Pro hockey star. Captain of the Redville Saints. And the bane of my existence.
Sweet Collide, an all-new fake relationship, hockey romance from USA Today bestselling author Ava Harrison is now available!
Aiden Slate.
Pro hockey star. Captain of the Redville Saints. And the bane of my existence.
All it takes is a little liquid courage to storm his castle.
Or, in this case, a cushy five-star hotel suite.
I’m supposed to give him a piece of my mind.
To unleash a decade of pent-up anger.
What I’m not supposed to do is sign an NDA meant for another woman.
He thinks I’m here to relieve his stress.
Well, he’s in for a rude awakening.
Problem #1? The boy I grew up with doesn’t remember me.
Problem #2? I fall to my knees at his command. Literally.
Next thing I know, I agree to be his fake girlfriend.
He doesn't realize I’m the girl he left behind ten years ago.
The last thing I'll do is admit it.
Because Aiden might have abandoned me all those years ago.
But me? I’ll forever be his.
Pro hockey star. Captain of the Redville Saints. And the bane of my existence.
All it takes is a little liquid courage to storm his castle.
Or, in this case, a cushy five-star hotel suite.
I’m supposed to give him a piece of my mind.
To unleash a decade of pent-up anger.
What I’m not supposed to do is sign an NDA meant for another woman.
He thinks I’m here to relieve his stress.
Well, he’s in for a rude awakening.
Problem #1? The boy I grew up with doesn’t remember me.
Problem #2? I fall to my knees at his command. Literally.
Next thing I know, I agree to be his fake girlfriend.
He doesn't realize I’m the girl he left behind ten years ago.
The last thing I'll do is admit it.
Because Aiden might have abandoned me all those years ago.
But me? I’ll forever be his.
Start reading today!
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Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/sweetcollide
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Keep reading for a look inside Sweet Collide!
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/sweetcollide
Add Sweet Collide to Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/scahgr
Keep reading for a look inside Sweet Collide!
My feet carry me without a destination. My mind doesn’t care where I go. A dense path materializes beyond the trees. Maybe it will pull me into an alternate world. One with centaurs, and cozy homes with windows that work, and a bed as soft as clouds.
I follow the path, daring to explore. Hoping that maybe I’ll find some semblance of solitude from a world determined to tear me down.
My feet stop. I pitch forward. My hands slap my knees as I suck in deep breaths, desperately trying to stave off the attack that threatens to pull me under.
Inhale.
Exhale.
I continue to focus on my breaths, pulling in a lungful of air until my heartbeat slows and the panic slowly retreats. A trick I learned from the social worker at school.
I’ve been standing here for several minutes, giving myself time, when the sound of crinkling leaves alerts me that I’m not alone.
“Are you lost, kid?”
I twist at the throaty voice. When my eyes land on its owner, I freeze. The boy standing in front of me is tall. Way taller than me. I inspect the crest on the left side of the blazer he’s wearing.
I have no idea what it’s for. Maybe a school logo. Maybe not. It looks like the kind of logo you’d see on a fancy school uniform, but that makes no sense since he’s here. Unless he’s visiting someone.
I tilt my head as I take in the design, determined to figure this out. It looks a bit like a triangle, but not one I recognize. It’s silver, standing out starkly against the solid black of the rest of the jacket.
Realizing I’m not going to figure this out, I crane my neck, looking up into his face.
His features are hard to make out because the trees are blocking what little sun shines through the clouds overhead. He’s cloaked in shadows, and it’s a bit disconcerting.
I take a step back, and he takes a step forward into a space where more light filters through the trees. My breath hitches, and my mouth drops open.
He looks like a fallen angel. Dark and ominous. With chocolate-brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Eyes I can’t turn away from. They have me captive. His irises remind me of the water in the Pacific Ocean I once saw on a TV show. The edges, ringed in black like a violent storm. Looking at them feels like looking into a dark sky and waiting for lightning to flash.
“Hey, kid,” he says. “You alright?”
I shake my head and furrow my brows. Is he talking to me?
“Who are you calling a kid?” I straighten my shoulders, trying to appear taller as I glower up at him. I’m practically a teen, or at least I will be in six months. He looks like he’s one, too, so who is he to talk? It’s not like he’s an adult. Four, maybe five years older. Max.
He smirks down at me, and my stomach tumbles. I hate that feeling. The only time I’ve ever experienced that sensation was swinging on the swings at the park close to our last place. I’d lean back as I swung toward the sky, trying to contain the giggle that threatened to burst from me. I felt alive. Free.
This stranger doesn’t get to make me feel that way.
“Pippa,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
His eyes narrow as he looks down at me. “What?”
“It’s Pippa.” I move my hands to my hips. “Not kid. And I’m almost thirteen if you must know,” I fire back.
I start to turn and walk away when the guy speaks again.
“You looked like you were about to lose it. You good?”
I blink several times, not sure why I’m feeling warm all over and annoyed at the same time. “I’m fine,” I scoff, turning my back on him.
“Whatever you say, Pip.”
Looking over my shoulder, I level him with a glare. “As I said before, it’s Pippa. My name is Pippa. But since you clearly…”
“I like Pip. It suits you.” He shrugs. “Pippa sounds pretentious.”
I roll my eyes. “Big word.”
“Is it?” He grins. “What can I say? I guess my education is working.”
My face screws up. “Whatever.”
I turn on my heels, ready to run back to my trailer, and bump into a hard wall.
Not a hard wall. Another boy.
This one gives off a bad vibe that has me on edge immediately. I’m met with tapered eyes and a scowl. Trouble with a capital “T” if I’ve ever seen it.
“Watch it, you little shit.” His arms dart out, and before I know what’s happening, I’m pushed.
Things escalate quickly after that.
I fall backward, my eyes close, and I brace for impact. It doesn’t happen. Instead, large arms wrap around me, holding me in place.
“What the fuck, Ace?” the lesser of the two evils grits through his teeth, not looking down at me as he barks at the new guy.
He lifts me up, holding me in place until I’m steady on my feet. When he’s sure I’m okay, he moves away from me and steps into the asshole who tried to push me down.
“What the hell do you care, Slate? She was in my way. I was simply removing her from my path.”
Slate.
The name suits him.
Slate is eye to eye with the jerk, who doesn’t move an inch. “You don’t touch her. You don’t fucking look at her.” He straightens his back, effectively making himself taller than the douche. “Pip is off limits.”
I don’t have to see his eyes to know they’ve darkened to deep pools. A hurricane building as he levels the shorter guy with a look that promises violence.
The guy sneers, baring his teeth. “Pip? You’ve got to be kidding me,” he jeers, looking toward me. “Fitting. Fucking pipsqueak.”
“Cut the shit.”
“Or what?” Ace puffs out his chest, trying to look tough, but failing in comparison to the dark-haired god.
“Or I’ll kick your ass. It’s as simple as that.”
“Careful,” Asshat tsks. “Start a fight again, and the cops will come. Doubt your fancy school will keep you on, let alone let you skate…”
The threat hangs in the air. I look back and forth between the two, wondering what that’s all about. Finally, Slate steps forward, anyway. The space between the two is almost gone, and the bully’s back hits the tree.
“If you ever so much as touch her, I don’t care what anyone says, I’ll kick your fucking ass. Pippa is off limits.” Slate’s hand wraps around the guy’s throat, strangling him. “She’s under my protection. You hear me?”
Ace’s face begins to turn blue, and fear courses through me. I can’t make out the words he says, but it’s obvious Slate does, because he removes his hand, stepping away. The kid doesn’t waste time. He dashes off.
What a coward.
I have no idea what that was all about, but I do know that Slate just gave me a gift.
A place to feel safe.
And that place is him.
I follow the path, daring to explore. Hoping that maybe I’ll find some semblance of solitude from a world determined to tear me down.
My feet stop. I pitch forward. My hands slap my knees as I suck in deep breaths, desperately trying to stave off the attack that threatens to pull me under.
Inhale.
Exhale.
I continue to focus on my breaths, pulling in a lungful of air until my heartbeat slows and the panic slowly retreats. A trick I learned from the social worker at school.
I’ve been standing here for several minutes, giving myself time, when the sound of crinkling leaves alerts me that I’m not alone.
“Are you lost, kid?”
I twist at the throaty voice. When my eyes land on its owner, I freeze. The boy standing in front of me is tall. Way taller than me. I inspect the crest on the left side of the blazer he’s wearing.
I have no idea what it’s for. Maybe a school logo. Maybe not. It looks like the kind of logo you’d see on a fancy school uniform, but that makes no sense since he’s here. Unless he’s visiting someone.
I tilt my head as I take in the design, determined to figure this out. It looks a bit like a triangle, but not one I recognize. It’s silver, standing out starkly against the solid black of the rest of the jacket.
Realizing I’m not going to figure this out, I crane my neck, looking up into his face.
His features are hard to make out because the trees are blocking what little sun shines through the clouds overhead. He’s cloaked in shadows, and it’s a bit disconcerting.
I take a step back, and he takes a step forward into a space where more light filters through the trees. My breath hitches, and my mouth drops open.
He looks like a fallen angel. Dark and ominous. With chocolate-brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Eyes I can’t turn away from. They have me captive. His irises remind me of the water in the Pacific Ocean I once saw on a TV show. The edges, ringed in black like a violent storm. Looking at them feels like looking into a dark sky and waiting for lightning to flash.
“Hey, kid,” he says. “You alright?”
I shake my head and furrow my brows. Is he talking to me?
“Who are you calling a kid?” I straighten my shoulders, trying to appear taller as I glower up at him. I’m practically a teen, or at least I will be in six months. He looks like he’s one, too, so who is he to talk? It’s not like he’s an adult. Four, maybe five years older. Max.
He smirks down at me, and my stomach tumbles. I hate that feeling. The only time I’ve ever experienced that sensation was swinging on the swings at the park close to our last place. I’d lean back as I swung toward the sky, trying to contain the giggle that threatened to burst from me. I felt alive. Free.
This stranger doesn’t get to make me feel that way.
“Pippa,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
His eyes narrow as he looks down at me. “What?”
“It’s Pippa.” I move my hands to my hips. “Not kid. And I’m almost thirteen if you must know,” I fire back.
I start to turn and walk away when the guy speaks again.
“You looked like you were about to lose it. You good?”
I blink several times, not sure why I’m feeling warm all over and annoyed at the same time. “I’m fine,” I scoff, turning my back on him.
“Whatever you say, Pip.”
Looking over my shoulder, I level him with a glare. “As I said before, it’s Pippa. My name is Pippa. But since you clearly…”
“I like Pip. It suits you.” He shrugs. “Pippa sounds pretentious.”
I roll my eyes. “Big word.”
“Is it?” He grins. “What can I say? I guess my education is working.”
My face screws up. “Whatever.”
I turn on my heels, ready to run back to my trailer, and bump into a hard wall.
Not a hard wall. Another boy.
This one gives off a bad vibe that has me on edge immediately. I’m met with tapered eyes and a scowl. Trouble with a capital “T” if I’ve ever seen it.
“Watch it, you little shit.” His arms dart out, and before I know what’s happening, I’m pushed.
Things escalate quickly after that.
I fall backward, my eyes close, and I brace for impact. It doesn’t happen. Instead, large arms wrap around me, holding me in place.
“What the fuck, Ace?” the lesser of the two evils grits through his teeth, not looking down at me as he barks at the new guy.
He lifts me up, holding me in place until I’m steady on my feet. When he’s sure I’m okay, he moves away from me and steps into the asshole who tried to push me down.
“What the hell do you care, Slate? She was in my way. I was simply removing her from my path.”
Slate.
The name suits him.
Slate is eye to eye with the jerk, who doesn’t move an inch. “You don’t touch her. You don’t fucking look at her.” He straightens his back, effectively making himself taller than the douche. “Pip is off limits.”
I don’t have to see his eyes to know they’ve darkened to deep pools. A hurricane building as he levels the shorter guy with a look that promises violence.
The guy sneers, baring his teeth. “Pip? You’ve got to be kidding me,” he jeers, looking toward me. “Fitting. Fucking pipsqueak.”
“Cut the shit.”
“Or what?” Ace puffs out his chest, trying to look tough, but failing in comparison to the dark-haired god.
“Or I’ll kick your ass. It’s as simple as that.”
“Careful,” Asshat tsks. “Start a fight again, and the cops will come. Doubt your fancy school will keep you on, let alone let you skate…”
The threat hangs in the air. I look back and forth between the two, wondering what that’s all about. Finally, Slate steps forward, anyway. The space between the two is almost gone, and the bully’s back hits the tree.
“If you ever so much as touch her, I don’t care what anyone says, I’ll kick your fucking ass. Pippa is off limits.” Slate’s hand wraps around the guy’s throat, strangling him. “She’s under my protection. You hear me?”
Ace’s face begins to turn blue, and fear courses through me. I can’t make out the words he says, but it’s obvious Slate does, because he removes his hand, stepping away. The kid doesn’t waste time. He dashes off.
What a coward.
I have no idea what that was all about, but I do know that Slate just gave me a gift.
A place to feel safe.
And that place is him.
MY REVIEW
Cassidy was left behind by the boy who meant everything to her. Aiden had been her friend, her protector, but he left and never came back even though he promised. Now as an adult, she finds out he's near, so she's set out to confront him. Unfortunately, it looks like the boy she's never forgotten is now a man who doesn't even remember her. Somehow though, they end up in a fake dating situation, and now Cass has to decide if she'll ever tell him who she even is, and the other BIG secret she's kept from everyone. She knows she risks losing him again if she reveals everything, but can a relationship survive if it's always based on an unrevealed secret?
Aiden left everything and everyone behind because he had to. Now his only focus is his hockey. He has a reputation that may or not be undeserved, and he keeps himself from others, hiding behind well constructed walls. Then a woman walks (back) into his life that though he doesn't recognize, there's an attraction. And it's that attraction that leads to now - a fake relationship that is quickly turning real. But it remains to be seen if this relationship can weather hidden secrets and their past.
Wow, I so was not expecting this. I should have, considering that Ava's writing tends to fall in the emotionally harrowing end of the romance genre, but hockey romance in my mind is usually fluffy and fun. Cassidy's heartbreaking past, Aiden's OCD, both things giving this couple a very emotional rollercoaster love story. Cassidy is such a great FMC, not broken but scarred for sure. And yet, she maintained a big, loving heart throughout, never judging, never giving up on Aiden. Aiden in turn, equally loving, but brooding and distant, but not so much with his true love. I cannot say enough how much I love Ava's take on a hockey romance, and I really hope she decides to write another one.
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