A Perfect Catch

He’s the perfect catch…for now!

When it comes to romance, Tracy Hayden is not looking for a rematch. She’s had epic passion—and problems!—with professional hockey player Ike Jelinek. Brilliant on skates and magic in bed, his too-traditional-for-her views were like a bucket of ice water on their affair.

Then an injury takes Ike out of the game, and everything changes. Suddenly he needs her services-providing business—even though he once claimed it was their biggest problem. Tracy’s determined to be professional, despite the sizzling attraction between them that won’t go away. Maybe they need a second fling to fix that!

“What are you doing here?”

Ike crossed his arms awkwardly over his broad chest. The bandages that covered his arm from fingers to shoulder hampered his movement. “I’m suffering enough without you adding to my misery.”

Ignoring the little sting his words gave her, Tracy smiled sweetly at him. “Ever the charmer, Ike. I thought I’d give the nurses a break from your delightful personality.” She flicked her finger at his hospital gown. “By the way, the pastel-blue flowers suit you.”

The gown should have looked silly on such an obviously masculine body. Instead, it actually emphasized his honed chest and arms, making him look more manly, rather than less.

Still, he didn’t need to know that. Nor that he’d made her pulse skip.

Dear Reader,

It’s time to drop the puck on another story about the dedicated and delicious hockey players of the New Jersey Ice Cats! Welcome back to readers who’ve enjoyed the series so far, and thank you for your many lovely comments. If this is your first Ice Cats book, hello, and thanks for stopping by.

They say if two people are meant to be together, they’ll end up together. But what if for some reason the timing isn’t right? Although there are tragic stories of missed chances, you also hear many heartwarming stories about people finally getting together after many years. I like to believe that love will always find a way, although sometimes fate has to give a helping hand.

The moment Ike and Tracy appeared in A Perfect Distraction, I knew that for them the timing the first time around was definitely not right. It was also clear fate would have to use both hands to get this stubborn couple back together!

I love to hear from readers. Please write to me at [email protected] or Box 174, Regis House, 23 King Street, Cambridge CB1 1AH, England. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Anna Sugden

A Perfect Catch

Anna Sugden

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Former marketing executive ANNA SUGDEN loves reading romance novels and watching films with happy endings. She also loves watching hockey and football, where she prefers a happy ending for her teams. When she’s not researching hockey players (for her books, of course), she makes craft projects and collects penguins, autographs and memorabilia, and great shoes. Anna lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and two bossy black cats. Learn more about Anna, her books and her shoes at annasugden.com.

For Keith, all my love always

For Favourite Nephew, Matthew,

and Favourite Niece, Hannah—love you xx

Acknowledgments

My wonderful agent, Jill Marsal,

for all her support, advice and help.

Donna MacMeans and Cassondra Murray—

plotting has never been so much fun!

Beth Andrews, Terri Garey, Kathleen Long,

Janice Lynn and Tawny Weber—who are always there for me.

The Romance Bandits—who make this

roller-coaster ride a blast!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

“WHY DOES IT take so long to have a baby?”

At her niece’s question, Tracy Hayden looked up from the stack of invoices she was logging into her business’s accounting system.

She smiled at Emily, who was playing a game on the other home-office computer. “They don’t have bar codes on their bums, so you can’t just pick them up at a grocery store.”

Tracy’s sister, Maggie, had gone to the hospital early that morning, when her water had broken. The latest update from Maggie’s anxious husband, Jake, at 5:00 p.m., had been that all was progressing well, if a bit slowly.

Now, at seven-thirty, ten-year-old Emily’s excitement was stretched thin by the lack of action.

“Very funny, Auntie Tracy.” The soon-to-be older sister rolled her eyes. “Do you think Mummy’s having a girl or a boy?”

“Hmm.” Tracy pretended to consider the question seriously. “I have a feeling the sproglet is a boy.”

Her niece leaned forward eagerly. “Why?”

Tracy lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Your mum put sugar in her cup of tea yesterday. They say you need extra sweetness if you’re having a boy.”

Emily’s eyes widened. “She also ate a whole bar of Cadbury’s chocolate from her stash.”