A Perfect Moment

by Becca Lee

  Chapter Eight

  Preston

  I’d only arrived in the bar a few moments before and had yet to find a table or order a drink. As soon as I entered, Dani had spotted me, and had yet to pause for a breath. Dani was a really nice girl. She had a fabulous body and was a laugh too, but I was expecting Ella to meet me any minute; yet in typical Dani style, she just wouldn’t take the hint. I knew I should have simply told her the truth immediately; she was cool like that, and I knew she would completely understand. In some ways, though, because of our history, I just didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but desperate times and the second hand ticking called for honesty. “It’s really good seeing you, Dani, but I’m meeting someone.” I looked at my watch. One thing about Ella was that she was never late. “So do you mind?”

  It took a while for Dani’s brain to register until finally, hallelujah, a smile formed on her cute mouth. She was cute. We’d hooked up a few times over the last year. It never developed into anything serious, for the obvious reason that I’d been fixated on and jacking off over Ella. Dani knew the score—not necessarily that I jacked off over Ella, but that I was in love with someone else, namely Ella. That’s what had been so great about her. We’d hook up, have a good time, and share a conversation, but both of us had a case of unrequited love going on, sort of. She was still in love with her ex, even though she knew she was better off without him, so we understood each other. Plus, she’d been through a lot over the last six months because of some guy she’d hooked up with who had been making her life crazy-difficult. While we’d had fun in bed a few times, we’d become good friends.

  A beautiful flash of red drew my attention to the door. Ella. She looked fucking hot. Her sexy-as-fuck jeans hugged every curve, and her top, while loose around her breasts, gave just a hint of her fabulous cleavage. I watched as she zeroed in on Dani and I could almost feel her eyes zooming in on Dani’s hand on my arm. Shit, just what I need. I wondered how in the hell I was going to explain this one. I half expected Ella to turn around and leave the bar when I saw her hesitate. My muscles became taut as I prepared myself to dash after her.

  Then she did something that I didn’t expect, even though I should have. I’d known her long enough, and knew she was no wilting wallflower. She usually had a mouth on her that could give Jo a run for her money. The last few days had been the quietest I’d ever seen her. Maybe I’d kissed the fiery temperament out of her? I puffed my chest up a little at the thought. Damn straight, if anyone could make this woman submissive, it was me.

  I watched her as she confidently strode towards us. Her beautiful flaming hair framed her face, and I’m sure her arse would look bite-worthy in her hip-hugging jeans. I almost felt like racing around behind just so I could take in her sweet cheeks. I scanned up to her eyes, and I couldn’t help but gulp. Nothing about her eyes screamed submissive. Heading towards me was one pissed off Ella. I knew her well enough—the tightness around her eyes, her slight smirk and the gentle tilt of her head—to know that she was expecting an explanation.

  Dani’s hand left my arm, pulling my attention away from Ella. I saw her turn and look Ella over before she looked back at me, and back again at Ella. Turning to me slightly, Dani’s face held a huge smile. “Damn, Preston. She’s hot. I totally get it.” Her voice was loud enough to carry, and I saw Ella’s eyes and mouth relax a little.

  Finally, Ella stood in front of me. Just as I was about to step forward, reach out and touch Ella, Dani stepped in and launched herself at Ella with a bear-gripping hug. “Holy shit, it’s good to finally meet you. Ella, right?” She didn’t wait for an answer before she steamed ahead, true Dani-style. “He talks about you, a lot.” Dani took a step back and smacked me in the stomach, causing me to oomph. “You sly dog, Preston. You said she was hot, but holy mackerel! Is your hair that shade of red naturally? ‘Cause one time, I attempted to dye mine, and it went pink. Like crazy-fluoro pink; shit, even dogs howled at me in the street when I walked by, but yours—”

  I watched on as Ella’s face went from shock, to amazement, to downright amusement. Ella took it all in her stride and it wasn’t long until a beautiful smile lit up her face. “Dani,” I interrupted, “breathe.”

  I took a step forward and kissed Ella soundly on the lips. When she sighed into me, I knew it was all good. This was just one of the reasons why I loved this woman. There were no dramatics and running off; okay, so maybe she’d already done that, but I honestly think she was just freaked out and maybe just a bit dramatic when I’d admitted my feelings to her. But around other women, I didn’t expect her to put two and two together and get five-hundred-and-eight. She was smarter than that. I hoped she would be level-headed and listen, but who really knows what’s going on in any woman’s head. Obviously, she still had a hot head, but she’d always allowed that to build while listening for the truth. Depending on the outcome, she’d either go off like a firecracker, or she’d immediately get her head around it, take a breath and deal. She was one hell of a woman. There was no way I was letting her go.

  “Hey, babe, this crazy imp is Dani.” I stepped back so they could be introduced properly. Dani gave a geeky wave.

  “Hey Dani, that was one hell of a greeting. Nice to meet you.” Ella smiled before settling at my side. I immediately pulled her close and kept my hand around her waist. “So, how do the two of you know one another?”

  Oh crap! I had no idea how this would play out. I tried my hardest to get my head around the right words without lying and without pissing her off. I didn’t get a chance.

  “We’ve known each other for a while now. Preston’s a good friend of mine, and has really helped me through some shit.” Dani’s smile faltered a little as she thought about exactly what her shit was.

  “Hey.” I touched her arm and gave it a tight squeeze. “It’s all good.”

  Dani shook her frown away. “You’ve got a good one here, Ella. Be kind to him. I may be small, but I’ll come hunting for you if we need to have words.” She spoke around a genuine smile. I knew the words with Ella would probably be around a bottle of tequila; there wasn’t a vicious bone in her five-foot-two frame. Yet I also knew she cared about me and wanted to see me happy.

  Ella laughed. “Okay, I got it.”

  Dani turned, pulled me down to her, kissed me on the cheek and whispered, “Don’t screw this up. You got me?” I nodded and smiled.

  Dani then hugged Ella close and whispered something in her ear, too. I wondered if it were the same as what she’d said to me. Ella’s smile dropped a little and an expression I couldn’t quite decipher formed on her face. It only lasted a moment before a small smile reappeared.

  “Right, I’m out. Catch you later.” The whirlwind that was Dani waved and left the bar.

  “Wow!”

  I laughed. “Wow indeed!” I pulled Ella into me and kissed her neck. “You look beautiful.” I inhaled deeply, and kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear after trailing a few kisses up her neck. She smelt and tasted delicious.

  I knew I had to stop. I’d already received a few raised eyebrows and winks from some of the patrons. The bar was not the place for obvious erections.

  She leaned into me and sighed. “You look pretty handsome yourself.”

  I pulled away, making eye contact with her, my eyes drifting down to her lips that were just begging to be taken. I’d been dreaming of her lips, kissing them, her groaning my name out of them for years. It took all my willpower not to keep taking a taste. I didn’t think I could ever get enough of Ella.

  “How do you really know her?”

  And there she went, always managing to read the unsaid. I knew it was the teacher in her. She had a bullshit radar, which had become more finely tuned over the years.

  “Erm ...”

  “It’s okay, Preston. Just tell me truth. I don’t want a minute-by-minute play here, but I do expect the truth.”

  “We’ve spent a fair bit of time with one another over the last year. Neither of us were looking
for anything serious or complicated. She’s good company, and we understand one another. She’s in love with her ex. He left town about a year ago and it left her in bad shape. Her life’s pretty crazy and lonely. And me, well—”

  “You’ve had sex with one another?”

  I nodded and swallowed back a nervous gulp. “Yes. On and off over the year, but—” She cut me off again.

  “So it won’t happen again? Not now?” Her gaze never wavered.

  “No, never,” I rushed out. “She knows all about you. She knows you’re the one for me.”

  Her face grimaced slightly. “Okay, that’s fine. But shit, did you talk about me when you were, you know ... together?”

  I didn’t know whether to laugh out loud at the conversation I desperately didn’t want, or to tuck my tail between my legs and beg for forgiveness. She had her mask on, so I could not get a read on her at all. I wondered if this was how the naughty kids at her school felt when they’d been caught out. They had my damn sympathy if they did. Not getting a read on her made me more anxious than her anger. That, I could cope with. “Never,” I said vehemently.

  A look of confusion passed over her face, until it finally settled into one of acceptance and relief. Her frown relaxed and her mouth tilted into a warm smile. “I like her.”

  A broad grin plastered my face. “She is pretty cool. I thought you’d get on well. She’s honest, like you. A bloody heart of gold, she’s got.” I leaned in and kissed her, happily giving in to the temptation of her inviting lips. Pulling away, I kissed her nose and asked her to find us a table while I got us a drink.

  Bloody perfect. She truly was.

  I didn’t know why I was surprised. She’d proven herself to be the amazing woman she was on more than one occasion. During my rehabilitation from my accident was one such time. I wasn’t badly injured in the car accident, really. A few broken ribs and a concussion was nothing. But it was over the loss of Sophie, a needless, fucking stupid death that still racked me with guilt, where Ella had shown her true strength. I was not a murderer. I just happened to be driving the other vehicle when an unknown car—Sophie’s car—had spun out of control on the slick wet roads. She was an innocent victim, a young woman.

  I’d never met Sophie. Everything I knew about her was from the newspaper cuttings I still had buried in a box at the bottom of my wardrobe.

  No amount of counsellors could have achieved what she had. Her quiet, yet no-nonsense understanding of my situation had been my elixir. Even though I blamed myself for Sophie’s death, Ella hadn’t. Ella told me, however, quite matter-of-factly, that I should feel grief, and that I would no doubt always feel that way. The difference was that I was not responsible for Sophie’s death. The grief I felt was for the wasted life.

  I brought our drinks over to the table. “Here you go, babe.” I placed her drink down on the beer mat in front of her and kissed her on her head before I sat down opposite her. “How are you feeling after the water?” It had been one of the best surf sessions I’d enjoyed in a long time, and not because of the size of the waves. Playful three-foot wave sets were the average, perfect for Ella who hadn’t been in the water for a few years. Over time, I’d tried relentlessly to get her back in the water, but she’d always refused, until today.

  Her douche of an ex was the reason she’d stopped surfing; he’d hated the water. When Ella had allowed herself to be sucked into her ex’s bullshit city life, she’d allowed herself to stop doing something that she loved. After Fuckwit, formally known as Luke, had royally screwed up by fooling around on Ella—much to my relief—I’d thought she may have gone back to the water. She hadn’t. But today had been a turning point. She’d gone in the ocean and surfed. She’d looked beautiful riding in, scooted low on her board. It had been years since I’d seen pure and genuine happiness on her face: a happiness that was carefree. It had been amazing watching her.

  Asking Ella about our day, I saw a similar glow as her face lit up. There was a hint of a younger, more innocent Ella when she smiled at me, rolling her shoulders. Not that I wanted the younger Ella back. The Ella in front of me was beautiful and perfect. However, knowing there was a chance to get back a bit of the happy-go-lucky Ella, a part of her that was lost on the day of her wedding that didn’t happen—well, that was worth everything.

  “I’m aching already,” she fake-groaned, continuing to roll her shoulders. I knew when she was playing me, and her tell was her over-exaggerated groan. “I dread to think how I’m going to feel tomorrow.”

  “You know, I have the perfect solution for that,” I said, smiling slightly.

  “Oh, yeah? And what exactly is the solution, Preston?”

  I raised my hands in front of her and wriggled my fingers. “My fingers can work all sorts of magic on that sweet-ass body of yours.”

  She laughed, a sound that lifted my heart and shot a pulse of desire to my groin. “You mean, of course, on my poor, aching muscles, right? Nothing more, and I’m sure nothing lewd or crude, either?” Her face lit up in a smile that left me wanting to lean in and kiss her. Damn; she’s all kinds of sexy.

  I coughed my growing desire away, attempting unsuccessfully to stop the husky depth that I knew would be obvious when I spoke. “Damn straight. Muscles, skin ... I will happily touch wherever you want me to, baby.” Shit, it was no use. My voice fell into a husky baritone as I finished the sentence, imagining caressing her body. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and made eye contact with Ella. A blush brushed her cheeks, a sight that I was not used to. The only time I’d seen her blush was when she was kicking my arse in anger—not literally, although there was this one time that it had got pretty close. But hell, a fifteen-year-old horn dog hiding under his sister’s bed when Ella was sleeping over was instinctive. I had almost had my ass handed to me by Jo and Ella when they realised I was there. It had just been when Ella was changing into her cute Wonder Woman pyjamas, too. My excuse was I was fifteen; Ella was hot and I wanted to get a glance of her tits. Damn, I would have tried it again, but I knew they’d checked every possible hidey-hole after that. The only other times I’d seen her flush were over the last seventy-two hours. I was becoming increasingly fond of the look.

  Taking a gulp of her drink, Ella kept eye contact. After an agonising display of hotness where I wished I were the bottle that she had her lips pressed against, she returned her drink to the table and smiled. The flush on her cheeks had gone and amusement danced in her eyes. “Maybe later.” She shrugged. “If you’re lucky.”

  I laughed and nodded in acceptance. I’d be sure to do whatever I needed to ensure I was lucky. “So, what are your plans tomorrow?”

  She shook her head and appeared to be thinking. She bit her bottom lip in concentration. “Nothing.”

  “Nothing? It seemed like you were mentally going through one heck of a to-do list.”

  Ella grinned, took another pull of her drink and spoke, “Nope, just thinking that for the next six weeks I like the idea of nothing and no long-term plans. Damn, just being able to go for a pee when I want to is a luxury. The amount of times that I push kids out of the doorway for me to rush to the toilet is not funny. I’m surprised one of them hasn’t made a complaint by now.”

  Smiling at the visual, I could easily believe it. Ella was not known for her iron bladder. I had lost count of the amount of times that Jo or I had to be lookout so she could find a quiet place to pee after a few drinks. Not a pretty picture, but funny as shit!

  “Why, what are you thinking? You’re not back at work until Monday, are you?”

  “Sunday night. I have five nights from Sunday.” She nodded. “Well, I have this thing tomorrow,” I said. She lifted her eyebrow at the use of the word ‘thing’. To be honest, I had no idea why I was even telling her about it, let alone about to invite her. I only had a few more days before Jo came home to interfere, and I just wanted to spend as much time with her as I could.

  “Thing?”

  I cleared my throat. “I’m at the station f
or a few hours in the morning. You can come if you want?”

  A small frown line appeared on her face as she mulled over why I would be asking her to come to the station with me. “The station?”

  I sighed and decided speaking quickly would be the most effective way to rush through my embarrassment. “I’ve been roped in, well a bunch of us have, to be involved in this charity calendar. I think they’re taking photos and stuff. I don’t know. I just have to be there at 8am and it should take a few hours. I know ... it’s lame, but I thought ... as it’s for charity ... well, you know ...” With my growing explanation, her eyes became larger. Her mouth curved and her smile grew the further I mumbled and faltered until finally, she gave a loud and abrupt laugh.

  “No freakin’ way.” She barely formed her words over her laughter. “You’re shittin’ me?” Her laughter continued. “You’re in one of those naked firefighter calendars?” She snorted. “Holy crap! Just wait until I tell Jo. Why in the hell am I only hearing this now? There’s no chance I’m missing this.” Her eyes gleamed with unshed tears caused by her hysterics.

  Dammit. Me and my big mouth. There was no way I would be living this one down.

  “I can bring my own camera, right?”

  I glared at Ella. “No you bloody well can’t. It’s embarrassing enough as it is. You don’t have to come. I just thought—“

  “No chance. I’ll be there. You’re not taking back this invite.” Her smile was warm and filled with mischief. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Chapter Nine

  Ella

  I slammed off my alarm and cussed. 6am. It was my holiday and damn right criminal to be up at this time. I reached out and grabbed hold of my spare pillow that I’d thrown to the side of my bed and pulled it over my face with a heavy groan. I was too damn tired and my arms were killing me. Simply pulling my pillow over my head had hurt. Yawning, I turned and dragged my sorry arse out of bed. I headed toward the shower, a smile finally forming on my face when I thought about the day ahead. Preston stripping off for a calendar would be totally worth it.