An NSB Wedding Read online

  AN NSB WEDDING

  An NSB Novel By

  Alyson Santos

  This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers.

  Names, characters, places and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Cover Design by Adam Shook/L. Woods

  Copyright © 2018 Alyson Santos

  All Rights Reserved

  AN NSB WEDDING CONTENTS

  Prologue: Eighteen Months Earlier Suite 403

  1: Tuesday 8:06pm, 4 Days

  2: Wednesday 5:53pm, 3 Days

  3: Wednesday 7:04pm, 3 Days

  4: Thursday 8:23am, 2 days

  5: Thursday 10:16am, 2 days

  6: Thursday 12:29pm, 2 days

  7: Thursday 1:46pm, 2 days

  8: Thursday 3:12pm, 2 days

  9: Thursday 4:02pm, 2 days

  10: Thursday 4:28pm, 2 days

  11: Thursday 6:31pm, 2 days

  12: Thursday 7:03pm, 2 days

  13: Thursday 8:24pm, 2 days

  14: Friday 1:23am, 1 day

  15: Friday 8:23am, 1 day

  16: Friday 9:47am, 1 day

  17: Friday 10:58am, 1 day

  18: Friday 12:43pm, 1 day

  19: Friday 1:52pm, 1 day

  20: Friday 3:02pm, 1 day

  21: Friday 7:14pm, 22 Hours

  22: Saturday 8:51Am, 7 Hours

  23: Saturday 11:03am

  24: Saturday 1:17pm

  25: Saturday 3:59pm

  26: Sunday 7:35am

  Postlude

  Epilogue One: Wes

  Epilogue Two: Jesse

  Epilogue Three: Luke

  Epilogue Four: Callie

  Explore the NSB Series

  PROLOGUE: EIGHTEEN MONTHS EARLIER SUITE 403

  It could be going worse, I guess. Luke let me into his hotel room which was more than I expected when I knocked. A scowl, a slam, maybe even a direct fist blow, and yet I got none of the above. Nope, just some brief wave of recognition followed by a resigned sigh. He stepped back so I could enter, and that was the extent of our reunion.

  We’ve kept it pretty safe so far. He doesn’t say much anyway, so it’s not hard. Mostly he just tracks a wear pattern from the couch to the minibar. At least he’s getting exercise? Damn, he looks bad—except when he talks about her.

  “You staying over tonight, Case?” he asks, draining his glass.

  Surprised, I glance at him to get a read of the offer. Is that sarcasm? There’s no humor in his expression though. Not much of anything, really, just exhaustion. Yes, that’s it. He looks flat-out depleted.

  “Sure, if that’s okay.”

  He shrugs. “We can grab breakfast tomorrow before you go.”

  “With your new girlfriend?”

  I regret my joke the second it comes out. His gaze lowers, zero hint of a smile.

  “It’s not like that, man. I told you.”

  “I know. Sorry. She sounds great.”

  “Callie is… special. She sees you, ya know?”

  So he’s said. Several times. Still, seems like a stretch. I get that he’s grasping but some random chick in a diner?

  “And the fact that you’re Luke Craven of Night Shifts Black has nothing to do with her interest?” Sorry, but someone has to say it, and even if I’m not the best man for the job, I’m the only one apparently.

  “That’s just it. She had no clue.”

  “Really?” I try to keep my skepticism out of the equation. I’ve pushed him pretty far already.

  “I’m telling you, dude. She’s different. Even when she found out who I was, it didn’t change anything. I’m still just Luke, and she’s just Callie.”

  “Huh.” Okay, maybe I’m a little intrigued. Still not sure I trust this chick, but there’s no doubt she’s accomplished in a few days what we couldn’t do in months. Luke’s eyes change when he talks about her. The light flickers back for the briefest of seconds and gives a glimpse of what he could be. It fades just as quickly, but it’s enough to make me think a breakfast to check things out is probably a good idea. Last thing we need right now is some gold-digger taking advantage of his vulnerable state.

  “She’s a pistol too. You wouldn’t guess it at first. She’s so sweet and genuine, but then bam, she’ll smack you with a one-liner that just rips the rug out.”

  I smile to myself. Sounds more like my type than his.

  “You’ll love her, Case. She could definitely handle you.”

  Is he reading my mind? He always could. A virtual brother thing, and one of the biggest gaps in my life since he left. Funny how much we miss what’s right in front of us.

  I lean back on the couch with a smirk. “Handle me? I need to be handled?”

  “Uh, yeah, dude. If that thing with Jana was any indication.”

  “Eh, that’s over. Again.”

  “Exactly.”

  Fair enough.

  “So you want me to go to breakfast to hang out with you or to meet my future girlfriend?” I tease.

  He thinks for a moment, a rare smile spreading over his lips. “Casey and Callie. Kind of has a ring to it, no?”

  Maybe I will stay for breakfast. What could a few eggs and toast hurt? I’ll need to eat before hitting the road anyway. Besides, I can count on one finger the number of times Luke has tried to set me up with a woman.

  One: Callie, the breakfast club girl.

  I’ll admit, he’s got my attention. Yep, this should be interesting.

  1: TUESDAY 8:06PM, 4 DAYS

  “Everyone good?” I scan my bandmates from behind my drum kit, looking for any sign that we need to run something again. Man, I hope not. After two weeks of tour rehearsals, I’m ready to crash. It’s not like I have the wedding of the century coming up or anything. Oh wait.

  “Hey, Case. Thanks for sticking with us as MD,” Luke says, falling into stride as we make our way to catering. “I know you have a lot on your plate.”

  “Not a problem. Getting married doesn’t make me a shitty music director.”

  Luke smirks and bumps my shoulder as we walk. “You know what I mean. You ready for this?”

  “Which? The world tour or spending the rest of my life with your best friend?”

  “You’re my best friend.”

  “Fine. Second best friend.”

  “Marriage, dude. Touring’s the only thing you’re good at.”

  “Fuck off,” I laugh, but my smile fades. Am I ready? I mean, I was ready to marry Callie Roland the day I met her in that little café. So what just tightened in my chest? Can you be too ready to marry someone?

  “Hey bro, that was supposed to be an easy question.” Luke’s quick study of my face belies the humor in his tone.

  I force a smile. “I’m a hundred percent ready to see you in your bridesmaid’s dress.”

  “Ha. Don’t worry. Callie’s letting me wear a tux even though I’m standing up for both of you.” The concern returns to his face, the questions, and I pretend not to notice as we approach the makeshift green room where our girls are waiting for us.

  Well, waiting may be generous. Callie, Holland, and Mila have been inseparable since rehearsals for our joint NSB and Limelight tour forced us into 24/7 bonding. We’re practically standing in their laughing cluster before they notice us.

  “Hey, hon!” If there’s ever a moment you want to hang onto, it’s the look on Callie’s face when she sees me. That inner chest-clench returns.

  “Hey, babe.” I draw her in for a kiss, and my body doesn�
��t give a shit about our audience. All it remembers is that our crazy schedules have kept us apart for too long.

  “You’re sweaty,” she whispers.

  “Yeah, sorry. The lights and stuff.”

  “I know. It’s sexy.”

  My eyes shoot to hers. She’s not exactly the flirty, PDA type. “Really? Interesting.” Cue adrenaline. Cue… that.

  A smile teases her lips when she notices me harden against her hips. Where did this minx come from?

  “Maybe I’ve been missing you lately. A lot,” she says, gaze moving down my chest and landing on the zipper of my jeans. I pull her tighter, erasing the rest of the distance between us so she can feel more of my response and suffer with me. Her exhale leaves a hot impression on my shoulder, and I swear it burns my skin.

  “You, me, hotel room, now,” I growl against her ear.

  She locks her arms around my waist, forcing us into painful alignment. I’m not an impatient man, but this?

  “Get a room,” Luke calls over, his arm tucked around Holland. Jesse and Mila are wrapped up as well. You’d think we’ve been on the road for a month, not down the hall for six hours. Eli, Sweeny, and the rest of the Limelight guys are enamored with the snack table.

  “We intend to,” I call back, leading—yanking?—my girl to the exit. “Catch you later.”

  “Uh.” Luke points to the clock on the wall.

  “What?”

  “Kenneth wants to review final notes in fifteen minutes, and then we have the WHTX interview.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Language,” Callie says. I give her a glare that she returns with a not-so-innocent smile. “Oh well. Guess I’m on my own again tonight.”

  “Can’t we reschedule?” I ask Luke.

  “You mean, for after we tear down and roll out tonight so you can get to your wedding extravaganza?”

  “Fuck!” I run a hand through my hair and send an apologetic look to Callie.

  Her smirk melts into compassion, which is ten times worse. She knows how much I’m hurting at this point. It’s pure torture the way she licks her lips. Exposes her neck with a tug of her hair down her back. I trace my thumb over her skin, and her lids flutter closed. Maybe she’s hurting too. Am I an asshole to hope so?

  “I can try to stay awake?” she whispers, and I let out a long sigh. She’d do it too because with Callie, everyone else comes first.

  S’why it’s my job to take care of the world’s caretaker.

  “No, babe. We’ll be late tonight. Get some sleep.” I lean down for a quick kiss and don’t dare to let it deepen.

  “Less than a week, Case.” Huge gorgeous eyes turn up to me, brimming with anticipation. Love. Hope. Lust. Possession. All the things I want to abduct back to our hotel and ravage until she’s the one locking us in the room and blowing off responsibilities. Blowing off.

  Stop it, Casey.

  I glance back at the guys. “Maybe I should quit the band,” I mutter.

  “On what grounds? Horniness? Seems short-sighted,” she says.

  “Hey, there’s nothing short about my horniness.”

  Her grin is almost too much to bear. “Okay, fine. And then do what with your life?”

  “I don’t know. Be your sex slave?”

  She laughs “Yeah? How well does that pay?”

  “I don’t know. What are you offering?”

  “Depends. Would you finally give in to getting a cat?”

  “Those are your terms?”

  “Two cats.”

  “Two?”

  “No wait, three.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  She plants a kiss on my lips. “Have fun with your band stuff. I’ll see you later, hun. Maybe I’ll sleep naked just in case.”

  How can an angel be so evil?

  Holland and Mila are waiting for her, and blow air kisses at us.

  “Newlyweds,” Eli mumbles behind me.

  2: WEDNESDAY 5:53PM, 3 DAYS

  Callie wasn’t awake when I finally got back to the room last night. She mumbled something about rainforests. Or carparks? And I couldn’t bring myself to wake her up. Thankfully, she was also joking about the naked sleeping, and I managed to keep my dick under control as I drew her into my arms. Who knew being with the person you loved could be almost as hard as being away from them?

  Now, we’ve just checked into our new hotel after another brutal leg of travel. At least we get to camp out in one location for a few days. If all goes well, we won’t have to do anything other than show our faces at some wedding events and greet incoming guests. After this past month, I’m looking forward to much needed R&R with Callie, especially since our tour will push the honeymoon into next year. Endless hours of romantic bliss coming up, and I plan to soak in every second. Funny that I’m feeling the pressure of time when we’re preparing for a lifetime together, but that’s musician life for you.

  All hope of an evening naked with the most beautiful woman on the planet is dashed when the most annoying woman comes rushing toward us in the lobby.

  “There’s the happy couple!”

  “Rita, hi.” Callie is all smiles and hugs for our wedding coordinator. I’m all impatient nod.

  “I’ve taken the liberty of putting together a schedule of events for your stay. It includes the locations for all the receptions, meals, and—”

  “Wait, receptions?” I ask.

  “Well, yes. Every morning we’ll have a formal brunch to welcome the guests who arrived the previous day, and—”

  “Wait. Huh?”

  “The Welcome Brunch.” She says it like she didn’t just make that up right this second.

  “No.”

  “What do you mean, no?” she quips, painted eyebrows lifting high on her forehead.

  “I mean, no. Is that even a thing?”

  Callie reaches for my hand. “Hun…”

  Nope, too pissed even for Callie-calm. But Rita doesn’t flinch. She hasn’t since the day we started choosing napkin shapes and shit. Pretty sure that’s why Callie insisted on keeping her around.

  “If you recall, it’s just a brunch-style event each morning. You’ll have to eat anyway, so it works perfectly.”

  Not when you want to be naked in bed with your fiancée.

  “I just can’t— You know what? Fine. Whatever. Look, we’re tired. Can we just go over the rest tomorrow?”

  Her face scrunches into a painful display of sympathy. Must not have covered that expression in wedding-planner school. “Ooh… Well, I wish that were possible. But unfortunately, if you look at the schedule, you’ll see you have a Welcoming Dinner in just over an hour.”

  “Welcoming dinner? I thought it was a morning brunch.”

  “That’s something else. This is the Welcoming Dinner.”

  “Who the hell are we welcoming?”

  Callie shoves an elbow into my side. Sorry, but what level of wedding hell is this?

  “You’re being welcomed.”

  “Huh?”

  “It’s a reception to honor—”

  “Well, can’t we be welcomed tomorrow?”

  She looks like I just suggested serving baby unicorn steaks. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. Preparations for The Welcoming Dinner are already underway. We’re scheduled for forty-eight guests.”

  “You’re just making shit up. No way that’s a thing.” I shoot an exasperated look at Callie. “That can’t be a thing, babe.”

  Callie sighs and soothes my fist between her palms. “I know, sweetie. It’s a lot, but remember your brothers and sisters are coming in to help out, and we thought it would be good to greet them all at once tonight rather than try to meet up.”

  “So this is a welcoming brunch!”

  “It’s dinner,” Rita corrects. “Starts at seven pm. Mediterranean fare.”

  I glare over at her. “I don’t want to fucking welcome anyone. I just want to sleep. We haven’t had a break in weeks.”

  Horrified at my lack of wedding hospitality et
iquette, Rita sends a pleading look to Callie. Oh hell no. She does not get to force my fiancée between us.

  “Fine. We’ll be back down at seven pm to welcome the shit out of everyone. Welcome!” I call to the dude rolling a carryon bag toward the elevator. He looks back, confused, and I wave with my brightest smile.

  “Welcome!” That’s for the concerned grandma who tucks her grandchild to her side as she shuffles past. Callie tries to hold in a snicker beside me.

  “There. See? I was born for this.” I throw my arms up and wave to the lobby. “Welcome, everyone! Bienvenido! Aloha! Oi! Willkommen!” I give Rita a look, and Callie chuckles.

  Rita appears ready to cry. “Clearly you need some time to unwind,” she says. “We’ll see you at dinner.” She turns on an expensive black heel and stomps off to her imaginary Rosette and Champagne Kingdom.

  “You’re a jerk, Casey Barrett,” Callie says, pushing me toward the elevator.

  “I’m the jerk? What’s with all the damn welcoming? If I’d known about this…”

  I cringe, and her eyebrows lift in challenge.

  “Yeah? If you’d known, then what?”

  I draw her into the elevator and pull her back against my chest. “I would have kidnapped you and forced you to marry me in front of a judge,” I whisper in her ear. “Then we’d be off on a beach somewhere sipping cocktails and making babies.”

  She giggles and relaxes into me. “What about your rehearsals?”

  “Okay, fine. We’d be in a hotel room making babies.”

  “I thought you wanted to wait with kids.”

  “It’s a fantasy, babe. Enjoy the dream.”

  She locks my arms around her. “Reality won’t be so bad. We’re just tired. By tomorrow we’ll be more than ready to welcome.”

  “Hmm. People didn’t seem to like that just now.”

  “Not strangers, silly.” She turns to face me. “We got this.”

  “As long as I got you.”

  She grins and pulls my lips to hers. “Lame.”

  ∞∞∞

  “Oh my gosh, it’s so beautiful!”