Thousand Yard Bride Read Online Free Page A

a little height on me.
    Gripping at the fake rocks, I felt my shoulders straining. “Maybe there’s more to him than that. I think I just need to show him that partying and success don’t go hand in hand."
    “Oh, my dear sweet sister, if only you knew the true joys of partying. But seriously, try not to sleep with him."
    I fumbled, her comment had caught me so incredibly off guard. “Lanie! How could you even suggest that?” I scoffed as I scrambled the rest of the way up the rock wall. Sleep with Hunter? Sleep with a client? I'd never be so reckless.
    “How could I suggest that? Let’s see. Oh, right, maybe it’s because he’s super fucking hot, Jo. And you know how he is with women. You’re really gonna have your hands full.”
    “Right. Like I’m really dying to jump in the sack with the guy who gets caught grinding on strippers. That just screams professional.” Even though I was rolling my eyes at her insane suggestion, I still managed to beat Lanie to the top. The rush of winning—even this tiny bit—was glorious.
    After we rappelled down, I said, “Even if I wanted to have sex with the jerk, this is my career. If I mess this up, I’m done in P.R. Done for good, Lanie. I have to keep my wits about me and my pants on."
    “But what a fantastic story it would be, sis." Her mischievous smile gave me goosebumps. “And then we’d know for sure if the stories about his huge dick are true.” I couldn't help but smile back. People told us all the time that we shared the same smile our father had been known for.
    “I’m more focused on his image, Lanie, not what’s inside his pants.”
    “Oh, come on, you have to wonder what the guy who's been voted ‘Hottest Man Alive’ two years in a row is like in bed."
    "It doesn't matter what a guy can do in bed, Lanie."
    "Says the girl who's only dated twice in her lifetime."
    Lanie was right. After breaking up with Aaron, my long-term boyfriend during college, I hadn’t felt the need to date much. We’d looked good together and were comfortable enough with each other, but I couldn’t get over the fact that after three years we treated each other more like roommates than soulmates, that we’d never had any ‘spark.’
    I tried going out with a few guys after the breakup, but they were internet dates that didn’t go anywhere, and I lost my interest in online dating after just a couple of months. I also got tired of hearing the same thing each time: I was too focused on my career to be ideal girlfriend material.
    The truth is, I had wondered about Hunter before. He was a household name synonymous with sexy. Even women who weren’t into athletes found him to be the object of their desires. It wasn’t hard to understand why, and I admit, I'd ogled his magazine covers.
    Between his warrior-broad shoulders, washboard abs, untamed black hair, and his stats on the field, Hunter Daniels was both formidable athlete and handsome rogue. He could score a touchdown as well as he could melt you with his intense gaze. It didn't hurt that he had mesmerizing golden-amber eyes, a color that was singular to him. There was something about Hunter that made you want to overlook his bad boy ways.
    I mean—everyone else. I'd never overlook them. I was supposed to fix them.
    “I have to admit I’m kinda jealous, Jo,” Lanie said as she grabbed up her gym bag. “He’s fun to watch on the field. Who doesn't love a guy who never misses a pass? It’s incredible."
    “He does seem to have it all,” I agreed. “But I'm here to stop him from losing it all.”
    “Good luck, sis,” Lanie said as she headed towards the exit. “You’ll need it."
    “Nah. I've got this."
    And I really, truly believed that I did. I had no clue what I was getting into.

    * * *
    W hen I arrived at the Haven Oaks Country Club to meet Hunter, I felt as prepared as I could be. I’d done my research on every member of the Daniels family; I was always a stickler for due diligence.
    My investigation