30. The Best Seat In The House

30

THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

WILDEST DREAMS (TAYLOR’S VERSION), TAYLOR SWIFT

Cara

A helicopter. A damn helicopter ride. I know money doesn’t buy happiness or whatever but this little ride is making me extremely happy. I can’t believe how this man takes things he’s known about me for years and just makes them happen. I used to be obsessed with helicopters and little planes, the total contrast to Allie. She hates flying, I wish all I could do was fly. I used to dream about going on helicopter rides all my childhood and when I was eighteen, that was part of my parents’ graduation gift. I’ve been wanting to do it again and now, Manny just made it happen.

“Look!” I shout, pointing at the people dancing on top of a party bus in the middle of Broadway Street. The lights from the buildings form a beautiful picture and from up here, we’re getting the best view. I grip the edge of the seat and laugh as we make a quick turn and get a tilted view of the city. I lean closer to the window, straining to get a better look .

“Look at this view!” I shout again. When I turn around to see if Manny is watching, I find him looking at me. “Stop looking at me, you weirdo, and look at the city.”

“I have the best seat and view in the house, Carita,” he says, and I hear the pilot chuckle. I forgot he can hear us too but Manny clearly doesn’t care. I roll my eyes and look back out.

We’re approaching our descent after viewing the city for the past twenty minutes, there’s nothing to clear your mind more than feeling small. Seeing the city buzzing below you, full of people, buildings, and cars will do that to you. What an instant serotonin boost. We finally make it to the ground, Manny reaches over and unbuckles me. After stepping out he proceeds to hold the door open for me and helps me to step out.

The night air is different, or maybe I’m different. A crying session, a reassuring moment, and then a helicopter ride? Who am I? Actually, who is this man and where has he been hiding? We walk hand in hand out of the driveway, until we reach the vehicle that dropped us off.

“Manny, I hope you’re paying this man well.”

“Which man?”

“The driver.” I mention it because he has been at our beck and call for the past two days and I don’t know if that’s normal.

“I do, sunshine, don’t you worry.” He opens the door for me and grabs my hand as he slides into the seat beside me. He holds my hand in his and never lets go the entire ride. We get to the house and after walking up to the entrance, I see a giant bag that looks like takeout by the door. Manny grabs it and we walk inside.

“You hungry?” he asks, taunting me with the bag .

“What do you have in there, Manuel?” I ask and he gives me a mischievous smile before pulling out a wrapper the size of a burger.

I fucking love burgers and fries. They’re my top-tier choice every time, and the only thing to make it better would be—I don’t finish my thought when I gasp, loudly shouting, “Gimme!” because this man not only has a burger in his hand, he has a mayo packet and this is exactly what dreams are made of.

I squeal and grab the food from him, walking to the couch and plopping down. He follows me, cackling and sitting on the opposite end. I try to take my shoes off but he stops me and says, “Let me.” He takes my shoes and socks off, putting them down and keeping my feet on his lap. He pulls one of my toes and I gasp in surprise. He smiles, doing the same with the rest of them.

He must know. “How do you know?”

“How do I know what? That you like your toes popped? One time in the Dominican, our parents paid for that group of masseuses to come give us massages by the water, do you remember that?”

Barely. Forever ago all of us took a family vacation to the Zabana’s beach house in the Dominican Republic. That family knows how to splurge. And one of the things we got there were massages by the beach. “Yeah,” I reply.

“You kept asking how to say 'toes' and getting all tangled up about why 'toes' and 'fingers' are the same in Spanish. It cracked me up. But long story short, all you really wanted was for that girl to pull your toes. I remember how much you liked that, so I thought it might still be a thing.”

“You remember that?” My voice catches, warmth washing over me.

“I remember it all, Cara.” Manny meets my gaze, and for a moment, the world around us fades. I can see the memories flicker in his eyes—the laughter, the little moments that made up our shared history. It’s like he’s holding onto every silly, tender detail, and it makes my heart so damn happy.

He grabs my other foot and does the same as I unwrap my burger and my fries, adding a dollop of mayo on the wrapper so I can dip my fries. I’m a happy camper, eating all the greasy food and enjoying the company. I start thinking about how our arrangement is coming to an end and how I don’t want it to end. It also hits me that Manny hasn’t worked, or at least I haven’t seen him work in the past few days.

“How’s work?” I ask, chewing the last of my burger before scrunching the wrapper and tossing it in the bag.

“I wouldn’t know,” he replies, taking a bite of his wrap. I fucking knew he wouldn’t eat a burger because even though I have the habits of a toddler, he doesn’t. “Last time I talked to Gus, they were doing fine and I asked to be kept in the dark since the whole Virgil debacle.”

“That’s a first,” I say.

“Yes, for the first time in my life, I’m actually taking a break, and it feels amazing, Cara. I don’t know if I would’ve done it without you, so thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything. If anything, I’m the one who should be thanking you.” I glance at him, the warmth of gratitude blooming in my chest. “You’ve driven me around, kept me fed and entertained, and even played therapist. You’re a good friend, Manny. I’m lucky to have you.”

He swallows hard and if I didn’t know better I would think that the word friend affected him just as much as it felt odd coming from my mouth. He’s more than a friend flashes through my mind in bold neon signs but instead of Manny saying something about it, he gives me a playful smile. I guess that glimpse and short moment was a lapse in judgment. Maybe I wanted to see that.

“My goal is to keep you relaxed too,” he says playfully as he winks at me. My cheeks heat up, a rush of warmth spreading through me as I glance away, trying to hide my smile. Why do I keep hiding from him when I know damn well that all I want right now are his hands on me.

“Oh yeah? Do you have something in mind? I’m pretty tense all of a sudden,” I say as I lay the rest of my food on the table and sit on my knees next to him.

He does the same with his food but instead of setting everything aside, he grabs the styrofoam cup from the bag and removes the lid.

“I have a few things in mind,” he replies as he keeps his eyes on me and my whole body becomes alive with awareness. Awareness about everything.?

I’m painfully aware of the way his Adam’s apple bobs as he dips his fingers into the cup, rattling the ice. I am completely aware of his eyes on my neck and then my legs as I clench my thighs. “We’ve done so much in the past couple of days, Carita. I think your body could use a treatment, you know, to help your muscles. Are your muscles sore, bebé?”

His raspy voice sends a shiver down my spine—my body even more aware of him than it was before. “Yes,” I manage to breathe out.

He scoops out an ice cube at the same time that his eyes darken and I lick my lips. He’s watching my every move too because when I bring my hands over my knees and rest them on my thighs he practically growls.

Manny gets closer to me, bringing his mouth to my ear and whispering in a raspy voice, “You know what’s really good for your muscles? Ice.” I feel a cold sensation down the side of my neck. He traces my neck and collarbone with the ice cube and when I hiss, he lifts it and traces the same path with his hot tongue. The cold and hot contrast has my body set in overdrive and I’m immediately as turned on as if I was naked and his tongue was everywhere on my body. I place a hand on his neck but he immediately lifts his mouth from my skin. I feel the loss of his touch immediately and arch my back trying to close the gap between us. “Patience, Carita mia, patience.”

Manny moves the ice cube to my ear lobe, touching it and moving it side to side before removing it and chasing the cold with his mouth, sucking on my earlobe and biting gently. The temperature contrast has my brain in overdrive and I can feel every bit of my body tense under his touch in the best way possible.

“Fuck,” I say, spreading my knees to try to get some friction from the seam of my shorts. He brings the ice back up, but this time runs it right behind my ear and all the way down to his favorite spot on my neck. I love when he kisses me there and so does he. He applies pressure with the ice until the skin feels almost numb—the ice melting, sending drops of water running down my shoulder. Before I realize it, he removes the ice from my neck, his mouth covering my now frigid skin, erasing the numbness and licking my skin back to life.

I spread my knees wider on the couch, lowering next to him and positioning the inner seam of my shorts to rub against my clit through my dainty panties. I wore a lace thong today, hoping I would have the chance to show it off, but luckily for me the fabric is creating the friction I’m seeking. I hook my fingers under the band of my shorts and pull the strings above the shorts to give me the right pressure against my sex and my ass. Manny’s eyes snap to mine once he notices what I’m doing and there’s pure fire in them.

He grabs me by my waist, pulling me up and sitting me on top of his leg. He reaches back to the cup on the table for another piece of ice. This time instead of teasing my ear and neck, he lowers the strap of my top over my shoulder, pulling it down while tracing my arm with his fingers and freeing my breast in the process. Another day that going without a bra works in my favor. Because the moment Manny takes a look at my pebbled nipple, he bites his lip and slides the ice around the sensitive skin.

I hiss at the contact but it feels so damn good. I roll my hips and pull the string of my thong higher.

“Is that enough pressure for you? Is this the right temperature?” Manny asks as he stops moving the ice and leaves it on top of my nipple, making me see stars at the cold sensation. When I roll my hips again, he lifts the ice and lowers his mouth to my nipple, licking it and biting it while his hand grips my back, keeping me in place and not allowing me to move away from his tongue. His mouth feels so warm against my cold skin and the mixture of temperatures, plus almost crossing the line between pain and pleasure, have me extremely turned on. I feel my shorts getting wet.

“Yes,” I moan and he pulls my nipple between his teeth before removing his mouth and replacing it with the ice. “Fuck, Manny, more,” I plead while rolling my hips over and over trying to chase a high I didn’t know I could accomplish without anything touching myself.

He uses both of his hands to spread my legs as wide as they’ll go over his leg and then drops his mouth to my breast again. His hand on one of my thighs is wet and cold, as if he still has the piece of ice, just melting away as I burn. But then he brings his cold fingers to my other breast, cupping it and letting me feel the nearly melted piece of ice. His mouth biting, licking, and pulling on one nipple while rubbing the ice until it melts in the other, has me right on the edge of my orgasm. Manny slides his hand up my back and into my hair, gathering the length and wrapping it around his fist and pulling gently backward making me scream, “Oh, yes.”

“Ride my leg baby, let me see you come undone with your pretty tit in my mouth and your clit ready for me to touch. Ride it, baby, ride it,” he groans before going back to biting my breast. He pulls on my hair, arching my back and pressing my breast harder against his mouth and his other hand pinches my nipple to the edge of pain. I roll my hips again but then, he bites my nipple and that does it. That sends me right over the edge and I come, hard. I rock wildly continuing to chase the sensations—his mouth and hands on my body and my ass grinding on him.

“Manny,” I whisper. Falling onto him, limp, after coming down from the hottest high of my life, and I had my fucking pants on.

He smiles against my skin, picking me up, and walking us back to the room. We kiss as we strip our clothes. Shirts off, shoes left behind, and pants being unbuckled all without dropping our mouths from each other. He puts me down and sets the cup of ice he managed to bring on top of the dresser. I push him onto the bed, and seeing him there, laying half naked, his dick hard and straining in his pants, and his eyes on me, taking in all of me, is making me feel like a damn goddess.

I pull his pants down, his dick springing free and I notice he’s ready for me—a bead of moisture making his head glisten. I take a card from his own deck and grab an ice cube. I pop the ice in my mouth as I walk back toward him. I bring my hand to his balls, cupping them and squeezing gently.

“Fuck, Cara. Are you trying to kill me?” Manny asks, folding his hands behind his head and using them as leverage so he can see. I kneel next to him on the bed, bringing my mouth over his dick, and taking as much as I can into my mouth. I pull back, my tongue flat, licking all the way back up. “It’s so cold.”

“It’s so good,” I smirk before taking him in my mouth. I lick and suck, up and down, until I feel him harden more against my lips. His legs tense under my touch and his breathing becomes shallower. I keep sucking and licking, tasting every inch of him.

“If you don’t want me to come all over your pretty mouth, you need to stop,” Manny says and that just gets me more excited to keep going. I work him harder, digging my nails into his thighs and moaning against his dick when I feel him tense up. I swirl my tongue around the tip as he brings his hands to my hair, pulling it up into a made up ponytail. I snap my eyes up at him and I find them locked on me. I feel like I can do it all in this moment. On a high of desire as I have him under my mercy. I smirk and hum around him and he tilts his head back with a groan.

I lick again, this time swirling my tongue around his thick and hard dick until I feel his hand tightening on my hair. “I’m going to—” he groans but he cuts off as I hollow my cheeks and increase the pressure. I immediately feel the salty taste on the back of my throat at the same time that he lets out a groan. I continue to suck, until I feel him still and then swallow it all. “You are so damn perfect. Perfect,” Manny says, tilting his head back and raising his hand to my head.

He pulls me up to him, I nestle my legs around his hips as he finds my lips. Kissing me softly at first and then changing pace to hard and needy. His lips and mine dance around each other in perfect rhythm. The world around us fades away as his tongue touches mine intensely, claiming me.

He hooks his hands into my shorts, and pulls them down my hips, as I lift myself up so he can slide them down my legs. As soon as I kick them off, I lower myself over him again. We touch and we kiss some more. He teases my clit with his thumb, pulling a moan out of me.

“Manny.” His name a breathy whisper on my lips.

“I love it when you say my name like that,” he murmurs, keeping his eyes on me as his hands roam my naked body.

“How?” I ask, entirely aware of his hands touching my back gently, making it down to my ass and squeezing hard.

“Like you want me to take you to the highest high and chase you all the way down as you fall.” I’m so fucked is all I think about. His eyes intensify the stare on me, looking at me like he never wants to see another woman in his life.

I push up from his chest, bringing my hands to my breast as I grind on his pelvis and feel his dick harden under me. He lifts me up with his hands and lowers me over his dick.

I moan, loudly, bringing my hands to his hair, brushing it backward and then giving it a slight pull. “I want you to make me come all over you, Manny.”

He groans before saying, “That’s what I like to see. You—full of my cock and ready for me.” He brings his thumb over my clit and rubs on it until I’m completely adjusted over him. It takes me a minute to stretch around him, as it does every time he’s inside of me, but it feels so good I don’t care.

He guides me up and down with his hands on my hips, picking up the tempo as we both moan and gasp against each other. I bring my hands to my breast, squeezing them tight and then dropping my hands to his chest, using him to steady myself and keep his tempo. I’m so wet, I can feel it dripping between us and with the sound of his dick sliding in and out of me, I’m close. “I’m almost there, Manny,” I whisper.

“I know. Go ahead and come, bebé. Come all over my cock.” Right on command I do, my pussy throbbing around him and my chest collapsing onto his, letting him move my hips until I feel him tense up, and then he’s coming again. There’s something fucking hot about knowing that I just made this God of a man come twice and that he still wants to kiss me and touch me. If I never felt like a goddess before, Manny definitely makes me feel like one.

“Fuck,” he groans against my mouth, once we both stop moving and it’s just the sound of our breaths around us. He squeezes my ass and says, “Your whole body is perfect, but this ass, this ass is worthy of sculpture. ”

“Oh my God, stop. My ass may be big but it’s full of cellulite,” I grumble, burying my head into the crease of his neck.

“You literally need to have a fatty ass to have a big ass, Carita. It’s perfect, so damn perfect. Come on, let’s go shower,” he replies, getting us both up and into the bathroom.