Off the Ice
"I’m straight, Thorne. I like women."
"Good. Because you’re definitely not my type."
As the captain of the city’s most brutal pro-hockey team, Jaxson Thorne rules the rink with iron fists. He doesn't do PR stunts, and he definitely doesn't do men. But when a massive bar brawl threatens his captaincy, management hands him a devastating ultimatum: fake-date the new figure skating coach to clean up his image, or lose his contract.
Liam Vance is desperate. When his Olympic funding is cut, his dreams shatter. The contract to pretend to be deeply, madly in love with a thuggish hockey player is his last financial lifeline. The catch? They have to move into Jaxson’s luxury penthouse to keep up the charade for the paparazzi.
Both men are fiercely, stubbornly straight. Behind closed doors, it’s a war of flying insults and strict boundaries. But when the cameras flash, forced proximity starts to blur the lines. A casual touch sparks an agonizing heat. A fake kiss leaves them breathless.
Suddenly, the most terrifying game isn't on the ice—it's the realization that the man they are supposed to be pretending to love is the only one they can no longer live without.
Read
Chapter: Chapter 14: The Media BlitzThe next morning, the rules were put to the ultimate test.By 8:00 AM, the ground floor lobby of the Horizon Center was completely overrun. Flashbulbs erupted in a blinding, continuous rhythm against the glass facade, and a dozen sports reporters were shoving microphones past the security barricades. Sarah’s PR strategy had reached its peak: today was the official joint press conference broadcasted live on ESPN.Liam stood in the green room behind the main media theater, adjusting the collar of his tailored grey blazer. His reflection in the vanity mirror looked pale, his eyes slightly hollowed from another sleepless night spent tossing and turning on the living room sofa.The door clicked open, and Jaxson walked in.True to Rule Number One, they hadn't spoken a single word to each other since the blowout over the kitchen counter. Jaxson looked entirely corporate—sharp, pristine, and lethal in a tailored black suit that emphasized his massive frame. His dark hai
Last Updated: 2026-07-09
Chapter: Chapter 13: The Rules of EngagementThe heavy, metallic click of a janitor’s keys echoing down the main corridor slammed into them like an icy bucket of water.Liam violently jerked his hands back, breaking the tight, interlocked grip over Jaxson’s chest. He stumbled back a step, hitting his shoulder against the metal equipment cage, his breath rattling in his throat.Jaxson straightened up instantly, his massive frame shifting to completely block the entrance of the alcove just as an older arena worker walked past holding a mop. The captain didn't say a word until the footsteps faded away completely, but his knuckles were white where he gripped the edge of the wooden bench."Get your bag," Jaxson rasped, his voice rough, flat, and completely devoid of the raw vulnerability from seconds ago. He turned his back to Liam, grabbing his own towel. "We're leaving."Liam didn't argue. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely zip his skate bag shut.The drive back to the penthouse was a tense,
Last Updated: 2026-07-08
Chapter: Chapter 12: The Ice Begins to CrackThe team doctor pronounced Liam entirely uninjured, save for a minor bruise forming on his left hip from the impact with the boards. But by the time Liam walked out of the training room, the damage to his peace of mind was irreversible.He spent the rest of the morning session standing near the player benches, his whistle hanging loosely around his neck. He gave cold, precise technical feedback to the rookies, but his eyes kept betraying him. They kept tracking the number 88 jersey cutting brutal, powerful lines across the ice.Jaxson was playing like a man possessed. He was skating faster, hitting harder, and completely ignoring everyone around him. Whenever his rotation brought him anywhere near Liam's side of the rink, Jaxson deliberately kept his head down, his dark eyes locked onto the puck, his jaw clamped shut.The heavy, confusing intimacy of the training room—the feel of Jaxson's calloused thumb tracing his lower lip—hung between them like a thick wall of f
Last Updated: 2026-07-08
Chapter: Chapter 11: The Aftershock"Thorne! Vance! You guys good?"Coach Miller’s voice shattered the stunned silence of the arena, his heavy skates crunching frantically across the ice toward them. The spell broke instantly.Liam scrambled to push himself backward, his hands slipping slightly on the slick surface as he detached himself from Jaxson’s heavy frame. His face burned with a chaotic mixture of adrenaline and pure embarrassment. Every eye in the rink was on them.Jaxson pushed himself up to one knee, his jaw set in an incredibly tight line as he picked up his dropped helmet. "I’m fine," he barked, his voice rough and dismissive as he stood up, offering no help to Liam. He didn't look back down at the figure skater. "Puck caught me right on the shoulder pad. No damage.""Damn, Cap," Miller muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I've never seen you move that fast for a drill in your life. You nearly took out the boards.""It was a stray puck, Miller. If it hits the agility coach, t
Last Updated: 2026-07-07
Chapter: Chapter 10: The BlindsideThe 5:00 AM alarm didn't just ring; it threatened.Liam dragged himself off the leather couch, his bones aching from the cold draft that always seemed to settle near the floor-to-ceiling windows right before dawn. He threw on a thick, oversized black hoodie and pair of athletic tights, pulling his hair back out of his face. His mind was still entirely tangled in the bizarre, midnight interrogation in the kitchen.*You're straight, right?*The raw, frantic edge in Jaxson’s voice when he asked that question had looped in Liam’s head for three hours straight. It didn't sound like a casual confirmation. It sounded like a man drowning, looking for a lifeline.When Liam stepped into the living room, Jaxson was already by the door, holding a duffel bag. His dark hair was damp from a quick shower, but the dark circles under his eyes proved he hadn't slept a wink either. He looked entirely closed off, his jaw locked tight as he stared at his phone."Let's go," Jaxson
Last Updated: 2026-07-07
Chapter: Chapter 9: The Ghost in the KitchenThe digital clock on the penthouse microwave read 2:14 AM.Liam sat cross-legged on the edge of the leather sofa, wrapped tightly in the heavy velvet duvet Jaxson had given him the night before. The penthouse was dead quiet, save for the rhythmic hum of the central AC and the distant, muted horn of a taxi down on the streets.He couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind replayed the feeling of Jaxson’s thumb tracing a heavy, subconscious circle over the back of his hand at the restaurant. It was just a stupid reflex. A physical reaction from a guy trying to keep himself from getting suspended. There was absolutely no reason for Liam’s chest to feel this tight, or for his pulse to leap every time he looked at the empty elevator foyer.*Ding.*The soft chime echoed sharply through the dark apartment.Liam stiffened, his eyes snapping toward the elevator doors as they slid open.Jaxson stepped out, and the immediate scent of heavy leather, col
Last Updated: 2026-07-07
LOGIN
