“It is stalking, you ass,” she says, looking at me like I’ve gone mad. I probably have when it comes to her, but I make no apologies when it comes to protecting her.
“If wanting to keep you safe makes me a stalker, then I guess I’m your stalker, sunshine. At least it’s me, and not some psycho who wants to keep you in his basement.”
I take a step toward her and give her a tentative smile to try to get one back.
She crosses her arms, and I can tell she’s fighting to be mad at me, which means she’s going to forgive me…eventually.
“It’s not as bad as it seems. I promise. I ended up asking around the league and got lucky. A few of the players had younger brothers who were going to the same college as you. Their girlfriends were in your dorm, so it was easy money for them.”
When she doesn’t answer, I take that as my cue that she needs more assurance.
“There was no invasion of privacy, I swear. Just the occasional check-in, and if they happened to be at the same party as you, then I paid them to keep an eye on you from a distance and make sure you got back to your dorm safely. I justneeded to know that you were happy. That you were smiling and…living. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you,” I say softly.
“I’m still angry at you,” she mutters, and I struggle to hold back my grin. She looks so damn sexy when her fire is lit.
“I’m fully willing to do whatever it takes to put that anger to good use.” My body can’t help but get turned on as I feed off of her hostile energy.
She glances down, and there’s no denying I’m like steel now against my gym shorts as I take the last step toward her, eager to fuck this anger out of her.
“Hmmm,” she says, reaching down and slowly tracing the length of me with her finger. Her eyes burn into me, and every part of me wants to feel the flames. “Running with blue balls might take some of this anger away. I’m going to change into my workout gear,” she says, walking away before she stops and looks over her shoulder. “A truly good stalker should have no problem catching its target.”
I watch her disappear into her bedroom, stunned by what just happened. It’s not every day someone can pull the upper hand on me and take me by surprise. She’s turned her anger into a game for me, which was a big mistake on her part because I always play to win.
A slow grin spreads across my face as my body gets amped up from the challenge. I know she’s a fast runner, but I’m faster. I’ll let her think she’s getting away, but in the end, I always get what I want.
And right now, as I feel my cock pulse in anticipation, what I want is to catch my prize.
TWENTY-NINE
SAVI
I try notto think about the fact that I’m extremely turned on by the lengths he would go to protect me as I throw my scrubs to the floor and change into a sports bra and workout shorts. I opt for the smallest pair I own with the cinched material in the back, showcasing all the hard work I’ve done to keep my ass in good shape.
Looking in the full-length mirror, I turn and smile.
This view should make his run a very uncomfortable one because I have every intention of keeping my ass in his eyesight as I run one step ahead of him the whole way.
Grabbing my running shoes, I sit on the edge of the bed and lace them up.
Part of me is fuming that I’ve had watchdogs this entire time. Even though he says they never invaded my privacy, it still makes me wonder how many conversations I had during my college years were just his goons checking up on me.
The other half of me understands why he did it, even though it crosses every boundary in a normal relationship. When you’ve seen the cruelty of the world firsthand, it’s hard not to do everything in your power to protect those that you love.
Our relationship has never been normal and probably full of red flags if you were to evaluate it with a professional, but it’s…us.
He’s moody.
Overbearing.
Controlling.
But…when he lets his guard down, he loves harder than anyone I know. He makes me feel safe and protected, but also wanted like I’ve never felt before, bringing out a side of me I never knew existed. I feel like I’m the only woman in the world when he looks at me.
To me, his flaws are his strengths and what he needed to survive. It’s also what has the blood rushing through my veins as I anticipate the chase and what comes after when he finally catches me.
Securing my hair in a high ponytail, I walk back out and find him leaning against the counter, waiting for me. His eyes do a double-take as he slowly wanders down my body before meeting my eyes.
His blues are laced with a dangerous combination of hunger and excitement. I’ve just given him more ammunition to catch what his eyes are clearly saying he wants.
