Sometimes you might find yourself in a situation where you feel like it's the right move to give a girl some validation. Usually this happens because she's been working to impress you/earned it.

Here's how you do it, without breaking sexual tension, and without looking needy.

Give her a sincere but not over the top compliment, and then pull back.

That's it.

Giving compliments to women can sometimes be a risky business, because it leads to undergaming, and her taking you for granted/gaming you for attention. Even if she's earned them, some girls get a big head fast. That's why the pullback is key. It shows that you're not looking for a reaction, and therefore non-neediness. You said it because you thought it was true and that means a lot to girls. And provided you give her just a slice of validation rather than the whole pie, it'll lead her to chase.

Now that I think about it, it's kinda move old school Hollywood leading men would pull, like Clark Gable. Tell a woman she's gorgeous and then walk away.