Page 30 of Watching Her

Thou shalt not kill those unnecessary for the outcome.

Pity.

At least with bloodshed, I could soothe the beast within for a little while.

I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her from the moment we’d met, dissecting the reasons why I’d become so affected. Ultimately, the way I felt about her could become a problem.

Daring to move closer, I caught another round of laughter just as the DJ shifted the music. A slight squeal came from within the small crowd, others from across the room.

Another girl touched my Penelope on the shoulder, nodding toward the dance floor. I wasn’t surprised she agreed, placing her drink on one of the standing tables. The entire group went with her, crowding the dance floor as the disco balls churned, creating a luminescent light show.

Given where she was standing, I was given a perfect view. Within seconds, my cock was fully aroused and aching and I was glad to be wearing a jacket and that the lighting was dark. I chuckled and moved even closer, studying every move she made.

The anonymity of the masquerade offered a thrilling shield. The usual social pretenses dissolved, leaving only pure, magnetic curiosity.

And an unrequited raging desire.

The way she flipped her hair over her shoulder, casually but with purpose enticed me. She was creating space around her, not wanting anyone to get too close. The way she threw her arms over her head, twirling without losing her balance even wearing her tall heels was telling. She was used to wearing them.

She still constantly scanned the room, including the faces of everyone close. The draw to her was more powerful than I believed and while I’d been determined to admire and study her from afar, my willpower wasn’t what it used to be.

As the song ‘Naughty, Naughty’ came on, I was provided with a raw, sinful show of seduction that ignited something within the darkest bowels of my being.

The low bass of the music vibrated through the floorboards, but it was the rhythm of her body that truly held me captive. The way she tilted her head, catching the dim amber light sent a jolt of pure electricity straight down my spine.

Highly unusual.

She moved with a fluid, liquid grace that made the rest of the room fade into a blur of meaningless shapes. To a man accustomed to having anything and everything he wanted, the entire world had shrunk down to the space where she stood.

Penelope was suddenly the only person who mattered.

Toward the end of the song, she looked directly at me, a fleeting, knowing smile playing on her lips, and my pulse hammered a sudden, frantic beat. It was a silent invitation, and the heat of her gaze held me completely pinned to the spot.

Perhaps that was the moment I allowed my plans to change. Before I moved into phase two, I required another taste in hopes the moment would provide enough to keep me from losing my fucking mind from need.

This time the DJ had read my mind, slowing down the music and providing something just as provocative, but much more intimate.

I moved through the crowd toward her and before I’d even reached her, she turned to face me. With her mask and the limited light, I was uncertain if there was any hint of recognition, but at this point it simply didn’t matter.

She didn’t turn away, in fact taking a couple of steps closer. Her slight smile was even more seductive than her previous dance. Even now, she was swaying her hips as if daring me to join her. Little did she know what her offer entailed.

I stood only inches away, peering down at her. With her heels, she was only required to tilt her head by a few degrees.

“Dance with me,” I told her.

“What if I refuse?”

With a step closer, I lowered my head and she automatically lifted hers. “I’m not asking. I’m telling you that you will dance with me.”

Without asking, I slipped my arm around her waist, controlling the dance. The intense desire to pull her closer battled against the competing need to maintain the frame of the dance and respect her boundaries.

“How’s the burn?”

Her voice was clear even over the deep bass of the drums. “Healing. Thank you for the drink.”

“You’re welcome.”

She didn’t ask if I’d had the gift baskets and flowers sent to her room. She wasn’t curious if anyone other than her contact at the hotel had provided thousands of dollars of food and beverages.