Ava Grace Fairchild never expected to find herself on the back of a hockey player’s motorcycle. Until now, her life in Laurel Springs, Alabama, has been everything you’d expect for a Southern belle: old money, silver spoons and a perfectly planned future. But you can’t plan for the kind of public humiliation that has her running away from her well-ordered life to spend one perfect night with a stranger. Russian enforcer Luka Zadorov is no fan of the South. Being traded to Alabama has meant swapping the glory of northern hockey for playing second fiddle to college football, but his plan to get traded back hits an interesting snag when he crosses paths with Ava Grace. Maybe the South has something to offer after all… Together, Luka and Ava Grace are finally enjoying the present instead of worrying about the future. But when their no-strings fling suddenly develops the kind of strings you can’t ignore, it’s time for them both to confront what their hearts truly need.