Hockey Hotties

Three professional hockey players meet three very different women at their team's New Year's Eve party. A sneak peek into Piper Rayne's upcoming series, Hockey Hotties! 

Lucky. The one adjective used to describe my entire hockey career. I prefer to call it hard work - at least I did until my game went to complete crap. I haven’t scored in eight games, and the team owner is talking about trading me. I’ve never believed in superstitions. Never needed one. I suppose I was “lucky” in that way. But now the best way to refer to me is desperate. I’d wear the same socks for an entire year just to be the high-scoring center I used to be. Imagine my surprise when after spending New Year’s Eve with a woman, I score a hat trick in the next game.

One word that comes to mind when someone talks about me. I like to think of it as protection, watching out for the ones I love. But now I’m spending more time in the penalty box than on the ice and the team owner isn’t happy. Finding myself across the room from the hot therapist I kissed on New Year’s Eve only makes me push my problems down further. I want couch time with her but not the kind she’s used to.

Being the heir to Jacobs Enterprises, I’ve been around fake people my entire life. I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t change for anyone. Which is the only reason I’m a professional hockey player who lives on the beach and does as he pleases without answering to anyone - except my father.

It’s Ford and Lena’s destination wedding, and every professional hockey player joining them for the big day is ready to let loose. But, between vacation hook-ups, one player falling into bed with the boss, and a surprise guest at the resort, there’s more action - and complications - than any of them could have predicted.

You learn quick, when you become a professional hockey player, to be guarded with the media. I’ve worked hard to cover up the mistakes of my youth. But when I’m traded to the Florida Fury, where my ex-best friend is the starting right wing, I’m forced to confront my past. Ford and I have history, especially when it comes to his little sister, Imogen. My heart still lurches in my chest when I see her. My hands want to reach out, and my mouth wants to keep apologizing. She’s the only woman who ever made me want more - and the one who fell victim to my most regrettable decision.

My mom always said you don’t get a second shot at making a first impression. I’ve remembered that my entire career. Especially since I’m one of the few Black men who play professional hockey. I’m calculated and respectful in the way I speak to my coaches, the owners, and the media. I’ve never taken a risk...until her.

The last thing any professional hockey player wants is to be the old man in the game. The guy who doesn’t know when it’s time to retire. Still, I can’t bear the thought of leaving the game. This past year I’ve reflected on all my regrets, and I told myself that once I retire it’ll be the time to find the right woman. But this is where it gets tricky. I think I’ve found her—although she’ll deny our connection to anyone who asks. We’ve been sleeping together casually, and since I’m still playing hockey, I’ve let her get what she wants—me—whenever she wants.