You belong with me, p.1
You Belong With Me,
p.1
You Belong With Me
Reunion Series
Book #2
M.R. JOSEPH
Edited by Sandy Connor
Copyright © 2013 M.R. Joseph
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 1482799294
ISBN-13: 978-1482799293
DEDICATION
To Beans. For your love, laughter, cheers, and for keeping my secret for so long, and for getting mad at me for not letting you read it first. Thanks for giving me the encouragement to be the best "BW" I can be. I love you.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements i
PROLOGUE Pg. 1
Chapter 1 BEACH BUMS Pg. 4
Chapter 2 FRESHMEN Pg. 15
Chapter 3 TUGBOATS AND YACHTS Pg. 57
Chapter 4 2005 Pg. 88
Chapter 5 MEET MR. PERFECT Pg. 108
Chapter 6 THIN WALLS Pg. 125
Chapter 7 THE PIANO MAN Pg. 152
Chapter 8 A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY Pg. 190
Chapter 9 WHITE TRASH NURSES Pg. 223
Chapter 10 LOVE AND CONVERSE Pg. 251
Chapter 11 IF THE SHOE FITS Pg. 266
Chapter 12 CRAZY BITCH Pg. 307
Chapter 13 BROTHERS Pg. 342
Chapter 14 ROMAN NUMERALS Pg. 361
Chapter 15 NEW BEGINNINGS Pg. 377
Chapter 16 TEA, CRUMPETS AND BLOODY HELL Pg. 399
Chapter 17 SEEING LONDON Pg. 415
Chapter 18 BELONGING Pg. 429
EPILOGUE Pg. 435
CARTER AND CASEY’S SOUNDTRACK Pg. 448
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Where to begin? I'd first like to thank my incredible readers! Without all of your support, I would not be writing this now. I have met and spoken to so many of you who do not even know me but took a chance reading a little book which changed my life! All of your texts, e-mails, Facebook messages, cards, and reviews have overwhelmed me and given my heart so much gratitude. I am a very blessed girl!
To my amazing family especially my adoring husband and kids who have been patient and understanding during my writing process. I promise I'll be back to making nightly dinners that do not consist of Cheerios, and putting the laundry away as soon as the book goes live. I want to thank the most fantastic, handsome, thoughtful, unselfish, book cover designer I have ever laid my eyes on. For the past twenty years, I might add. You are a genius for your beautiful work and also one for marrying me.
To my baby sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, my mother in law and father in law for loving me and standing behind me with my writing. I love you all for laughing and crying along with me during this journey.
To my oldest God daughter Marla for lending me one of the best inventions known to man. The Kindle. Thank you for letting me use it until I got myself one so I could rediscover my love of books. Love you!
To my mom whose beautiful words of strength and encouragement have kept me motivated and focused. I love you and I am so proud to be your daughter. I, in turn are so proud of you for raising us girls to be the strong, loving, and independent women we are today. Thank you for playing the oldies around the house for me to grow up on and helping to give me what Chris calls my " Old Soul." Thanks for allowing me to use your and daddy's wedding song in this book.
To my BFF's who kept me laughing, giving me story ideas, and for just being there for me. Girlfriends are such an important part of a girls life and I'm so blessed we all chose each other. I love you all so very much.
To my Beta readers Dani and Tina, who gave me midnight conversations and ideas to better this book. Your input and guidance gave me the push to write what readers want to read. Smut and angst! Ha, ha.
To my Editor in Chief, Sandy Connor who took a chance editing this book in between being a teacher, a wife, and a mom. You are amazing and I'm so glad we found a friendship through the love of books and beyond. You should be super proud of yourself because God knows I am. Thank you for everything you have done to help make me a better writer and to stay focused. You are one talented lady and I'm so glad I found you 20 years after high school! You have found your calling my E.I.C.
A special thank you to my new friend and fellow indie author Jade C. Jamison. Even though your more than half way across the country, you are such an inspiration and I thank you for your expertise, encouragement, words of advice, laughter, and for introducing me to writing sprints! I'll be hitting you back up for more with the next one. You rock! To all the indie authors out there whose books I have loved and cherished. Becoming friends with a lot of you has actually left me star struck. I'm such a huge fan of so many of you. We support each other and I feel so privileged to be in a category with so many of you.
And lastly, music. It was such a big part of book one and it's such an obvious and large part of this book. Music let me drift into another world and inspired me with my writing. Thank you God for that gift. Check out Carter and Casey's soundtrack at the end of the book. All the music is available on iTunes.
Thank you again for reading! Enjoy You Belong With Me ( Reunion Series Book #2)
Look for "At Last" Reunion Series Book #3 Summer of 2013!
ProLOGUE
Carter
I think I spot her blonde locks working through the crowd. Ah, yes. She is here again. My latest writing inspiration and muse. I am curious how she and her group of friends are getting into the club. There is no way they are old enough to be here, not that I even care.
I’m not sure if it’s the lights from the stage, this horrid and hot Florida weather, or the fact that she is here, that is making me sweat. It is probably just a perfect storm with her presence leading the charge. Tonight I’m betting it was her gaze that is making me feel this way. Once I connected with her amazing blues staring at me, my jeans tightened in ways that would be embarrassing on stage without my guitar. My whole body wasn’t listening to my demand including my fingers. Tommy was going to have a field day ripping me a new one for that blunder.
It was worth getting totally absorbed in that moment. I will relive that moment tonight while stroking my cock. Hopefully, Tommy will do his typical late night out and give me some time to take care of business. God, what is wrong with me? I cannot get this girl out of my head.
I have had more than enough chances to talk to her but can’t get the balls to go up and introduce myself. I know she goes to school here too. I’ve seen her at one of the freshman mixers we had in the fall. I saw her on the street a few months ago when she was pledging a sorority and she needed something from our dorm for a scavenger hunt. It was brief but I do remember. You don’t forget a smile like that.
This is what, the third time she’s been here to see us play? How’d I get so lucky lately? First we land this gig last month and now I get to see her. Again. I hope she is still here. Probably at the bar waiting for some asshole to buy her a drink. Maybe I should go up to her and buy her one. Oh God, I’m still sweating. Freaking Florida. Or maybe it’s the blue eyed girl. OK Carter, deep breath in and let it out. Inhale, exhale....Ah better. OK, just do it already you fucking pussy. What’s the worst that can happen? You introduce yourself, ask if you can buy her a drink, she either tells you yes, thank you, or to go fuck off. Either way, I can see her close up and get a real good look at that gorgeous smile. Or and maybe her ass in that denim skirt she's wearing along with those adorable Converse sneakers she's sporting. How fucking hot are those? You can just tell she's not a follower. Look at all the rest of those sluts out there that are trying to impress a guy with their tits hanging out of their painted on clothing and high heeled sandals. Not this girl. No sir. Not my girl. It's like they are meant to be permanently attached to her feet. She wears them like an appendage. That fucking smile. It's driving me bat shit crazy. I'm going to do it. I'm going up to her. No chickening out. If I talk to her and there are no sparks maybe we can be friends. Yeah there ya go. Friends. What’s the harm in that…
CHAPTER 1
BEACH BUMS
Casey Colbert heard her phone ring finally after anticipating a call from her best friend Carter London. He’d been on tour with his band Luminosity for almost six months. They had been the opening act for a popular Grammy award winning band. He’d just been up and down the whole West Coast along with Vegas, Texas, and Arizona. She video chatted with him once a week and they talked almost every day, but now he was on his way back to their hometown of Indian Shores, Florida. Now she was about to see him in the flesh without the help of modern technology. Carter had been her best friend since the end of their freshman year at Bayshore College. He was in a band with a friend of his from high school Tommy Lingetti and a few other guys he had met in the music program at the college. They formed a band and they got a job working Sundays at a place called Beach Bums about 2 miles from the college. Tommy fucked the sister of the manager a few times and she was crazy about Tommy, so she convinced her brother to let them audition for him for the Sunday night gig. They were young and inexperienced yet full of energy and adolescent charm. Tommy was the loud mouth of the group and did all the bidding for them, and Carter, well as cliché as descriptions of lead singers go, he was the Crème de la crème. A voice as smooth as Belgian chocolate, talented with the strings of a guitar but even more when he tickled the ivories so to speak and well he was as hot as Hades. All that at the youthful age 19. He only got better with age. They got the job on sheer talent alone. She missed her friend and jumped towards her purse to retrieve the phone.
“Hello there
“Yes, it is Ms. Colbert.” Carter chuckled on the other end.
“I’m guessing you are on your way here?” She laughed and said in return.
“I’m in the cab. What are you doing?”
“Getting things ready for you. I put fresh sheets on the bed in the spare room and cleaned up in anticipation of your arrival. I hope everything is to your liking, Mr. London.”
“Quit the dramatics Case. I just appreciate you letting me crash. There is no way I’m going to my mom’s to stay until I go back to finish the tour.”
“Hey Mi casa su casa my friend.” Casey heard a knock at the door. "Car hold on there is someone at my door." She kept the phone in her hand and she made her way towards the front of her townhouse. She opened the door with the phone still tucked under her chin. When Casey opened it Carter was standing there on her porch.
“Yes sir may I help you? She smiled at him.
“Yes ma'am. I’m selling Encyclopedia's and I was wondering if you’d care to buy some?”
“Well, I’m sorry sir but this is the generation of the information super highway. Have you ever heard of Google? If not, I suggest you get your ass out of the 1980s.”
They both grinned at each other broadly.
“Get over here you crazy girl.” Carter picked her up and spun her around. She felt like air to him. Red and white Converse and all five foot four of her. He breathed in her scent and nuzzled his face in her wavy blonde hair. He closed his eyes and savored the moment that she was in his arms. Yes, Carter London was madly, crazy, deeply, desperately, head over heels in love with Casey Colbert.
“Put me down and let me have a look at you.” He set her down and she held his hands and displayed her arms outwards to take in the sight of him. Carter London took on the persona of a rock star. He was tall with broad shoulders. He had wavy ink colored hair and blue eyes. The same color as the Gulf of Mexico. He had grown a soul patch of hair on his chin right below his lower lip and was sporting some stubble on the sides of his face. His skin was a golden color and the middle of his nose had specks of freckles on it. He had a smile that could make you drop your panties in one swift move and a dimple on the left side that came out when he smiled. She felt a warmth for him that she used to categorize as lust but that was very short lived and faded over time. They became as close as two friends could be without the sexual physicality of it all. Yes, at one time she thought she could see something long term with him before she knew she didn’t stand a chance with him. Between his first love of music and about a thousand horny girls that always surrounded him. He took solace in the company of loose women and it was way too hard to keep up with that. She couldn't be in that part of his life.
“You look fantastic, Carter.” She smiled broadly at him.
“Not too shabby yourself, Case.” He looked into her sea blue colored eyes and she flashed her pearly whites at him causing him to be focused on her plump rose colored lips, wishing his were upon them. Alas, this was not meant to be at this second but he was back in town to prove his love to her. Finally!
She ushered him in and told him to go put his bags in the guest room. As he made his way up the steps, she went to the kitchen to make him his favorite sandwich, BLT with extra mayo. Without being told exactly what to do with the sandwich, she put in three slices of bacon, a thick layer of lettuce, two tomato slices, and a ton of mayo. Casey knew what to make because she knew him so well. Carter placed his suitcase and duffle bag in Casey’s spare bedroom. She lived in a two bedroom town house with a Jack and Jill style bathroom in between the two rooms. She had bought the house a year and a half ago and her best friend Lyla lived there with her until she moved out and bought a similar home a few away from hers.
He made his way out of the room towards the hall way and passed Casey’s bedroom. He stopped in her doorway and looked in. Her soft gray painted walls and lavender comforter laid there amongst a slew of throw pillows. White linen curtains hung from her two large windows making the room bright and airy. He walked through towards her chest of drawers and saw a few framed pictures. One was of Casey and her mom and brother Chris, another was one of her and her girlfriends and the other was of the two of them at a function last year for the release of Luminosity’s first album. The one that got them noticed and the reason he was on tour for the past six months. He smiled at the sight of the photograph. He picked up a tiny bottle of her Magnolia scented perfume that was next to the picture. He opened it and inhaled the scent. It was Casey’s infamous scent. The one that resonated in his brain. The one he couldn’t forget. He longed for that scent to cover every inch of his body. Her body on his. Their scents coming together as he made mad passionate love to her on the very same bed he saw behind him. He had it bad for her. Had for the past 9 years. Now that he was home and going to be around for the next month he had to finally tell her how he felt. She was the only person for him. Carter knew the minute he saw her she had to be his.
Casey yelled up for him to come down and eat. She had set his dish on her kitchen table and opened a beer for him and set it front of his plate. He came down and made his way to the kitchen. He sat across from her and she smiled at him as he took a bite of his favorite sandwich.
“Wow Case, this is great. Exactly the way I like it. Thank you so much.” He took another big bite.
“You ate that sandwich the first time we went out to eat together. Remember?”
He wiped his mouth in between a chuckle and shook his head.
“Yes, I remember. I was a total douche wasn’t I?”
“Yep. You could say that. That was a hell of a night. That’s when I decided we were so much better as friends. I couldn’t fight off your harem of woman. Even inside a diner.”
“Harem? Oh come on now Case. It was just a few girls who wanted to see me up close.”
Casey let out a very loud and exasterbated laugh.
“First of all try six girls. SIX, Carter. They all had big tits and long red nails. The one made herself quite comfortable on your lap. Right in front of me. The other one sat next to you and put her tongue in your ear. She almost raped you there in the booth.”
Carter covered his face with his hands and they both began laughing so hard tears came out of both their eyes.
“I swear Casey Leigh Colbert you are by far the biggest exaggerator known to man. It was three girls. Not six.”
"You must have short term memory loss my friend the rock star. Must have been all that weed you smoked in college."
She threw a napkin in his face and he put his hands up in surrender. Casey propped her head onto her hand and rested an elbow on the table. She stared at him and grinned. He looked up from his last bite of his sandwich and wiped his hands and looked back at her. His brows came together.
“What? What are you looking at me like that for?” He pushed the plate away from in front of him.
“Nothing. It’s just… I can’t believe we have known each other for nine years already and we are out of college for five. It doesn’t seem possible that our reunion is in 2 weeks.”
“Life is sure flying by us that’s for sure. Especially the last six months. Sleeping all day and playing all night.” He assumed the same position she was in. Elbow on table and head in hand. They looked over at each other.
“I guess the real question I have for you is if Luminosity is going to play the reunion. I mean you are the biggest thing to come out of Bayshore.” Carter’s head fell from his hand onto the table and he groaned.
“Ugh. I guess so.”
Casey began clapping her hands excitingly. “ Yay! I have a famous best friend and he’s a rock star.” She smiled so big and bright and her eyes sparkled like a blue topaz. He almost melted right there and was so very tempted to grab her by her skinny arms and pull her onto his lap and ravish her. Her soft, pouty lips on his full and hearty ones. He thought about how she would taste. He licked his lower one and shifted in his seat to correct the growing bulge in his pants. He had to tell her he loved her. I mean really loved her. Not a pal around kind of love but a full fledge, knockout, unequivocal sort of love. Let there be no mistake. He wanted Casey Colbert. Not just for a roll in the hay but for always. He straightened up in his chair and he cleared his throat. This was the moment of truth. He had grown some balls and now was his chance. He sat up straight and closed his eyes and took a deep breath. " Case I need to..." As he started the speech he rehearsed in his head for years, she interrupted him.
