Hannah Gray

When my parents took me to a hockey camp as a kid, they never dreamed it would take me off the path of becoming a doctor, like everyone else in the family. Unfortunately for them, the moment I stepped into that arena and onto that ice, there was no going back. Fast-forward to my junior year at Brooks University, and I’ve got one shot to make it to the pros. It’s now or never. Because if I don’t? Hello, medical school. Good-bye, skates. The season gets even harder when the hockey team is forced to work with the dance team for a fundraiser, and I’m paired with the daughter of my family’s sworn enemy. As much as I hate to admit it, Sutton Savage is hard not to notice with her dark hair, big blue eyes, and angelic face to go along with those mouthy lips. Soon, it’s damn near impossible for me to hate her. And before I know it, I’m striking up a deal with her for her to be my girlfriend. My fake girlfriend. Since we were kids, I’ve found Sutton to be an entitled brat, someone I couldn’t stand, but suddenly, I’m looking at her differently. And when no one is around, I still want to kiss her … and I realize things are becoming a lot more complicated than I ever imagined they would. Romeo and Juliet were forbidden to be together, and look how well that turned out for them. The thing is, I’m beginning to see Sutton is worth drinking the poison for. She might not be the one I’ve always wanted. But now, she’s the only one I see.

Angry. Wild. Loose cannon. As one of college hockey’s most feared defensemen, I’ve been told I’m all those things and more. The ice is the only place where I can take my anger out on other people and get applauded for it. The rougher I play, the dirtier I am, the more praise I get. I suppose the same could be said about me in the bedroom. I’m not the dude you want your daughter bringing home to meet you. Because your angel? Well, I’ll make sure her halo is crooked by the time I’m done with her. But I’ve met my match. The one who won’t be so easy to leave behind. And the thing with Bria Collins? She’s nobody’s angel. But just because she doesn’t wear a halo … doesn’t mean she can handle my darkness.

As a single father, I often feel like the weight of the world sits on my shoulders. When my daughter’s nanny gives me her two weeks’ notice, I’m sweating bullets. Fear that my NHL season with the New England Bay Sharks could be derailed consumes me. Finding a replacement seems impossible when, suddenly, Maci McKenzie—a struggling author who’s running from some deep, dark secret in her past—steps into the picture. She needs a change of scenery to help her write, and I just need someone who isn’t a complete weirdo to watch my kid when I’m not around. As we grow closer, I learn she’s struggling to write the so-called “spicy” scenes. And, well, me being the nice fella I am, I offer my assistance and show her how a real man should treat a woman in between the sheets. It’s the perfect deal really. I get off, and she gets the inspiration she needs to write a book. And not just any book … a hockey romance book. But like all deals, it’s not black-and-white. Soon, I find myself falling in love with the woman. But the closer I get to her … the further she pulls away. Then, I finally find out what’s haunting her from her past. Whoever says the truth will set you free has never heard a secret like this one.

Puck boy? I’ll take it. Heck, I’ve been called a lot worse. Good time? You know it. Just ask anyone at Brooks University. From a young age, the only thing in life I’ve ever taken seriously is hockey, and I’m not the guy who anyone—besides family and teammates—can count on. This is all true. At least until a certain curly-haired, blue-eyed goddess comes to me, looking for an easy hookup. And hook her up I do. But what’s supposed to be a one-night stand doesn’t stop at one night. What’s meant to be easy … sure as hell gets complicated fast. And it becomes clear that Addison LaConte is just as much my savior as she is my demise. They say if you love something, set it free, and if it’s meant to be, one day, it will return. Well, I don’t think our story is going to be that simple.

An entire campus knows my name. Women throw themselves at me, hoping I’ll take them home that night. Whispers from the NHL say I’m the one to watch. And the weight of each game is on my shoulders because if our opposing team scores … that’s on me. All the things that keep me up at night are probably someone else’s dreams. From the moment I saw Ryann Denver in my Business 101 class, I was intrigued and determined to get to know her. But unlike most girls at Brooks, she hates athletes. And when I introduce myself to her, she makes it perfectly clear that she's not interested. So, I walk away forever with my tail tucked firmly between my legs. But as fate would have it, we’re paired up together in a charity dance event. And now, whether she likes it or not, she has to spend time with me. A lot of time. I guess I’m in luck because it turns out she can use me in her corner right now. And when she finds herself in trouble and I’m the only one she can run to, she figures out maybe I’m not that bad after all. Ryann is going to see I’m not like the players she’s dated in the past. Especially now that I’m her husband.

I was four when my parents gave me my first pair of skates. By six, I was hooked on hockey and couldn’t get enough. At twelve, I had made a name for myself on the ice. And when I was fifteen, colleges were starting to take notice. Life was great—until it wasn’t. Because when I was seventeen, my best friend died in my arms. And nothing made sense after that. Drinking turned to smoking. And smoking turned to pills. But no matter how high I got, I couldn’t erase that night. Or the guilt I felt. Because that night had been my fault. And my friend was dead … because of me. As my best friend’s baby sister, an actual angel sent from above, Haley Thompson is forbidden fruit, and I should stay away from her. Because everything I touch turns to crap. But like all things I’m not supposed to do, chasing her is another temptation I’m not strong enough to avoid. But when I spiral down, hitting my lowest point, I know I can’t take her with me. Because innocent, sweet souls like her, they don’t belong at the bottom. The trouble is, she refuses to let go of me. Even if it will ruin her. Even if I will ruin her.

They say the line that separates love from hate is thin. So thin in fact that the two almost coexist. Almost. It’s also been said that when a dude is a jerk to a girl, it’s because, deep down, he wants her. I’m calling bullshit on all of it. Tate Tracy is about to find out that I’m not the nice boy anymore. Nor am I a forgiving person. She might have been my best friend for eighteen years, but now, she’s no one. And if I have to remind her of that, I will. Even if we’re going to be stuck living in an apartment … together. The trouble is, I’ve only ever had one weakness in life. And it’s Tate Tracy.

I never looked back the day I left Sunset Drive. If I did, I knew that I would never leave the hellhole I had grown to despise, a place I began plotting my escape from as a child. The only difference was that I always thought she’d be by my side on the day I was finally free. The day I left it all behind was the day my hatred for the entire Wilson family was born. Poppy included. After all, she had lied to the police just to protect her monstrous father after he got my parents killed. From that day forward, I decided she needed to be dead to me. They all did. The only thing that mattered from then on was the one thing that had never let me down. Hockey. She may haunt me in my dreams during those three years we were apart, but that was nothing compared to now when I’m forced to see her at Brooks University. Slowly, my grip on everything else in my life begins to slip away as she becomes the only thing that matters. And when I find her in an alleyway, battered and bruised from two attackers who vow to return for her…I decide right then that I am going to protect her at all costs. But protecting her means making a deal with the devil, also known as my rich uncle. A deal that will mean I will never get the chance to spend forever with the only girl I’ve ever loved. Poppy Wilson. It’s a high price to pay, but when it comes to her safety, I have no limits.

For Trent Kade, it’s pretty simple. Get drafted into the NFL and escape the shadow of his spiteful father. Eyes forward, no distractions. That is, until Cameran Steele crashes into his life, and suddenly, all of those self-made rules get thrown out the window after one look into her sad blue eyes. He knows she’s running from something, and he wants to be her escape. But what happens when the one who might be his exception pushes him away? Cameran Steele has experienced her fair share of tragedy and heartache. When she lost her parents at the age of seventeen, she thought it couldn’t get much worse. Boy, was she wrong. After escaping her own personal hell four years later, she finds herself at New England University, eager for a fresh start. Her eyes are on the prize—graduation and a better life for herself. Nothing can get in her way. But when a cocky and persistent football player sets his eyes on her, she struggles not to give in. She knows he’s the one without a doubt in her mind. But sometimes, even the right one comes along at the wrong time.