Always Been Mine (3 page)

“Thank you. You look amazing.” His dark eyes stroked over her. “I’ve missed you.”

She gulped. Really? Was that all it took? Just hours ago she was convinced she was over him and she now felt ready to swoon over three little words. Could she be more pathetic?

His fingers were still playing with her hand and it completely unnerved her. She thought about what she and Isabel had gone over in the car all the way there. Play it cool. Indifference is the key. You’re no longer interested, haven’t been in over a year. She’d laughed at Isabel’s unnecessary worrying. Now she was irritated at herself for not having taken the preparation more seriously. Before she could recover from his remarks, he threw yet another nerve dagger at her.

“Have you missed me?” The intensity in his eyes was exactly as she remembered. It hadn’t lessened at all. If anything, it was even more acute than ever.

He stood so close to her now she could smell the hint of tequila and lime on his breath, feel the tension in his body. Her phone rang. She couldn’t have been more grateful for the timing. Alex was still waiting for a response. She reached for her purse and fished her phone out. It was Luke.

“Valerie,” Luke sounded a bit anxious. “I’m sorry to be calling. I know you said you’d be at a party today. I won’t keep you long. I just need to know if you have a key to the Lemon Ridge property, the warehouse specifically. Trinity took my only spare and I can’t find mine.”

Valerie had a hell of a time focusing on what Luke was saying. He’d spoken much too fast and Alex’s eyes had been on her, eyebrows slightly furrowed the entire time. She’d gotten the gist of what Luke had said and cleared her throat. “Yes, I do. You need them now?”

“No, tomorrow.” She heard the relief in Luke’s voice. “I can pick them up in the morning if you want. You don’t have to come into the office.”

She smirked and lifted a shoulder, offering no explanation. Alex was never one to hide his possessiveness. Something that she wasn’t ashamed to admit she’d found exciting at times. But she wasn’t getting pulled back in. Not this time. She made her decision long ago when she decided to finally give up on Alex and move on with her life.

Alex didn’t push, didn’t say anything for a moment. His eyes were so piercing. Her stronger, more self-assured act was beginning to wane.

“I hear you’re working on your broker’s license now. Didn’t you just get your real estate license?”

Valerie smiled, glad for the safe subject. “It’s been almost a year, Alex. But I have to be an agent for at least two years. I have another year to go. You know me. I’m starting to get my ducks in a row so as soon as that two year mark hits, I’m on it.”

“Yeah, I know you. And I’ve no doubt you’ll get it and run with it.”

He flashed that beautiful smile of his. The dimples alone should be illegal. The way his smile enhanced his already incredible features was just so unfair. Valerie stood firmly, not wanting him to see how just one smile from him nearly crushed her resolve. She cleared her throat again.

“So, how have you been? I hear the restaurant is doing great.”

His eyes had been on her lips the entire time she spoke. She kept her chin up, pretending not to notice. Except her eyes betrayed her and she couldn’t look away when he licked his bottom lip. She gulped hard and glanced back at his eyes. He’d caught her looking and his lips slowly curved up on one side. The dimples appeared again, taunting her.

“Yeah, it keeps me busy. Not much time for anything else these days.”

Valerie almost rolled her eyes and tried hard not to frown. She didn’t want him to get the idea that she still cared. No matter how busy he got she knew he found time for all the female attention.

“So, what else have you been up to, besides real estate?” His thumb caressed the outside of her hand gently. Valerie nearly lost her train of thought. Somehow, she managed to stay poised. Alex had never even tried to disguise the hunger in his eyes when he gazed at her. She’d always loved that about him, but at the moment she wished he’d stop. She was trying so hard to remain collected.

She shrugged casually. “I work a lot, too. The market’s been really hot lately. Writing up offers and showing properties takes up most of my time. It’s a good thing I got into it when I did, because I had no choice but to learn fast. It’s a piece of cake now, just time consuming.”

Alex seemed to hang on her every word.

“I’m not surprised, Val. You’ve always been so determined.” He glanced around “Can we talk somewhere more private?”

Her heart sped up. She’d thought about the possibility of Alex being his usual forward self. He certainly wasn’t wasting time but even with all the preparing she’d done for this moment she didn’t feel ready.

Apparently, it was a rhetorical question. Ready or not, Alex didn’t wait for an answer. They were already moving through the crowd and he held her hand tightly in his. The moment they were around the corner and out of the canopy area, where they were keeping all the boxes of soda and water bottles, he pulled her to him and kissed her. At first gently, holding her face in his big hands, as his tongue traced her lips slowly.

Valerie’s legs almost gave but she didn’t resist. She couldn’t. God, how she’d missed his kisses. She welcomed his tongue and kissed him back, to hell with the strong woman act.

When he felt her eagerness, he moaned and sucked her tongue with a hunger that matched what she’d seen in his eyes earlier. They kissed without restraint for a few lingering moments until Valerie managed to pull away long enough to catch her breath, her thoughts.

He gazed in her eyes, breathing hard. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s been too long. I just couldn’t wait another moment.”

For a fleeting moment, he’d managed to daze her, but Valerie regained her composure, her wits. This was what he always did. She couldn’t start this all over again. She owed it to her mangled heart to stay away from Alex for good.

She stared at him wondering what he’d think about the fact that she couldn’t even bring herself to sleep with someone else since she’d last been with him, let alone start up a relationship. The kiss made her realize just how much he still affected her. One more sweetheart out of him and she’d be tangling in his sheets tonight for sure. She had to stop this now.

“Actually, yes.”

Alex stopped cold. “There is?”

She nodded, holding her chin up, doing her best to appear convincing. Her only attempt to be with someone else had turned out to be such a disaster. But Alex didn’t have to know that.

“How long?” His expression was a mixture of anger and disappointment. He worked his chiseled jaw as he waited for her response.

She knew whatever attraction he had for her, even if only physical, she probably just killed. She’d always known her involvement with another man would be the end for them. He’d never tolerate it. But it was for the best and she stood her ground. “Not very long, a couple weeks maybe.”

Angel walked around the canopy area and stopped when he saw them facing off.

“Sorry, I just need to grab one of these.” He pointed at the boxes of bottled water. “I’ll get it and leave you two-”

“Nah, were done here.” Alex’s grave eyes never looked away from Valerie. “I’m happy for you, Val.” She took in his wonderfully masculine scent one last time as he walked by her toward Angel. “Need anything else?”

Angel picked up the box of waters and glanced around. “Yeah, grab one of those crates of champagne, will ya?”

Valerie stood there even after both Alex and Angel had walked back into the party. The hot tears burned in her eyes but she brushed them away, knowing she’d done the right thing. Letting Alex Moreno and the heartache that inevitably followed back in her life was the last thing she needed right now.

She dreaded walking back in the party and having to see him all night. Turned out her apprehension was for nothing. He’d apparently left and never came back. Valerie tried to enjoy the rest of the shower.

She couldn’t believe it was finally over. Valerie had been in love with this man since she was in high school. She’d only admitted it to herself a couple years ago, though. It suddenly made sense why no matter how long he disappeared, or how lame his excuses were, she was always so willing to work things out. He always had a way of melting her heart, and she craved him like she’d never craved another man in her life. But seeing him with another woman had done something to her. It broke her in a way she never wanted to be broken again.

Coming here today, she never imagined she’d leave feeling a hollowness in her heart that topped all the heartaches in her past. She was proud of herself for not falling for him all over again, but something had died inside her today. Seeing him again had been the final test and she’d done it. Finally, she killed that frail but stubborn, bit of hope that lingered for years. She just never figured doing so would hurt so damn much.

The next morning, Valerie woke up with a raging fever. She’d been that way as long as she could remember. It went as far back as when she was a little girl. The most memorable time being when a dog had killed her cat and she cried all night. Her dad rushed her to urgent care the next morning because her fever was so high. The doctors attributed it to dehydration. Valerie knew that this time, the tequila added to it. She had more than a few more shots after Alex left the party last night.

Luke had already come by and picked up the keys to the property he was showing that day. She called early to let him know she wasn’t feeling well.

Valerie sat on the sofa sipping her Gatorade. She put up a front at the party last night after Alex left. Originally she planned on not admitting to Isabel just what a mess she’d actually been. But Isabel knew all about her crying herself sick from her past heartaches. There was no way to hide the embarrassing fact that she’d cried herself to sleep last night. So, she fessed up and let Isabel in on how pitiful she was.

There was very little she kept from Isabel anyway. Isabel wasn’t just her roommate, she was her best friend. They met in college their freshman year and were forced to share a dorm. At first they hated each other. They were polar opposites. Valerie a tiny, messy, blonde, party girl and Isabel was tall, brunette, as anal as they came, and all about hitting the books.

It wasn’t until one of the first times Alex broke Valerie’s heart that they bonded. That night Isabel had been the only one around to console her. After talking almost all night Valerie decided to help Isabel come out of her shell and live a little. Isabel wasn’t unattractive, just a little too simple in her taste in clothes and make up. Valerie always told her she had the sexiest eyes. Once done up, she was actually pretty hot. Unfortunately, most of the time Isabel chose to go with simple.

In return Isabel helped Valerie bring her grades up and stick with school. There were a few times she’d come close to giving up and just taking the state exam, but Isabel convinced her to at least get her associates degree before getting her real estate license. In Isabel’s family degrees were everything.

They kept in touch even after Valerie got her AA and ran with it, moving back in with her dad. By the time Isabel graduated with her bachelors in teaching, they were best friends, and now shared an apartment. After living in the same dorm room with Isabel for two years, Valerie knew there was no getting around her meticulous ways. She learned long ago to just go with the flow rather than fight it.

“Let’s check again.” Isabel handed her the thermometer.

Valerie took it and smiled. Isabel was going to be such a great mom someday. She sure knew how to baby you and boy did she know how to nag.

She’d been so busy last night playing the strong woman part and secretly wishing Alex would come back to the party. Valerie hadn’t really paid attention to Isabel. Not that Isabel had been neglected. She got plenty attention from Romero. For someone that seemed as put off by his first impression of Isabel, Romero sure stuck by her the whole night.

“So, how’d it go with Romero last night?”

“Don’t talk with that thing in your mouth. It won’t register correctly.” Isabel plopped down on the sofa across from her. “He’s…different. And good Lord, he loves to debate.”

Valerie smiled but followed her orders and didn’t speak. Isabel went on. “I mean he even admits he loves it. You know what he told me?”

Valerie’s lifted both eyebrows.

“He said when he goes to sports bar and his team is not playing, he figures out who the majority of the crowd is going for and he goes for the opposing team. Just so he can cheer when the other team scores.”