4. Mustaf

"That's what I've been trying to tell him," Dragan grunts in response to Fordan's comment, his words holding no semblance of hope that I'll listen to him.

"Yeah, yeah," I drone, rolling my eyes. "Whatever…"

I'm swirling the ice around in my glass, listening to it clink off the sides, when I sense her approach. My gaze lifts, watching as she takes the steps down from the club's interior and her body is bathed in the warm, ambient lighting.

"Well, hello," I muse, letting my eyes scan every inch of her body.

Her body, sinfully curvy, is hugged by a satin dress that exposes the skin of her thigh through a delicious slit in the cream-colored fabric that she tugs at gently. I don"t have as much time to stare as I"d like when her eyes lock with mine, and a jolt runs down my spine. She begins to sashay forward.

Sweet, merciful, divine, I groan internally.

The others catch the shift in my focus, their attention sliding toward whatever has managed to distract me mid-conversation.

"Who is that?" Dragan whispers, his voice low and filled with awe.

Maui chuckles."Another one for the mighty Mustaf."

I don"t bother answering them. I can"t tear my eyes away from this woman as she approaches, her hips swaying with a natural grace that makes my heart race. I can feel the heat radiating off of her, and it"s all I can do to keep from stepping forward and pulling her into my arms right then and there.

"Mustaf," Fordan says, nudging me with his elbow. "You"re drooling, mate."

I shoot him a dirty look, but I can"t deny it. I am completely and utterly entranced by this woman. And from the way she"s looking at me, I can tell that she feels the same way.

"Check out those curves," Dragan says, his eyes scanning her body appreciatively. "She"s a real knockout."

"And those eyes," Maui adds, his voice practically dripping with admiration. "They"re like pools of liquid fire."

I can"t help but agree with them. She is absolutely stunning, from her dark, flowing hair to her smooth legs. There"s something about her that just draws me in, like a moth to a flame.

For the briefest of moments, it's just her and I in a world of our own. All my power temporarily fluctuates at the sight of this stunning woman, but I don't care. This feels like once in a lifetime.

As she approaches us, I notice a gaggle of other women gathered near the VIP room, faces pressed to the window. They start to giggle and whisper amongst themselves. But she doesn"t seem to notice or care. Her eyes are locked on mine, and I can feel myself being pulled in by her magnetic gaze.

As she approaches the outside bar, I can see the slight hesitation in her stride. Her gaze flicks toward my three friends, who are watching her with a mix of curiosity and admiration. For a moment, it seems like she might turn back or change course. But then she locks eyes with me again, and I can see the internal debate playing out on her face.

A wry half-smile plays on my lips as I silently dare her to continue. There"s something about the challenge in her eyes that ignites a spark within me. I want to see if she"s brave enough to take the leap and come over to talk to me, even with my friends watching.

That"s when her resolve crystallizes. She takes a deep breath, squares her shoulders, and continues walking toward me. As she gets closer, I can see the determination in her eyes and the confident way she carries herself. It"s clear that she"s not a woman who backs down from a challenge.

When she finally reaches the bar, I step forward and offer her my hand. "Hello," I say, my voice low and husky. "I"m–"

In a move that sets the bar alight with energy, the woman leans in and our lips meet in a kiss that is both a spark and an inferno, a melding of desire and defiance. It"s intense and passionate, and I can feel her body as it presses to the front of mine. The electricity between us is palpable, and I can feel myself being pulled closer to her the longer her lips move against mine.

My friends are momentarily stunned into silence, their eyes wide with shock and amazement. But they quickly recover, whooping and cheering as they celebrate the fact that I"ve managed to score yet another beautiful woman.

And yet, this one is far different from any other.

As we break apart, I can feel my heart racing and my breath coming in short gasps. The woman"s eyes are wide and bright, and there"s a sly smile playing on her lips. I can tell that she"s just as affected by the kiss as I am.

We stand there for a moment, our bodies pressed together and our hearts pounding against each other's chests. And in that moment, I know that I want to spend the rest of the night with this mysterious woman, exploring every inch of her with a need so strong it shocks even me.

Pulling away, she locks eyes with me, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. The look on her face is one of astonishment and desire, and I can see the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she tries to catch her breath.

Then, with a sly smile playing on her lips, she leans forward and presses something into my hand. I"m too caught up in the moment to focus on what. I can"t stop staring at her.

She pulls away abruptly and turns on her heel, leaving me standing there in a daze. As she hurries away, I can"t help but watch her go, admiring the way her hips sway.

Behind me, my friends are stunned into silence, their eyes wide with amazement. They"ve never seen me like this before, so completely and utterly captivated by a woman.

"Well, I"ll be damned," Maui says, breaking the silence. "I never thought I"d see the day when Mustaf was speechless."

My friends erupt into cheers and laughter, but I barely hear them, my gaze locked on her retreating figure. There"s something about the way she moves, the way she carries herself, that just draws me in and makes me want to follow her wherever she goes.

As she casually plucks a glass of wine from her table inside and takes a sip, I finally glance down at my hand. Realizing it"s panties, my knee-jerk reaction is to stuff the crumpled fabric into my pants pocket.

Normally, I"d show them off to the guys, but for some reason, this time I don"t want anyone else to see. I feel almost… possessive of this complete stranger. I stuff the thought down with the panties, unwilling to reflect on it just now.

"Mustaf, my man!" Dragan says, clapping me on the back. "You"ve still got it!"

I can"t help but grin, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment wash over me. It"s not every day that I manage to attract the attention of a woman like this, and I can"t deny that it feels good.

But as much as I"m enjoying the moment, I can"t shake the feeling that there"s more to this woman than meets the eye. There"s a spark in her eyes, a fire that burns bright and fierce, and I consider what it would be like to stoke those flames and see where they lead.

"Wish I could get a woman like that to kiss me the way she just kissed you," Fordan grumbles, downing the rest of his glass.

The idea of him kissing her fills me with a dangerous sense of anger.

Sitting back down, I can feel a predatory hunger stirring within me, not just for the kiss but for the enigma that she represents. Our brief encounter leaves me restless, craving more. I watch her every move like a hawk, my eyes tracking her as she moves through the crowd, a mixture of confusion and anticipation stirring within me.

As I watch her, I find myself wondering what it is about her that draws me in so powerfully. Is it her confidence, her poise, or the way she carries herself with such grace and ease? Or is it something deeper, something that I can"t quite put my finger on?

Whatever it is, I know that I need to see her again, to talk to her and get to know her better. And as the seconds wear on and she makes her way to the dance floor, I can feel my anticipation building, my heart racing every time she looks my way.

"Hey, mate," Dragan says, nudging me with his elbow. "You gonna go talk to her?"

I force myself to tear my gaze away from her and turn to my friend with a smile. "She"ll be back," I declare, the certainty in my voice belying the inner question that gnaws at me—will she?