Page 16 of Stalked By the Cornerback

Dylan was holding my hand.

Dylan is holding my hand!Almost like he knew I was thinking about the way our fingers tangled together, he squeezed, and I smiled up at him.

“You want a coffee?” He pointed with his free hand, and my eyes moved to the little coffee cart.

“Sure,” I agreed and then chewed on my bottom lip.

“What’s that look about?” he asked, not attempting to hide his curiosity.

“Would you judge me if I didn’t get coffee but maybe a hot chocolate?”

“Not at all.”

“It’s just… if I have coffee right now, I’ll stay up till three in the morning,” I shared.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I mean, we could have a movie night,” he suggested, and my feet stopped moving. He stopped, too, and watched me for a moment.

Not only was the seriously hot cornerback holding my hand after beating up someone who had called me fat, and asked me out for the next day, but it almost seemed like he was trying to come up with any reason that wouldn’t let the night end.

“You want to have a movie night?” I asked, and his gaze dropped to my lips.

“Yeah,” he answered, his tone rough and almost gravel like. My body trembled as butterflies took flight in my stomach.

I’d dreamt of this.

I was halfway tempted to pinch myself to make sure I was awake. That’s when everything he had spouted off when we argued came back to me.Every single word. The passion in his voice. The seriousness. Especially the whole him liking me thing.I like you a lot.

“You really like me?” I asked. Without a blink of hesitation, Dylan’s arm reached for my waist and pulled me right to him. His body was hard and muscled and warm. My hand rested just above his abs. His body was insane. I might not have seen him without a shirt, but there was no denying the power and muscles that lay beneath my palm, especially when they twitched under my touch.

“Shortcake, I like you. A lot.” His Adam’s apple bobbed, and I found myself smiling.

“I feel like I walked into theTwilight Zone,” I admitted like a complete nerd and winced. Not that I had time to dwell on it when his big body shook with rich laughter.

“NoTwilight Zonehere, baby. I promise.” The sincerity in his voice made me want to believe him.

“Why do you call me shortcake?” I blurted, curiosity getting the better of me.

Dylan leaned in lower, and everything inside of me froze. Suddenly, not that there were that many people around us, everything and everyone around us disappeared. White heat rushed through me. Anticipation pumped heavily in my blood. His full lips skimmed the shell of my ear, and my skin flared up with goose flesh.

“You smell like the most amazing strawberry shortcake ever made, Mattie. Like strawberries and cream with vanilla,” he rasped, and when his lips touched my ear, a soft moan escaped past my lips.

“I don’t have a roommate,” I found myself saying, and he pulled back. Not a lot, just enough to rest his forehead on mine.

“Mattie.” I had no idea how he made my name sound like a warning and a prayer all at the same time, but it made my insides feel all gooey.

“For the movie night,” I quickly kept talking. “I mean, if you’re serious about coffee and a movie night.”

“Baby, anything that gets me more time with you, I’m good with.”

“Okay,” I breathed. “I like that.” There was a softness to his gaze that made my brain get all fuzzy and loose lipped. “I don’t think I’m ready for the night to end,” I stupidly admitted.

I should have been playing it cool.

He had ignored me after finals, after a semester of mixed signals. Now suddenly, what felt like out of nowhere, there he was, declaring he liked me at a frat party. Fighting for my honor. I should have been smarter. I had never been a playing games kinda girl. Not that I had a whole bunch of experience, but I was just me. Always. No matter what, what you saw was what you got with me.

“I’m know I’m not.” He smiled before brushing his lips on my cheek and pulling away.

Excitement prickled at the back of my neck as disappointment struck my gut that he hadn’t kissed me. On the lips, that was. But I didn’t have a whole bunch of time to dwell on it when Dylan’s hand took mine. There was something about the simple connection that left me feeling content and light. Like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

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