by Julia Bright
“Have fun,” Presley said as she grabbed her purse and headed out to her gym. She was struggling, and Rose wished she could help but she didn’t know the difference between a cartwheel and a double full.
Rose sat down to eat a quick salad, but she could only get a few bites in before nerves took over, twisting her stomach in knots. Instead, she put the salad in the refrigerator and made plans to conquer this party. Maybe conquer was too strong a word. She really just wanted to not make a fool of herself. The Harris brothers were hot stuff and she wasn’t. Why Zach had said he wanted her there was a mystery to her. The man could have anyone in Hollywood and he’d chosen her. Why had he picked her for a date? The guy at the diner had intimated that she would be Zach’s date, which freaked her out. How the hell had she gotten a date with Zach Harris?
Rose painted her toenails and fingernails, being careful to not make a mess. It took her more than forty minutes to paint and then let the polish dry. The minutes were ticking past, and she couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity by being late.
After the polish dried, she searched her closet for something to wear, coming up empty. No matter how many times she pushed her hangers from right to left and then left to right she came away disappointed. She should have gone shopping, but time had gotten away from her. There were possibilities with the clothes hanging in her closet, but they weren’t special enough to wear for Zach Harris.
If she asked Kady or Presley for a dress to borrow, they would both want to know more about the party. She was stuck with what she had. She should have stopped by a store to pick up a new dress, but she couldn’t afford new clothes on what she made at the diner and her roommates knew that. If she’d bought a special dress for the night, it would have just opened a world of questions that she had no good answers for. It was too difficult to make a decision, so she decided to shower and hope something amazing happened in her closet, though it never really did.
Before she showered, she shaved, taking care to get up high on her legs. Her hair needed deep conditioning so she took the extra ten minutes to put coconut butter in, massaging the goop all the way from her scalp to the tips of her strands, hoping to restore some of the natural shine. By the time she finished her shower, she only had thirty minutes to fix her hair and get dressed.
The humidity was up, which was a strange occurrence in LA, but it made her hair too poofy. Instead of the smooth tresses she was going for, she looked like she’d accidently stuck her finger in a light socket. A bit of mousse and hairspray tamed it a little, but she didn’t want to create a helmet head look with too much spray. Once she finished with her hair, she was mostly satisfied but wished the weather would have cooperated.
She sighed and shook her head, knowing that she didn’t have enough time to fix it again. Her clothes were another matter altogether. The closet elves hadn’t visited, so she picked a black dress with dark red pinstripes. The front gathered at the waist and emphasized her breasts, but not so much so that she looked like she was overly desperate. Overall, she thought she looked wonderful.
She’d paired the dress with a pair of beautiful burgundy Saint Laurent platform heels that she’d found at a used clothing store when Kady had taken her shopping for bargains. The shoes had a little scuff mark on the leather just under the pinky toe on her left foot. It was really unnoticeable unless you had the shoe in your hand and were staring at the spot. She couldn’t believe someone had let go of the shoes because of the insignificant mark, but it was Los Angeles and the women who considered themselves fashionistas wouldn’t be caught dead in a pair of damaged shoes.
Once fully dressed, Rose turned in front of the mirror she’d installed on the back of her closet door. Her dress wasn’t designer, but it fit well. The dark red pinstripes were barely visible, but it was enough to make the dress interesting.
She had five minutes before the car was set to arrive. Before, when she’d been getting dressed and doing her hair, she’d been able to keep the nerves at bay, but now, she was freaking out. With less than a minute left, she stepped out into the den, and Kady and Presley both turned to stare at her.
“What in the world?” Kady asked.
“Oh my.” Presley stood up from the couch and walked over, keeping her eyes on Rose. “You do have a special date. This isn’t just a little party with a nobody. Who is your date with?”
Right now, she wished Presley had late classes to teach tonight instead of ending early. Kady on her own she could handle, but Presley and Kady were like the dynamic duo. She shrugged, trying to play it off as nothing. “No one special. You wouldn’t know him.”
There was a knock, and all three of their heads snapped to look at the door.
“That’s the driver,” Rose whispered.
“He didn’t come to pick you up?” Kady asked.
“It was a party invite. I’m sure he’s busy getting ready for his party.” If she stuck around any longer, she would say something about who she was going to see and how nervous she really was. She rushed to the door, flinging it open as she moved to step out. She reached for her purse strap, realizing it wasn’t on her arm. “Oh shit, I forgot my purse.”
The driver gave her a slight nod as she spun back into the apartment and grabbed her little black bag from her room. Kady and Presley were both staring at her open-mouthed.
“Don’t wait up for me.” With a little wave, she was gone. She took two steps out the door and saw the black limousine sitting in the parking lot. This was either going to be an epic adventure or a total failure.
Chapter Four
When Cam had first heard about the party, he’d known it was a bad idea, and now that he was at the house Zach had rented, seeing what was going on, he knew without any doubt this was the worst idea Zach had ever had. Not only were there too many hookers, there were also too many drugs. If he had any hope of landing the part in that film he wanted a piece of, he would have to avoid being photographed and his name couldn’t be associated with anything happening here.
He’d gone up to the room he’d staked out as his, making sure the TV worked because he damn sure couldn’t hang out all night with the other guys. When he exited the room, a young woman wearing only a silver chain around her waist plastered herself against his chest. “Hey, sexy, wanna fuck me? I’m wet.”
The woman’s words were slurred, her eyes glassy. Two months ago, he wouldn’t have hesitated. Hell, two months ago he would have already fucked half of the women here and been about ready to do the rest. This woman was pretty enough, but that wasn’t the point. He didn’t want pretty enough. He wanted to be someone who would get movie roles that gave him respectability instead of the same kind of crap he was always offered.
He would be lying to say he wasn’t turned on, but there was more to life than fucking. Cam wanted bigger parts, and he wanted a piece of the pie. He wouldn’t get any of that if he continued to act like a college kid let loose for the first time after his parents dropped him off at school. He and his brother were no longer fresh on the scene, and if they didn’t watch it, the parts wouldn’t come in. Zach had already experienced a little bit of the lack of interest, and Cam didn’t want to lose his edge.
He shot her a crisp smile and stepped away. “Thank you, but I’m going to have to say no.”
“I have a very pretty pussy. Look.” The woman spun around and bent over, exposing herself to him.
Heat washed over Cam, making his cock grow hard. The jeans he wore felt too tight. He palmed his cock through the thick denim, wishing he could toss his morals out the window—hell, he had no morals. He wanted to toss the studio’s morals out the window as he stared at her pussy.
The woman hadn’t lied.
She did have a beautiful pussy along with perky tits that would fit nicely in his hands. She stood and wobbled a bit on her feet. His gaze narrowed the longer he looked at her.
“Are you on something?”
She giggled and reached out, running her hand down his chest. “It’s okay. It
’s just a little something to help me relax. You know, a little extra stuff in the wine. I’m hot and horny and I need your cock in me. Come on, baby, and fuck me.”
Was Zach drugging the women to make them want to have sex. The lusty heat that had been building earlier turned to anger, and he stepped away from the woman, ignoring her complaints. Instead, he went in search of Zach.
Fear filled him because he hadn’t seen that waitress from the diner, and she should have been here already. If Zach had drugged her and fucked her, they would all end up paying.
Even though Zach was sure this girl knew the score, Cam was positive she had no clue this was a sex party with hookers who were paid to fuck every man there. This wasn’t a date, or a normal party, this was a fuck fest. Zach had rented this labyrinth of a house for one purpose—fucking all night long.
None of these women had been allowed to keep their phones. They’d all signed non-disclosure agreements stating they wouldn’t speak of their adventures, and they’d accepted some amount of money for their services. There were no starlets here—no other actresses or non-professional women. These girls made their money on their backs or knees, and they didn’t complain. The girl from the diner had no clue what she was getting herself into.
When Rose had gotten in the limousine, she’d thought they would arrive on time for the party, but two wrecks along their path meant every street around her place was jam-packed with cars. Traffic wasn’t moving, not even an inch. If she’d known the address, she would have ditched her ride and walked to the party, but she was clueless about her destination and the driver wouldn’t tell her.
After thirty minutes, the car finally started to move, which was a good thing and a bad thing. She’d already started drinking wine, and she was feeling a little more than tipsy. She should have eaten more.
They drove up into the hills above Hollywood, and she looked out over the city, enjoying the view. Pretty lights sparkled below, leaving her wistful for things she didn’t have.
This area was where the rich and famous lived. When she’d first moved here, she’d taken one of the tours, riding in an open-top van that had taken the twisting streets quickly while some guy shouted out information about who lived or had lived in the houses. Informative, but weird overall.
Now she was being driven to one of the houses up here for a date with Zach Harris. Excitement wasn’t the only thing she felt, but it was off the charts. The driver stopped and a gate opened, admitting them to a beautiful compound with tall trees lining a winding drive that led to a stunningly lit, enormous mansion.
The car stopped at the stairs that flowed up to a wide porch where two huge etched glass doors twinkled from the lights inside. She’d been so stunned by the house that she hadn’t even opened the door or even known the driver had left the car.
She jumped when the door beside her opened. “Oh, thank you,” Rose said as the driver offered her a hand to exit the car.
On TV she’d seen so many women get out of limousines gracefully, unfolding their bodies from the car as though they were made to always ride in vehicles like this. That wasn’t how she made her exit. She felt sorry for the poor driver when he had to dip low and catch her as she stumbled, almost face planting when the heel of her shoe got caught on the carpet in the car.
“Sorry,” she said, her face flaming hot. The man only nodded before helping her up the steps to the door. She didn’t think he was supposed to leave his car, but this wasn’t a populated area, heck, they were locked behind a gate, secured in a compound with only those who were supposed to be there. So maybe he wasn’t treating her like the bumbling idiot because she’d fallen.
She made it up the stairs without incident and thanked the driver. The door opened, and she smiled up at a man who looked like a butler or a bouncer. He had the size for the latter, but the suit he wore confused her. The man handed her a small glass filled with golden liquid. The smile on his face warmed her and she was amazed by how classy this party was. Zach was an amazing gentleman having something greet her at the door with a glass of wine.
“Drink this. It will help you relax after such a tough drive in. The rest of the guest are on the lower floor, I believe. I’ll walk you down once you’ve finished your drink.”
“Thank you.” Rose had never been to a party like this, or in a house like this. She glanced around in amazement as she sipped the wine. It was good, smooth and it had a very nice flavor. “Nice.” She nodded as warmth spread through her.
“Yes, ma’am. Drink up and then I’ll take you down.”
She smiled and took another sip, loving how warm the wine made her feel. Maybe it wasn’t just the wine. Maybe it was the whole package. She looked around again, taking in the crystal chandelier and the huge painting hanging in the entryway. A sweeping staircase led up to a balcony decorated with huge paintings. She could kind of see down a hall on the upper level, but it was dark up there. To the left of the butler was another staircase that wound down, she guessed to another floor. Did that make this a three-story house? Confusion filled her. How big was this house? She took another sip of the wine, loving how warm it made her feel. There was a short hall on this level where she saw another room that appeared to be dark.
This was the type of place she’d imagined a rich guy like Zach Harris would live. It was classy in a way that old Hollywood portrayed itself. The haters who bashed Zach were wrong. The man wasn’t a classless jerk. No one who lived in a house like this could ever be considered classless.
Just as Rose tilted the glass up to take another sip, she saw Zach, or maybe Cam, race down the stairs. “There you are. Wait, don’t drink that.” He took the glass from her hand and poured the liquid into the planter near the door.
She stared at him, her eyes wide. “Oh, but that was so nice.”
He frowned, his eyes narrowing. “Come with me.”
Rose dug in her heels and spun back to the man who had given her the glass of wine. “Could I have another one of those?”
“No.” Cam or Zach—she didn’t know which—said, his voice harsh as he spoke the one word command.
“Why not? I just want a little wine. Please, it was so good.” Her brain fuzzed a little and she giggled. “Which one are you?”
He sighed as he approached her. “I’m Cam, and I have some wine that is better. Come with me, and I’ll make sure you get a huge glass.”
She pumped her fist thinking maybe she was overreacting but couldn’t help herself. “Oh yes, I’d love a huge glass of wine. I’m a little nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Chapter Five
Cam’s heart beat fast as all sorts of scenarios rushed through his head. This could turn terrible so fast for them. “What’s your name again?”
“Rose. And what’s yours?” Rose giggled then stopped. “Wait, I know the answer, you’re one of the Harris boys and you just told me your name. You’re the dirty one, Cam. You have a reputation, and I think you could probably stand to clean it up and be more like your brother.”
Cam sneered then grunted. “Trust me, you don’t want that.”
He led Rose down the hall and planned to call a cab to send her home. A door opened at the other end of the hall and his brother stepped out with four other guys in tow. They were laughing and talking with their heads down, but they were coming his way.
Cam sucked in air, knowing that if Zach saw Rose, he would want her and Cam couldn’t let that happen. It wasn’t perfect timing, and this wasn’t what he wanted to do, but to keep Rose from being taken into the bedroom and fucked by Zach and his friends, rash actions were needed.
“Sorry,” Cam whispered seconds before he pressed Rose up against the wall and leaned in, making it look like they were kissing. He placed his hands just under her breasts, rubbing his thumbs up the side of her curves as he made a convincing effort to look like he was very interested in what he was doing.
“Good going, bro,” Zach said as he walked past.
The group of
men kept moving, leaving them alone. Cam stepped away from Rose, and she blinked as if she had no idea what had happened. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. Her innocent gaze made him feel like a total pervert. Disgust filled him as the reality of this party hit him anew. What the hell was he doing here? Oh yeah, he was saving the girl though she didn’t know she needed saving.
“Come with me.” Cam tried to escape the house by exiting through the door behind the kitchen, which led to a set of stairs going down, but Zach had circled around and was in the kitchen talking to two of his friends. Rose believed this was just a normal party and people were here to have fun. If Rose ever saw the full-blown orgy ramping up downstairs, she would be traumatized.
He clasped her hand more firmly and glanced over his shoulder. Her face was pale, and her brows bunched. He’d been ignoring her, just trying to get her out of the house, but she didn’t look good at all.
Cam abandoned his quest to get her outside and led her upstairs to the bedroom where he’d planned to watch movies and ride out this party. The naked girl who had accosted him outside of the bedroom was gone, which he was ever thankful for.
His head pounded as they moved down the hall, trying to escape being seen by anyone. This was a shit show of a party with everything happening that he could not be associated with. One report, one photo, one rumor, and it would all be over for him. His campaign to improve his reputation would vanish faster than ice melting on Melrose Avenue on a hot summer day.
Hell, Rose had spoken the truth and the words had hurt. He was the dirty one. He’d spent so much time fucking around and partying that he would have to work double time to repair his reputation.
Cam pushed Rose into the room and locked the door behind him. He leaned against the hard wood, wondering how he would get her to stay.
She looked up at him with glassy eyes and swayed on her feet. “I don’t feel too good.”
