Page 129 of Grumpy Billionaire Bad Boy

The last time I danced was with Archer, but I shove that thought away, enjoying this moment here now.

"Admit it," he says. "You're having fun." Leo dips me, holding on to my back and preventing me from hitting the floor.

I stare up at him with an involuntary smile on my face. "Fine. It's not a terrible time."

He pulls me back onto both of my feet, more people joining around us as the music starts to fade.

"One more," I tell him. "Then we can get a drink."

He winks at me, and we dance through the next song, Leo twirling and spinning and dipping me here and there—this dress, this jewelry, this entire night making me feel like a princess, the only thing missing is my knight in shining armor.

The song stops and I do too, a bit out of breath.

"I think I'm ready for that drink," Leo says to me, his cheeks flushed, somehow making him even more handsome than he was before.With his hand on my lower back, he guides me across the dance floor and over to the bar, putting his finger in the air to get the bartender’s attention.

"Listen, don't let it go to your head," I tell him. "But every woman in here is looking at you."

He grins and orders our drinks, turning hisbacktoput his elbows on the bar while we wait. "Come here with one woman and leave withanother. That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me."

"Then why are you scanning the crowd searching for your next victim."

"Victim?" he scoffs. "Any lady would be lucky to go home withLeoSin."

I take the drink the bartender brings, grateful I've commandeered Grace's rich date. It isn't that I don't want tocontributeto the charity, I just don't have as much disposable income as the rest of the people in attendance. Luckily, they picked me up on their way,otherwise,I might not have been able to cover the Uber to get me here.

"What made you guys choose that last name?" I ask him while stirring my almost third tequila old-fashioned.

"How much has Archer told you?"

I breathe deeply through my nose. "Do youhaveto say his name?"

Leo takes a drink out of his glass and puts his other hand in the air. "Geez, didn't realize you were so sensitive."

"I'm not sensitive."

"Whatever you say." He does another glance around the room before giving me his attention. "Long story short, we all changed our names when we aged out and collectively agreed with Sin, since that's what we built our freedom with."

"With sin?"

"Yeah, I mean, you know, pride, greed, wrath, so on and so forth. We weren't exactly virtuous. It just sort of fit. It felt right, so we went with it." Leo catches sight of something and his whole body tenses. "Shit." He pivots to try to block his view with me. "Hide me."

"What?" I glance over my shoulder, catching sight of a round, old man who's approaching. "Uh, I think it's too late."

"Mr. Sin," the old man croaks. "It's me, George Bannon."

Leo sighs and throws on his best poker face. "Mr. Bannon, hello. Pleasure seeing you here. It's been a while."

"I've been contacting your office," George tells him. "Your secretary keeps saying you're out, and I keep thinkingwhat a busy man, that Mr. Sin."

Leo fakes a laugh. "Yeah, that's me." He wraps his arm around my shoulders. "Let me introduce you, Mr. Bannon, this is London Smith. London, George Bannon, owner of Bannon Gaming."

I shake George's hand and he barely gives me a second glance as he focuses on Leo. I zone them out, not wanting to be a part of whateverthatis, and assess the growing crowd of people mingling here and there. Through a massive set of doors, the tables are being set, dinner no doubt on the horizon. Grace had informed me there would be drinks and socializing, then dinner, speeches, then after-dinner cocktails with the hopes of getting donors intoxicated enough to pledge more before they're done.

A couple dances in the distance, the man stepping on the woman's feet so many times she finally stops and breaks away from him, leaving him there red-faced and unsure what to do. A creepy older man stands just along the dance floor, his eyes roaming every single woman in eyeshot range of him. He focuses on a tall blonde wearing a black dress hugging each one of her curves. I wander from Leo a bit, and watch the creep watchher, my attention splitting when a jet-black-haired woman approaches him from behind, bumping into him and offering him an apologetic embrace. I almost buy it as an accident until I see her slip his watch off his wrist and tuck it into her palm, the move so fucking slick I'm impressed. I keep my sights on her as he lands three more unsuspecting targets, securing a pair of cufflinks, another watch, and a wallet. I sip my drink and consider going over there and befriending her, but when I glance over at Leo, I lose the mystery girl altogether. She was right there, and it's like she vanished into thin air. Maybe I dreamed her up entirely, my mind doing something to entertain itself while Leo is talking business with his friend.

"Yeah, we'll be in touch," Leo says while patting Mr. Bannon on the shoulder and walking past him, putting his hand on my back and ushering me away from there. "Keep walking, don't stop, please." He doesn't let up until we're a safe distance away.

"What was that all about?" I ask him, searching for the mystery girl from this new angle, her robbing four people the highlight of my entire evening. I have no intention of telling anyone about it, because I support both women's rights and wrongs, and if stealing from the rich is what she does for fun, I say more power to her.

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