Sunday 2 February 2014

A Perfect Moment by Becca Lee

A Perfect Moment by Becca Lee Extract


Walking into the hotel’s restaurant for breakfast next to a smiling Preston was simply awkward. After the whole towel incident, I wanted to ram my fist in his groin. The only problem with that was that it made me think of his groin, and then specifically his penis, and then sex. I was totally screwed. I was a crazy nervous wreck and was in desperate need of space and double choc chip cookie ice cream, yet from the moment his arrogant arse walked into my room, he hadn’t stopped grinning and sidling up to me at every opportunity. This included touching and the random kiss on my head, my shoulder, my cheek. Hell, I half expected him to throw himself on the floor so he could kiss his way up my calf.
My point was that it was frustrating, and sweet, and a whole lot of confusing. Nothing could or would ever happen between me and baby Preston. I’d deliberately started calling him that after the towel debacle. I knew it pissed him the hell off. Immature? Definitely. Satisfying? Absolutely.
I shuffled into the restaurant in desperate need for a bacon sandwich that baby Preston had promised me. I felt alcohol induced crappy and dehydrated. It took me awhile as I was wrapped up in thoughts of penises and bacon—not together necessarily, though it may have proved interesting—to realise that virtually the whole restaurant, filled up with Jo and Jackson’s family and friends, which meant Preston’s family too, and my parents, had all stopped their conversation and were openly gaping at us. It took all of ten seconds for individuals to nudge one another and smile over at us. We even got a couple of winks from Preston’s Uncle Bernie and one from his elderly next-door neighbour Dot.
My prayers weren’t answered. The ground didn’t open up and swallow me whole. I even stamped my left foot to double check, which inevitably sent a wicked pain through my head. To make the whole nightmare even more surreal and completely screwed up, Preston clearly thought that it would be hilarious to take hold of my hand and pull me toward the two empty chairs on our parents’ table. Of course, they were sharing a table; that’s what close friends did. 

Dumbfounded, I mindlessly allowed him to pull me along. As we edged closer, I played out the best scenario to get me out of what was likely to be an even more humiliating meal shared with both sets of parents than the one Jo and I experienced when we were ten years old. My mum and Kate, Jo and Preston’s mum, had decided that a Sunday evening meal with both our families would be the opportune time to discuss with us the facts about the menstrual cycle. My dad, who pulled out some paper and colouring pencils, then backed this up and proceeded to draw a detailed illustration. Jo and I had looked at one another in horror, clinging to each other in our mutual humiliation. It was then that Collin, their dad, had slapped down medium-rare steaks on our plates. The steaks had oozed with so much blood that we screamed, gagged and ran away to our tree house in Jo’s backyard.
Not to self: when you have children, no bloody steak, illustrations or family discussions.
So, this meal was going to be bad. The only play I could think of to avoid the two metres until I got to the empty chair was to fain sickness, which actually wasn’t too far from what I felt like. If I didn’t get bacon in my system soon, I would throw up, and I’d make damned sure I did so in Preston’s lap. Begrudgingly, I carried on along my path of humiliation and interrogation, Preston firmly holding my hand the whole way. 


*Unedited and subject to change. 
Synopsis

“When life threatens perfect, it’s time to step up and kick life in the balls.” 

Ella's perfect moment was taken from her in the worst possible way. Humiliated, heartbroken and absolutely determined not to allow her heart be destroyed for a second time, she builds an ice wall around her heart.

Preston has known that he was in love with his big sister's best friend since the age of fifteen. Over ten years on, and an opportunity to be her knight in shining armour is too good to miss. Putting his heart on the line, he's on a mission to show Ella that the perfect moment is possible.

Ella's instinct is to run when she realises her feelings for her bestie's little brother may just run a little bit deeper than just friends. But if she can't run, she'll try every trick in the book to shake off his affection and realign his feelings.

She’s already had her perfect moment, and there is no chance she'll let her heart thaw for Preston. No matter how good he looks in the fire-fighter's Christmas calendar. 

Expected Release Date: April 2014
Contemporary Romance

About the Author

Spending the last few years near the Queensland coast, Becca is rarely out of the sea or off the beach. Dragging her long board with her and her overworked Kindle Fire, Becca enjoys her three addictions: reading, surfing and ogling surfers, one of whom is her husband of ten years. 

She can still be found regularly on the beach with her family. Becca tends to leave the surfing to her boys; she's far too busy immersed in her own writing or, of course, with her head still buried in a new read.

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