Pure Attraction (Attraction Series Book 2) Read online

  A NOVEL

  BY JB HELLER

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  DEDICATION

  This one is for my Junkies. You girls have kept me going when I felt like giving up. Your constant support has meant the world to me. I can never thank you enough. X

  CHAPTER ONE

  Things weren’t what they thought. But I let them believe it because I wasn’t ready to tell them the truth. Not even Gabe knew about Kelly, and he’s my best friend. Tessa was the only person I had ever really talked to about her. She reminded me so much of her that I felt at ease around Tessa from the moment we met. She was a smart-arse, and a mouthy one at that, just like Kelly had been. A small smile lifted my lips as I thought about the two women who had been so alike. They would have loved each other.

  But my smile soon faded, they would never meet. And that’s all on me. I hold myself responsible for their deaths.

  I was only seventeen when Kelly died, but it was my job to protect her damn it. I should have protected her, but I was just a stupid kid without a purpose or direction in life. After Kelly died, I joined the Military. It gave me the structure I so desperately needed. When I got out, I had all the skills I needed to protect the innocent, and that’s what I did.

  Until Tessa, I couldn’t protect her. I tried, but I wasn’t good enough. Instead of protecting Tessa, she protected me and paid for it with her life. When I woke up in the hospital, it all came flooding back to me in an instant. I had ripped the IV out of my arm and literally ran out of there. I got my shit, picked up Gabe, and went to find her, but I was too late. Always too late.

  It didn’t matter how many lives I’d saved over the years, it wouldn’t change the fact that I had failed Kelly and Tessa, too.

  Two pink lines were staring me in the face, and all I could think was Oh Shit. I couldn’t believe how stupid I had been. How could I have let this happen? No one should bring a baby into this. I looked around the dingy bathroom cringing at the sight of a small mouse in the corner nibbling on God knows what.

  I could accept this shitty life for myself, it’s all I had ever known. But I didn’t want to condemn my child to this like my mother had done me. I grew up wishing I had what other kids had— shoes, nice clothes, parents who loved me. My mother didn’t even know who my father was, and she never let me forget how much of an inconvenience my existence was.

  Plonking down onto the lid of the toilet, I ran my fingers through my hair and gripped my head as I considered my options.

  Trent had isolated me from all of my old friends. I don’t remember the last time I spoke to any of them. A few weeks after we moved in together he had made me quit my job at the supermarket. Said I didn’t need it because he would take care of me.

  Such a fool I’d been. Given my upbringing, I should have known better than to believe him. Mum was always bringing home deadbeats who made her promises of love and devotion. All she had to do to keep them happy was work her arse off to pay for their dirty habits. Eventually, they’d get sick of her and move on to the next desperado.

  When Trent came along, I agreed to date him so I could get out of the house and away from Mum’s most recent boyfriend. He was an A-grade creeper, when mum was at work late one night, he came into my room and tried getting into bed with me. I kneed him in the balls and pulled the knife I kept under my pillow on him. It never happened again, but it wasn’t the first time one of her boyfriends had tried it. I wanted out of there, and Trent offered it to me on a golden platter.

  I allowed myself to believe Trent was different. None of mum’s boyfriends had offered to be the breadwinner and support her. But it turned out Trent was as bad as them, just in a different way. While mum’s men didn’t care what she did as long as she put food in their bellies and pot in their pockets, Trent wanted full control of me and my life.

  He’d done it slowly, and in a way that made me feel as if it were my choice. I didn’t realise what had happened until it was too late. Now I had nowhere to turn and no one to confide in. It was my own fault. I had allowed him to do this to me. In my mind, it was a better fate than my mother’s.

  But this… I laid my hand on my still flat stomach, this changed everything.

  I gave my tummy a gentle pat as if to reassure the little life growing inside of me, but it was really for me. That’s when it dawned on me— I was no longer alone. I had grown so used to my own company, but now, I would never be alone again. A smile tugged at my lips. Hope for a better life bloomed in my chest for the first time since I was a little girl.

  I got up from the toilet, shoved the little life changing stick in my back pocket, and made my way out to the lounge room where I turned on the small TV that sat in the corner. We didn’t have a clock because Trent said we didn’t need one. He told me I had to have dinner on the table by dark, the time didn’t matter. It didn’t really bother me, I just used the TV as my guide. He usually got home around six.

  I flicked the channels until I came to channel ten. Bold and the Beautiful had just started, so that meant it was four thirty. I scanned the room for any belongings I wanted to take with me. But nothing stood out to me. I grabbed a garbage bag from under the sink to put my clothes in since we didn’t own any luggage. I stuffed it with my clothes and the small amount of cash I’d been able to scrape together from Trent’s pockets when I did the laundry or when he came home drunk.

  At the time, I didn’t know why I was hiding it from him. I had no plans to leave. But I’m glad I did it now. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to keep me fed for a couple of days.

  Walking back out to the kitchen, I got out one of my exercise books and a pencil Trent had let me buy last time we did groceries. I sat down at the table and began to write him a note, one that would hopefully deter him from coming after me.

  Trent,

  I wish I could say I’m sorry for leaving like this, but I’m really not. What I am sorry for is wasting the last four years of your life and mine. We aren’t good together, Trent. We never have been.

  I hope you find the right girl one day, just know that it’s not me.

  I’m not leaving you for someone else, so don’t get any stupid ideas. It’s just time for me to strike out on my own and see who I am without you.

  Take care,

  Mia.

  Tearing the page out, I left it on the tiny dining table we ate at every night, then stuffed the pencil and exercise book in my garbage bag. I took one last look at the rumpled little apartment that had been my home for the last four years as I strode to the front door and walked away. I would never look back.

  CHAPTER TWO

  I was still living with Gabe and Ivy, but they didn’t seem to mind, which was great. I loved looking after the twins every afternoon. Being with the girls calmed me in a way I never thought possible. Who would have thought that taking babies for a walk to the park would be so relaxing? But it was. They would sleep the whole time when they were younger, but now that they were eleven months old, they would look around and gabble nonsense to each other the whole way.

  Knowing it gave their parents a break made me feel that much better about it. Sometimes Ivy would use the time to catch up on some sleep, or take a bath, or if Gabe was home from work, they’d no doubt be getting busy while they had the chance. Gabe didn’t care that I cut out of work at four o’clock every day since he knew how much Ivy needed the break.

  I pulled in the driveway at four fifteen and made my way to the front door. As soon as I opened it, the girls were there waiting for me. I crouched down and lifted them both into my arms.

  “Hey, ladies, yo
u ready to go to the park?” I asked them.

  They began clapping their chubby, little hands and laughing. I heard Ivy coming down the hall before I saw her.

  She shook her head as she began to speak. “I should have known you two would be here waiting for Kai-Kai. Mummy was looking for you.” She frowned pretending to be cross with them.

  They wrapped their arms around me tighter and snuggled into my neck. “Kai-Kai,” they said together. Love and pride surged through my heart when they said my name. It was the best feeling ever. I loved these two as if they were my own.

  “That’s right, girls, Uncle Kai loves you, too.” I kissed each of them on top of their little heads. Tessie and Gracie owned me, they had me wrapped around their little fingers from the moment they entered this world.

  Ivy laughed. “I’ll get the stroller, shall I?”

  I nodded to her and took the girls to their room. “Let’s get your shoes and hats, hey?”

  I sat them on their change table side by side and got their tiny shoes and socks out from the shelf below. “Pink shoes for you today, Gracie? Or Purple?” I held the shoes out in front of her, and she took the pink ones like she did every day. And Tessie took the purple. They began to chew on them as I put on their socks.

  When they were ready, we went back out to the foyer where Ivy had the stroller waiting. I buckled them in and yelled out our goodbyes. “Be back in an hour.” Then we were off.

  The park was a fifteen-minute walk, but the girls liked it better when I ran, so I did. Eight minutes later, we were at the park, and the girls were in fits of giggles. I took them over to the swing set first where I got Gracie out and popped her into the infant swing. She gripped the chains, ready to go flying through the air.

  “Just a minute, Princess, let me get Tessie out first.” I turned back to get Tessie out of the stroller before I started pushing Gracie. She squealed with delight as she began to swoosh higher and higher toward the tree tops that shaded the park. Tessie wriggled in my arm, eager for her turn. “Calm ya farm, baby girl. It’ll be your turn soon.”

  After a few minutes, I swapped them over, and that’s when I noticed a girl sitting on the bench seat over by the base of the large Raintree trunk. She was alone, her hand sat protectively over her flat belly as she watched us silently. A couple of other families in the area that used this park quite regularly, but I had never seen her before.

  I gave her a small wave when she noticed me watching her in return. She blushed and looked down at her feet that were covered by an old, worn pair of runners. Beside her feet sat a full, black garbage bag.

  I continued to watch her from the corner of my eye as I pushed Tessie in the swing. She wore a baggy t-shirt that was definitely made for a man and a pair of denim short shorts. Her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, and she looked tired. The thought that she was possibly homeless settled in my mind, and I didn’t like it.

  When Tessie finished her turn on the swing, I took the girls over to the sandpit and set them down to play. I turned around to see the girl was still sitting on the bench watching us. My protective instinct kicked into overdrive as she looked around nervously when she realised she had my attention. What had happened to her?

  I bobbed down to the girls and gave them a cup each and a plastic spoon which would keep them entertained for a while. “I’m just going to sit on the bench over there with that nice lady, okay? You two play nice now.” A cheeky grin appeared on Tessie’s little face as she plonked a scoop of sand onto Gracie’s head with her spoon, and then toppled over giggling. Gracie didn’t even flinch. She just continued to fill up her cup. I dusted the sand off her hat and then got back to my feet.

  The bench was only about ten feet away, so I wouldn’t be far from them. Turning around, I saw the girl had a huge, bright smile on her face as she watch Gracie and Tessie play. I strode over to her and held my hand out in front of me. “Hi, I’m Kai. Mind if I sit?”

  Her eyes widened at my approach. She didn’t take my outstretched hand, just nodded her head in response. I sat down on the bench, mindful not to get too close to her since she was jumpy and I didn’t want to frighten her.

  We sat in silence for a few moments, watching the girls play in the sand. Tessie was sitting up again and filling her cup with sand now, too. Then Gracie stood up and tipped her full cup of sand all over Tessie. I burst out laughing, and so did my quiet companion.

  “They have a love-hate relationship,” I told her.

  She looked in my direction for the first time since I sat down and smiled. And what a beautiful smile it was. She was a pretty little thing. “They’re adorable,” she murmured softly.

  “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 s
he 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.