The Scotch Series: The Complete Series (Scotch #1-3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,103

my expensive cars or real estate. Her tastes were very singular, like fresh flowers in a vase or the sun breaking through the clouds on a cold winter day. She didn’t want things. She just needed something meaningful. “Hopefully. She doesn’t want to attend this party with me.”

“Maybe the dress will change her mind.”

London walked out a moment later and stepped onto the circular riser in the center of the room. The gown was the perfect height for her, and it fit her frame exactly the way Jacques predicted.

He clapped as he walked up behind her. “I knew it would be magnifiqué.” He ran his fingers along the side. “This color is perfect for your skin tone. And your shoulders can totally pull this off.” He walked around as he fluffed the gown, making her look like a model about to be photographed. He joined her on the stage then quickly threw up her hair, putting it in a cute braid before he pinned it up. “You’ve got to keep your hair out of your face for this one. You have such nice collarbones, a slender neck, a perfect bust size…” He stepped back and admired her. “Mr. Donoghue, you have to buy this gown for her. I insist.”

I chuckled. “You’re quite the salesman.”

“This dress was made for her.” He walked around her. “Look at her.”

I knew she would look beautiful, but she really was breathtaking. I wanted to rip it off her and fuck her the way I did last night—with all that sweat and passion. She would steal the focus for my opening. People would forget why they were even there once they looked at her. “What do you think, Lovely?”

She stared at herself in the mirror then ran her fingers down the front. “It’s beautiful.”

“Then that’s settled.” Jacques clapped his hands once. “Take it off, and I’ll wrap it up for you. You got a quite a deal, Mr. Donoghue. The price just dropped to ten thousand euro.”

London did a double take. “This is a ten-thousand-dollar dress?”

For the first time, Jacques looked offended. “It’s Valentino, girl. Worth every penny.”

London shut her mouth, knowing anything else she said would get Jacques worked up. She left the platform and returned to the fitting room to get dressed.

Jacques was still flustered by her comment. “Some people don’t understand quality.”

I felt the need to defend her even though I shouldn’t. “She comes from humble beginnings. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Well, it’s time to drop the humility. If she’s with you, she’s a very rich woman.”

London and I sat in the back of the car while Dunbar drove us back to the house. London was quiet, having nothing to say after her comment at the studio. Ever since I’d told her she would be my date for the evening, she’d closed like a clam.

I didn’t care for it.

I hit the button on the ceiling and closed the divider between Dunbar and us.

London tensed, probably knowing what was coming.

“That dress looked stunning on you. I hope you like it.”

Her legs were crossed, and she clung to the window like she was trying to get away from me. “It’s gorgeous. I never thought something so expensive would hug my body.”

“I’ve hugged your body plenty of times,” I said with a smile.

She kept her gaze out the window. “I love it, but I don’t care for the price. That’s excessive, if you ask me.”

“You get what you pay for.”

“That dress couldn’t have cost more than a few hundred dollars to make.”

“That’s not the point. Its value extends beyond the fabric. You’ll get used to the finer things in life. Give it time.”

“I’m not so sure…”

I didn’t like this version of her, subdued and defeated. I wanted that fiery backbone, that no-bullshit attitude. I liked the warrior, not the conquered. “I hope the idea of Bones isn’t still weighing you down.”

“He’s not…for the most part.”

Now my interest was piqued. I shouldn’t care about how she felt. Her emotions weren’t my problem. She was there to service me, to do exactly what I asked without question. Her thoughts and opinions didn’t matter.

But I still cared anyway. “What’s on your mind?”

She watched the fields pass before she answered. “If I were back home right now, I’d either be studying for an exam or doing my nightly rounds at the hospital. I wouldn’t be hanging out with friends or having a good time. My life would be centered around work. It would be drab and boring…but it would still