After a devastating betrayal shatters her heart, Lila Bennett is determined to focus on herself and leave the past behind. The last thing she needs is more drama—especially from her cheating ex-boyfriend, Jason, who refuses to accept that their relationship is over. Ryker Hayes, the college hockey team's feared enforcer, has problems of his own. With a bad-boy reputation, a complicated past, relentless media attention, and a suspension threatening his career, the last thing he wants is a relationship. But when a fake dating arrangement seems like the perfect solution to both their problems, neither of them expects the consequences. What begins as a carefully planned act soon becomes something far more dangerous. As Lila finds comfort in the one man everyone warns her about, and Ryker discovers that not all battles are fought on the ice, the line between fake and real begins to blur. Between possessive moments, hidden feelings, jealous rivals, loyal friendships, media scrutiny, and emotional wounds that refuse to heal, both must decide whether they're willing to risk their hearts for something that was never supposed to be real. Because sometimes the person who protects your heart the most is the one capable of breaking it. A college hockey romance filled with fake dating, emotional healing, protective heroes, slow-burn tension, friendship, jealousy, humor, found family, and a love story that starts with a lie but may end with the truth.