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

by Golland, KM

  ‘This week’s yard warrior is Jet Bradley from grade three,’ Katie announced.

  Jet sprang up from his seated position and voiced an enthusiastic, ‘Yeah.’

  During his journey to the front of the gymnasium where Katie and Matthew stood waiting to hand him his award, Jet performed some warrior-like moves, drawing a laugh from the students and faculty.

  Libby — his teacher — shook her head with mild amusement, then applauded him on his efforts before he took his seat back amongst the rest of his class.

  ‘We’d like to remind everyone that next week is Jump Rope for Heart Day. You will need to wear your sports uniform to school on that day. Please also remember to bring in any sponsorship money you have raised,’ Matthew informed his peers. Argh, I hate sorting money. Spending it ... yeah. Sorting it when it’s not mine ... not so much.

  Katie and Matthew then took turns to inform everyone about the Easter Hat Parade and Easter Chocolate Drive that were scheduled in the coming weeks, when I noticed Samuel Carter — aged five — fishing for the world’s most elusive booger. What was quite remarkable about his attempt was the angle at which he twisted and turned his finger in order to successfully secure it. Impressed with his skills or not, I shook my head at him when he caught my eye and indicated he remove his digit from his nostril. He blushed bright red then stuck his booger-encrusted finger directly into his mouth. Eww! Feral little fucklets.

  ‘We would like to welcome Miss Hanson to speak to you about an exciting new music program,’ Katie advised before handing Libby the microphone.

  The mention of a new and exciting music program was news to me. So with curiosity, I listened intently.

  ‘Good morning, Yellow Bark Primary School students,’ Libby said in a chirpy tone.

  ‘Good morning, Miss Hanson,’ they replied in unison.

  ‘Who enjoys singing and playing an instrument? Raise your hand for me,’ she asked while surveying the room with her hand pressed to her forehead. ‘Excellent, that’s a lot of you. Well, it just so happens that I have some very exciting news to share with you. You see, I have a friend who sings and plays the guitar and he has agreed to come and visit the school once a week to give you some lessons,’ Libby explained.

  Many of the students clapped excitedly, but I stood perplexed and wondering what the fuck? These things were normally brought to my attention long before they were publicly announced.

  Furrowing my brow, I continued to listen to her announcement, but caught Sally grinning at me like a deranged clown. ‘What?’ I mouthed, now even more confused.

  She shook her head, her smile increasing, and mouthed the response, ‘Nothing.’

  Bullshit nothing.

  ‘My special guest is part of a music ensemble, and he has kindly agreed to perform a song for you today so that you too can see just how much fun it is to sing and learn an instrument. Now, before I ask him out here, some of you may recognise him. Hmm ... I wonder who is smart enough to know why. Anyway, please make him feel very welcome, students. This is Mr King!’ Libby announced and then locked eyes with me.

  Holy fucking friend of the devil, she did not just say that.

  I’m not sure if I blushed bright red or paled to a ghostly white — because I was without a mirror and couldn’t see my reflection — regardless, I changed colour. I knew I did. I could feel it.

  Looking around the room to try and pinpoint his whereabouts, I nearly jumped so high as to hit the roof when the twang of his guitar sounded behind me.

  I turned around to find him casually dressed in jeans and a tight grey tee, his acoustic guitar hanging over his shoulder. He had on a microphone headpiece and was slowly walking toward me as he strummed his guitar.

  I was rooted to the spot; stunned, unable to move any which way. I was also hell-bent on not making a scene or alluding to the fact that both Derek and I knew each other. The last thing I needed were students singing annoying love anthems every time I walked past them.

  Watching him intently as he stopped beside me, my heart fluttered frantically within my chest. I honestly couldn’t say what consumed me the most: fear, embarrassment or a realisation.

  Sucking in a deep breath, the scent that was Derek infiltrated my body, mind and soul. He was freshly showered and emitting a mixture of aftershave, deodorant and a hint of smokiness that all combined together to be purely Derek. Closing my eyes for the slightest of seconds, I quickly savoured the aroma and then reopened them.

  He looked out over the students and gave them a confident grin right before he glanced in my direction and began to sing ‘Unintended’ by Muse. It floored me, because I recognised the song almost instantly. Alexis was a huge fan of that band and had dragged me to one or two of their concerts.

  ‘That’s firefighter Derek,’ Tanner shouted and pointed toward him.

  Derek smiled and chuckled through a lyric, then gave me another quick glance before continuing to walk through the centre of the gymnasium. Unfortunately, I was still in a state of astonishment and remained completely expressionless as he strode away.

  The small walkway allowing movement through the two groups of students seated on the floor — what was referred to by the teachers and students as the catwalk — was an easy, clear and quick route for Derek to make his way to the front of the room. As he walked in between the children, my stare followed his retreating form as if it were invisibly glued to him, a part of him ... attracted to him.

  Derek stopped every few steps and acknowledged a child with a smile or a wink and then continued until he was almost standing beside Libby at the front of the gym. His clear, flawless voice carried the ballad through the room beautifully, captivating everyone listening.

  As he turned around to face the room, his eyes locked on mine, and the lyrics he then sang were undoubtedly directed at me. He was telling me through the song that I was his unintended, the one he chose to love. He was telling me that yes, he had a past, but that I was the one he wanted for his future. The sheer honesty and fragility of his public confession hit me so hard that a tear escaped my eye.

  What is wrong with me? I don’t cry. I don’t do tears. I’ve never done tears. Wiping my cheek with my hand, I cursed the fact that this man had made me cry more in the eight months I had known him than I had at any other time in my life. He was a fucking human onion.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Brooke whispered as she stepped up beside me, inconspicuously covering her mouth.

  ‘Mm-hmm,’ I murmured, nodding a couple of times.

  ‘Good. Just checking you weren’t going to flee the room. I don’t fancy tackling you in front of the student body,’ she advised as she turned and made her way back to where her class was seated.

  Directing her an astounded look, it went unnoticed as she didn’t glance back at me. At that point, I looked up and found the faculty mesmerised by Derek’s performance. My colleagues — even Vice Principal Sidebottom — were captivated and watching him with unwavering attention.

  A smile broke through my tears as I returned my stare to him, finding that he had been watching me with what appeared to be a slight expression of trepidation. When he noticed my smile he beamed his own, which relit the fuse to my heart.

  In that moment, I realised that he was the one. Mine ... my unintended. Derek and I just ‘are’.

  I wiped another tear and straightened my shoulders, mentally preparing myself for what lay ahead. I knew now — and probably had all along — that I wanted Derek in my life for good. I wanted Derek and everything that came along with him: his dangerous job, his unconventional family, his history where Lucy, Nic and Alexander were concerned. I realised that I could deal with it all if it meant that he and I were together.

  Derek played the coda, slowing down the plucking of the strings to the very end. The room erupted into a round of applause, my own two hands frantically clapping as well.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said graciously. ‘So how was that? Did you like it?’

  The room’s occupants
said, ‘Yes.’

  ‘Would you like to learn how to do that?’ he asked enthusiastically, his child-speaking-voice making me giggle.

  Again the room’s occupants said, ‘Yes.’

  ‘Great! Because I would really like to teach you.’

  Libby raised the microphone to her mouth and addressed the room. ‘Wasn’t that cool? Thank you so much, Mr King. Now, I heard someone call out that they recognised our special guest.’

  ‘Me,’ Tanner shouted and stood up. ‘That’s firefighter Derek.’

  ‘Tanner, yes it is, but please sit down, and next time raise your hand,’ Libby instructed. ‘Tanner is correct. Mr King is also firefighter Derek. He is a man of many talents.’

  My eyebrows shot up, and I had to quickly cover my mouth with my hand to muffle my snort-outburst.

  Brooke, Libby, Sally and Derek all glanced in my direction, Libby reddening in the cheeks at her slip of the tongue.

  She cleared her throat and continued. ‘You too can be good at many different things when you grow older. But first you have to be good in school. Do you think you can all do that?’

  ‘Yes!’ the children shouted happily.

  ‘Excellent! Now, if you would like to learn to sing or play an instrument, make sure you take home today’s newsletter and give it to your parents. Everyone please thank Mr King.’

  The students said thank you to Derek in unison while Libby handed the microphone back to Katie, who then advised everyone that assembly was now over and for all to make their way back to class.

  As the children — led by their teachers — filtered out of the gymnasium, I waited until Derek had politely accepted praise for his performance by passing staff and, in turn, expressed his gratitude.

  The last of the room’s occupants were leaving when Derek slowly strode toward me, stopping just shy of my position in the room. Silence ensued as we took each other in and waited to be left alone.

  When the wooden door slammed and cemented our privacy, he spoke. ‘Baby, you are my unintended and I am yours. Stop fighting it.’

  ‘Okay,’ I whispered, closing the distance between us and placing my hand on his cheek before pressing my lips to his.

  Our kiss was quick, sweet and enough to relay the surrender within. I wanted it to be more, but I had control, and now was not the time or place for it to become what all kisses shared between Derek and I became.

  Pulling away, I sucked in a breath. ‘We have a few things to sort through.’

  ‘I know, and we will. I promise to be more open with you. I want this, Carly. I want us to work.’

  I nodded. ‘How ’bout you come over tonight and —’

  Derek’s pager beeped continuously, interrupting our conversation. He pulled it from his pocket and grimaced with disappointment. ‘Shit!’

  ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked, noticing his unease.

  ‘There’s an out of control grass fire just past Wallan. It’s a big one so I have to go,’ he explained sorrowfully.

  ‘Go, firefighter Derek. Go and put out fires,’ I said as I placed my hands on his chest.

  He chuckled, then kissed me once more. ‘I’ll call you later, as soon as I’m relieved from duty.’

  I nodded. ‘Okay.’

  As Derek turned to leave the room, my stomach clenched tightly. ‘Be careful,’ I called out, almost desperately.

  He stopped at the door and turned back. ‘I always am,’ then winked and left the room.

  The extreme heat and strong winds that were forecast for the day were a major concern. Knowing the dangers, and knowing that Derek would be out there amongst it, left me feeling ill.

  ***

  ‘Stop checking your watch,’ Libby said from her lounging position on the couch. We were watching Game of Thrones but the telecast was forever being interrupted with updates of the grass fire in Wallan that had turned into an out of control bushfire, devastating over 10,000 hectares of land.

  I couldn’t function properly.

  ‘I wasn’t,’ I lied in response. I’d been checking it constantly for the past three hours.

  ‘He’ll be busy, Carls. The fire flared up quickly, so he probably hasn’t had a chance to ring in,’ she offered for reassurance.

  ‘I know. But it’s been hours, Lib. Surely he’d get a break or something. To recharge and freshen up.’ I leaned forward and placed my elbows on my knees, resting my head in my hands. ‘I just want one text saying he’s okay.’

  Lib scooted over to where I was sitting and put her arm around my shoulder. ‘This is what he does for a living. He fights fires. He saves people, animals and infrastructure. He’s out there being a hero. Heroes don’t have time to text their girlfriends.’

  I rolled my eyes at her. ‘Fine, but can we turn this off and watch something else. The constant newsflashes are making me crazy.’

  Lib stood up and walked over to the DVD cabinet. ‘Hmm ... how ’bout some Gosling?’ she mused, pulling out The Notebook.

  ‘Do you even need to ask?’ I joked.

  ***

  I woke the next morning and stretched uncomfortably, realising I had fallen asleep on the couch the night before. Confusion washed over me: why hadn’t I taken myself to bed? Then I remembered Derek hadn’t called.

  Dread filled my being, and I scrambled to find my phone in order to check whether he had left a message or tried to call while I was asleep.

  ‘Where is it?’ I groaned, wrenching the cushions from the couch to look underneath them.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Lib asked while sounding a simultaneous yawn.

  ‘Trying to find my phone. Derek may have left a message or tried to call. And why didn’t you wake me last night?’

  ‘I did. You said you’d go to bed soon.’

  ‘Was I even awake when I said that?’ I asked, clearly annoyed. ‘I slept out here all night.’

  ‘Oh ... well, you slept and that’s the whole point of sleeping, right?’

  ‘Where is it?’ I yelled, grabbing my hair and pulling frustratedly.

  Lib walked up to me and pulled my top open. I was about to protest when she retrieved my phone from my bra.

  ‘I don’t know why you keep it there,’ she said, a little bemused, as she walked into the kitchen.

  Swiping my screen to activate it, I answered dismissively. ‘Because pockets have no place in the world of fashion.’

  Many emotions ran through my body when I realised Derek had not made contact: disappointment, fear, anxiety, and an overwhelming sense of dread that something was wrong.

  Without a second thought, I dialled Derek’s station, impatiently pacing while waiting for the call to connect.

  ‘MFB Station 10. Can I help you?’ a middle-aged woman answered.

  ‘Yes, this is Carly, Officer King’s girlfriend. I’m trying to get hold of him. I was wondering if he has called into the station?’

  There was a pause before she answered. ‘I’m sorry, Carly, but I’m not at liberty to release any information to anyone other than next of kin.’

  ‘Next of kin,’ I shrieked. ‘Why? What’s happened? Where’s Derek? Is he okay?’

  ‘I’m sorry, dear, but I cannot say anything further. You will need to get in contact with his family,’ she said apologetically.

  With a shaking hand I ended the call and stared blankly at my phone.

  ‘Carly, what’s wrong?’ Lib asked, her voice etched with concern.

  ‘Something has happened to Derek,’ I explained, the words coming out of my mouth as if spoken by a robot.

  She touched my shoulder and forced my gaze to hers. ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘Because the station receptionist said I should call his next of kin.’

  Tears began to pool in my eyes. I tried blinking them away, but to no avail.

  ‘That doesn’t mean something is wrong, Carls. It’s just a privacy thing. She can’t tell you anything, good or bad.’

  ‘I know him, Lib. He would’ve sent a text the second he could’ve. An
d if everything was okay, he would’ve had that second long before now,’ I answered with absolute certainty.

  As we stared at each other in indecision, the loud shrill of my ringing phone unexpectedly broke the silence and made me jump. I fumbled with it, nearly dropping it on the ground. After steadying my hand, Layla’s name appeared on my screen and seeing it there stopped my heart’s beat.

  Frozen in fear, the constricting of my chest, and the inability to move, had me motionless, not wanting to answer it and be told what I could not even begin to fathom, yet I was desperate to hear that nothing was wrong and that he was all right. Never in my life had so much ridden on the simple touch of a finger to a screen.

  Holding my breath, I swiped my phone to answer Layla’s call. ‘Hello,’ I barely voiced.

  ‘Carly? It’s Layla. Have you heard from Derek?’ she asked, her voice saturated with desperation.

  Painfully — and slowly — I let my breath out. ‘No. Have you?’

  The sound of her masking a sob triggered an ache to develop in my heart. ‘No ... he’s ... he’s MIA.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  I didn’t want to ask but had no power to stop the terrifying question from leaving my mouth.

  ‘Yes. From what Sean and I have been told, he was with his tanker and crew on a property just past Kilmore. The wind changed direction and then communication was lost. Since then, the pilot of an air-crane who made a routine pass over the property reported that the house was completely destroyed, together with the tanker. Apparently the road into the property is still unsafe, so they cannot send additional crew,’ she explained with resignation.

  ‘Oh god, when ... when will the road be safe? They need to get more crew there. He could be hurt. They need to get someone there now!’ I cried with desperation.

  ‘Carly,’ she sobbed. ‘They are doing everything they can. Sean and I are about to head to a firefighting base camp they’ve set up in Wallan. Would you like to come with us?’