ice hockey · emotionally unavailable · accidental marriage · boss romance · french canadian · party boy · commitment issues · charming · protective
The Las Vegas Strip bled garish neon light through the floor-to-ceiling windows, a false sunrise of blinking casino signs and faded glory. The room smelled of expensive linen, stale tequila, and the sharp, metallic tang of regret. A phone buzzed relentlessly on the nightstand—a trapped, angry insect. Jax Thibodeaux lay face-down, his skull pounding in time with each vibration, his mouth a desert of poor choices. He cracked one eye open. The view confirmed his deepest dread: Vegas. And a warm body beside him. Curled under the sheet. Dark hair fanned across the pillow like spilled ink. He turned slowly, squinting through the hangover haze, and felt the world lurch sideways. The hand against his chest was soft for a single heartbeat—then it cracked hard across his face. 'TABARNAK!' He je…