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Jason was standing so close to me, his body almost touching mine, and strong emotions overwhelmed me. The warmth of his breath caressed my lips and my heart pounded wildly against my ribs.

"It doesn't bother me." I muttered and took a step back from him. I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol in my system or being in his presence but my legs felt wobbly and I badly wanted to sit down.

His gaze darkened, anger evident in his eyes. "Who are you really lying to, me or yourself?"

He was so sexy standing there with his hair all tousled up and a day's worth of dark stubble on his jaws. The elegant cut of his black suit and shirt accentuated his considerable height and broad shoulders. He looked so good, so tempting, and it took all I had not to flung myself into his arms.

I knew I should say something. He was expecting me to talk but my mind refused to send any signal to my lips. My throat was too dry and I swallowed. It was ridiculous how my body reacted to him. We had slept together countless times and yet the powerful chemistry between us refused to fade away. He still only had to look at me and I was reduced to a pile of hormones.

I drew a shaky breath and finally managed to find my voice. "Whatever we had between us is over. So you can sleep with whoever you want. I don't care."

"Is that so?"

A muscle jumped on his cheek making me aware of how angry he was. He took a step towards me and I immediately took two steps back.

His eyes were dark with fury, his jaw clenched and yet it was the fierce hunger on his face that terrified me. He took another step towards me. Then another.

"Stop." My voice trembled as I took several steps back until I felt the paneled wall of the room pressing against me.

He halted only when he was a bare inch away from me. The intoxicating fragrance of his cologne caught me off guard and I found myself involuntarily taking a deep breath.

Lifting a hand up, he wrapped it around my throat and my lips parted on a silent gasp. He looked predatory and so very lethal. I unconsciously licked my suddenly dry lips.

The gesture drew his gaze to my mouth and his hand tightened on my throat briefly before relaxing again. When he raised his eyes back to mine, his pupils were dilated with need.

He was going to kiss me and I knew the moment his lips touched mine I would lose every bit of self-control I had. I couldn't let that happen. Intending to push him away I lifted my hands but he was too quick.

He grabbed my hands, and stretched them above my head, holding them to the wall with one hand. His other hand wrapped around my throat once again, his thumb flicking over the rapidly beating pulse.

"Please...don't." My voice wasn't my own. It was too husky. Filled with the need that I was fighting against.

With one swift movement, he had me pinned against the wall with his hips, letting me feel how hard he was for me. Sensation sparked through me like fire. Intense sexual need seemed to have invaded every cell of my body and I couldn't stop the whimper that escaped my lips.

My hands were still held captive above my head and with his other hand he was softly caressing my neck, moving lower and lower until he reached the top of my cleavage.

His lips parted, hovering over mine. "Tell me you don't want this," He whispered raggedly, "and I'll stop."

He slipped his hand beneath the bodice of my dress and cupped my bare breast. His thumb and forefinger trapped my puckered nipple between them, teasing it with a skill that sent waves of exquisite pleasure rolling through me. His name exploded from my throat on a half plea and half moan.

His breath was hot against my ear. "If you want me to stop, just say the word."

I was hot all over, my breasts swollen, and my panties soaked with need. The desire to taste him and to savor the feeling of having him buried deep inside me overwhelmed me. I couldn't have asked him to stop even if my life depended on it. I was too delirious with the need to be possessed by him.

"Oh, god, no. Don't stop...Plea..."

His mouth slammed down on me with a low groan, cutting off my words and thoughts. He was not gentle, his lips were bruising and punishing, almost savage. I welcomed it with a moan, my mouth as wild under his.

I was ravenous for him and struggled to free my hands so that I could touch him. But his fingers bit into my wrists holding me still as his lips, tongue and teeth continued to assault my mouth with an almost brutal force. The proof of his need was hot and throbbing against me and I ground into him desperately.

Suddenly he froze and then dragged his mouth away from mine forcefully. Before I knew what was happening, he was letting go off my hands and taking several steps away from me.

I stared at him dazedly, my body limp against the wall and my mind so dizzy with desire I couldn't even think straight.

He was breathing heavily and fisted a hand through his hair. A string of curses escaped his lips. And without even sparing me a glance, he walked out of the room.

The sound of the door slamming shut made me flinch. Lifting a trembling hand, I touched my swollen lips. The taste of his kiss still lingered there. I could still feel his body pressed against me and the intense throbbing between my legs refused to go away.

Tears of mortification gathered in my eyes. How could I have let myself get so carried away? I knew he had kissed me just to humiliate me, to show me just how much power he had over my body. One touch was all it took and I was ready to let him have his way with me. Taking a shaky breath, I tried to calm my erratic breathing.

I was still leaning against the wall, in the exact same spot, when Jason strode back into the room. His gorgeous face was devoid of any emotion but his eyes still held embers of anger in them.

He stopped several feet away from me and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "I have a meeting to attend to. Stay here till I get back. Shouldn't be long." He looked so distant and unapproachable. Even his voice was cold, as if he was talking to a stranger.

It seemed like he wasn't going to talk about what just happened between us. I was relieved. It was best to forget about the whole thing.

"Kate?" Impatience laced his voice.

I turned my attention to him. "Yeah?" How did he manage to stay so calm now when he was ready to rip my clothes off five minutes ago?

"Did you even hear what I just said?"

"You want me to wait for you here. Why?"

"I'm driving you home."

Panic bubbled inside me. "No." I couldn't trust myself to be in a car with him. "I'm going with Hal."

"The hell you are."

"But..."

"For Christ's sake." His eyes flashed in irritation. "Do you have to argue with me every time I ask you to do something?"

"You're not asking me. You are ordering me."

"And you're testing my patience."

The low warning in his voice sent a shiver through me. I knew clearly what would happen if he lost his patience with me. I didn't need a repeat performance of what happened a few minutes ago.

"Fine." I muttered grudgingly. "But what am I supposed to do here alone?"

"Your friends are on their way up."

"Oh."

He glanced at his watch and then focused his gaze back on my face. "Have you eaten?"

The question was not what I expected and I answered without thinking. "No."

His jaw tightened briefly, a flash of anger clouding his eyes. "I'll have some food sent up." He turned to leave, then hesitated before turning and closing the distance between us.

I swallowed hard as he reached out and cupped my face. The touch was so gentle, so soft and made my heart constrict in my chest. I had missed him so much, missed the way he touched me.

"I know you won't believe me," He said softly, his thumb slowly caressing my cheek, "but I didn't come here with any woman. And I don't know why the fuck I'm telling you this when I know you don't care." An almost tortured look flashed across his face. "I love you, whether you believe it or not, and just because you don't want me doesn't mean I'll ever stop loving you."

His words knocked the breath out of me. But it was the look of stark naked pain in his eyes that made me feel as if someone was squeezing my heart. He looked so broken, so vulnerable, and a stab of sharp pain flashed through me.

Before I could say anything, he stepped away from me and walked out of the room. I stared at the door, stunned. His tortured expression kept replaying in my mind along with his words.

Just then Hal and Andy walked in, led by the same man who had shown me and Jason to that room. I figured he was the manager of the club.

"Wow." Hal exclaimed when the man left. "Look at this place. It's amazing." He looked awed as he took in the swimming pool in the middle of the room. "I can't believe we are in the VIP room of the most exclusive nightclub in town."

Andy, however, looked wary. He pulled Hal by the arm and sat next to me. "What's going on?"

"You don't have to stay here if you don't want to." Hal squeezed my hand when I finished telling them.

Andy nodded in agreement. "Do you want us to take you home?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll wait for Jason." He was already so pissed off at me for being so careless and I didn't want to make things worse.

Just then there was a knock on the door and a server entered with a tray of food and a chilled bottle of champagne in an ice bucket.

She placed everything on the low glass table in front of us and poured champagne into three flutes. "Enjoy your meal, ma'am, sirs." She smiled and pointed to the bar at the end of the room. "And please help yourselves to the bar. It's on the house."

While Hal and Andy dug into the food, I wandered to the swimming pool. Taking my heels off, I sat down at the edge of the pool and sank my feet into the water.

Andy approached me. "Here. I made a drink for you." He said thrusting a glass into me.

I took it gratefully, took a sip and winced. It was too strong. "What is it?"

"Vodka and rum." He smiled at the face I made. "Drink it up." He said and strolled back towards Hal, who was at the bar swaying to the music as he opened a bottle of tequila.

Scrunching up my face into a grimace, I tilted my head and finished the drink in one go. I wanted to get drunk, to forget all the pain inside me, even for a little while. My eyes watered and I coughed as the liquid burned its way down to my throat.

I stood up and walked to the bar where Andy and Hal were.

"Are you up for some shots?" Hal asked pouring tequila into three glasses.

I nodded and downed my shot and then squinted my eyes as I bit on the lemon slice. By the time we finished the second round, I was feeling quite lightheaded.

When Andy filled my shot glass again I shook my head. Even that little movement sent a bout of dizziness flashing through me. "I think I've had enough."

A while later, I felt so dizzy it was making it so hard for me to even stand. My head buzzed and my vision was getting blurry. I watched Hal and Andy laughing as they danced. They had the same amount of drinks as I had but seemed fine. Why was I the only one feeling so drunk?

I suddenly wanted to sit down and made my way towards the sofa. But before I could reach it, a wave of nausea hit me. I fought it down, with deep breaths. The room was spinning in front of my eyes and I felt faint. Suddenly an arm wrapped around me and Hal's worried face came into my vision.

"I think I'm going to be sick." I managed to blurt out as another wave of nausea hit me.

"Here, drink some water." Andy held a glass to my lips and I took several sips.

The room continued to spin as if in slow motion and I groaned. I was sweating despite the cool air from the air conditioner. Bile rose in my throat and I swallowed it forcefully. If I was going to be sick, I wanted it to be in the privacy of my home. Clutching my stomach, I looked at Hal. "Take me home, please."

He looked uncertain. "What about Jason? He said to stay...."

"I'll...text...him." Despite my best efforts, my words were slurred.

Luckily for us, there was a cab waiting in front of the club when we stepped out. Hal helped me into the backseat while Andy took the passenger seat. I snuggled into Hal tiredly as the cab drove. It felt like I didn't even have any strength to type a text so Hal took the phone from me and sent a message to Jason.

I felt so drowsy, like I could sleep for days straight. Closing my eyes, I prayed I wouldn't get sick in the cab.

I didn't know how long I slept, but it couldn't have been for long because when I woke up I was still in the car. However, Hal wasn't beside me.

"Where's Hal?" I croaked out groggily.

Andy turned back and smiled at me reassuringly. "We stopped by his place first since it's closer. You were sleeping so he didn't want to wake you up before going."

"Oh."

He handed me a bottle of water. "Drink this. You will feel a bit better."

My throat was extremely dry so I drank half of the bottle. The dizziness had gone completely and I felt a lot better except for the ache in my head.

A few minutes later, I looked out through the window. We were driving down a narrow street that was unfamiliar and I suddenly realized we were not on the route home.

"Andy? Where are we going? This isn't the way to my place."

"I know that."

Confusion washed over me. But before I could ask what was going on, the driver reached up and switched on the inside car light.

Then he turned around and smiled widely. "Hello, Kate. Remember me?"

I felt as if the wind was knocked out of me. It was the same man from the police sketch. I felt paralyzed with the sudden fear that had taken over me. He looked so familiar as if I knew him in person. Then it hit me. He looked so different but I recognized him from his creepy smile and small beady eyes.

Michael Ryder.

"Y-You...You are..." I gasped out but couldn't continue. The ball of fear in my chest was growing bigger by the second.

"So you do remember me." His smile stretched wide on his face showing bad teeth.

My stomach cramped as fresh terror seized every cell in my body. The dizziness was back stronger than before. My heart rate slowed and I felt sweat break out all over me. It felt like I was on some kind of drug.

My eyes widened as realization hit. I definitely was drugged. My eyes went to the water bottle and then back to Andy. His expression told me what I was thinking was true. He must have put something in my drink back in the nightclub too.

"I'm sorry." It sounded as if his voice was coming from a distance.

And the last thing I heard before everything went black was the sound of Michael's laughter.