Elegant Sins - Stasia Black Page 0,42

back, tipping up one side of his mouth.

“Ready to be outraged?” he teased.

I should’ve been mad, but seeing this completely different side of Montgomery all of a sudden had me feeling ridiculous. I swiped the box out of his hands and opened it.

“I don’t get it,” I said, looking down at the three differently colored collars in the white box. They were all made of leather. One was black, one was red, and one was white. I hadn’t expected clothes, though I had maybe hoped for at least some underwear. But I didn’t know what to make of this. Was I supposed to wear all three, on like, different parts of my body, or what?

I looked up at Montgomery and tipped the box in his direction to show him.

I expected some smartass remark, but instead I watched him swallow hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“What? What does it mean?”

Montgomery looked startled by my question and his eyes met mine. He cleared his throat.

He took out the black collar and motioned for me to turn around so he could put it on. I did and tried not to tremble at the feel of his cool fingers against my warm neck.

“Well, the invitation for tonight is sort of a free-for-all.”

I tried to turn so I could look him in the face, but his fingers put pressure on my neck, and he ordered, “Stay still,” in a soft voice that immediately had me freezing in place.

He continued to talk while slipping the leather through the clasp and making sure it wasn’t too tight around my throat before fastening it.

“Many men tonight will have a female companion, and each of them will be given the choice of what color collar to give their woman. Black means she belongs to her gentleman alone and may not be shared. White means she belongs to everyone at the party and can be used by anyone who wants her.”

I couldn’t help my gasp at the revelation of that knowledge. My voice got tight as I asked, “And the red?”

I was still looking ahead, Montgomery’s fingers still on the back of my neck even though he’d finished clasping my collar—my black collar.

“Red means the female may be shared, but only at her master’s choice and with his agreement.”

His agreement.

I didn’t miss the fact that there was no mention of the women’s opinion anywhere.

But Montgomery apparently didn’t miss my silence at his words. He took my shoulders and turned me so that I was facing him.

“We don’t force any women to be here,” he said. “They choose to be here as much as the men do. As much as you’re choosing to be here. We’re all adults, and these are the games that adults who can afford to, like to play.”

My thoughts roiled for several moments. The fact that he’d brought it up gave me the sense that I wasn’t the only one with mixed feelings about all this. But then I smiled and made my face as affable as possible, eyebrows lifted. “I didn’t say a thing.”

“Oh. Right.” He let go of my shoulders and backed away. “Anyway. Let’s just go get tonight done. It’s good you’ve already showered. I’ll go get ready now.” He raked his hands through his hair like he didn’t know what else to do with them and then disappeared into the bathroom suite.

Montgomery took a long shower and even longer to get ready so that by the time he appeared in his crisp tux, I had the feeling we were running late.

Mrs. H had been in to do my hair and makeup, not trusting me to do it myself since I’d arrived that first day such a “disaster” in her words. But she was still done before Montgomery appeared from the bathroom, and I heard her tut tutting under her breath as she worried the watch face on her wrist.

Montgomery didn’t appear to have a care in the world as he strode into the room and reached out an arm for me, though. “No coat tonight,” was all he said without ever truly looking in my direction. “They’ll expect you to arrive without anything on but the collar.”

I clutched the silk robe I’d put on while he was in the bathroom a little tighter. Then I consciously loosened my grip and, after letting out a breath, I slipped out of it and let it pool on the floor at my feet.

Montgomery only slipped and shot me a single, quick glance—and only at my bare ankles