When You Were Mine (Moreno Brothers)

Chapter 5 -Part 1

The weekend stay at Alex's turned into five days straight. The only time she went back to her place was to get a change of clothes, but after going back Monday, Alex suggested she bring more than one change.

It felt too good to be true, so she wouldn't say anything. But Alex was sending a clear-cut message. He wanted her here. He needed her as much as she needed him, and falling asleep and waking in each other's arms day after day was such an amazing feeling. Neither had imagined how good it would feel. It was heaven, and just as Alex often said, Valerie couldn't get enough of being with him.

In the past, he'd repeatedly said he wished she could stay but he had this or that going on. She heard the inflection in his voice and saw it in his face those times he'd apologize for having disappeared on her for days—sometimes weeks. There was more to it than he was telling her. As painful as it was to think about what he was likely doing and with whom all that time away from her, she refused to investigate further. She didn't want confirmation. Even after all this time, she still wasn't ready to walk away from him forever. It made her feel weak, but there was no denying it. For him, she was.

Absolutely weak.

She'd been weak for him from the very beginning. Even before she'd been formally introduced to him, he'd made her weak in the knees. All those times she'd walked by him in school or seen him at the football after parties, he was breathtaking. So finally meeting him and seeing the genuine interest he took in her so quickly was like a dream come true. She'd pulled off the miracle of all miracles by being able to keep her cool the first time they met.

That was the thing. It wasn't nearly as hard as she'd thought it'd be. Alex made it so easy to talk to him. She'd heard through the grapevine that he and his brothers were sweethearts, but she always thought that meant sweet-talkers. She'd been blown away by how fun and easy to talk to he'd been. Not to mention how attentive he'd been from the moment she'd sat down across from him that first day at the restaurant. His interest in everything she had to say had been genuine.

All that being said, even then she'd known better than to expect anything more than a fling from a guy like Alex. Back then, it was more than she could've asked for. She didn't dare allow herself to think he'd ever want more. Even if that first kiss had been beyond magical. She still remembered it as if it were yesterday.

Their first kiss . . .

They walked along the beach, chatting and laughing. Valerie could hardly believe that just earlier that day they'd been introduced for the first time. After having brunch and hanging out for hours with him at the restaurant, she'd gone home and changed, and he picked her up when he was done with his shift at Moreno's.

Ironically, she'd teased him about what an easy job he had since he'd spent most of the two hours she'd spent with him there sitting and talking to her. "Exactly what are they paying you to do today?"

Alex had laughed, insisting that normally he'd be in the back, making sure everything was running smoothly and helping out with the service. But he did admit to slacking a bit that day then added that it was for a good reason.

As they strolled along the walkway at the beach, he slipped his hand in hers, and though it awakened the swarm of butterflies in her belly, it felt strangely . . . right. Despite having just met him that same day, it felt as if it was something they'd been doing for a long time.

Since he'd taken her out for sushi before their walk at the beach, Valerie was considering this an official date, even though neither had labeled it that. So she was fairly certain it would end with at least a peck—their first kiss. Even though she'd always fantasized about how amazing a kiss from Alex Moreno would be, she'd never imagined feeling what she had that day.