Where We Belong

by J. Daniels

  The last note plays. My little dancer looks ready to drop.

  I scoop Nolan up into my arms and carry him through the small crowd, his body immediately going limp with exhaustion and melting against mine.

  God, I love this little boy.

  I press gentle kisses to his cheek, smelling the sand and saltwater on his skin. When I’m almost at our villa, I reach into my back pocket, carefully balancing Nolan in one arm so I can pull out my keycard and not disturb him.

  I step up to the door. The sound of one closing behind me draws my attention over my shoulder.

  Riley emerges from the villa beside ours, the ivory strapless dress she’s wearing looking a little more wrinkled than it should. Her hair tangled, half coming out of the jeweled clip she was securing it up with, and feet bare. Her sandals tucked under her arm.

  She looks like someone who’s just had wild, uninhibited sex.

  That’s odd. Why would she look like someone who’s just had wild, uninhibited sex? Isn’t her boyfriend at home?

  I look at the side of the villa, then at her again, and it dawns on me, exactly who is sleeping in that villa this weekend.

  Not Reed and Beth. Not Luke and Tessa. And definitely not Riley.

  My eyes widen.

  Oh, shit.

  Riley lifts her head with a gasp, finally noticing me standing here, her eyes doubling in size and somehow looking more startled than mine.

  I stare at her. She stares at me.

  An exchange happens between us, a silent plea from her mouth to my ears.

  Don’t tell Reed. Please, Mia.

  With a frantic shake of her head, Riley turns and hurries down the footpath, disappearing around the bend.

  “Hey.”

  I yelp, startled by the deep voice behind me, my hands squeezing Nolan a little tighter as he stirs in my arms.

  Spinning around, I gather my breath and smile shakily at Reed. “God, you scared me.”

  “I can see that.”

  He glances over my shoulder, then draws his eyes back to my face.

  I relax when I don’t notice any suspicion in his stare.

  Wow. What incredible timing. Five seconds earlier and Riley would’ve been totally busted.

  “Have you seen Riley?”

  FUCK.

  I blink at him. “Um, who?”

  Reed breathes a laugh, giving me an odd look. “Riley. My sister. Angry blonde who is out to kill me.” He rakes a hand through his hair and looks out over the beach. “I wanted to apologize but she’s not in her room. Think she might still be at the bar?”

  I nod when he turns back to me. “Absolutely. Yep. I’m certain that’s where she is. Why would she be over here? That’s just crazy.”

  Again, Reed cocks his head, his eyebrow lifting in curiosity.

  Oh, my God, Mia. You would make a terrible spy. Stop talking.

  “Yeah, all right.” Reed nods. He looks convinced. “I’m going to go look for her. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay.”

  He walks down the path in the direction of the bar.

  I collapse against the door the second Reed disappears from my sight.

  My pulse is racing, fluttering like hummingbird wings beneath my ear. My skin feels a little clammy.

  I hate secrets. And I am not taking on this burden alone. No, thank you. If I’m going to freak out, someone else is going to freak out right along with me.

  Unlocking the door, I push into the room and spot Ben on the bed.

  “CJ and Riley just had sex. Wild, all over the room kind of sex. I’m sure of it.”

  Ben glances up briefly from the T.V., then resumes watching. His shoulder jerks. “I could’ve called that.”

  His tone is cavalier. Completely unaffected.

  It baffles me. Does he not know how this will end?

  I carry Nolan over to the bed and lay him down next to Chase, tucking him under the covers. Moving around to the other side, I straddle Ben’s lap and block his view of whatever show is captivating him more than this unbelievable drama.

  “Do you know what’s going to happen when Reed finds out?”

  “Who said Reed has to find out?”

  I gape at him. “If they start dating, you don’t think it’ll be obvious?”

  Ben snorts, pulling my waist and drawing me closer. “Maybe they just wanted to fuck. People do that, Mia. It ain’t always about being in a relationship with someone.”

  I arch my brow.

  He hovers his mouth over mine. “Unless it’s you and me.”

  “Good save,” I whisper, leaning in and kissing him slowly, forgetting about anything outside of this room and once again being all-consumed by this man. “I want to do more than this, but I think we better let the boys sleep.”

  His hands roam down my back to my ass, squeezing me there. “Yeah,” he murmurs.

  “You going to be okay with just a kiss right now?”

  His breathing pauses.

  Leaning back, Ben takes my face between his hands and runs his thumb over my lip, smearing the moisture there and staring at my mouth.

  “Yeah. That’s one helluva kiss, Georgia.”

  I blink, my own breath catching somewhere in my throat as I remember that night at the bar and those words and Ben, his beautiful face squinting across the parking lot, gaze narrowing in on my old license plate before he took me home and I never left.

  He didn’t know who I was. I didn’t think I knew him. But we were wrong.

  And it was perfect.

  Tugging him off the bed, my heart pounding now for an entirely different reason, I slowly back across the room with his hand in mine.

  “I think it’s time for another bath,” I whisper, wiggling my brows.

  Ben laughs. I squeal, jumping into his arms the second he strips off his shirt.

  “No bubbles.”

  I smile against his mouth. “I love you.”

  “That’s all I need, baby,” he says, positioning himself to take me. “All I’ll ever fucking need.”

  I close my eyes, feeling him stretch me. Fill me.

  And I’m home.

  The End

  What I Need

  CJ & Riley’s story

  Ride by Chase Rice

  Put that shit on repeat.

  I’m going to keep this thank you simple.

  Thank you to every reader who fell in love with Ben and the rest of my Bama Boys. Your enthusiasm for their stories inspires me every day.

  Xo,

  J

  Alabama Summer Series

  Where I Belong

  Purchase Where I Belong from Amazon

  All I Want

  Purchase All I Want from Amazon

  When I Fall

  Purchase When I Fall from Amazon

  Where We Belong

  Thank you for reading Where We Belong.

  Please consider leaving an honest review.

  What I Need ~ Coming Soon

  Sweet Addiction Series

  Sweet Addiction

  Purchase Sweet Addiction from Amazon

  Sweet Possession

  Purchase Sweet Possession from Amazon

  Sweet Obsession ~ Releasing September 22, 2015

  J. DANIELS IS THE NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author of the Sweet Addiction series and the Alabama Summer series.

  She loves curling up with a good book, drinking a ridiculous amount of coffee, and writing stories her children will never read. J grew up in Baltimore and resides in Maryland with her family.

  Follow J at:

  Website | Facebook | Twitter

  Street Team | Instagram | Goodreads

  Read the first chapter in J. Daniels’ SWEET ADDICTION series.

  SWEET ADDICTION

  “Shit. Shit. Shit. Joey? I need you!” I’m flustered and running late as usual, frantically trying to zip up my new black strapless dress and failing miserably. “Damn it, Joey.”

  Throwing my hands in the air in frustration, I st
ep into my favorite black pumps and run downstairs into the bakery, my bare back completely exposed. Joey, my assistant and dear friend, is leaning his tall, perfectly tailored, suited frame against the doorway and watching me, clearly amused. A winning smile spreads across his face, and if I weren’t so rightly irritated, I would have stopped to appreciate just how handsome he looks.

  “What the fuck? Can you zip me up, please, so we can go? The cake should have been delivered over an hour ago.”

  He pushes off the wall and moves toward me, his expression softening. “No, dear, it’s already been delivered.”

  My back straightens as the cold metal of the zipper slides up my spine. “What? No it hasn’t.”

  “Yes, it has.” His hands grip my shoulders and spin me. “I dropped it off myself because I knew you would be freaking out up there getting ready and making us late.”

  “Really?” I ask, staring up at him unconvinced.

  He nods. “Really, cupcake.”

  Smiling and reaching up, I kiss him quickly on his freshly shaven jaw. “You’re the best, you know that right?”

  “I know.” His eyes run down my body and I feel my cheeks heat up. “You look amazing, Dylan. Seriously,” he wiggles his brows at me, “if tits did anything for me . . .”

  I hold up my hand to stop him, but teasingly mold my breasts and plump them up. “Yeah? They do look fantastic right now, don’t they?” He smiles down at me, his one dimple sucked in tightly.

  “You ready for this?” he asks as he brushes my hair off my shoulder. “We can still back out. I’m all for ditching this shit and going bar hopping instead.” His brow arches as he searches my face, waiting for my response.

  I exhale forcefully and grab his arm, leading him toward the door. “No, we can’t ditch. Juls will be pissed if we don’t show up. Besides,” we halt at the door and I grip his massive shoulders, “I thought you wanted to do bad things with men we’ll never see again?” Slutty wedding sex awaits and I am more than ready to experience it.

  His eyes quickly light up with mischief. There’s the naughty Joey I know and love. “Oh, fuck yes. Let’s do this, cupcake.”

  FAYETTE STREET IS BUZZING WITH people, all wandering in and out of shops on this beautiful June day. I lock up and spin around, seeing Joey stomping his foot irritatingly in the direction of our transportation.

  “Seriously, Dylan? Do we have to take the van? This suit is way too nice for that thing, and you know what kind of cars those rich bitches will be rolling up in.” He motions to his outfit with a sweeping hand as I walk toward the driver’s side.

  “I’m sorry, but do you have another suggestion? Your car is in the shop and this is my only mode of transportation at the moment.” I open the door and step in, standing on the ledge and looking over the roof at his scrunched up face. “And be nice to Sam. He’s been through a lot lately.”

  He lets out an exhausted breath. “If I ruin this nice suit . . . and please explain to me why you named this stupid thing. Who names their delivery van?” I ignore his last comment and start it up, glaring at him as he climbs in to ward off any further insults.

  “Don’t make me put you in the back,” I warn as I pull away from the curb toward an evening of inevitable awkwardness.

  “HOLY SHIT. THIS PLACE IS fantastic!” Joey shrieks as I pull onto the driveway leading up to Whitmore Mansion, following a long line of expensive vehicles. I wince and rub the steering wheel, preparing Sam for the looks he will undoubtedly receive. “Oh, for Christ’s sake. See. I fucking told you we would stand out like idiots. Do you realize we’re sandwiched between a Mercedes and Lamborghini. A fucking Lamborghini.”

  I swallow loudly. Joey’s right. My delivery van, which is adorned with swirls of cupcakes and icing splashes on both sides, is completely out of place here. I’m fairly certain we will be the only non-luxury vehicle in the parking lot. My ringtone startles me and I quickly pull my phone out of my clutch, hitting the speaker phone button.

  “Hey, Juls.”

  “Are you here yet? I’m dying to introduce you to Ian and his entourage of insanely hot friends. HEY. What are you doing? You should be rounding up the groomsmen. Jesus, do I have to do everything around here?”

  I giggle at my best friend as we slowly inch closer to the parking attendants. She’s usually very calm and collected, until it’s close to show time.

  “Please, for the love of Christ, tell me one of Ian’s ridiculously hot friends prefers cock to pussy. I need to get laid, and I needed it to happen yesterday.” Joey is practically bouncing in his seat as I chuckle at him. There is nothing he likes more than a wild, no strings attached hook up, and weddings offer the best situation for such thing. Especially weddings where there is free booze.

  “Actually, his friend Billy didn’t once glance at my boobs when I was leaning over Ian, so you might be good to go there, JoJo.” With that information, he pulls his visor down and begins fixing his already perfectly coifed blond hair.

  “We’re at the valet guys now, so we’ll be right up.” I hit end and stop in front of three young boys who eye up Sam questionably and glance between the three of them, silently asking who wants to drive it. I step out with my purse and walk toward them. “Here, the clutch sticks, so don’t be afraid to be rough with him.” Tossing the keys to the one closest to me, I loop my arm through Joey’s and watch as the two boys who don’t have to drive Sam snicker at the one with the keys.

  “It smells like cupcakes in here.”

  My head falls back and I laugh with Joey at the valet attendant as we follow the crowd into the venue.

  To describe this place as beautiful is an extreme understatement. Entering through rustic doors, the floor plan opens up to a massive foyer with dim lighting given off by Tiffany-inspired glass chandeliers. Stained glass windows surround both doors, and antique furnishings and artwork fill the room. Guests are making their way down the hallway, which leads into another large room, most likely where the ceremony will be taking place. A grand staircase, wide enough for ten people to walk side by side, leads up to a second level, and as I inhale, the scent of old wood and calla lilies fill my lungs. Damn it. This wedding is going to be beyond chic.

  “There you are. Holy shit, Dyl, you look incredible. Is that dress new and when can I borrow it?” My beautiful best friend is adorned in a navy dress with an empire waist, her dark chocolate brown hair pulled back into a chic bun. “Justin is going to shit a brick when he sees you,” she whispers against my ear as she ends our hug. I’d prefer it if he just dropped dead at the sight of me, but I’m not that lucky.

  “Thanks. You look amazing as usual. How’s the bride?” Her fingers fluff my blonde waves that fall past my shoulders, and she leans in and gives Joey a kiss on each cheek.

  “Annoying. Come on, you both need to find seats and quickly. We’re about to start.” She grasps my hand in hers and I pull Joey behind me as we walk straight back and into the room labeled The Great Hall.

  “Okay, where are all the hot boys at?” Joey searches the room, practically bouncing on his feet. The boy is on the hunt and has a predictable, one-track mind.

  I shake my head at him. “Could you please try and keep it in your pants during the ceremony? You are technically my plus one, and can wait to get all freaky with some lucky man at the reception.”

  “I make no promises, cupcake.” He smoothes his suit and wiggles his brows at me as Juls extends her hand, pointing toward the left side of the room.

  “See the man sitting five rows back on the end, with the ponytail?”

  I laugh and her eyes widen. “Ponytail? You didn’t say Ian had a ponytail.”

  “Well, he does. And he lets me tug it when I’m coming.”

  “Hot damn. Get it, Juls!” Joey begins fanning his face and I know I need to do the same. My cheeks suddenly feel like they’re on fire. Although, I shouldn’t be that surprised at my best friend’s comment.

  Between the three of us, we’re all entirely too obsessed with the
male appendage.

  “Anyways,” she continues with a tone, “the three equally delicious looking men next to him are all his colleagues. And Billy,” she meets Joey’s anxious eyes, “is the one next to the two empty seats. You guys better hurry up and grab them before someone else does. Oh, shit.” She glances down at her watch and pushes us forward into the room. “Sit. Hurry.” She clicks away on her heels as I stare down the center aisle where the bride will be walking down any minute. Shit. I can’t walk down that aisle to my seat. That has to be some kind of weird karma to walk where the bride of your ex-boyfriend is about to walk. No, thank you. I do not need that kind of bad luck.

  “Come on.” I grab Joey’s sleeve and pull him with me toward the left side of the room, walking quickly up the rows of chairs until we stop at the fifth row. Ian, Mr. Ponytail, glances up and smiles at me. Ooohhh, he is cute. “Excuse me,” I say softly. I step between his long legs and the chair in front of him, trying to quickly make my way to the two empty seats. There isn’t much space to wiggle through, and I inwardly laugh at the thought of my six foot two, muscly assistant doing the same shimmy right behind me. The lights start to dim, indicating the ceremony is about to start, so I move faster, Joey pushing up against my back.

  “Oh, shit.” My heel slips on the arm of a suit jacket that is hanging on the back of a chair and I fall backward, crashing straight into the lap of the man sitting two seats down from Ian. His hands quickly grab my waist and I gasp at the contact. Oh, great. Good job, Dylan. Glancing down slowly, I see the sexiest pair of hands I’ve ever laid eyes on. They’re big, and his long fingers tightly grip my hips. Slightly tanned skin contrasts beautifully with my black dress, and I hear a few muffled laughs coming from behind and both sides of me. My eyes flick up to meet Joey, who is grinning widely and glancing behind me amusingly at whoever’s lap I am sitting in. I stand up quickly and spin, getting the first real look at the man my ass is now acquainted with. “Oh, shit,” I gasp, seeing a small smile form at the corner of his perfect mouth. Oh, God, I want those lips on me. Full and pink with a predominant slit running down the middle of the bottom one. His tongue darts out and slowly licks it. Whoa.