Attraction Series Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by J B Heller

  “That they are. Mischievous but adorable.” I returned her smile. “So I haven’t seen you around here before. Have you just moved to the neighbourhood?” I asked.

  Her smile vanished. “I, um, no, I’m not from around here.”

  I nodded. “Just visiting, then?”

  “Something like that,” she replied.

  I turned my full attention back to the girls, not that I’d taken my eyes off them since sitting down. They were a funny little pair. Tessie was always the one to start the fight while Gracie was always the one to finish it. But in the end, they would always end up cuddling, laughing and talking in their own little language to each other.

  I could feel the girl watching me cautiously, but I ignored it. I wanted to say more to her, find out what she was doing here and where she had come from, but I knew I had to buy my time. Since she hadn’t been forthcoming with her answers, she obviously had trust issues, so I decided not to push her.

  Gracie and Tessie got up and walked over to us on the bench. “You girls ready to go home to mummy, hey?” I asked them as they climbed up onto my lap. Tessie pointed at the girl sitting next to us wanting to know who she was. “This is our new friend—” I waited for her to fill in her name.

  “I’m Mia,” she said softly.

  “And this is Gracie and Tessie, my goddaughters.” I don’t know why I felt the need to clarify the fact that I wasn’t their father, but I did.

  Mia smiled at the girls. “Nice to meet you, Gracie and Tessie. You’re very pretty little girls.”

  The girls may have only been eleven months, but they knew what pretty meant. They smiled big at Mia, showing her their new little teeth, and nodded their heads.

  “I better get these two home for their baths. It was nice to meet you, Mia. We come here at the same time every afternoon, so maybe I’ll see you again.”

  Mia nodded. “It was nice to meet you too… Kai.”

  I liked the sound of my name from her lips. She was soft-spoken, but her voice was smooth and silky like honey. I couldn’t help but smile at her, my mouth tugged up on one side. I strapped the girls back into their stroller and winked over at Mia as we left the park.

  Leaving her there didn’t feel right, but I knew I couldn’t push her to tell me where she was staying. She was homeless. I could feel it in my gut. As soon as I got the girls home, I told Ivy I had some errands to run and wouldn’t be back for dinner tonight. She eyed me suspiciously, but didn’t say anything. Since the girls were born, I had been here every night. I liked helping the guys out with the girls. I didn’t bother going out trying to pick up. Mrs Palmer was doing a fine job of satisfying my needs.

  Axel had been riding my arse about hitting the town with him, but I honestly felt like I was too old for that shit. I know I’m only thirty-one, but I swear Tessa’s death aged me another ten years. I had grown so attached to her that being around her made me feel like I had Kelly back. Then just as suddenly as Kel had been ripped from my life, so was Tess.

  I had a quick shower before I jumped in my car and headed to the closest takeaway joint. It was a little burger shack and it made the best chips I’d ever had. I ordered a double serve with extra chicken salt and made my way back to the park to see if Mia was still there.

  As soon as I pulled up by the curb, I saw her. It was just on dark, and she was still sitting in the same spot I had left her in an hour earlier. The lights positioned underneath the big raintree trees surrounding the park had just come on as I pulled up, casting a soft glow over her. My chest grew tight at the thought of her spending the night there on that bench. I couldn’t let that happen. I reached over to the passenger seat, grabbed the chips, and jumped out of my car.

  When I slammed my door shut, her head spun around in my direction. She watched me approach her, but she didn’t move. When I got closer and she realised it was me, her posture relaxed a little but not much. I decided now was the time to speak if I didn’t want to freak her out any more than I already had.

  “I had a feeling you might still be here, so I thought I’d come share my dinner with you,” I said as I sat down on the opposite end of the bench. As I put the chips down between us and ripped the package open, I heard her tummy growl. I looked up with a raised brow. “Hungry?” I asked.

  Her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widened as a soft pink blush covered her cheeks. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

  I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up from my stomach. “It’s fine, really. Dig in. They’re better while they’re still hot.”

  She picked one up and took a small bite. “Mmm, so good,” she mumbled as she shoved the rest of the chip in her mouth.

  “Glad you like them. So tell me a bit about yourself, Mia,” I said, trying to keep my tone light.

  To my surprise she continued eating while she mulled over what to tell me. “There’s not much to tell really. I’ve just gotten out of a pretty controlling relationship, so I’m trying to figure out just who I am without him.”

  That was a lot more than I was expecting her to tell me, and judging by the surprised look on her face, it was more than she had planned to say.

  “Fair enough, so where are you staying?” I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to know for sure.

  Mia didn’t answer right away. She just kept eating. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t feel comfortable with. I just—” I looked out to the playground in front of us and thought about how I could reach out to her without giving her the wrong impression. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I was some kind of creeper trying to lure her back to my place.

  I sighed, then looked back to her. She was watching me expectantly, waiting for me to continue. I rubbed the back of my neck as I spoke. “Look, Mia, I get the impression that you’re planning to stay on this here bench tonight.” I tapped the bench with my hand. “And I won’t be able to sleep knowing you’re out here all alone. I know this is a pretty safe neighbourhood and all, but still, it’s not safe for a pretty girl to be staying in a park by herself.”

  She considered my words silently.

  My knee started to bounce as my patience began to wear thin. “Will you let me help you, Mia?”

  Her eyes locked on mine. “Why would you want to help me? You don’t even know me.”

  I laughed, but it held no humour. “It’s what I do. I help people. When I can, that is.”

  She scrunched her nose causing her eyebrows to pull together. “You don’t look like any social or aid worker I’ve ever seen.”

  “That’s because I’m not. I work with a friend of mine who runs a private investigations firm. But before that, I was a marine. I ran a lot of rescue operations.” I shrugged. “I like to help people.”

  “Oh.” Her response was barely above a whisper.

  “So, will you let me help you?” I asked. I wasn’t above begging, and if she didn’t accept my offer, that’s just what I would do.

  “Maybe… it depends,” she said.

  Relief flooded my body. She was at least willing to hear me out. “Alright, that’s a start. What does it depend on?”

  She stuffed another chip into her mouth. “What kind of help are we talking about here? And what do I have to give you for said help?”

  I frowned. “Nothing. I don’t want anything from you. Why would you ask that?”

  She rolled her eyes at me. “Because nothing is free, Kai. I’m not stupid.”

  Unease rose in my chest. What kind of people had she been spending her time with if she thought a simple offer of help came with a price tag? “I don’t think you’re stupid. My help doesn’t cost anything except maybe your friendship. But if you decide I’m a dick, then feel free to cut all ties with me. Just let me help you get settled first. You need a roof over your head. Not just for you but for your baby, too.”

  Shock registered on her pretty face when I mentioned the baby. “How do you know?”

  “I’m observant. It’s an old habit that makes me good at m
y job. You’ve had one hand protectively covering your lower stomach since the moment we met this afternoon. And given what you said about recently getting out of a controlling relationship, I’d say it’s a good guess that,” I gestured to her tummy with my chin, “is the reason you left.”

  She blinked a few times and tilted her head to the side. “What do you want with a pregnant, homeless girl?” She was still watching me with suspicion.

  I was kind of glad she didn’t just accept my offer right off the bat. It meant she had smarts. She wouldn’t just climb into a car with a stranger. That was comforting, but it didn’t help my case. “I told you, I just want to help you out. I swear I’m not some pervert with an agenda,” I tried to reassure her.

  She wouldn’t be swayed easily. She pressed on, “But you still haven’t told me what it is you want to do to help me.”

  I nodded. “You’re right, sorry. You’re going to think this is creepy, but I swear it’s not. It would just be for tonight until I could work out something more permanent for you tomorrow. I’d like you to come back to my place. Well, it’s not really my place. It’s my friend’s house. The little girls you met this afternoon? Well, I live with them and their parents. It’s not far from here.”

  I watched and waited for her to skitz out on me, but she didn’t. She just narrowed her eyes at me. “I don’t know why, but I believe you. Just know this, I will nut you in twenty seconds flat if you try anything suss. Got it?” Venom dripped from her voice with her threat.

  Loud laughter erupted from deep within me. I hadn’t laughed like this since Tessa… Thoughts of Tessa shattered my moment of guiltless freedom. I cleared my throat. “You’ve got yourself a deal. Nothing suss and I keep my nuts.”

  She nodded, clearly pleased we were on the same page.

  “You ready to go now?” I asked.

  “Yep. Let me just get my things. Oh wait, these are my things.” She patted the garbage bag beside her and laughed.

  I liked her light-hearted nature. Here she was single, pregnant, and homeless, yet she was laughing and joking with me. It made me feel even more guilt, guilt for the way I’d been living my life this last couple of years. Moping around feeling sorry for myself, I felt like a right self-centred prick.

  I picked up her garbage bag with all her worldly possessions inside and walked towards my car with her by my side. When we reached my car, I opened the door for her, and she slid into the seat. I was glad I drove an SUV so she could just slip right in without having to bend down. I waited for her to buckle her seat belt, and then I closed her door. Walking around the back, I opened the boot and threw her bag in.

  When I turned the key in the ignition, music started to pulse through the speakers. I quickly turned it down to a more respectful volume. “Sorry, I like my music loud,” I muttered.

  Mia smiled widely. “That’s okay, I don’t mind. I haven’t listened to music for the longest time, except for the radio in the supermarket and that sort of thing. Who sings this?” she asked.

  I turned my body towards hers. “You’re shittin’ me, right?”

  She shook her head. “Nope.” She didn’t look embarrassed at all. She just shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal.

  No big deal my arse! “Well, shit. Looks like I’m going to have to give you a musical education, Pretty Girl. This is The Middle by Jimmy Eat World from one of my all-time favourite albums, Bleed American.”

  I watched her from the corner of my eye as I pulled out into the street. She leant forward and turned the volume knob to make the music louder. I couldn’t help but sing along. Music was my solace— it provided me with a sweet escape from reality and the constant guilt plaguing my soul.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Just as Kai said, his friend’s place was only a few minutes away. When we pulled up in the driveway, an overwhelming sense of embarrassment consumed me. I looked down at my shabby clothing then glanced across to Kai sitting next to me. Even in casual clothes, he looked like he’d just stepped out of a photo shoot. My stomach began to pull tight— I knew it wasn’t the baby, it was my nerves. What was I thinking accepting his offer?

  I felt his big, warm hand wrap around my shoulder, and I looked up into his face. He was concerned, but why? I was a nobody, so why did he even give a shit? My eyes glassed over. Shit, I was not a crier. Kai’s hand moved from my shoulder to my chin as my bottom lip began to tremble. He lifted my chin so he could look into my eyes, then ran his thumb across my quivering lip.

  “It’s okay, I promise. You’re safe here, Mia.” His full lips pulled to the side in a small reassuring smile.

  My tongue flicked out to wet my dry lips. “I’m not afraid. I’m— I just don’t belong here.”

  His dark eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he questioned.

  I looked anywhere but at him. I felt so unworthy of his help. He and his friends were in a whole different league to me.

  “Mia?” His stern voice brought my attention back to him.

  I licked my lips again, nervousness eating up my insides. “This place.” I gestured towards the big, beautiful house in front of me. “I’m not good enough to stay in a place like this. Can you just take me back to the park, please, Kai? I shouldn’t be here.”

  He ignored my request and got out of the car. Moving around to the back he got my bag out before coming to open my door. He held his hand out for me to take it, but I couldn’t. I shouldn’t have come with him. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, I could feel it in my gut, but I didn’t belong.

  I shook my head, refusing to get out of his car. “Please, Kai. Just take me back,” I pleaded with him. The light from the front porch illuminated his face, and I could see his dark brown eyes turn to liquid pools with gold flecks swimming in their depths. He clenched his jaw and turned on his heels, walking away from me towards the house with my garbage bag in his hand.

  He slid a key in the front door and opened it, then disappeared inside leaving the door to the house wide open. I sat frozen in my seat. Was he going to come back for me? Was he expecting me to go in on my own? That wasn’t going to happen. I’d sleep in his car if necessary; it was more comfortable than the bench at the park. But I was not going in that house.

  A few minutes passed, and he still hadn’t returned. I sat fidgeting with my nails, picking at the cracks in them. All of a sudden, there were two little girls climbing into the car with me. Their fair hair was in plaits, they were wearing matching jumpsuits with owls all over them, and they had little slippers on their feet that squeaked as they climbed. I looked from them then over to the front of the house where I saw Kai leaning against the door frame with a smug grin on his face.

  One of the girls climbed onto my lap, took my face in her tiny hands and pulled it down so she could look me in the eyes. I blinked a few times as she took her time examining me. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, so I did nothing. When she had finished her inspection, she grinned at me, the same big, beautiful toothy grin she had given me that afternoon.

  A smile formed on my lips, and how could it not with this little angel fluttering her lashes at me. “Hi, princess, do you remember me? I met you at the park today. I’m Mia.”

  Her bright blue eyes lit up at the mention of the park. “Kai-Kai!” she squealed excitedly. Her chubby, little hands were still plastered to my cheeks, and she began to stroke them. That’s when the other little girl caught my attention. She had clambered over to the driver’s seat and made herself comfortable. She was up on her knees with both hands on the steering wheel pretending to drive the car.

  Laughter, pure and true rippled from deep within my stomach at the sight. Bless her, she was adorable. The jumpsuit she was wearing had purple owls, and the little girl in my lap had pink owls on hers. They were so similar I thought them identical. But as I kept watching them, I noticed little differences between them.

  One was slightly finer than the other, and her hair was a few shades lighter, too.

  Kai’s voice
startled me. “They’re gorgeous, aren’t they.”

  It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. He looked at them like a proud father. I looked from him back to the girls. They definitely were gorgeous. Just then, the little one in the driver’s seat called out, “Kai-Kai! Beep-beep.”

  He ducked his head down so he could see her gripping the steering wheel pretending to drive. A deep chuckle rumbled up from his chest that was now so close to my body I could feel heat emanating from him. “Yeah, Tessie, beep-beep. You possums ready for bed now?” he asked them. They both shook their little heads.

  I laughed again. They looked too little to have such attitude. It was clear they had very different personalities. That’s the moment I realised just how out of my depth I really was. I had no experience with babies. How was I supposed to do this, let alone by myself? My bottom lip began to shake as I tried as hard as I could to keep my emotions from bursting through to the surface.

  But Kai noticed—I shouldn’t have been surprised. He swooped the little girl, who must have been Gracie, from my lap and leant with her on the edge of the door frame. “What’s up, Pretty Girl?” he asked me.

  I sniffled, again trying to hold it all in. But when my eyes met his, I couldn’t hold back. Something about this guy made me feel comfortable and safe I knew I could trust him. I don’t know how I knew that, especially considering I’d never trusted a man in my entire life, but I did. There was something different about him. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

  “I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know what to do with a baby. I don’t know how to take care of one. How am I supposed to be a mother! My own was no example, so how am I supposed to raise a child!” The words poured out of my mouth as my tears began to fall.

  The little girl next to me, Tessie, looked over at me balling my eyes out. Next thing I knew she was climbing into my lap and wrapping her soft arms around my neck. A loud sob ripped from my chest as she began to rub my back and softly whispered shh shh in my ear. I glanced down to find Kai smiling up at me.