The Billionaire Boyfriend Proposal: A Kavanagh Family Novel (5 page)

"Didn't you eat enough breakfast?" he asked
Robbie.

Robbie shook his head, his mouth too full of
cake. He passed the breadboard to me and I set it on the table.

"Did he stay with you overnight?" I
asked.

Blake nodded. "At Mom and Dad's. I'm living
there while the house I renovated gets sold and until I find a new
one."

"Your parents were okay with having a
stranger in their home?"

"I didn't tell them. I waited for them to
leave for work then told him he could come out."

"Your mother would kill you if she found
out." I couldn't imagine the very prim Ellen Kavanagh allowing a
homeless youth in her house. She was a charitable woman—from a safe
distance.

Blake's eyes twinkled, reminding me that he
used to have a mischievous streak a mile long. "Everything was
fine. He was in the room next to mine. I would have heard him if he
came out in the middle of the night to slit our throats or make off
with the Mom's jewels."

"You've acquired super hearing while you were
gone?"

"I've become a light sleeper."

"He's fucking Rambo," Robbie said, taking
another bite.

"Don't use that language around her," Blake
said. His gaze flicked to me then away. "Uh, I mean around anyone.
Not just Cassie."

Robbie laughed and winked at me. "You two
have history?"

"None of your business."

He held up his hands. They were clean. His
face was clean too, and he'd shaved and combed his hair. It was
dark brown and fell to his shoulders in gentle waves. He had
intelligent hazel eyes that narrowed to slits when he smiled, which
he did often. Gone was the previous night's attitude. If I had to
guess, I'd say he'd relaxed as he'd come to realize we wouldn't
hurt him or hand him over to the police.

"Go on," Blake told him. "Now would be a good
time."

Robbie drew in a deep breath, swallowed, and
breathed again. "I'm sorry, Cassie. It won't happen again."

"Thank you for the apology," I said. "You're
forgiven. But if I were you, I'd lay low around here and don't
mention the word graffiti to my neighbors."

He nodded at me then cast a flat smile at
Blake. It was pretty clear Blake had forced him to apologize, but
to Robbie's credit, he sounded like he meant it.

"So are you here to join my art class?" I
asked him.

Robbie suddenly looked like a shy kid, hiding
behind his hair as it fell over his eyes. He nodded into his coffee
cup.

"Good. First lesson is this afternoon.
Classes start at two-thirty and run for two hours."

"Wait," Blake said, setting down his cup. "It
wasn't supposed to work that way. I was supposed to offer you a
proposal."

"Oh. Okay. What's your proposal?"

"I'll pay for Robbie's tuition."

"You don't have to pay me, Blake."

"But I'm going to."

"I'd prefer not to accept your money."

"Why not?" he asked quietly, ominously. He
leaned forward so that we were nearly touching and it felt like all
the air was sucked out of the room. "Afraid I'll want something in
return?"

Gulp.

"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Robbie
asked. "It is my future you're arguing about."

Blake leaned back, but didn't take his gaze
off me. "Sure. You want me to pay her, right?"

"That's not fair," I protested. "That's a
leading question."

"What's the big deal?" Robbie said with a
shrug. "Let him pay you. Blake is a Kavanagh and Kavanaghs are
bazillionaires."

"Not all of them. Some are just plain old
zillionaires. Blake might not even have a hundred bucks to his
name."

One corner of his mouth kicked up in an
almost-smile. "Do you want to see my bank statements or would you
prefer a letter from my property manager?"

"You have a property manager too? But I
thought you renovated that house yourself."

"I did. He looks out for suitable places for
me to fix up and sell off to make a quick profit. He approaches the
owners with an offer then brokers the deal. I pay him a
commission."

"You're beginning to sound like Reece."

His gaze held mine for a long moment then he
looked away. "So it's settled. I'll pay for Robbie's tuition."

I couldn't see any other option but to give
in. I wasn't really sure why I was fighting him, except that it
stuck in my throat to take anything from Blake these days. It made
me feel beholden to him and I didn't like feeling that way with
anyone. I was a West and Wests stood on their own two feet.

"Where do you live?" I asked Robbie.

"Nowhere in particular," he said.

"Then you can move in here."

"Really?" he said at the same time that Blake
said, "No!"

"Why not?" I asked. "I have this huge house
and he needs a place to stay. I won't even ask you to pay me rent
on his behalf."

"Don't even think about it, Cass. I'm not
letting a stranger into your home. No way."

"You let him sleep under the same roof as
your mother."

"I was in the room next to his. Unless you
want me to sleep here too, it's not going to happen. And Robbie, if
you disagree with me on this, I'm taking you right back to your
brother."

Robbie plopped down on a chair at the kitchen
table. "I could sleep on the back porch. All I need is a mattress
and a blanket. Actually, you can skip the mattress." He regarded us
both and shrugged. "You lock your doors at night, right?"

"I am not forcing you to sleep on my back
porch like a dog," I said.

"What about the summer house?" Blake
asked.

"My summer house?"

"Technically it's Reece's."

I rolled my eyes. "I haven't been inside it
for about a year. One of the windows is broken and there's all
kinds of junk piled up in there."

"Does it have a roof?" Robbie asked.

"Yes."

"And a bed?"

"Yes, but the mattress sags in the
middle."

"Then it's better than where I've been living
all summer."

The poor kid. Probably my back porch was a
step up from the places he'd stayed. At least here he would be safe
and out of trouble.

"I'll clean it out this afternoon while you
teach," Blake said.

"It'll take one person more than a day to
make that place habitable."

"You haven't seen me work yet."

"I wouldn't underestimate him," Robbie told
me, all seriousness. "He really is Rambo. The guy was up at dawn,
swimming and working out in the back yard."

Blake narrowed his eyes. "How do you
know?"

"You're not the only one who sleeps
light."

***

The summer house was nestled in a stand of
trees down by the river. The gabled roof and pretty fretwork lent
it chocolate box appeal, although it was somewhat of a faded beauty
now. It had begun life as the housekeeper's cottage, but had also
been used as a guest house, lovers' retreat and storage room.

The three of us worked together clearing out
the single bedroom and sitting room until it was time for me to
prepare for class in the conservatory. A few minutes before
two-thirty, the model and students began to arrive with no sign of
Robbie joining us. I was about to go and fetch him when he and
Blake walked in.

Their gazes flew straight to the naked model
perched on the edge of a chair draped in red silk. Robbie blushed
to the roots of his hair and kept staring, but Blake looked away.
His cheeks were a little flushed, but he otherwise appeared
unfazed.

He nudged Robbie with his elbow. "Close your
mouth and get to work. I'm not paying you to stare at models. Well,
actually I am, but you're supposed to paint them too."

Robbie grinned and rocked back and forth on
his heels. "I wouldn't mind painting her. As in, using her as a
canvas, I mean."

A couple of my students giggled.

Blake shoved him. "Sit down and do what
Cassie tells you. If I find out you've disrupted the class,
there'll be hell to pay."

Robbie sat on a stool at the spare easel and
winked at the model. She smiled back. Blake, keeping his gaze
firmly ahead, left the conservatory.

Robbie was good. I didn't want to give him
too much instruction on his first lesson. I needed to see what he
could do, and I was a little worried how he would take to being a
student.

As the class came to an end, I found myself
thinking about Blake out in my summer house. The day was warm and
the work wouldn't be easy. I should see that he drank enough
liquids. The conservatory looked out upon the back yard. The lawn
stretched down to the river with the copse of trees off to the left
hiding the summer house. I was lost in a daydream when the clomp of
heavy boots on the back porch to my right made me jump.

Two figures dressed in jackets with the hoods
pulled low stood there, clubs in hand. One of my students screamed
and everyone leapt off their stools. The model covered herself.

The taller of the two newcomers pointed his
club at Robbie through the window. "Get out here. Now! Or I'll
smash every piece of glass as well as a few heads."

CHAPTER 4

I recognized the voice as belonging to Skull,
Robbie's brother. He smacked his club into the palm of his hand.
His mouth twisted into a sneer. I couldn't see his eyes but I
didn't want to.

"Jesus, Skull!" Robbie shouted. "What are you
doing here?"

"Coming to get you, you little shit. Get out
here now."

Robbie swore under his breath. "Sorry,
Cassie. I'll go talk to him."

I eyed Skull and his friend, still thumping
their clubs into their palms like they wanted to do some damage. "I
don't think he'll listen."

"Probably not."

"Let me talk to him." I went to open the
glass door that led out to the porch, but Becky grabbed my arm.

"You can't go out there!" she cried,
tightening her hold. "He'll hurt you."

"We don't know that."

"She's right," Robbie said, grimly. "You have
to stay in here. He won't listen to you."

He opened the door and went out, but I pulled
free of Becky and followed him.

"Cassie!" she shouted.

"Go back inside," Robbie hissed at me.

"He doesn't want to go with you," I said to
Skull.

Skull laughed, brittle and harsh. "I don't
care what he wants."

"He's your brother! How can you not
care?"

"He belongs with us. We're his people, not
you and the pussies in there. Come on, Rob, or there'll be hell to
pay."

I stretched my arm in front of Robbie,
blocking him. "It'll be a mistake to give in," I told him. "He's a
bully and you have to take a stand with bullies."

"He means it, Cassie," he whispered so that
his brother couldn't hear. "He'll smash all your windows and maybe
hurt you. He's never hurt a woman before, but he might start
now."

"How can he do this to you? His own
brother?"

"It's not about brotherhood. It's about
power. Skull can't be seen to let one of us leave. It'll look bad
for him if he shows any sign of weakness."

"You can't give in, Robbie." To Skull, I
snapped, "Get off my property or I'll call the police." I half
suspected Becky or one of the others had already called them. God I
hoped so.

Skull's friend stepped forward. His wide
mouth stretched, revealing crooked yellow teeth like old fence
posts. "Aren't you a pretty thing. I'd hate to smash up that face
of yours." He stroked his forefinger down my cheek to my chin. The
sharp sting of his nail bit into my skin and sent a shiver through
me. "Now, are you going to do as Skull says and let him go or am I
going to have to do something nasty to get you to obey?"

Robbie pushed me away and went to Skull's
side. "Don't touch her."

I opened my mouth to order him to stop, but
Skull's friend gripped my jaw hard. I tried to pull free, but it
only made his grip tighten. I winced as pain ripped across the
lower half of my face and brought tears to my eyes.

In the corner of my blurred vision, something
moved so fast I could hardly make out the shape. It wasn't until my
attacker was dragged off me that I realized it was Blake. He didn't
say anything or make a sound, just shoved the hooded man away and
down the stairs.

Skull went after him. He raised his club and
slammed it down on Blake's back. Robbie and I both shouted a
warning, but Blake had his hands full with the second guy and
couldn't defend himself. His grunt of pain was the first sound to
pass his lips.

I flew at Skull, only to have myself held
back by Robbie. "Don't," he said in my ear.

Blake dispensed with my tormentor by punching
him in the stomach, then he turned around, ducked beneath Skull's
club and struck him across the jaw. Skull reeled backward and
landed on his butt. Blake snatched the club and shoved it under
Skull's chin.

"You're pushing me to the limit," Blake
growled low. "I should knock off your head for what you did to
her."

Behind him, the other attacker got to his
feet, but I didn't have to warn Blake. He was already aware and
adjusted his stance so that he could leap out of the way if
necessary.

But the youth took one look at him and ran
off. "Come on, Skull!" he shouted back over his shoulder. "The
cops'll be here soon."

Skull glanced from Blake to me to Robbie.
"Well?" he asked his brother. "You coming or not?"

"He's not," I said.

Robbie hesitated. He looked back through the
glass windows into the conservatory where the other students and
the model all watched proceedings with horrified expressions. "If I
don't go with him, he'll keep coming back. Next time, Blake might
not be here."

"I'll be here," Blake said darkly. "I'll be
here as long as necessary. If anyone hurts or scares Cassie I'll
kill him. Understand?"

Skull's nostrils flared and he tried to sit
up. Blake shoved the club harder under his chin, forcing him to lie
flat again. Skull gurgled. "Robbie, come home with me. I'm your
family, not them. We take care of each other. It's you and me
against the world, remember? Just you and me and no one's going to
come between us."