Hearts on Ice Series by Riley Keenan

The first rule of photography is to never fabricate your subject. Yet here I am, fabricating an entire relationship with campus hockey hero Ethan, complete with carefully curated social media posts and practiced public kisses.My dreams are bigger than my bank account. Just click the shutter and cash the checks, I repeat like a mantra while framing another perfect shot of Ethan... moreThe first rule of photography is to never fabricate your subject. Yet here I am, fabricating an entire relationship with campus hockey hero Ethan, complete with carefully curated social media posts and practiced public kisses.My dreams are bigger than my bank account. Just click the shutter and cash the checks, I repeat like a mantra while framing another perfect shot of Ethan. On ice, he moves like poetry in motion – all lean muscle and impossible grace that my camera worships even when I refuse to.A month ago, I was cursing his name after he nearly bit my head off for accidentally causing his crash. Now I'm wearing his team jacket and memorizing his game schedule. Amazing what a slashed scholarship and the threat of dropping out can do to a girl's principles.The arrangement is supposed to be clinical. A few months of hand-holding, strategic public appearances, and news-worthy couple moments.He gets the NHL scouts seeing him as stable boyfriend material while keeping his clingy ex at bay. I get exclusive access that will make my portfolio irresistible and connections to land that dream internship.When the championship game ends, so does this charade. Simple and efficient. Absolutely no catching feelings allowed.The countdown clock is ticking. Only few more weeks of this elaborate performance before we each get what we wanted and walk away.So why am I suddenly taking twice as many pictures of him during practice? Why am I saving his ridiculous hockey memes and finding excuses to stay for post-game celebrations?Every photographer knows timing is everything. But as I watch Ethan across the crowded hockey house, I realize that I've stumbled into the most dangerous shot of all.Because while my camera documented our fake story for the world, my foolish heart was quietly developing something entirely real. When our final scene wraps, I might be the one left with more than just pictures to remember him by. less

Romance is dead, and I killed it. My marriage proposal included a PowerPoint presentation, projected P&L statements, and a firm handshake.But Caleb's bank account could resurrect my failing restaurant, so here we are, negotiating terms of holy matrimony like it's a trade deal.Look, I'm not proud of marrying Caleb for money. But when you're three months from losing your restaurant and the apartment above it where you live, desperate times call for desperate weddings... moreRomance is dead, and I killed it. My marriage proposal included a PowerPoint presentation, projected P&L statements, and a firm handshake.But Caleb's bank account could resurrect my failing restaurant, so here we are, negotiating terms of holy matrimony like it's a trade deal.Look, I'm not proud of marrying Caleb for money. But when you're three months from losing your restaurant and the apartment above it where you live, desperate times call for desperate weddings.The Boston NHL team's star right winger needs a wife to convince his stuffy team owner he's captain material. I need seventy-five thousand dollars before the bank forecloses on my dreams. After one too many tequila shots, we hatch the world's most ridiculous a one-year marriage contract. He gets his promotion, I get my restaurant. We shake on it. Simple.Here's what I didn't plan Caleb actually knowing how to load a dishwasher. Him showing up at 2 AM to help me prep for the breakfast rush because he can't sleep after away games. The way he looks at me when I create a new dish named after his game-winning goal. Or how my traitorous heart does a full hat trick every time he calls me "wife" in that stupidly sexy voice.Now I'm catching feelings faster than he catches pucks, and our expiration date is looming. We promised no complications. We swore this was just business. We literally signed a contract with a ‘no falling in love’ clause. Yes, it's legally binding. His agent is very thorough.But when Caleb starts talking about what comes ‘after’ and looking at engagement rings that aren't props?Let's just say I'm about to break every rule in our fake marriage playbook. And I've never been happier to take a penalty. less

The problem with teaching someone how to be the perfect boyfriend is watching them become exactly that—for other women.Rock bottom looks like failing organic chemistry, potentially losing my med school dreams and swimming scholarship, and secretly harboring my runaway sister in my dorm room.Liam is a hockey hero, campus heartthrob, and inexplicable chemistry genius. When he offers to tutor me, every alarm bell in my head starts ringing... moreThe problem with teaching someone how to be the perfect boyfriend is watching them become exactly that—for other women.Rock bottom looks like failing organic chemistry, potentially losing my med school dreams and swimming scholarship, and secretly harboring my runaway sister in my dorm room.Liam is a hockey hero, campus heartthrob, and inexplicable chemistry genius. When he offers to tutor me, every alarm bell in my head starts ringing. In my experience, attractive men offering academic help always come with dangerous strings attached.But desperation makes people do stupid things, and I'm running out of options.His proposition catches me completely off he'll save my academic career if I teach him how to actually date women instead of waiting for them to throw themselves at him. Apparently, being devastatingly handsome doesn't automatically translate to dating skills. Who knew?Our arrangement should be straightforward. He explains covalent bonds, while I explain how to plan dates that don't involve group hangs at sports bars. He breaks down reaction mechanisms, while I break down the art of showing interest without seeming desperate.Simple exchange of services, nothing more. Except Liam keeps breaking the rules. He gives my sister sanctuary in his house without hesitation. He practices his newly learned dating techniques on me with an intensity that makes me forget this is supposed to be fake.When he looks at me like I'm the only girl at the entire carnival, I start to wonder if maybe he's not practicing at all.Every successful practice date he reports back feels like a punch to the gut. Every chemistry concept he patiently explains while sitting just close enough for me to smell his cologne tests my resolve.With two weeks until my make-up exam and my heart performing chemical reactions I definitely didn't authorize, I'm starting to realize the most important formula might be the one I'm too scared to what happens when fake dating starts to feel dangerously real? less

Sleeping with the man who offers me shelter is not just forbidden, but also risky.Brad is a hockey star who guards his heart as fiercely as he protects his son with asthma. When a winter storm destroys my cabin and forces me into his home, our carefully maintained boundaries begin to shatter.I came to this town for a fresh start. A new teaching job, cozy mountain cabin, and zero complications. What I didn't expect was the NHL hockey star neighbor, who makes grumpy look like an art form... moreSleeping with the man who offers me shelter is not just forbidden, but also risky.Brad is a hockey star who guards his heart as fiercely as he protects his son with asthma. When a winter storm destroys my cabin and forces me into his home, our carefully maintained boundaries begin to shatter.I came to this town for a fresh start. A new teaching job, cozy mountain cabin, and zero complications. What I didn't expect was the NHL hockey star neighbor, who makes grumpy look like an art form.He's a single dad fiercely protecting his adorable son, Finn, who has asthma and a smile that melts my heart instantly.Brad is all walls, six-foot-three of muscle, hockey swagger, and ‘don't get too close’ vibes. His world revolves around his son's health and his career on the ice.Romance isn't even on his radar, and he makes that crystal clear. Then a record-breaking winter storm changes everything.My cabin's roof caves in. And suddenly I'm living in Brad's guest room. What starts as temporary shelter becomes something more.The more time we spend together, the more those walls start cracking. Every shared meal, every moment I catch him watching me with Finn, every accidental touch during his physical therapy sessions… the heat between us becomes impossible to ignore.My cabin will get fixed. But walking away from the family we've built terrifies me.This is a standalone, sweet sports romance with some heat. less