Stella MacLean - Unexpected Attraction

She swore never to trust him...

Hardworking single mom Andrea Taylor thought she knew everything about her teenage daughter. She doesn’t. Her teen is being bullied, and the school has brought in Jake Polegato to help. But the charming psychologist is the last man Andrea wants meddling in her family affairs.

Andrea has good reason to despise Jake, but her daughter comes first. Yet as Andrea and Jake work together, she begins to see the man he really is. As tensions turn into undeniable attraction, Andrea finds herself in dangerously unfamiliar territory. Because now she doesn’t just need Jake’s help...she needs him.

“Are you ready?”

“Sure, but be prepared—you may be pulling fishing line out of my hair.”

“I look forward to the opportunity to run my fingers through your hair in search of fishing line,” Jake replied, leaning toward Andrea, the heat of his body blending with hers. She fought to keep from swaying into his broad chest. She wanted to touch his face, feel the texture of his skin beneath her fingers. His body was so close...too close.

Suddenly uncertain, she retreated and concentrated on the rod she held. She

couldn’t look at him for fear he’d see her need.

“Let’s fish,” he whispered into her ear.

Dear Reader,

As an author, I enjoy writing stories about issues that people face in their everyday lives. Lives that involve doing our best in whatever we undertake, caring about each other and the one essential part of happiness that everyone seeks—finding someone to love.

Unexpected Attraction is based on a subject that everyone at one time or another has had to deal with, whether personally or with a family member: bullying. It is so important for all of us to recognize that everyone has the right to be a part of this world, to work in their chosen vocation, to love and fulfill his or her dreams without fear of being bullied.

I experienced bullying in my life, watched my children go through it and even my grandchildren. Some instances were more serious than others, but each time it produced anxiety, fear and uncertainty.

This story is about each one of you who has faced being bullied and had to find a way to cope with it. But it is also the story of love between two people who at first glance didn’t want anything to do with each other, but thanks to their shared circumstances they had to find a way to work together to help two teenagers. In learning to work together, they came to love each other with their whole hearts.

I hope you enjoy this story and share your own experiences around bullying. I can be reached at www.stellamaclean.comor on Facebook or Twitter.

Sincerely,

Stella

Unexpected Attraction

Stella MacLean

www.millsandboon.co.uk

STELLA MACLEANloves creating contemporary romances in which the characters find love and fulfillment while learning to live in the moment. She draws her story ideas from her life as a wife, mother, grandmother and friend, and from her professional background as a nurse and accountant. Stella is an avid bird-watcher and gardener, taking great pleasure from digging in the dirt and watching seeds she has planted add beauty and grace to her gardens.

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The single most important person in my writing life is the reader who takes the time to connect by reading my books. Shirleen Miller is one of these people. She is an avid reader who has encouraged me by offering her support and reminding me of the reason why I sit down at my computer every day.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

ANDREA TAYLOR’S SUV swerved as she swung the wheel, changed lanes then headed down the exit ramp. She was late for an appointment to show a house to a new client. She had loaded her smartphone with a tentative viewing schedule for other properties to discuss with the young couple when they met at this first house, which would be in a few minutes if all went as planned.

Because she’d grown up in this small town off I-94 near Kalamazoo, she had personal knowledge of this house, knew its interior features and its beauty. It had belonged to a family whose parents were employed at one of the subsidiaries of a large cereal production company. They had been transferred earlier in the year, leaving behind a spotless, well-staged home that Andrea was certain would appeal to the young doctor and his wife.

Yet what excited her most about this appointment today was personal. She was on track to be the top salesperson at her real estate firm if she made this sale. Reaching her sales goal would boost her confidence, make her feel more a part of the real estate business as an accomplished professional in her own right. The money would be a great bonus, as well. She wanted to take her daughter, Shannon, on a nice vacation as soon as she could afford it.

While waiting for the light at the bottom of the ramp to turn green, she glanced at her face in the rearview mirror, touched up her lipstick and then checked her cell phone for messages. The client had said he’d call when he left his office to pick up his wife. He’d been so insistent that they look at this house today she’d arranged to have her real estate partner, Gina Dowd, take Shannon to her hair appointment.

Andrea glanced again at her phone when she realized Shannon hadn’t responded to any of the messages she’d left, which was odd. Shannon usually returned her calls. Knowing her daughter, she was probably talking to her friend Chloe about their sleepover. That probably explained the silence. Shannon, her sixteen-year-old daughter, was considerate and respectful—the best daughter any mother could ask for.

Andrea turned right into the gated subdivision just as her cell phone rang. It had to be either her daughter or her client. Relieved, she checked the caller ID.

Cambridge High School? She hit the answer button. “Andrea Taylor speaking.”

“Mrs. Taylor, this is Mrs. Barton, Shannon’s homeroom teacher. Your daughter has been taken to the hospital.”

Panic pushed against her ribs. “Hospital? What’s she doing there?” she asked, easing her foot off the gas pedal. A horn blasted behind her.

“She’s been...injured.”

Injured? Who would hurt Shannon? It wasn’t possible. She pulled over and put the vehicle in Park. “What do you mean?”

“You need to get to the hospital.” Mrs. Barton hesitated. “I can meet you there if you’d like.”

Andrea couldn’t take in the woman’s words. Shannon couldn’t be hurt. “Was she in an accident?”