Page 111 of Dust to Dust

“Aren’t we all?”

“Good point.” When a face popped into my mind, I couldn’t help asking, “Why not talk to Mabry? She’s really into you.”

A flush entered Kellan’s cheeks. “The fact that she’s into me is the exact reason why I can’t talk to her.”

Cocking my head, I asked, “Do you like her?”

The red on his cheeks deepened. “I don’t have a fucking clue why she’s into me.”

His self-deprecation was too endearing, and a smile quirked at my lips. “You must not have looked in a mirror lately.”

“I don’t know about that.”

Leaning forward, I placed a hand on his cheek. “You have a lot to offer a woman, Kellan.”

“Trust me, I want to believe that more than anything.” He leaned his cheek into my hand. “Please say you’ll do it, Isla.”

As I stared into his handsome face, I sighed. “What is it about you Kavanaugh men that makes me incapable of saying no?”

A playful smirk curved on his lips. “I’d argue it’s because we’re incredibly handsome, but I think when it comes down to it, the accent clenches it.”

“All right. I’ll do it.”

His eyes lit up. “You will?”

I held up a hand. “I can’t promise much, but I’ll try.”

Kellan took the hand that was against his cheek and kissed it. “Thank you. And to make this worth your trouble, I’ll pay you just like I would for a lap dance.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“I insist.”

I gave him a sad smile. “What kind of person would I be to charge you for your trauma?”

“A financially smart one?”

“Kellan—”

“Don’t hate me for this, but because of your file, I know why you’re working here.”

I sucked in a harsh breath. “I see.”

With a groan, he replied, “Fuck. I’m making such a mess of this.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Then let me make it up to you by paying you for your time.”

I still didn’t like the idea of taking his money, but at the same time, I had to be practical. If I was in a private room with him, then I wasn’t serving drinks and making tips. It would be a way to make up the difference. At the same time, it felt greedy considering I was already accepting Quinn’s money not to do private dances. Of course, it wasn’t like Quinn had given me much of a choice in that.

In the end, I had school and lab fees to worry about. “Okay, fine. You can pay me.”

A smirk that was like Quinn’s cut across his face. “I’m glad I could finally make you see reason.”

I wagged a finger at him. “Don’t be getting cocky on me. I can always change my mind.”

“Okay, okay.” A sincere smile replaced his smirk. “Thank you, Isla. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

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