Page 19 of Stalking His Prey

“I sure do.”

“And when Anna and I were lost, I remember you saying something about us having wandered off the land reserved for hiking?”

“That’s right.” I nod.

“So…do you own this land as well?”

“Yep. I actually own hundreds of thousands of acres.” I smile, pressing the on-switch to blend the ingredients. I stop after a few seconds and look at her. “Why do you ask? Never met a large landowner before?”

I’m entranced by Penelope’s doe-eyed innocence as she looks back at me and shakes her head. Her eyes are like wells of alluring beauty, tugging at my heartstrings.

“I don’t think so.”

I smile back as I pull a noodle from the pot and hold it out to her. “Try this. Tell me if they’re ready or not.”

Penelope leans forward and takes a bite, tests it with her teeth and tongue, then nods happily.

“Al dente. Just how I like it!”

I smile and drain the noodles into the colander, then begin slicing the chicken into small pieces.

“So tell me more about being a landowner,” she asks, looking slyly at me. “Sounds like an old term for being part of the British aristocracy.”

I laugh. “You know, I’d never thought about it like that before. That would be interesting–having Duke or Lord before my name.”

I add the noodles, chopped chicken, and pesto back into the pan to warm it and toss it all until everything has a nice green tint to it.

“You’re going to love this,” I tell her as I plate both of our meals and bring them over to the table.

Penelope starts to sit down in front of me, but I realize instantly that I need her closer, so I pull her chair right up beside mine. She giggles and smiles as I hand her a fork.

I’m already yearning to take her again.

I know that beneath that blanket is the most perfect female body to ever exist, and I’m dying to have my hands all over her.

Penelope takes her first bite, and instantly her eyes light up.

“Good?”

She nods and covers her mouth with her hand. “It’s amazing!”

“You can thank my grandma.” I smile as I dig in, never taking my eyes off her.

Watching Penelope do anything is spectacular. Her beauty is so entrancing that even if she was just taking notes or studying at a desk all day, I’d still be addicted to watching her.

I know it sounds crazy, but hey–I’m crazy about her.

When I began watching her from afar, it was a simple necessity so I could find a time when she went hiking again and I could put my plan into action.

But slowly, stalking Penelope became part of my daily routine–one that I welcomed, even relished in.

I became an addict, and when I was away from her, it was as though a cold void would fill in the center of my chest. I could physically feel a sense of loss when I no longer had my eyes on her. It’s almost surreal now that she’s sitting here next to me, eating a meal that I cooked.

“So…” she says slowly. “What do you do, Hawk? How is it you’re able to own all this land?”

I chuckle. She’s inquisitive, but I can’t blame her. In fact, I actually like that she’s asking questions about me.

“You know, asking a guy how rich he is is usually more like a first-date question–”

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