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But then, with as little hesitation as he had moved on from each of the girls before her, Montgomery pulled his hand back and lifted his eyes toward me.
It was too much. I couldn’t hold his gaze.
Shit. What now? Would he dismiss me just as easily as he had all the others? Was that what I wanted?
I tried to look over Montgomery’s shoulder for the shy, plain guy, but Montgomery was standing right in front of me now and when I looked up, all I could see was him. Or more accurately… all I could do was stare at his lips.
He was so much taller than me, his lips were at my eye level. They were thick and full, and surrounded by the slightest stubble that made my legs quiver beneath my full skirt.
Wrong reaction. Wrong reaction! Get your head on straight, Grace. This man looked like a sculpted angel. But he could just as well be a devil.
Then again, there were no second chances in this dangerous game.
I sucked in a quick breath and tilted my head back so I could look Montgomery in the eye. I had about five seconds to size him up or I’d lose him. I had to look beyond his flawless face and try to see the man inside.
But I had no idea what I saw in his eyes because I…
Suddenly I couldn’t think straight.
I had a plan. I was supposed to—what? What was I supposed to do? Strategize. Right, strategy was important.
I blinked but couldn’t look away. The electricity buzzing between us was too loud in my ears. It drowned out every other thought.
And then he reached for my pearl necklace.
I didn’t gasp only because I wasn’t breathing. He lifted the pearls and placed one against my bottom lip. His blunt, calloused finger brushed the plump flesh and I opened to him. I couldn’t not.
His eyes demanded and I gave.
My tongue peeked out from between my lips and his eyes darkened.
Yes. That. More of that. I wanted more of that. Needed it.
When he teased, playing with the pearl on my tongue, the breath I’d been holding suddenly released with a sharp expulsion.
His nostrils flared and when he suddenly pulled his hand away from my mouth, I was left weak-kneed and blinking in shock.
W-what was that? I wasn’t supposed to react like this. I was supposed to be alluring and enticing, but in the way that an ice sculpture was—untouchable and cold. Not have this molten lava firing through my veins.
Our surroundings suddenly rushed back in the next moments. I was in the pristine white ballroom once again. All around us, people watched on in silence. I wasn’t the only one waiting with bated breath.
And then Montgomery’s hand was back on my necklace, but this time it wasn’t gentle.
He tore the pearls from around my neck. The silk thread was delicate, and it snapped with only the slightest pinch. And the pearls—the beautiful, delicate pearls—they pinged to the floor like elegant little expired shell casings.
I looked to Montgomery, feeling devastation tear through my stomach.
Did I fail the test?
Was I too forward? Should I not have responded when he—
But then Montgomery was tying a black ribbon around my neck.
I didn’t know what it meant. I was quickly realizing that when it came to The Order of the Silver Ghost, I knew nothing.
Dr. Nichols’ words from earlier came back to me: Don’t try to anticipate. Just give in to it. There’s no shame or judgment here.
So, I didn’t let myself back down. No shame. No fear. If the black ribbon meant I was marked to be sent away, so be it.
I stood proudly. I stared Montgomery Kingston down, not giving an inch. The electricity was still there between us. I would show no fear. I’d have him or I’d have no one. It was a sudden decision, but it was the right one. I knew it to my bones.
I deserved my place here and I deserved to be his. He would be lucky to have me. I waited for him to realize it, too.
I saw the moment that he did. The intensity of his scrutinizing gaze eased just the tiniest bit, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
And then he said the words that would seal both of our fates: “I have chosen.”
His words brought a rush of elation unlike anything I’d ever felt before in my entire life. Followed by a healthy dose of fear.
Now it was time to see exactly what the hell we’d both just gotten ourselves into.
9
Montgomery
I didn’t even know her name.
I was about to fuck a woman within moments of “meeting” her, and I couldn’t tell you a single thing about this girl other than to speak of her beauty and how she carried herself.
We were side by side, marching behind the Elders as they led us to our bedroom. I tried to remember if there were any rules on whether or not speaking was permissible before consummating the choosing.
