The Billionaire Boyfriend Proposal: A Kavanagh Family Novel Read Free Page A

It's more economical to attend to problems before
they become major."
    That attitude I understood. It sounded more
like the way Reece would think. He was all about the money and
protecting his investment, rather than ensuring I remained dry in a
downpour.
    "Okay," I said. "Just let me know when the
builders will show up."
    "That's the thing." He cleared his throat. "I
want to hire Blake."
    "No!"
    "Come on, Cass, please. He knows what he's
doing."
    "I'm sure he does, but I don't care. I don't
want him around."
    Cleo and Becky exchanged speaking glances.
"He needs something to do," Reece went on. "He's at a loose end,
and he's someone who needs work or he'll go mad. I'm worried—"
    "I said no. Find him something else to do if
he's bored."
    "Cassie," he said quietly, ominously. "It's
my property. If I want to employ my brother, I can."
    "It's my home , not a property .
And as the tenant, I'm within my rights to refuse to have a
particular tradesman there." I didn't know if that were true or not
and I didn't care. The thought of having Blake within the same
walls as me was making me feel light-headed. It had been bad enough
seeing him yesterday, but to see him all day, every day, would turn
me into a pathetic mess. I couldn't let my students see me like
that. I couldn't let Blake see me like that. "I don't want him near
my house or me. Is that clear?"
    "Abundantly," came a voice behind me as sharp
and cold as a steel blade. A voice that made me hot and cold all
over. Blake.

CHAPTER 2
     
     
    I shut my eyes as my heart sank to my
stomach. I felt like the world's biggest bitch, even though I meant
every word. I didn't want Blake near me because his presence
screwed with my head. But if I'd known he was listening, I wouldn't
have said it so harshly. Hating Blake to his face was much harder
than hating him from afar.
    "Cassie," Reece said. The plea in his voice
surprised me. Reece never pleaded. None of the Kavanaghs did.
    "Forget it," Blake snapped at his brother. "I
told you she'd say no."
    I heard the gravel crunch behind me as he
walked off. How had I not heard him approach? Either he'd already
been there or he was as stealthy as a cat when he wanted to be.
Maybe that was his top secret military training at work.
    "Sorry," I muttered, as much to Reece as to
Cleo and Becky. It wasn't fair that they should be involved in our
dramas. "But I can't have Blake around, Reece. You know that."
    Cleo's arm circled my shoulders. "It's partly
my fault. Ellen and I thought it would be a good idea to get you
two talking again."
    "Ellen!" I put my hands up, warding the whole
darn lot of them off. "Cleo, don't get mixed up in Kavanagh crap,
okay?"
    Reece bristled and she sighed. "We saw you
two talking yesterday," she said. "I admit to thinking you looked
like you belonged together."
    "Clearly you weren't looking hard enough.
Blake and I are over. Too much water has passed under our bridge
and knocked the whole thing off its foundations. There's no going
back now."
    She gave me a humorless, wincing smile. "I'm
sorry, Cassie."
    I blew out a breath and, on impulse, clasped
her hand. She squeezed. The connection felt good, real, and I felt
bad for making her feel lousy. "Forget it. I know you meant well. I
owe you and Becky a lot. I didn't get a chance to thank you
properly, but I want you to know I appreciate your help. You two
were with me all weekend and in the thick of it yesterday. Not to
mention you convinced Reece that he was being an asshole."
    Reece had the decency to blush a little. Cleo
laughed. "I'll make sure he's a good landlord from now on. Starting
with getting some contractors in to do the work. How about you make
up a list of the most urgent jobs and we'll see that they're
tackled one by one."
    "I have a property manager for these things,
Cleo," Reece said, his eyes dancing with amusement.
    "This is not just a property," Becky
butted in. "Like Cassie said, it's a home and a home requires a
personal touch. Cleo can oversee the