Free Undercover Billionaire Boss: A BWWM Contemporary Romance by Mia Caldwell

other parents handled the pressure of knowing that if things went wrong, their families would be facing certain disaster.

6
    C arrying a black rucksack on his back, Christian slid out of his Bugatti, two blocks away from Raina’s house. He couldn’t risk being seen. He waved to his driver and proceeded to walk down the street. It was a quiet neighborhood, Christian thought, admiring the tiny neat lawns in front of each house and the well-maintained house fronts.
    He thought back to what might have prompted Raina to invite him to live in her basement. It wasn’t until she’d dropped him off that he realized the address he’d randomly given her was near the homeless shelter and her mistaken thought process clicked with him.
    She is such a kind woman , he thought to himself, not for the first time. Raina really had been insistent on helping him, and there wasn’t a good way to dissuade her without drawing more attention to his lies. Again he felt a twinge of guilt for even lying to her in the first place.
    Still, he was happy at the unexpected chance to spend more time getting to know her. Perhaps this would also give him the opportunity to pick her brain about the goings on at the hotel. His nerves felt taut with anxiety though. He would have to be very careful in the next couple of weeks so as not to blow his cover.
    He stopped when he reached her house, a semi-detached two story home that bore the house number in a bright uplifting yellow color. He could see that it had once been well-cared for, but now there was paint peeling and bricks were crumbling. He noted the crooked steps and the front porch that was sagging. There was no visible door below the stairs to the front door that led to a basement. He straightened himself, adjusted his cap and climbed up the steps.
    It was as though Raina was waiting by the door for his knock because; she opened it as soon as his hand rapped on the door. He looked at her well-fitting cream slacks and a sleeveless matching pink blouse. She had shed her work persona and she looked easy and relaxed at home.
    “Hi Christopher, welcome.” she said and threw the door open.
    “Thank you.” Christian said, his doubts resurfacing. A little voice inside his head asked him what on earth he thought he was doing.
    It was such a bold move on both their sides. One part of him was excited to be at her house, and the other wanted to shake her and demand to know what she was thinking by inviting a stranger into her home. It was such a risky gesture on her part, but a kind one and, his heart melted just by looking at her. He was not used to women like her— women who gave without expecting anything in return.
    “Aunty, Crystal’s pushing me!” A little voice yelled from inside the house.
    “Crystal, stop it.” Riana said in a measured voice over her shoulder before turning back to Christian. “Welcome to the madness that is my house. You may just change your mind about staying after you’ve met my nieces and nephew!” She laughed slightly and he heard the fondness for the children in her voice. He smiled slightly at her, more curious than ever about her life.
    He followed her into a small hallway that was pristine neat and into a living room. He stood at the entrance and looked at the space appreciatively. It wasn’t a large room by any means, but it was furnished tastefully with green and white striped sofas, a thick white carpet and a glass coffee table at the center.
    A medium sized TV was mounted on a wall, along with several portraits, one of Raina smiling into the camera and another of three children and two adults whom he did not recognize. There were also other pictures dotting the room—other relatives he surmised.
    “Come into the kitchen, I’ll make you a cup of coffee.” she said. “Say hello to my friend, kids, his name is Christopher and he’ll be staying in the basement with us for a little while.”
    Two pretty girls, their hair tied up in matching puffs, looked up