Knocked Up on the Ice

One Night. One Secret. One Unexpected Chance at Forever.

Natalie Mercer has built her life around plans, structure, and control. As a successful Chicago architect, she knows how to repair broken foundations and create places where people feel safe. What she does not know is how to trust someone enough to stay.

Luca DeLuca is one of hockey’s most feared defensemen, known to fans as “The Ice Wall.” Calm, disciplined, and nearly impossible to read, he has spent years hiding behind the game and protecting everyone around him without ever revealing what he truly feels.

When Natalie and Luca meet at a charity event for a struggling community ice arena, the attraction between them is immediate and impossible to ignore. One vulnerable conversation leads to one unforgettable night, with no promises and no plans to see each other again.

Until Natalie discovers she is pregnant.

Suddenly, the guarded hockey star is back in her life, determined to be there for their baby. Luca offers appointments, late-night dinners, quiet support, and the kind of consistency Natalie has never trusted. But as their carefully arranged co-parenting plan begins to feel like something more, both must decide whether they are willing to risk their hearts.

With playoff pressure mounting, reporters closing in, and old wounds threatening their fragile connection, Natalie and Luca are forced to confront the truth: building a family is easier than believing it will last.

Knocked Up on the Ice is an emotional, slow-burning hockey romance filled with irresistible chemistry, surprise pregnancy, forced proximity, heartfelt vulnerability, protective hero moments, and a deeply satisfying happily-ever-after.

Perfect for readers who love emotionally guarded athletes, independent heroines, unexpected families, healing love stories, and romances where the coldest hearts finally learn how to melt.