Page 49 of Tell Me Lies
“It’s…fucking incredible.”
Her face lit up at my compliment. “Thank you, Leo.”
“No. Thank you for doing this.”
Rising out of the chair, I took the sketchbook from her and stared even more intently at the drawing. “Can I have this?”
Drea stared at me in surprise. “You really want it?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then it’s yours.”
“You need to sign it.”
“Why?”
“One day, when you’re a famous artist, I can sell it for a fuck ton of money.”
Drea laughed. “I should’ve known you had ulterior motives.”
“I’m a businessman.”
Taking her pencil, Drea signed the bottom of the sketch. When she glanced back up at me, vulnerability shone in her eyes. “Thanks for believing in me, Leo.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m not being trite with my gratitude. No one in my family besides the twins and Vittoria gives two shits about my art. You can’t imagine how much it means to have someone believe in you.”
“I do believe in you,” I murmured.
Drea shocked the hell out of me by diving into my arms. Hugging me tight, a sob choked off in her throat. When she pulled back, tears shone in her eyes.
The world slowed to a crawl. As I dipped my head, she rose up to meet me. Her breath fanned against my cheek, and I wanted nothing more than for it to mingle with my own.
And then the front door banged open sending Drea scrambling away from me. A lanky, dark-haired woman, who had to be Bianca, staggered in. Her glassy eyes flicked between Drea and me before she shrieked in horror.
“Oh my God! He tracked you down, D!”
As I furrowed my brows, Drea shook her head wildly back and forth. “No, no. This is Leo, not Rafe.”
I rose out of the chair and extended my hand. “Leandro Neretti.”
“Bianca Bolyshev.” As she shook my hand, she squinted at my face. “Damn, he really does look like his brother.”
“It’s the hair and beard. I’m usually much better looking than he is,” I teased.
My quip sent the drunken Bianca cackling. “I love a funny guy. You know, the best thing about my husband, besides him being loaded, is his sense of humor.”
“I wouldn’t imagine it would be his bedroom skills.”
Drea’s eyes bulged while Bianca giggled. “Drea, you bitch. You’ve been spilling my secrets.”
“I didn’t think Leo would flap his jaws the second he had the chance,” Drea gritted out.
Holding up my hand, I said, “You have my word that it won’t go any farther than these four walls.”
“Aren’t you just the sweetest?” But then her smile faded as she glanced between Drea and me. “Wait, you’ve been with him the whole night?”
