Puckered Hearts

• KAIA •
Failing a class was not on my college bingo card. Especially not English, of all things.
“You’re a bright student, Kaia,” Professor Mellark had said, “but this isn’t high school anymore.”
So now, thanks to my struggling essays and less-than-perfect grammar, I’ve been assigned a tutor.
What I didn’t expect? That tutor being a six-foot something, cocky-as-hell hockey player who looked like he belonged on the cover of a sports magazine—not across from me in a quiet study room.
Maybe I’m here to learn how to let someone in.
• ADRIAN •
Look, I deserved a punishment for that fight on the ice, but tutoring? That’s just cruel.
“Coach, come on. I can’t tutor freshmen.”
“Yes, you can. Her name’s Kaia. English isn't her first language.”
Now I’m stuck helping this stubborn, wide-eyed freshman who acts like I’m some sort of arrogant jerk—which, okay, maybe I am—but the way she looks at me like I’m a walking headache? Kind of hot.
Three weeks. That’s how long I’m supposed to tutor her. But at this rate? I’m not sure I’ll survive three days without kissing her—or getting punched.
Adrian Levont, a star hockey player at Ivywood College, finds himself in trouble after a fight during a crucial game. His coach's punishment is an unexpected one - three weeks of tutoring.
Kaia Lilian, a student in desperate need of academic help. Assigned to Adrian, their first tutoring session takes a disastrous turn, leading to Kaia harboring a deep resentment.
As fate keeps bringing them together on and off campus, the lines between hatred and something more complex blur, forcing them to confront unexpected emotions.