The St. Louis Lions

She's the scandal-tainted heiress to a football empire. He's the legendary linebacker with a busted knee and no future. Their only common ground? Saving the team they love. Evelyn "Evie" Sterling returns to St. Louis to inherit the Lions from her late father, ready to be the visionary owner the franchise needs. But when a decades-old family secret explodes in the press, the NFL's ownership committee sees a liability, not a leader. With a slick rival bidder circling like a vulture, Evie's legacy—and the team's survival—hinges on one audacious, desperate play: a marriage of convenience. Marcus Thorne is the heart of the Lions. A warrior on the field, he's now staring down a forced retirement, his body broken, offered a hollow "ambassador" role as a gold watch. When Evie proposes a two-year marital merger—complete with a massive payout and a real front-office job—it's a lifeline. But it's also a deal with the ghost of his past. Because their shared history isn't just business; it's a single, perfect summer a decade ago that ended without explanation. Now, they must sell a fairy-tale romance to the world: the rekindled love between the brilliant heiress and the hometown hero. From glittering galas to tense family dinners, their performance must be flawless. But under the contract's cold clauses and the relentless media glare, the line between their calculated alliance and the very real, unresolved heat between them begins to blur. As threats from the outside close in, the greatest risk isn't the league finding out their secret—it's them forgetting it's supposed to be a secret at all. The Overtime Deal is a steamy, emotionally charged marriage-of-convenience romance set in the high-stakes world of professional sports. Perfect for fans of passionate second chances, fake relationships that feel too real, and heroes who trade their playbook for a grand gesture. ---