Read Online Everything but the Baby (Harlequin Superromance) by Kathleen O`Brien - Free Book Online Page A

than Daniel, but his attitude was so patronizing it made Daniel want to knock his straight white teeth down his throat on a daily basis.
    In fact, that’s why Daniel had first noticed Janelle—why he’d first begun to get this crazy crush on her. She’d been browsing through the shop a couple of weeks ago, just killing time before her massage, she’d said. Bart was bossing Daniel around, as usual, being a real jerk, telling him to inventory the golf tees, for God’s sake. It had been tougher to take than ever, with this hot woman listening.
    But suddenly Janelle had come over to the counter and given them each the slow once-over. Then she’d looked Daniel right in the eye, as if Bart didn’t exist, and asked him if he’d be willing to give her some advice about a tennis outfit.
    Bart had nearly choked on his surprise. He’d tried to horn in, but Janelle dissed him so completely that he finally had to go back behind the counter.
    It was the sweetest moment so far this summer. Daniel had been paying for it ever since, but it was worth it. From that moment on, Janelle Greenwood had been like a goddess to him. And not just because of her body.
    Although her body was awesome.
    For a whole week, he’d dreamed. Maybe when she looked at him, she saw more than a teenager with nerdy red curls and zits. Maybe, like a princess in a story, she could see beyond all that. Maybe she saw the man he was ready to be, if only the world would let him.
    But then Lincoln Gray came to town. And Daniel had to wake up.
    â€œLincoln thinks I need a new racket,” she said now with a wry smile. “He thinks I’d get more power with a different style. Frankly, I think what I need is a new sport. Like maybe croquet?” She laughed. “But he loves tennis, so…”
    â€œIf you’re having trouble with power, maybe your racket is just strung too tight,” Daniel suggested. “We could restring it for you and see if that works. It would cost a lot less than a new racket.”
    He felt himself flushing again, realizing how moronic that was. As if these people gave a damn about the expense of anything. Janelle might act normal, but no one “normal” stayed at The Mangrove. Normal people didn’t get daily mud wraps and seaweed facials or run up four-digit tabs at the pro shop.
    â€œThat’s a good idea,” she said as if she really thought so. “Here’s Lincoln.” She reached out her hands, as if that would bring him to her faster. “Let’s tell him.”
    Daniel watched mutely as a tall, elegantly slim blond man made his way toward them, smiling and backslapping almost everyone in the crowd. Lincoln was so handsome, all sunshine-gold from being outdoors and toothpaste-ad smile. Daniel’s stomach twisted and growled, the same way it did when he was trying to digest greasy pizza. He hoped Janelle didn’t hear it.
    â€œJanie! I wondered where you’d disappeared to! We should go get a table before the rush, don’t you think?” Lincoln did the back-patting thing to Daniel—he was a real equal-opportunity charmer, millionaires andnobodies got the same toothy grin. “Hey, Danny. How’s it going?”
    Daniel smiled back. He couldn’t help it. It was his job, for one thing. And for another, Lincoln was hard to hate.
    â€œFine,” he said. “Busy.”
    â€œLincoln, Daniel had a great idea. He said maybe I don’t need a new racket. He says I should just have my racket strung a little looser and then maybe I’ll get the ball over the net.”
    Daniel tensed, wondering how Lincoln would take hearing that one of the staff peons had dared to override his idea. And Daniel hadn’t said that, exactly. He’d seen Janelle play—you could just see court ten from the stockroom window—and he knew that her problems were bigger than racket tension. She needed about six months of lessons,