Chapter 19

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

NATIE

Dylan : How is the wedding?

Hamadi : Has Santos caught the bouquet?

Me : I'm busy working. I'm not a guest.

Firass : Our house is several yards away, but I can hear the band from all the way over here.

Hamadi : Sounds like a great party!

Dylan : Make sure to rein in any drunk party-goers.

Me : Johnny already took care of that.

Firass : LOL!

Firass : Wait what?

" G ive it up for the newlyweds!" The band leader points at the dance floor where Santana and Wayne have been grooving for the past hour. Their friends and loved ones all surround them and cheer. The entire ceremony went off without a hitch, and I thank my lucky stars we were able to avoid disaster by subduing Mr. Hand.

I hand a guest a drink then walk out from behind the bar. The dining area has been decked out with fine linens over each surface and white flower centerpieces at every table. The ceremony took place under a perfect sunset outside near the pool, but now the guests are partying it up in our hotel restaurant. My job is to attend to their every need, even if it means mixing drinks and cleaning up after guests. The waiters do a good job, but all staff need help at times. Even Johnny and Davi, two of the more senior staff, are lending a hand by distributing champagne glasses. Many hands make light work, so I make sure to do the rounds and remove empty drink flutes throughout the area.

I'm power-walking back from the kitchen when a familiar face waves at me. "Natie, take a load off!"

"Keisha, hi!" I walk backward and point my thumb back to the crowd of guests. "Duty calls."

"No, it doesn't. All the guests are attended to."

Turning back around, I notice my parents manning the bar while Johnny and Davi clear a table. There isn't a single unhappy face in the restaurant right now. I guess she's right . "Come sit!" Keisha beckons me over to an empty table, so I join her.

We spend a minute watching as the guests shimmy and shake to the band playing a cover of a Black Eyed Peas song. "This wedding is amazing," Keisha shouts over the music.

"I'm glad!" I search the dancing crowd, but there's no sign of the guy who's occupying a piece of my heart. Maybe Santos ducked out early, but I doubt it; he wouldn't leave his sister's wedding prematurely.

"You know, Santos is my best friend." Keisha looks at me, imploring me to open up.

"Uh, okay?" I force a chuckle. Am I being grilled?

"I want him to be happy, but we both know he doesn't excel at communicating."

I nod. "Ah."

"Just be patient with him. Better yet, tell him how you feel, and stop playing games."

I raise my hands. "I swear, I'm not messing around with him."

"Good." She points at my face, then gulps her champagne. After a moment of studying me, she swivels her flute and replaces it on the table. "You know, he's mentioned you to me before."

"Really?" I can't hide my excitement.

Keisha snickers. "Yeah. He talked about how you bullied him."

My smile falls. "Oh."

"But despite all that, I suspect he still had a crush on you for all these years. In fact, if you asked him to get naked, he'd probably―"

"Keesh!" We turn to see a mortified Santos. His tie is undone, and the top two buttons of his shirt are loose. Is there any sexier outfit for a man? "C-c-can you not?!"

Keisha pats my shoulder and we both snicker. "Santos, I think Natie would like to speak with you."

"I would? I mean…" I stand up and straighten my jacket. "I would."

Santos opens his mouth, but we're cut off by the applause. The band has finished their song, and the leader is muttering to the rest of the musicians. The drumbeat begins again, but this time, it's a slower tempo.

"Alright, all you couples out there, get on the dance floor. This is a personal request from the bride, here's ‘I Could Fall in Love' by the late great Selena." The guitar picks up the riff, and the familiar melodies waft through the air.

Santos and I turn to Keisha to see her all but vanish. When I look back at Santos, he gives me a sheepish shrug. Gazing out at the dance floor, I'm transfixed by all the couples starting to slow dance.

"Natie." I turn back to him. "W-w-w-would you like to…" He reaches out his hand, and without even second-guessing it, I take it.

"I would love to slow dance with you." He beams at me; I've never had the power to make anyone this happy before. I'm starting to believe Santos is willing to give me that second chance now.

We occupy a corner of the dance floor, far from everyone else, and I put my arms on his shoulders. I feel the warm skin of his neck. His hands on my hips make me feel like coming home. This is where I belong.

The two of us sway for a few seconds, soaking in the lyrics of the love song. I ignore the scandalized looks of my parents and the newlyweds. They can talk all they like, but I'm done hiding my feelings for Santos. The singer croons about losing their heart to someone else, and it's an appropriate sentiment.

With the way Santos is looking at me in the dark, I know I'm in the early stages of falling for him.

"Natie, I should apologize."

My eyebrows jump. "What for?" I rub his neck as we slowly move back and forth. "I should apologize to you. I'm so sorry if you ever felt like I was forced into asking you out."

He shakes his head. "It's not that. I b-b-believed you the first ten times you assured me that you wanted me."

I laugh. "Then what?"

"I've been res-s-straining myself from going all in on our relationship."

My mouth goes dry. "Wha…why?"

"Because you're Natie!" He huffs and looks up as we dance. "Every g-g-guy I've ever dated couldn't measure up to the m-m-memory of you, which is pathetic. And now that I have the real thing, I'm w-w-waiting for you to show me you're not the guy I b-b-built you up to be!"

I gulp. "And? What's the verdict?"

"You're better than I ever imagined, Natie Shiba." My heart bursts like an overloaded fuse box. No one has ever said such meaningful words about me. No one takes my breath away like Santos Hand.

"Really?" I whisper.

He nods as we sway. "So that's why I took a step back. I keep wondering when you'll realize you can d-d-do a lot better than a former j-j-jock who can't speak c-c-correctly."

"Aw, baby," I coo. "If you think the way you talk makes me like you less…" I lean in close and bring my hands together behind him, draping my arms over his shoulders. I glance at his lips, and he grins. "Then you're not the brilliant guy I want to be with. The kind of guy I want to spend all my time with, texting, exchanging book recommendations, watching movies, and kissing. Don't forget the kissing."

We share a laugh, and I move in closer, my mouth a breath away from his. The music is winding down, so I need to take advantage of this moment. "So, let's do this right. No one's forcing me when I ask you this: Santos Hand, do you want go on dates with me and be my boyfriend? Because you've stolen my heart."

His brilliant smile makes me feel like the strongest man in the world. "You stole mine first, Natie Shiba."

I put my mouth on his, and like the first time, all the discontent in my soul fades away.

"So, this is my place," I say, swinging my keys around my forefinger. Santos looks around, dragging his luggage behind him. There's no need for him to stay at the resort tonight, not when I have a perfectly good bed here.

The rest of the wedding was divine. Santos gave a short but heartwarming speech where he barely stuttered. Keisha caught the bouquet and kept handing it off to Santos, who, in turn, continually refused it. And there were no further drunken interlopers.

After cleaning up, we said goodbye to all the family members as a couple. Santana and Gretchen gave us coy looks, but I'm done hiding or second-guessing the way I feel about Santos. We packed up his stuff and made the five-minute walk to my place for some festivities of our own.

"Wow." He follows me past the kitchen. "It's spacious, yet warm."

"Thanks. It was the first separate property my parents bought, and we use the basement for storage. My parents live in the main building, and I'm happy to have several yards of separation between them and me."

"Quaint and impressive," he remarks.

We walk into the living room to see Firass watching TV in his pajamas. "Hey, Natie, I…oh." My best friend pushes up his glasses when he spots Santos. "Hey, Mr. Hand."

"Hey, F-F-Firass." Santos waves, and his nervous energy makes me snicker.

"How was the wedding?"

"It was great. An abundance of merriment was shared." Santos eyes me with mischief, and my pants get tight. Okay, I'm going to need to get rid of my bestie .

"But uh, Santos and I are going to um, talk about it. In my room." I wink at Santos, and he nearly titters in delight.

Firass huffs and looks down. "Okay, I share a wall with you, so pardon me, but I'm going to go sleep in Johnny's room."

My brother-in-question walks in and looks at the three of us with a puzzled expression. "What's going on?"

Firass grabs my brother's wrist and leads him to the opposite side of the house. "We're going to your room to blast loud music all night. Goodnight, boys!" He rushes off, dragging my brother away.

"Is loud music code for sex?" my brother asks as they enter his room.

Santos and I laugh as we walk toward my bedroom. "I guess the c-c-cat's out of the bag."

"Meh, I don't think I mind." I take his hand and rub his knuckle. I eye him and lick my lips―with half his buttons undone, the man is a snack-and-a-half. "Let's get washed up, Handyman."

The joy in his eyes is priceless.

Thirty minutes later, Santos walks into my room, all wet, in only a towel. I stand up when he closes the door. I'm squeaky clean, down to my boxers, and I'm a man on a mission. I pull him in by the knot of his towel. "You're overdressed, Mr. Hand."

He chuckles against my mouth. "Y-y-you're one to talk."

We kiss and kiss as I reach for the light. With that off, I get to work pushing Santos onto the bed. I plop next to him, and we laugh when the mattress bounces.

"So, what do you wanna do?"

"I don't know…" Even in the moonlight, I can see his grin is equally shy and naughty. He reaches for my hard cock through my boxers, and my pulse rises. "What were you thinking?"

My hands trail down the fur of his chest. I drag my nails slowly, gently down his happy trail. He squirms against my touch and his eyes flutter closed. Then, I undo his towel altogether. "Now that we're boyfriends…"

I touch his dick, and his eyes clamp shut. "I was hoping to be able to worship your body."

With one good stroke, his cock becomes burning steel. "Okay," he says with a nod. Jackpot !

"But do you need me to― ah !" He hisses when I lean over and suck his nipple into my mouth. I nibble on it, making him shiver in sexual satisfaction. How have I not thoroughly explored his erogenous zones yet? I lick and suckle while my fist slowly jerks him below. He's so into this, and when he writhes, it's the sexiest thing I've ever felt. Who cares that his six-pack has less definition than when we were in high school? Santos Hand is, and always has been masculine, muscular perfection.

"Natie," he rasps. "Do you want me to…?"

He fondles my dick through my boxers, and I pull away.

"Oh no," I purr at the edge of the bed. I drop my shorts, then leap up to straddle him on the mattress. "It's all about you, baby. I don't want you to ever think I'm not attracted to you."

I kiss his warm neck and he whimpers. "Really?"

"Yes. I want to service you so badly." I lick and suck on the pec I haven't touched yet. He gasps and mutters stuttered profanities. I cord my hands through his chest hair. Damn, nothing better than a man with fur . "May I?"

I look up at him, and his hard cock bounces on my chest. But I need him to know I'm the real deal—Santos has stolen my heart, and I'm done miscommunicating with him.

"If…you want…" He nods, and I shimmy off the bed.

Once I'm eye-level with his groin, I lean in. I kiss each ball and stroke that tower above. He shivers and gets harder. Then, his toes clench. While far from the first time I've handled his manhood, this time feels special. I'm going to make love to my high school bully, or rather, the person he actually is.

I kiss up that beautiful cock, reverently trailing my lips up to the head. Then, I open wide and take in the first inch of his hardness. He gasps like he's on a rollercoaster ride. His legs go rigid, and I notice his hands clenching my sheets. Hold on tight, Handyman.

I go down on him, relaxing my throat. I suck and suck, up and down, coating his cock with my saliva. When I pull off to breathe, his eyes are fluttered closed, and his chin juts up to the heavens. I go back down, taking him all in. I savor the salty fluids at the back of my throat. Every gasp above sends shivers down my spine. Best night ever .

Hearing him gasp and tasting his hardness makes me stiff as a rock. With one hand, I grasp him, and with the other, I play with my own erection. I lap at the tip of his cock, then open wide when I take him deep. I go up and down, working up a sweat, but it's so worth it. Santos is my whole universe right now.

"Natie," he rasps. He taps the bed like a wrestler, and I know what's about to happen.

I pull off him with a pop. "Go ahead, Santos. Don't hold back," I whisper. I kiss up his cock, then suck him again.

"Natie, I'm…I'm about to…" His voice goes high, his balls rise up, and he thrusts into my mouth. I can barely hold on as his cock grows in size and presses against the back of my mouth. Give it to me .

His whole body clenches up one last time before he's silently blasting into my mouth. I taste him in my throat, and I do my best to swallow it all. "Fuck, Natie," he whimpers, and it sets something off in me. Between the hard cock in my mouth and Santos saying my name, I'm overwhelmed with pleasure. I thrust against my fist and shiver as my orgasm seizes me. I suck the last drops of Santos, while volleys of my own semen blast onto the bed.

He and I came at the same time. Tonight was everything.

Once the euphoria dies down, I crawl into bed with my boyfriend—I love the sound of that phrase. I pull the sheets over us, not giving a damn about the mess we've made.

"Thank you, Natie," he whispers. He kisses me, and I curl around his massive body.

"It was my pleasure." We chuckle. "I should be thanking you, Santos." I yawn and he wraps his big arm around me. "For giving me a second, third, and fourth chance."

He grins and kisses my forehead. I've never felt this safe before . "Don't break my heart," he whispers.

"I swear I won't," I say through another yawn. That's the last thing I remember before I'm overtaken by the best sleep I've ever had.