Moment of Weakness (Embracing Moments Book 1) (4 page)

My parents hired him when I was an infant. My grandparents had passed away from a horrible automobile accident, leaving Dad with everything. And I mean
everything.
Dad had inherited all my grandfather’s businesses, his parent’s forty-thousand-square-foot estate, and enough money to last at least four lifetimes. It was a lot for Dad to take on. He was heartbroken and stressed. He needed to manage his parents’ estate, his own personal business, and come home to his wife and infant daughter. Mom decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to hire a personal driver for the family. It would help them both out tremendously. They interviewed several people, none of them seeming to be the right fit.

Then they met Theo.

Theo was ten years older than my parents. He had a military crew cut and towered at about six feet tall. Although Theo didn’t have several years of driving experience, he was a retired military officer. Dad was impressed with his résumé, and Mom enjoyed his calm demeanor. As it turned out, I was the deciding factor because I took to him right away. At least that’s what I have been told. My parents sold their own home and moved into my grandparents’ estate. It was my father’s childhood home after all and was much bigger than their current house. The forty-thousand-square-foot estate sat on fifty acres and was gated for privacy and security. Theo was offered his own private quarters within the house. This way he had his own privacy but was still available to assist Mom and Dad with their driving needs. There wasn’t a day in my life I could remember that didn’t have Theo as a part of it.

His thin lips pinched together in a tight smile, and the gentle brown eyes I’d come to know stared at me as though they were seeing me for the first time.

“You look a little more like Grace every day. If only she could see what a beautiful young woman you have become.” I knew it was unintentional, but his words came right through my chest and wrapped themselves tightly around what was left of my beating heart. It wasn’t often I heard my mother’s name, but when he compared me to her, it was a hurtful reminder of all the things I was trying so hard to remember about her. It was a battle I felt like I was constantly losing. He must have sensed the unease his comment had caused because an apologetic expression formed on his face. Patting him on his shoulder, I reached up on my tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. I didn’t want him feeling guilty for his comment or make him feel like he was walking on needles around me. Given the week I had, I was in a decent mood, and I wanted to keep it that way.

The sound of the Cadillac door opening had me redirecting my attention. I was so wrapped up in my excitement from seeing Theo, I forgot about the passenger he was bringing with him. Honestly, meeting Roman wasn’t at the forefront of my mind anyway. As I turned around, my breath caught in my throat and my mouth fell open as though I had lost all control of my facial muscles.

Oh crap. So much for old and balding.

The man that stepped out of the car couldn’t be older than twenty-five. My eyes traced his figure from the top of his head down to his perfectly polished dress shoes. He was tall and lean, and given his profession, I imagined very well built underneath his navy blue dress suit. His dark brown hair was short on the sides, a little longer on top, and brown stubble covered his angular jaw. My gaze trailed up his jawline and over his neatly trimmed eyebrows before settling on a pair of emerald green eyes.

Who the heck was this guy and why the hell did he look so good? If all my security detail looked as good as he did growing up, I would have been screaming for more. This couldn’t be right. Someone was seriously playing a cruel joke on me. Yup. They sure were. My old, balding security detail was going to step out at any second. I stood there waiting, and staring . . . and staring.

“I assume your father informed you about Roman?” My gaze flickered to Theo, who was giving me an amused stare.

My eyes widened. “That’s Roman?” I whispered under my breath.

Theo’s lips spread into a full-blown grin. “That’s Roman.”

Well, hell. While my brain was still trying to absorb Theo’s statement, my lady bits had completely sucked it dry. My attention shifted back to Roman, and my gaze lingered on him far longer than it should have. Not only was I the newest member of the stubble club, but I was almost positive I had just earned the CEO title at Creepers ‘R’ Us. Forgetting my mouth was still hanging open, I snapped it shut.

Roman’s eyes drifted over me, studying me, as if I were a cryptic puzzle he couldn’t seem to figure out. When his slow-heated perusal ended, I found myself staring into the darkest green eyes I had ever seen. My brain was telling me to turn, break eye contact, but my body remained still as he walked toward Theo and me.

In no way did I consider myself model material, but I liked to think of myself as physically fit. Yoga and running did wonders for keeping a body toned, and my occasional trips to the gym seemed to take care of the rest. My blonde hair, blue eyes, and height were all things I inherited from my mother. The only thing about me that showed any resemblance to my father was my naturally tanned skin tone. People have stared before, but his blatant perusal was causing my pulse to quicken. Stopping in front of me, he reached his arm out, offering me his hand. I placed my hand in his, and his gentle touch was surprising, given the rough, callused feeling of his palm.

“Miss Parker.” His voice was firm, and his chin dipped in a quick nod.

I cleared my throat, and the words formed in my brain, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. I think I was still too hung up on the way he said, “Miss Parker.”

Pulling his hand away from mine, his thumb brushed across my sweaty palm, spreading an unexpected warmth through my veins. My body suddenly felt warm, especially my cheeks where the heat seemed to be concentrated. Now that he was standing next to me, I could see he easily towered six feet. My eyes stayed connected with his until I heard Theo clear his throat, letting me know it was time to go.

Turning around, I picked up my suitcase and e-reader, trying to get my nerves back under control. What was my problem? I couldn’t even manage something as simple as my name. But then again, he already knew my name, so did it even matter? Never have I been thrown off balance by the opposite sex. That just wasn’t me. So why it was happening now had my mind racing.

“I got those.” Roman reached down and grabbed my bags from my hands. The sound of his voice had my stomach twisting into little knots.

A smile swept across my face. “Thanks,” I said, my voice just a bare whisper. At least I found my voice, right? The corner of his lips looked like they kicked up slightly, but I couldn’t be sure. He stood for a minute, his gaze lingering on my face. Without saying anything, he disappeared behind the car.

A breath I didn’t realize I was holding passed through my lips. I slid my hands over my dress, smoothing it out, hoping to dry my still sweaty palms and shake off whatever this feeling was. After gaining some composure, I turned and walked toward the car. Roman placed my bags in the trunk, and Theo had already resumed his position in the driver’s seat. Relief washed over me as I grabbed the handle to the back door.

I was finally going home.

I HAD DONE
it.

I successfully avoided Robby. The first thing I planned to do when I got home was get his number blocked. I would have blocked it earlier in the week, but that would have required me to tell my father, which would have just led to questions.

“Julia, wait! Please, we need to talk. You can’t just leave like this. Let me explain myself.”

The sound of the male voice echoing in my eardrums impaired my movement. Closing my eyes, I tried convincing myself I was just imagining his voice. After all the unanswered phone calls and texts, you think he would have gotten the hint. I was over it. I was moving on. It was time he did too. My breath got lost somewhere in my throat when I turned around.

Yup. He was most definitely here.

The person standing before me was indeed Robby, but nothing about him resembled the Robby I had fallen for a few months ago. His sandy blond hair was matted on top of his head and his eyes, which once reminded me of the palest of blue skies, were now bloodshot. He looked like hell, and he only had himself to blame for it.

An exasperated sigh left my lips. “I don’t want to talk to you, Robby. Please, just leave me alone.” Shaking my head in disbelief, I turned to get in the car. A sharp, skin-tearing pain shot across the inside of my elbow. Robby’s nails dug into my flesh, and the tight grasp he had on my arm had a pained gasp leaving my mouth. He yanked me back, and as I tripped over my feet from being pulled against my will, I fell against his chest.

“Julia, this isn’t fair. You won’t even hear me out,” he snarled, his words slurred. His face was inches from mine, and his breath reeked of alcohol. Before I could say anything else, let alone react, I was torn from Robby’s grasp. Roman moved in front of me, his one arm pressed against Robby’s throat, pinning him against the car door. His other hand tightly clenched into a fist at his side.

“I believe she asked you to leave her alone.” Roman’s eyes narrowed, and his jaw hardened as he stared at Robby. A shudder ran through me as I realized the attention they were drawing. The few people remaining in the train station stared curiously waiting to see what was going to happen next. On shaky legs, I stepped forward.

Reaching my hand out, I placed it on Roman’s back, but my gentle touch went unnoticed. Determined to get his attention, I pressed harder. The tightness of his muscles contracted against my palm, and as I slid my hand up his back, I no longer needed to imagine how defined his body was. My hand landed on Roman’s shoulder, and only when I said his name, did he turn to look at me. An unsettling feeling formed in the pit of my stomach as I stared into his eyes. They were five shades darker, and the anger that resided behind them left me speechless. A minute passed, then two. An unspoken conversation passed between us. And just like that, his muscles relaxed underneath my hand.

I thought my nerves were out of control before, but now they suddenly felt like live electrical wires being plunged into a pool of water. My tongue rolled around my mouth, trying to create enough saliva to coat my dry throat so I could speak. “Roman, can you give me a minute?” He didn’t move. “Please,” I pleaded.

The muscles in his jaw were still tense, and his eyes remained fixed on Robby as he spoke. “My job is to protect you, Miss Parker.”

“He’s not going to hurt me.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew how hypocritical they sounded. Especially given the way Robby had just handled me, but no matter how drunk Robby was, he would never intentionally hurt me, at least not physically.

Removing his arm from Robby’s neck, he shook his head and stepped back. He turned toward me, his chin lowering so his mouth was closer to my ear. I waited for whatever he was about to say. Roman’s voice hardened, his tone full of sarcasm. “Because what he just did clearly wasn’t hurting you.”

Forcing a swallow, I tried to shrug off his comment. He didn’t know me. He didn’t know Robby, and as much as I hated Robby, especially now more than ever, he had no right to judge either of us. I diverted my attention to Robby. “Robby, you should really—”

“It didn’t take you long to move on did it?” Robby stepped toward me, his mouth twisted in disgust. “Here I am feeling guilty for sleeping with Megan, and you moved on to fucking the hired help!”

My eyes widened and I could feel the color drain from my face.
His words cut through me like a hot knife through butter. Roman stepped forward again, but before he could go any further, I threw myself between them. Without thinking, I grabbed Robby by his shoulders.

And then I did it.

After three long days, I finally felt the satisfaction of kneeing Robby in his balls. With one hand clutching his groin and the other bracing himself up off the ground, Robby gasped for air. “You’re”—Robby paused, shaking his head to catch his breath—“a fucking bitch.”

“And you, Robby . . .” I shook my head, biting my lip to prevent the tears that welled up in my eyes from falling. “You’re an asshole.” Reaching into my purse, I grabbed out my plane ticket and the various passes for attractions throughout Europe. Throwing them at his head, I stepped over him toward the car door. “I hope it was all worth it, Robby. Have fun in Europe,” I said, sliding into the back seat.

Although I felt the seat depress beside me, I kept my gaze focused out the window. The words that poured from Robby’s mouth made me sick to my stomach. Who did he think I was? Better yet, why was I even letting it bother me? The tears that formed behind my eyes threatened to break through and I refused to allow them. Robby wasn’t worth my tears, and the last thing I needed was Roman making any further assumptions about me.

The backseat of the Cadillac was normally roomy, but his large frame took up most of the seat. The goose bumps that had formed on my arms and legs were from the coolness of the leather seats. The fact that Roman’s knee was brushing against my bare thigh had nothing to do with it.