He's the grump with a shattered past. She's the sunshine determined to put him back together—if his demons don't break them both first.

I don’t do smiles. I don’t do team bonding, calendar shoots, or charity events. I play hockey. I stay out of the spotlight. After what happened, I learned two things: never get close enough to get burned and trust is just another word for weakness.

Then Lily Thompson storms into my life—PR sunshine wrapped in floral dresses and relentless optimism. Her job? Drag me, the resident grump, into her world of photo ops and feel-good content. Her goal? Make the fans see the “real” me—the one I buried when my world fell apart.

But I’ve got secrets to keep. My hidden talent? Off-limits. My past? Locked down. And my heart? Not up for negotiation.

Except Lily’s not taking no for an answer. The more I push her away, the brighter she shines—and the harder it becomes to resist her pull. Her relentless light starts to chip at walls I swore were unbreakable.

Just as I start to trust again, my past catches up with me. My rival is determined to turn old wounds into fresh ammunition, and watching Lily stand between me and the darkness makes me realize that letting her in might be the bravest thing I've ever done—or my biggest mistake.

One thing's certain: losing her would be the one hit I can't come back from.

This first-in-series, standalone hockey romance features grumpy-sunshine tension, heated banter, and wicked slow-burn chemistry. If you love heart-and-panty melting HEAs, grab a front-row seat and get ready for some time in the sin bin—you've been warned.