Page 41 of Stalked By the Linebacker

“We gotta talk,” I muttered, taking her hand in mine. My gaze dropped to it. Her skin was so damn fair and soft. The contrast of my darker skin against hers made the back of my teeth ache. Her thin fingers tangled with mine and squeezed, reminding me of just how much smaller she was than me.

“Okay,” she said slowly, and I felt her shift on the bed as she sat straighter.

“I need to tell you some shit, and you might not like it.”

“Okay,” she said, hardly above a whisper. I opened my mouth, but she beat me to it. “Is there someone else?” My head jerked like I’d been hit, and I scowled.

“No! God no!” Relief filled her worried eyes, but I could still see the apprehension in her gaze.

“Okay. Not someone else. Are you having second thoughts? About us? Is this too much?” she asked, all too quickly. The pulse point at her neck was bouncing almost erratically.

“Baby, will you let me talk?” Jesus Christ. Her imagination was running wild. Into areas I didn’t want her to even think about.

“I have a copy of your key,” I admitted, scared to blink while I watched her closely.

“You have a copy,” she repeated. “Of my key?” I jerked my head with a stiff nod.

“I come in here when you’re at the library,” I added, and because that wasn’t it, I kept talking.

Confessing my sins, one after another.

“We work every shift together because I made sure Greg scheduled us together because there was no way in hell I would let you work an overnight shift alone.”

“You...” She tried to pull her hand away from mine, but I simply held it tighter.

“I followed you around. That’s how we kept bumping into one another.”

“I knew it!” Her wide eyes flared. “I knew I wasn’t just imagining it. Why would you do that?”

“I needed to make sure you were okay. Safe.”

“Safe? In the dining room?”

“You weren’t eating enough.”

“How would you… You watched me before we bumped into each other,” she guessed, and even though she didn’t need me to, I confirmed it.

“I did. After that first night,”—I swallowed hard—“when I went to the diner for the first time?” She simply stared at me. I hated that I couldn’t read her. “I couldn’t stay away. I can’t explain it….”

“Try.” she said softly, and I knew this was it. Do or die.

“I wanted you.”

“So, this is about sex?” she asked all too calmly.

“No. Yes and no.”

“Crank––“

“Hector,” I corrected and pulled her onto my lap. “You don’t call me Crank. No matter how pissed you get at me.”

“You’ve been following me.”

“I have. But I’m still yours, and you, mi vida, are mine.”

“Hector.”

“I fell for you. Hard. That first time I saw you––“

---