You Belong With Me (12 page)

"Oh fuck, Carter. Yea in and out, like that. That's it. Fuck me with those magic fingers!"

Casey heard Ashby's cries tearing her right out of her moment with Jordan. She stopped bucking her hips against him and he peered up from between her legs.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She shook her head and panted, trying to shake it off.

"Nothing. Get up here and get inside me Jordan," she hissed.

With that he grabbed a condom, put it on and quickly slid in her. He began pumping into her and she cried out his name.

"Oh God, Jordan! Yes. More!"

Carter heard that and cringed. He came up from between Ashby's legs and went to his end table drawer and fished out a condom. He rolled it on and flipped her onto her stomach. As worked up as he was, he just couldn't look at her face. It wasn't really fair to her but he could not bring himself to see Ashby's image when his mind was seeing was Casey and her eyes. He pushed into her and sighed. Ashby began to moan and push back onto Carter.

As Jordan continued making love to Casey he looked up to her face with her eyes closed tightly. He spoke her name. "Oh God, Casey, baby you feel so good." Her eyes flew open and for a brief moment she saw two molten bluish-green eyes staring back at her. She saw Carter. His face, his jet black hair and his one dimple on the left side of his face and it scared her. She squeezed her eyes shut ridding the vision from her mind. Jordan was getting close to climaxing and she knew it.

As Carter thrusted further in and out of Ashby, the image of the love of his life was all he saw. Waves of blonde hair, eyes like the color of the sea and her tiny freckles that were displayed on the bridge of her nose. He was close as he pretended it was Casey he was inside. A few pumps later, he began to explode and called out the only name he ever wanted to call out at a moment like that. "Oh God, Casey!"

Casey heard it and at that precise time is when Jordan was coming. Confused as to what she heard, she silently prayed that Jordan's orgasm kept him from hearing.
She
heard it right though. She heard Carter yell out her name is ecstasy. She stayed still while Jordan collect himself and laid on top of her breathing heavily. Casey was thankful for this moment while she tried to make sense of the whole thing. Carter called
her
name out while he was having sex with Ashby.

Ashby quickly flipped over and sat up and slapped Carter who was still kneeling on the bed. He grabbed his cheek.

"What the fuck was that for?" he asked.

"Fuck you, London." She hopped off the bed, collected her things, got dressed in the bathroom and stormed out of the house. She slammed the door and Carter remained perched on the bed cringing. He had yelled out Casey's name. Again! Christ! Did she hear him? Did Jordan hear him? If Carter could hear everything that was going on in Casey's room like they were right there, then he knew. She probably heard him. He fucked up. He put on a pair of his boxers and crawled under the covers. He felt like he was hiding. He was sick of hiding... from the truth.

Jordan rolled over onto his back. Discarded the used condom in the trash next to the bed and turned to Casey, kissed her lips and whispered," Thin walls huh?" He chuckled and rolled over not facing Casey anymore. He didn't mention the fact that Carter yelled out Casey's name while he was having sex with Ashby. He didn't hear. Thank the Lord. She snuggled into her pillow and said softly to herself, " Yep. Thin walls." She eventually fell asleep while her brain still buzzed with questions and confusion.

CHAPTER 7

The Piano Man

The next morning Casey woke up and turned to see the spot next to her empty and cold. A note was attached to the pillow.

Baby-

I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful and beautiful sleeping next to me. I had to go in the office for an early meeting. Here is my Neiman's card. Go treat yourself to something spectacular for my parent's party and make sure you get Carter a tux as well. I'll call you later my love.

Xo-

Jordan

She smiled and clutched the note and sighed. Casey made her way to the bathroom and on her way there she smelled coffee and heard the faint sounds of piano playing. She suddenly panicked when she remembered what had happened last night. Oh God she was going to have to really try to pretend she didn't hear Carter yell out her name. Why did he yell out her name? She could not let it effect her. He would see right through her facade. She had to act normal. As she brushed her teeth, she tried to rationalize why he would have yelled out her name. Was it because he was in her house, was it because he heard her and Jordan having sex and he was drunk so he called out the wrong name at the sound of her voice? That had to be it. She convinced herself it was that.

She splashed some water on her face and pulled her hair in a haphazard bun on the top of her head. She made her way to the steps when she heard Carter singing along with his piano playing. His voice was like silk and his masterful piano skills were something to marvel at. He was so talented. It oozed from his pores. He used to play classical for her all the time when she was nervous when she had a big nursing exam. Chopin was her favorite and he would play her his Romantic Piano Nocturno No. 2. It calmed her and he would play it over and over again on his keyboard in his apartment either until she fell asleep or felt relaxed.

He played Chopin's Raindrops after she caught Bo cheating on her. He temporarily brought over his keyboard to her apartment. He played for her as often as she wanted for the three days that he never left her side. She was a puddle after the breakup and did whatever she wanted him to do. She made her way down the steps as she heard him sing Nick Lachey's
What's Left Of Me.
She waited at the landing not wanting him to know she was there behind the wall of the office. He was not singing loudly. Just enough for him to hear himself. Not a whisper but not a shout. She listened to the words and marveled at his talents.

Cause I want you, I feel you, crawling underneath my skin, like a hunger, like a burning, to find a place I've never been, now I'm broken, I'm not the man I thought I would be, but you can have what's left of me...

She clapped from behind him and he jumped looking over his shoulder.

"Jesus Christ, Case. You scared the ever loving shit out of me." He put his hand over his heart and took in a deep breath. She giggled and joined him on the ottoman that was his makeshift piano bench.

"Well, just when I thought you were past your 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys, N'Sync stage, you pulled that one right out of 2006."

"You know how I feel about Nick, Justin, and that kid with the funky facial hair. They are my heroes." She snorted and laughed and he joined her. She didn't want to ask the reason behind him playing that song in particular. She tried to get passed the lyrics and sweep the thoughts she had about how he
possibly
felt about her. She rested her elbow on the keyboard and they sat silent for a few minutes.

"I made coffee. Want me to get you a cup?" he asked.

"That sounds perfect thanks."

He knew how she took it. Two sugars and a lot of cream. He knew everything she liked. She hated pepperoni on her pizza, she hated soda, she had fifty pairs of Converse in every style color, or pattern known to man, she twirled her hair when she was nervous or tired, she loved old school rap, had an obsession with anything British like the Royal Family and the big red telephone booths. Her dream was to go to England and spend a few months there as a traveling nurse. He knew when she sucked on her bottom lip excessively it's because she was uncomfortable with her surroundings. Carter knew her like a book.

He got up and fetched her coffee and she made her way to the kitchen to join him. She propped herself up on her island and he turned to hand her a steaming mug of her favorite beans. She smiled up at him.

"Thanks, Car." He nodded and poured himself some more. The silence was deafening. Carter leaned against the counter in his black mesh shorts and red tank. Casey couldn't help to notice the way his physique changed over the last six months. His arms were more defined and his waist looked more tapered. The muscles in his neck flexed when he crossed his arms. She took instant notice to it.

"So I see Jordan left already."

"Yes, he had an early meeting. He works a lot but he is one of the top designers so he is in high demand."

"Does he travel much?" Carter took a sip of his coffee.

"Yes. Maybe a week or two during the month. It depends on the client. He does a lot of business in the Caribbean and Mexico."

"Has he ever taken you with him on one of his business trips?" What a dummy if he didn't. A chance to see Casey in a bikini in the Caribbean would be a dream come true for Carter.

"Um well, no. His father feels as though it would be a distraction if I came along. He's very much about keeping up professional appearances. I guess you have to think that way when you deal with multi-millionaires. Carter smiled so that dapper dimple popped out.

"I wouldn't know anything about that."

"Neither would I." She looked up from her mug to look at him.

"Are his parents nice people?"

"Yes. His mother is very down to earth. She was a nurse before she met his dad so we have that in common. His dad is, well, let me just say ... intense."

"Really?" Carter raise his eyebrows at her.

"Yes. He isn't warm and fuzzy like Jordan and I'm not sure how he feels about me. He knows where I came from and how my mom had to work two jobs to support Chris and I. Sometimes I feel like he looks down on me but it could just be my imagination. Jordan doesn't see it. His mom doesn't act that way towards me, which is good."

"Don't take any shit from him, Case. Your too good for that." She looked at him and rolled her eyes and started twirling her hair. Was she nervous? Well, he knew a way to solidify that. He went to take a sip of his coffee and purposely missed his mouth, spilling coffee down his shirt. He was drenched in it. She hopped off the counter and grabbed a dish towel.

"Shit. I love this shirt." He proceeded to take it off. Casey felt as though she was watching it in slow motion. He grabbed the hem and slowly pulled it up over past the 'V' on his hips, up over his washboard tanned abs, all the while his muscles that were displayed on his arms moved to and fro with each motion he made. Finally, the shirt moved up over his broad chest, shoulders and up over his head. When he opened his eyes after he removed it, he noticed Casey sucking in her lower lip back and forth in a continuous motion and she was twirling a wave of hair fast and furiously around her finger.

Sweet mother of God! He affected her! His plan worked. She was still staring at his chest when he started to snap his fingers in her face.

"Hello? Earth to Casey? You in there?"

She shook her head and made her eyes refocus back up to his face.

"Sorry. Uh yes, I'm fine. Is that a new tattoo?" She asked pointing to the Sanskrit tattoo going down his left side. It went from right under his arm pit to his hip. It was beautiful but she of course could not read it. "It's cool Car. What does it mean?"

"Just random stuff. I got it when we were playing in Vegas."

Carter didn't have as many tattoos as Tommy or Jake, but he had a few he was proud of. He had something tribal on his right shoulder, and another in Sanskrit on his left. He told her they were dates. The date the band was signed for the tour and the date they made their album.She turned her gaze away from the newest ink.

"So what are your plans today?" she asked him.

"I'm going to meet my mom, Dom, Eva and the baby for lunch in town. You want to come?"

"Well, I'm going to Neiman Marcus to get a dress for the Reid's dinner party and you are coming with me so we can get you a tux. Jordan's treat." She smiled in a devilish way.

"Case, I really don't think it's necessary that Jordan buys me a tux. I have money you know. I just came back from a West Coast tour with one of the biggest rock groups. I think I can handle buying myself a tux."

"Suit yourself." She made her way to the stairs.

"I'm going to shower. I need to go and get back, do laundry, and get ready for the week. I'm working a twelve tomorrow. I guess I'll see you later then?"

He saluted her and gave her a half-hearted smile.

He heard the water running and he exhaled, leaning both arms onto the counter. He was so confused but elated at the same time by the way she acted when she saw his body. Carter wondered what she was thinking. Did she like what she saw, or was it that he took the shirt off slow and deliberate and she was aggravated? Was she taken back by the new tattoo? Maybe, maybe not.

He called a cab, went to his room and put on a pair of jeans, a fresh shirt and a pair of flip flops. He ran his hair through what little waves he had from his new haircut and grabbed his wallet. He passed by Casey's room on his way out and the door was open a crack. He watched her brush out her wet hair with even slow strokes. He was taken in by her beauty and the way she was so gentle and feminine, and soft. He longed to run his hands through her soft waves and at that time he really wanted to be that fucking brush. He made his way down the steps and saw that the cab was there. He yelled up to her.

"Case, my cab is here. I'll see you later sweetface."

Sweetface. His sweetface. Carter didn't wait for her to respond. He just needed to go.

The cab brought him to a man's formal wear store in Clearwater, close to where he was meeting his brother and his family for lunch. He was on a mission to find a dashing tux for this stupid dinner party. He stepped into the suit department and started looking around at all the tuxedos and suits that were neatly lined in racks in front of him. Carter wished Casey was with him, helping him look for something. She always came shopping with him even though he hated to shop, she forced him to go when he needed new stuff for his shows and when he was getting ready to go out on tour. He stopped at the round rack of gorgeous Italian shoes. He crouched down to take a pair of Armani Black leather slip ons. Suddenly two black Louboutin clad feet came into his view. He traced the feet up to a pair of black silk stockinged legs, followed by a tight, short, black silk skirt. His eyes continued the trail as he slowly rose from his position. His eyes landed on the tight siren red blouse with the plunging neckline where a pair of breasts were getting ready to burst out of the red blouse. His eyes continued their journey to meet the face that the gorgeous body belonged to. His eyes met with a pair of sea colored ones. He did a double take at color of them. The color reminded him so much of Casey's. They were traced with smoky black eyeliner and gray and silver eyeshadow. The eyelashes were so long they reached the eyebrows. The lips were painted scarlet red and the hair was a sandy blonde color with waves of gold cascading over her shoulders and down her back. The familiarity of the color and texture resembled Casey's and he had to resist the urge to touch it. His heart pounded in his chest and he was temporarily at a loss for words.