The Pump Fake by Nichole Ruschelle

Jade

All my life, basketball has been everything. The dream? The WNBA. Nothing else mattered. Now that I’m playing for the Los Angeles Stars, life should be perfect. That is until the team’s general manager throws me a hook shot I never saw coming—I need to be more approachable, more likable to my teammates and fans.

Enter Cliff—my best friend, my agent, the one person who has always had my back. His wild idea? A fake relationship to soften my image. Simple enough, right? Except I decide to take control and flip the script. If I’m going to fake date someone, why not him?

It’s just for show. Just for a little while. But somewhere between staged smiles and stolen glances, whispered secrets and touches that last a little too long, the lines blur. And suddenly, the game I thought I had mastered is playing me instead—because what started as pretend is starting to feel very real.

And this time, love is on the line.

Cliff

Becoming a sports manager for female athletes has been a dream come true. I’m thriving in Los Angeles, working with some of the best in the game. But when the general manager of one of my top clients issues an ultimatum—make Jade softer or she’ll be traded—I know I need to act fast. The problem? I have no idea how to pull it off.

That’s when Hunter, one of my co-workers, throws out a wild idea—have her fake date someone. Simple. Easy. No strings.

Then Jade flips the play on me and suggests that I be the one she fake dates.

I knew from the start this was a bad idea. I’ve had feelings for Jade since the moment I met her, but I’ve buried them deep. This is just business. Just an act.

But the more time we spend together, the harder it is to pretend. The way she looks at me, the way she fits so effortlessly into my world—none of it feels fake. And when the lines finally blur beyond recognition, I realize I might have just made the biggest play of my life—one that could cost me everything.

Because with Jade? Losing isn’t an option.

This book is a part of the Sexy as Sin Series: Where badass female athletes don’t mind working up a good sweat on or off the field.