Kings of the Ice

A series of interconnected standalones following a team of professional hockey players and the women who bring them to their knees.

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1. MEET YOUR MATCH by Kandi Steiner

SYNOPSIS

One Month with Vince Tanev: Tampa’s Hotshot Rookie. Twenty-four-seven access on and off the ice.

The headline says it all, and my bosses are over the moon when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in my lap. Of course, they aren’t aware that I’ve already met Vince Cool at an all-star gala—and that we were at each other’s throats the entire time.

It doesn’t matter that he’s the kind of hot that shows God has favorites—messy brown hair, heated hazel eyes, the smirk of a rockstar, and a scar over his eyebrow that makes every woman particularly feral. He’s a rich, cocky playboy—a brand I’m all too familiar with, and one I’m determined to never be around again.

But after my coverage of the gala stirs up buzz, the team’s General Manager and my CEO strike a deal. To help fill the arena at home games, I’ll get up close and personal with Tampa’s new shiny toy. Whether he’s at practice, playing in a game, partying, or drinking coffee half-naked in his condo—I’ll be there for all of it.

Vince gets under my skin like no one else. It isn’t long before that paper-thin line between hate and lust blurs, and being around him every waking minute of the day leaves no chance to escape his devilish stare. The air crackles between us. The tension is hot enough to melt my inhibitions. But I know the way this story ends. I’ve lived it once before.

As much as I work to guard my heart, my body is a traitor—and if this man puts his hands on me, I know I’ll submit to desire. I thought one month with Vince Tanev was a game I could win easily. But I might have just met my match.

2. WATCH YOUR MOUTH by Kandi Steiner

SYNOPSIS

My brother’s teammates know not to touch me—but that doesn’t stop me from daring Jaxson Brittain to be the first to break the rule.

After one steamy night in Austin, I’m all too aware of the hot, broody defenseman with icy blue eyes and ink sprawling his muscular arms. He was the one my brother assigned to keep me safe—and I had far too much fun tempting him to be the one to put me in danger.

It was just one night of tip-toeing the line, of teasing and flirting and messing around knowing nothing would ever come of it. But when the universe throws me back into his lap two weeks later and we end up on a secret road trip together, all bets are off.

I can’t help but touch him. I can’t help but pray for him to touch me. And I can’t resist the temptation to test him at every turn. Jaxson is smart and doesn’t have a death wish. So, like a gentleman, he keeps his hands to himself… the jerk. But the closer we get on the road and the farther we get from reality, the less those warning signs from my brother seem to deter him.

When we started this road trip, we set a boundary. We promised to keep all arms and legs safely in the friend zone. Now, miles and miles away from all the reasons we shouldn’t, all I can hear is my heart thumping out the resounding reason we should. And the way those heated blue eyes watch me, I know I’m not the only one.

3. LEARN YOUR LESSON by Kandi Steiner

SYNOPSIS

My mother only wanted me to learn one lesson growing up… Men are trash.

Her father left her, and then my father left us. Being raised by her and my grandmother, I was surrounded by the reminder to be independent and guard my heart. After my one and only experience with a boy in college fell flatter than a pancake, I realized they were right—and I was content to live the life of a twenty-six-year-old cat lady. Until Will Perry blew my quiet world to smithereens.

Starting goalie for the Tampa Bay Ospreys and the kind of hot that scrambles your brain, all I was ever supposed to be to him was his daughter’s kindergarten teacher. Then, in a twist of events, his temporary nanny. But temporary turns to permanent, and when I move into his pool house, everything changes.

He’s impossibly grumpy and focused on only two things: hockey, and taking care of his daughter. I’m only focused on using this new income to pay back my student loans. But in that house, I feel his heated gaze beneath that permanent scowl, the way it lingers and warms my skin. And though I know my mother would lose her mind if she knew, my dreams have become midnight fantasies about my long-haired, muscle-lined mystery of a boss.

When the tension becomes too much, we break, and we make a deal. He still needs a nanny. I still need a paycheck and for my matriarchy to not disown me. But Will agrees to teach me everything I’ve always wanted to learn, and I’m all too eager to be his student.

I can do this. I’m a grown woman. I can explore my sexuality with the hottest goalie on earth and still remain one-hundred percent professional. And I can definitely do it all without catching feelings. I have to. Otherwise, I’ll end up heartbroken in my mother’s arms while she shakes her head and asks me if I’ll ever learn my lesson.