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

evening, ma’am,’ he politely addressed me with a nod
of the head. Oh, he’s cute.
    I took in his puppy dog, brown eyes. ‘Why, hello there,’ I
drawled.
    ‘Just this way, ma’am ... right through this door.’ He
gestured for me to follow him.
    ‘Please, don’t call me ma’am. That’s for women,
post-menopause,’ I said playfully as I nudged him with my shoulder.
    He gave away a small half-grin, but remained completely
professional, opening the door to the apartment and stepping aside for me to
enter.
    ‘Later,’ I said with a wink, stepping backward through the
threshold while keeping my gaze on his puppy dog eyes. ‘I’ll save you a drink.’
    He nodded once more, although I sensed it was more of an
acknowledgement, rather than an acceptance, of my invitation. I inwardly
giggled, then turned around to spot Lexi in Bryce’s arms, both of them standing
in the middle of what could only be described as a palace. The place was huge,
the decor contemporary: white, navy, and silver furnishings.
    ‘Well, fu—’
    I just was about to finish my sentence using my favourite
bomb of vocabulary when I noticed Nate and Charli out of the corner of my eye,
‘— out,’ I quickly offered, displaying my best ‘oops’ face to Alexis and hoping
my quick exchange covered my initial slip. ‘Far out, far freakin’ out. This
place is incredible.’
    Lexi walked up to me and enveloped me in hug. ‘Hey, Carls.’
    ‘This place is amazeballs, Lexi!’ I murmured, continuing to
examine the extravagance over her shoulder.
    She shook her head which made me smile. I knew how much she
loved my lingo.
    ‘Yeah, it’s not a bad little place to live, eh?’ she said
with a shy smile.
    ‘Pfft, yeah, you could say that,’ I replied, then held her
at arm’s-length to get a better look after not having seen her for months.
    Looking intently into her eyes, I instantly picked up on
something she was withholding. She could never get away with lying to me. Even
when we were young, when she’d sworn black and blue that she hadn’t arranged a
wedding for me and Kyle Payne. Granted, we were ten years old at the time.
    I recalled the altercation. ‘Alexis,’ my ten-year-old self
had said, with my blushing-red cheeks. ‘Kyle Payne-in-the-butt just said that
he and I are getting married tomorrow. He said that he will make me very happy.
Do you know anything about this?’
    Now, before I continue with this story, let me clue you in
on something. The first sign that Alexis is lying is that she tilts her head to
the side very slightly. If you are not looking for this particular movement,
you’ll miss it. The next sign is the avoid-eye-contact-at-all-costs trick,
followed by a pause as her mind quickly conjures up her lame excuse. I remember
that when I’d asked her about my pending nuptials with Kyle, she’d performed
these telltale signs just beautifully. She’d said, ‘What?’, followed by the head
tilt and a piercing stare toward something beyond my head. Next was the pause
and finally, the lie: ‘No. I don’t know anything about it. It was probably
Hannah.’ Busted! Liar!
    Knowing that she would eventually give her current secret
away, I smiled at her. ‘You look amazing. Shacking up with a rich studmuffin
does wonders for you. Speaking of the sexy studmuffin, I need to formally thank
him for his hospitality.’
    I gently placed my hands on her shoulders and moved her
aside, clearing a path to Bryce. He gave me one of those killer smirks that
Alexis was always telling me about. I could definitely see what the fuss was
over — his smirk warmed my Carly-cave.
    ‘As long as you only thank him, Carls. That studmuffin
belongs to me,’ Lexi said in a firm but loving voice.
    ‘Not until there’s an engagement ring on your finger,’ I
replied smugly. That’s it! That’s her secret. ‘ Wait!’ I turned back to
face her. ‘Show me your hand. Is that why you are looking so good?’
    She rolled her eyes at me. ‘No! There is