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

thought you were smarter than
that."
    I bristled. "I only approached Robbie when I
realized he was harmless. Skull didn't arrive until later."
    "He wouldn't have hurt you," Robbie said. "He
doesn't hurt women. He would have just taken a lock of your hair to
scare you then left."
    Blake rounded on him. He was huge compared to
Robbie and towered over him. The kid took a step back. "When I say
nobody touches a hair on her head, I mean it." He shoved a rag into
Robbie's chest. "Get to work."
    We each set about removing one section of the
paint. "What was it going to be?" I asked Robbie.
    "Not telling."
    "Have it your way. So what's your story?"
    "No story."
    Oh-kay. "You never told me why you left my
fence alone."
    He shrugged. "I didn't feel like covering
it."
    "Are you sure it doesn't have something to do
with trying to get my attention?"
    He scrubbed a spot clean, rubbing his cloth
into the area over and over until there was nothing left. "Women!
You think everything is about you."
    Blake chuckled until I shot him a withering
glare.
    "In this case, I think it is about me," I
said. "You want me to teach you some tricks to help you
improve."
    "I don't need improving to do this sort of
thing." He wiped the back of his sleeve across his forehead and set
to removing his work again.
    "You want to paint fences your entire
life?"
    Robbie shrugged one shoulder.
    "Maybe he should paint them properly," Blake
said. "According to the owner's directions. No weeping clowns or
dogs, just good honest work for a good honest day's pay."
    "I'd rather slit my wrists."
    I threw my rag at the wall. "Don't joke about
suicide. There are people out there suffering with depression and
you belittle their struggle. I can't believe I'm wasting my time
here talking to you. You clearly don't appreciate help when it's
being handed to you on a platter. Go back to wherever it was you
came from with that bully of a brother. Just stay the hell
away."
    Robbie stared slack-jawed at me. I didn't
care if I'd shocked him with my outburst. He must think it came out
of nowhere, but I knew it hadn't. Blake knew too. His worried gaze
watched me.
    I stormed off, tears stinging the backs of my
eyes. Neither of them followed me. I ran up the drive and slammed
my front door shut behind me. Then I sat on the floor and let the
tears flow.
    I couldn't stop thinking about Wendy. My
poor, big sister with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
She'd been dearly loved by me and Gran, but she couldn't see it.
She'd only had eyes for Reece and he hadn't loved her enough to
keep her happy.
    It was unfair of me to take my anger out on
Robbie. He'd probably seen a lot of crap in his life, more than me.
I wiped away my tears and returned to the street. Both Robbie and
Blake were gone, my equipment with them.
    ***
    I slept in and woke up mid-morning to someone
knocking on my door. I raced downstairs and opened it to see Blake
standing there. His hot gaze raked down my body, taking in the
T-shirt I wore to bed, pajama shorts and bare legs. He swallowed
heavily.
    Robbie emerged from behind him. I hadn't seen
him standing there, shielded by the bigger man. His gaze did a
repeat of Blake's. "Wow," he murmured.
    Blake thumped him in the chest and Robbie
coughed. "Avert your eyes," Blake said.
    Robbie rubbed his chest. "I was just looking.
Jeez, lighten up. You Kavanaghs are so wound up."
    I cleared my throat and stepped aside. "Come
in while I go and change."
    They entered and I raced upstairs to quickly
change into a dress that reached to my knees. I glanced at myself
in the mirror and winced. Another bad hair day. I tied it up in a
tight bun and returned downstairs.
    I found them in the kitchen, Blake making
coffee. His presence filled the room, and yet he looked at home
there too. He moved with a kind of effortless grace, the muscles
shifting beneath his tight T-shirt. He suddenly turned, catching me
looking. A fleeting, uncertain smile passed his lips. I blushed
fiercely.
    "Do you still