Moment of Weakness (Embracing Moments Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

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