SLAP SHOT BY CHELSEA CURTO (PREORDER)

Hudson Hayes has spent months searching for a private chef, but with the NHL season about to begin, he’s running out of options—and patience.

Madeline Galloway needs a fresh start. After losing her executive chef position in Las Vegas, she’s desperate for a new job when an unexpected opportunity appears in Washington, DC. Cooking for a professional hockey player wasn’t part of the plan, but it’s exactly the lifeline she and her daughter need.

The arrangement is simple: Madeline will run Hudson’s kitchen, and Hudson will stay out of the way. No complications. No personal entanglements. And definitely no falling for the thoughtful hockey star who makes it feel dangerously easy to belong in his home.

But when one stolen kiss on New Year’s Eve changes everything, the boundaries between them start to blur. As their connection deepens—and Hudson goes out of his way to learn American Sign Language for Madeline’s daughter—they’ll have to decide if what they have is just another temporary arrangement or something worth risking their hearts for.