Boston Hawks Hockey

I've sworn off hockey players. Until the pregnancy test turns pink. Noah Scotch is revered in Boston, a veritable god on the ice. I'm a nerdy, newly minted college professor who would rather color code my planner than hit the club scene. Noah shouldn't look at me twice but when he does, I falter. Who can blame me? The sweet talker with the deliciously chiseled abs and sinful chocolate eyes is a force. On and off the ice. One hot and intense night with Noah has me second guessing my lack of a dating life. Friends with benefits? He offers, I dive in headfirst. Growing up in a hockey family, I know better than to get serious with a player. But the more time I spend getting to know Noah, the more my intention to keep things casual rings false. Now, I've got a hopeful heart and a baby on the way. I just need to tell Noah. But when I do, will I end up with everything I never knew I wanted? Or on my own?

My brother's best friend, NHL god Easton Scotch, has always seen me as a kid. Now, I'm his new roommate and I'm determined to show him that Claire Merrick is all grown up. Boston Hawks left wing and bad boy personified, Easton is untouchable, reckless, and sexier than any one man ought to be. He has a complicated past, makes questionable life choices, and doesn't want anyone growing too close. Least of all me. East makes himself clear on his first day out of rehab, when we become reluctant roommates. At best, I'm angling for friendship. But soon, East is lowering his guard and we're bonding. When we cross a line there's no coming back from, he spirals, jeopardizing his recovery and my heart. If Easton is the risk taker, then why does it feel like I'm the one gambling it all?

NHL hotshot Torsten Hansen is a lot of things. My husband shouldn't be one of them. One emotional night slinging tequila shots and singing karaoke with the Hawks defenseman turns into more than I bargained for. A wicked hangover, an eviction notice, and a marriage proposal. If Torsten and I wed, he can fulfill a promise to his grandmother and the debt I'm drowning in will be paid by his trust fund. It's a win-win, an easy and straightforward arrangement between friends. So what if my friend has piercing blue eyes, a sensual smirk, and a body that occupies my dreams? It shouldn't matter that Torsten understands my past and makes me feel safe. Except it does. Because if I give my heart to my husband, how will I survive our eventual divorce?

NHL Boston Hawks captain Austin Merrick used to be my boy next door. Now, he's the man on my mind. Our paths haven't crossed in more than a decade when I find myself back in Boston, desperate to save face in front of my ex-fiancé. With a devilish smirk and wicked blue eyes, Austin steps back into my life to be my plus-one for a summer filled with weddings and events. Should be fun and effortless, right? Then why the need for rules? And why do I crave his touch at the small of my back and wish for his kiss on a moonlit beach? Suddenly, things begin to feel complicated, messy, and real. When I look at my first friend, I don't see the boy next door, but the man I want to spend forever with. If Austin learns the depth of my feelings, will he give us a real chance? Or are some rules better left unbroken?

As Boston's most eligible nanny, I'm nurturing, trustworthy, and professional. Until my one-night stand turns out to be my new boss. Hawks defenseman James Ryan is Boston's most eligible single-dad. He's solemn, gorgeous, and an incredible father. But I'm drawn to him for other reasons. James' eyes reflect the same grief and hurt I'm drowning in. His twins struggle with the same pain that once destroyed me. Living with the Ryan family and caring for James' twins are both a salve and a curse. Soon, what made us click one summer night over whiskey is wreaking havoc on our commitment to remain professional. Our friendship blossoms into something more. Something searching, healing, and unbelievably complicated. Falling in love with Milly and Mason Ryan is easy. Falling in love with their father is something I never saw coming. If I give my heart to James, will he put it back together? Or will I end up more shattered than I already am? Note: The Defender is a deeply emotional single dad romance, with sensitive subject matter.

Notorious ladies' man and hockey hotshot Luca Pandatelli broke his own rules when he tangled up with me. Not only did we spend an entire weekend in bed together, but he confided in me, sharing painful truths about his past. With a kiss good-bye and a promise to call, something sparked between us. Something that broke through my walls. Except, he didn't call. And I re-enforced my walls with steel and barbed wire. Now, I've accepted a job with the Boston Hawks franchise, making it inevitable that I see the last man I want to cross paths with - so I'm prepared to dismiss him and pretend like our weekend together never happened. But, the regret in Luca's eyes, and the apology in his voice, catch me off-guard. The harder I push him away, the harder he pulls me in. Until the one thing I can't accept, can't forgive, comes to light. And I'm left wondering, is Luca only interested in the chase? Or, is he really playing for keeps?

I always knew I'd marry my first everything, Declan Yaeger, the Southern boy with Irish roots. That was before he became my first heartbreak, a NHL superstar with a playboy reputation I no longer recognize. The summer he left our small, Tennessee town, to pursue his hockey dream is the summer my life changed. That was seven years ago, before he became a defenseman for the Boston Hawks. Before I became a hardened, desperate woman, trying to survive. To protect my grandfather's legacy, I agree to marry my oldest childhood friend, Henry. But when I enter the Church on my wedding day, the grey eyes piercing mine aren't my fiancé's. They're Declan's, the last person I expect to show up with an offer of his own. One I can't refuse even though my heart should know better than to accept. Will my marriage to Declan heal the broken between us? Or are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our past?

Theodore Edward Sims was supposed to be my hot summer hookup, a stranger I slept with in Hawaii. Now, he's my stepbrother's new hockey teammate. When we met, Theo was a sexy surfer in Maui, riding waves by day and rocking my world at night. After being played for a fool by my ex-fiancé, Theo proved to be a source of instant gratification. He was refreshingly honest, engaging, and incredibly charming. Theo built me up when it felt like my world was crumbling down. Turns out, he's just like my ex. A liar. To avoid the gossip of my failed engagement, I hightail it to Boston, where I'm forced to cross paths with a new version of Theo, a.k.a. Eddie Sims, Boston Hawks right wing. Here, he isn't the well-connected, alluring surfer, but a determined, angry hockey hunk with something to prove. Especially to me. Except I've written him off. Once a liar, always a liar. But Theo isn't backing down. Instead, he's hustling for my forgiveness. If I give him another chance, will he live up to his apologies? Or am I just lying to myself?

Boston Hawks owner Scott Reland is my father's biggest rival and the last man who should catch my eye. But when he does, I don't look away. We've circled each other for years, two outliers in a small club of NHL owners. We know the rules, manage similar pressures, and understand that this lifestyle-hockey over everything-isn't for everyone. Which is why I want out. To prove to my father that I have a future beyond the New York Sharks, I score one for me and open a bakery in Boston, the city that reveres Scott. It isn't long until the dynamic and perceptive Hawk pursues me. And I'm entirely unprepared to be swept off my feet, cared for, and supported after so many years on my own. Scott easily draws me back into the hockey life I thought I didn't want. But can our relationship survive the demands of this industry? Or will I always be keeping score, second to the game that dictates everything?