Always Mine (All American Alpha Book 1)

by Paige Parish

  I started to return to the living room but saw through the kitchen window that Spencer was back outside working on the shop, and he had removed his shirt. I spent a few moments admiring the tribal symbols tattooed along his chest and back, then stepped outside.

  “Hey, handsome,” I called. He stopped hammering and turned to me; his beautiful blue eyes lit up in the sunlight. “Lacy’s coming over. Doug broke up with her.”

  Spencer gave me a sympathetic look. “What’s with these guys who don’t know what they have?”

  I grinned. “Well, at least you’ve figured it out.”

  "Damn straight, I have," he said, and he ran over to me and picked me up, spinning me around before setting me down and giving me a long, deep kiss. When he pulled back, he sighed and let go of me. "I'd better get back to work. I want to have this section done before Grant and Joe get back here tomorrow."

  He reached for his shirt, but I stopped him. "Uh uh," I said. "I'm gonna have Lacy sit out here with me and admire that body, so she can see what a real man looks like and can go out there and find the second-best one."

  Spencer grinned, “I love you, woman.” I still hadn’t gotten used to hearing it and goosebumps ran across my flesh.

  “I love you too, Spencer.”

  Lacy arrived a few minutes later, and I made margaritas and took her outside to admire the scenery in my yard. Lacy explained that Doug had been more distant since she returned from the cruise and he finally admitted he’d been seeing someone else.

  “And, of course, she's a size six," Lacy snarled. Lacy and I were similar in size, but she had such an air about her that she had little trouble getting dates. But she wasn't looking for a string of dates anymore. She wanted a companion. She'd had me of course but needed someone to lean on during the years she had to care for her mother. And it made her realize how short life was.

  We spent a few minutes talking about what a horrible man Doug was and how awful he was in bed. I caught Spencer giving me sly looks occasionally, and I believed I may never have to know what it was to have someone horrible in bed ever again.

  The sun was low in the sky when I invited Lacy to join us for dinner. Spencer was putting his tools away and about to head to the shower. He’d agreed she should stay, but she said she had plans and I walked her to the door, while Spencer went to turn on the shower, calling over his shoulder that he’d have the water waiting for me.

  I hugged Lacy goodbye, and she whispered, "The way he's been looking at you all day, I don't think he'd appreciate my staying for dinner."

  “No,” I said. “Of course, he’d love to have you. He can have me later. He knows that.”

  She winked at me, and I watched her drive away as I heard the shower start in the bathroom. I began to shut the door, but a figure stepped hurriedly onto my porch and put his foot into the doorway.

  “I thought she’d never leave,” said Declan as he pushed me back and made his way into my home.

  “Declan! What the fuck! You can’t just come in here when you feel like it.”

  “Come inside my own home?” He sneered.

  “It’s not your home anymore, and you know that. You’re not welcome here.” I grabbed his arm to push him back toward the door. He turned around and grabbed my hand, twisting it away from him.

  “Is that man here with you?”

  “What the hell are you talking about and don’t you dare touch me,” I growled, pulling away from him.

  “That man who’s been hanging out in my backyard and sleeping with my wife!”

  "That's it, Declan. I'm calling the police. I am not your wife anymore, and this is not your home." I hurried into the living room to get my phone, but Declan grabbed my arm, and I slipped and fell onto the coffee table. He started to pull me up but was jerked away from me.

  When I stood, I saw that Spencer, naked and dripping water, had his hand on Declan’s throat. He’d thrown him into the wall so hard, I heard it crack, and Declan whimpered as Spencer, still holding him by the throat, lifted him off his feet.

  “Spencer, no!” I yelled, running toward him. I grabbed Spencer’s rock-hard arm and pulled, but it didn’t move an inch. I saw a fire in his eyes I’d never seen before, and Declan’s face was beet red. “You’re choking him,” I screamed, pulling on his arm as hard as I could.

  He finally looked at me, not seeming to recognize me at first and then softened his arm and Declan slid to the floor. Spencer pulled his hand from Declan’s throat and stepped back. Declan coughed and put his hands to his neck. “What the fuck,” he sputtered while coughing. “You are so dead, man. I’m calling the police.”

  Spencer stepped back further, a worried look on his face. I stepped in front of Declan. “You go right ahead and do that, Declan. I don’t think it’s going to end the way you think, though. I’ll be sure to show them your threatening texts and explain how you broke in here and pushed me. You have no rights here, Declan. Get the hell out of my house.”

  He looked at me in disbelief and scrambled toward the door. I followed and watched him run off the porch into the night. "Expect to hear from my lawyer. You've got a restraint order coming." I slammed the door behind me and turned to watch Spencer, who seemed frozen in place.

  Did I know him that well after all?

  Spencer

  I couldn’t stand the look in Janine’s eyes after Declan left. It wasn’t so much the disappointment. It was the fear. I had sworn to myself that I would never be the cause of that emotion in Janine. I’d failed, and we hadn’t even been together for two weeks.

  I didn't think it would make much difference, but after I dressed, I wiped up the water I’d left all over the house and grabbed my bag. I found her sitting outside in the dark on her patio. I dropped my bag by the door and stepped outside cautiously. She didn’t turn around. When she continued facing away after I called to her, I dropped my shoulders.

  “I’m going to go now,” I said quietly.

  She remained still.

  “Janine, we haven’t known each other long enough to know every part of each other, every bit of our past. I’d hoped we’d have that chance. Hopefully, we still do, but I saw that fear in you. And the last thing I ever wanted to do was make you fear me. You should know that I got into some trouble because I put that fear in someone else. Someone not unlike Declan. He hurt my baby sister, and I just lost it. I swear to you that I would never hurt you, but I can't promise I won't hurt anyone who hurts you. I've spent the last ten years working hard on getting rid of that demon. Tonight was the first night I'd had a good glimpse of him. I understand if you don't want to see me again. But I hope tonight isn't goodbye."

  I slipped the door closed. She hadn’t turned my way while I talked and she continued to sit there in silence as I grabbed my bag, squatted to give Gabby a good throat scratch and kiss her nose, and left Janine’s home, hoping I’d see her again.

  Two days later, my phone still had no messages from her. I had not wanted to push her, so I had left her alone, though it nearly killed me not to go running back over there and take her in my arms. Grant and Joe had been working on her tiny house. I would not let that go unfinished. They claimed they'd only seen glimpses of her while they were working though she did step outside a time or two and left glasses of water for them.

  It hurt my heart to hear about her, but I respected her too much to push. With two days of nothing, it looked like she was making it clear that she didn’t want to see me again. I had replayed that night at her house with Declan over and over, trying to figure out if I really would have hurt him. I couldn’t say no, but I hoped I’d have stopped myself in time.

  The thought of Declan made my stomach sick. Had he made more contact with her? Was he now stalking her? I wanted so badly to look out for her, but I couldn't. I had never felt so helpless. And I'd never felt so broken.

  I had to see for sure if it was entirely over. I needed to look into her eyes and have her tell me to my face she didn't want to see me again.

 
I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I jumped in my truck and sped to her house. If she wanted me to leave, she was going to have to say it.

  I pulled up to her house and noticed her car was in the driveway. It didn’t look like anyone else was there, so I stepped onto the porch and took a deep breath, then I rang the doorbell.

  When she opened the door, she nearly took my breath away. I had not truly appreciated how gorgeous she was, how beautiful her green eyes were. I could have kicked myself that any part of her would have faded the slightest in my mind.

  When she didn’t say anything, I began, “Janine. I don’t know if you want me to be here but—”

  My words were cut off as she reached out and pulled me inside and jumped up on me, her plump legs sliding around my hips. She began kissing me, and I carried her out of the doorway and shut the door behind me with my foot, never taking my mouth from hers. With a two-ton truck's worth of effort, I pulled my face away and held on to her round ass.

  “Does this mean you forgive me?”

  She sighed. "Spencer, there's nothing to forgive. I just needed some time to make sure. And I'm sure I can't live without you. I should be proud of you for being aware of your anger and working so hard to control it. I should thank you for loving me and protecting me, instead of punishing you for a moment of fear about a man who deserves to be punched in the face."

  I pulled her forehead to mine. "God, Janine, I'd thought I'd lost you. I just found you, and I thought you were gone forever."

  She shook her head and put her hands on either side of my face, raising it to hers. "At this point, I'm so far in love with you, you'll have to force me to leave you alone, and that won't be easy. I'm much stronger than I look."

  I laughed as she kissed me and agreed. She had a stronghold of my heart that couldn't be pried open by anyone.

  Epilogue

  Janine

  I woke up to find my bed empty. No Spencer. No Gabby. Where could they be? It had been one year since he’d walked into my life and my heart. I wondered what he was planning for our anniversary. I had a feeling he was working on a big surprise. His surprise would not be as exciting as mine, though, I thought.

  I sat up and pulled on my nightgown. It had become unnecessary in the night. I neither heard nor saw any sign of my lover and my fur baby as I made my way downstairs. Finally, I saw them outside. His back was to the door, and Gabby was jumping up in front of him, trying to get to something.

  I stepped through the door, and he turned his head to look at me over his shoulder.

  “What are you two up to?” I asked suspiciously.

  "Nothing," he lied. Then he grinned. "Just a tiny surprise for you." I walked over to him as he turned to face me, and my heart melted. He was holding a small furball gently in his big hands. The puppy couldn't have been more than eight weeks old. He was wriggling as Gabby was trying desperately to get at him. She wanted to play with the new guest.

  I held my hands out and couldn’t speak as Spencer gently handed the light brown bundle to me. There was a blue ribbon around the puppy’s neck. As soon as I pulled him to my chest, he placed his tiny paws on me and began licking and nibbling at my nose. The puppy breath was intoxicating.

  Finally, I looked up at Spencer. “Who is this?” I asked gleefully.

  “That is the newest member of our family. Grant’s next-door neighbor rescued a pregnant dog a few months ago. This one was the tiniest of the litter. I haven’t given him a name. I figured you’d want to.”

  I lifted the puppy to get a better look and noticed something sparkle in the light under his chin. I pulled the puppy down to cradle in my arms. Spencer laughed and helped me still the pup while I checked out his ribbon.

  Tied to it was a beautiful platinum ring with a sparkling diamond in the center, the biggest I'd ever seen. My mouth dropped open as I stared at Spencer. He untied the ribbon and held the ring, and grinned that crooked way he does sometimes and crouched onto one knee. The puppy began squirming as soon as Spencer let go, so I set him gently on the ground, and Gabby immediately began inspecting him, sniffing him all over. The puppy turned onto his back and snapped at Gabby with his tiny sharp baby teeth as Gabby dodged his mouth.

  I laughed and turned back to Spencer. He took my hand and slid the ring onto my finger.

  “Oh my God, Spencer. It’s gorgeous. How many tiny houses did you have to build to get this?”

  He shrugged. “I’d build a million if it meant getting you to be my wife and be mine always.”

  “You don’t have to build even one to have that,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. “But you might have to build a few to pay for a baby bed, all the diapers we’ll need, clothes, a baby monitor—”

  He stepped back and placed his hand on the softness of my stomach. “You better be telling me what I think you’re telling me.”

  Tears began to fall as I put my hand over his as it gently caressed my tummy. “Yep. And as good as the surprise you gave me is, I’m betting mine wins.”

  He laughed and pulled me off my feet and began kissing me all over, while the puppy and Gabby tried to get in on the action, jumping around my dangling toes. One sharp snap onto my big toe by the new puppy brought a yelp from me.

  Spencer immediately put me on my feet. “Oh no, Janine. I didn’t hurt you or the—”

  I placed my finger on his lips. “No. I’m fine. We’re fine. But this little monster here”—I reached down and picked up the new bundle of fur—“is gonna need some training. And a name.”

  Spencer put his arm around me and kissed my forehead. “Later, honey. Right now, I need to take you back to bed and show you how much I love my surprise.”

  “Deal,” I said, then kissed his lips and ran into the house, my beloved running after me.

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