Chapter 5:

The entire place was loud because of the heavy music. People were shouting and laughing. It was getting darker and darker, and only the shifting-colored lights provided any illumination.

 The music shifted into a sexier beat. The crowd cheered even louder, and everyone began pulling their own partners onto the floor. The atmosphere intensified with couples dancing provocatively everywhere.

Ryan raised his hands and grimaced when a woman suddenly ran her hand across his chest and began grinding in front of him.

 “I’m thirsty,” he muttered before leaving the woman who was trying to dance with him.

He returned to the bar counter where Ethan and Josh were quietly drinking. The area was farther from the dance floor, so it wasn’t as noisy.

 “Where’s Rodnie?” Ethan asked him.

He took a seat beside him and first turned to the bartender. “Whiskey on the rocks, please.” Then he faced Ethan again. “That idiot is still drowning himself on the dance floor.”

“Well, a little alcohol is enough to get him drunk,” Ethan said with a laugh.

 “And the two of you—why don’t you try having fun like Rodnie?” he asked them.

The bartender placed his drink in front of him. He took a sip and glanced at his two companions again.

 Ethan only shrugged, while Josh remained quietly still.

 Maybe it was because both of them were heartbroken. Josh was the youngest in their group—actually, he was Rica’s cousin, which was why he sometimes tagged along. Among all of them, he was closest to Ethan.

“By the way, is Zairus coming tonight?” he asked again.

 “Probably not. He’s busy with his wife,” Ethan replied.

 “That idiot. Ever since I got back here, he hasn’t joined us even once.”

 “Aside from being busy with his wife, he’s busy with their company too. The idiot finally decided to straighten up,” Ethan teased their friend who wasn’t even there. “Good thing you got your act together before getting married,” he added, directing the comment at him.

 “Even when I get married, I’ll still join your hangouts and night outs,” he answered before taking another sip of his whiskey.

“What are you doing here, guys?” Rodnie suddenly appeared, panting. “Let’s enjoy this night! Come on!” he shouted excitedly as he tried to drag Ethan and Josh to their feet.

 Rodnie pulled the two toward the dance floor, which was now playing upbeat music again. The two followed him lazily but didn’t resist.

He shook his head with a laugh as he watched the three of them go. He finished his whiskey so he could follow, when suddenly—

“I said let me go!” a woman’s voice yelled nearby. She pushed the man she was with, causing her to lose her balance and slam into his chest.

Ryan quickly steadied her before she could fall to the floor. Then he turned to the man bothering her.

 “Didn’t you hear her? Leave her alone,” he said in a deep voice, still supporting the woman.

 “Stay out of this,” the man snapped back at him, clearly drunk.

 “You’re going to leave her alone, or you’re walking out of here with a broken face,” he warned coldly.

The man swallowed hard and, in the end, backed away and left.

“Are you alright, Miss?” he asked as he looked at the woman he was holding.

 She slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes widening when she saw him. And for some unexplainable reason, something inside him thudded hard.

 “Y-you?” she asked, frowning.

She quickly pulled away from him. And in an instant, she collapsed. Luckily, he caught her just in time.

Ryan looked around, hoping someone who knew her would come over. He brought her to a nearby table and helped her into an empty chair.

 “Miss, Miss, wake up,” he urged gently, shaking her lightly. But her eyes remained closed, and the longer he looked at her, the louder the pounding inside him grew.

He shook his head repeatedly. Maybe it was just the alcohol affecting him. He took a deep breath. Still, he couldn’t leave this woman alone.

A few more minutes passed, yet no one who seemed to know her came.

 In the end, he had no choice but to carry her outside and bring her to his car.

He planned to check her into a hotel and leave her there. He hadn’t even managed to say goodbye to Ethan because he couldn’t bring himself to leave the woman alone.

 A few moments later, they arrived at the nearest hotel to the bar they had come from. The woman opened her eyes and looked at him.

“Can you walk, Miss?” he asked.

She moved quickly, trying to open the passenger door.

“Wait, calm down, Miss. I’m not going to do anything bad to you,” he told her.

He stepped out of the car and opened the door for her. He helped her out when her knees buckled weakly.

“You must have drunk a lot. Why were you going to places like that all by yourself?” he asked quietly.

She didn’t reply. Instead, she kept blinking as she tried to walk, so he held her and supported her. They entered the hotel and checked in at the lobby. Both of them rode the elevator up to the eighth floor.

But when the elevator doors closed and they were left alone inside, she opened her eyes again. He was startled when she suddenly ran her hand across his chest and looked at him with burning eyes. In the next second, she seized her lips with his—hungry, desperate kisses that awakened something inside him.

Her kisses were searching and thirsty, but he didn’t respond. He gently pushed her away and looked at her with a frown.

“What’s wrong with you, woman? Why are you suddenly kissing me?” he asked just as the elevator doors opened.

He guided her out and into the room. She blinked sleepily as he lay her down on the bed. His throat tightened when he saw her lying there in front of him.

With the way she was dressed, she looked decent—not the type who partied in clubs. He exhaled deeply, shaking his head.

Something inside him stirred—desire creeping dangerously into his thoughts—but he fought it off immediately.

 This was wrong. Completely wrong. He didn’t know her, and she didn’t know him.

In the end, he turned his back on her and walked toward the door.

“Ryan…”

He froze at the sound of her voice.

He slowly turned around, and she was now sitting on the bed, staring intently at him.

“What did you call me?” he asked, his brows knit in confusion.

“Ryan…” she whispered again.

“H-How did you know my name?” he asked in astonishment, his eyes widening.

She stood up and wobbled as she walked toward him—until he found himself pressed against the wall.

“Ryan… why did you only come now?” she asked softly, just a few inches away from him.

“What?” Ryan asked with a frown. His gaze dropped to her flushed lips, and something inside him tugged insistently—urging him to give in to what she wanted.

“I waited. I waited for you because you told me… you’d come no matter what,” she whispered. Her eyes softened, and he could see a flame burning in them.

Her gaze dipped to his lips, and in the next instant, she claimed his mouth again.

 And this time, he couldn’t stop himself—he returned her kisses.

Hungry. Desperate.

Their kiss deepened, and though he didn’t even know her, she was the one making his heart pound violently in his chest.

Her hands slid down from his chest to the front of his pants, and he let out a strained groan. He quickly caught her searching, playful hand. He pulled away from her lips and looked at her intensely.

“Don’t push me to my limit,” he warned.

He knew the desire stirring in him was wrong—wrong for a woman he didn’t know, who didn’t even know him. But he was close to losing the last thread of restraint he had. He wasn’t that kind of man… but with her, he felt weak, burning.

“Come on, let’s do it,” she said in a raspy voice.

“You might not like what I can do to you,” he warned again.

“I don’t care. Just… just take me,” she whispered against his lips.

And with that, he let the rising fire and desire inside him loose. His restraint snapped, and he kissed her with fierce hunger. Before carrying her to the bed, he reached for the doorknob and locked it.

Once secured, he lifted her, and she busied herself undoing the buttons of his shirt while they continued kissing.

He laid her on the bed, and she looked at him with half-lidded eyes.

“Shit,” he muttered softly as he finally removed his clothes.

Her hands reached for his lips, drawing him down to her again. He kissed her neck, moving down to her chest.

“Take it off. I want you naked,” he said hoarsely. She removed her clothing, revealing her bare chest.

 “Fuck.”

They locked lips again, heat pouring between them. He took her breasts in his hands without thinking. He unfastened his pants, and she hurried to remove the rest of her own clothing. Now they were both naked—completely consumed by desire.

He positioned himself at her entrance and slowly pushed in. Pain slashed across her expression, her breath catching in a near scream. Tears pooled in her eyes—and then he saw it.

A streak of red.

“Shit. You’re a virgin?!” he asked in shock.

She looked up at him weakly, but the desire in her eyes burned just as fiercely as before.

She reached for his lips again, and in that instant, his concern vanished—overridden once more by intense longing.

And that night, he took her.