Read Online Worth the Wait by Rhonda Laurel - Free Book Online Page A

you gonna tell me what’s going on with you? Or do I have to get your brother to tell me?”
    He opened hismouth, but nothing would come out. He was still processing things in his head. Everything sounded crazy when he thought about it. It made no rational sense to suddenly avoid the one person who made his heart warm when she smiled. There it was again. The unfamiliar stirring in his body. Now was not the right time to talk about Avery.
    “The whole Avery situation is finally becoming clear tohim,” Corbett answered and threw a grin his way.
    “Oh.” Buck nodded. “I knew the day it happened it would be trouble. So that’s why you’ve been acting so strange.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “Son, you’ve been sprung over that pretty young lady since the day you met her three years ago.”
    “What is that supposed to mean?”
    “It means you’re in love, idiot,” Corbett replied.
    His mouth went dry. “No, I’m not.”
    “Then why have you been avoiding her for months?” Corbett countered. “And yet moping around like you miss her for every second?”
    “I’ve been working through some things…like what I’m going to do with my life after college.”
    “So what do you want to do?” his dad asked.
    How many times had he asked himself the same question several timesover the past few months? “I don’t know.”
    “You better figure things out soon,” Corbett replied.
    “I’m trying. Can you give me a break? We’re not all super goal-oriented like you,” Wyatt fired back.
    “I meant with Avery. You’re not the only person interested in her.” Corbett pulled up the Tomcats website on his phone and went to the photo gallery in the PR section to show him apicture of Avery with Riley Sloane.
    Wyatt stared at the photo. The quarterback back had his arm around her waist and had a wicked smile on his face. Yeah, Avery wouldn’t fall for a superficial chump like that. Besides, the guy would be lucky if Seth didn’t murder him for sniffing around his niece. No, he had nothing to worry about from some egomaniac flashing around his money and good-looksand NFL football career…
    Wyatt clenched his fists. “I wouldn’t worry about that. Seth has Riley on a short leash.”
    “I know he’s been warned, but I don’t know if Sloane can be deterred so easily. He likes disregarding authority.” Corbett made a face.
    “You really think he’d risk his on-field time and thumb his nose at Seth’s demand?”
    “I think he’d push his luck so he cankeep up that bad boy image. You know he’s all about headlines. What better PR stunt than to pursue the boss’s niece when he’s been forbidden to do so?”
    “You’re not factoring in Avery. I know her, and she wouldn’t fall for his loud-mouthed crap. She may be the object of desire, but she’d tell Sloane where he could stick it in a minute. He’s not her type.”
    “Yeah. Who wants a handsome,successful sports superstar with tons of dough?” Corbett laughed.
    His dad leaned toward him and looked him in the eye. “Son, when a man wants a woman, he doesn’t let anything get in his way. Not even a boss who would wring his neck and maybe snatch millions of dollars out of his pocket. Are you sure the interest is one-sided?”
    He didn’t know for sure, but he knew what he’d hoped inhis heart. But he couldn’t exactly admit that now. “I’m sure. Sloane likes to push buttons. He’s doing that to piss off Seth.”
    “OK. But I wouldn’t wait too long to stake my claim. She’s a beautiful young lady who will become a doctor soon. If it’s not Sloane, someone’s going to grab her up.” Buck shook his head.
    “I think things like staking your claim are viewed as sexist these days,”Wyatt said.
    “So how are you supposed to show a woman how you feel?” his dad huffed. “Send her letters and cards and braid her hair?”
    “Dating is a labyrinth these days dad.” Corbett sighed. “If you do too much you’re a brute. If you ease