Party Time

"Relax, Callie, it's going to be fun."

Callie sat in the passenger seat of Daniel's Lexus, tugging at the hem of her dress. They were headed to a party at the Seattle vacation home of a former frat brother of Daniel's--Nathan Sheffield, a wildly successful business mogul--and Daniel had insisted that she dress sexy. Callie was more of a t-shirt, jeans, and mismatched underwear type of girl. Sexy wasn't really her thing, but for Daniel, she was trying. For him, she'd try almost anything.

"This dress is just so freaking short," she said, trying to tug the hem down again.

He took her hand in his to keep her from fussing and gazed down at her with his gorgeous, gold-flecked brown eyes. When he looked at her like that, she felt like she might melt into an actual puddle of lust.

Callie and Daniel had been co-workers for three years before they began dating. He was older than her, thirty-three to her twenty-five, and she'd pined after him from the moment she met him, but he'd never seemed to see her as a potential love interest, treating her instead like an amusing younger sister. Until one day four months ago when he asked her out. It had been one of the most thrilling days of her life. And the relationship--and sex--that followed made her feel as if she'd won the lottery.

"You're so beautiful, Callie, and I just want everyone at this party to see it."

She wrinkled her nose in confusion. "But why dress sexy and not sophisticated? What kind of party is this?"

Daniel had nixed her original outfit choice and asked if he could dress her in whatever he wanted. Whatever he wanted turned out to be a little black dress Callie had intended for a slutty-witch Halloween costume she'd chickened out on wearing the year before. The off-the-shoulder black dress clung to her curves and displayed way more skin than she was comfortable with. Her firm C-cup breasts were practically hanging out of the neckline, aided by the lift of a red lace demi bra, and the hemline barely covered her ass. What was I thinking when I bought this? she wondered. And am I really going out in public in it?

Daniel had nixed the cheeky-cut briefs she usually favored and talked her into putting on the red silk g-string he'd given to her in a gift-wrapped little box. She was glad she'd gotten waxed recently because the little patch of silk barely covered anything. Then he'd directed her to put on the highest heels she owned--a pair of three-inch stilettos she'd bought on a whim and never worn outside of the store.

Her glossy chestnut hair was pulled up into a wispy side bun and fastened with the pretty silver and turquoise hairpins she'd splurged on during a vacation to the Bahamas. She'd applied way more makeup than she usually did, with liquid eyeliner, smoky eyeshadow, and a bold red lip. Makeup always made her feel like a little girl playing dress-up, but Daniel liked it.

His final touch had been a second gift, a thin, black velvet choker.

"Nathan has always been a bit... eccentric, I guess you'd say," Daniel said. "Throws these wild parties all the time--invite only, highly exclusive. This is the first one he's throwing here in Seattle. Don't you want to see how the other half lives? Maybe have some fun."

Callie smiled uncertainly. "Wild how? Like Animal House wild or Playboy mansion wild?"

"Definitely not Animal House. More Playboy mansion, but classy and sexy, not tacky. Which is why we needed to work on your outfit."

Callie flinched, stung by his words. Her taste wasn't tacky. He was always doing that, unintentionally negging her.

Daniel must've caught the look on her face because he took one hand off the wheel and pulled her into a quick side hug. "I'm sorry. But the outfit you chose was more appropriate for a work cocktail party, not a night of bacchanalia at my wealthy friend's house."

Bacchanalia? "Daniel, is this a... sex party or something?"

He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, "It's not not a sex party."

She drew back and felt a blush scorch its way up her neck and into her face. "I'm not--I didn't think we--" She took a deep breath. "I'm not a sex party kind of girl. You must know that by now. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just did." He held her gaze for a moment, exuding sensual confidence. "Don't you trust me?"

Did she? She was in lust with him, if not well on her way to love, and had a lot of fun being with him. But did she trust him? "Of course I do. I'm just a little caught off guard. I thought we were exclusive, and I'm not sure..."

The playful smile died on his lips, and he dropped her hand. "Okay, I hear you loud and clear. I should've known you wouldn't be willing to have an adventure. Forget the party. We'll rent a movie and order in tonight. Again."

"Wait!" She touched his shoulder. "I'm not saying no. But I want to know what to expect. I've never done anything like this."

"It's just for fun, Callie. You don't have to do anything you don't want. We can just watch. It'll be exciting." He laughed. "And who knows? Maybe if we talk to the right people, there'll be something in it for us--professionally, I mean. This party will be full of movers and shakers. One conversation could change our lives."

Daniel was more experienced than her--she'd known it might be an issue someday--but she refused to let her own lack of adventure ruin the best relationship she'd ever had. And a career boost couldn't hurt. "Okay, I'm in."

Daniel turned and drove up a long driveway to a mansion in a swanky neighborhood on the shores of Lake Washington. The place looked like a foreboding castle in the dark, misty evening, and Callie asked herself again what the hell she was doing there. A valet approached the car and opened her door. She tried to climb out without flashing him, but knew she'd failed when the man grinned at her. Daniel hurried around the car and took her arm, slipping the valet a twenty and leading her toward the front door.

He stood just shy of six feet, with dark brown hair that brushed the collar of his dress shirt and eyes the color of warm caramel. He wore a tailored three-piece gray wool suit, no tie, and looked like a million fucking bucks. Callie had never seen a more attractive man, especially not one who was also witty and worldly and fun. She still couldn't believe he was her boyfriend.

"Oh, one more thing," Daniel said. He reached up and pulled the turquoise hairpins from her hair, sending her long dark hair tumbling over her shoulders and cleavage. His eyes lit up. "Perfect."

She tried to shake off a wave of irritation as he slipped the hairpins in to his pocket and led her toward the front door. A dour-faced tuxedoed man waited at a podium near the entrance.

"Invitation, sir?"

Daniel produced the invitation from his pocket and handed it to the man.

"Very good, Mr. Chambers." The man made a note on his clipboard, then his cool gaze perused Callie, taking her in from the top of her head to the tips of her stilettos. "And this is your guest?"

"Yes. She's my guest for the evening." Daniel sounded almost nervous, and Callie didn't understand it. He was one of the most confident men she'd ever met. What did he have to be nervous about? Was he worried she'd somehow embarrass him at the party? Sure, she was a bit of a klutz who'd been known to spill the occasional drink in someone else's lap and laugh too hard at the wrong things, but she wasn't a circus freak. She could act like a sophisticated adult when the situation called for it. Probably.

Without warning, Daniel took Callie's hand, then spun her around once, like they were dancing. She emitted a surprised shriek as she spun, feeling her dress ride up over her ass. She snatched her hand from Daniel's so she could smooth it down and glared at him. He smiled and shrugged. The man with the clipboard nodded curtly. "She is acceptable."

Acceptable? she thought indignantly. What the fuck?

Daniel didn't give Callie a chance to respond to the man. He took her arm and led her into the house, steadying her as she tripped over her stilettos.

"What the hell did he mean by that, Daniel?" she hissed. "Since when does a plus-one need to pass muster with the doorman?"

"I don't know," he said, defensiveness rising in his voice. "It's a fancy party. They don't let just anyone in. You should be happy you passed."

"Okay," she said slowly, feeling like she'd done something wrong. Callie wondered if she'd worn the original outfit she picked whether the man would've denied her entry to the party. Daniel had probably saved her a lot of embarrassment by making her change. "I'm sorry. I'll try to relax."

Daniel's smile reappeared and she could breathe again. They stepped into a cavernous foyer full of mingling, well-dressed party guests. Live classical music rose through the air, though the musicians were not visible. Tuxedo-clad waiters glided through the guests like fish through a stream, offering delicious-smelling hors d'oeuvres and flutes of champagne. Daniel snagged two glasses off a tray and offered her one. Callie accepted the glass and took a deep sip. Champagne wasn't her favorite, but she needed something to calm her nerves. The people in the room wore their wealth like cologne and the air was practically saturated with it.

Callie recognized a few of the guests--a few B-list actors and actresses, a network news anchor, a notorious tech giant whose business was headquartered in Seattle, and some local politicians. Most of the crowd appeared to be coupled up and the most common type of pairing was a much-older man with a beautiful woman young enough to be his daughter. There were a few older women present, also giving off that eau de parfum richesse. They tended to be paired with younger men--model-gorgeous young men--though a few of the older women stood with beautiful women many years their junior.

"Wow," Callie murmured as she took another swig of champagne.

"Wow is right," Daniel said, his lips curled into a satisfied smile as he glanced around the room. "This is crazy. That guy over there is the American ambassador to Switzerland."

Callie couldn't figure out who he meant. Every man in the crowd looked like he could be the ambassador to Switzerland, but she did notice something that made the champagne sour in her stomach. The men in the room all wore expensive suits, but most of their younger female counterparts were dressed quite provocatively. Not classy and sensual, but gaudy and almost vulgar. A young blond girl on the arm of an older gray-haired man to their right wore a sheer red body stocking with nothing on underneath. Her nipples poked through the nylon like erasers. A slender black woman wore a leather bandage dress with laces up the back, revealing her naked back and g-stringed ass to the room. The more Callie looked around, the more exposed female flesh she saw.

"Daniel, when's the last time you saw Nathan?" she asked.

He cupped her ass with his palms and drew her in close to him. "You look so damn sexy, Callie. I could take you right here."

She stared up at him, transfixed, and melted into his body as he bent to taste her lips. She felt him raise the fabric higher, bearing her ass to the room. "Daniel, stop," she muttered against his mouth, but he only deepened their kiss and drew her closer.

The tinkling of metal against glass interrupted their kiss. Callie drew back, embarrassed laughter on her lips, but Daniel did not release his grip on her ass. The only way to regain her modesty would be to move his hand, and she didn't want to make him angry again. The room was crowded and dim, and if anyone wanted a show, she certainly wasn't the one showing the most skin. She needed to loosen up. It would be fine.

The sound had come from a beautiful blond woman perched on a dais at the center of the foyer, tapping a champagne flute with a spoon. She wore a white floor-length silk gown and had the body of a Greek goddess.

"Nathan's personal secretary, Arabella," Daniel whispered in her ear. "She went to college with us." She felt him lift her g-string and slide his index finger into the crack of her ass. She squirmed as the pad of his finger rested against her anus and the rest of his fingers groped her cheeks.

"Stop! What are you--"

"Be still, Callie," he said. "Everyone will stare if you can't hold still."

She looked up at him, her eyes wild, but his attention was on Arabella. The last thing she wanted to do was make a scene, so she let him keep his hand where it was and forced herself to stop squirming. So they were technically in public and he was touching her asshole. It's not like he was trying to finger her. She could deal with it. Plus, the champagne had begun to fill her with a fuzzy euphoria and she found herself getting turned on at his inappropriate touch.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," Arabella announced, a wide smile on her face. "Nathan is so pleased you could all come. We do so love it when you come."

The room erupted in bawdy laughter, and Callie saw that many of the other young women were being openly groped in much the same manner as she was. A man had his hands on the blonde in the sheer red dress, squeezing one breast and cupping her sex. The man with the black girl in the laced bandage dress had begun untying the dress with one hand and had freed her right breast with the other. As Callie watched, he flicked her nipple and smiled when she flinched.

"The evening will proceed as usual," Arabella went on. "We're not trying to remake the wheel tonight. Make your way to the doors at the far end of the foyer--right or left, either is fine. Our attendants will direct you to where you should be based on your guest's status." She clapped her hands. "Have a wonderful evening! May you all get what you want!"

The crowd began moving as one, milling toward the doors at the back of the foyer. Daniel nudged Callie forward using his grip on her exposed bottom, directing her toward the doors to the right. They moved slowly through the thick crowd. A waiter took her empty champagne flute as he passed and handed her another. She downed half of it in one gulp, then put her hand on Daniel's arm.

"Please move your hand," she begged. "I'm sorry, I just feel so uncomfortable."

He smiled gently and removed the offending hand, but when Callie reached back to tug her dress back down, he stopped her. "No, leave it up. I'm getting so worked up seeing you like that."

She stared up at his handsome face, her heart pounding. "I don't know. I feel slutty."

"It's one night," he said. "Please. You said you'd give this a shot."

Callie finished her second glass of champagne and nodded. "Okay, you win."

As they moved slowly with the crowd toward the door, she saw some of the men begin to notice her. A genteel looking older man with a full head of salt and pepper hair stared at her with such naked lust she pressed herself further into Daniel's side for protection.

"Is she an A, B or C?" the man asked Daniel as he stared at her breasts.

Daniel ignored the man and said to Callie, "Everyone here is big on rules. Nothing will happen that you don't agree to."

She furrowed her brow. "How do you know that? You said you'd never been to one of Nathan's parties before. And what did that man mean, 'an A, B, or C?'"

"Here we are," Daniel said as they reached the door out of the foyer. Yet another dour-faced man in a tuxedo waited beside the doorway.

"Name?" he said.

"Daniel Halloway."

"Your guest's status?"

"She's Option B," Daniel said in a confident voice.

The man's eyes flicked to Callie and she saw a spark of curiosity animate his face. "Very good, sir. You may proceed to the study for her orientation."

Daniel took her arm and led her out of the foyer and further into the house. If Callie hadn't been so flabbergasted by the exchange she'd just heard, she would've stopped to gawk at the opulent mansion surrounding her.

She threw Daniels's arm off and stopped, yanking her dress down to cover herself. "What the hell was that all about? What's Option B?"

He smiled blandly and sighed. "This part is so tedious. If you want to know what Option B is, you have to come to the study with me."

She sucked in a breath, shocked by the change in his tone. "I don't know what's going on, Daniel, but I don't like this anymore. I want to leave."

"Fine. Just know that if you leave, you'll be in jail by morning."

Callie wouldn't have been more shocked if he'd slapped her. "What?!"

"I know about the money you've been embezzling from the company, Callie. No one else has figured it out yet--you were smart--but I did, and I have proof."

His words slapped the buzz from the champagne out of her system and sent a flood of adrenaline rushing through her veins. How could he know about the money? She'd been so careful. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please. You know. Now come to the study with me, and I'll explain what's going to happen tonight." He glanced around the grand room they stood in, still full of party guests making their ways to various parts of the house. "They really don't like people making a scene in the middle of everyone. Come with me, Callie." He held his hand out to her.

Feeling numb, she took his hand and let him lead her out of the grand room and down a long hallway. The empty room they entered was plain compared to the rest of the house she'd already seen and appointed with modern furnishings. A long glass desk lined the far wall. On it were papers. Reams and reams of papers.

"Go ahead, look," Daniel told her.

She crossed the room to the table and looked at the documents, at the proof of her crimes. "How did you find out?"

"It doesn't matter now," he said. "Just know I don't judge you for what you did. I've done far worse."

"Oh great," she snapped. "Real comforting. So this is Option B? Blackmail? What are options A and C?"

"These people have so much money and power, they get bored with normal human entertainment. Some of the girls and guys brought here tonight are getting paid for sex, a tale as old as time--Option C. And some of the guests are willing participants, trying to earn their way into Nathan's orbit--Option A. But a lot of the guests are like you, being blackmailed into making a decision: stay and submit yourself to the whims of the powerful, or go and face the consequences of your own mistakes." He leaned back against the desk, watching her. "I've gotta say, I'm not sure what you'll choose. On the one hand, you're so timid, prison certainly wouldn't be a good time for you. On the other hand, you're such a prude, I'm not sure you'll make it through the night here."

Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. For a wild moment, she worried about smearing her eye makeup, loath to displease Daniel. What was wrong with her? He was an evil bastard.

"Your choice is this," he said. "Leave and go to prison for your crimes. Stay and get fucked, humiliated, and used. And know that no matter how much you do and how far you go, the instant you refuse, you'll be right back to your original choice: prison or plaything."

"I don't get it," she whispered. "Why pretend to have a relationship with me all these months? Why not go straight to the blackmail?"

He shrugged. "It's not just the rich and powerful who get bored. You were intriguing, and since I didn't owe Nathan a fresh candidate for a few months and knew once I brought you to the party you'd be off limits to me, I decided to play with you for a little while."

"Fuck you," she spat.

"Not anymore." He smiled gently. "Not unless I'm invited by one of your new patrons." His expression of regret looked so real she almost believed it. He was a good actor.

Callie began to cry in earnest. It was too much. Daniel crossed the room and took her in his arms. She fought him for a moment but his touch felt so good, so safe, and she couldn't bring herself to stand alone.