Before he passed me, I pulled a U-turn, sliding into a random driveway. Once he passed, I pulled out and got behind him. No doubt he would recognize my SUV as soon as he looked in his rearview mirror. Fine with me. I wanted him to see me.
Since I didn’t want to make that too obvious, I did keep my distance. Every now and then I allowed another vehicle or two to get in between us. Stray needed to know how it felt to be followed.
At least I didn’t have a tracking device on his car. I’d recently learned that he’d stuck one on mine when Storm let it slip in conversation. Rebel told her. After a search of my SUV, I found it in the wheel well. I’d decided not to remove it.
I tailed him to the gas station near his house. Waiting in the parking lot, I watched him pump gas. He glanced over at me a few times, a crinkled frown of confusion marring his brow. Snickering to myself, I waited for him to approach me. He seemed to know I was playing with him because he got back into his car and peeled out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires.
Again, I followed him. I didn’t bother speeding around or squealing my tires. I didn’t need any flashy actions to draw attention. This time he headed for home. When he pulled into the driveway, I parked in front of the house and stared hard as he let himself inside.
Stray hesitated at the front door. He glanced back over his shoulder, like he was dying to approach me. Somehow, he resisted the urge. After he went inside the house, I sat outside for a solid hour before leaving. This might be fun.
The next morning I was parked down the street from his house bright and early, waiting for him to leave for school. Once his Mustang rumbled to life and rolled out of the driveway, I was right behind him. He started to head toward my place before he realized that I followed. I laughed to myself when he suddenly changed direction and headed for campus instead.
“How does it feel to be stalked?” I murmured to myself.
He tried to lose me at a red light, but I was right on his bumper at that point. We entered the campus parking lot together. When he veered down the right row of cars to park, I went left. I let him get a head start before I followed him into the building.
Throughout the day, I made sure to randomly appear. Outside of his classroom. Walking by when he sat with Casperoutside smoking a joint. Even lurking outside the men’s room when I saw him disappear inside. If only I had a knife to hold to his throat.
When Stray’s final class ended for the day, I was already waiting in the parking lot. I saw him scan the vicinity, looking for me. I ducked down in my seat so he would think my car was empty. As he left campus grounds, I started the engine and followed.
Stray’s first stop was the liquor store down the street. From there he seemed to meander aimlessly through town. That’s when I realized he was screwing around. Making me follow him as he drove around in circles.
Finally, he pulled over a block away from his house. He got out of the car and stood in the middle of the street, forcing me to stop. I pulled in behind his car, nervous excitement in my belly. With a finger he beckoned me, silently commanding that I come to him.
Stray met me between our vehicles. Shoving a hand through his hair so it was a gorgeous haphazard mess, he tilted his head to one side to study me.
“What the hell are you doing, Codie? Are you following me now?”
“Fuck yeah I am. Why not? You do it to me all the time.” My words came out with a little more attitude than intended. Whatever. I had a point to make.
Stray’s lips curved, an amused grin taking over his face. “I see. So you’re the stalker now?”
“Looks to be that way. What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” Hands on my hips, I dared him to tell me to stop.
“What’s this really about?” he asked. In faded blue jeans and a white T-shirt, he looked hotter than he had any right to. Damn him.
“Why does it have to be about anything? What was it about when you started stalking me?” I held his gaze, challenging him.
The jerk had the audacity to boop me on the nose. “You’re cute as fuck.”
I slapped his hand away before he booped me a second time. “You’re being a real ass, you know that? You say that we shouldn’t be together because it’s too dangerous. Danger is exactly what got us into this whole situation in the first place. Now you want to walk away? I know you want to be with me, Stray. I think it’s time for you to stop being an idiot and give us a real chance.”
His smile faded. He gave a short nod, his gaze darting around the street before coming back to me. “That’s what this is all about?”
“Yeah,” I said, some of my fervor deflating. “I’ve done a lot of thinking, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not going anywhere until you get your head out of your ass. We’re fucking good together, Stray. Too good to throw this away without giving it a real shot first.”
There. I’d laid it on the line. Whatever happened next was up to him.
His enchanting blue eyes locked on me. “You’re right. We are fucking good together.” Closing the few feet that separated us, Stray touched my face as he leaned in to kiss me. “I’ll give you three minutes.”
“Three minutes for what?” I didn’t understand what he meant or why his amused smile was back.
“A three minute head start. Better run, strawberry.” With a wiggle of his brows, Stray gave me a gentle push.
As his meaning took hold, a trickle of adrenaline slipped into my veins. Where was I supposed to run? We were surrounded by houses in a residential neighborhood.
When I hesitated, he said, “Make that two minutes. You’re wasting time.”
