Page 1 of Stalker Santa

Prologue

Alex

I’ve beenin love with Zoe London since the moment I first saw her. One day I looked up and there she was, pretty as a picture, running in the park with a pair of Beats in her ears. She had on a pair of navy-blue shorts that left nothing to the imagination and a hot pink sports bra that only made her chestnut ponytail pop even more.

She was tiny and slim, but she didn’t have one of those overly athletic bodies. Her stomach was smooth without a bunch of defined girl abs, which let me know she didn’t work out obsessively. She probably just ran because sheenjoyedrunning or for general health purposes.

I can still see the way that long ponytail bobbed back and forth as she ran at a steady pace. As perfect as her body was, that wasn’t what caught my attention.

No, what captivated me about her was the sparkle of green in her eyes.

She never saw me when she jogged right past me, but, boy, did I see her.

Those eyes cut through me with their glimmering shards of green, gold, and brown. Framed by thick, dark lashes, they’re still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

And it’s not just because they’re hazel. Sure, I’ve seen plenty of girls with hazel eyes before. No, it’s what I saw in them. Just that brief flash of them was enough to nearly bring me to my knees because of the light I saw shining from them.

I’ve never seen anything like it. Those eyes looked sopure, soinnocent.

They’re the kind of eyes that make a man believe that there really might be some good left in the world.

I followed her all the way back to the dorm she shares with her best friend, and then I sat outside it all night, staring obsessively through the open window blinds, watching her flit around the space, watching her laugh and dance with her friend.

She was so full of life it almost hurt to look at her, kind of like when you stare straight at the sun. She was blindingly beautiful, and I couldn’t look away from her.

Those eyes haunted me that night, and they’ve haunted me every night since.

For a year now, I’ve been following her, watching her silently from the shadows.

She’s going to school to be a teacher, and that suits her. She’s so good and beautiful, children naturally gravitate toward her. She’s only nineteen, but she’s smart and has a good head on her shoulders. She’s not irresponsible like the other freshmen on campus. She goes out with her roommate sometimes, but thank god she hasn’t gone to any frat parties or I might have had to murder someone.

A thousand times I’ve thought about approaching her, but I just can’t—not yet. I’m not good enough for her—not in a millionyears. I’m not college material. All I’m good for is working with my hands. I dropped out of school and took over my dad’s auto shop when he got sick, and when the cancer ultimately ravaged his body, I became the owner at just eighteen.

I’m twenty-five now—six years older than my tiny angel.

I’ve never been the shy type, but I don’t know how to approach her. She’s too perfect, and I’m too afraid of messing it all up.

So, I content myself with watching her until the time is right.

I don’t know when the time will be right, but I tell myself that when it is, I’ll know.

And when that day comes, Zoe London will be mine.

Because I can’t stomach the thought of her belonging to someone else.

I won’t allow it.

One

Zoe

“Please, Zoe!”My best friend’s big blue eyes are comically wide as she does her best impression of puppy dog eyes. It doesn’t take much because Gia has beautiful big eyes anyway. Everything about her from her cerulean blue eyes to her blonde hair is adorable.

It’s always hard to say no to her, but I dig in my heels this time.

I shake my head and balk, “No way, Gia! You made the bet—not me!”

“Come on! Please! I won’t ask you to do anything else for the rest of the year,” she pleads with her hands clasped together under her chin in supplication like I’m a priest and she’s begging for me to forgive her of her many sins.

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