Ottawa Regents Series by Ruby Rana

Landon So much for being the golden boy.Once-fawning press called me the rising star of the NHL. Now they get their rocks off on the viral snap shot of my buck-naked ass mashed up against my penthouse window and between an attention-hungry woman's legs.Goodbye, post-season winning streak. Goodbye, Stanley Cup. Goodbye, dating - not that I was doing much of that before .My agent promises to make the rumors disappear by hiring the best lawyer in Ottawa... moreLandon So much for being the golden boy.Once-fawning press called me the rising star of the NHL. Now they get their rocks off on the viral snap shot of my buck-naked ass mashed up against my penthouse window and between an attention-hungry woman's legs.Goodbye, post-season winning streak. Goodbye, Stanley Cup. Goodbye, dating - not that I was doing much of that before .My agent promises to make the rumors disappear by hiring the best lawyer in Ottawa. But Indira Davé's no longer the quiet, gawky goalie I played with in grade seven. She's all confidence and drive-you-insane curves. And that smart mouth of hers has me thinking about a thousand ways I could shut it up. Or have it scream my name.She doesn’t trust me, but I can't unsee the real Indi. And if she lets me in, I'll never let her go.IndiNope. There's no way I still have that pubescent crush on Landon Radek. So what if he's outrageously good-looking? I won’t fall for his charm or dimpled smile this time.I'm his lawyer. He's my lying-through-his-teeth client. And I hate him. For reasons I’d rather leave in the past.A half-bottle of red wine has me blurting a precious secret and Landon comes up with a filthy proposition. If I accept it - BIG if with a capital I - I have strict rules.Feelings are an absolute no-go. Both of our careers hinge on the utmost discretion. But the more he proves he’s still the boy I adored many years ago, the less control I have over my well-protected heart. less

WadeI’ve been pissing off Gabe Finch since her first NHL press conference.The snarky sportscaster hates my guts—hungry kisses and an unforgettable night don’t change that—and I can’t get her out of my head. When her cheating ex-fiancé won’t leave her alone, a protective instinct possesses me to butt in and pretend to be her boyfriend.Big mistake.Paparazzi capture our exit from the crowded club, and now, our PR teams want us to fake-date for clout. Should be easy. I can do fake... moreWadeI’ve been pissing off Gabe Finch since her first NHL press conference.The snarky sportscaster hates my guts—hungry kisses and an unforgettable night don’t change that—and I can’t get her out of my head. When her cheating ex-fiancé won’t leave her alone, a protective instinct possesses me to butt in and pretend to be her boyfriend.Big mistake.Paparazzi capture our exit from the crowded club, and now, our PR teams want us to fake-date for clout. Should be easy. I can do fake. I’ve faked who I am for years. But with Gabe, everything feels too real, and the façade quickly crumbles despite my usual safeguards.Maybe for her, I want it to.GabeWade Boehner is a decent goalie, but wholly unserious and far too arrogant. Plus his frontal lobe only reached maturity, like, yesterday.I probably need my brain scanned, too. My impulse control short-circuits whenever the handsome idiot struts around.One angry New Year’s Eve kiss, one night together last summer, and one whiskey-fueled performance as his girlfriend top the list of my poor decisions.Our bosses want to take advantage of the situation, so for the next four months, Wade & I have to play the happy couple without killing each other. Totally doable, if he could keep his yapper shut and grubby paws to himself. But no, the annoying show-off wants hand-holding and lovey-dovey gestures broadcast on the Jumbotron.Worst of all? When we’re alone, he slips me glimpses of the real Wade, and I’m afraid of what I’ll feel if I let myself believe he’s more than a brainless, carefree jock. less

WadeI’ve been pissing off Gabe Finch since her first NHL press conference.The snarky sportscaster hates my guts—hungry kisses and an unforgettable night don’t change that—and I can’t get her out of my head. When her cheating ex-fiancé won’t leave her alone, a protective instinct possesses me to butt in and pretend to be her boyfriend.Big mistake.Paparazzi capture our exit from the crowded club, and now, our PR teams want us to fake-date for clout.Should be easy. I can do fake... moreWadeI’ve been pissing off Gabe Finch since her first NHL press conference.The snarky sportscaster hates my guts—hungry kisses and an unforgettable night don’t change that—and I can’t get her out of my head. When her cheating ex-fiancé won’t leave her alone, a protective instinct possesses me to butt in and pretend to be her boyfriend.Big mistake.Paparazzi capture our exit from the crowded club, and now, our PR teams want us to fake-date for clout.Should be easy. I can do fake. I’ve faked who I am for years. But with Gabe, everything feels too real, and the façade quickly crumbles despite my usual safeguards.Maybe for her, I want it to.GabeWade Boehner is a decent goalie, but wholly unserious and far too arrogant. Plus his frontal lobe only reached maturity, like, yesterday.I probably need my brain scanned, too. My impulse control short-circuits whenever the handsome idiot struts around.One angry New Year’s Eve kiss, one night together last summer, and one whiskey-fueled performance as his girlfriend top the list of my poor decisions.Our bosses want to take advantage of the situation, so for the next four months, Wade and I have to play the happy couple without killing each other. Totally doable, if he could keep his yapper shut and grubby paws to himself. But no, the annoying show-off wants hand-holding and lovey-dovey gestures broadcast on the Jumbotron.Worst of all? When we’re alone, he slips me glimpses of the real Wade, and I’m afraid of what I’ll feel if I let myself believe he’s more than a brainless, carefree jock. less