Page 146 of Grumpy Billionaire Bad Boy

He tilts his head up toward me, his beautiful eyes meeting mine. I fight the desire to kiss him, not sure if that's what he'd want anyway. I haven't been sure of anything for weeks, especially what's going on between us. One minute he's hot, the next he's cold. And I'm not confident I know what I want anyway, all I know is I feel safe with him.

That simple fact scares me more than anything.

Five hours and twelve minutes after Archer first saw my betrothed's private jet taking off from an airport in California, his phone rings, no number showing on the screen.

He answers it, putting it on speakerphone but not saying a word.

"Archer Sin," Vito's voice comes in clear and sends a chill up my spine.

"Joe Vito." Archer stands from the couch and paces the small space in front of me.

"You know who I am."

"Not by choice."

"I hear you have something that belongs to me."

"And what's that?" Archer asks him, knowing damn well I'm what he's referring to.

I chew on my lip and recall Joe's awkwardly-shaped body, his foul-smelling breath, and how he lingered his gaze on my chest despite being in a hospital gown the last time I saw him. He reminds me of my father with how he thinks everything and everyone belongs to him. They say women are often attracted to the same kind of man as their father, but I couldn't be any more repulsed by Joe Vito.

"Is she there, right now, my London girl?"

I hop to my feet and lean toward the phone. "And what if I am? What are you going to do about it?"

Archer widens his eyes and tilts his head, pushing the mute button. "Really?" he whispers even though Joe can't hear him.

"What?" I say. "What's he going to do, show up here and demand I go with him?"

"I mean, maybe, I don't fucking know."

Once Joe finishes laughing, he continues. "There's that London girl of mine."

I could slit his throat just for using the name my father used to call me. Every time, it grated my nerves knowing there was not a damn thing I could do about it, but with Joe, there's nothing that will stop me from ending his life if he thinks he can take me away from here. I don't care how fucking untouchable people claim he is, I don’t give a shit about that. He's already taken more from me than he realizes, making me completely start over in a new city and leave everything behind. Do I blame my father? Yes. But do I blame Joe Vito, too? Without a doubt.

I push the unmute button, Archer yanking the phone from my reach and lightly smacking my hand.

Joe clears his throat. "I'm glad you two are together. Tell you what, I'll meet you at your place, say…ten minutes, dependingon traffic. Don't bother leaving, I have the place surrounded, a bullet in both of your heads if you leave. Don't worry, all I want to do is chat, you have my word. See you soon." He hangs up without giving either of us a chance to respond.

Archer calmly sets his phone on the desk next to his computer and runs his hand through his hair as he blankly stares out the window.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"Thinking." He inhales deeply and nods to himself, turning on his heel and marching to the bedroom.

I follow him in, not sure what he's rummaging through his closet for.

"Put this on." Archer stands with a vest in his grasp, putting it over my shoulders, the weight of it heavy but not too unbearable. He returns to his closet and pulls out a hooded sweatshirt. "And this on over it."

A minute later, I'm swimming in Archer's hoodie and he's tilting my face up toward him. "Stay behind me, please. If I move, you move, okay?"

"Only on one condition," I tell him.

"Name it."

"Kiss me."

Archer's eyes dart back and forth between mine almost like he's considering whether the risk outweighs the reward, finally settling on an answer as he presses his mouth to mine, our lips brushing for the softest kiss. "Come on," he says, running his hand down my arm to grab ahold of my hand.

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