“I can see why you like him.” As Charlie watched the two brothers, she noted the family resemblance in their faces.
“He has an amazing body.” Ruth’s eyes traveled over the taller brother like she was trying to memorize every detail before devouring him whole.
“I was talking about his smile.”
“Oh, that’s nice too.” Ruth winked.
“They look familiar.” Charlie observed, still watching the two brothers.
“Their father is Councilman McLean from the Texas Province. Logan is twenty-six and Thayer is twenty-eight.” Ruth’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Either of them would be quite a catch, but Thayer is mine.”
“You won’t have any competition here. I’m with Drew.” Reminding everyone of her committed relationship was getting tiresome.
“Speak of the devil,” Ruth murmured as Drew approached. “I’ll let you two chat.” She wasted no time in sashaying over to the McLean brothers.
Alone, Charlie turned her full attention to Drew. When she had been sitting twenty feet away at the head table, Drew looked like he belonged at the party. Up close, she took in the details— the ill-fitting rental suit, dull shoes, and hair carelessly brushed back— she realizes how misplaced he was. She didn’t care. It was all part of his charm.
“I’ve been looking for you.” He leaned down, his lips brushing a kiss across her cheek. “Where did you disappear to?” His breath tickled her skin.
“Just escaping my mother and the latest prospective husband she threw at me.”
He frowned. “He seemed like a pompous ass.”
“Most of the men here are pompous asses.” Charlie nudged him playfully.
Unexpectedly, Drew turned serious. “If I could compete with the rich snobs here, I’d be your first dance.” He shot her a somber look from behind his glasses.
“You don’t need to buy my dance. I’ll give you the second one for free.” She tried to lighten his serious mood and failed.
He slouched, running a hand through his hair, making the blond locks stand on end. “Still, I wish I could prove I was worthy of you.”
“You don’t need to.” Charlie brushed his hair down and leaned in to kiss him.
“Charlotte!” Margaret barely kept herself from shrieking. She grabbed Charlie by the wrist, pulling her away from Drew.
“Evening, Mrs. Grey.” Drew offered his hand, but Margaret ignored him.
She prodded Charlie toward the center of the room. “The auction is about to start,” she hissed, careful to keep a smile on her face. “The man who buys your first dance might very well be your future husband. Stop trying to make a mess of tonight by throwing yourself at that useless boy.” Margaret pulled Charlie into a hug as the gathering crowd watched. “When the bidding starts, look pleased.”
Charlie fought a scowl as Margaret stepped back, presenting her with a flourish and a bow before exiting the dance floor. A spotlight found her as the rest of the room went dark. The conversations surrounding her tapered off as the crowd turned their attention to Charlie. Her palms began to sweat.
“Gentlemen, the time has come.” The auctioneer stepped forward, stopping next to her in the circle of light. “You’ve had a chance to see the beautiful Miss Grey. Now let’s find out who can acquire her first dance. The bidding starts at one thousand credits.”
Charlie couldn’t follow all the shouted offers. Her mind reeled as number after number pushed the bidding up. Rather than attempting to follow the frenzy, she looked into the darkness surrounding her. She could make out the people closest to her. She spotted Drew at the edge of the dance floor.
Their eyes met and she gave him a sad smile. She hated this tradition because it made her feel like a possession, but Drew hated it because he had no way of participating. It was a game for the rich and he didn’t fit the bill.
As the minutes ticked by, she felt more and more uncomfortable. The bids rose higher and higher until only two people remained in the bidding war. Charlie couldn’t make either of them out, but she thought one of the voices sounded like Mason Novack. She hoped he wouldn’t win; she didn’t want to spend any more time with him than she already had.
A minute later, the bidding began to slow down. “We’re at four hundred thousand. Do I hear four fifty?” Silence. “Four hundred thousand going once, twice—”
“One million.”
A gasp traveled through the crowd. Charlie could see heads turning as people craned their necks, desperate for a look at whoever made such an outrageous bid.
“Sold!” The auctioneer cried.
The lights came back up. Charlie saw every head turned in the same direction. He stood at the back of the crowd with his hands in his pockets and that captivating smile on his face. Thayer McLean had won her first dance.
Chapter Six
Charlie’s stomach dropped. Although grateful Mason hadn’t won the bid, she couldn’t help but think of Ruth. She searched for her friend in the crowd and found her standing next to Logan. The shock on Ruth’s face made Charlie’s heart sink. Ruth’s eyes were trained on Thayer as he approached the dance floor. It took a moment, but Ruth finally looked at her. Her eyes glistened with an unmistakable sheen. Charlie tried to convey her sympathy with a look, but Ruth glared before whirling away.
“Miss Grey.” Thayer stood before her, offering his hand. “Shall we?”
Up close, Charlie noted his piercing ice blue eyes, strong jaw, and muscled arms. The spicy scent of his soap tickled her nose. He shot her a charming smile that she returned with a pointed glare. She disliked him immediately, for Ruth’s sake.
She took his hand without a word, allowing him to pull her into his arms. The warmth of his touch on her waist radiated through the thin fabric of her dress, making her hyperaware of his proximity. Charlie couldn’t help comparing his forceful touch to Drew’s tender caresses. Music filled the room and Thayer guided her with ease. He watched her closely as they swayed, but she couldn’t make herself hold his gaze.
He spoke after a minute of awkward silence, forcing her to look up at him. “I should introduce myself. I’m—”
“Thayer McLean,” Charlie cut him off. “I know.”
“Funny, I don’t remember meeting you.”
“Your father is a member of the Council, like mine. Of course I know who you are.”
He ignored her terse response. “How are you enjoying your party?”
“Not at all,” she snapped.
Thayer’s brows shot up. “Why is that?”
There were too many answers to that question. If she had to choose one, it would be Margaret. She resented her mother for selling her off like a prized animal. It left her feeling dirty.
“I don’t like being paraded about and shown off for all the willing buyers.” She shot him a piercing look as he executed a perfect turn. “It’s degrading, no matter how much someone thinks I’m worth.”
“It is a rather appalling tradition, the more I think about it.” His expression remained impassive, but his eyes sparked with mischief. “I’m sorry you’ve been subjected to it.”
“Not sorry enough to keep from bidding,” Charlie challenged before he dipped her.
“No, not that sorry.” When he lifted her back up, their eyes locked. Charlie felt like the temperature in the room had gone up a few degrees. “Your disdain for our boorish traditions isn’t the only thing that has you on edge.”
Her heart thudded. “What do you mean?”
“Mason Novack.”
She laughed in an attempt to cover how uncomfortable his keen observation made her. “What makes you think Mason Novack has anything to do with my enjoyment of the party?”
“Everyone knows your father wants you to marry him. Anyone watching the two of you could tell you despise the idea. Then, you disappeared.” The accusation in his question could not be mistaken. “Where did you escape to, Miss Grey?”
Her temperature spiked again under his appraisal. He knew something, but she couldn’t te
ll what or how much. Lacking information, she deemed lying as her safest course of action. “I went to freshen up. We women need to look beautiful if we’re to catch a husband.”
“A woman like you doesn’t require help in that area.” Her breath hitched at the unexpected compliment. She searched Thayer’s eyes for any sign of insincerity, but found none. She stumbled and his grip on her tightened, keeping her from falling. He continued like he hadn’t noticed the blunder, “Which begs the question …” He trailed off, leaving his implication hanging in the air between them. If his penetrating gaze met hers again, she worried he would see right through her lies.
She looked away, still distracted by the idea that this man thought her attractive. With her mind elsewhere, her mouth spoke without her consent. “Maybe not, but in other ways I need more help than you might think.”
When Thayer inhaled sharply, she realized he’d heard her. She mentally berated herself. She wanted to pull out of his arms and end their dance, but she couldn’t, not without drawing attention. His grip tightened as if sensing her desire to flee, keeping her pressed to him as they moved around the room.
He leaned down, stopping when his lips were inches from her ear. “What ways?” His breath tickled her neck.
Her pulse quickened. “I couldn’t tell you.”
“No?” His voice had a smooth, disarming quality. “You won’t find help unless you ask for it.”
With her stupid comment, she’d relinquished control of their conversation. She didn’t like being at his mercy. “What makes you think I would ask you? We don’t even know each other.”
Thayer pulled back and looked her straight in the eye. “Why do you think I bid on the dance?”
“I assumed you wanted to make a play for my affections. With the outcome of my Determining, I’ve become a hot commodity.” Now that she wasn’t lying, she returned his direct look. “No one has approached me tonight simply for the pleasure of my company. I find it hard to believe that you’d be the first, especially for one million credits.”
“I never mix business with pleasure, Miss Grey.” A playful spark flashed in his eyes.
“So which am I?”
The spark his eyes turned intensified as he studied her. “I haven’t decided yet. But in this moment, you are pure pleasure.”
The last strains of the song played. With a flourish, Thayer spun her away then back in to him. She came to a stop with her body pressed against his. Both of his hands traveled down to her waist, holding her tight while his eyes drew her in, keeping her there in the middle of the dance floor. Around them the guests applauded, but the blood pumping in her ears made the applause sound far away.
It took Charlie a moment to snap out of her trance. When she came to her senses, the band had begun to play again. Other couples joined them on the floor, surrounding them with the swish of fabric and hum of conversation.
“Thank you for the dance, Mr. McLean.” She went to move back, but Thayer wouldn’t release her.
“No, thank you.” His gaze bored into hers.
Her skin felt like it was on fire. It took her a moment to snap out of the trance he’d put her in. Back in the present, she remembered Drew. She realized what they must look like, standing so close, and guilt washed over her. “If you’ll excuse me, I promised the next dance to a friend.”
He nodded and released her waist but captured one of her hands. “Be careful, Miss Grey. As you said, you’re a hot commodity.” His eyes traveled around the room before capturing her again. “You never know who might be waiting to take advantage. Don’t trust anyone.”
A chill raced across her skin. “What?”
He didn’t answer her. With one more look, Thayer brushed a kiss across her knuckles and slipped away into the crowd.
“Wait!” She darted between dancing couples, straining to keep Thayer in her sights. “Mr. McLean!” She’d just made it to the edge of the dance floor when Margaret’s warning tone stopped her.
“Charlotte.”
Charlie spared her mother a glance. “Not now.” She stepped forward, intent on following Thayer.
Margaret grasped her arm, pulling Charlie away from the dance floor. “Don’t you dare make a scene. Not in the middle of the waltz.” The winning smile on her face didn’t match the malice in her voice.
“I really don’t care about my image right now.” Charlie broke free of Margaret’s grasp but didn’t leave.
“Start caring.”
Charlie glanced across the ballroom, searching for Thayer. She spotted him near the band, talking to Cornelia. Both their fathers were Council members, so it wasn’t surprising to see them together. But, after Cornelia following her to the balcony and Thayer’s warning, she couldn’t stop suspicion from filling her.
“I don’t have the patience for you. I’m leaving,” she declared.
Margaret grabbed her again, her grip like a vice. “Where could you possibly be going?”
“I need to speak to someone,” Charlie snapped, trying to pull away.
“Thayer McLean?” Charlie ignored Margaret’s question. “I can’t believe that horrid display during the auction. Councilman McLean should learn to control his offspring.”
Charlie scoffed at Margaret, but kept her eyes trained on Cornelia and Thayer. “I thought you would be over here planning our wedding. What other woman can boast that her first dance was auctioned for one million credits? You should be pleased that a single man, better yet a Councilman’s son, took such an interest in me.”
“He is the wrong Councilman’s son. You should be entertaining Mason Novack.”
“What, they aren’t rich enough for you?” Charlie’s snide comment was met with a scowl.
“The McLean’s business is something neither your father nor his partners are interested in, a fact you would do well to remember as the future CEO.”
“Maybe Richard should be interested. For all we know, the man who bought my first dance might very well be my future husband. Right, Mother?” Charlie pulled her arm free, smirking defiantly at Margaret.
Margaret grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter. She swirled the crimson liquid in her glass before taking a long drink. “I assumed Mason would win.”
“I hate to tell you this, but now that my Determining is over, you won’t be able to control the outcome of my life.”
A superior smile appeared on Margaret’s face. “Over? The Determining doesn’t end when you scan your chip in the headmistress’s office. The Determining is every day for the rest of your life. It is the clothes you wear, the place you live, the man you marry.”
Charlie’s pulse quickened at her mother’s threat. Margaret placed her free hand on Charlie’s shoulders. She leaned in, kissing Charlie on the cheek. The smell of wine on Margaret’s breath made her stomach roll.
“Look sharp, Mason is coming this way. If he asks you to dance, you will say yes.” She punctuated her command with a sharp, painful squeeze.
Charlie extricated herself from Margaret’s grip. “I don’t have much choice.”
“How right you are. Smile. You’ll get wrinkles if you frown too much.”
Mason appeared before Charlie could respond. “Miss Grey, would you care to dance?”
She glanced back toward where she’d last seen Thayer and Cornelia. They were gone. Her eyes darted frantically around the room until she spotted them, leaving the ballroom. As they exited, Thayer looked back at her. Their eyes met, then he was gone. It took Charlie a moment to remember that Mason stood in front of her.
She turned to him. “Thank you, Mr. Novack. I’d love to dance.” As she spoke, she spotted Drew over Mason’s shoulder. She couldn’t get out of dancing with Mason and she tried to convey that with a look as she moved onto the dance floor.
It took her less than a minute to decide that Mason didn’t improve with a third encounter. It actually seemed that he’d grown more despicable as the evening wore on. Or maybe it was the alcohol. She couldn’t tell for sure.
“You don’t like me, Miss Grey. It’s written all over your face.” His forthright comment didn’t surprise Charlie.
“Does that bother you, Mr. Novack?”
“No. Though I imagine our future marriage will be slightly more tolerable if you at least try. I myself am trying very hard to overlook your faults.” His eyes traveled down to her chest, lingering there.
Fury rose up in her, and she had the overwhelming urge to slap him. “Any faults I may have are far outdone by your own.”
He chuckled, flashing a cruel grin. “You look luscious when you’re angry. I’ll have to remember that.”
Charlie forced herself to take a calming breath, plastering on a serene expression. “Don’t bother. There is no you and I.”
“I doubt you’ll be given much of a choice.” The smirk on his face begged her to hit him. Hard.
“You must have forgotten that the Compatibility test requires consent. I choose who goes with me and I won’t choose you.”
Now Mason looked amused. “When you’ve exhausted all your options, I’ll be here waiting.”
“You’re an idiot. Why would you bother waiting?” Charlie was honestly perplexed. “I’ve made it clear that I don’t want you. Why waste your time?”
“It’s simple. We belong together.” Charlie couldn’t contain the burst of laughter that erupted from deep within her chest. “Laugh if you want, but you’ll see. I’m the heir to Novack Enterprises and you’re the heir to Grey Technology. Combined, we’ll have almost unlimited control. There are people in high places that have made it their business to ensure our companies join together. We are an inevitability.”
“I’m assuming the people in high places you’re referring to are the Council members.” When Mason didn’t contradict her, she continued. “I know about the corruption in the Council, but I also know that every member is looking out for himself. They wouldn’t allow two members to have so much control. They won’t give up their power just like that.”
The Determining Page 6