Lucky Strikers Hockey Romance

Fake dating the town's grumpiest hockey player wasn't part of my plan. Neither was falling in love with him for real. Gunner Kinsey's piercing blue eyes and rock-hard abs have all the women of Lucky Falls fooled. But I know the truth. He's a six-foot-five ice king who freezes out anything that isn't hockey. And the first thing he let go was me… his childhood best friend. I spend the next decade studying to be a mechanic and pretending he doesn't exist. But when a dream opportunity to join the most elite ladies' society arises, dating Gunner is my only ticket in. We strike a deal. A few fake dates. A few fake kisses. And then we call it quits. But remembering it's all for show is difficult, especially when Gunner treats me better than all my 'real' boyfriends ever did. With every touch, with every small smile, with every kiss, the tension between us burns brighter, but Gunner's holding something back from me. Will our fragile bond be able to survive when the secret he's hiding gets out?

Withdrawal episodes. That's what the therapist says when my six year old starts disconnecting from everyone and it destroys my entire world. When I gave up professional hockey, signed my divorce and determined to raise my baby girl on my own in Lucky Falls, I swore I'd be everything my daughter needed. But Gordie needs more than her dad right now. For some reason she connects with the town biker chick... Cordelia Davenport. The female mechanic is the only one who can reach my daughter during her withdrawals. There's just one small problem. Cordelia hates my guts – ever since I rejected her request to be her fake boyfriend and… well let's just say the feeling is mutual. But my daughter is more important than my pride and if we're doing this, I'll be the best fake boyfriend Cordelia's ever seen. Sure, the woman makes me stutter like a toddler on a sugar rush. And maybe I notice how good Cordelia looks in those leather pants a little too often. It doesn't matter. I'll put up with the stubborn, mysterious, ridiculously beautiful woman in my house. And around my dinner table. And even in my lap. Somehow, I'll get my daughter back to herself, keep my small-town hockey team from falling apart and avoid falling in love with my fake girlfriend in the process.

First rule of bro code – never date your best friend's little sister Especially when she's been fired from her dream job and needs a friend. I haven't seen Riley Carter since she was a kid. Which is why I accidentally hit on her before realizing who she is. Pumping the brakes on a runaway attraction is easier said than done. Riley's exactly my type. And completely off-limits. So I make it clear to her and everyone in Lucky Falls that I'm her 'other big brother'. Because her real big brother would kill me if I did otherwise. Because she's made it very clear that she's not interested in romance while she rebuilds her life. And also because… the more I say it, the more likely I'll convince myself. There's no time for distractions. I need to focus on getting back into hockey after the accident that everyone said would end my career. But the more I see of Riley, the more I can't get the sultry, sharp-tongued female mechanic out of my head. And when my ex rolls into town with a secret about Riley's past, I realize that my obsession with Riley might not be one-sided. I'm the golden boy hockey player who always follows the rules, but when it comes to my best friend's little sister? Some rules are worth breaking.

Fake dating a disgraced pro hockey player wasn't in the cards. Neither was falling in love with him for real. Being a female mechanic has it's flaws. The sweet-talking hockey player who thinks I'm here to flirt with him instead of fix his car is proof. Thanks to my broken heart, Chance McLanely's crystal blue eyes and charming smiles don't-ahem-barely affect me. I fix his flashy Lamborghini, drop him off and expect to never see him again. Except he's at my garage the next day, asking me to jumpstart his career instead of his car. And what do I get in exchange for our little ruse? Publicity for my new garage and the sweet, sweet taste of revenge… as my cheating ex sees me getting fawned over by his favorite hockey player. But Chance is a little too good at fake-fawning. And fake dating. And fake kissing. A star athlete like him could never like a woman like me, so why is he looking at me like I'm more than just his mechanic?