Taming the Puckboy
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Pearl C
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Elena is a driven MBA student, ready to conquer her dream job, until she’s paired with Aiden, hockey’s notorious bad boy. Tasked with fixing his image, she expects ego and arrogance—but what she gets is sparks, temptation, and a dangerous pull she never anticipated. Every strategy meeting and media stunt drags her closer to forbidden desire. As secrets, fame, and the pressure of the spotlight collide, Elena must navigate the fine line between professionalism and passion. Can a rule-breaking heart survive the heat of the penalty box?
Meet Ugly
ELENA
She walked straight into a wall of muscle. The impact knocked the breath from Elena’s lungs and sent her bag slipping from her shoulder.
One second, she was hurrying across the marble foyer, late and flustered, and the next, she was rebounding off someone hard enough to stop her in her tracks. Not just someone. A man. A very large man. Strong hands caught her arms before she could stumble backward, steadying her with a firm, unyielding grip.
“Watch where you’re going, or you’ll end up hurting someone.” The voice was low and sharp, edged with annoyance.
“I-I didn’t mean to,” Elena said, breathless. “Sorry.” Her cheeks burned as she looked up, and then she forgot how to speak entirely.
The man towering over her looked like he belonged in an arena, not the polished halls of Harley Business School. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Built like power had been carved into every line of him.
His dark hair was slightly disheveled, as though he’d run a hand through it and decided that was good enough. His jaw was hard, severe, the kind that suggested smiles were rationed carefully.
But it was his eyes that pinned her in place. Gray. Cold as winter. Furious enough to spark. Her pulse gave an embarrassing little leap.
For the briefest second, his hands remained on her arms. His expression didn’t soften, but something unreadable flickered there—a hesitation, a glance that lingered half a beat too long on her face before he seemed to catch himself. Then his grip tightened once, almost unconsciously, before he stepped back and released her.
Elena nearly swayed without the contact. “Sorry,” she repeated, quieter this time.
His gaze dropped to her mouth, then snapped back to her eyes so quickly she might have imagined it. His expression hardened, and without another word, he turned and strode down the grand staircase, every step radiating irritation.
Elena stood rooted to the spot, heart thudding far too fast for a collision with a stranger. “Who the hell,” she muttered to herself, “was that?”
“Elena!”
She turned at the sound of her name. Becky was waving at her from the foot of the staircase, already making her way over.
When she reached Elena, her gaze flicked to the retreating figure, and she let out a low whistle. Becky was her closest friend and her only saving grace in this class, someone who didn’t judge her for knowing nothing about sports.
“Wow,” Becky said. “That was impressive.”
“He’s…” Elena exhaled, still trying to recover. “He’s a player?”
“In more ways than one,” Becky said, grinning. “Trust you to get off on the wrong foot with the most dangerous player on the team.”
“The most dangerous player?” Elena echoed.
“That,” Becky said, nodding toward the staircase, “was Aiden Donnelly.”
Aiden. The name did not suit him.
“He’s notoriously difficult to work with,” Becky continued as they started up the stairs. “One of the best defensemen in the country. Also the Bulldogs’ most expensive player. He practically runs the team.”
“How do you know all this?” Elena asked, glancing at her.
“I have five older brothers,” Becky said. “What do you think we discussed at the dinner table?”
“Deals on Axe men’s cologne?”
“I wish. I spent eighteen years smelling the unwashed boy smell. My nasal cavities have been permanently altered.”
“Thanks for sharing that information with me, Becks.”
“You got it,” Becky said.
They reached the top of the staircase, and only then did Elena fully register where she was: the Boston Public Library, the charity gala, the networking dinner.
Elena was running late, and it was entirely her fault. She had stayed back after class to grill Professor Adams on the latest assignment.
She couldn’t help it. It was the most exciting assignment he had given all semester… Scratch that, the most exciting assignment of her entire time at Harley Business School.
One that could bring her closer to her goal of becoming a management consultant at a “big three” firm.
“The top five students will get a chance to present their findings to McGinley Consulting Firm, and one of them will get an offer to join them as an associate after graduation. Don’t blow it, kids.”
Professor Adams’s announcement from last week still echoed in her head, still capable of making her want to scream in excitement. Elena rarely believed in shortcuts or handouts, yet this opportunity was simply too good to ignore.
Harley Business School had joined forces with McGinley and the Boston Bulldogs for that year’s management in entertainment assignment. Each student had been partnered with a player on the Bulldogs and had to help them build a personal brand and PR strategy.
A successful partnership meant the best job on campus, and Elena wanted it. Badly. Because she had seen what the alternative looked like.
Her mother coming home exhausted, smelling faintly of whatever shift she had just finished—sometimes cleaning supplies, sometimes kitchen grease—dropping her bag by the door before forcing a smile.
“We’re fine,” she would always say, even when they weren’t.
Elena had learned early not to ask for more. Not to need more. Most importantly, not to waste an opportunity like this.
She had originally enrolled in the entertainment class just to earn the credits, but now she was elated. Winning this project could land her dream job.
Which was precisely why she had stayed after class to speak with Professor Adams. Any edge could make a difference. Unfortunately, that edge had cost her the pre-drinks.
“You’re so late,” Becky said as they moved toward the main event. “We already met the team.”
“What?” Elena turned to her. “Shouldn’t introductions have happened in class—where I would’ve actually been?”
“Relax.” Becky bumped her shoulder lightly as they walked. “We won’t know who our partners are until class. If anything, you just missed the chance to hope yours was Jake Showalter.”
“Who’s that?” Elena asked.
Becky groaned. “Come on, Elena. You should at least know who the captain is.” She kept talking as they walked. “Rumor has it he’s got the tightest ass in the entire league. I’m not even kidding. Us Weekly ran an article about it.”
“I don’t care, Becky,” Elena said, exasperated. “I don’t care about the NHL…or their players’ asses.”
They stepped into the networking event, the air filled with clinking glasses and polite laughter. A symphony of conversations, calculated smiles, and opportunity.
Elena straightened slightly, ready to mingle with the movers and shakers of the Bulldogs. This was it. Her chance to stand out. Her chance to win. Her chance to build a better life for herself.
Becky leaned in, her voice dropping just enough to turn conspiratorial. “Just pray,” she said, “that you don’t end up with Aiden Donnelly.”
Elena let out a small breath. “What’s the worst that could happen?” she asked, attempting lightness.
Becky shot her a look. “I mean it,” she said. “He’s the most dangerous player on the team.”
Elena’s gaze drifted, almost involuntarily, back toward the grand staircase where he had disappeared.
Dangerous. Difficult. Exactly the kind of person she should avoid.
Her stomach sank, because knowing her luck…
“Miss Swan,” someone said.
Elena turned. Professor Adams was weaving toward her through the crowd, looking far too pleased with himself.
“Ah,” he said, glancing at her flushed cheeks. “Looks like you’ve already met your partner.”
Her stomach dropped. “What?”
He smiled, clearly enjoying himself. “Aiden Donnelly.”
Elena’s eyes snapped toward the room, searching instinctively. She found him near the bar, broad shoulders turned halfway away, speaking to another player with a drink in hand. He hadn’t looked over once.
Professor Adams leaned in slightly. “I’ve heard Aiden is a bit reluctant about participating in this project,” he said. “So I thought you’d be the perfect partner to motivate him.”
Elena stared at him. “You paired me with the man who nearly bit my head off?” she asked.
Professor Adams chuckled. “I paired him with the student most likely to survive him. You’ll get a chance to get to know each other in class tomorrow.”
Across the room, Aiden finally glanced up, and his gray eyes met hers—colder, harder, and far more dangerous than before.
