Best Played (Salt Lake Pumas)

by Camellia Tate

  That made me snort, but I did let Olle carry on.

  “But then you said yes and I had to pull over so I could kiss you,” he added, before glancing at me briefly. “Does that ring any bells?”

  It was really impossible to contain my smile. The thought that Olle wanted to live with me unfurled inside me, warmth blossoming in the pit of my stomach.

  “Yeah,” I said, practically bursting with joy and no longer even trying to play it cool. “Especially the saying yes and you pulling over to kiss me part.”

  It didn’t take long for Olle to park. As soon as it was safe, I reached for him, one arm wrapping around him while the other hand tugged him close enough for me to plant a kiss on his lips.

  Rather skillfully, Olle got his seatbelt undone so he could lean over more, trapping me between my seat and his body. It was a pretty excellent place to be, really. His tongue found mine, the kiss turning from celebratory into passionate in an instant. When he pulled back, we were both breathless and Olle grinned at me.

  “I look forward to sharing a bed with you every night, chastely or not,” he informed me.

  I laughed, feeling the ache in my cheeks from smiling so widely. “I do, too,” I promised. Living with Olle was going to be amazing - a whole new phase of our relationship to explore and discover.

  Reaching for Olle’s hand, I gave it a quick squeeze. “I love you so much, Olle. Thank you for asking me.”

  Our future seemed to be unfolding before us, bright and beautiful, with so many new adventures that we couldn’t even predict yet!

  But first, we had another wedding to go to. And this time, when I danced with Olle, I’d know that it was all real, that my emotions were returned just as strongly as I felt them.

  And what could possibly be better than that?

  Such contentment washed over me that I had to reach for Olle, kissing him once more before we resumed our journey.

  Even though the wedding was Lacey’s big day, I knew that I’d be one of the happiest women there. And I planned to make sure Olle was one of the happiest men!

  Salt Lake Pumas Series

  Gloves Dropped

  El Sterling ruined my life once. I’m not giving her a chance to do it a second time.

  I’ve made mistakes.

  Mistakes that I’ve learned from.

  I’ve come a long way to make it as captain of the Salt Lake Pumas.

  So of course, that’s when she comes back.

  The girl who ruined my life twelve years ago.

  But not again.

  I’m a changed man. I’ve worked hard for this.

  My head knows I need to ignore the woman El has become.

  My body’s much more easily swayed.

  The fire in her eyes burns through my cool-headed defenses.

  No one told me that giving in to the sparks between us might make me change all over again.

  A 68k standalone, enemies-to-lovers hockey romance!

  Body Checked

  Falling for a man who thinks romance is pointless is the stupidest thing I’ve done this year!

  Everything happens for a reason.

  The universe wouldn’t bring a smart, sexy NHL player like Will Green into my life if we weren’t supposed to connect.

  Romance is more than just flowers and candy.

  I’ll prove it to him.

  Except, Will doesn’t do relationships.

  Married to his NHL career, he told me that romance is a ‘waste of time’!

  That should be the end of it.

  But destiny keeps bringing us together.

  Even our dogs have formed a bond.

  It has to mean something, and I will put my heart on the line to figure out what.

  A 66k standalone hockey romance with a guaranteed happily ever after!

  Penalty Counted

  They say you should never fall in love with a bad boy. But what do you do when a bad boy falls in love with you?

  I love to party.

  Irresponsible, reckless and wild.

  As a quickly rising star in the NHL, I can be whatever I want to be.

  Meeting Morgan Acton changes all of that.

  She is the bad girl to match my bad boy.

  Our lust is instant, burning fast and strong.

  But it’s what comes after that stands the chance of ruining everything.

  I shouldn’t fall in love with her.

  She's too intense to resist.

  Her body calls to me and her recklessness makes me want to take that leap.

  I might be a bad boy, but everything I know will be tested by her.

  And I cannot wait.

  A 69k standalone bad boy hockey romance with a twist!

  Home Matched

  Better to have loved and lost than never loved at all. Isn’t that what they say? Why does nobody have advice for what happens when the love you lost walks right back into your life?

  I was in love, once.

  We were too young, too uncertain.

  My NHL career wasn’t compatible with her law school ambitions.

  Promising to marry Helena Worth was the best decision I ever made.

  And watching her walk away?

  The biggest disappointment of my life.

  Ten long years later, my brother is marrying Helena’s best friend.

  A whole summer in our small town brings long lost feelings crashing over me.

  Falling back in love with my first girlfriend is a dangerous game.

  My love of hockey ruled my heart once.

  Putting my career first again might break hers completely.

  This summer will test everything I know.

  About love.

  About home.

  And about myself.

  A 65k standalone second chance summer hockey romance!

  Friend Locked

  Finding your perfect partner is a dancer’s dream: a best friend who moves to the same beat, who’ll catch you every time you fall.

  We met when we were ten.

  From sharing a birthday, we quickly went to sharing everything.

  I couldn’t imagine my life without Jessie Edwards in it.

  I moved to Salt Lake City to join the NHL.

  Being homesick for my best friend hit me hard.

  But we learned to make it work.

  When Jessie hurt herself dancing, there was no question that I would be the one to look after her.

  But living together as adults was a dangerous idea...

  Out of nowhere, my heart beat faster every time she smiled.

  Sudden heat spread through me at a glance.

  Sharing my feelings could cost us everything we’ve built together.

  But not risking it feels just as frightening.

  I could win her heart this winter.

  Or break mine.

  A 65k standalone friends-to-lovers hockey romance.

  Madison Howlers Series

  Game Plan

  Sometimes, knowing the name of your soulmate is more trouble than it’s worth. That’s how Connor Lewis feels when photographs of his soulmark get published.

  The hockey fans go crazy. Every Ashley in the Madison area is wild to convince Connor that she’s the one. All Connor wants to do is focus on his game.

  Ashley Walton isn’t looking for a soulmate. She wants a relationship based on something real.

  That makes her perfect for what Connor has planned. He asks if she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend, on the understanding that it’s just until the media frenzy dies down.

  They expect it to be a few months, at most. Ashley’s really more interested in learning from the Howlers’ PR team than she is in Connor.

  At least at first.

  Everything about their ‘relationship’ is a show staged for the press. Except, Connor spends every waking moment with Ashley on the brain. Finding out she wants to move miles away for her dream job hits him like a body-slam into the boards.

  The closer they get, the more Connor is will
ing to risk to keep Ashley at his side. Falling in love wasn’t in their game plan, so Connor takes matters into his own hands...

  Best Shot

  Finding your soulmate is supposed to be easy! Especially when everyone carries their soulmate’s name written on their skin.

  Best friends Thea and Doe would never fall out over a man. Doe’s soulmark reads ‘Blake’ and Thea’s is ‘Frederick’, so the possibility has never crossed their minds.

  Enter Blake Ashbury. Thea is first to meet the gorgeous hockey player. As soon as she finds out his name, she gives playing matchmaker her best shot. She should be over the moon to introduce Doe to her soulmate. It doesn’t matter that Thea is the one who loves Blake’s jokes, or that his touch feels like fire and electricity. Blake isn’t meant to be with her, so Thea will back off.

  At least, that’s the plan.

  Blake never expected meeting his soulmate to be so complicated. Doe is sweet. She’s everything Blake thought he wanted in a girlfriend. He can’t understand why it’s Thea who makes his pulse race!

  Thea and Blake aren't meant to be together, so why is it so hard to keep the chemistry between them down? The longer they spend together, the harder it becomes to remember that they need to keep their distance!

  Empty Net

  A tiny portion of the population have empty space where the name of their soulmark should be.

  Ryan Newell believes that hockey is his one true love. Knowing he doesn’t have a soulmate, he gives his heart to the Madison Howlers. It’s only his body that he gives away freely.

  A little too freely. A scandalous picture lands him in hot water with the team’s PR. To fix his rep, they send him off to fundraise for a local charity.

  That’s where he meets Naomi Stone. Being blind since birth, Naomi has never seen the name that’s written on her skin. All she knows is that Ryan makes her pulse race and her skin tingle in ways she’s never felt before.

  As things heat up between them, Ryan starts to feel like he’s in over his head. Having a girlfriend isn’t something you can train for. Knowing that he can’t be Naomi’s soulmate is a thought that Ryan can’t escape.

  Finding love is hard enough without knowing you are no one’s destiny.

  Goal Line

  When your dad owns an NHL team, you meet a lot of hockey players.

  Annie’s daddy made her promise she’d never date one of the Green Bay Mammoths. That suited her just fine. Her interest was in their skills on the ice, not off.

  But Devon Oakley changes everything.

  Ever since she discovered the name of her soulmate, Annie has been waiting to meet him. And Devon’s just as dedicated to his soulmark match as he is to his team.

  But there’s always a catch. Devon doesn’t play for Green Bay. He’s the goalie for their greatest rivals!

  Annie has to know: is true love bigger than ice hockey loyalty?

  There’s only one way to find out...

  Final Score

  Finding a soulmate is different for everyone. Lev and I met at the side of the road and became friends over a common language. Then I had to tell him that I couldn't see him anymore.

  Maria Rawlins is the best friend anyone could ask for.

  Funny. Passionate. Twice shy.

  Under her insistence that she doesn’t need a man is a yearning for the kind of meant-to-be connection that her mom and sister have both found. She wants a Russian soulmate who loves life as much as she does.

  A man who’ll make time to be with her, who’ll see her as his equal.

  She doesn’t notice Lev settling into the empty space in her heart. Not until there’s no way to stop it.

  A Russian-import NHL athlete, Lev Popov is...

  Talented. Sexy. Wounded.

  This devil-may-care extrovert could have any woman in Madison, but his heart is locked behind a wall built by his ex. Yet brick by brick, Maria is breaking it down.

  Falling for his best friend is not what Lev wants. His heart races for Maria - and at the thought that loving her might mean losing her.

  True love might be rare. True friendship can be rarer.