“You’re a good-looking guy. The girls love you. They give great reviews and that’s good for business. Keeps you employed. Keeps the business running.”
“You know, I think it’s illegal to pimp me out like this,” Hunter said.
“Except I have a rule, no fraternizing with the guests. So, that squashes that.”
They shared a laugh.
Uncle Lee inhaled deeply, taking in the crisp, cool morning air, and swung his proud gaze around, taking in the forefront of the three thousand acres of land he owned, comprising various terrains, mostly hardwoods, bordering thousands of acres of state land. It didn’t get much better than that. Your own massive property surrounded by state land. Public land large enough that most people didn’t venture too far in and get too close to his private land.
“Too bad it’s not year-round work. It’s a man’s paradise up here,” his uncle added.
Hunter couldn’t agree more, but now that he’d graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree, it was time he did the responsible thing and get a real job, the kind capable of paying a mortgage. What he’d really love to do is exactly what his uncle was doing: make a decent living working in the outdoors. However, you need money to buy land and set up shop, so getting a year-round job was on his to-do list.
The giddy laughter of the girls drew closer to him. He cringed. Three nights and four days of this.
He eyed the tall, slim, blonde girl with a pink backpack gripped in her hand, made up like she was going to a beauty pageant. Eyes, cheeks, lips—the whole works. Her long, shiny hair draped over her bare, thin shoulders.Who on earth thinks a skimpy tank top is appropriate wear for a rugged camping trip in the land of mosquitoes?The mid-morning sun peeked out from behind a cloud and nearly blinded him as the overbearing bling on her backpack sparkled.Great.
Hunter shifted his gaze to the girl to the left of the beauty queen. Her hair was dark, nearly black, and her complexion was olive-toned. Just like the first girl, this one’s short shorts, tank top, and lightweight, thin-soled tennis shoes were not conducive to the hiking they were about to embark on. Had they not even glanced at the standard checklist he’d sent them?
Did he dare check out the third princess in this trio? He drew in a long breath and shifted his gaze to the third woman who had just stepped out from behind the princesses. A blanket of relief fell over him. She was different. A pale, plain beauty with just a bit of makeup accenting her large eyes. Her long, brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swayed from side to side with each step she took. A pair of sunglasses was propped on her head. She wore a forest green T-shirt tucked into long tan shorts that almost reached her knees, and the dark brown hiking boots she wore looked like they were made for walking. Not only that, they looked like they’d been used before. The large army-green backpack slung over her shoulder was certainly not the one she used to haul her books around campus, like those her friends carried. Super, at least one of them shouldn’t be a problem.
Hunter glanced at his clipboard and racked his brain to remember the names of the girls walking toward him, not to be confused with the many other ladies he’d guided already this summer.Let’s see Hannah Rice, Alyssa Barnes, and Bianca St. James.He scrambled to place a name on each of the women. The model-grade blonde had to be Bianca, that seemed like a model’s name. Next, he pegged the dark-haired girl for Alyssa—another fancy name for another fancy girl. As for the natural beauty, that had to be Hannah. A regular name to suit a wholesome beauty.
Hunter flashed a smile at the ladies. “Hi, I’m Hunter, I’m your guide.”
The blonde raked her flirtatious gaze over him, making no attempt to hide her interest. “I’m Bianca.”
She extended her hand, and from the way she presented it, he wondered if he was supposed to kiss it, rather than shake it.Yep, rich girl.She released him and then gestured to the other two as she introduced them. He had placed their names correctly. After years of practice, he prided himself on his success in what he called the name game.
“Are you ready to embark on the adventure of your life?” he teased with a wink.
Though Hannah smiled along with her friends, unlike them, her smile didn’t reach her eyes.Why not?Hunter wondered. Did she not want to be here? Of the three, she looked like the one who most belonged in this environment.
Hunter pointed at the two red canoes he had loaded with camping supplies earlier in the morning. “There are our rides. Shall we?” He motioned to the shoreline where the canoes sat half in and half out of the slow-flowing river water.
The ladies slid into the life vests he had pulled from the canoes. Bianca, as he suspected, played stupid, unable to figure out how to strap herself into the vest. Playing along, Hunter reached toward her and untangled the straps before fastening the ends together over her well-endowed breasts. Then, he lowered his hands to fasten the other two sets of straps for her. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Hannah’s eye roll and nearly chuckled out loud. Bianca’s behavior was nothing new to him. She was one of those women. One of those who came for an adventure but wanted to be the adventure.
“Have any of you ever been in a canoe before?” he asked.
Alyssa and Bianca shook their heads. Hannah nodded. That didn’t surprise him.
Bianca tilted her head to the side. The corners of her full, hot pink lips lifted. “For safety, I think I should ride with you,” she stated.
Like he didn’t know that was coming.
“Okay, you’ll ride up front in my canoe,” he shifted his gaze to Alyssa, “and you’ll ride up front with Hannah.”
The ladies nodded in agreement.
After giving his guests the canoeing 101, he prepared for departure, holding the canoes as each of the women climbed in and took their assigned spots.
Before taking his seat, he stepped over to Hannah and crouched down. “You got this, right?”
It’s not like the waters they would canoe were rough, but there were some rapids they’d be going through, and he wanted some reassurance they’d be okay.
Her full red lips pulled into a smile wider than they had earlier. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s not my first go-around in a canoe.”
Little gold flecks flashed in her emerald eyes, causing a rush of adrenaline to surge through his veins. Yep, she was in her element—confident, but not cocky.
