Penalty: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (Alpha Second Chances Book 3) Read Online Free

soothingly.
    “Just promise me you’ll keep your head on straight. You’re a smart girl, and you can achieve anything you want. No matter how dreamy some guy is, don’t get sidetracked; don’t let some guy steer you from your goals. Too many women change their lives to accommodate men and then find themselves disappointed at the least, devastated at most when he continues traveling along his own track, leaving them behind to pick up pieces of the life that could have been. Get your own shit together first—above all—and when the time comes for love and romance, you won’t allow yourself to settle for less.”

    * * *
    Present Day
    I try as hard as I can not to look up every time a student or group of students reaches the doorway, but I can’t stop glancing up.
    Every few seconds or so, my eyes are scanning for Abe.
    I realize my body had been wound tight only when it relaxes as my eyes finally meet his as he appears, and he gives me his heart-melting crooked smile again.
    I tell myself I’ll get used to it—that one day, those green eyes on me and that adorable smile won’t affect me as much as it does now.
    I remind myself it’s just my lack of exposure—my avoidance of social outings and my inexperience, in general, with the opposite sex—that’s allowing him to wreak havoc on my brain and body.
    It’s just biology, and one day, I’ll overcome it.
    I do my best to pay attention in class, ignoring his presence and what feels like his gaze on me every now and then.
    The sensation is strangely familiar.
    When class ends, I wonder if he’s going to try to talk to me again, and for the first time, I wonder how he managed to end up in step with me that first day when he left class ahead of me, as he’s doing now?
    Did he actually wait for me? And in my distraction, I managed to miss his hulking form leaning casually against the wall until he spotted me?
    I almost laugh out loud.
    Good one, girl. Yeah, that’s right—Abe the Babe wanted to talk to you so badly, he waited for most of your classmates to file past, perhaps delaying his arrival to his next class—not that anyone would care if the star athlete turned up late—just to get a few words in with you.
    I’m smiling to myself at the ludicrousness of the fantasy when the last part of it comes to life before my eyes, and I actually catch Abe peeling himself off the wall out of his casual position as he fixes his green gaze on me.
    Everything in me starts jumping around like an excited dog while I try to remind myself that whatever he’s doing is just part of some game. In many ways, Abe the Babe is a player.
    “Does your girlfriend know you’re stalking classmates?” I ask casually once our bodies line up as he falls into step with me.
    “Ouch,” he says, his large hand covering his heart over that massive chest of his and almost making me feel bad for a second.
    He’s not hurt, of course—it’s clear he’s just being funny or whatever he thinks passes as funny. His eyes are dancing with humor.
    “My girlfriend does actually know I’ve found a new friend,” he says, and before I can retort that I’m not his goddamned friend, he says, “In any case, I’m planning to break up with her.”
    I try really hard to ignore the leap of joy inside me.
    Boy, am I learning a lot of new ways your body can betray you. No matter what my brain says, other parts of me totally ignore it.
    I better learn how to control my reactions to him soon or I’ll be in big trouble in no time flat. Flat on my back too, most likely.
    “And?” I say, hoping I sound dismissive.
    “And I’ll be free soon. Beth and I had a mutually beneficial arrangement, but for me, it’s over now. Despite what you probably think, I’m not a cheater. And I certainly wouldn’t do that to someone I’m actually into, someone I care about.”
    He’s looking at me way too intently. Is he talking about her or me?
    “It’s time for a clean slate,” he finishes.
    Aw, man—his poor