Captured Hearts Book 1 in the Heart Series - Wattys 2015 Winner

Chapter 1

Breathe Jenna.

Breathe.

The wedding was over. She had said her farewells to her parents and her sisters, been escorted up to the honeymoon suite on the arm of her husband, and now she was waiting for him to come back with their luggage.

Breathe Jenna.

Breathe.

Everything is going to be okay.

She tried to reassure herself as she paced up and down the hotel sitting room, waiting for her husband to appear, but the thought of being alone with him was making her more terrified by the second.

Breathe Jenna.

Breathe.

As she heard the hotel room opening, she felt her whole body tense, and the sound of the door closing, arrested her from where she stood frozen near the window. As he appeared in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame, she felt herself begin to tremble. He stepped further into the room, closing the sitting room door behind him, and effectively cutting off all of her ties with the outside world. At least for tonight, she was alone.

With him.

He took a few more steps towards her, his shoes sinking into the soft carpet, and she gave a slight shudder as his eyes raked down her approvingly.

"You look beautiful MashaAllah." He said, the side of his mouth lifting in a smile, and she started slightly at the deep sound of his voice. It was the first time he had addressed her directly all night, and she swallowed, too nervous to even mumble a reply.

Breathe Jenna.

She winced as his eyes skimmed over her body again. She was wearing the most expensive dress she had ever owned in her life. It was a flowing white gown that trailed a good few feet behind her, and it had diamonds all over it. She shimmered when she walked, and she wouldn't have been surprised if they had been real diamonds. Her veil was made out of silk and flowed in puffy clouds down to her waist, and she wore a Hijab made out of pure white lace. If she thought the gown was too much, the whole wedding had been more extravagant than was necessary, and she knew it had to be all him. While her parents were not poor, they certainly didn't have enough to spend so much, especially with three other children.

It had been a beautiful wedding. Everyone she knew was there, everyone he knew was there, which meant there were easily a thousand people in attendance. It had taken four cars to take even half of the presents they had gotten home. The cake had been ten tiers high, with the most elaborate designs that must have cost a fortune alone. Dinner had been seven courses, and her hand was actually heavy from the weight of her wedding and engagement rings.

It had been the most magical perfect day.

A wedding day that girls could only dream of.

And it would have been nice for Jenna too if she hadn't been forced into marrying him.

He took another step towards her.

Breathe Jenna.

Breathe.

***

Hudayfah stood with his arms across his chest, staring at his wife.

His wife.

Wow.

Before a few days ago, he never saw himself as the married type. It's not that he had commitment issues or anything, he just enjoyed being free.  He didn't relish the idea of being tied down, and never had. If he wanted to pick up and stay at one of his other houses on a whim, he wanted to be able to do so without having to discuss it with someone else. Also the fact that he never found someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with probably added to his reluctance. Its not like he wanted to be with her now either. It was out of necessity that he had married her. She would have been dead right now if he hadn't, and he couldn't let that happen to an innocent person regardless if he had to sacrifice his own comfort.