Page 81 of Dust to Dust

As I turned around to face Quinn getting out of the car, I said, “Tell him he can call me Isla.”

Quinn shook his head. “He will remain formal with you.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s how it should be.”

“Does Caterina still get called Mrs. Kavanaugh by her bodyguard?”

“Yes, she does. And that’s even after she held him at gunpoint once.”

I widened my eyes. “She did what?”

“It’s a story for another time. Come on.”

I wanted to protest that there would never be an appropriate time to hear about Caterina wielding a gun on her bodyguard, but I decided to keep my mouth shut instead.

As we started in the door, I froze. “What’s wrong?”

“I have a feeling when the salespeople get a look at me, I’m going to have a Pretty Woman experience.”

“A what?”

My brows popped wide. “Don’t tell me you’ve never seen Pretty Woman?” At his continued blank expression, I replied, “Well, we’ll have to remedy that right away.”

“Let me guess. It’s some chick movie with romance and shit.”

I laughed. “That pretty much sums it up.”

He winced. “I’d rather be tortured.”

“Then I look forward to cracking the whip,” I teased.

Quinn’s blue eyes turned dark. “Don’t tell me Miss Sunshine goes in for anything S&M?”

“Maybe a little.” Tilting my head up at him, I replied, “Spankings can be nice.”

As his jaw flexed, he made a pained noise. “We can’t be having this conversation now.”

I laughed. “Okay, we’ll bench it for another time.”

“Yes, we will.”

The moment we brushed inside the door, my stomach clenched. Although I wouldn’t have pegged him for someone to be at ease in a women’s clothing store, Quinn marched determinedly up the waiting saleslady. If she was uneasy with his imposing figure, she hid it well. “Mr. Kavanaugh?” she questioned.

He extended his hand. “You must be Laura.”

To my surprise, she gave him a warm smile. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“And the same to you.”

“Your sister-in-law is one of our best and most beautiful customers.”

Quinn returned her smile. “Her transformation since coming to the city is evidence of your talent.”

I fought the urge to crane my neck to stare at him and his apparent personality transplant. I'd rarely heard him say so many words at one time to anyone outside of his family, least of all a stranger.

Laura’s gaze flicked from Quinn’s over to me. Inwardly, I cringed as she apprised me. “This is Isla,” Quinn introduced.

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