Moment of Weakness (Embracing Moments Book 1) by Katie Fox

of me hiding in Lacey’s mom’s wardrobe resurfaced. It was at a party, one of the first times I drank, and well, let’s just say I vowed to never drink again after that party. Somehow, I ended up in her mom’s antique wardrobe. If that wasn’t bad enough, when they finally found me, I came out screaming how I had found the portal to Narnia.
    I glared at Lacey before gritting my teeth and smiling at the man in front of me. It’s funny how Robby and I break up and I’m suddenly surrounded by the hottest men to walk this earth. First, Roman. Now, Shane.
    “Julia, this is my cousin, Shane. Shane, this is Julia Parker.” She pushed me toward him. He was a few inches taller than me, even with my heels on. His cropped sandy blond hair, tanned skin, and the way his muscles strained against his shirt, seemed like he belonged on the front of a surfer magazine. Hazel eyes stared down at me as I reached my hand out to shake his.
    “Julia Parker? You’re not the daughter of Benjamin Parker, are you?” he asked, shaking my hand.
    “That’s me. The one and only,” I said, offering a small smile.
    “We’re heading to grab coffee if you want to join us.” He threw his finger over his shoulder, pointing in the general direction of the local espresso shop. I contemplated the offer for a moment. The thought of bullshitting over a caramel macchiato almost had me accepting his invitation, but a shiny new car was calling my name.
    “I can’t. I’m going car shopping. Maybe next time though,” I said, taking a step back. I tried backing up further, but I couldn’t.
    Smooth, Julia.
    I backed right into a wall. At least I thought it was a wall. But then I turned around and found myself facing Roman’s chest. The familiar smell of his citrus cologne filled my nose, sending shivers down the back of my legs. My knees felt weak, and before I realized it, they gave out, causing me to fall into him. His chest was soft, yet hard, and I had no idea how that was even physically possible. Roman’s hands landed on the sides of my arms. With a soft pull on my elbows, he helped steady me back onto my feet. I swallowed hard, too humiliated to look up at him.
    “Are you okay?” His deep voice had a gentle caress to it.
    “Yes,” I answered, building enough courage to finally look up. My eyes connected with his, and I thought he was going to let me go. Instead, his fingers traced small circles against my arms, and every muscle in my body went crazy.
    “You gotta stop doing that,” he chuckled. A small grin developed on his face. I was about to ask him what I needed to stop doing, but Lacey’s voice interrupted me.
    “Uh, Jules, we have to get going.”
    Roman let go of my arms and jumped back at the sound of Lacey’s voice. An unexpected ache coursed through me at the loss of his touch. Shrugging it off, I turned around, smiled, and lifted my hand to wave.
    “It was a pleasure meeting you, Shane.”
    “The pleasure was all mine, Julia.” The corner of his lips creased up, revealing a small dimple on his cheek. His eyes remained on me as he walked backward, and once he reached his door, he flashed me another smile before getting in.
    Lacey pecked me on the cheek. “I’ll text you later, okay? We have a lot to catch up on.” Her red curls bounced as she jogged to the passenger side door of the Porsche. My gaze traveled back to Roman as I turned around. His eyes stayed locked on Shane as he pulled out of his parking spot. Brushing it off, I walked to the car and dropped my bag and mat into the trunk. Roman opened the door and moved his hand in an “after you” motion. The coolness of the leather seats, once again, had goose bumps prickling my skin.
    “Who was that?” Roman asked, sliding in next to me.
    “Oh, the redhead? That’s my friend, Lacey.” For reasons I couldn’t explain, a tinge of jealousy shot through me. He was asking about Lacey. It’s not like he was the first guy to ask me about her, and he wouldn’t be