Love, Utley (Love Letters #1)

PROLOGUE – HANNAH

The heavy door slams closed behind me, echoing through the dorm hallway, but I’m too elated to care.

Last night…

Kicking my shoes off, I aim straight for my bed and flop onto my back.

Maddox Lovelace.

Football player extraordinaire.

The tall, broad, dark-haired, dark-eyed man who has been on my mind since the first moment I saw him earlier this week.

The charismatic athlete I’m quickly becoming obsessed with.

The man everyone calls Mad Dog, even though I’ve already seen a softer side to him.

I sigh.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think my first week at college would go like this.

I mean, sure, I did two years of college already, but that was living at home and going to the cheapest local community college. This is university life. HOP University. And hot damn, has it lived up to its name.

I curl my fingers around the fabric of the borrowed hoodie I’m wearing and bring it up to my nose.

Since Maddox knows I have it, and he let me wear it out of the library, I’m not going to feel weird about inhaling his scent off it.

Even though, from the way I spent the night plastered to his side, my own shirt probably smells like him.

Soap, fresh-cut grass, and sandalwood.

Heaven.

I know I should change. Should probably shower too. But exhaustion from lack of sleep is creeping in, and it’s much more fun to lie here and think about last night.

Thinking about Maddox coming to the library.

How he sat there waiting for my shift to end, asking if I’d like to study with him.

Going to that private study room on the second floor.

The kiss.

I let my eyes close.

That kiss was the best kiss of my life.

Or best kiss of my life until later.

Until we lost track of time— me reading from The Count of Monte Cristo out loud, him with his head on my shoulder following along.

Until the lights went off.

Until we were locked in.

Heat unfurls in my belly as I remember that moment. The tension between us grew so fast it crackled when we tested the front doors of the library and found them locked.

I’ve seen it in movies.