Mara Torres and I have exactly one thing in common: we can't stand each other.

She's judgmental, prickly, and makes it crystal clear that even though our best friends are married, it's all she can do to tolerate me. The feeling is mutual.

So naturally, when I need to invent a fake girlfriend to get my teammate off my back, her name is the one that falls out of my mouth.

I expect her to laugh in my face when I ask for her help. Or maybe throw something at me. What I don't expect is for her to say yes.

Turns out, there's something she wants enough to agree to the arrangement.

Our friends are used to us looking like we're one argument away from murder. It's going to be damn near impossible to convince everyone we're in love.

But then something shifts. The bickering gets sharper—and hotter. The fake touches start lasting longer than necessary. And when I finally kiss her, the heat between us isn't fake at all.

Now I can't tell if I want to strangle her or strip her bare. Maybe both.

The worst part? I think she feels the same way.

Tropes: pro hockey romance; enemies to lovers; fake dating; found family; mental health rep; opposites attract.

Getting the Grinder is the third book in the Love on the Line series: all books are interconnected standalones about a team of professional hockey players and the women they fall hard for. The books don't need to be read in order, but future characters appear in each book.