“Is he gonna be there tonight?” Alex didn’t want to be there with just Eric and Sofia. The last thing he needed in his agitated mood was to have to deal with watching Eric’s hands and lips all over his sister all night.

“Yeah, this’ll be the first time he gets to actually have a drink and enjoy the place. You should come.”

Sofia walked out of the back pulling her purse over her shoulder. She’d obviously heard Eric because she added, “”Yeah, Alex. You really need to take a break from this place. Come with us. It’ll be fun.”

Alex mulled it over. He supposed a few laughs would do him some good. He finally agreed but insisted on driving himself in case he decided to duck out early.

The place was huge, with state-of-the-art flatscreens in all sizes everywhere. They’d definitely be getting more televisions at the restaurant when they expanded the bar. More and more people were starting to come in to watch games and just hang.

Alex scanned the place as they walked in. Certain areas looked like they could be reserved with their own pool table and several pub tables. Romero was in one of them racking up the balls on the pool table. A girl sat at one of the tables watching him.

It more than surprised Alex when he got close enough to recognize Isabel. She looked really different too. It made sense when Valerie first told him that Isabel was a middle school teacher, because she dressed every bit the part. But tonight she wore jeans and big heels and looked rather alluring.

“No way! They actually got you out of the restaurant?” Romero grinned at him from the other side of the pool table. As pleased as Romero seemed to see him, Isabel, on the other hand, appeared troubled by his presence and sat up straight. Maybe she was embarrassed about her less-than-modest new look

Alex nodded then smiled at Isabel. The waitress, a brunette with a very healthy cle**age, walked in right behind them.

“Are you guys okay in here?”

Romero ordered everyone a round then turned to Isabel. “You think Valerie’s ready for another one?”

Alex’s eyes darted the two beer bottles in front of Isabel. Romero was holing his own bottle so the other was obviously Valerie’s.

“Just bring her another one,” Romero told the waitress.

Isabel glanced at Alex, and now he knew what had troubled her. She turned away quickly to talk to Sofia who made herself comfortable in the seat next to her. The anxiety made its way to his stomach. He hated that damn feeling. He turned casually back to the rest of the restaurant hoping to get the first glimpse of her out of the way before she was too close.

“So, how’d they get you out of your cave, big guy?” Romero smirked.

Alex shrugged, sitting on the edge of one of the bar stools around the pool table.

“It was time for a break.”

“You think?” Eric asked. “Sofie says you practically live there, now.”

Romero leaned over the pool table and took a shot. “What’s wrong with you, man? When’s the last time you went out?”

Alex didn’t even remember. He’d been so caught up this past year he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had sex. That fact alone spoke volumes about the meaningfulness of the experience.

The waitress walked in with their beers. She handed him a bottle with the kind of smile he always got from women. He reciprocated out of habit, but went back to looking for Valerie while Romero paid the waitress. His anxiety spiked when he spotted her near the entrance. Not just because she looked even more amazing than when he’d seen her at the shower, but because she wasn’t alone.

The sight of her with a guy who stood close enough to kiss her made him squeeze his beer bottle. Alex took a deep breath and a bitter swig of the beer. This wasn’t his idea of taking a break. He felt more angst at that moment than he had in all the weeks since the shower.

No way could he spend the evening around Valerie and her new man. He took a longer drink of his beer. He’d be out of there as soon as finished. Still gripping the bottle tightly, he had to concentrate on not breaking it. As much as he hated the sight he couldn’t move his eyes away from her and the guy.

The guy held her wrist but not in the way a boyfriend holds his girls hand. The moment Alex saw Valerie pull her hand away he stood up. He welcomed the new tension that seeped through him. Unlike the tension he felt from seeing her with another guy he knew exactly how to deal with this one.

They weren’t talking, either they were arguing. Alex should have been happy. Instead, he went on an instant state of alert. Her boyfriend’s aggressive expression and the fact that he tried to grab her hand again was all Alex needed. He put his beer down and started toward them.

CHAPTER 6

“Where you going?” Romero asked.

Alex didn’t answer. He hurried his step when he saw the menacing way her boyfriend stood over her. As he approached he could hear the guy. He was pretty loud and their argument began to turn heads.

“You think I’m playing? I said I need to talk to you, outside now.”

Was she really involved with this guy? Boyfriend or not he’d be damned if he’d stand there and let him speak to her that way. He didn’t hear her response. Unlike the idiot she tried to keep her voice down.

“Is there a problem?” He asked as soon as he reached them.

They both turned, the guy’s expression enraged, hers startled.

“This doesn’t concern you.” The guy sneered.

Alex turned to Valerie ignoring her boyfriend. “Are you okay?”