Attraction: (A Temptation Series Stand-alone) (The Temptation Series Book 4) (11 page)

I ignored his seductive intent and butted in. ‘Then what the
hell was that?’ I asked bewildered, and with my hands gestured to the space
they had occupied.

‘A distraction.’ Derek grinned mischievously, then sauntered
closer.

I put out my hand and held him at bay. ‘No.’

His tongue darted out of his mouth and traced his bottom
lip. ‘Why?’

‘Because you’re a terrible kisser,’ I explained, lying
through my teeth.

He smiled and pushed his stone-hard chest into my hand, the
force buckling my arm. ‘Then help me improve.’

Before I could rebut any further, Derek’s tongue was
exploring my mouth once again, his strokes slow, tender and utterly delicious.
I melted into the kiss. I couldn’t help it. It was a meltworthy exchange.

After what seemed like a lifetime in pash-paradise, he
pulled away. ‘Was that better?’

‘No. You need so much more practise,’ I slurred, still in a
euphoric state.

‘Well, that being the case, our date is now Friday night.’

‘I’m busy,’ I lied, breathing heavily as I stared into eyes
that were the sky’s mirror.

‘Carly,’ he said in a stern voice. ‘I’m fucking taking you
out this Friday night and putting my mouth to further use. Don’t argue with
me.’

I didn’t argue. How could I?

***

Friday came round rather quickly, and I soon found myself
trying to come up with an excuse to cancel. ‘What if I told him I had
perma-crabs?’ I explained to Lib.

‘Perma-crabs? What’s that?’ she asked, her tone and lack of
interest in what I was saying clear from her decision not to make eye contact
with me. Lib was completely engrossed in my
Shop Til You Drop
magazine,
both she and Sasha comfortably splayed across my bed.

Standing in front of my full-length mirror, I frustratedly
adjusted my black leather skirt which came to mid-thigh. ‘A permanent case of
crabs.’

Lib lifted her head with a dumbfounded expression. ‘You are
such an idiot. And you are your own worst enemy, you know.’ She returned her
gaze back to the magazine and flipped the page angrily.

Sighing, I sat on the bed next to her. ‘I’m getting those,’
I said sulkily as I pointed to a pair of Iron Fist heels. ‘I ordered them
yesterday.’

She smiled, but didn’t look up at me. ‘They are hot! They’ll
suit you.’

‘Hmm,’ I mumbled, as I twisted a ring on my finger.

Libby closed the magazine and gave me her full attention.
‘Okay, Carls, what’s wrong?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Don’t lie. You’re not very good at it.’

‘I’m not lying.’

‘You are the queen of equivocation.’

‘Don’t use your namby-pamby teacher vocab on me.’

‘Look,’ Lib said with an aggravated sigh, ‘you can either
tell me what’s wrong and get it off your chest in the hope I can help, or you
can continue to sulk and wallow in your own pathetic self-pity. It’s your
call.’

Dramatically flopping onto the bed, I was ambushed by Sasha
as she seized the opportunity to lick my ear. ‘Sasha! Stop it.’ I pushed her
back to a safe distance and scratched her belly in order to keep her wayward
tongue at bay.

‘So now you’re going to use evasion tactics are you, and not
answer my question?’ Libby asked.

‘I’m not deliberately trying to evade your question. I don’t
know what’s wrong.’

‘You’re sceptical about Derek. Why? He seemed nice enough.’

‘I never said I was sceptical.’

‘Queen of equivocation, enough said,’ Libby stated smugly as
she rested her head in her hands.

A frustrated groan escaped my mouth. ‘I like him, all
right.’

‘Aaand ... you didn’t like any of the copious other men you
have dated?’

Sitting up again, I shot her a distasteful glare. ‘You make
me sound like a whore. I’m not a whore, Lib. I’m just not fond of tying myself
down to someone.’

‘So what’s different? Who said you have to tie yourself down
to the firefighter?’

‘No one. I don’t.’

‘So what’s the problem then?’

‘He’s different.’

‘How?’ Lib was firing questions at me left, right and
centre, backing me into that proverbial corner that no one wanted to be in.

‘He gives me heart palpitations, all right? I lose my sense
of control when I’m around him. I don’t like it.’

She rolled onto her side and smiled emphatically. ‘Carly has
a big girl crush.’

‘So.’

‘So, it’s good. First there’s a crush, then comes love,’ she
said before laughing and continuing, ‘then comes marriage. Then comes a baby in
a baby carriage,’ Libby sang, replicating the young girls in the yard at
school.

‘Ha ha, you’re so funny,’ I spat sarcastically, huffing as I
stood up. ‘You suck. Now get out, so I can finish getting ready.

She laughed and hummed the stupid taunting tune as she
exited my room.

***

I spent the next hour conducting my own inner personal call
to arms. The mission: reiterate that I was thirty-five, mature and not in the
least bit like a school girl with a crush. Yes, I was unequivocally attracted
to Derek. And yes, he kind of made me weak at the knees, but that was it. I was
now of the mindset that he was just simply fucking sexy on an epic scale. And
it was that total sex appeal that wreaked havoc upon my usual demonstrative
self. I was going to have fun with him like I had with all the other guys I
dated. He. Was. No. Different.

Pinning the final tendril of loose hair to the top of my
head, I assessed myself in the mirror as I mentally repeated that mission to
myself, hoping the repetition would actually have me believing it. My white
Wayne Cooper tail blouse sat effortlessly over my black leather skirt. And my
eyes, as per usual, were a seductive smoky grey. As I pulled on my black patent
five-inch heels, there was a knock at the door.

‘I’ll get it!’ I shouted to Lib who probably had no plans of
lifting her arse from the couch anyway.

I quickly shuffled along the hallway and past the lounge
when Lib let out a long whistle. Halting in my tracks, I back-stepped until I
was standing at the doorway. ‘Behave,’ I warned.

‘Since when do I not?’

‘You have your moments,’ I reminded her.

A knock sounded again.

‘You’d better get that,’ she chorused in a provocative
singsong voice.

Stomping out of the room like a toddler, I made my way to
the front door and yanked it open. ‘Hi —’

Sweet mother of twat tingles.
The gush of air from
the door’s movement, or his aftershave or the sexual magnetic field that was
radiating from his body, nearly had me stumbling backward. The man before me
screamed intense eroticism.

Derek was standing on the front doorstep wearing a white
shirt and black jeans, a pair of mirrored aviators a seductive screen for his
eyes. ‘Hey,’ he said with an upward nod.

Mouth, tongue, vocal cords, teeth ... for fuck’s sake,
work in unison, please!
I tried to speak, to say the simple word he greeted
me with in return, but I failed on all counts. I could only comprehend that he
reminded me of Maverick from
Top Gun.

The sound of skittering paws on hardwood flooring broke my
Kenny Loggins head-karaoke.

Spinning around to where the approaching noise was coming
from, I spotted Sasha barrelling toward us. ‘Oh, no! Sasha, no, stop!’ I
yelled, finally finding my voice.

Sasha did what Sasha always did when the front door to
Libby’s and my house opened — she jumped on whoever walked through it.

I couldn’t stop her. It was either put myself in between her
and Derek and ruin my outfit, or let her clean him up.

I opted for the latter.

‘Look out!’ I screeched.

Sasha launched herself at Derek and, to my surprise, he caught
her quite happily.

‘Whoa! Who’s this?’ he laughed as she tried to lick his
face.

‘This is my golden retriever, Sasha. I’m so sorry.’

Looping my fingers around her collar, I guided her back to
ground level with Derek’s help, then awkwardly led her down the hallway and out
the back door. ‘Naughty girl, Sasha. No Schmackos for you. Did you hear that,
Lib?’ I shouted. ‘No Schmackos for Sasha.’

‘Whatever,’ Libby called back.

Sliding the back door closed, I turned around to find Derek
a mere metre away from me, aviators now hanging from the dip of his shirt.

‘I must admit that when I planned for a cute blonde to jump
me and lick my face, I was expecting it to be you.’

I swallowed, then, remembering my pep talk from earlier,
sucked in a confident breath and stepped up against him, pushing my breasts
into his chest. ‘The night is still young.’

CHAPTER TEN

Derek pierced me with wanting eyes, a renewed sense of
challenge sparkling from them. I tilted my chin up and invited his kiss with the
slight opening of my mouth. Before he lowered his lips to mine, he smiled ever
so slightly, that gesture enough to weaken my knees.

I slumped into him, grabbed the collar of his shirt with
both my hands and wrenched him forward, confidence growing within me as we
explored each other’s mouths with our tongues.
Fuck, he tastes good, even
minus the mint sauce.

His ability to make just a simple kiss an exquisite
experience both excited and worried me. I could indulge in his kiss and get
lost for days.

Suddenly distracted by Sasha’s barking and continuous
scratching of the glass door, I broke free from Derek and glared at her.
Sasha,
you little pussy blocker.

‘She needs training,’ he said with a nod toward my insolent
puppy.

‘I know,’ I groaned. ‘I’ve been lazy and just never arranged
it. I should really look into it though.’

He turned back to face me with a knowing smile. ‘Yeah, that
might be a good idea. I know someone, if it helps.’

I shrugged my shoulders; ‘Sure.’ Although I didn’t want to
owe him any favours.

Wanting to change the subject, I wriggled out of his arms
and walked to the kitchen bench where my purse sat. ‘So where are you taking
me?’

‘Dinner and movies,’ he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.
Then he led me from the room.

***

When Derek advised that we were going to ‘dinner and
movies’, I half expected a ritzy Michelin-starred restaurant and a gold class
cinema experience. What I didn’t expect, though, was TGI Friday’s and the local
movie theatre.

‘Have you ever had the Jack Daniels steak?’ he asked
excitedly while rubbing his hands together after we were seated.

I smiled at his cuteness. ‘No.’

‘Don’t tell me you are one of those salad and water type
girls,’ he added, a hint of aloofness in his tone.

Picking up my menu, I began to scan the choices. ‘There’s a
salad and water type of girl?’ I questioned, pretending to be curious. I knew
what he was insinuating.

He nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘And you have a problem with that “type” of girl,’ I asked,
emphasising the
type
bit and raising my eyebrows accusingly.

He held up his hands in surrender. ‘Hey, don’t get me wrong.
I’m all for watching what you eat and looking after yourself, but avoiding one
of life’s pleasures and not tasting great food for fear of gaining a little
weight, to me, is lame.’

‘Hmm ...’ I mumbled still reading my menu, not giving away
my thoughts on the topic. I wanted to make him fret.

‘What does hmm mean?’

‘Um ... I think it’s contemplation,’ I answered, keeping my
eyes on the menu and desperately trying not to laugh.

When the only thing that ensued was silence, I couldn’t help
myself and looked up, finding sex-on-a-stick harbouring a stubborn scowl. ‘It
means I completely agree with you ... to an extent,’ I laughed.

‘To an extent —’ he asked with a puzzled expression.

‘Are you ready to order?’ a waitress asked, interrupting
with a smile that didn’t quite hide her desire to go home.

Derek looked to me as if to ask if I was, in fact, ready. I
smiled and indicated that he go first. ‘Gentlemen before ladies,’ I said under
my breath.

He coughed and then looked toward the waitress. ‘Sure, I’ll
have the Jack Daniels steak, medium rare, and a pot of VB, thanks.’

The waitress jotted it down on her pad then turned to me.

‘And I’ll have the Jack Daniels burger and a Corona,
thanks,’ I replied, snapping my menu shut and handing it to her.

‘You sure you can eat all that?’ Derek asked, his tone
lacking confidence.

I can eat a fucking cow mounted on a horse and covered in
mint sauce. And even then I’d want dessert.
‘On second thoughts,’ I said to
the waitress, but keeping my eyes fixed solely on Derek, ‘I’ll have the
Ultimate Jack Daniels burger, thanks.’

‘Not a problem,’ the waitress sniggered, then walked away.

‘If you’re trying to impress me, Carly, I’m flattered. But
you don’t need to. I’m already extremely impressed,’ he advised, his eyes raking
over the parts of my body he could see.

‘You are such a cocky fucker. I’m not trying to impress you
one bit. I’ve told you this before and I’ll say it again, this is me. Take me
or leave me. End of.’

‘Oh, I’ll take you all right,’ he said, leaning forward
across the table. ‘And when I do, your body won’t function for days afterward.
Every sensation you feel from then on in will remind you of what I did, how I
did it and how much you fucking loved it.’

I forced myself to swallow and felt my nipples tingle in
response to his promise. My Carly-cave also clenched and burned with need.
Extinguish.
Extinguish my fiery hole, goddamn it.

‘Well, senior firefighter King, you have just set the bar
very high. Don’t let me down.’

He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his
chest, an expression of pure satisfaction rolling from him. ‘I won’t.’

‘Here you go,’ the waitress said as she placed our drinks
down. ‘Your meals won’t be much longer.’