Attraction: (A Temptation Series Stand-alone) (The Temptation Series Book 4) (5 page)

Derek took the cue stick from my hands. ‘The only small
balls here, baby, are the ones on the table,’ he said matter-of-factly, before
lowering himself to take his shot.

Two of his balls found pockets quite easily. I was unfazed
by this, more stunned at the way he had just called me ‘baby’.

Snatching up his beer, I stole a swig to moisten my now
parched mouth before setting it back down. ‘Well, that remains to be seen.’

He looked at his beer bottle for the smallest of seconds
then up at me. The hooded expression on his face had me clenching my legs
together.
Oh, sweet fuck of all fucks that are downright hot, hard and
sweaty. I want this man. I want this walking, fuckable man-caramel.

Just as I was about to quite possibly turn Alexis’ birthday
party into the hottest live porn show on earth, Mr Sexy Brycealicious walked
into the room. ‘Watch him like a hawk, Carly. The dickhead cheats,’ he
informed.

Without removing my stare from Caramello Koala, I once again
lifted his beer bottle to my lips and voiced, with more implication than mere
words, ‘I am watching him like a hawk.’

Derek inclined his head to the side slightly, then appeared
to rein in a smug smile before taking another shot, which resulted in the
sinking of his ball but also pocketing one of mine.

Smiling at his misfortune, I snatched the cue from his
hands. ‘Thank you.’

‘Don’t tell me you are taking it easy on her, mate,’ Bryce
queried while handing Derek a new beer.

Derek accepted the bottle from Bryce. ‘What can I say, I am
a gentleman.’

‘You’d better not be taking it easy,’ I snapped. ‘I’m quite
capable of beating you without your chivalrous bullshit.’

‘I’m sure you are,’ he said, without much conviction.

You arrogant ferret fucker. Time to put my many years of
Thursday night billiards at the local pub to use.

I quickly surveyed the table, deciding on a shot which would
hopefully pot one ball and then set up another three.

‘Twelve ball, top right pocket,’ I announced as I bent down
and cued the white — said twelve ball falling neatly into the projected pocket.
‘Fifteen ball, middle left,’ I continued, as I walked around to the opposite
side of the table. That ball, too, fell into the suggested pocket.

By that stage, Will and Matt had made their way over and
were now standing next to Bryce and Derek. ‘Apparently we need a lifeguard,’
Will stated, ‘there’s a shark in the room.’

I smiled at Will and winked. ‘Well, it so happens that I’ve
been called Jaws before, but for an entirely different reason.’

Derek laughed. Bryce just shook his head.

Putting my serious game face back on, I continued to clean
up the table. ‘Nine ball, top left.’

I was pretty sure the nine ball would be my last pocketed
ball as there were no clear shots remaining, so instead I set up another ball
for my next shot then happily placed the cue in Derek’s hands. ‘Here you go,
gentleman
.
Knock yourself out.’

He didn’t move right away, just sat perched on the stool
with me standing in front of him practically wedged between his legs, both of
us still holding onto the cue. Our positions were like that of a Mexican
standoff.

Before either one of us could surrender our stance, Bryce
interrupted. ‘As much as I would love to see Carly wipe the table clean with
you, Derek, I need to go find the love of my life.’

‘That ain’t gonna happen,’ Derek retorted before pushing up
off his stool. He placed his hands on my shoulders and gently moved me aside
before taking the pool cue from me. The sudden move surprised and excited me.

Before he took his next shot, he added a few words without
looking at me. ‘Just so you know, Jaws, I eat flake for breakfast.’

I couldn’t help laughing. Mind you, I was more than happy
for him to dine on me for breakfast. It was, after all, the most important meal
of the day. ‘Are you saying you want to eat me?’ I asked nonchalantly.

As my question hung in the air, Derek miscued the ball and
unintentionally set up my next move. Biting my lip to refrain from laughing at
my cheap shot, I walked right up to him and reclaimed the cue.

Just as he was about to say something, Nate burst into the
room. I had to turn my head away from Derek in order to give Nate my attention.

‘Mum and Bryce are cutting the cake and making a speech.
They want everyone out in the lounge area,’ he announced with excitement.

Turning back to face Derek, I found that he had been staring
at my neck, his eyes still lingering on the spot that was now tingling with a
yearning only his lips could cure.

‘We can finish this later,’ he suggested in a low voice.

I took a deep breath, needing oxygen to prevent from
fainting. ‘No. I can finish it now.’ Then, slowly turning around, I bent over
the table, gently pressing my arse into his groin at the same time, and played
my shot. I could’ve sworn I felt his cock move within his pants as he remained
steadfast, not moving from his position behind me.

Standing up again, I watched as the ball I had just played
easily found its way into a pocket, together with the ball I had strategically
set up, leaving only the black ball remaining.

Just as I was about to move and reposition myself, I felt
his warm breath caress my ear. ‘If you miss, I get to take you out on a date,’
he murmured.

His close proximity and the feel of his body pressed against
my back sent tingles bursting across the surface of my skin. ‘And if I sink
it?’ I asked, barely able to voice the words.

‘You can take me out on a date,’ he suggested.

Stepping away from him, I smiled and walked to the opposite
side of the table, the white and black ball lined up beautifully before me. ‘If
I sink it, I will give you my number,’ I compromised and, knowing with one
hundred percent certainty that the eight ball would find the net, I leaned
forward and played the shot.

CHAPTER FIVE

I’d left Derek standing in the man cave after successfully
blindsiding him with my eight-ball prowess. It felt good, really good, having
been able to secure the upper hand — the way it should be.

After living in a semi-rural town for the better part of my
life, I was able to acquire certain skills. One skill was not turning the local
wildlife into roadkill during late-night drives home. Knowledge and constant
participation in billiards was another. Playing eight-ball was the only ‘cool’
thing young adults could do on their Thursday and Friday nights in Shepparton.
Mind you, it also helped that back then I’d dated the local pub owner’s son on
and off for a year. So I was forever passing time with a cue in my hand.

***

Everyone had started to gather around the lounge area which
was decorated with large silver and blue helium balloons. There were bunches of
roses everywhere, some bunches a vivid shade of blue. At first, I thought they
were fake, but it wasn’t until I leaned in and sniffed their beautiful aroma
that I realised they were real.
Wow!

Blue roses! I bet if Alexis asked for an Oompa-Loompa,
Bryce would be able to get her one.

‘So, are you going to give me your phone number?’

Startled, I turned around and found Derek standing behind
me, holding out a glass of champagne.

‘Thank you,’ I accepted happily, taking it from him and
smiling politely. ‘And ... maybe.’

‘Maybe? That wasn’t the deal,’ he protested.

‘Well, Derek, I don’t know anything about you. I don’t give
out my phone number willy-nilly, you know.’

‘Ah, but if you gave me your phone number, it would allow
you to get to know me better. That’s what swapping phone numbers is about,’ he
explained, his tone awash with a cheeky enlightenment.

Honestly, I was in total agreement, and more than happy to
share my digits with him. As I reached into my bra to pluck out my phone, Bryce
demanded the room’s attention with a repetitive tap on his glass. ‘Firstly, I
just want to thank you all for coming today, to celebrate Alexis’ birthday. We
both really appreciate you all taking the time to share this evening with us.’

Bryce took a deep breath, then looked to his glass
momentarily. ‘Look ... I’ll start by addressing the elephant in the room by
saying that it is no secret Alexis and I found each other under somewhat
controversial circumstances.’ He glanced at Alexis and I sensed a minuscule
tinge of guilt.

Alexis winked at him, encouraging him to continue.

I smiled.

My friend had an uncanny ability to make those around her
feel at ease, to be comfortable and to be themselves.

Bryce smiled at her lovingly, then continued. ‘Controversial
or not, the truest crime of all would have been to ignore true love. From the
moment I laid eyes on this beautiful woman standing next to me, my heart
decided to once again function as it was designed to. And, if I’m going to be
completely honest, the feeling that came over me shortly after meeting her for
the first time shocked the shit out of me.’

Derek and I chuckled simultaneously. He looked in my
direction and I met his gaze before we both awkwardly smiled and consumed our
drinks.
Fuck me, he is one sensational looking man
. I couldn’t help but
take in more of his ink now that his jacket was off and he was standing so
close to me, providing a better view. The design was one of those
tribal-looking tattoos with black, sharp sleek lines covering a good part of
his arm.

‘You like tatts?’ he asked, his voice barely above a
whisper.

Diverting my attention from his delicious bicep, I focussed
in on his equally delicious face. ‘Huh?’

‘Tattoos, do you like them? You look as though you want to
lick mine,’ he said with a smirk and a quick flick of his eyebrow.

Oh, I do. I do want to lick it. And I really want to see
if you taste like caramel.

‘Yes, I do like them,’ I whispered, embarrassed I’d been
busted ogling. I then returned my attention back to Bryce and Alexis, my cheeks
now a little heated.

‘... and there are also times in life when you have to
ignore the morality of the problem that faces you and go with your heart,’
Bryce explained, before facing Alexis who now had tears streaming down her
face.
‘Because at the
end of the day, your heart is what truly makes you happy. And Alexis is my
heart, entirely.’

While my heart pounded vigorously in my chest, I watched as
Bryce tenderly wiped Alexis’ tears from her cheek. There was a part of me that
desperately wanted what the two of them had; true, undeniable love, a
connection so deep it was bottomless and a family to call my own. But I knew
that would never happen.

The day my aunty died giving birth was the day I decided I
did not want to have kids. My aunty was the closest thing I had to a sibling;
she was like my big sister. Then, out of nowhere and at the most exciting point
in her life, my aunty and her baby were gone. It destroyed me and any hope I
ever had of starting a family. I just couldn’t bring myself to even go there.

Sucking in a deep breath and willing the pain of her memory
to go into hiding again, I brought myself back to the events unfolding before
me and smiled at Alexis who had spotted me in amongst her family and guests. I
was genuinely happy for her and the new path her life was taking. She deserved
all the happiness she was now bathed in, because she had to break through the
barriers of hurt and deceit in order to get to it.

‘Wow!’ she choked out, ‘I can’t really top that can —’

‘Yes, you can,’ Bryce interrupted, a huge grin plastering
his face.

The overjoyed and excited beam that radiated from him indicated
he was referring to their surprise news. This must have been the point at which
they planned to drop their baby bomb.

Alexis nodded and continued. ‘As most of you are aware, I
have recently had to fight for a reprieve during a very wounding, lightless
time in my life, yet it was a fight worth winning, because the path that lies
ahead of me now, at age thirty-six, is the most exciting path I will ever walk.
It’s a path I plan on taking with you, with my two beautiful children, with
this wonderful amazing man who I now know to be my soul mate ... and with our
precious little miracle who is growing strong as each day goes by,’ she said as
she gently caressed her belly.

‘No shit!’ Derek said beside me, his broad smile indicating
he was happy for his best mate. Seeing the disbelief radiate from him was
endearing.

‘I’m going to be a dad,’ Bryce announced to the room. He
picked up Charli and sat her on his hip while Alexis reached for Nate. ‘We are
going to be a family.’ Bryce raised his glass toward his family and friends.
‘To a life of fulfilment.’

Everyone joined him and Alexis in a toast. A toast to ...
well ... happiness, I guess.

***

Family members immediately enveloped Bryce and Alexis
shortly after the toast and the cutting of the cake, a cake I wanted to desperately
sink my teeth into.
OMG! That thing is huge!
I loved cake but couldn’t
bake the damn things even if I tried. Turning out a deliciously warm, fluffy
moist cake was not something I was exceptional at. Cooking was definitely not
my forte, but that didn’t mean I didn’t try.

Before my aunty passed away, she always offered her two
cents worth every chance that she got. There was one particular time where I’d
had to produce a painting for school. I’d given up before starting the task,
hell-bent on the ‘I can’t do it’ reaction. I remember her saying to me, ‘Try,
Carly’, to which I’d responded with an exasperated, ‘That’s it? That’s all
you’re going to say? That doesn’t help.’ She’d then said, ‘It really is that
simple. If you try and fail you still succeed, for succeeding in failure is
still a success.’

My aunty was optimistic and smart, and like Alexis, she was
a combination of a best friend and the sister I never had.