*A Las Vegas Kingsnakes Prequel* Tumbling headfirst into a famous hockey player’s pool while fleeing the scene of a crime wasn’t exactly how she pictured kicking off the long weekend… …but that’s exactly how Nic Aluette’s life is going at the moment. After suffering a broken heart courtesy of her cheating ex-boyfriend, working at a crappy dive bar for pennies, and living at the sketchiest hotel in the universe, she’s desperate for a mini vacation to escape her problems and the sweltering city heat. Now, she’s seconds away from getting busted for crashing at what she thought was a vacant lake house. If she could just manage to convince the tattooed, bearded hottie stomping across his backyard not to turn her over to the authorities… Hockey star Roman Falanov is at a major crossroads in his career. After a long, frustrating season, he’s days away from becoming the most popular free agent on the market. His plans for a weekend alone to relax and contemplate the biggest decision of his life—where he’s going to play next—are interrupted by the beautiful, smart-mouthed blonde who just crash-landed in his pool. But she might be exactly the kind of distraction he needs right now. Nic is fresh out of options with nowhere to go, so when Fally invites her to stay with him for a few days, she can’t say no. Things between them quickly heat up, and Nic suggests a no-strings fling with a ticking clock—one that runs out when the long weekend ends. Fally, who doesn’t do relationships—ever—takes her up on the offer. But for Nic, there’s just one little problem: she forgot to tell her heart not to fall in love.