Page 24 of Grumpy Billionaire Bad Boy

I rub my stomach once I'm done and wipe my mouth on a napkin. "Thanks for dinner."

"You're welcome," Archer says, almost like it was painful for him to get out. He takes both plates without giving me a chance to help, rinsing them in the sink and putting them in the dishwasher.

It's then that I notice other than the skillet, the rest of the dishes are already done from his preparation of dinner.He makes quick work of scrubbing, rinsing, drying it off, and putting it away.

He places his hands on the counter and stares directly at me. "Can I ask you a question, without you biting my head off?"

"I wouldn't bite your head off," I scoff.

Archer tilts his head as if to question me silently.

"Fine. What's your question?"

"How did you pay for the things you bought earlier?"

I blink at him, unsure of what exactly he's asking me. "What?"

"You came back with bags. Clearly, you purchased the items, right? How did you pay for them? Cash or card?"

"Oh. Cash. Why?"

"How much was it?"

"I don't know," I lie.

"You know damn well how much it was, London."

I scoot myself off the chair. "Don't patronize me,Archer." I leave him behind and head toward his bedroom, desperate to get away from him. I thought maybe we might finally start getting along, but here he is, asking questions he shouldn't be and putting his nose where it doesn't belong.

"I'm not patronizing you." Archer takes off after me, following me into his room.

"Sure sounds like it, big boy."

Archer reaches for me, stopping me in place and turning me toward him. "Stop calling me that."

I look up at him. "If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…"

"You are so childish." He releases me but remains firmly in place. "And stupid."

My mouth drops open. "How dare you call me stupid!"

Archer rushes over to where the bags sit in the corner of his bedroom. "I know this stuff wasn't cheap, London. You can'tcarry about that much cash with you. It's dangerous. You have this false sense of safety and it's going to get you—" He stops abruptly and lowers his voice as his gaze floats across my body. "Hurt."

"Wait." I place my hand in the air between us. "You're mad because I used cash? Not because of how much I spent?"

"What would you do if someone saw you carrying that much cash and decided they were going to take it from you? You can't trust so easily, London. This isn't a safe neighborhood. If you insist on using wads of cash to pay for things, all I ask is that you let me come with you."

"I don't need a bodyguard."

"I didn't say you did, but for fuck’s sake, have a little common sense." Archer runs his hand through his hair, messing it up. "I don't know your past, and I don't want to know, okay? But the way you lived your life before has to stop. You're living inmyapartment and Silver askedmeto keep you safe. I can't do that when you bolt out of here, looking like that and carrying that much cash on you."

"What's wrong with how I look?"

Archer pinches his eyes shut and rubs his temple. "Woman, do you fail to recognize the cast on both your arm and leg, how frail you are, how you can barely walk three feet without struggling? I'm pretty sure a second grader could overpower you."

"I refuse to be confined to this apartmentandyou."

"Well, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to get used to it. I won't let you leave if you can't follow a few, very simple, rules."

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