Page 21 of High

Thiago

Manny followed me back into his walk-in closet and I opened the wooden folding doors on the sides that had been closed, waving at the clothes on hangers and folded up neatly underneath. He stared at them with wide eyes and I grinned.

“I had Mamá go out and buy you a full wardrobe. She was guessing on sizes, so if something doesn’t fit, tell her. I knew you’d need clothes when you got here.”

“But why?” He stepped closer, his hand holding a fluffy wide towel to his waist as he stared at the assortment of shirts, pants, and underwear. “The stuff in the dresser out there weren’t enough?”

“No, those are for messing around on the beach.” I chuckled and opened another closet door, dragging out a knee-length wetsuit I’d stopped at a surf store and bought, along with a surfboard, and other things the shop assistant said I’d need. “For surfing.”

Manny stepped closer, the dimple in his chin more prominent than ever, and his lips quivered as though he didn’t know if he wanted to smile or cry. “You got me a wetsuit?”

“A board, too. And that stuff you clean it with.”

“Wax. It’s board wax. It stops me from slipping off.”

“Yeah, that.” I grinned when he took the suit from me, feeling the material between two fingers of his right hand.

“It’s been so long.”

“We should go surfing later.”

He snorted and glanced up at me, his brown eyes dancing with a joy I hadn’t seen in a long time. Too long. This version of him was the Manny I remembered. He was happy. “You don’t know how to surf.”

“You always promised to teach me.” I’d never had time, though. Outside of studying, and spending time with Manny having fun, I worked a lot with Papá. That meant I didn’t get much of a chance to learn anything new that was unrelated to the business. Surfing was a time commitment I couldn’t afford. Now that I was Jefe, though, I’d make time.

“Do you really want to learn?” he asked quietly, uncertain.

“Of course.” I touched his bare shoulder and he sighed, leaning closer to me. I kissed his forehead and he laughed lightly. “Get dressed, carnal. I’ll meet you downstairs. I want to show you around the house. There’re some things I think you’d enjoy.”

“Other than the beach outside?” He raised his eyebrows and I chuckled.

“You probably won’t enjoy them as much, but they’re fun anyway. I’ll need to go away for work sometimes, and I want you to keep yourself entertained.” I kissed his forehead and moved toward his door, stopping when he called my name.

“I need to know.”

I turned to him. “What, hermoso?”

“Is there anyone else?” He jutted out his chin in a typical Manny move. “Is there another man, or woman, in your life?”

I shook my head, smiling. “No, only you, Emmanuel.”

“Did you…?”

I knew what he was asking. I swallowed around my anger at myself and nodded. “Yes, I slept with people.”

“I didn’t.” He stared at the floor, jaw twitching. “I thought about flirting with my guards, wondered what it would be like to have sex with someone. There were enough men, one of them would probably have been into it. I didn’t, though. I’m a… you know. A virgin.”

I’d guessed he was, but hearing it made my heart soar. I was a jealous man when it came to Manny, and the thought of another man touching him made me lust for blood. Stalking back over to him, I cupped his cheek and raised his head so I could see his eyes. “I’m glad, hermoso, because if I found any man had touched you, I’d cut off his hands.”

“You don’t get that right,” he said angrily, shaking off my hold on him. He stepped back, eyes blazing with fury. “You left me there. You fucked other people, Thiago. You don’t get to touch anyone I sleep with.”

I gritted my teeth and stepped forward, grabbing his chin. He struggled, but not hard enough to shrug me off again. I leaned in close to him, my mouth hovering near his. “I do, Manny, because you’ve always been mine. No one but me will touch you. I’ve been waiting damn near five years to see you again, and I won’t allow another man to steal you from me. Ever. You are not a prisoner, but you are mine.”

He swallowed, his gaze darting to my lips, and I didn’t miss the desire lingering there, like he wanted to lean in to steal a kiss from me. I snapped forward and slammed my mouth against his, doing what he so obviously wanted. Gripping his chin tighter, I fucked his mouth with my tongue, showing him who he really belonged to.

Manny moaned against my lips, releasing his hold on his towel to wrap his arms around my neck. He held on to me roughly, and I grabbed his ass, lifting him even though he wasn’t much shorter than I was. He curled his legs around me and I held him tight against my body, his hard dick trapped between us as I dominated his mouth in a kiss that rocked my world. Nothing and no one compared to this.

This was my Manny.