Page 13 of Desperate Needs

But I didn’t pay any attention to any of that.

Her fiery hair cascaded in loose waves down her back, drawing every male eye in the room and making me damn near homicidal with jealousy.

My cock ached and my lungs seized. I had to force myself to breathe evenly.

Her body was encased in a slip of green silk that emphasized her gorgeous as fuck figure.

I had a mom and sister, and I knew all women had concerns about weight. It made me angry to think she was one of them.

But in my experience, women who looked like that, ones who refused to starve themselves to conform to society’s beauty standards, never seemed to realize how beautiful they really were.

I knew Clementine worked out. Mostly in her apartment. She had machines and videos for that. But her body remained deliciously curvy, thank fuck.

To me, she was goddamn perfect.

That dress she had on should be illegal. The thing highlighted the swell of her breasts and curve of her hips, making it impossible for anyone to look away.

Every movement she made might have looked deliberate to someone who didn’t know her. But I knew better.

For all her flirtations and casual dating, Clementine wasn’t a vamp. She wasn’t promiscuous.

In fact, I doubted she was even fully aware of the effect she had on the people around her.

Guilt started to creep in on me, but I forced it out. Whether or not I was doing this for selfish reasons, Clementine Aziz was stunning. It was just the truth.

I took a slow breath, pushing aside the rising tide of excitement.

This had to go my way. I couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

I had studied her, watched her, learned the subtle patterns of her life.

Tonight, she’d finally be mine.

I’d walked towards the restroom where she’d retreated, each step had been measured, controlled.

This wasn’t just about the chase.

Not the means, either.

It was about the ends.

The kind that I intended to have, and the kind she didn’t even realize she wanted.

Now, I knew the old adage. That eternal question—did the ends justify the means? For all intents and purposes, I’d have to argue that yes, they absolutely fucking did.

Our little tete-a-tete had turned out exactly like I wanted it to. Though maybe not how I expected it to go. I wasn’t prepared for her invitation or for her to dare me to find her number if I wanted to go out for a drink with her after the party.

Saucy little firefly even taunted me about doing my job well.

But I’d felt her eyes on my face and body. I’d seen that flicker of recognition before her lips curved into a sultry smile all for me.

Her emerald eyes glittered with mischief, and I bit back my groan.

She was beautiful when she smiled. But she had no idea what I was about to do. No clue that she was inviting a monster into her playground.

But I did.

I knew, and I had to get my head on straight.

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