Page 65 of Carnal Games

I won’t even call her off-limits because it’ll imply I want her in the first place.

I’m hardly moral when it comes to most aspects of my life. But I’m not that much of a dirty bastard to lust after another man’s girl, much less my brother’s.

A brother who hates me passionately, believes I’m a monster for abandoning him, and wishes I were dead. And why wouldn’t he? Despite cutting myself from my family eighteen years ago, I’m still a threat to his rightful legacy. Through no fault of my own.

It’s why I’m unyielding—downright cruel—in turning her down.

Except her stubborn ass won’t quit following me around.

I’m hella surprised she managed to get inside my club. I’m certain that one of her best friends had a hand in it. I’ll bet my empire on Rosalie. Her reputation precedes her, and it’s hardly the first time she or her friend has sneaked into my club.

I didn’t take any action because their husbands happen to be members.

I know every single person who steps through the doors onto my property the minute they do. Iris was no exception.

Zain handles everything from managing the staff to socializing with the clients. Our silent partner, who lives overseas, is the mastermind behind the thrilling parties that the members can’t get enough of. While I’m in charge of security and surveillance.

For a lingering second, Iris’s presence caught me off guard as I watched the footage. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me.

The kind where my brother’s fiancée glowed like a star in a tight little golden dress that caressed every inch of her softcurves possessively and tall heels that defied gravity. Yet she’d still be a foot shorter than me.

The fact that every man in the room who got swept up by her looks like she was a siren in a stormy ocean.

The creep—an MLA—that tried to follow her was kicked out instantly. The decision was impulsive and born from a sudden burst of emotion that I didn’t understand. Even while I texted the guard, I couldn’t stop, well aware that I’ll have a disgruntled politician to calm down tomorrow.

She had to get out of here.

So, I sent Zain to do the job before I banished every single member from the club. My eyes remained glued to my screen as I watched her lose her way, stumble upon a scene not meant for an uncorrupted thing like her, and collide into Zain.

While I give Iris an A for her efforts, the outcome will always be under my control.

If I had a time machine, I would reverse it.

Because she’s a complication I don’t need.

Until the engagement news broke out everywhere, she didn’t exist to me. It was when I showed up at the party and read her name that I vaguely remembered it from somewhere else. It took me less than a second to realize that my brother’s betrothed is the same girl who’s been chasing my receptionist for an interview with me.

She was an inexperienced intern, harmless and inconsequential. I forgot about her immediately.

Had I not found out she had been dating Nathan for years, I would’ve been suspicious of her appearance in both our lives at the same time.

To some, it may sound like a far-fetched theory. In my world, it’s more common than one might think.

“She’s a reporter,” I reveal to Zain. “Works forSahara.”

“An interview?” He laughs in disbelief. “That’s what she came here for?”

I set down my glass. “She’ll give up soon enough.”

“She followed you here, Kian. That’s a sign of a woman who doesn’t give up.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“Like you did tonight?” Smirking, he taunts, “By hiding in your office?”

His jibe annoys me more than it should. “I already met her earlier in the day and shot her down. I just have to avoid her until she gets the hint it ain’t happening. Next time she shows up, I’ll take care of it.”

“By saying yes?”