The Stick Handler

Luke:

I’m known in the NHL as The Stick Handler, but according to a conversation I accidentally overheard between my fiancé and her friend, I’m The Money Maker, and marrying me will get her daddy—who just happens to own the hockey team I play for—off her back and secure her financial future, whether the marriage lasts or not. Now, call me a prick for canceling our Valentine’ wedding at the eleventh hour, but when she threatens to ruin my career and reputation, it’s the icing on the uncut wedding cake. She gives me a week to reconsider, and I take it—at the Italian resort booked for the honeymoon that will never be, and there’s no one I’d rather take with me than Katee, the girl who has held a special place in my heart since forever. When the concierge mistakes her for the bride, we go with it. Only problem is, the place reeks of romance and keeping my hands to myself might prove to be the toughest game I’ve ever played.

Katee:

A honeymoon in Italy and I’m not the bride? How can I say no when Luke needs a shoulder to cry on, and no matter what, I’ll always be there for him. The problem is, none of my imaginary kisses come close to the reality of Luke’s mouth on mine, even if it’s just for show, and it’s going to take more space than a king-size bed provides to keep things in the friend zone. I’m weak, I admit it, but this is Luke, and the more we pretend, the more real it feels. Will our make-believe honeymoon be the end of a lifelong friendship? Will returning home mean the end of his career, or the beginning of something so much more?