The Faker: A Marriage of Convenience Hockey Romance (Boston Hawks Hockey), Gina Azzi [pocket ebook reader .TXT] 📗

her laptop. Over the summer, Rielle has opened her own photography business. She reached out to her old college professor. Between his connections and Rielle’s brother’s and father’s networks, she’s drummed up a considerable amount of business in a short amount of time.

“I like this one.” I point to a black and white photo of the groom when he gets his first look at his bride. She was walking down the aisle toward him but in the picture, we only see his reaction. His emotion is raw and real and beautiful. And my girl captured it all, making the happy couple’s precious moment timeless.

“It’s one of my favorites too,” she agrees, scrolling through more photos.

Settling back into life with Rielle is as natural as breathing. Since we both know what we want, are already married, and have no intention of being apart again, the logistics of our lives weren’t too hard to figure out either. For now, as Rielle builds her photography business, a profession that allows location mobility, we’ve decided to split our time between New York and Oslo.

I’ve realigned my family’s business so that Anders, Johan, Daniel, and myself all control a quarter of the company. We’ve drawn up some pretty clear policies on how to handle future disputes and disagreements but I’m all for Magnus making any final decisions. Especially since he turns five next month and already shows more promise than the rest of us Hansens combined. Rielle says it shows my emotional maturity that I’m ready to pass the title of the best Hansen on. And Magnus, he’s really something else.

“Sweetheart.” I set an iced caramel macchiato I whipped up with my fancy espresso machine that I recently learned how to navigate by Rielle’s elbow. “We need to leave in an hour if we’re going to be on time for dinner at your dad’s.”

“Yep.” She nods. “I’m just going to finish editing this photo.”

“Okay.” I leave her to her work and wander through our small, Lower East Side apartment. It’s in a trendy area, surrounded by fashion boutiques and wine bars. Even though we’re here, we’ve kept our investments in Boston as just that, investments.

Slowly, Rielle and I are learning how to navigate our complicated families and our twisted histories with them. Rielle’s brother, Jesse, and his wife, Mira, have welcomed us into their lives wholeheartedly. Rielle adores spending time with her niece, Leah. Now, we’re working on repairing her relationship with her father which is slowly improving, facilitated by weekly family dinners and Leah’s irresistible charm. Her grandpa is wrapped around her little finger and her three-year-old presence has smoothed out a lot of could-be-awkward moments.

I enter our bedroom, taking a moment to appreciate the framed photo Rielle hung up of our wedding day. We’re kissing and it’s brimming with passion. Anyone who glances at the photo would have no idea we weren’t in love. Because the truth is, pieces of us already were. We just didn’t know it yet. I dress for dinner. Once I’m ready, I call out a thirty-minute warning to Rielle.

I love how happy she is. I love seeing her immersed in her photography, something that brings her immense joy. The photos she took of Oslo’s stunning nature and Magnus’s goofy face on their outing together are some of my favorites. But each week, she improves her skills, and I’m certain that she’s going to be a highly sought-after photographer in both New York and Norway in no time.

Maybe even in Greece.

I double-check that our passports are in my carry-on backpack.

While Rielle is preoccupied with her work, I roll out our one shared suitcase and tell her I’ll be right back. She hums in approval, never bothering to turn around, as I run our suitcase down to the trunk of our SUV.

She doesn’t know this but tonight, after our family dinner, we’re heading straight to the airport.

I promised my wife a honeymoon and I am a man of my word. We’re going to Santorini, Greece for two weeks of sunrises and sunsets, seafood and swimming, and a chance to learn more about each other.

Even though, right from day one, I’ve known all the parts of Rielle I needed to.

All of this is just bonus.

When I enter the apartment, she’s changing into a sundress. Her hair is wild and loose, just the way I like it. She turns around, scanning the floor.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I can’t find my shoes. You know, those strappy sandals with the crystals in them?”

“Hm…” I shrug. I packed them.

“I guess I’ll just wear these.” She slides into some simple flats.

“Looks good to me.” I grin.

She steps toward me and I wrap my arms around her waist, my fingers lacing together at the base of her spine. She tilts her head, her eyes studying me.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

“I am. Sometimes it still seems too good to be true.”

“What does?”

“Our happily-ever-after.”

I nod, knowing exactly what she means. “But it’s ours, Ri. It’s our story.”

“And our story is the best one.”

“Damn straight.” I kiss her, wondering if I’ll ever get enough of this woman.

Probably not but the good news is, I don’t have to.

Because my happily-for-now truly grew into a happily-ever-after.

Thank you so much for reading Torsten and Rielle’s marriage of convenience. I fell in love with their romance and I hope you did too!

Are you wondering what’s in store for Austin Merrick? The Hawks Captain is in for a surprise when his childhood friend, Chloe Crawford, returns to Boston looking nothing like the girl-next-door from his teenage years.

The Rule Maker releases June 23!

In high school, Austin Merrick was a rule-breaking, hockey star. Now, he’s captain of the NHL Boston Hawks and my last-minute wedding date as I face my ex-fiancé.

With a devilish smirk and wicked blue eyes, Austin is just as charismatic as I remember. But this version doesn’t break rules. He makes them. Even when I wish he wouldn’t…

Preorder it now and turn the page for a sneak peek.

The Rule Maker

Chapter One - Chloe

“I’ve officially regressed,”