Page 100 of Divine Obsession

I’d changed over the years. I wasn’t the shy, uncertain girl I used to be. I was confident now, sure of my place and my power. I wasn’t afraid to take what I wanted, to make decisions that others might shy away from.

The life had shaped me. Sharpened me. I wasn’t as soft anymore.

The world I lived in wasn’t for the faint of heart, but I thrived in it.

I was a force.

Chapter 25

Present

It was around eleven at night when it happened.

The party was in full swing, and everyone was already asking me what theme I was going to do next year. One table in the corner was stacked to the ceiling with gifts and presents. People were dancing, enjoying the amenities and having fun.

I didn’t mean to stare but I couldn’t help it.

Something pulled my attention like a dark, alluring energy. And before I could realize he too was watching me, it was too late to pretend I wasn’t interested.

He was tall, maybe six-two, and with the type of nice, large build that made suits look criminal on him. A black mask covered most of his face, contrasting against his rich, dark skin. Short, curly hair that made my manicured hands itch to pull at. A nice, expensive watch on his hand that made me bite my lip just thinking of it around my neck.

The party was dimly lit, but where he was sat at the bar, a soft, amber light shone from above, canting his features in shadows.

I knew he was watching me.

I could feel his eyes burning my skin, as he took me in, all the way from the pink heels with diamond straps wrappedaround my ankles, to my thighs squeezed into the short dress, to the curve of my hips and the dip of my waist, to my pushed-up cleavage, up the slope of my neck and staying with finality on my masked face.

He hadn’t been the first to eye me.

But he was the first to catchmyeye.

Something about his demeanor caused a purr in my chest.

It wasn’t long before he made his way over to me.

I’d looked away, only to find him gone from his spot at the bar when checking back. Instead, advancing with a laid-back sort of determination towards me.

“Enjoying the party?”

A deep voice that wrapped around me like velvet. Smooth like expensive liquor that already made my mind dizzy. Dark as sin that made the weight of nerves in my chest drop between my legs like a weight.

He’d stopped scandalously close to me, but all I could do was turn to face him as we both leaned against the secluded wall of the party. He smelled good, and there was something about his cologne that made the adrenaline in my veins relax.

“As much as any host can.”

“Hm.” Something about the timber of his voice made heat pool in my tummy with anticipation. “You haven’t danced yet.”

A mischievous smile curved my lips. I’d never had much luck in dating, but I was starting to feelverylucky tonight.

Shamelessly, I fisted his tie and softly ran my hand down its length. “Have you been watching me the whole night?”

“What if I had?”

The covers of the masks made it hard to see each other’s eyes in the dim lighting, yet neither looked away. I said the only thing I could think of. “You haven’t danced either.”

“I’d rather stay here and talk to you.”

I couldn’t see half of his face, let alone his eyes, but the attraction was undeniable. My manicured finger dipped slowly down his shirt, feeling the muscles beneath and stopping somewhere above his belt. “I can think of a couple of other things we could do instead of talking.”

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