Always Been Mine

  “No.” She was already breathless and burning with anticipation.

  “What if it’s your dad?”

  She stared at his lips. “I get the feeling this is going to be over fast.”

  “It is.” He licked her bottom lip with a wicked smile.

  “Then I’ll call him back when we’re done.” She thrust her tongue in his mouth as the phone continued to ring.

  Alex’s heated eyes glanced down, pulling her shirt up. At once, his mouth was on her nipple. Valerie moaned at the sensation of his tongue. It made her entire body tingle.

  Her phone rang again and Alex stopped. Valerie could feel his annoyance by the way his body tensed.

  “I’ll turn it off,” she offered. “Where is it?”

  She’d dropped it when he brought her to the bed. Alex leaned over the side of the bed and picked it up. His hardened expression when he glanced at the caller ID was enough to tell her who it was.

  He handed her the phone and pulled himself off her. “Answer it.”

  “It’s probably just about work, Alex. I can talk to him in the morning.”

  “No.” The heat in his eyes now was of a completely different nature than when he’d stared at her earlier. “I wanna know what’s so damn important he has to call you after nine. Go ahead, answer it.”

  Just like that, the mood for the evening was officially ruined. She clenched her teeth but answered the phone not wanting things to get ugly. “Hey, Lukem what’s up?”

  “I forgot to tell you. I got the e-mail earlier today. The seminar’s been rescheduled for two weeks from this Saturday. Make sure you keep your calendar open.”

  Wonderful. Valerie glanced up at Alex who still stared at her. She’d really hoped it was something work related. Something that wouldn’t further the tension she could already feel thickening. “Oh, okay. I will.”

  Luke was quiet for a moment. Valerie was sure he expected her to be a little more excited or at least have more to say about it. No way was she encouraging any more conversation.

  “Alright, well, I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  Alex was still staring at her when she hung up. “So, what was it?”

  She got off the bed and walked to the dresser turning the phone off as she placed it on the dresser. She didn’t even want to see his expression when she said it. “They rescheduled the seminar. He just got the e-mail.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Alex sat there on the bed, still staring at Valerie’s sexy little frame in his T-shirt. She put the phone down, but she didn’t turn back to him. He got the distinct feeling she purposely left the bed to be away from him when she told him about the seminar.

  “When is it?” He tried not to sound annoyed. But he was. Incredibly. The idiot had called at the worst moment imaginable.

  “Two weeks from this Saturday.”

  She still had her back to him. “What’s wrong?”

  Finally, she turned to face him. “Nothing.”

  “Then what are you doing over there?” He reached his hand out to her. He just had her under him moments ago and already he wanted her near him again. Annoyed or not.

  Something about the way she smiled made him uncomfortable, but she did walk back to him. She was going to sit on the bed next to him but he pulled her onto his lap lacing his fingers through hers. Leaning his forehead against hers, he tried again. “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head slowly. “Nothing I just…” She bit her lip, and then frowned.

  “What is it?”

  “The night I spent at his house-”

  “Stop.” Alex straightened up, feeling every muscle in his body go taut. “I don’t need to hear about it.”

  Whether she slept with him or not, he’d never be comfortable with her around him so it really didn’t make a difference.

  “I want you to know.”

  “I don’t want to hear about it, Z.” If she thought he was going to sit here and listen to her tell him about her night with another man she was insane.

  Valerie cradled his face with her hands. “I have to tell you, baby. It’s killing me that you think I had sex with him. I didn’t.”

  Alex preferred not to know than for her to lie to him. He swallowed hard, staring in her beautiful eyes. Her touch alone was enough to soften his tensed body but what she was saying made no sense. “So, what? You just fell asleep at his place and he didn’t wake you?”

  That made a little more sense. She shook her head, making him squeeze his hand into a fist. He didn’t want to blow up at her. “I don’t understand, Z, either you did or you didn’t. There’s no in between here.”

  The deep breath she took made him nervous. “I was going to. I won’t lie to you. I went there that night prepared to. I still wasn’t feeling anything for him-”

  “So, you decided to sleep with him when you didn’t feel anything for him? Bullshit.” He remembered Romero saying she’d told Bruce she was in love with him.

  Her eyes darkened and eyebrows pinched. “It’s true. I was trying so hard to make it work.”

  “Why, if you didn’t care about him?” Alex was aware he was raising his voice but what she was trying to feed him didn’t add up.

  She stood up and off his lap. Alex held her hand so she wouldn’t walk away. “I wanted to get over you. Okay?”

  Alex opened his mouth, but when he didn’t say anything, she continued.

  “All I could do was think of you and that kiss at the shower when I was with him. I compared everything about him to you, and he didn’t even come close. I truly believed that if I could just move on, I’d get over you. Since I hadn’t slept with anyone else the entire time I was away from you I thought maybe that’s what I needed to finally get some closure. But-”

  “You spent the night.” A fact Alex wouldn’t soon forget. What she was saying only made it worse. In spite of the fact that she’d just told him she hadn’t slept with anyone else while they were apart, she’d spent the night at Luke’s and now he knew she’d gone there to sleep with him.

  “Only because I felt terrible about what happened.”

  Alex searched her eyes unable to even imagine what she meant by that. “What happened?

  Valerie took another deep breath that only furthered Alex’s anxiety. “We were…making out…” She paused.

  Alex’s patience was running out. He told her he didn’t want to hear about this and now she was going to drag it out? The visual alone made his blood boil. “Damn it, Z-”

  “I called him Alex.”

  Alex blinked. Valerie looked mortified, her cheeks crimsoned. He pulled her to him, making her sit back down on his lap, still not sure what to say. The fact that she’d been in another mans arms still felt like a kick in the gut. But the thought that she’d been thinking of him the whole time, so much so she’d actually called Luke Alex. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Luke must’ve felt at that moment.

  Without warning, he laughed. Valerie buried her face in his chest covering the exposed part with her small hand.

  “Don’t laugh.” Her words were muffled. “You’ve no idea how incredibly awkward that moment was. It was horrible.”

  That only made Alex laugh even more. He kissed her head, caressing her damp hair. Valerie lifted her head slowly and met his eyes. “So, you see. You’ve never had anything to worry about.”

  She went on to tell him about how she spent the rest of the evening telling Luke about her relationship with Alex. And how’d she really believed she was over him until she’d seen him at the shower and found out she wasn’t even close.

  “The very next time I saw Luke I broke things off. I owed him at least that much. I knew I’d never get over you. It was stupid to think that by going out with him I would.”

  Alex couldn’t take his eyes off her. He loved hearing her say she’d never get over him. He lifted her chin. “Know what I don’t understand?”

  She tilted her head. She looked so adorable he had to kiss her. “If you know you??
?ll never get over me, why don’t you just marry me already?”

  This time she was the one that opened her mouth without any words that followed. She closed it and bit her lip. She tried again and still nothing.

  Feeling the annoyance start to build again, Alex spoke first. “Stop trying to come up with an excuse, Z.”

  The corners of her lips lifted ever so slowly. His heart thumped and he smiled with her.

  “Okay. Let’s do it. Let’s get married.” She smiled big.

  Alex knew his eyes must have been as big as saucers. He swallowed hard, barely able to put it all in perspective. Valerie was going to be his wife, entirely his, forever. He leaned in to kiss her but stopped. “That phone better be off.”

  “It is.” She giggled.

  With that, he leaned back in bed and brought her down with him.

  “Mrs. Moreno,” he whispered before kissing her deeply.

  When he finally let her breathe, she smiled. “I like it,” she whispered back. “I can hardly wait now.”

  Alex kissed her, knowing full well she wouldn’t have to wait long. He’d make sure of it. First things first—with one yank he pulled off her shorts.

  EPILOGUE

  Alex and Valerie walked into the restaurant holding hands. They’d gone straight to her dad’s house then to his parent’s place from the airport. Valerie seemed much more relaxed after speaking to their parents.

  Angel glanced up from the host desk in the front, no doubt expecting to see customers. He did a double-take before smiling. “Hey, how was Bermuda?”

  “Beautiful,” Valerie beamed.

  “How’s everything here?” Alex asked as he walked by him.

  Angel waved a hand at him. “Running smoother than ever.”

  Sarah was hunched over, reading something at the back bar. Sal was on the other side of the bar, and he glanced up as they walked toward them. “When did you guys get back?”

  “Couple hours ago,” Alex responded, squeezing Valerie’s hand.

  Sarah turned around and immediately came over to greet them both with a hug. Valerie brushed a strand of hair away from her own face and Sarah stopped cold. “What is this?” She grabbed Valerie’s hand and gawked at Valerie’s three carat diamond ring.

  Valerie smiled, but didn’t answer. She glanced at Alex. Sarah finally looked away from the ring and brought her attention to Valerie’s. “Are you guys engaged?”

  “Nope,” Alex answered for her.

  Sarah brought her attention to Alex now confused. “Then-”

  “We’re married,” he said matter-of-fact.

  Sarah’s mouth fell open.

  “You’re what?” Angel asked, coming around Alex to see what Sarah was looking at. He glanced at Valerie’s ring then turned back to Alex. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

  Sarah had her hand over her mouth now. Valerie’s hand was still in hers but her eyes went back and forth from Alex to Valerie.

  “No kidding,” Valerie finally spoke up. “We got married in Bermuda.”

  Sal walked over to join the rest of the stunned bunch. He took one look at the ring then at Alex. “Dude, mom’s gonna flip.”

  Alex chuckled. “She did. We just came from there. She was a little upset but got over it pretty quick when I finally agreed to let her throw us a little party. She and Sofie were already on the phone making the plans before we even left. ”

  “Ha!” Angel scoffed loudly. “Mom and pop throw a little party? Good luck. She’ll invite two maybe three hundred people.”

  Alex frowned at that. Sarah finally stopped gawking and let out a squeal. She hugged Valerie again and then jumped up to hug Alex tighter than the first time.

  Sarah turned back to Valerie with an accusing look. “You never even told me you were engaged.”

  Valerie laughed and glanced at Alex. “I was only engaged for a couple of days before we left for Bermuda. It was really spur of the moment.”

  It sure had been. The moment Valerie agreed, the wheels were spinning in his head. The day after she’d agreed they both decided they didn’t want a big wedding. The only way that was going to happen is if they didn’t tell anyone. He worked his schedule around at the restaurant telling everyone Valerie needed to get away after all the drama she’d been through, secretly buying the ring and booking the flight. He wasn’t about to give her time to change her mind. They’d been married the day they arrived in Bermuda then spent most of the rest of their time there in their suite. Honeymooning.

  After a round of hugs and a few kisses for the bride from everyone, they sat around the bar for a celebratory drink.

  Sarah sat with Valerie, demanding every detail of their small but very romantic wedding. Valerie was doing her best to oblige.

  Sal stood behind the bar in front of Alex. “I can’t believe you did this. What’s with everyone all of sudden? My buddy Jason’s just got engaged, too.”

  Alex took a drink of his beer. “Really? I thought he was still in school.”

  “He is,” Sal lifted his shoulder. “I guess he just couldn’t wait.”

  “Hey!”

  Alex turned to see Romero walk in the restaurant holding Isabel’s hand. “What’s the big surprise?”

  Valerie told him in the car she texted Isabel to meet them at the restaurant. She hadn’t mentioned that she told them there was a surprise. He exchanged glances with her and she gave him a devilish smile. Valerie lifted her finger in the air. Isabel’s eyes opened wide. She turned to Alex then back at Valerie. “You’re engaged?”

  Valerie stood up shaking her head with a big grin on her face. “We got married.”

  “Get out!” Isabel hugged her as soon as Valerie reached her.

  “Hey, man.” Romero shook Alex’s hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “How come you didn’t tell me?”

  “We didn’t tell anyone. Everyone just found out. Have a beer. Celebrate with us.” Alex turned to the bartender and held up two fingers.

  “Man, you Morenos are dropping like flies.” Romero took the beers Alex handed him and turned to Sal. “That means you’re next, chief.”

  “Hell no,” Sal took a swig of his own beer. “I have too many plans before I even think about settling down.”

  Romero rolled his eyes before walking toward Isabel with her beer. “Yeah, we’ll see.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sal smiled. “You’re probably the next one to go down.”

  Valerie walked toward them. “Hey, I heard that.”

  Sal came around from behind the bar and held out his arms. “I’m only kidding. I couldn’t be happier for you two. I know how much you mean to this big lug.”

  He squeezed her a little too tight, rubbing his hands all over her back and smirking at Alex.

  Alex reached out for her hand. “Alright, that’s happy enough.”

  Sal laughed, letting her go. “You’re too easy, little brother.”

  “Funny,” Valerie smiled as Alex pulled her to him. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone refer to you as little.”

  Sal laughed, about to say something when Angel walked up behind Valerie and interrupted. “You two sure there’s no other reason for this sudden marriage?”

  Valerie turned to him, obviously not understanding what he was getting at. Alex squeezed her hand and shoved Angel. “No, ass. But now that we’re married I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t visit that idea.”

  Finally getting it, Valerie laughed. “No way. One thing at a time.”

  Alex laughed and kissed her. They hung around for few more drinks then said their goodbyes. The happiness he felt was a bit overwhelming. Life couldn’t be any better.

  He’d been pissed when Valerie got a call from Luke on their honeymoon. But after hearing the voicemail, it more than made up for it. Valerie had gone on her second interview the day before they left. Luke called to tell her she got the position. Alex would have to put up with her working with him for only a few more months.

  Once in the truck he lea
ned over and kissed her, “You know, I wasn’t kidding in there about us having a baby.”

  Valerie’s mouth fell open. “Alex, I swear, you’re too much. Can we get used to this marriage thing first?”

  “What’s there to get used to?”

  She laughed aloud, putting her hand on his thigh then sliding it up a bit more, her expression becoming more serious. “I do want to have babies, Alex. Lots and lots of them. I promise. Just not yet.”

  He’d had her day and night to himself for the past five days straight and her touch still singed him. “Lots and lots uh? Sounds to me like we’ll need lots and lots of practice making them then.” He kissed her again, as if he hadn’t in ages.

  It was a good thing they were married now, because somehow he couldn’t imagine ever getting his fill of her.

  To all my wonderful readers, I hope you enjoyed reading Alex and Valerie’s story. I invite you to leave a review on the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords websites. If you haven’t already read the first in The Moreno Brothers series Forever Mine – Angel and Sarah’s story, it is also available on Amazon, Nook and Smashwords, for only 99 cents!

  Next up is a bonus novella “Sweet Sofie” Sofia and Eric’s story. I’m having a lot of fun writing this one. It spans her life from the time she was 10 years old through college. You get to meet the whole gang and see what they were like as kids. Sweet Sofie should be out this fall. Then the final full length novel in the series Sal’s story should be out by early 2012. See the cover of Sweet Sofie, and get all the latest updates on the Series and my other projects on my website: www.ElizabethReyes.com and follow me on Twitter @AuthorElizabeth.