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Chapter 7.

Kim Evans wasn't too surprised when she spotted Ryder Bates at the VIP lounge. Jake Summers had been right all along.

She watched him sit casually in the lounge amidst the chaos of the club as he kept his eyes glued to his phone.

She turned to Holly and Jordan and lied that she was going to help them find VIP seats and then she left.

She needed to talk to Ryder.

At the VIP longer she flaunted the access card she had to the bodyguard and he let her in.

Ryder was still bent over his phone typing furiously. She wondered what was getting him so worked up, was it another girl? She thought with jealousy as Jake nudged Ryder.

Seeing Ryder again was humiliating, their last time together was nothing  short of catastrophic. She had screamed like a mad woman who escaped the psyche ward but Ryder had just remained calm when she tried to claw his eyes out.

She admitted that she wasn't proud of her behaviour, but in her defense, not many women would tolerate seeing a man they liked with another woman barely a week after their unexpected breakup.

"You again?" Ryder sighed as he signalled to the bodyguard.

"Calm down. I'm not here to fight with you" Kim said hastily as she squeezed herself on the couch that Ryder was sitting on.

He moved to the far edge of the couch slowly as he watched her wearily. Ryder didn't trust Kim Evans, she was the craziest woman he had ever met. And that was saying a lot since he had met tons of women even at the young age of twenty seven.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to apologise for last time. I was out of line. I misread the situation and I shouldn't have come at you like that"

It was obvious that Ryder was not convinced by Kim's apology but nevertheless he nodded his head.

"I wouldn't say I've accepted your apology, because you did some things that were pretty nasty... And when I think about them it just makes me so confused as to how different you were when I met you"

Kim rolled her eyes but she still plastered on a smile.

"I said I'm sorry Ryder. It won't happen again"

Ryder nodded and he picked up his drink.

"If you say so" he replied before he gulped it all down.

"So what brings you here. I didn't know you came to Midnight" Kim asked as she scooted closer to Ryder's side and he eyed her nervously.

"I honestly didn't feel like clubbing today but Jake managed to drag me here."

Kim turned to Jake and gave him a wink. So far so good Jake had played his part well. Although he did need more than a little convincing.

"Hnmm. No wonder you don't have your catch for the night" Kim commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, it simply means that you haven't found who you're sleeping with tonight."

Ryder rolled his eyes in frustration.

"If you think I only come to clubs to pick up girls, you don't know me"

Kim wanted to tell him that she knew him even more than he knew himself but she kept quiet.

She looked towards the dancefloor and spotted Holly clearly struggling with an older man whose hands kept travelling down south.

Majority of the crowd on the dancefloor had dispersed because of the song playing but Holly and her dance partner were one of the few that still remained under the strobe lights.

"Oh boy!" Kim called out loud enough for Ryder to hear over the music.

"What's wrong?" He spared her a quick glance.

"That!" Kim promptly pointed at the dancefloor where Holly was trying to stop her dance partner from grabbing her.

"That disturbing!" Ryder said as his eyes harden. He hated it when guys thought that they could take disadvantage of a woman just because they were dancing.

But then again, he could be mistaken he thought. The man might be the lady's boyfriend.

"That's a pretty dress. And it looks so good on her!" Kim commented as she turned to Ryder who just shrugged.

"I bet you can't get someone like her into your bed!" She taunted.

Ryder chuckled and looked up slowly.

"There isn't a woman on earth who can resist me"

Kim rolled her eyes.

"Until now! I really don't think she's your type and I don't think you're her type either!"

"Bullshit! So you think that sneaky perv right there is her type? Because he sure as hell isn't"

Kim sighed as she shook her head.

Oh! This was too easy.

"Let's make a bet. And let's make it very interesting"

Ryder leaned closer.

"I'm listening"

"If you get that woman into your bed. You win. If you lose you'll give me back your gold membership card for Ecstasy"

"Is that all?" Ryder smirked as he watched Kim who cocked her head in thought.

"Okay. Let's add five thousand dollars to sweeten the deal"

Ryder rubbed his hands together in glee. He was positive that he was going to win fair and square. Women loved him and they loved him enough to want to get in bed with him. It was a well known fact.

"If I win, you get to leave me alone. No pop ups, no calls, no screaming and trying to kill me when you see me with another girl. Deal?"

Kim was a little bit hurt from Ryder's statement. Did he really hate her that bad?

"Deal. Go work your magic bad boy" Kim said as she practically shooed away Ryder from his seat.

Jake quickly appeared next to Kim the moment Ryder left.

"Are you positive that this would work?"

He asked nervously. Anxiety and guilt was eating at him and he was starting to worry whether or not he made the right decision by promising to help Kim.

"Why won't it work? It's a bullet proof plan"

"It's just that I know Ryder, and I'm his friend. I've never seen a woman turn him down! Well except for.... Never mind"

"And I'm telling you, I know Holly, she's my closest friend since forever. She would never give in to Ryder. Trust me!"

A tight knot formed in Jake's stomach, if there was one thing he should have never done, he shouldn't have trusted Kim in the first place.

"Just one drink" she said as she snatched her arm away from his.

Ryder didn't know what to make of the woman. He had saved her from an uncomfortable situation and all he could get out of it was him buying her a drink. She didn't even acknowledge the fact that he had swooped in to rescue her from her perverted dance partner who didn't even know the basics when it came to dancing.

"My name is Ryder Bates" Ryder said as he sat opposite Holly.

"Holly Michaels." she replied crisply as she sipped her Martini.

It was the drink that Ryder had insisted on buying for her.

"So, how did you get the misfortune of dancing with that guy?"

Holly shrugged.

"He's not that bad"

Ryder scoffed.

"Not that bad? He was clearly a terrible dancer. Not to mention he had no respect for your personal space and body"

Holly rolled her eyes.

"Can we please stop talking about him? I'd like to erase that embarrassing moment from my mind"

Ryder leaned in closet.

"You know, I can help you forget. I'm an excellent dancer. That, amongst other things" He leaned closely and Holly rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to the dancefloor. But I'll keep your offer in mind"

"So what do you do Ryder Bates?"

Ryder shrugged as he shook his glass slightly. Kim said something about him hating when he had to talk about work, Holly was so desperate for conversation that she forgot.

"I own a real estate company. You may have heard of it. It's called Alpha properties."

"Oh! That's good." Holly decided not to pursue the topic before Ryder got bored.

"Yes. I suppose you can say that Real estate is my thing, but that'll be a lie since I actually don't do that much work in the office"

"Because you own the office?" Holly asked and Ryder shrugged.

"It's not that...." He started to protest but then he stopped.

"You are right. I do own the office, I don't see the point of being there all day when I can work from anywhere with my phone"

"That's pretty convenient"

Ryder nodded.

"I guess. What do you do Ms Michaels? You look like a nurse. I've always had a thing for nurses."

"No, I am not a nurse. What gave you that thought?"

Ryder shook his head as he smiled widely, Holly noted that he had perfect teeth and a dimple also.

"Nothing much. I just imagined you in a nurse's uniform. But for all I know you could be a scientist or a lawyer"

"Far from it. I'll take it that you're bad at guessing" Holly said as she shook her head.

"Well, in my defence, you're not giving me a lot of information to work with"

"Hnmmm" Holly pretended to be deep in thoughts as she came up with a hint for Ryder.

"Well, Think of people who make stuff. Stuff that's very important and dear to people"

Ryder cringed.

"That's not a very good hint. You're even worst than me"

Holly busted into a fit of giggles as Ryder stared at her intently.

"You have a very beautiful smile. It's perfect"

And suddenly Holly snapped out of her happy bubble. Ryder was probably giving her compliments just to get her in his pants.

"So you still haven't told me what you do"

"Does it matter?" She asked as she received a text from Kim.

Stop laughing with Ryder!!!! He's manipulative. Don't forget what you have to do. - Kim.

"I'm a baker" she quickly added as she prepared to leave the barstool.

"Wait! Where are you going?"  He asked with confusion clouding his face and Holly shrugged.

"I have to leave. I need to be up early for work tomorrow."

"Okay. Please just one dance before you go?"

Holly scrunched up her face.

She knew that saying no would result into Ryder trying other means to persuade her.

So she agreed.

"Okay. Just one dance. One dance and I'm out of here" he warned.

Oh you don't know it yet, but you're coming out of here with me. Ryder thought as he led Holly to the dancefloor.

He had just one shot. Ryder Bates was not prepared to waste it.

The song changed into a slow song the moment they reached the dancefloor and Ryder couldn't be any more happier as he swung Holly into his arms.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" She said as she looked everywhere but his emerald green eyes. She suddenly couldn't find Kim or Jordan. Strange, it was like they both disappeared.

She was so close to him she could almost taste his minty fresh breath tinged with alcohol. She could also smell his cologne. It was positively masculine and very intoxicating, it almost wanted to make her bury her head in his strong chest and take in generous whiffs of the addictive sense.

He's hands on her back were so large yet they only grazed the light fabric of her dress ever so lightly that it felt like feather light strokes.

"Oh I am. It's not everyday I get to dance with a woman as gorgeous as you"

"You sure know how to sweet talk a woman into bed" Holly commented and Ryder laughed.

He brought his face so close to hers that his mouth grazed her earlobes. The touch sent shivers down Holly's spine.

Suddenly everything all seemed too much, too overwhelming at the same type.

"Trust me, If I wanted to get you into my bed, you'd be in it by now"

He whispered huskily into her ear. His hot breath in her ear brought a fresh onslaught of heat all over her body and Holly could swear that sweat beads formed at her brow.

"You're a cocky one. You're in for a rude surprise."

Ryder raised his eyebrows.

"Don't even pretend you're not feeling anything right now. You already look all hot and bothered."

Holly straightened her back and lifted her head.

"You're mistaken. I think you're the one all hot and bothered"

"Really? And if I do this..." Ryder didn't finish as he leaned dangerously close towards Holly's face.

They were so close they were breathing each other's air but their eyes were solely fixed and focused on each other.

Ryder looked at Holly's lips and she slowly ran her tongue through them. His eyes were practically begging her as they both moved so close to the extent that their lips grazed each other.

The tiny touch was enough to send a wave of heat washing all over both of them.

They were milliseconds away from losing themselves in the throes of their own passion.

Their lips grazed each other one more time with a whisper of the kiss to come.

And then the inevitable happened.

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