Playing Hurt

Roman Vane is running out of time. At thirty-four, the veteran captain of the Ice Lions is holding his career together with sheer stubbornness and a fraying shoulder. He refuses to slow down, and he definitely refuses to listen to the team's new, twenty-three-year-old physical therapist. Especially since that therapist happens to be the head coach's son.

Julian Miller is tired of being invisible. Living in the shadow of his controlling father, Julian just wants to do his job, keep his head down, and fix the injuries of athletes who won't listen to reason. When Roman lands on his treatment table, Julian expects an arrogant superstar. He doesn't expect the fierce, undeniable pull between them—or the way the hardened captain makes him want to stop hiding.

What starts as clinical assessments in a quiet, amber-lit clinic soon spills over into stolen nights, dark penthouses, and breathless secrets. But a relationship between a player and a staff member is strictly forbidden. If they are caught, Roman could lose the game he's sacrificed his body for, and Julian could lose the independence he's just beginning to find.

They have to decide if playing hurt is worth the risk of finally healing.