Going for Gold (An Olympic Medal Romance Book 1)

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Going for Gold (An Olympic Medal Romance)

Readers Note

Chapter One: Gunnar

Chapter Two: Mia

Chapter Three: Gunnar

Chapter Four: Mia

Chapter Five: Gunnar

Chapter Six: Mia

Chapter Seven: Gunnar

Chapter Eight: Mia

T
he Olympics have never been so sexy.

Olympic pole-vaulter Gunnar Kingsley is competing in Rio, where he will finally meet Mia Orlán—his longtime online pen pal. He assumes Mia thinks he’s just an average guy, and hopes that her impoverished upbringing has prevented her from researching him.

In the eight years they’ve been corresponding, Mia has developed feelings for her American friend she fears won’t be returned. If by some miracle they were, she’s even more afraid a physical relationship would leave only heartbreak in its wake.

Meanwhile, Gunnar fears if she knows of his elite ranking, she’ll end up being just another girl who’ll treat him like a shallow jock. He wants more from her. Will Gunnar come clean when the torch is lit in Rio, or will Mia confront him first?

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#HotRio2016

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G
oing for Gold
is an Olympic-themed standalone novella set in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, the location of this year’s Summer Olympic Games.

Going for Gold
and the novellas to follow,
Streaking for Silver
, and
Bidding for Bronze
will be released on August 1, August 8, and August 15, respectively.

They will be bundled and released as a box set on August 22, 2016.

“I
can’t believe I’m in bed with
the
Gunnar Kingsley.”

Gunnar opened his eyes to his bedmate staring at him. He forced a smile. “Morning.”

“Good morning, Mr. Olympic Hopeful.”

Damn it. This was bad. Very bad. He must have fallen asleep. That’s what he got for hooking up with a girl at a party. He’d been exhausted from practice, but the girl had been a welcome distraction from the pressure he was under. Sex—the best stress-reducer known to man.

Coach was working him harder than ever since Rio was only weeks away. He had to be at his best. There was only one sure way of relieving the pressure felt by an elite athlete operating at his zenith. Now he was regretting every moment, particularly his penchant for fantasizing about a certain Brazilian beauty during the act, and waking up to someone who literally paled in comparison to her. The girl in bed with him was a tall, pale blonde with pale blue eyes, while his dream girl was petite with warm olive skin, sexy curves and expressive brown eyes.

The girl’s gaze rolled over him as she smiled. The way she eyed him like a prize she’d won creeped him out. It took everything in him to hold back an annoyed groan.

This was why he didn’t date jock magnets. They only saw him as an Olympic potential. No good relationship could come out of dating a fan.

He knew this would happen. It always did, but he couldn’t help himself. Being an adrenaline junkie came with the athlete territory, train hard and play even harder when the day was almost over.

Part of him enjoyed how excited people got when they were around him. He was the town pole-vaulting celebrity ever since coming in first for the championships. Now that he had a shot at being part of the U.S. Olympic Team, everyone wanted a piece of him. It certainly didn’t hinder his woman-catching abilities.

Then he woke up to the same giddy excitement he saw in Barbara’s eyes. Or was it Betty? Hell, he couldn’t remember. That only meant it was time for him to go before she—

“Can I have your autograph?” she asked, easing closer to him.

Shit. He sat up and searched around for his clothes and noticed her bedroom clock displaying the time of a little after six in the morning.

“Sorry,” he said, searching for his jeans. Where the hell had he tossed them? “I have practice early today for trials, so I have to get going.” He found them halfway under the bed and grabbed his t-shirt from the corner of the bedroom.

“It’ll only take a minute,” she said, jumping out of bed. She didn’t seem to mind being naked in front of him as she tumbled through her nightstand drawer and then scurried to the dresser. “It won’t take long. I’m sure I have a picture of you around here somewhere.”

He got his shoes on and made his way towards her door. “This was...great, but I have to go.”

Gunnar closed the door behind him, and he made his way towards the closest exit. He opted for the stairs instead of the elevator to keep from waiting too long. He was thankful she lived in the college dorms, since he could disappear easily.

The University of Michigan was big enough for him to get lost in if he wanted to, but recently more and more people were recognizing him. A flock of admirers was the last thing he needed. No one was stirring around since it was so early, which made it easy to avoid running into anyone else.

There was no time to run back to his dorm, so he went straight to the track. He needed to be the first one there to make sure he had his head on straight.

After a quick shower, he made it to the field just as day was breaking through, which gave him some time to do laps before the other athletes arrived.

Running helped to still his mind. He didn’t think about the upcoming trials and what it meant. Instead, he focused on why he did it in the first place.

Track and field had always been a part of him since high school. There was something about running and soaring through the air that made him feel superhuman, like he could do anything as long as he kept moving.

It was a sensation that was hard to explain unless you lived it, and that’s what he wanted to do in the trials. He wanted to live it. Conquering it would be a bonus. If he won, he’d finally get a chance to see
her
.

Mia Orlán had been his friend all through high school and college. Through all the things that had shifted in his life, she had been the one welcome and constant thing in the craziness.

The two of them had never met in person, since she lived in Rio de Janeiro. If he made it in the top finishers, he could actually see her, and that both thrilled him and scared him at the same time.

“Gunnar!” a voice called out.

Gunnar turned in time to see Nate running to meet him. They’d both been recruited for and competed on the track and field team and had just graduated together that spring. Now, they were going to compete with the best in the United States in a matter of days.

“Hey, man,” Gunnar said without slowing his pace.

Nate ran in step next to him. “I see you still made it out here early.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“After you went home with that cutie from the party, I figured you’d be dragging yourself into practice this morning.”

“No chance,” Gunnar said. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Nate and Gunnar had represented the University of Michigan for four years and had trained together under the same coach. They were friends, but they still had a congenial rivalry that kept them competitive.

A few short days later, Gunnar’s entire team converged on the quaint campus of The University of Oregon in Hayward. The Wolverines took to the track and field stadium as if it were an old friend, feeling it out in practice as one might rekindle a friendship. This would not be the first time the coaches had Gunnar and Nate double-down on their focus, each in their own unique way, preparing for the Olympic track and field trials with more intensity than they had for any other competition.

On the final day of trials for his event, it didn’t take long until the other athletes and staff filled the field for warm-ups. A few people had trickled into the stands, and before long the bleachers would be filled with supporters. His parents would be among them.

Gunnar blocked out everyone else but his coach and Nate. If he thought about everyone else, it would throw him off his game. He needed a clear head.

Speed wasn’t a problem for him. The challenge was planting the pole at the right time to have him make the best clearing of the bar. Coach had trained him to work harder on his plant techniques. Today, he would see if it paid off.

Thankfully, he wasn’t the first to go up.

He kept his headphones in his ears to block out the noises from the crowd, but he still watched as each competitor did their jump. Only the best three would go through to Rio. Since he had the highest height at nationals, he got to go last.

Gunnar held his breath as Nate did his run. Nate barely cleared the bar height, and his friend had the highest jump. Now, Gunnar had to beat it. Coming in second or third wouldn’t work. He wanted first place, and he was going to get it.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins and rushed in his ears as he stepped up. Muscles bunching in a manner that was all too familiar, he took the position that had become rote, he’d practiced it so much. The chalk on his hands felt like silk as he welcomed the soft pressure of the sunlight on his skin. He thought he could hear his family screaming his name, but his primary focus was the path in front of him.