Page 127 of Grumpy Billionaire Bad Boy

"Drinks?" Leo says, shifting his attention to both of us.

"Please," I'm the first to respond. "Stronger the better."

Grace nods and he kisses her cheek before leaving us to head toward the bar. I gravitate toward Grace and consider how mad she'd be at me for dipping out of here when she's distracted.

"Don't even think about it," she says as if she can read my mind.

"What?" I ask her.

"You're about to pull an Irish goodbye."

"Am not," I lie.

Grace slips her arm through mine and glares at me. "I know you better than that, LondonSmith."

A lot has changed in the last few weeks. Not only am I improving at the bakery and learning how to better budget my money, but my friendship with Grace has deepened to the point that I've confided my true identity to her. I hadn't planned on telling anyone, but with the way things went down with Archer, I couldn't afford to lose Grace, too, and I trusted that she'd keep my secret safe. I've never had a friend like her before, I couldn't gamble with fate that it would last if I couldn't be honest with her. It was hard, at first, to find the right way to tell her things, but once I started, I word-vomited my history with my father, the events that transpired, and even the fact that I'm the reason why Madison, Archer's old love, is dead. I spared no details, giving Grace the ability to ask questions, answering them as best I could without shutting down from having to relive those torturous moments of my past. It was strange being able to finally talk about what happened with someone, like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders at not having to bear it all myself. Grace didn't judge me and wasn’t all that shocked, which didn't surprise me one bit, considering how well she handled Archer's family and the fact that they're notorious criminals.

I'm honored to have her as a friend, and I can only hope to support her the way she's supported me, getting me through a time when I felt incredibly alone. I hadn't realized how much having Archer around helped me through the transition of losing everything and starting over until he wasn't there anymore. I wasn't just losing a lover; I was losing a friend, a confidant, too.

Leo returns a moment later, three glasses in his grasp. "Tequila old-fashioned," he tells us.

We each take one, clinking them together before giving them a taste. I swallow mine in one go, the liquid warming a path down my chest.

"Okay, then." Leo takes my glass from me and points to the bar. "Do we want another one or would you like to hold off on embarrassing yourself just yet?"

"I'm not going to embarrass myself," I spit back, the two of us developing this sort of brother-and-sister banter throughout Grace and him dating. He's like the annoying older brother I never had and despite him being Archer's brother, I do enjoy being around him.

"Oh, twelve o'clock, hot dude alert," he says, catching me off guard. "Play it cool, champ."

I narrow my gaze at him and as nonchalantly as possible, turn in the direction he implied, a very attractive man in a black suit shaking hands with an older man. We watch a woman approach, wrap her arm around his, and kiss his cheek.

"Oops." Leo winces like I might slap him and I do, but teasingly. "I'll try to make sure the next one is single."

"You two be okay if I go mingle?" Grace asks us, focusing on me. "Don't let this one leave."

"I'll make sure to say goodbye if I do." I wink at her.

"We're golden, babe." Leo takes her hand and presses his lips to her fingers before releasing her to go do her job.

"You two are cute," I tell him and steal his glass to drink the contents of his drink, too.

He sighs. "That was mine."

"You'll survive." I nudge him with my elbow. "Don't ignore what I said, though."

Leo scans the crowd, nodding at a man who waves at him. "It's nothing serious."

"Do you want it to be?"

He tilts his head at me. "I don't do serious."

"I mean, that could change. Don't you want to be in a relationship? Know that you're coming home every night to the same person?"

"That sounds like my worst nightmare." He drops our glasses onto a tray a server walking by is holding. "Sex with one person for the rest of your life."

"It doesn't have to be forever. You can commit to one person without it meaning marriage. Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"I've had plenty of girlfriends."

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