Tonight he looked lonely.

      He’d obviously come to the reception on his own. She’d heard about his divorce—hard not to when it had been splashed across the media. Not that there had been anything salacious. Just the usual bland statement about him and his wife separating, no one else involved and a request to respect their family’s privacy. Still, on a slow sports day during the summer hiatus, it had filled column inches.

      As if he felt her studying him, Scotty looked up and their gazes met. Held.

      Her heart double skipped. Was that a flicker of interest widening his pupils?

      There was something about the recently retired captain that drew her to him. His dark hair, flecked with gray, was still short, like it had been when he was playing. His tanned face bore the scars of his career. The one that had always fascinated her was the white line that marred his otherwise perfect lips. Left side, near the corner. The result of a high stick—one that hadn’t been penalized—it had taken twenty-five stitches to close the cut.

      He gave a half smile, raised his glass to her, then returned his attention to his drink.

      Wow. Talk about a look that packed a punch.

      Suddenly, she wanted to make that half smile full-blown.

Dear Reader,

      The New Jersey Ice Cats are back and ready for action! This time though you’ll get a sneak peek at what it’s like behind the scenes, when retired captain Scott “Scotty” Matthews takes on a new challenge in the team’s front office. Can he be as successful off the ice as he was on it—especially when he has to face off against sexy business consultant Sapphire Houlihan?

      When Sapphire appeared in A Perfect Compromise, I knew that finding her the perfect hero would be complicated. Not because she’s a confident, successful woman, but because she’s actually happy with her life as it is. It would take a special man to stand up to her and make her reconsider her “no strings” philosophy. Scotty wasn’t the obvious choice, but he was definitely the right one...in the end!

      Aside from helping these two get their happy ending, writing this book was fun because I got the chance to use knowledge from my former career in business. It was great to be able to combine marketing, hockey and romance in one story.

      I love to hear from readers. You can get in touch with me via email at [email protected] or via my website, www.annasugden.com. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

      Anna Sugden

      A Perfect Strategy

      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.

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      For Marcela, with love.

      For Keith, love always. xxxxx

Acknowledgments

      Jill Marsal, my fabulous agent!

      Victoria Curran, for helping me make this book the best it can be.

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

       Introduction

Dear Reader

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

Acknowledgments

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

       CHAPTER FOUR

       CHAPTER FIVE

       CHAPTER SIX

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       CHAPTER NINE

       CHAPTER TEN

      

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