Everything is clicking for the Vengeance. We may be new, but we’re well on our way to winning the championship, and I’m having the time of my life headlining the sports media as the hottest goalie - hell, player - ever. I, for one, am going to live up to my name...because I am Legend Bay. Dragging my ass home from the gym, I’m blinded by some gaudy, glowing holiday lights. As usual, my hot-as-hell neighbor Pepper Nantais has gone way over the top. But just as I’m about to tell her off, something else catches my eye.

Valentine French may be the sassiest dating columnist in New York City, but the abundance of metrosexuals in her adopted metropolis is seriously cramping her style. Where are the beefy all-American boys? Hoping to find some inspiration, Val heads to Alaska, where the men outnumber the women 15 to one and wrestle grizzly bears for sport. Or so she can only imagine.

I’m having the time of my life with my new brothers on the Arizona Vengeance. The only person who doesn’t seem to think I’m so great is Blue Gardner, the hot flight attendant on our team plane. I sure wouldn’t mind joining the mile-high club with her, but besides bringing me lukewarm coffee, she won’t give me the time of day. My teammates think it's hilarious: we’re used to women flocking to us. When I run into Blue back on land, I’m shocked to learn how she spends her time off: taking care of her handicapped brother. There are layers to this girl I never imagined.

Marek Fabritis is used to delivering blows, not receiving them. But when he gets tipped off by an anonymous email about his ex-girlfriend, the news leaves him ice cold - and it's not because Gracen Moore is getting married to a total jerk. It's the fact that Marek has a three-year-old daughter he never knew about. Now he's going back home, not to play knight in shining armor but to make damn sure that no man takes what's his. For the first time, there might be something more important than hockey.

No one plays like Reed Olson, whether it's hockey season or not. After back-to-back NHL championships, he's craving a little R&R. Reed leans to a specific type - blond, busty, and interested - and fortunately he has a little black book full of options. So why is it he can't stop dreaming about the new girl who just moved in next door? A certified brainiac, she seems to want nothing to do with the hard-bodied athlete. Josie Ives desperately needs something her celebrity neighbor obviously doesn't: solitude. Reed is everything she imagined - a little too good-looking.

As one of the league's toughest enforcers, Van Turner is ruthless on the ice. He plays hard because it's the only way to channel the rage boiling inside, and a reputation as an A-hole is better than everyone knowing the truth. Van has spent his entire life running from a secret that's kept him from getting involved in relationships-or accepting lucrative deals with East Coast teams. Then the Carolina Cold Fury makes him an offer he can't refuse...and Van meets a woman he can't resist.

My name is Dax Monahan, and hockey is my passion. And if you want to succeed in this sport you have to bust your ass 24/7. I’ve never had a hard time focusing on my career, but when my past comes knocking, no amount of training can prepare me for what lies on the other side of the door. Regan Miles was always like a sister to me. When a shared tragedy brings us face to face after several years, I’m shocked to see just how much she’s changed. Gone is the shy, awkward little girl that always used to chase me and her brother around. Instead, I’m faced with a gorgeous woman.

Carolina Cold Fury star Garrett Samuelson never wants to miss out on a single minute of fun. Whether he's playing hockey, hanging out with friends, or walking the red carpet with a new date on his arm, he lives every day to the fullest. When he meets Olivia Case, he sees someone who's exactly his type: confident, sexy, and smart. But the more he pursues her, the more Garrett shares a side of himself that other women don't normally get to see.

I never thought a pecker would get me in so much trouble. I mean, sure… if you’re talking about a certain anatomical feature of mine that the ladies just love. Given my bachelor status and appreciation for all things curvy and feminine, I could absolutely see that. But a different pecker is making my life much harder than it needs to be. My name is Ford Daniels, partner at the law firm of Knight & Payne, and my latest case has me wading through the finer points of peckers - woodpeckers that is. Specifically, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker.

Rising star Zack Grantham has been stuck in a downward spiral of grief that has put his career on hold. Back on the road with the Carolina Cold Fury, still crippled by emotional baggage, and now a single dad, he's in need of some serious help with his son. But while the nerdy new nanny wins his son's heart, Zack isn't sure that he's ready for a woman's touch - even after getting a glimpse of the killer curves she's hiding under those baggy clothes.

In a league full of troublemakers, Cold Fury defenseman Roman Sýkora stands out - at least when it comes to negative publicity. When he's not chilling in the penalty box, the sizzling Czech skate demon is racking up tabloid headlines for his scandalous behavior with the ladies. But now Roman's feeling the burn from management to clean up his act, or else. Luckily he's got an enticing distraction: a fun-loving barista who plays the ukulele.

As the prince of a luxury hotel empire, I am as close to American royalty as one can get. I grew up accustomed to a certain lifestyle. One where people give me what I desire and anything, or anyone, else can be bought. Everyone wants a piece of me, yet no one is actually deserving of my time. That changes when Bailey Robbins, the smoking hot housekeeper in one of my hotels, catches my attention. Sure, she has curves for days but it’s her smart mouth I can’t help but be intrigued by.

There’s a reason they call me Wylde, and it’s not just because it’s my last name. I might be one of the newest players on the Arizona Vengeance team, but I’m no stranger to the celebrity that goes along with being a professional hockey player. When a quirky redhead at the local bookstore stops me dead in my tracks, I decide to pop in and turn on the trusty Wylde magic. As smart and strong-willed as she is beautiful, Clarke Webber isn’t swayed by my witty banter or charming good looks. Thankfully, I’m always up for a challenge.

The stakes have never been higher for Carolina Cold Fury goalie Ryker Evans. With his contract running out, he's got a year left to prove that he's still at the top of his game. And since his wife left him, Ryker has been balancing life as a pro hockey star and a single parent to two daughters. Management is waiting for him to screw up. The fans are ready to pounce. Everybody's taking dirty shots - except for the fiery redhead whose faith in Ryker gives him a fresh start.

I built myself up from nothing. A product of the foster care system, I learned early on how to fight hard to get what I want. Whether it was starting my first company in college, earning my first billion, or buying my first professional sports team, I know how to get what I want when I want it. Until now. Willow Monahan is fierce, independent, and hot as hell. She also takes great pleasure in shutting down my advances. The younger sister of one of my star players, Willow intrigues me to my very core. And while she may have willingly given me her body, she is hesitant to offer up more.