Page 17 of Twin Deception

It felt like defeat in the pursuit of happiness, of spending the holidays somewhere exotic, but as I spotted my stalker in the crowd, I knew that was just one excuse.

Running from a stalker was a logical reaction. It was an example of how I could survive.

But if I ever had to have a stalker…

Over the men’s shoulders, I checked him out. Again. And again. With the flashing lights in the club, I could only catch glimpses of him. At first, it started as a way to track his progress in chasing after me. The more I caught looks of him, though…

Damn.

I couldn’t deny he was sexy. Dark, broody, and mysterious, yes. But also hot as hell and a fine-looking specimen of the male variety. Tall, muscular. Dark stubble and hair lining a trimmed beard and mustache. A stubborn lock of his wavy and slightly curly black hair drooped over his brow, and it wasn’t legal or fair how much sexier it made him, how much more of a bad boy he looked like.

My stalker wasn’t an interested passerby who’d happened to check me out and be intrigued.

This dark and brooding asshole looked like a powerful man intent on getting what he wanted.

I’d never been a fan of the typical Alpha man. Alphaholes were too much of a headache. So many of the associates Louis dealt with were like that—cocky, self-centered, and full of themselves.

But this guy…

I furrowed my brow, looking away and forcing myself to stop checking him out. To stop letting my gaze wander back to him.

I couldn’t help but feel like prey cornered by a predator. It wasn’t even fair that I was being targeted or cornered at all.

Yet, I liked it.

I’d never been the kind of woman who’d lower her standards to be desperate for a man’s attention. Never. I was who I was, and if a guy was interested, he could take it or leave it. What you saw was what you got.

But Ilikedthe idea of this man hunting me down.

A twisted thrill lit up my senses that I could be the prey this stalker was following.

The concept of enjoying the hunt was a complex offshoot of playing hard to get, but that wasn’t what was happening here.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Something had to be severely messed up if I was getting excited about that tall, dark, and handsome excuse for a stalker preying on me.

It’d been a while since I’d gotten laid, but still, this was stupid. It was one hundred percent idiotic to let myself turn my situation into something of an adventure.

Just leave already. Go and fly home. Get out of here.

I turned, swaying with the music.

Then I stopped short as the man stood right in front of me, inches away.

I held my breath and stared right into the dark eyes of the man who was stalking me.

7

MIGUEL

Got you.

I watched the wary surprise set in on Isabel’s face as she turned and faced me.

It hadn’t been easy to sneak up on her, but these two men dancing with her had a dual purpose. They served as a wall for her to hide behind at the same time they gave me a chance to circle the women dancing to their right and slide up behind the raven-haired beauty.

Up close, I saw how that shitty little picture hadn’t done her justice. Standing right in front of her now, I was given a hint that my views of her from a distance didn’t do justice, either.

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