Page 26 of Grumpy Billionaire Bad Boy

I put my head in my hand and rub my temples. "Just say it, London."

"Please…"

I start shutting my computer down without hearing the rest. "Please, what?"

"Will you please go get me a latte?"

"Anything else, your majesty?" I rise from my seat and snatch my wallet and keys off the desk.

"Do you have any other book recommendations? I just finished the last one."

I walk over, pluck the iPad from her, and poke a few buttons. "Here. You can choose from any of them, they're all included in the membership."

Her eyes light up like I just handed her the world, only it was a sort of endless supply of books.

"Oh, there's a romance section. Now I don't have to read your stuff."

"I like romance novels," I tell her, even though I can't recall a time I ever read one. She doesn't need to know that, though.

"You are such a liar, Archer…" She trails off like she forgot something. "Wait, why do I not know your last name?"

"Probably for the same reason I don't know your last name."

"Smith," she responds, very matter-of-fact.

"My last name used to be Smith," I confess, the words surprising even me.

"Used to be? What do you mean?"

"Um." I walk away, straightening the trinkets on the table in an attempt to come up with a response. I settle on the truth."I grew up in the foster system. I was assigned a name. Joseph Smith."

"And you didn't want to keep it?" London watches as I fidget.

"Never felt like me. When we all aged out, we changed our names."

"We who?"

"My brothers and sister." My stomach coils at admitting this information. I don't deny that they're my siblings, but I haven't spoken of our origin story in so long that it's uncomfortable to talk about. "Anyway, I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't leave." I slip out the door before London can question me any more and my mouth can continue to betray me by answering her.

I shake the unease off me as I jog down the steps and out the front door. It doesn't take me long to get to the coffee shop London had met Grace at and place an order. I spot the cameras I had watched her on and glance around at the patrons while waiting for the coffee.

"Hey," the woman beside me says. She smiles and tucks her dark hair behind her ear.

"Hello," I reply.

"How's your day going?" she asks me.

"Uh, fine. You?" I inch a bit away from her and cross my arms.

"It's going well, thanks." She clears her throat. "Listen, I don't do this often, and I'm sort of putting myself out there, but you're an attractive guy and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to, I don't know, get coffee sometime."

I point to the counter where the baristas place the finished drinks. "I'm getting coffee now."

"Yeah, but like, together. You know? Like a date."

"Oh."

"I mean, unless you have a girlfriend, or boyfriend, whatever your preference, that's fine, too."

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