Prologue
The Toronto Maple Leafs captain and his latest brutal fight on the ice...
Sitting in a conference room with my head coach and PR manager, I can’t help wondering what the hell all this is about. They’re acting like I killed someone.
All I did was the same thing every other player does—not just on my team, but on every hockey team in the league. Hockey is a brutal sport. The only rules that really matter are loyalty and winning.
Okay, maybe I hit the guy a little harder than I should have. So now he has a broken nose and can barely see out of one eye.
Big deal.
Maybe if he’d kept his mouth shut, none of it would have happened.
I can’t help the fact that my family means everything to me. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone disrespect them without consequences.
I’ve been captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs for two seasons now. They gave me the “C” after my very first year with the team, right after I was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks. And if I’m being honest, I’ve never regretted that decision.
This is where I found my brothers.
We’re a tight-knit team, closer than most people realize, and we’re only a step away from becoming the best team in the NHL. Being captain comes with pressure—more than most people can imagine. Sacrifices. Responsibilities. The weight of leading an entire locker room toward one goal.
The Stanley Cup.
Unfortunately, for the last two seasons, we’ve fallen short against the Winnipeg Jets.
Those bastards are good.
But next season, I’ll do whatever it takes to lead my team to victory.
“Kenneth, are you even listening to me?” the PR manager asks.
I look at him blankly.
No idea what he’s been talking about.
“Sorry.”
“There is no sorry, Kenneth.” He slams a hand against the table. “Do you have any idea what your behavior is doing to your image? I understand fights are part of hockey. Everyone does. But your aggression on the ice is on another level. You can’t keep breaking opponents’ noses, leaving them half blind, and God knows what else. It reflects badly on the entire organization—not to mention you. Your reputation is taking a serious hit. Do you understand that?”
“So what exactly am I supposed to do?” I shoot back. “I defended my family. That asshole insulted my sister. You know exactly how I feel about that.”
“I know how important your family is to you,” he says. “Which is why it’s time you showed that side of yourself to the fans.”
I glance at my coach, who’s busy texting someone instead of helping.
“Show the fans I stand up for my family?” I ask, irritation creeping into my voice. “Isn’t that obvious?”
Something tells me I’m not going to like where this is headed.
“Kenneth,” the PR manager continues, “I know what I’m about to say sounds ridiculous, but we don’t have another option. More importantly, you don’t have another option if you want to be playing next season.”
I stare at him.
“Excuse me? Are you serious right now? You’re actually considering benching me? Your captain?”
The coach finally looks up and lets out a tired sigh.
“We’re doing this for your own good, son,” he says. “You need to get your aggression under control and show people who you really are. I’ve known you too long not to know what matters to you.”
I sink deeper into my chair.
I already know where this conversation is going.
“The new season starts in four months,” he continues. “Your third as captain. I don’t want to do this, but it’s our best shot at helping you change your behavior on the ice. NHL executives are starting to take notice. People are talking, Kenneth—and not in a good way.”
He pauses.
“They think you’re distracted. That your head isn’t fully in the game anymore. There are rumors you never got over your breakup with Indy. That you’re still in love with her, and that’s why you keep losing control out there.”
“What the fuck?”
I sit up so fast my chair nearly tips backward.
“I’m not in love with her. Not even close. I couldn’t care less what that bitch is doing. I want nothing to do with her. She cheated on me with a goddamn Winnipeg player.”
“People believe whatever they want,” Steven says with a shrug. “Besides, you were like this long before Indy. Maybe not quite as aggressive, but fighting has always been your thing.”
I turn back to the PR manager, waiting for the rest.
Because now I understand.
This isn’t about hockey.
It’s about optics.
About convincing the public that I’m not some heartbroken idiot still obsessed with my cheating ex—the same ex who left me for the captain of our biggest rival.
“So?” I ask. “What’s the condition? What exactly do I have to do?”
I rub a hand over my jaw.
“I’ll try to be less aggressive on the ice. Fine. I promise.”
The PR manager exchanges a glance with the coach before speaking.
“You have four months to find yourself a girlfriend.”
I blink.
“A real relationship—or at least one convincing enough for the public. Someone who can show people that you’re happy. Happier than you ever were with Indy. Someone who proves you’ve moved on.”
He pauses.
“And maybe someone who can calm down the beast inside you.”
For a second, I honestly think I misheard him.
I stare at Steven.
Then at Travis.
Both of them are wearing the exact same expression.
Dead serious.
No joke.
No way out.
So let me get this straight.
I have four months to find a girlfriend just so I can keep playing hockey and finally get everyone off my back?
Jesus Christ.
***
Welcome! Kenneth Winston and Charlotte Larsson can’t wait to share their story with you.
Tropes you’ll find in this story:
Fake DatingCollege Student x Professional AthleteHockey RomanceHe Fell FirstOpposites AttractWorlds Collide
Synopsis
“The Toronto Maple Leafs captain and his violent fight on the ice...”
That’s the headline dominating every major sports publication.
For years, Kenneth Winston didn’t care what people said about him. As captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, his only focus was leading his team to playoff success and bringing home the Stanley Cup. But when the team’s PR department and coaching staff make it clear that his future on the ice is at risk, Kenneth is forced to face reality.
He has one condition to meet:
Settle down.
Charlotte Larsson has spent years trying—and failing—to live up to her mother’s expectations. Instead of pursuing a prestigious career in law or medicine, she chose to study sports physical therapy. To make matters worse, she’s just been cheated on, while her mother continues reminding her that she should be looking for a husband instead of chasing her own dreams.
When a chance encounter brings Kenneth and Charlotte together, they discover they might be the solution to each other’s problems.
Kenneth needs to repair his reputation so he can focus on hockey and lead his team to a Stanley Cup victory.
Charlotte wants to survive her final year of college in peace and prove that she’s capable of building a successful future on her own terms.
A fake relationship seems like the perfect answer.
Until pretending starts to feel a little too real.
Will their fake relationship save them from falling apart—or be the very thing that changes everything?
A swoon-worthy hockey romance filled with fake dating, undeniable chemistry, and plenty of on- and off-the-ice drama.
