Page 1 of Stalked By the Cornerback

PROLOGUE

DYLAN MACABEE

Sittingin a class I had no interest in made me rethink life.

Why did we have to waste so much time indoors?

There was nothing more I wanted to do than hit the gym or the football field. Shit, going over a playbook I knew from cover to cover would be better than this crap. Sure, it was in the athletics area, but still. I’d learned this. I’d taken it on myself to know about physical therapy. Not only that, but I’d experienced firsthand through the years after injuries on the field.

Discreetly, I glanced at my buddy and roommate, Hector, who was already busy taking notes. The asshole was always taking notes. No matter if it was in the rare classes we had together, because the guy was smart as hell, or when we went over the playbook Sunday night in our dorm. They guy exceeded because the fucker was crazy disciplined and incredibly dedicated.

I rolled my head and felt like I’d given myself whiplash when I watched the door at the side of the huge lecture hall open and close. A curvy girl walked in, and suddenly, everything inside of me felt like it was shifting. My brows drew together. I couldn’t even fucking blink. I watched the raven beauty as she searched around the room for an empty seat.

“Scoot over,” I muttered to Hector.

“What?” he whispered, and I repeated myself.

“Scoot. Hurry,” I demanded with an edge to my voice I didn’t recognize. Shockingly enough, he did as I’d asked, and I lifted my hand to get her attention. When she caught sight of my hand, I was fucking lucky my ass had already moved down a seat, or else I would have fallen down with how weak in the knees I felt. Bright blue eyes caught mine. So damn blue I wondered if they were real or contacts.

A soft smile painted her lips as she mouthed a quickthank you,and just like that, I knew life as I knew it was never going to be the same. I’d chosen the aisle seat for a reason. Lecture hall seating was comfortable enough for mostly everyone, but I was a big guy. Not only tall at six three, but I was thicker and about two hundred seventy pounds of firm muscle. My knees felt like they were about to hit my gut with how I had to fold into myself, but I didn’t care. Not when she sat next to me and her sweet strawberry scent filled my lungs, making my mouth water.

“Thanks,” she whispered. I nodded, unable to get my brain to function and string two words together. Not when she was that close and so damn pretty it fucking hurt to look at her.

Mine,a voice in my head said proudly and without fear or doubt.

Mine,it repeated with as much confidence as I felt when I hit the football field.

“I’m Mattie,” she introduced herself, extending her hand. Without thinking, I took it and couldn’t stop from feeling way too big and clunky. She was curvy but so damn tiny compared to me, I worried about scratching her silky-smooth hand with my calloused one.

“Mattie,” I repeated. I’d never had such a visceral reaction to someone in my life. Her eyes glittered, and it felt like she wasa ray of sunshine personified. “Dylan,” I said my name, wincing inwardly, hoping like hell I didn’t sound like some kind of idiot.

She nodded with an even brighter smile. “You’re my new best friend, Dylan.” She winked before dropping my hand and turning her attention to the professor.

Mine.That voice perked up louder, repeating the word over and over.Mine.I tore my eyes off her and noticed Hector looking at me with a weird expression before he turned to listen to whatever the professor was droning on about.

Something inside of me felt awake. Alive. Reenergized. Suddenly, and maybe finally, there was something that called my attention a little more than football.Mattie.

Fuck me. I am in trouble.

CHAPTER 1

DYLAN

“Hey.”Her soft, slightly raspy voice called, just as her hands touched my back. Not like I would ever confuse her touch with anyone else’s. Or let anyone touch me now that I’d met her.

I turned and looked down at her. Like every time I saw her, something came over me.She’s so damn pretty.Her bright blues locked with mine, and everything inside of me warmed up while this dark part of me growled to life.

“Hey,” I answered tightly, my body taut. I couldn’t help it. We just sat our final. I knew our time was coming to an end. My jaw clenched, and I stepped away from her. I watched some of the sparkle in her eyes dull and hated it.

“How do you think you did?” she asked, and for some godforsaken reason, I took another step back from her before tearing my eyes off her and made a show of glancing around.

People were coming out of classrooms, making their way to the parking lot or dorms. Summer break was right around the corner, and you could feel everyone’s excitement about it.Everyone’s but mine.For the first time in my life, I wasn’t looking forward to summer break. I wasn’t going anywhere for vacation. I was sticking around knowing I shouldn’t.

All because of the girl in front of me.

“It was okay,” I mumbled. I had done better than okay. I was pretty sure I’d done fucking fantastic, and I had a feeling the pretty woman in front of me was responsible. She had talked me into studying, and it had paid off.

“Oh,” she muttered. I glanced back at her and watched her cute little dark brows bunch. “Okay is good,” she encouraged, her head tilted. I could read the concern for me in those pretty blue pools of her eyes.Jesus, how the hell can someone be that damn pretty?

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