Attraction Series Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by J B Heller

  Nodding I glanced at him over my shoulder, “It’s amazing. You live here all on your own?”

  Pausing at the door he fished his keys out of his pocket, as soon as they hit the lock the sound of scampering paws on timber floors could be heard on the other side. “Not exactly,” he said as he swung the door open and a blue and white pit bull launched itself at Axel.

  “Hey buddy, miss me much?” he said to the big dog while rubbing behind his ears.

  Then I noticed the much smaller black dog by his feet, patiently awaiting it’s turn for cuddles. Axel knelt down and showed it just as much love as the first. When he stood, he addressed the dogs, “Boys, this is Ash, she’s going to be staying with us for a little while. No humping her leg!” he said firmly, giving each dog the eye, in turn.

  I burst out laughing, and three heads turned to me, with equally adorable faces. I smiled for the first time since seeing that stupid green envelope.

  “These are my boys, Gibson,” he pointed to the big guy, “and Glover.” He said pointing to the little one.

  I grinned, “As in, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover?” I asked. I knew Axel was a movie buff.

  Axel’s smile grew wider, “Hell yes. It’s so hot that you picked up on that reference, by the way.” He closed his eyes, smiling in contentment, “I swear, you’re like the perfect woman.”

  Picking my bags up from the ground by the open door he gestured with his chin for me to follow him inside.

  Looking around the entry way, I took it all in. Timber floors, timber side table with his shoes stacked in the bottom shelf, a set of stairs off to the right, a large open lounge area to the left and a short hall way in front of us leading to a kitchen.

  “We can leave your bags here while I give you the tour down stairs, yeah? The boys won’t touch them. Scout’s honour.” Axel gave me a mini salute.

  Nodding, I added my laptop bag to the small pile of my belongings by the foot of the stairs and took Axel’s outstretched hand.

  “It’s pretty basic, lounge room over here,” he said as we stood in the double wide walkway that opened into a large lounge area. Tugging me along behind him, he went further down the hall, “the kitchen and dining room, which also wraps around into another entry to the lounge room over here.”

  I followed along behind him, just like his dogs that followed behind me. Then he turned me around and I was facing a wall of glass doors. Through them was a large timber deck that led to a rock pool. Lights shone down from the trees illuminating the area.

  My hand came to rest over my heart, “This is amazing.” I breathed.

  Axel’s body pressed up behind mine, his lips grazed my temple as he spoke, “I’m glad you like it. I’ve never brought anyone here. I was saving it for the right woman.”

  Breathing suddenly became difficult, and my heart raced in my chest. “Axel,” I whispered, didn’t know what to say.

  “This is my sanctuary, Ash. Now it can be yours too.” He said then placed a soft, tender kiss on my shoulder.

  A shiver raced down my spine, I felt that kiss all the way down to my toes. “Thank you.” I breathed, and gathering all the courage I could muster right then, I turned in his arms and looked up into his dark eyes. They were smouldering with promise, intent, and so much heat I nearly melted.

  Closing the small distance between us, I pushed up to my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. It wasn’t hot or sexy. I was thanking him for his patience with me, for his kindness towards me, and for his clear devotion to my safety.

  Then Axel took over, and hot and sexy came into play in a big way.

  His tongue slid against my lips and I parted them on a moan as his hands sunk into my messy bun and held my face to his. Just as I was about to climb him like a tree, Glover stated yipping at our feet.

  Axel released a disgruntled sigh and slowly disentangled his fingers from my hair. “Sorry,” he said, and ran his thumb over my kiss swollen lips, “I didn’t feed them before I headed to your place, I kinda just ran out of here.”

  I shook my head to clear the lust fuzz that overcame my brain whenever his lips came near mine. “It’s okay.” Then it occurred to me, I hadn’t even called him to come over, he’d just shown up when I needed him most. “Umm Axel, why did you come to my house tonight?”

  He paused, bent at the waist in a chest freezer by another door on the opposite side of the kitchen. His head popped out, then he lifted a finger in the air, “Just one minute, baby. I’ll explain everything, but if I don’t feed them now they may turn on you and I’d never forgive myself.” Then he was back in the deep freeze rummaging for dog food.

  I looked down at the two dogs sitting by my feet, patiently waiting for Axel to do their bidding. They didn’t look like they were about to feast on me. But I let it go, I wasn’t exactly experienced with dogs, so who was I to say what could turn them into feral beasts.

  A few minutes later the dogs were out on the back deck chewing on frozen blocks of meat, Axel was washing his hands in the sink, and I sat in one of the stools that ran the length of the breakfast bar. When he finished drying his hands he stopped on the opposite side of the counter to me.

  Looking up at him, I waited for him to tell me he just couldn’t wait to see me again or something equally as sweet, to explain why he had showed up tonight. What I got was not just a sweet gesture.

  He cleared his throat, “So after you told me about your history with, let’s call him Dickwad, I did some digging. I found out he had been released early on good behaviour. I also found out that he’d skipped his most recent check-in with his parole officer.”

  I could feel the colour drain from my face as Axel continued speaking. Each word causing more fear to pool in my gut. Since I’d arrived at his house half an hour ago I’d almost forgotten why I was here. But now, it was impossible to ignore.

  Axel’s hand wrapped around mine and I flinched, “Ashlynn, stay calm, baby. Just breathe through it. You’re safe, you’re protected. He cannot hurt you ever again.”

  His reassurances slowly sunk in, and I listened to him as he tried to sooth me. My whole body had gone stiff, I’d gone into lockdown. Another kind of minor panic attack I hadn’t had in a very long time.

  Axel rounded the end of the bench, and came up behind me, wrapping his big strong arms around my shoulders and holding tight. “I’ve got you, baby. I won’t let him hurt you. You have my word, Ashlynn.”

  And I believed him.

  Slowly he loosened his hold and slid into the stool beside mine, keeping my hands in his. “You ready for the rest of it now?”

  I nodded, I was as ready as I’d ever be.

  “I’d been pulling in favours all over the place to try track him down, but he was off the grid. Until today. I had Gabe and Kai, my friends that I work with, keeping an eye on things while I was at the hospital with Ma. Gabe called me tonight when I got home and told me he’d been spotted in town.

  “You were never in any danger though, okay? As soon as the information came through Gabe put a guy on you. He only left when I arrived at your place tonight.”

  My pulse was raging in my ears, he was in town, Gabe, whoever the hell that was had put a guy on me? What did that even mean? And Axel had kept this from me? He knew Zane was here and he didn’t tell me?

  “Ash, baby, deep breaths remember.” Axel encouraged.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I sobbed, I trusted him and he kept this from me.

  With a deep sigh he ran his hand through his hair, “I didn’t want to freak you out, not before I knew exactly what was going on. And as soon as I found out he was in town I came to you, Ash. I never would have let him get to you.”

  “But you kept it from me. I had a right to know, Axel.”

  “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. “I didn’t want to scare you, baby. He’s fucked with your head for too long. I didn’t want you to worry unnecessarily. But Ash, I swear, I only kept it from you until I had more information. I was going to tell you—”

/>   I pressed my hand to his mouth, “Okay.” I whispered.

  The rational side of my brain knew he wasn’t trying to hurt me. In fact, it was the complete opposite, he was trying to protect me from knowledge that would have without a doubt sent me into a tailspin, like it was right now.

  Taking a deep cleansing breath, I rolled my shoulders back and made the decision that I would trust Axel to take care of me. “So what’s the plan here?”

  He tilted his head to the side and watched me closely, “That’s it? You’re okay with all this?”

  I scoffed, “Of course not. I’ll never be okay with everything he put me through and now after all this time, after all the progress I’ve made, rebuilding my life and learning how to be okay, he comes back! No, I am not okay with all this.” I said throwing my hands up in the air.

  “I’m holding onto my sanity by a thread right now, and that’s because of you. So, I’m trusting you to take care of this,” a nervous laugh slipped past my lips, “to take care of me.”

  Axel’s relief was evident on his face, “Fuck yes baby, I will take care of you.” He moved, and before I knew it I was in his lap, his arms holding me tight, his face buried in my neck. “Thank you, baby,” he murmured against my skin.

  I shivered, “For what?” I asked on a breathy sigh.

  His lips were moving up my neck in soft, sensual kisses, “For trusting me.” He said into my ear, then nipped my lobe.

  A quiver rolled down my spine, “Axel.” I sighed, I was so sexually frustrated I was going cross eyed.

  “Yeah, baby?” I could feel his smile behind his words. He knew exactly what he was doing to me.

  “I might be a hermit, but even I can only handle so much before all your kisses cause me to spontaneously combust.” I informed him, shocking myself with my boldness.

  Pulling his head back, his eyes focused on mine, then narrowed. “Are you telling me I need to slow down or are you giving me a green light? You need to spell it out for me, baby. You’re the one in control here, Ash. You say stop, and I stop. You get me?”

  I grinned and wiggled in his lap, I could feel how affected he was by all the kisses too. And I liked it. “Green light,” I mumbled while trying to stop another shiver from wracking my body.

  “Fuck yes.” Axel groaned, but instead of kissing me again he stood, me in his arm and strode towards the hallway that led to the stairs.

  I yelped when he adjusted his hold on me then threw me over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. “What are you doing?” I squeaked.

  He bent down and scooped up my duffle of clothes and my laptop bag with his free hand, “Getting your shit. Then taking you to bed.”

  My eyes bugged out, bed? I know I’d given him the green light, but bed? That was a huge leap. From kisses to sex, was I ready for sex? It had been a really long time since I’d even seen a real live penis.

  Next thing I knew my bags were on the floor and I was being thrown, unceremoniously, through the air onto a king size, four poster bed. I bounced once before Axel was on top of me, halting any further bouncing.

  I burst out laughing, “A bit eager are we?”

  Axel’s answering grin took my breath away. “Fuck yes I’m eager. I’m not gunna lie, it’s been a while.”

  “Umm about that, what do you call a while?” I asked.

  He looked to the ceiling, thinking, “Three months.”

  I was horrified. “Three months?” I squeaked. He thought three months was a while? Oh crap.

  Unfortunately Axel took my mortification the wrong way. “Just because it’s been a while doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how to use it, Ash. I’m still going to rock your world.” He said on a grin and a wink.

  “Oh, umm, that wasn’t exactly where my thought process was going.” I mumbled.

  Axel pushed himself up onto his forearms, looking down into my eyes, he examined me. “Okay, how about you expand on that?”

  Chewing my bottom lip I tried to think of a way to say that I hadn’t had sex in five years without sounding as pathetic as it made me feel.

  “Ashlynn,” Axel pushed.

  Releasing my lip, I sighed, “Three months isn’t exactly a long time, not in comparison to my ah— dry spell?”

  He frowned, “Okay…” he drew the word out, and waited for me to continue.

  I licked my lips, “Well I mean I don’t get out much, as you know.”

  Axel raised a brow, “Spit it out Ash. How long’s it been for you?”

  I covered my face with my hands, “Umm, about five years, give or take a couple of months.” I mumbled through my fingers.

  “No fucking way.” Axel breathed as he pried my hands away from my face. “Are you telling me you haven’t had sex in five years, Ash? Like, for real?”

  A fierce blush crept up my chest and covered my cheeks. “Unless you count Bob, then, no.”

  His eyes narrowed again, “Who the fuck is Bob? He sounds like a tool by the way. What kind of name is Bob?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh, “Well, technically Bob is a tool. A particular type of tool that lonely women own.”

  Axel’s eyes flared, “Vibrator?”

  Nodding I felt my blush intensify.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Holy fucking shit yes! I couldn’t be happier in this very moment.

  Ashlynn’s cheeks were stained pink, her chest was heaving making those amazing tits an even bigger distraction than they usually were for me. I was rock solid and her admitting that she uses a vibrator, god damn it just made me harder.

  “That is so fucking hot. Did you bring it?” I asked, hope rising in my chest. I wanted to see her use it on herself.

  To my utter disappointment she shook her head, and nearly choked on the word, “No.”

  I sighed heavily, making sure she knew I was sad about the fact. “Guess that will have to wait then.” I muttered, more to myself then Ash, but she raised a brow at my statement.

  “What will have to wait?” she asked curiously.

  “Watching you get yourself off with your vibrator.” Her emerald eyes widened, and she pulled the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth. “You dirty girl, you like that idea, don’t you?”

  Her lip quivered as she released it from her teeth, “Yes,” she whispered.

  My eyes almost rolled back in my head with pleasure. Not only had I scored a smokin’ hot librarian, but she was a dirty girl too. Fuck yes, I was definitely going to marry this woman. “You’re fucking perfect, Ash.”

  Dropping myself back down on top of her, I rolled my hips into her and she moaned my name. I latched onto her throat and sucked as I ground my pelvis against hers. A sharp cry left her lips and her hands found their way into my hair, fisting it tight.

  I had to touch her. I ran my hand down her side until I came to the hem of her hoodie, and slipped my hand underneath. Her skin was soft and warm under my palm. Slowly my hand travelled up her ribs, expecting to come into contact with her bra, but apparently she wasn’t wearing one. Fucking perfect. I sent a silent prayer up to whoever was listening, thanking them.

  Her full breast filled my palm and I squeezed, loving the feel of her silky soft flesh against my skin. Ash squirmed beneath me, “You feel so good, baby.” I murmured against her throat.

  “Axel, please,” she moaned.

  Moving my lips up to her ear, I bit the lobe, then sucked on it gently. “Tell me what you need, Ashlynn.”

  Still squirming she murmured, “More.”

  I could do more. I could do lots more. Shoving up onto my knees I reluctantly released her breast, then grabbed hold of the edge of her hoodie, “Sit up.” I instructed. As soon as she complied, I yanked it and the tank she was wearing underneath over her head, throwing it somewhere in the room.

  Her chest was heaving as she lowered herself back down on the mattress, and my gaze zeroed in her perfect tits. Her skin was like porcelain, and her nipples a soft dusky rose. I wanted them in my mouth, but I wanted to see all of her first.
/>
  Running my finger along her hip bone down to the edge of her pants I looked up into her eyes, “Can I?” I asked, hoping like hell she was as ready for this as I was. But ready to pull back if she wasn’t.

  Nodding so enthusiastically it was almost comical, she breathed, “God yes.”

  Grinning like the Cheshire fucking Cat I wrapped both my hands around the top of her pants and yanked them down her long legs. “Jesus Christ woman, you’re going to kill me.” I mumbled as I threw her pants over my shoulder and stared down at her bare pussy. Sans underwear.

  Ashlynn laughed, “Not before you’ve had your wicked way with me, I hope.”

  I was off the bed in record time and naked holding a condom between my thumb and forefinger while giving Ash the eye, you know the one, the one that says, I’m about to rock your fucking world.

  She grinned back at me, I was loving this side to her. And I honestly never expected it. She was a little minx. “Last chance to back out baby.” I warned.

  She frowned, “Why would I want to do that? I’ve only been fantasizing about this moment since you first kissed me.” Her cheeks flamed with her admission but she didn’t try to hide it from me this time.

  I was on her in a heartbeat, relishing the feel of her soft supple skin against mine. I dropped my head to her breasts and took one of her peaked nipples into my mouth, her hands wrapped around my neck as her back arched and she let out a breathy cry.

  Moving my hand down her body, taking in all her curves I found the place I’d been waiting for. She was wet and so ready for me. I pushed up onto my elbow and grabbed the condom I’d dropped beside her head.

  She was watching me like a hawk, “Can I?” she asked shyly.

  I sat back on my heels between her legs and watched her every move as I handed her the little gold foil. Her eyes heated as she snatched it from my hand and sat up quickly until she was face to face with my cock. The way she was looking at him made me feel like a fucking god.

  Her pink tongue flicked out and wet her perfectly kiss swollen lips. She glanced up at me briefly, then she closed the small space and took me in her mouth. I almost shot my load at the sight of her hot little mouth wrapped around my cock, her gorgeous red hair in a messy bun on the top of her head. My hips surged forward, pushing deeper into her mouth and she gagged, but didn’t pull away.