Attraction: (A Temptation Series Stand-alone) (The Temptation Series Book 4)

by Golland, KM

  ‘Where did you get this?’

  ‘Airport. I’d always wondered why there would need to be a fancy lingerie shop at the airport. Now I know,’ he said with cheeky raised eyebrow.

  Eagerly, I slid the bag from his finger and peeked inside, moving the tissue paper to find a stunning piece of black and red lingerie. ‘What is it?’

  He stepped toward me, gently coaxing me into the house. ‘It’s what you will be wearing today, Carly. It’s what I will be thinking about as I sing on that stage, and it’s what I will quite fucking happily remove from you before we fuck later tonight.’

  Stopping at the sound of the words he just spoke, my cheeks warmed and my pussy meowed. Yes, it meowed like a hungry feline. I smiled boldly and once again peeked into the bag before turning on my heels. ‘Well, best I go put it on then.’

  ***

  Not long after Derek arrived to pick me up, we’d had to leave so as not to be late to Live Trepidation’s gig at Bar 22. Mind you, they’d be hard pressed starting proceedings without their lead singer.

  I’d been to this particular venue before with Steph and Jade, as we all loved scoping out local bands. Funnily enough, we’d never previously come across Live T.

  ‘Hey, Derek, glad to have you back,’ Lucy said as we approached the stage upon arrival.

  Lucy — together with Bryce, Will and Matt — was setting up for the gig. She gave him a tight hug and rubbed his back affectionately. Her reassuring gesture stirred my inner hulk, but I quickly put that to rest by reminding myself that Lucy was pussyfied and cock-resistant.

  She pulled away from Derek and then gave me a quick hug in greeting as well. ‘Nice to see you again, Carly.’

  ‘You too,’ I replied as we pulled apart. ‘Derek, I’m just going to go and sit with Alexis and the kids, all right?’

  He leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the lips before whispering in my ear, ‘Don’t forget, I’ll be thinking about what’s under those clothes the whole time I’m up there.’

  I moved my lips to his ear while gently grazing my cheek to his. ‘And I’ll be thinking about how you will take it off me and what you will do afterward. Don’t forget, you have set the bar high.’

  He chuckled. ‘Baby, my bar will be high, don’t you worry.’

  ‘I’m not,’ I said sincerely, as I pulled away from him.

  Now directing my attention to the rest of the band, I smiled and wished them well. ‘Good luck, guys.’

  ‘Don’t need it,’ Will replied arrogantly. ‘Pure talent does not require luck.’

  ‘True,’ I yelled back as I walked away. ‘But pure narcissism leads to nothing but fapping, so I hope you like self-service.’

  Bryce laughed at my response. Will, on the other hand, asked what narcissism meant.

  Winking at him, I then detoured to the bar to get myself a glass of wine before making my way over to where Alexis and the kids were sitting.

  ‘Hey, bitch,’ I greeted her as she picked at a loose thread on the red and white striped tub chair she was sitting on. Nate and Charlotte were also sitting in tub chairs positioned around a small wood-slatted table. They were both quietly playing their iPods.

  ‘Hi, Carls,’ she responded as she snapped out of her preoccupied state.

  Straightaway, I sensed that she was agitated, but it wasn’t in a way that had me worried. Instead, her nervous demeanour had me curious.

  ‘Nice day, huh?’

  She looked at me, but her eyes held no direct interest in what I was saying. ‘Yeah, nice.’

  ‘Summer, come at me,’ I added eagerly as I sat down, scruffing Nate’s hair in the process. ‘How’s it going, twerps?’

  ‘I’m not a twerp, Aunty Carls,’ Charlotte stated with absolute certainty.

  ‘I beg to differ.’

  She wrinkled her nose. ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘It means she still thinks we are twerps,’ Nate added without taking his attention away from his iPod.

  ‘That it does, and Mum agrees with me, don’t ya, Lex?’ I asked, wanting to bring their mother in on the fun. She didn’t answer me, continuing to stare intently at the band who were just about finished with setting up. ‘Alexis?’ I asked again, this time raising my voice.

  ‘Yeah, what?’ she snapped.

  ‘Are you all right? You’ve been off with the pixies ever since I arrived.’

  ‘Sorry, I’m just ...’ she leaned in closer to me, ‘nervous.’

  Alexis then slumped back in her seat with a terrified expression on her face.

  ‘Why are you nervous?’

  She quickly glanced at Charli and Nate who both had their heads down, attention fixed on their iPods. ‘Derek has been teaching me how to play the guitar, and I’m going to surprise Bryce with a song. I’m freaking out. I’ve only been playing for a few months.’

  ‘Fuck off!’ I said out aloud, honestly surprised by her confession. I knew that she had been getting lessons, but had no idea that she’d planned to perform at one of the band’s gigs.

  Alexis glared at me, then subtly flicked her eyes in the kids direction. Both twerps hadn’t even flinched.

  ‘Are you for real? Oh, my god! That’s awesome. So why are you nervous?’ I asked with excitement, having not heard Lexi sing for years. She used to sing a lot when we were younger. Mind you, back then I found it annoying.

  ‘Oh,’ she deadpanned for the smallest of seconds, ‘let me guess ... ’cause there’s a whole rooftop full of freakin’ strangers.’

  I picked up my glass of wine and sipped it. ‘Who cares?’

  ‘I do!’ she blurted out as she picked up hers, sipping it not quite as calmly as I had.

  ‘Why? Who are you performing for? Them,’ I gestured to the people slowly filling the space around us, ‘or Bryce?’

  She closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds and sucked in a deep breath. ‘Bryce.’

  ‘So just play it for him. Don’t even acknowledge anyone else,’ I explained before sipping my drink again.

  Glancing up at the stage, I focussed my attention on Derek and his bent-over position. He was fiddling around with guitar amp cords and displaying his sexy as fuck arse for my enjoyment. ‘We haven’t had vanilla yet,’ I regretfully confessed.

  ‘Oh.’ Lexi gave the kids another quick glance, checking to see if they were still occupied with their handheld devices and not catching on to the fact that their mother and I were now talking about sex. ‘Why not? That’s unlike you. You normally devour vanilla, then jump right into chocolate or even rocky road.’

  ‘I do not,’ I scoffed, blatantly lying. She knew me so well.

  ‘Yes, you do. There’re not many flavours you haven’t tried.’ This is true.

  ‘I like strawberry, Aunty Carls. Do you like strawberry?’ Charli asked, her eyes still figuratively glued to her screen.

  Pressing my lips together to refrain from laughing, but also utilising my locked tight lips, I sounded an ‘mm’ noise before I was able to answer. ‘Yes, Charli, I love strawberry. It’s my favourite.’

  ‘Mum, what’s your favourite?’

  Alexis turned a nice shade of flushed pink. ‘I like vanilla with sprinkles and topping and chocolate chips,’ she answered quickly.

  ‘Yeah, me too,’ Charli smiled. ‘Can I have some now?’

  This conversation had turned highly amusing. I was now revelling in the fact that Lexi had to somehow dig herself out of this double entendre styled discussion.

  ‘What, Charli?’ Lexi asked, appearing a little flustered. ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Ice cream.’

  ‘Oh. Um ... sure.’ She dug out her purse. ‘Nate?’

  ‘I’ll have what she’s having,’ he replied unperturbed and, like Charli, not removing his eyes from the little screen before him. This is the best doublespoken conversation ever.

  I couldn’t help it and started laughing. It was no secret that I loved watching Alexis squirm during an awkward situation.

  She glared playfully
at me in return. ‘Here, Charli, go up to the bistro desk over there and order two ice cream sundaes. Nate, go with her, please.’

  When they were gone, Lexi turned to me, all serious like. ‘Why haven’t you fucked Derek yet? Carls, what’s wrong with him?’

  I shook my head, displaying my bewilderment. ‘Nothing, it’s not him. It’s me.’

  ‘What’s wrong with you, then? Is your fiery hole singed?’ she asked, nearly choking on the wine she had not long beforehand consumed.

  I glared at her. ‘You’re such a bitch. No, I really like him and I don’t want to screw this up,’ I explained honestly.

  Saying it out loud even surprised me.

  Alexis pulled my hands into hers and squeezed them with reassurance. ‘You’re not going to screw this up, Carls,’ she said quietly.

  ‘How can you be so sure?’ I groaned.

  ‘Well, I can’t, hon. But I know you, and you’re awesome. Derek seems to like your awesomeness as well, so just be yourself and go with the flow. Don’t try to change who you are.’

  I sighed. ‘It’s not that simple.’

  ‘Carly?’ she questioned harshly.

  ‘Yes,’ I replied, deliberately lacing my tone with hostility.

  ‘Do you want to fuck Derek?’ Of course I want to fucking fuck Derek. Who in their right mind wouldn’t?

  Sighing at the thought that I would be doing just that by the end of this day, I answered. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well, that’s fucking great, because I want to fuck you, too,’ Derek said as he stepped up beside me, a shit-eating grin on his face. ‘How ’bout tonight? My house. I’ll even cook you dinner first.’

  I took in his knowing expression, his intent both terrifying and exciting me beyond anything else I had ever felt sexually.

  Leaning closer he spoke quietly, his breath tickling my ear. ‘I won’t bite, Carls, unless you want me to.’

  My eyes widened at the visual I was conjuring in my head of Derek sinking his teeth in my neck. I kind of had a thing for vampires, Damon Salvatore and Eric Northman my ultimate vamp porn.

  ‘Sure,’ I answered shakily.

  ‘Good.’ He stood back up with a satisfied yet cocky look on his face then turned to Lexi. ‘Alexis, how are you feeling?’

  ‘As nervous as fuck,’ she answered, holding up her trembling hands as evidence.

  ‘Don’t be. The last time we rehearsed you were fine. I will pick up the chords if you falter. Now, Lucy is going to call Charli up on stage as soon as our set finishes, then you’ll be next.’

  ‘Okay,’ she answered.

  I was still staring intensely at Derek, eye-fucking him greedily, and mentally licking his caramel skin. He had flipped a switch and turned on my Carly-cave, triggering an excited tingle of anticipation deep in my core.

  ‘Hope you like chicken. I make a mean satay,’ Derek declared before placing a quick kiss on my lips. He then made his way back to the stage, not even giving me a chance to respond or kiss him back, or even cop a quick feel of his package.

  Slowly settling my Derek-daze, I made eye contact with Lexi. ‘I don’t.’

  ‘You don’t what?’ she asked with a confused expression.

  ‘Like satay,’ I admitted. ‘But fuck! I’ll eat it for him. I’ll even eat it off him if he wants.’

  Dropping my head to the table, I surrendered to the enormity that was Dik.

  ***

  Derek owned the stage during the following set in a way that only a naturally sexy and talented lead singer could own it. It wasn’t just the fact that his voice had sensual unadulterated sex with my eardrums. No, it was more than that. It was the way he caressed the mic stand and how he fingered the strings on his guitar. It was the way he made eye contact with the occupants of the room. And it was the way he articulated his connection to the lyrics; his inner emotions poured out of him in the form of intense facial expressions. It was clear he was a passionate person, dedicated to everything he put his time into and that was by far his sexiest trait. Well, that, and his caramel chest and Cockasaurus Rex.

  ‘When do I get to sing?’ Charli asked, excited and impatient.

  ‘Derek said when they finish this first set of songs,’ I explained. ‘So what are you going to sing, Charli?’

  ‘I’m going to sing “True Colours”. Lucy has been helping me practise. I like that song because it’s about rainbows.’ Um ... well, technically, twerp, it’s about finding inner courage and being yourself, but I guess rainbows will do.

  The music died down and the band began to exit the stage, except for Lucy. ‘Charlotte, would you like to come up here?’ she voiced through the microphone.

  Charli sprang up like a bloody jack-in-the-box and enthusiastically made her way up on stage.

  ‘We have a very special guest here today to perform a song for you,’ Lucy continued as she adjusted her seated position behind the keyboard. ‘I’d like to introduce Miss Charlotte Summers. She is going to help me sing “True Colours” by Cyndi Lauper.’

  Charli took a seat next to Lucy and moved the microphone down so that it was positioned perfectly in front of her mouth. ‘Hi, everyone,’ she said happily, addressing the room’s occupants with confidence.

  Lucy started playing the keyboards, and I couldn’t help but notice how naturally beautiful she really was. I even decided that had I enjoyed a little lady-licking myself, I’d totally want in on her.

  Charlotte was a natural performer and entertained everyone in the room with her happy aura, Lucy guiding her the entire time. As the song wound to a close and Lucy slowly pressed the final keys on the keyboard, the room erupted into a round of applause. Alexis and I both stood and clapped Charli’s efforts. The twerp’s innate talents were like her mother’s.

  ‘Thank you very much,’ Charli said, positioning herself in the middle of the stage and curtsying before leaping to the ground happily.

  Alexis walked toward her and knelt down, meeting her daughter halfway in order to give her a congratulatory hug. Lucy also stepped down from the stage and squatted next to them before she and Charli then made their way to where I now sat with the rest of the band, sans Derek.

  Standing up slowly from her squatted position in front of the stage, I watched as Lexi nervously smoothed down her pink floral dress before greeting Derek and accepting the guitar he handed her. He gave her a friendly and reassuring wink then took a seat on a stool positioned next to hers.

  ‘What’s she doing?’ Bryce asked, clearly confused.

  ‘Just shut up and watch,’ Lucy replied with a conceited smile.

  ‘Yeah, it’s a secret,’ Charli added.

  ‘Hello, everyone, my name is Alexis and I have to let you in on a little secret. You see, for the past few months, I have been learning to play the guitar for the sole purpose of performing here today as a surprise for someone who means the world to me. This special someone and I suffered a great tragedy recently, and in the midst of that tragedy, I came to realise that I couldn’t live without him. He always finds ways to support and give me everything that I could possibly want or need. So I wanted to give him something back, something only I could give him. Bryce, this is from me to you.’

  ‘You’ve got to be bloody shittin’ me,’ he said as he muffled his mouth with his hand. ‘How the hell did I not know about this?’

  Lexi started strumming the guitar, Derek joining in and playing his part alongside her. I watched in awe as she began singing and inwardly admired her courage. Not wanting to openly admit it to her before because she was having her mini-breakdown, but fucked if I would ever do anything even remotely like what she was doing now. I’d seriously pee my pants.

  Before too long, and as if able to wield a spell on all around her, Alexis had captivated the room’s occupants, everyone hanging on every note that she sang and every move that she and Derek made. Even I was entranced and astonished by how brilliantly she played the guitar.

  Alexis stepped from the stool she had been seated on and placed the guitar
on top of it, opting to take the microphone with both hands and make her way toward our table, or more accurately, toward Bryce.

  The chemistry and love between the both of them in that moment was immeasurable. The way they blocked out everyone else around them and focussed solely on each other was purely magical. It was what I wanted with Derek, that instant where no one else in the world other than the two of us existed.

  In that moment, as if having been smacked across the head with a wake-up-and-seize-the-day bat, I realised that what Derek and I shared was not just attraction. It was a deep connection that, if he too felt the same way, meant it was quite possible we could have a future together.

  Realising I’d just had an epiphany of sorts, I tore my eyes away from Alexis and Bryce and looked toward Derek, who was still perched on a stool on the stage. He was watching me intently as he played the guitar, his stare setting every nerve ending I possessed into an explosive state. The heat from his burning gaze had the ability to mentally strip each item of clothing from my body, stripping me down to my core.

  I realised once again that he owned me. What. The. Fuck?

  Alexis finished the song and then indulged in a near-porn session on Bryce’s lap. I was almost at the point of covering both the twerp’s eyes.

  ‘You are incredible. I’m ... I’m just so ...’ Bryce shook his head in awed shock. ‘I ... thank you ...’ he stuttered.

  ‘You’re welcome. Sometimes it’s easier to hide something furtively than it is to hide it blatantly,’ Alexis said softly to him with a sneaky smile.

  ‘Nice work, Alexis,’ Will added with a tilt of his beer in her direction. ‘Now we can finally get rid of Derek.’

  ‘I heard that, arsehole,’ Derek answered as he stopped next to where Bryce and Alexis were seated.

  Lexi climbed off of Bryce’s lap and stood up, giving Derek a hug. ‘Thank you so much,’ she said appreciatively.

  He chuckled at something she whispered in his ear and then pulled away. ‘You did great.’

  Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. ‘I did miss that chord.’

  ‘What chord?’ he said with a shrug of his shoulders, obviously trying to dismiss her mistake.

  Bryce rose to his feet and shook Derek’s hand. ‘Thanks, mate, although I’m not sure what to think about you being able to spend so much time with my woman behind my back and without my knowledge.’