Romance Me (Boxed Set)

Boxed Set

by

Susan Hatler

Ciara Knight

Rochelle French

Virna DePaul

Romance Me

Copyright © 2014 by Susan Hatler, Ciara Knight, Rochelle French, Virna DePaul

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

All texts contained within this document are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons (living or dead), is entirely coincidental.

ROMANCE ME boxed set cover design © 2014 Rochelle French

Love at First Date by Susan Hatler

Copyright © 2012 Hatco Publishing

LOVE AT FIRST DATE cover design © 2012 Elaina Lee at For The Muse Design

Winter in Sweetwater County

Copyright ©2014 by Ciara Knight

WINTER IN SWEETWATER COUNTY Cover design ©2014 by Jeannie Ruesch

Forever the One by Rochelle French

Copyright © 2014 Rochelle French

FOREVER THE ONE cover design © 2014 Rochelle French

Bedding The Wrong Brother by Virna DePaul

Copyright © 2012 Virna DePaul

BEDDING THE WRONG BROTHER cover design © 2012 Patricia Schmidt at Pickyme Artist

Table of Contents

Love at First Date (a novella) by Susan Hatler
,
New York Times
&
USA Today
Bestselling Author

(Better Date than Never series, Book 1)
Ellen's figured out that finding the right guy is all about compatibility. That's why she signs up for Detailed Dating-the local online dating scene in Sacramento. They ask men the hard questions, compare their answers with hers, then she filters through the profiles of each provided “match.” After numerous email exchanges, she narrows it down to two promising candidates she's excited to meet in person.

When Ellen's best friend asks her for a favor, dog-sitting leads to disaster and Ellen ends up at the local vet where she meets a man she can't get out of her mind. Henry isn't a logical choice, but she finds herself paying for dog obedience class to spend more time with him. Ellen knows that in order to have a lasting relationship, she should take the safe route and go for one of the pre-screened guys. But, how can she think with her head when her heart keeps begging her to give Henry a chance?

About the Author, Susan Hatler

Winter in Sweetwater County (a full-length novel) by Ciara Knight
, Bestselling Author

(Sweetwater County series, Book 1)
Lisa Mortan's ideal life crumbles when her rich and powerful fiancé demands she end an unwanted pregnancy. With no job or social support, she flees to a small town in hopes of finding a good family for her unborn baby, but instead finds a man who is as broken as she is.

Eric Gaylord returns to his home town for a respite after a tragic loss, but when his spitfire mother takes on an unknown woman as a business partner, he is forced to face the nightmare he'd left behind or risk losing the one woman who could heal his heart.

About the Author, Ciara Knight

Forever the One (a full-length novel) by Rochelle French
, Romance Author

(Meadowview Heat series, Book 1)
Years ago, Sadie Courant had been the frizzy-haired twerp next door. Now she's drop-dead gorgeous and has, well...uh...breasts. It's no wonder Broadway director Ethan Sawyer doesn't recognize his best friend's little sister when he sees her again.

Sadie has been in love with Ethan since she was in braces. So when he fails to recognize her at the bachelor auction she's organized, she flips. Sure, she looks a little different now, what with the boobs and a little help from a flat iron, but really? Deciding she needs to get the man out of her system, Sadie negotiates a way for Ethan to make up for his mistake: a one-night stand. She figures after they do the deed, he'll head back to New York and she'll finally be able to let go. But when Ethan has to move back to the small town of Meadowview and work side-by-side with Sadie, she realizes she couldn't be more wrong about the letting go part of her plan. Because Ethan has and always will be...forever the one.

About the Author, Rochelle French

Bedding The Wrong Brother (a full-length novel) by Virna DePaul
,
New York Times
&
USA Today
Bestselling Author

(Bedding The Bachelors series, Book 1)
Melina Parker has always excelled in two things: research, followed by hands-on application. She prides herself on being a lady in public, but after she's dumped yet again for being a lady in the bedroom, she's ready to go back to school. Determined to find her inner sex diva, she enlists her childhood friend, Max Dalton, to tutor her after hours. Instead, she ends up in the wrong bed and gets a lesson in passion from Max's twin brother, Rhys Dalton, a man Melina's always secretly wanted but never thought she could have.

This novel is rated HHH (“Heat, Heart & HEA”) and involves a bed mix-up, hot identical twins, sex lessons, naughty word games, light restraint, a shy sex bomb who's afraid she's boring, and a playboy hero determined to prove she's got everything he'll ever need.

About the Author, Virna DePaul

Love at First Date

by

Susan Hatler

CHAPTER ONE

When it comes to men, I’m a practical girl. Well, woman. I just celebrated my thirtieth birthday last month. Anyway, stars and fireworks where guys are concerned? Total fantasy. I blame the movies for all that hype.

After two failed marriages, my mom learned with Hubby Number Three that lasting relationships are all about compatibility, which is why I recently signed up at
Detailed Dating
—a popular Sacramento online dating site. I’m going to save precious time (not to mention frustration and heartache) learning the 411 about a potential mate up front to see if we’ll make it for the long haul. Museums and musicals? Yes. Computer games and fantasy football? No, thanks.

After six weeks of email exchanges, I’ve narrowed it down to two prospects:
lookn4luv
and
jusUnME
. Both guys appear to have interests and goals compatible with mine, and our email exchanges have gone well, so I’m stoked about taking the next step in the
Detailed Dating
process by scheduling “face-to-face” coffee dates (separately, of course).

As I typed a customer complaint report on my computer at work, I was pondering which potential mate to date first when my best friend’s face popped over the cubicle partition between us.

“Ellen?” Rachel’s head tilted to the side and her brown hair fell against her cheek. “You got a sec?”

“Sure.” As she made her way over to me, I pushed my upcoming dates out of my mind, finished addressing Gilbert Watson’s claim that our software program had made his laptop go wonky (I used more professional terms, of course), then swiveled in my office chair to face her. “What’s up? You can’t complain about work yet. It’s only Monday afternoon.”

“Very funny.” She strode to my desk, picked up my
Detailed Dating
pen, which was emblazoned with hearts, and started clicking it open and closed obsessively.

I eyed her closely. “Something wrong?”

“No.” Her voice strained too emphatically for me to buy. “Everything’s great. I mean, Chester’s had a hard time adjusting to the move and all, but he’s doing better for sure.”

She had recently moved into her own apartment in lieu of the rental house she’d been sharing with roommates. But, hello? What difference should that make to her pooch? “Honestly, Rach. You worry too much about Chester’s mental stability. He’s a dog. As long as he has food and water, he’s fine. Stop worrying.”

“Pfft.” She gave an exaggerated shrug. “Who’s worried?”

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. Something was definitely up. Rachel had adopted her miniature beagle a few months ago and treated him like a king. Although she’d wanted her own place for eons, she now felt selfish for uprooting him from the home he’d known and loved.

Spare me.

“Whatever’s going on, dish.” I gestured toward the overloaded in-box on my desk. “I’ve got a stack of customer complaints the VPs want me to get through before lunch.”

“Well, since you brought up Chester . . . ” She used a tone that suggested she’d suddenly thought of something. “Perhaps you’d like to come over tonight and bond with him. He’d love a little one-on-one auntie time since he feels so bad about Saturday.”

I glanced down at the gorgeous pair of heeled boots on my feet. I’d only worn them once before her mutt had gnawed on them like his own personal rawhide. “Honestly, Rachel, are you trying to hurt me? You know how expensive these were.”

“Ellen, you have to forgive him. I mean, how’s my sweet puppy supposed to know the difference between a pair of shoes and a chew toy?” She eyed the savage marks in my leather boots and grimaced. “I’ll buy you a new pair when we get paid Friday.”

“No, no . . .” Rach and I were both on a tight budget, which is why I’d turned down the sleek and sexy red stilettos I’d drooled over and instead bought the practical black boots I’d use more often. Even with Chester’s teeth marks. “I mean, they’re not completely ruined, just damaged. Train him to stay away from my footwear and we’ll call it good.”

“Working on it.” Her eyes darted left then right as if someone might be eavesdropping. “But, in the meantime . . . I need a favor.”

Rachel Price had been my best friend for over four years and there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. “Sure.” I lowered my voice. “What is it?”

She bit her lip. “I need you to come over and baby-sit Chester tonight.”

I leaned forward, burst out laughing, and waited for her to join in. When she didn’t, my face froze mid-giggle. “You’re serious?”

“Ellen.” She put a hand on my arm. “It’s an emergency.”

“Hmm. How can I put this in a way you’ll understand?” I tapped an index finger against my temple. “Illness, bleeding, dying . . .
emergencies
. Puppy-sitting? Not so much.”

Rachel groaned. “I wouldn’t ask unless it was urgent.”

My brows rose. “I’ll bite. What’s the 911?”

“You know Gina in accounting?”

“Of course.” Gina interrupts me several times each week with a bookkeeping
emergency
. I use that term loosely. It’s all a ruse so she can come in my cubie to angst over when George will propose. Not like I’d hold my breath on that one. They’d been living together a decade now.