He needs donuts. She needs a date. Their deal is temporary but their love might be forever...

DIEGO

As the new Scorpions alternate captain, I have one job-leading my hockey team to victory. Too bad my pregame donut ritual is disrupted and now I'm in the biggest slump of my career. It's a problem-one only Angela, the granddaughter of the local donut queen, can fix.

The curvy, inked goddess next door isn't anything like the shy, quiet cutie I remember from high school. But when she needs a fill-in boyfriend, we agree to a trade: fake dates for fresh donuts. Soon my cravings curb from her sugared dough to her sweet kisses. While faking isn't my forte, making big plays is. So when I discover she doesn't plan on staying, I'll make my biggest play yet to win her heart.

ANGELA

When I left Soltero Beach, I didn't think I'd return to face the rich and snobby residents who ruined my high school experience. But now I'm back in town for two reasons: to help my grandma revamp her donut shop and to attend the reunion to prove my bullies didn't break me. All I need is a date, preferably one that's everything I hadn't been -- someone cool, cute, and crazy about me.

That last bit might be a stretch, but when my childhood crush Diego turns out to be the pro-athlete party-hardy neighbor next door with a donut habit he can't break, I wind up in a fake relationship that quickly gives way to real feelings. Staying here was never part of the plan... but am I prepared to pass up the chance at true love and connection, or can I find the courage I need to face-off against my past for good?
___
Fake Dating the Defenseman Next Door is a sweet and steamy multicultural hockey romance novella featuring a superstitious cinnamon roll professional athlete who falls first for the curvy woman who'd harbored a secret schoolgirl crush on him. This two-hour instalove short story is part of the Soltero Beach Scorpions Hockey series and can be read as a standalone. It has no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed HEA, however, it does deal (lightly) with some sensitive, difficult topics. Readers are encouraged to review the included content warning to make an informed decision before continuing.

• We started tracking this book on December 23, 2024.
• This book was $2.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed one time in the past 71 days.
• The current price of this book is FREE last checked one hour ago.
• This book is currently at its lowest price since we started tracking it.

• Literature & FictionContemporary FictionShort Stories

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 135 Pages
• File Size: 48 KB