Always Been Mine (2 page)

What he was feeling now made no sense. For the third time, he wiped his sweaty palms with a napkin and threw it in the trash. He just didn’t get it. Of course, he expected to be excited to see her again. He hadn’t seen her in more than a year. But he couldn’t understand why his nerves were tricking him in every way. What the hell did Alex Moreno have to be nervous about? It was Valerie. So, what, he told himself. He’d never been nervous about seeing her before.

As the maid of honor and cousin of the bride, Valerie Zuniga was obligated to be at all these family events. Alex had had plenty of time to mentally prepare, and he thought he was. Sure, it had been more than a year since he last seen or spoken to her. It still shouldn’t be that big a deal. He’d see her, they’d catch up, and that would be the end of it.

He strolled around his parents’ backyard. The knot in his stomach gripping his gut and wrenching tighter from the moment he woke. He tried to concentrate on the final touches, there before him, the backyard transformed by tables and chairs set out under the massive canopy that blocked the hot California sun from almost every spot in the yard. He knew how much this little party was costing his parents. Professionally decorated tables with expensive, elaborate flower centerpieces sprawled out through out the yard. His parents didn’t mess around when they threw a party. To them, this was huge.

His younger brother, Angel, would be the first of the siblings to get married. The Morenos were going all out and sparing no expense. This was only the wedding shower. The wedding was still months away.

Alex glanced around. Everything was pretty much set. Angel’s two best friends, Romero and Eric, were setting up the bar. Alex figured since they were Angel’s best men in the wedding, he’d let them handle one big thing at this party. What could be more fitting than the bar for those two?

“You don’t know about this.” Romero didn’t even look up as he kept shifting the keg in the barrel of ice until he got it just right.

“I run a restaurant with a bar. You’re a bouncer.”

Romero stood up. “I own a security firm.”

Alex loved ribbing Romero. He was the only one of them that skipped college. Instead, he worked as a bouncer at several bars, and was doing private investigating for a few agencies, all while saving up to start up his own security firm. He’d actually done well for himself. At twenty-two, he already owned his own business. Even Alex admitted he was impressed, but he’d never tell Romero. It was too much fun clowning him.

Alex rolled his eyes. Leave it to Eric to ruin his fun. Romero started telling Eric about all the gadgets he’d recently bought to track people, and Alex lost interest. He turned to see people entering the backyard from the kitchen door. Alex frowned. They were supposed to come through the side gate. He glanced at the side gate. That’s when he saw her.

He felt the air sucked out of him. His heart did a wild gallop and he swallowed hard, trying to remain composed. It amazed him how different she looked from a year ago. She was still the same Valerie he’d known since high school. Delicately petite and blonde, yet there was something different. As small as she is, her entrance was enormous.

Alex thought of how busy she’d been a year ago, working on getting her real estate license. She spent most of her time studying for the state exam in tattered jeans or shorts and wearing t-shirts.
His
t-shirts. He remembered her honey-blonde hair, constantly in a ponytail.

Now she stood there in a sexy little ivory skirt suit, the only color to her outfit a soft pink-laced camisole under the jacket. Her golden locks were in glamorous up do, with strands falling perfectly around her face. The wisps of hair accentuating her high cheekbones. Then she smiled with those full lips he’d never been able to get quite enough of.
Beautiful
.

She wore her signature high heels. He watched in awe as she walked across the yard to greet Angel and his fiancée, Sarah. It always amazed Alex, that not only could she walk in those big heels, but that she did it with such elegance.

Valerie’s posture was as perfect as ever. She’d always exuded confidence. That was just one the qualities that first attracted him to her so many years ago.

He was aware that he hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she walked through the gate. Fully aware, and he didn’t care. His eyes roamed her body freely, from top to bottom and back up again. He’d expected it would be pleasant to see her again. Pleasant didn’t even begin to describe what he was feeling now.

To his relief, the only person Valerie walked with was her roommate Isabel. After all this time, he’d actually lost sleep the last couple of nights over the possibility of her showing up with another guy. He wasn’t even sure why. It had been so long it only made sense that she would be seeing someone now. It really shouldn’t bother him. He was long over her.

Alex had only met Isabel a few times. She was much taller than Valerie and attractive in an exotic, yet inhibited way, but a bit too uptight for his taste.

Romero took one look at her. “Not my type.”

Eric laughed. “Since when do you have standards?”

“I’m a businessman now, Eric. I have a reputation to uphold.” Romero glanced back in Isabel’s direction. “Plus she looks soft. I need a woman who can handle all this.”

Romero pointed to himself with both hands from the top of his head to his feet and smugly smiled.

“You wouldn’t be able to handle her. Trust me.” Alex said, still staring at Valerie.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, not that he was putting any effort into it. He watched as she and Sarah laughed about something. Angel left the girls and walked toward Alex.

“Nah,” Romero shook his head and continued to pour the shots. “This is horseshit. I had an entire weekend of Vegas planned. At least give me this.”

Alex rolled his eyes. The moment Angel told those two knuckleheads that he wanted them to be his best men, they started planning the bachelor party. A week later Angel announced he didn’t want a bachelor party and flat out refused to talk about why. Just said it wasn’t happening, period. Romero was still bent about it.

“Dude, Angel has to be presentable at least for a few hours.” Eric said.

Eric had always been the level headed one of Angel’s two childhood best friends. A good thing, too, because he was now attached to Alex’s little sister, Sofia. Not that anyone would ever be good enough for his younger sister. Still, he was glad that between the two friends Eric was the one Sofia had fallen for. It would’ve driven Alex crazy had it been crude and outspoken Romero.

Alex’s dad stopped by making his rounds. Alex clapped him on the shoulder. His dad saw the shot glasses. “One more,” He ordered.

Romero smiled. “Help me out here, Mr. Moreno, these two don’t want any.”

Alex’s dad glanced at both Alex and Angel who were now both gazing in the girls’ direction again. “Grow a pair!”

Romero and Eric both laughed. Alex and Angel exchanged discomfited glances. They were going to have to take at least one shot. Whatever their old man wanted, he got.

They all held their shot glasses up and toasted to Sarah and Angel. Alex grimaced, sucking on a lime slice, and turned just in time to see the girls walking toward them. Valerie looked so unbelievably good to him, it almost felt like he was watching her move in slow motion. She never once even glanced in his direction. Sofia was the first to address them. “Are you guys having fun?” She hugged her dad and he kissed her on the forehead.

“Keep your brothers in line, Sofie.” Her dad walked away and immediately started a conversation with the group at the table nearest to the bar.

Even her voice sounded more womanly than he remembered,
sultrier
.

“Valerie, no,” Isabel warned.

Romero frowned. “Who brought the nark?”

over his head and down to his feet. “
Pardon
me?”

Normally Alex would have laughed along with everyone else but he was too distracted trying to figure out why Valerie was still avoiding his eyes.

Romero brought out another shot glass. “You in, Nark?”

Alex took his eyes off Valerie just long enough to glance at Isabel who seemed to be as annoyed as only Romero could annoy women. “Easy, Ramon.”

Valerie smiled. “Yes, please pour her one.”

Alex squeezed the edge of the bar. He had to get a hold of himself. This was the same Valerie he’d known all along. The Valerie with whom he’d carried on and laughed with such ease for years. The one he’d had earth shattering sex with many, many times. He gulped hard.
His
Valerie.

Romero looked pleased and pulled out another shot glass. “Coming right up.”

Alex was determined to not take his eyes off her until she looked at him and then the mariachis walked in. Everyone turned to watch the ensemble stroll in, playing loud and proud.

For a moment, his eyes met Valerie’s and he thought he saw something in them. Maybe he was searching too hard, but for a split second, he thought he saw alarm in her big dark eyes. Just when he’d not only finally made eye contact but was getting some kind of emotion out of her, she turned away to face the musicians.

*

Valerie concentrated hard on not wavering and stared at the mariachi band. She could feel Alex’s eyes on her and her body heated. Her heart hadn’t stopped hammering from the moment she walked in and spotted him. She’d expected some excitement when she saw him but this was a bit much. She’d been happy he was busy with the guys at the bar because she couldn’t bear to even make eye contact. She thought the shot of tequila might help settle her nerves. It hadn’t.

How was it that every time she saw him he seemed even bigger than the last? He was without a doubt the most devastating man she’d ever met. What he did to her without so much as saying a word, even after all this, time was absurd. She wasn’t even facing him now, and she could still feel his incredible presence weighing heavily on her back.

People began clinking their glasses. Valerie clutched her small purse and forced a smile when Sarah and Angel kissed.

She almost jumped when she felt his face at her ear and his hot body against her back. “You gonna say hello, Z?”

The suggestive murmur in such an otherwise ordinary question infuriated her as much as it spiked her senses. He’d only ever referred to her as Z when he was agitated with her for whatever reason. It was a football thing. They all called each other by their last names on the team and he’d imposed it on her but only when he was mad. He didn’t sound mad now. He sounded…
amused
?

That was just like him. He was probably enjoying seeing her squirm. She wouldn’t let him have the upper hand. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath and then turned to face him with a smile. “Hello, Alex.”

Valerie felt Alex’s big hand slip into hers and his thumb caressed her knuckles. It took everything in her power not to tremble.

“It’s Romero.” He said flatly and pushed the shot glass toward Isabel.

Isabel gave Valerie an exasperated look but reached for the shot glass anyway. She would deal with getting scolded later. She had more blaring things to deal with now.

She licked her teeth to make sure no lipstick was on them before she spoke again, and felt Alex squeeze her hand. His eyes watched her every move.

Her full attention was back on Alex. He was incredible, as usual. His loose dress shirt did nothing to conceal his hard chest and bulging muscles. It was impossible not to take it all in, so she admitted, “You look good.”