face and shake my head. I should have known. Isla works in marketing, and the client she’s been working with recently manufactures toys of the grown-up variety.

“Well, one got stuck, and I—”

“What got stuck?”

“It’s a vibrating egg thingy. I can’t get it out, Jade! The switch is stuck on and I’ve come like six times already.”

I try to hold in my laughter, but it’s impossible.

“Sorry, sorry,” I say, regaining my composure as I grab my car keys. “I’m coming, Isla.”

“No, I am!” She lets out another one of those weird sobs. “Fuck!”

Ten minutes later, I’m pulling up outside of Isla’s apartment building. She’s waiting out front, hopping from foot to foot like she has to pee. I suppress my giggles as she dives into the passenger seat.

“You okay?”

“Just drive. Please.” Isla yanks her seatbelt across her chest. As I start to drive again, she shifts around in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position.

Then, abruptly, she stops moving.

“Shit,” she hisses.

I glance over at her. “What?”

“I think it just went further up.” She shifts in her seat again, her expression twisting. “I guess that’s not as bad, though, actually. Oh, God. I can’t believe this is happening, Jade. I’m so embarrassed.”

“Hey, at least it’s something meant to go up there,” I point out.

Isla snorts. “Yeah. That’s true. It’d be worse if I had a…I don’t know…candy bar or something stuck up there.”

We both burst out laughing.

“In my defense,” says Isla, “I feel the need to point out again that I was doing it for work. I mean, how can I organize a marketing campaign if I don’t thoroughly test out the products?”

“Oh, it was just product research, huh?” I say, shooting her a look.

“Yes!” she huffs. Then she grumbles, “Mostly.”

A few minutes later, we reach the hospital. Isla breathes a huge sigh of relief as we pull up near the ER.

“Thank you so much for doing this, babe,” she says as we get out of the car. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

“Promises, promises,” I say, giving her a grin.

We hurry into the ER and I stay with Isla as she checks in. They’re able to take her back right away. After she’s gone, I take a seat in the waiting room, sinking down into it with a little sleepy yawn. My eyes wander around the room, idly observing the few unfortunate souls who have found themselves here tonight. 

A few seats down, there’s a very attractive, muscular man. His size makes him physically imposing, but he exudes a sense of calm that’s strangely comforting. I can’t help noticing how handsome he is—especially with that sexy stubble—even if he does seem a bit older than me. He might be casually dressed in a faded t-shirt and jeans, but his body is all taut muscle.

And those eyes. Oh, those dark blue eyes.

I turn my gaze away before he can see me checking him out. But I’m suddenly very aware of my own appearance. I run a hand over my hair, trying to smooth out the wild disaster, but I can only do so much without a brush.

My hair isn’t even the worst part, though. My outfit is. I’m in ankle boots, an oversized tee…and pink pajama bottoms that have flowers and bunnies all over them.

I really need to get some new pajamas.

It’s not like I’m planning on flirting with the guy. I’m not the kind of girl who introduces herself to random men, and this certainly isn’t the place to start.

Still, it would be nice to not look like a total hot mess in the presence of a man like him.

Giving up on my hair, I force my eyes up to the TV mounted in the corner and try to focus on it. Everyone in the waiting room is doing their best to be quiet and keep to themselves, and I should do the same. It’s a hospital, for heaven’s sake.

And yet as much as I try to watch the screen, my gaze keeps sliding back to the man a few seats down from me. God, he’s gorgeous. Guys like him never go for thicker girls like me, but hey, it doesn’t hurt to look, does it?

Besides, he’s far, far more interesting to look at than the endless infomercial up on the TV.