Page 1 of Rayne

Chapter 1

Two days to go…

Alcohol makes everything seem sparkly and fun. Well, to be fair, Margot also has that talent. One drunken night over cocktails and she had successfully persuaded me to submit an application to a charity event. Through the laughter and vodka, I never stopped to consider the consequences. Like… What if I do get selected?

See the problem is this was not your regular charity event donned with ball gowns and tuxedos. No… this was something more spectacular.

The event?

A key party.

One night of fun all in the name of charity. Elite, high-end men pay for the privilege of drawing a woman out of the bag—theirs for the night.

My best friend, Margot, had convinced me to apply with her. It sounded fun… something I would never normally do. I applied, having convinced myself I wouldn't be selected during the process. If anything, I figured Margot would be the lucky one. So, to support her, I did it too.

Alcohol certainly has a way of making inhibitions come to life.

I'm nothing special. Just your normal, boring paralegal with too many house plants. Never in my wildest dreams did I think someone would be interested in me.

But here we are. I had received the invitation letting me know I was successful in my application, chosen from a pool of women who were all keen to join the fun.

Now, it's two days to go until the infamous Wicked Temptation Party. And the closer we get to the event, the more I lose focus.

"Rayne. Do you have those briefs ready yet?"

Nick's voice rips me from my thoughts, his boyish face peering at me through the door. I hadn't even noticed him standing there, my mind too preoccupied as I battle the nausea of my impending plans on Saturday night.

I should have stuck to the normal plans for Dope Day—not that I've ever done that either. But Margot talked me into applying for this party instead. It's been ages since I've had sex—which is probably why I'm so nervous about the whole ordeal.

"Uh," I quickly grab some paperwork on my desk. "I should have it ready after lunch."

Nick's jawline hardens as he gives a small nod. "I also need you to sit in on the deposition tomorrow. I need you to take notes and hold the client's hand."

"Sure," I say politely, clicking my computer mouse to bring up my calendar. "It's at eleven, right?"

"Yes, in conference room B."

I hastily make an entry in my calendar so I don't forget, turning back to the paperwork sprawled out on my desk. "I'll have the brief to you shortly."

Nick crosses his arms, leaning against the frame of the frosted glass that hides me from the rest of the office. "Are you okay? You've been very distracted this week."

Swallowing, I smile to the best of my ability. "Yes, sorry. Just been a busy week."

He doesn't seem pleased with my answer, but he also doesn't give enough fucks to pry any further. It's a silent warning, telling me to pick my game up. That's the problem with junior associate —even though I'm technically more experienced than him in the legal world, his degree begs to differ and he likes to remind us all of that small fact.

"Bring the brief when you have it," he grumbles, turning on his heel and stalking back to his own office.

I let out a breath when he leaves, putting my head on my desk.

I'm going to kill Margot for this.

In two days, I'm going to be entering a sex club, spending the night with rich mystery men, waiting to see who pulls out my key.

But it's for a good cause… I remind myself.

While the party itself is out there, half of the proceeds go to the local foster care charity. I'm pretty familiar with the foster system, my parents being foster parents since before I could walk.

I'm the sole biological child for Mom and Dad, but beside them both wanting more children, it wasn't on the cards. So, they dedicated their time to fostering children who needed a home. Most children were just passing by while in transit to other homes, but when I was a teenager, I was blessed to have some permanent foster siblings.

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