Hard Tackle: A Bad Boy Sports Romance Read Online Free PDF

could get to the top based on her looks.
    Bloody hell, Kristi, calm down. You don’t even want the damn job.
    It still seemed odd that an intern would be handling such an important client. Then I figured it out. The firm wanted to charm Barton by sending pretty women his way. Not that I was particularly pretty—which was why it hadn’t worked. Leona was literally pimping out the interns, hoping to snare a new client. Starting back at school suddenly seemed enticing.
    “What would you like me to work on instead?” I asked.
    “I don’t know,” Leona replied, already flicking through emails on her phone. “Make me a coffee, and then go bug someone else. I’m sure there’s some photocopying for you to do.”
    I nodded and stood up to leave just as there was a knock at Leona’s office door.
    “What is it?” she asked, without looking up from her phone.
    “Barton Fenner is downstairs in a meeting room,” Jonas said.
    Barton? He’s here. Oh shit, maybe he’s going to tell Leona that I bailed on him. Then I’d really be screwed.
    “I’ll be right down,” Leona said quickly, before yelling out “Jessie” at the top of her—already loud—voice.
    “Actually,” Jonas explained nervously, preparing himself for an earful from Leona, “he’s here to see Kristi.”
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    I ’m so not ready for this. I’m wearing the exact same clothes I wore on Friday night, beer stain and all. It’s going to be obvious I’m an intern and not a professional.
    Leona insisted on coming with me to the meeting. If Barton screwed me over, he would do it while I was sitting right next to my boss. This couldn’t get much more uncomfortable.
    “Let me do the talking,” Leona instructed as we walked down the hall. “He probably only asked to speak to you because you’re the only contact he has. I’ll mention that you’re busy on another project and then introduce Jessie.”
    “Fine with me,” I lied. The thought of Jessie spending the entire summer working closely with Barton had me on edge. She’d know how to keep the client happy, and for her troubles she’d get a pile of orgasms and a job offer at the end of her internship while I would be thrown back on the scrap heap.
    I flattened my skirt and tidied up my blouse before walking into the room. This was my last chance to look like an adult, and not a silly intern.
    Barton sat at the far end of the table in a tight t-shirt that struggled to stretch over his large biceps. He’d made himself at home, resting his feet on another chair while he relaxed back and played with his phone.
    “Mr. Fenner, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Leona said cheerfully, putting on her ‘client voice.’
    Barton looked up from his phone and stared straight past Leona to me. I held his gaze and moved up to stand next to Leona—I wanted to look like her equal and not like a timid college intern.
    “Who are you?” Barton asked, flicking his attention to Leona.
    “My name’s Leona. I’m a senior associate here at—”
    “Nice to meet you, Leona. Now, please leave me with Kristi. The two of us have a lot of work to do. Lots of hard , brutal work.”
    Leona briefly looked taken aback, but quickly regained her composure. “Kristi is busy on another project at the moment, but we have plenty of other staff who would be happy to work with you. In fact, there’s another intern who would be a great fit.”
    Barton looked back at me and just stared. Silence filled the room, as I resisted the urge to move my hair away from my face. I knew it was a nervous tick, and Barton would spot it a mile away.
    “I want Kristi,” he said firmly, still looking at me. “She did a brilliant job for me on Friday night and saved me from a lot of embarrassment. Give me Kristi, or I walk.”
    Leona hesitated. She wanted to argue. Arguing was in her blood. Eventually, she forced a smile nodded. “Very well, Mr. Fenner. I’ll leave you in Kristi’s capable hands.”
    She turned and walked out, but not before