Free Jade's Spirit (Blue Collar Boyfriends Book 2) by Jessi Gage

them to be about him. But that wasn’t all that bothered her about the dreams. When she was fifteen, she’d shoplifted a pair of earrings. Guilt gnawed at her until she’d discreetly returned them to the rack the next day. These dreams were like shoplifting sex. If she couldn’t come by great sex honestly, she didn’t want it at all.
    She sat down to breakfast and firmly put the dreams out of her mind. She planned to visit Grandma Nina this morning, but it was still early. It would be smart to make some progress on the job-hunting front. Maybe she could squeeze in a workout too. 
    The Dover Towne Library was 1.4 miles from her house according to Google Maps. Of the seven libraries where she’d put in applications, that was the one she wanted to work at most. She could remember the first time Grandpa Earl had taken her to pick out a book. She’d been enamored of the building’s stone façade, heavy wooden doors, and the crenellations around the roof. Some whimsical soul had designed it to look like a miniature castle, a place where imagination couldn’t help but run free. It was her favorite building in Dover. It was also the first place where she’d discovered that distinctive old-manuscript smell.
    But she was prepared to work at whatever library would have her. It was time to put her year-old degree in Classics to use. Paying her way through the Boston College program had been her motivation for working at The Palace, but after graduation, she’d realized two things. One, Classics was one of those degrees that prepares you for grad school and not much else, and two, she was better at dancing than she’d ever be at anything that required a college degree.
    But she couldn’t shake her boobs for liquored up men forever, and if she didn’t start using her degree, she would forget everything she’d learned. Her GPA hadn’t been stellar, and she didn’t have any references, but she hoped her love of books and a degree confirming she knew two classical languages would be enough to land her a job with decent benefits.
    She debated whether to call the Dover Towne Library to check on her application and decided it was too soon. She would give it a week. Instead, she found two more libraries, each an hour’s drive away. They’d be last resorts. She downloaded the applications to keep on her computer just in case.
    Flipping her laptop closed, she called the job search good for the day. With the responsible stuff done, she cranked up the suitcase-sized radio in the living room and danced through the house in an impromptu workout.
    Dancing always made her feel beautiful and strong. Stretching her arms over her head, she gyrated down until her bottom was three inches off the floor. Then back up. The burn in her thighs put a smile on her face. Positive thoughts flooded her.
    She had a date with a sweet hottie tonight, a big house to live in rent-free until she found work, a college degree she was finally getting around to using, and great hair, which she tossed around with abandon.
    She lost herself in movement and music. While she was bent forward at the waist whipping her hair in circles, a burst of frosty air hit the back of her neck.
    She straightened up so fast she got dizzy and stumbled. The mustard-yellow ottoman caught her behind the knees and sent her toppling backwards. Her head connected with the arm of the couch, which was more startling than painful.
    While she struggled to free herself from her awkward folded position, her gaze fell on none other than the shadow man.

    Chapter 7
     
    He stood against the wall in the hallway, framed by the arched living room entry like a picture-perfect nightmare. His cape jumped in sharp waves, as if whipped by some unseen wind, but his body and top hat were stock-still.
    Jade’s heart pounded. She froze in place. Even her lungs refused to take in more than the shallowest of breaths. She felt like a rabbit going still under a predator’s gaze.
    His jaw was moving. He was