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

by Golland, KM

‘No, no, no. No crying. You’ll ruin your make-up,’ Lexi said, attempting to retract her hand in order to wipe my tears.

  I gripped it tightly and held it against my lap, blinking to clear my vision so that I could look upon her clearly. ‘Thank you, for everything. For being here. For being my best friend and putting up with me. For being you.’

  With a curious expression, she tilted her head to the side. ‘Carls, you don’t have to thank me. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else or with anyone else. And as for putting up with you? I have had years of practice,’ she said with a wink. ‘Now, enough of the waterworks. You have a man to marry.’

  Lexi stood up and pulled me up with her. ‘And boy, is that man keen to marry you.’

  I let out a laugh-sob. ‘No shit. Hence I’m wearing a maternity wedding dress. Who in their fucking right mind gets married when they are pregnant?’

  ‘Two people who are too in love to wait, that’s who. It’s romantic,’ she cooed as she brushed off my shoulders. ‘And anyway, you are not wearing just any maternity wedding dress.’

  ‘No, I’m not,’ I answered while fluttering my hands in front of my face in order to compose myself.

  Smiling back my hormonal tears, I glanced down at the Vera Wang gown that Alexis had gifted me. It was absolutely gorgeous: column-cut with Swarovski crystal embellished lace that covered my shoulders and continued over an ivory satin, full-length slip. The dress was snug but stretched comfortably across my tummy.

  At first I had said no, that there was no way in hell I could accept it. But Lexi insisted and, let’s face it, she’s loaded now ... not to mention it’s Vera-Fucking-Wang!

  Just as I’d managed to gather my bearings, Lib barged through the door, quickly struggling to shut it behind her. ‘Derek, I mean it, go away. You are not seeing her.’

  ‘Baby, are you in there?’ Derek called out, his arm jammed in the door, his hand frantically searching the wooden panel.

  I broke away from Alexis and rushed to the door. ‘Yes!’

  ‘No!’ Lib said, holding me at bay with her arm as she fought to keep Derek and I separated.

  Reaching around her, I placed my hand in his, making sure I stayed out of his line of sight. ‘What’s wrong? Are you all right?’

  ‘I am now,’ he said softly as his fingers wrapped around mine. ‘I wanted to make sure you were okay. I wanted to make sure both my girls had everything they needed.’

  The adoration lacing his tone when he referred to me and our unborn daughter as ‘his girls’ was incredibly sweet. It was also an incredible turn-on. ‘We are fine. Although, my cave could do with a quick exploration,’ I stated with a hint of innuendo.

  ‘Carly Josephine Henkley, I hope you are not insinuating what I think you are. Last time I checked, you were not the owner of a hollow space in the ground,’ Mum questioned with a stern yet unperturbed tone.

  Derek’s grip tightened around my hand. ‘Mrs Henkley, it would appear that I need to excuse your daughter for say ... ten minutes,’ he implied. ‘I’ll bring her right back. I promise.’

  ‘Derek, if you want to become my son-in-law today, you have exactly ten seconds to release Carly’s hand and make your way to the marquee.’

  He groaned painfully and let go of my hand. ‘Fine, but you drive a hard bargain.’ Quickly taking hold of it again, he gently caressed my engagement ring with his fingertips. ‘I love you, baby. See you soon. Give her rub for me.’

  Leaning forward, I kissed the back of his hand while rubbing my tummy like he’d asked. ‘I will. Now go, or I’ll be lat—’

  ‘Derek, what the fuck are you doing?’ a voice interrupted us. ‘Get out of there.’

  ‘Ease up, Sean. I’m just havin’ a quick word,’ Derek ground out.

  ‘Well, your time is up. Step away from the door.

  ‘Hey, Sean?’ I called out.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Is Layla with you? We are nearly ready.’

  ‘I’m here, I’m here,’ she replied from the other side of the door, ‘but I’m not coming in until Derek leaves.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah. All right, I’m leaving,’ Derek grumbled.

  Seconds later, the door opened and Layla entered, a flurry of mint green chiffon whisking past me. ‘Okay, everything is set. The boys are making their way to the marquee, the celebrant is ready and the guests are all seated,’ she advised as Lex handed her a glass of champagne.

  Just over two years ago, not too long after Derek and Sean came to blows at the firefighters base camp in Wallan, Layla and I conspired and decided it would be our mission to get the brothers on pleasant terms again. What we didn’t bargain on was that they would not only reconcile their differences, but that they would become extremely close as a result. It was a fantastic outcome and a miracle to say the least, especially after how livid Derek was when he found out that I had gone behind his back to arrange for him and Sean to be stuck in an elevator together at City Towers.

  My plan was brilliant, having made sure Bryce had absolutely nothing to do with it, as I did not want my actions jeopardising their friendship. Lucy, on the other hand, well ... she was all for it. And so it happened, she, together with Layla, ended up being my perfect accomplices. Admittedly, the plan was risky, because once the boys were stuck in the elevator, no one could pry them apart in a hurry if they went head to head, which they did. But luckily, I could communicate through the elevator’s speaker system, and between Layla and I, we were able to keep their tempers neutral ... at least after they’d expelled their initial anger and testosterone. It really was perfect.

  ‘Okay. I’m ready. I’m ready to become Mrs Dik,’ I said eagerly, knowing that as soon as we got this whole process started, the sooner Derek and I could sneak away for some cave-diving.

  My mother tutted before she hollered, ‘Right! Lex, grab Carly’s train. Lib, you look after the flowers. Layla, make sure everything is ready to go before she walks down the path, and Charli, sweetheart, you are with me.’

  Everyone stood at Mum’s orders, setting out to complete their tasks, when a knock at the door sounded and Dad entered the room. ‘Ready when you are,’ he said, blushing when he met my eyes.

  ‘Dad, you totally just blushed!’ I mocked endearingly.

  He adjusted his tie and straightened his posture. ‘Carly, I’m a grown man. I do not blush.

  ‘Sorry, Mr H, but you did indeed blush,’ Lex stated, backing me up with a definitive smile.

  Dad ignored us and wrestled with his tie once again, this time with more aggravation.

  ‘Henry, what are you doing? You’re making a mess of it,’ Mum scolded as she made her way toward him.

  His hand shot out to thwart her efforts. ‘Back off, Joyce. I can fix my own tie.’

  ‘Nonsense,’ she replied, dismissing his hand by pushing it aside. ‘Clearly, you can’t.’

  Watching Mum and Dad’s exchange had me thinking of what Derek and I would be like in years to come. Would we be anything like my parents? I hoped so. My parents, although argumentative with each other at times, were the perfect couple. They knew what each other needed, even if it wasn’t what they wanted. And they loved one another, and me, as much as humanly possible. If Derek’s and my marriage could be anything remotely like theirs, then we were going to be fine.

  As we all proceeded to exit the room — the girls in single file and looking stunning in their mint green Reem Acra knee-length strapless dresses — I felt a flutter in my lower abdomen. The sensation of my daughter’s movements from within my womb was weird ... alien-like. Not that I thought my daughter was an alien or anything. She wasn’t. She was an unplanned, unexpected shock to end all shocks. Yet she was also a living, breathing awakener and life-changer. Although she did kind of look like an alien the last time we saw her image on the ultrasound screen. My god was her head huge! Just the thought of that head coming out of my cave scared the absolute shit out of me. My cave is precious, unharmed and well looked after.

  ‘Carly, you coming? Derek can
’t marry himself,’ Dad announced, gaining my attention and holding his arm out for me.

  I laughed. ‘No, he can’t. And I wouldn’t want him to. Could you imagine the wedding night if he could?’

  Shaking his head in amusement, he began to lead me down the stairs and out into the garden. ‘I think it’s about time I gave you away,’ he joked.

  I squeezed his arm tight and lay my head on his shoulder as we walked, smiling contentedly. ‘Yes, I think you are right. I’m ready, Dad. I’m ready for you to give me to Derek.’

  Derek

  ‘Stop hopping around. You look like you need to take a piss,’ Sean said from his position beside Will and Bryce.

  ‘He probably does,’ Will added, nodding his head to a beat that I knew from experience was playing silently in his mind.

  I, too, was currently playing a song in my head, but mine was the one I’d written for Carls and planned on singing to her at our reception dinner.

  ‘Drained the snake before we came out here. I’m all good. But thanks for thinking ‘bout my junk. I’m flattered,’ I responded, catching sight of a mint green dress near the entry to the marquee.

  Bryce sniggered at my remark then lightly tapped me on the arm, indicating the ceremony was about to start. ‘You ready?’

  ‘You have no idea,’ I answered, preening my neck to try and get a glimpse of Carls. I was beyond ready. I’d been ready ever since proposing, possibly even before that.

  ‘Good to know, mate,’ Bryce replied. ‘Let’s get you married, and then you can finally become a man.’

  Fucking smartarse.

  ‘Inevitable’ — a Live Trepidation musical piece — started playing over the speaker as Charlotte, together with Alexander and Brayden, began to walk down the aisle, the two boys grabbing handfuls of petals from Charlotte’s basket and throwing them all over the place. ‘Inevitable’ was the same song Alexis walked down the aisle to when she married Bryce. We decided that it would become the Live T marriage song, but we would alter the melody just slightly for each individual ceremony. At first I thought it was a stupid idea, but the girls seemed to like it, so the idea stuck. One thing I have learned is that you don’t argue with a bride during the planning of a wedding. Especially a pregnant bride!

  When the kids reached the end of the aisle, Lucy led the boys to their seats next to her and Nic while Charlotte held up a sign for me to read. It said:

  LAST

  I furrowed my brow, curious as to what the hell it was about. She turned and showed our guests and they, too, seemed a little puzzled.

  Layla was not far behind Charlotte and the boys, she too stopping and displaying a sign. Hers read:

  CHANCE

  Again, I was fucking perplexed but also amused at the game Carly was playing. I shouldn’t be surprised that she would orchestrate something like this.

  After showing me the sign, Layla turned toward the rest of the room and shrugged her shoulders with a smile as she displayed it for them to read. There were a few whispers and mild laughs.

  Libby made her way down the aisle soon after, her sign saying:

  TO

  ‘What the fuck?’ I murmured and turned to Bryce who was now chuckling behind his hand. ‘Did you know about this?’

  He shook his head then averted his attention to his wife as she, too, made her way down the aisle. I knew not to probe any further, my attempt futile — Bryce’s attention now locked on Alexis.

  She stopped and winked at her pussy-whipped husband before holding up her sign which finished the sentence:

  BACK OUT

  What the fuck? Alexis gave me a stern but playful look which implied I really did not have a choice. Not that I needed one.

  Letting out a loud laugh at Carly’s antics, I raised both hands as if to say ‘no way’ as Alexis turned and showed everyone else the sign.

  The room erupted into laughter as the final piece of this strange puzzle was revealed. I, on the other hand, rested my head in my hand.

  Hearing the scraping of chairs and shuffling of feet, my head shot up, and my eyes searched the far end of the room until they fell on the most beautiful thing I had ever seen; Carly. The mother of my child. My wife to be. Jesus fucking Christ.

  She was breathtaking. Her long blonde hair was curled and fell across her shoulders, a sprinkling of small flowers through it. She had lace covering her chest and a mint green ribbon, matching the other girl’s dresses, wrapped around her tummy ... the place where my daughter grew bigger every day.

  Jerking forward slightly, the result of Bryce slapping me across my back, he instructed me to ‘Breathe.’

  The sudden movement nearly had me choking, but he was right, I’d forgotten to exhale. You see, that’s what a woman you love more than life itself can do to you ... still that life from your very lungs.

  As she made her way closer, her hand dropped to her stomach and gave it a nurturing rub. Fuuuck! I couldn’t possibly love her any more.

  My heart pounded.

  My temperature rose.

  My peripheral vision vanished.

  It was just me and her.

  She stopped just out of my reach and turned to Henry for a quick hug. Then, like a fucking chameleon, her expression changed to one of don’t-mess-with-me as she held up a sign that I only just noticed was in her other hand. It read:

  DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT BACKING OUT. I OWN YOU, DIK.

  I burst into laughter, as did the rest of the bridal party. Carly turned and curtsied while displaying her sign before handing it her father and taking my hand.

  The feeling that shot through my fingers, up my arm and throughout my body as our skin connected, was pretty much indescribable. But I will say this: it’s a feeling that happens once in a lifetime, a result of finding ‘the one’, of connecting with someone beyond attraction. It’s the feeling of finding your soul mate.

  Carly was it for me. She had been, years ago, the very moment that feeling first passed through me. She’d taught me to open up, to trust and to love.

  Stepping up beside me, the glint of a seductive smile played across her face.

  ‘If husbands are boogers, I pick you,’ she said loudly.

  I smiled the biggest fucking smile imaginable and turned to our celebrant. ‘Marry us. Marry us now!’

  THE END.

  Discovering Stella

  Coming Soon

  This book is for mature audiences 18+ It contains explicit language and sexual content.

  Stella Walker is twenty-six years old and hiding from a past that haunts her on a daily basis. In a desperate attempt to escape the torment of her memories, she tries to rebuild her life and move on.

  She seeks the seclusion of a rural town and tracks down a distant relative who Stella knows will give help, but who is unaware of the past she is trying to flee.

  What Stella doesn’t anticipate, is meeting Lawson Drake.

  Lawson Drake is twenty-nine years old, a mechanic who owns an auto service and smash repairs shop. When he comes across a broken-down car by the side of the road, he is intrigued by its owner — a caramel-eyed brunette who clearly has a score to settle, not only with her defective vehicle, but with anyone who tries to get too close. The thing is, Lawson wants close. He wants more than close. He wants as close as he can possibly get.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  As always, and right off the bat, I need to thank my husband. This man, that I’m privileged to share my life with, is all kinds of wonderful. And, I think it’s safe to say, if it weren’t for him being the epitome of awesome, Attraction would not have been written or published.

  Mum: you support me tirelessly, offering to help in whichever way you can. You spread the word as a genuine fan of my work and not only do you support me, but you also support the many other talented Aussie authors I call my friends. Go #AussiePimpMum

  To my wonderful friends who beta read the first draft. Your comments and feedback were much appreciated. I’m so glad you were all there to calm my crazy he
ad when I was uncertain as to how this book would be received.

  Also, a special shout-out needs to be given to Melanie Sassymum, who was not only one of those wonderful friends who beta read for me, but who helped with promoting and spreading the word of Attraction’s release. Mel, your assistance has been instrumental. I flove you, my #pock.

  To my editors Stephanie and Belinda, and to everyone at Harlequin Books Australia: thank you for your hard work and dedication to the series as a whole. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with you and seeing this novel be brought to life. Which brings me to Editor Extraordinaire, Annabel: I honestly can’t say enough wonderful things about you. It has been an absolute joy working side by side during the editing of this book and the entire re-work of Temptation, Satisfaction, Fulfilment & Attainment. Some may assume the editing process to be daunting. But, with you at the helm, that assumption could not be further from the truth. It was such a pleasure to share this experience with you.

  And lastly but certainly not the least, my fans: just quietly, I still cannot believe that I can say those two simple words together ... ‘my fans’. It’s just so surreal! However, you are all there and you make my writing journey all the more worth it. Thank you so very much. To Jen, Claire, Lisa, Shev, BBG, Faye and Jas. Your constant support blows me away. Thank you ♥ I hope you all enjoyed Carly and Derek’s story. After all, it was you who requested it.

  AUTHOR BIO

  K.M. Golland was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. She studied Legal Practice for two years and worked as a Land Conveyancer for four years, before putting her career on hold to raise two beautiful children. She always had a love of reading and decided that, rather than return to the legal industry, she would become a Writer — self-publishing her debut novel Temptation (Book 1 in The Temptation Series).

  ‘I am a writer. I am married. And I am a mother of two adorable little people. I’m a Bookworm, Craftworm, Movieworm, and Sportsworm. I’m also a Shop-aholic, Tea-aholic, Strawberry-aholic, and Choc-aholic.’