The Billionaire Boyfriend Proposal: A Kavanagh Family Novel by Kendra Little Read Free Book Online Page A

like that. Like I mattered. Like I was the only thing
that mattered.
    Nobody had held me with such tenderness in a
long time. It hurt as much as it helped.
    "Ma'am?" The voice of the policeman had me
stepping out of Blake's arms.
    We spent the next thirty minutes talking to
the cops about the intruders. They took the details of all my
students, but let them go when none claimed to have gotten a good
look at the attackers. I said goodbye to them at the front door.
They each hugged me then went on their way, although Becky shot a
scowl at Robbie first.
    "He better be worth it," she muttered.
    Robbie stood in the conservatory, arms
crossed over his chest. He watched the police warily, a deep frown
crowding his brow. He clearly didn't trust them.
    The three of us gave statements and the
police were none the wiser as to who our attackers could be. They
did express the theory that they might be connected to the graffiti
artist.
    "You need to step up surveillance around
here," Blake told them.
    "We're doing all we can, Mr. Kavanagh," one
of the policemen said.
    "Do more."
    They finally left, but there was no time to
debrief with Robbie and Blake. We had to contend with a string of
Kavanaghs who'd heard the sirens and come to investigate. I'd
thought they were worried about Blake, but all looked genuinely
surprised upon seeing him at my house.
    "I'm glad Blake was here to take care of
you," his mother, Ellen, said. She and her husband Harry sat in my
formal sitting room, which wasn't so formal these days. The rug was
frayed at the edges and the sofa in need of recovering, but the
good crystal glasses I used for the beer and wine spruced the room
up a little.
    "The police would have arrived in time," I
told her, feeling a little guilty for not giving Blake full credit.
He did deserve my praise and I wish I'd been brave enough to
acknowledge it out loud.
    Her blue eyes, so similar to Blake's, turned
frosty. "If you say so." She sipped while surreptitiously glancing
at my faded drapes.
    I spotted Blake looking at me out of the
corner of his eye. He was caught in conversation with his father.
Robbie had made himself scarce soon after their arrival, which I
thought was wise. He'd retreated to the summer house to finish the
clean up down there.
    "Now, about this boy staying here," Ellen
said crisply. She crossed her long legs and regarded me from
beneath heavily made up lashes.
    "His name's Robbie."
    "Did he paint the neighborhood?"
    Blake and I exchanged a glance. Harry's lips
curved into a smile.
    "He's not your relative, Cassie, or we would
know about him," Ellen said, "and you don't have friends as far as
I can see."
    I bristled. "I do so."
    She gave me a placating smile that didn't sit
well on her severe features. "He suddenly appears here on the same
day as the police are called. The housekeeper also found smudges of
paint in my guest bathroom and the guest bed had been slept in
overnight. I find that highly coincidental, and I'm not one to
believe in coincidences."
    "You know you can't hide anything from her,"
Harry said cheerfully. "She's got spies everywhere."
    Blake sat back in the sofa and regarded his
mother. "I should have asked you first. Sorry. In my defense, it
was late and you were asleep."
    She tilted her chin. "Yes, you should have
asked us. But that's in the past. The question is, what are you
going to do about him now?"
    "He's staying here," I said. "In my summer
house."
    "Isn't that a little dangerous? Becky Denny
said the boy's brother was here looking for him. He became violent,
I believe, hence the police."
    "Did you subject Becky to torture to find
that out?" Blake asked flatly.
    "Of course not. I overheard her telling Reece
and Cleo."
    "And what did Reece and Cleo have to
say?"
    "Reece told her not to worry and that you'll
sort it out."
    "At least my brother has faith in me."
    "We have faith in you too, don't we,
Harry?"
    Harry nodded dutifully.
    "It's just that we doubt your common sense
where Cassie is