Gauging the Player

He broke his own rules for a one-night stand. Now he wants more, but her heart belongs to a rival he can't beat.

I don't do one-night stands. But when a blue-eyed chanteuse knocks me off my feet, I break my own rule. When I wake up the next morning, though, she's gone, and I have no way to find her.

Lily's trapped in a past she can't escape. One night of passion with me seemed to help her forget-until dawn broke. She ran without looking back. When chance has us bumping into each other in front of a strip club (it's not what it sounds like), she realizes she's misjudged me-and maybe even her own heart. But she's not ready to bury her specters, and what started as a one-night stand is threatening to bloom into something that will unravel her carefully laced-up world.

Between my obligations to my family and my hockey team, a lot's riding on my shoulders. I'm struggling to meet everyone's expectations, and Lily's a complication I don't need. I know I should let her and that one night we shared fade into a pleasant memory, but I can't get her out of my mind. I'm determined to win her over the same way I dominate on the ice: with patience and persistence. Deep in my heart, I think this girl is worth it. The problem is, I'm facing off against a rival I can't outplay.

I have to convince her to let go of the ghosts haunting her, or she just might freeze me out forever.