No Protocol for Love: Face Off for Love, #1

By Jen FitzGerald

Tyson Collier lives out and proud in Las Vegas, a far cry from the oppressive small town he grew up in. He swore he'd never go back in the closet, not for anyone or anything.

Working as an ice crew member for the Las Vegas Gamblers is a dream job. Tyson is surrounded by hunky hockey players--athletes are totally his type even if they're straight.

Semyon "Semka" Novikoff has focused his whole life on playing professional-level hockey. He can't ever come out. Not as a Russian national. His life and livelihood depend on keeping his sexuality a secret.

Playing professional hockey in the United States is an experience like no other. The vast freedoms he enjoys are many. Except the freedom to be publicly gay.

When Semka suffers a concussion, Tyson volunteers to help him with daily life. Over the course of the first few weeks, their friendship blossoms.

Semka takes Tyson into his confidence and reveals his sexuality. Tyson takes Semka to bed.

What started as a simple gesture of kindness becomes a secret relationship with an expiration date. Once Semka is medically cleared to play, the relationship is over.

Semka can't risk losing his job or his life, and Tyson won't be with someone who can't openly present themselves to the world as part of a couple.

When Semka and Tyson part ways, both men find themselves missing the other, but they can never be. At least, that's what they tell themselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Knotted Hearts Publishing
• Release date: Oct 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781948236195

Jen FitzGerald

Jen FitzGerald has loved romance since her Winnie the Pooh days. Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh have always been platonic soulmates. As a teen, Jen cut her romance teeth on Silhouette’s teen romance line and Danielle Steele books concurrently. She’s still an avid reader, but these days, Jen has added writing romances of her own to her list of fun things to do. Jen lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband and dog. Their three children are now adults and out terrorizing the world at large instead of them. When not working her day job, Jen spends a lot of time reading, writing, watching hockey, and perusing her social media platforms of preference. She also enjoys music, cross stitching, and chatting online with writer friends.

Book preview

No Protocol for Love

Face Off for Love ~ Book One

Jen FitzGerald

Knotted Hearts Publishing

Knotted Hearts Publishing

Fort Worth Texas

www.knottedheartspublishing.com

Published in the Unites States of America

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2019 Jen FitzGerald

All rights reserved.

First edition.

ISBN: 978-1-948236-19-5

This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

Contributors

Content/copy editing provided by

Teri McGill

Dianne Drake

C.J. Matlyn

Cover art created by

Dianne Thies

https://www.lyricallines.net/

Dedication

Dedicated to the men who play hockey professionally and provide me so many hours of entertainment.

May the hockey gods shine upon you and keep you safe while you pursue your dream.

* * * * *

Dear Reader,

This book was written for an anthology featuring heroes and heroines living with disabilities. While concussions aren’t necessarily permanent disabilities, the choice of concussion as the disability for my hot hockey boy, Semka, was an easy one. I’m a huge fan of hockey and have read too many heartbreaking accounts of hockey players who suffer permanent brain trauma/CTE as a result of repeated concussions that went misdiagnosed or untreated or of players who were sent back out to play before they were fully healed. If you or your children participate in sports, please, please, please never take chances with possible concussions/actual concussions. Establish baseline protocols and allow a concussion to fully and completely heal before returning to active play.

Be safe and be well.

Jen

Chapter One

The Gamblers’ practice rink was half full when Semka arrived. Teammates, their wives and kids or girlfriends. Coaching staff. Even a few members of the ice crew. Smiles wreathed most of the faces.

American Thanksgiving wasn’t a holiday he celebrated. If the team was on the road, he spent the day with them, of course. When at home, he lounged around eating Chinese takeout and binge watched whatever looked good on his subscription channels. While family skates were never mandatory, attendance today had been heavily encouraged. Semka let go a deep sigh. He’d made an appearance.

Cold air brushed his face; the familiar but unique odor of the ice tickled his nose; the skrutch, skrutch of his blades as he circled the rink was music to his ears. Every hockey player’s first love was the ice. The only thing worse for a closeted gay Russian hockey player than being faced with happy families or guys bragging about getting laid was not playing hockey. He crossed himself.

After his second lonely loop around the ice, Semka slowed to a stop in front of the bench. He’d admired Irish’s newborn daughter and met Yartzy’s fiancée.

A line of kids trailed behind the guy who occasionally winked at Semka while scraping the ice during tv timeouts. Warmth flared in Semka’s stomach every time it happened. Semka never responded with more than a nod though. Not acknowledging him seemed rude. The guy never took offense and would smile and wink again. For that, Semka was glad. It made him feel special in a way nothing had for a long time. Semka watched the kids and drank in the sight of the ice crew guy.

Coppery hair, longer on the top than on the sides, glinted under the fluorescent lights. Semka rubbed his fingertips to quell the sudden itch. Dark wash skinny jeans hugged long legs and a narrow waist; Semka’s gaze drifted to the bulge in his pants. It wasn’t excessively large, but it wasn’t small either. Semka’s own dick gave a single throb of longing, but he pushed away the lascivious thoughts. There were children present.

Speaking of children, they giggled at the guy’s silly joke. A chuckle inadvertently escaped Semka as well.

The guy looked up and very blue eyes met Semka’s. The guy’s smile appeared like a sunrise and he winked. Warmth bloomed deep in Semka’s being and he couldn't stay the small gasp. The guy’s smile widened and he ducked his head before returning his attention to the children.

Well, shit. What had Semka done? Had he given himself away? Would the guy say anything? What could he say? Semka laughed at my stupid joke, therefore he must be gay.

A hand clapped Semka on the shoulder before he could spiral into a freak out and he startled in surprise.

Good to see you, Novi. Swanny smiled fondly at the line of kids. His ten-year-old was at the end. You ready for the Lumberjacks on Tuesday?

Sure, yeah. They shared a fist bump. They a bad team. We gonna kick some ass.

From your lips to the hockey gods’ ears. Swanny kissed his fingertips and flicked them toward the sky.

The guy and his train of kids snaked by again.

The kids, they like that guy. He make fun with them. Semka really needed to stop referring to him as the guy.

Who, Tyson? Swanny followed Semka’s sight line and nodded. Yeah, they do. He babysits for us. My kids love him. I really admire him.

His name was Tyson.

You admire? Semka glanced at Swanny and then back at the kids, at Tyson. Why?

Swanny scratched his short-shorn head. "Just everything he dealt with growing up a

Reviews for No Protocol for Love

[MA · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Sweet and simple, easy weekend fluffy reading with happy ever after. Rather interesting international pairing with nationality considerations involved. Completely relationship-driven storytelling in this series. Very little about actual ice hockey (if you happen to be here for it, you won't find it.)