This chapter takes place a year after the last one. Btw, there's just a pinch of lime juice in this chapter, enjoy ;)
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Nini searched through her toiletry bag in a frenzy. "Darling, do you know where my good pearls are?"
He peeks his head through the bathroom door. "I'm sure I saw them in the living room after you took them off after dinner."
"Right! I completely forgot I did that."
"Besides the pearls, are you ready to go?"
"To the wedding of the year? Hell yeah."
"I'm sure our wedding will top theirs."
Nini scoffed. "That's a big fat doubt, babe. Lily's got old money while you have new money. It's still an impressive paycheck, but you get what I mean."
"Yeah, yeah."
The two lovebirds were preparing to head to Lily and Asher's wedding in an hour. They were thrilled when they got the invite six months ago since she looked genuinely happy with the man she actually wanted to be with.
Nini puts on her pearls and looks at her boyfriend of a year. "How do I look?"
He smiles and places his hands on her hips. "Like a dream." He pecks her lips. "Ready?"
She perks up. "Yep!"
He grabs her purse for her as they exit their hotel room. He assisted Nini into the car before hopping in the driver's seat. Nini rested her hand on the center console while he rubs her thigh as he drives down the road.
"You know, it's insane how different our lives are in just a year. We lived in an entirely different state, and we were with different people that we were forcing ourselves to love. God, it was so miserable."
Ricky smiles and kisses the back of his girlfriend's hand. "True, but I'm just happy we're happier than ever."
Soon after their reconciliation after the almost wedding, they followed through with their plan. Nini moved to an apartment in Sacramento that was close to her job while Ricky moved into one a few blocks for his job at Broadway Sacramento. Lily did some persuading to ensure he had a spot there, which he was thankful for, and he was able to move in about three weeks after Nini did. They don't live that far from one another, and they were the only people they knew in the city. So, they visited each other almost every day, and it was heaven.
"Wait, Lily's mom's side and her siblings aren't here, right?"
Ricky scoffed at the absurd question. "God, no! She officially dropped them after the wedding. It's only selective members of her dad's side and her closest friends really."
Nini sighs in relief. "Good, because Amanda scares me, and I can't imagine what she'd do to me since I "stole" you away from her daughter's happy ending. Also, I had no desire to ever meet them officially."
Ricky chuckled. "Yeah, that's a good point. I'm sure she'd try to pull something if she ever encountered you."
"She'd come for your neck too."
"Oh, I don't doubt it."
They pull into the parking lot of the fancy chapel in her home town of Incline Village. Ricky helps his girlfriend out of the car and interlaces their fingers. Before they could head into the chapel, he surprises her by gently pushing her against the car and kissing her neck. She gasps and wraps her arms around his neck.
"Ricky, baby, what're you doing?"
"What does it look like?"
She moans when he licks her clavicle. "Here of all places?"
"I just wanted a little taste before we went in."
She looked around the parking lot to see if any of the wedding goers were paying attention, and they thankfully were not. "You can taste all you want when we get back to our hotel."
"But I'm hungry for you now."
"Well, you're just gonna have to starve until we get back." She pushes him back despite wanting to continue, making him poke his bottom lip out.
"Can I at least get a kiss?"
She rubs up his arm. "You can always have a kiss."
He brings her into a passionate kiss, grabbing her ass. She jumps at the sudden feeling and softly slaps his chest. "Richard!"
"You look so fucking hot in your dress."
"You've seen me in this dress a thousand times."
"Your point?"
She playfully rolls her eyes. "You're such a horndog."
"I can't help it. I mean, look at you. Besides, you're no saint yourself miss I gave a blowjob in a McDonald's parking lot last week."
She blushes madly at the mention of her extremely horny moment last Saturday. They hadn't had sex in a week due to busy schedules, and she couldn't wait to get back to his place.
"Shut up! I was having a little moment!"
"Please have more little moments as many times as you want."
She nudges him and chuckles as she wraps her arms around his waist. "Let's go inside before you're walking around with a hard-on."
"Kinda halfway there already. I'll need to go to the bathroom to calm down a bit."
Nini snickers at him, which makes him poke her side. He tickled her all the way to the front doors until he was forced to stop due to being improper at a wedding.
~
"When is Lily coming down the aisle?"
Ricky shrugs. "I have no idea, but I imagine soon."
As if they manifested it, the organ began playing, making everyone turn their attention to the doors. Nini squeals and whips out her phone to film. "I just know she's gonna be stunning!"
"Sh, you can't be too loud, babe."
She sticks her tongue out at him before pressing record. They patiently wait for the rest of the wedding party to pass by, and Nini gets excited all over again when "Here Comes the Bride" starts playing. The moment they laid eyes on Lily's gorgeous gown that definitely cost a pretty penny, Nini couldn't help but smile. Lily spots the happy couple in the crowd and waves at them, causing them both to grin at her. She saw tears threatening to come out of Reginald's eyes as he walked his little girl down the aisle. As Nini watched Reginald give his daughter away, she couldn't help but think about her big day. They haven't set up a date, but it's a known fact between them that Ricky and Nini will get married sometime in the future.
They never really got officially engaged either. If anything, it's more like the promise ring stage. They were fully committed to one another regardless, so now it's more about when the right time to propose was. Nini glanced at Ricky and smiled as she thought of how handsome he'd look in his tuxedo on their wedding day. She imagined how pretty the reception hall would be and how thrilled all their parents will be when they finally tie the knot.
"Neens?"
"Hm?"
"Are you good? You've been staring at me blankly."
She smiles at him and leans her head on his shoulder. "I'm fine, ecstatic actually."
He pecks the back of her hand and turns his attention back to the ceremony.
~
The reception was to die for as Nini expected. Reginald hosted it at his home since it was large enough to fit everyone, and he got the best of best performers and caterers for his favorite daughter. Ricky and Nini were sitting in the sunroom as they ate off each other's plates despite getting the same food.
"God damn, this is some quality shit." Ricky says as he shoves more cheese squares in his face.
"I've never tasted cheese that was more expensive than my shoes, but my god I think it may just be worth the price. I feel like Jesus Christ blessed this cheese plate."
"You might be right. Can I have your last swiss?"
She smacks his hand away from her plate. "No!"
Reginald walks up to the stage and taps on the mic. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry to interrupt everyone having such a splendid time, but it's time for the bride and groom to have their first dance as husband and wife. Lily and Asher, please come forward."
Everyone clapped while Ricky and Nini hurried to the dance floor set up in the oversized living room. Asher led her to the dance floor and rested his hands on her hips while she wrapped her arms around his neck. The live band begins singing a cover of "A Thousand Years," which couldn't have been a more perfect song for the lovebirds. Nini thought it was a great choice for her and Ricky as well, but she wouldn't steal Lily's song. Also, she had a few other first dance songs in mind.
Ricky pulls Nini into his side as he watches the newlyweds dance. He ducks down to her ear. "I can't wait for that to be us."
She smiles and pecks his cheek. "Me too."
"Maybe it'll be soon."
Her heartbeat picked up. "Yeah?"
He kisses her forehead. "Yeah."
As the song ends, Lily glances at Nini and Ricky and smiles. She breaks away from her groom and approaches the pair with open arms. "Will you guys do me the honor of joining me on the dance floor?"
Nini grins. "Of course we will!"
Nini and Ricky join hands and dance beside the couple. Reginald smiles and grabs the mic again. "Everyone please join the happy couple if you'd like."
Other pairs approached the dance floor and danced to the next song. Ricky rubbed up and down Nini's spine as they moved side to side. "You're so stunning, babe."
"Awe, Ricky. You look sexy in your suit."
He smirks. "Wait till you see what I look like under the suit."
"I'm very aware of what you look like under the suit."
"True, but you always get so excited to see me naked."
"Oh, like you're any different."
He pats her ass. "Guilty."
Lily taps on Nini's shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt, but do you mind if I steal Ricky for a bit?"
Nini smiles. "Sure."
Ricky wraps his arms around Lily respectfully. "You look incredible, Lilybug."
"As do you."
"This wedding is lovely. I can tell you put a lot of heart in it."
"Thank you! I'm excited to say the same about your wedding."
He looks over at Nini who was dancing with the groom and smiles. "Yeah, me too. Sharing a day like this with her is a dream."
"I'm hoping that day will be within the next year."
Ricky chuckles. "No idea."
"You haven't planned a proposal yet?"
"I kinda have. I'm being picky about it since I have to make sure everything is perfect for her. It can't be something too simple."
"Well, I'd be more than happy to help if needed. If there's one thing I do enjoy, it's helping you two be together."
"Yes, I'm very aware of that. I must say you are probably our number one fan.":
"I basically started the fan club."
"I'm pretty sure Nini and I's parents started it, but you made sure we happened. So, you'll always have that badge."
"I wear the badge with pride."
"I don't think I ever really told you how thankful I am for being one of the main reasons I finally got to be with the woman I love."
She waves him off. "It was no biggie!"
"Yes, it was. You saved us both from misery with your bizarre yet effective scheme. I have no idea how long it would've taken Nini and I to get together without knowing you. It could've taken us till we were well into our 40's before finally pulling our heads out of our asses. We have wasted a lot of time with silly excuses, but I'm just happy I don't have to do that anymore."
"You guys deserve it!"
"You do too. And while we're on the subject of my wedding, I wanted to ask you a major question."
She lifts a brow. "Oo, what is it?"
"Will you be my best man? Or I guess in this case best woman."
She beams. "Really?!"
"Yes, really. I can't think of a more suitable person for the role."
"What about Red? Surely, he'd be upset."
"He's going to be a best man too, except he's not as good with planning. So, I'm gonna give him fewer tasks."
She forms happy tears. "I'd love to!"
She brings him into a hug, and he smiles into the crook of her neck. She pulls back with a concentrated look on her face. "I have so much planning to do! When do you think the day will be? What's your theme? What do you wanna do for the bachelor party? Oh my god, I'd need to help you pick out the best suit Sacramento has to offer. Wait, are you even getting married in Sacramento? So much to do!"
Ricky shakes her gently. "Woah, there! Calm down. I'm not even engaged yet! Plus, the only wedding you should be concerned with at the moment is your own. Please enjoy the rest of your reception and the honeymoon."
"You're right. But the second we're back from Fiji, I'm hounding you with questions. So, be prepared for numerous calls."
"Lucky me."
"Yes, lucky you!"
Asher taps Ricky's shoulder. "As much as I loved dancing with your lovely girlfriend, I'd like to dance with my wife again if you don't mind."
Ricky hands Lily's hand to Asher. "She's all yours."
Asher nods at him before kissing the back of Nini's hand as a farewell. Ricky takes his girlfriend's hand and rubs over the area Asher pecked. "So, is he a better dancer than me?"
"He's more classy with it."
"Wowwww."
"What? I'm being honest!"
"Couldn't even lie to my face like everyone else. I'm heartbroken."
Nini playfully rolls her eyes. "Just because I said he's more classy doesn't mean I like his dancing better."
"That's true. I accept your apology."
"I never apologized."
He placed his index on her lips. "Sh, we don't have to get into the specifics."
She softly smacks his arm and hugs his frame as they dance to the rest of the song.
After the reception started to die down, Ricky intrigued Nini into walking down the shore outside of the large mansion. He hasn't been here since Lily kissed him, and it makes him cringe looking back at that. He may as well make new memories here since he actually would want to come back since there's no more pressure.
The couple walked hand in hand as they strolled the beach, enjoying the sunset on the horizon. Nini swung their hands as they admired the beautiful scenery.
"Wow, I can't imagine ever living this nicely, especially next to such a stunning beach."
"Me neither. I'm still not used to the whole living lavish thing even though I've had a good paycheck since my mother's passing. Maybe I can invest in a property like this in the future. What do you think?"
She shrugs. "As nice as it is, it's a little excessive. And I feel as if I'd get bored of nice things if it was always around me, you know?"
"Yeah, I get that. As long as you're happy, I'm happy."
She glances at him with a little concern. "Well, I don't want you agreeing with me just because it makes me happy. I want you to live the life you want too. If you want a nice house like this and can afford it, then I'm willing to meet you halfway. No one wears the pants in our relationship anyway."
He smiles and pecks the back of her hand. "See? That's why I love you."
She grins back at him. "I love you a thousand times more."
He kisses her briefly before taking her to the pier. They sat down and kicked their legs over the water, still holding hands. The atmosphere of the day got him in a dreamlike mood that made him start thinking of his bright future with Nini more than usual. He guesses he should've predicted that would happen.
"Hey, Neens?"
She looks up at him. "Yeah?"
He takes a deep breath. "I know this may be sudden, but would you consider getting married in the near future?"
She gasped and turned red in the face. "Is this...a proposal?"
Ricky shook his head with a face of horror. "Absolutely not! This would be an awful time and place for that. Also, proposing at someone else's wedding on their property sounds like the ultimate douche move, especially considering my history with the bride."
"All good points. I guess I'm dumb for thinking that, but why would you ask?"
"Well, this whole wedding made me reconsider waiting since I already know I want to be with you forever, and I'm confident you feel the same about me. Right?"
She chuckles. "Right."
"Great, just making sure."
"Did you think I fell out of love with you in the past few seconds?"
He shrugs. "You never know."
She nudges him. "You'll always know what I feel for you. I'm not the same idiot who didn't want to talk about her feelings a year ago."
"Damn, that's the same idiot I fell in love with. I miss her."
She laughs and pokes his side. "Get back to the original conversation topic!"
"Right! So anyway, we're on the same page then?"
She cups his cheeks and smiles. "I'd love nothing more than to be Mrs. Nina Bowen as soon as possible."
He smiles and pulls her into an endearing kiss. He rubbed up and down her spine and broke the kiss since he wanted to look at her pretty face instead. He roams his thumb over her cheek in a soothing manner.
She leans into his touch and smiles brightly. "We're now officially pre-engaged."
"Darling, we've always been pre-engaged."
They rub noses and start kissing again, forgetting the gorgeous world around them.
***
"Damned chicken and its slow cooking."
Nini rolled her eyes as she stared at the bird roasting in the oven. She knew that her husband-to-be would be at her home soon and wanted dinner to be done when he got back. She hears the front door open and cusses under her breath since the chicken wasn't going to be finished for the next five minutes.
Nini washed her hands of any remaining food before approaching him. "Hi, baby! How was work?"
He sighs and tosses his stuff to the side of the couch. "I'm so fucking exhausted."
She frowns and wraps her arms around his torso. "Moulin Rouge rehearsals are kicking your ass again?"
He hugs her back. "Yes, and this experience might just make me hate the show for good. The male lead is sick today, and the female lead was off-key for most of the songs. On top of that, I'm pretty sure one of my dancers might quit since she's moving soon."
"Well, I had a feeling it'd be a hard day since you've been complaining recently, so I made some of your favorite foods. The chicken should be done soon. Sorry about that."
He waves her off. "Don't stress about it. I can wait a few minutes to eat."
"You know what might take your mind off things?"
"What?"
She smirks and drags him towards the couch before pushing him onto it. She crawled on top in cowgirl style and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"This."
She ducks down and begins making out with him. He seems to forget why he was even annoyed the moment her lips graze his. He pulls her closer by the hips and licks his tongue along her lips. She opens her mouth so he can French kiss her. She moans and grinds her hips on his groin, making him dig his fingers into her hip bones. Just as he was about to remove her shirt, the oven went off. The ding startles them both, but not enough to make Ricky stop trying to kiss her. She rejected his advances by backing away and placing her palm over his lips, making him groan and furrow his brows.
"Sorry, babe. I gotta finish dinner."
"Damn that bird."
"I can't let it burn after all I've been through."
She gets off of him and walks back to her kitchen. He scoffs at the sight of his hard-on and looks back at his girlfriend. "You're such a tease."
She responds by winking at him and smacking her ass before taking out the chicken. He figures the sight of food would calm him down, so he sat on the barstools at the kitchen counter. He watched as Nini delicately tended to the chicken and skillfully placed garnish on and around it. He was mesmerized by how peaceful and beautiful she looked as she prepared a meal for him, causing a spontaneous thought to come to his head.
"Do you wanna move in with me?"
She stops what she's doing, but she doesn't look surprised or even fazed about it. "Which place would we move into?"
He smiles since he expected to do a little convincing despite them both making it clear they were going to live together soon. "Well, I was thinking of yours since you have a cozier home that's closer to both of our jobs. It also is bigger, but I wouldn't mind moving into a new place if you want."
"I wouldn't mind moving into a new spot, but it should be a house instead of a place we rent out since our future family will be in this city. It'd have to be somewhere suburban since I'm not too fond of the urban nature of Sacramento and its stupid steep hills. It still has to be close enough to work for both of us though."
"You know, the city of Davis is only 20 minutes away, and it has homes in our budget. Maybe it's worth checking out."
She beams. "It sounds perfect. We'll go house hunting this weekend."
"Sounds good to me."
"We're really moving in together."
"Yeah, we're finally doing it."
He leans over the counter and pecks her lips. When he realized he couldn't get enough of her, he got out of his seat and began kissing her neck from behind as she attempted to focus on the chicken. His hands were saving no room for Jesus as they explored all over her body, distracting her from her work.
"Ricky, we should eat."
He kisses along her jaw. "Dinner can wait."
"Your mouth belongs on a fork or spoon right now, mister."
He sucks on her neck as his fingers glide into her panties. "Maybe my mouth wants to be preoccupied by something else."
She moans when he begins working his magic. "I thought that rosemary chicken with mashed potatoes was your favorite meal."
He smirks. "Second favorite."
He gets on his knees and pulls down her cotton undies before kissing up her legs. The moment his tongue made contact with her, she couldn't even think of whatever the hell she was supposed to be doing.
***
"Jesus Christ, Ricky."
Ricky and Nini went house hunting that exact weekend, and it was going great. For whatever reason, house hunting got Ricky in the mood to have risky escapades, which included the homes they were thinking of investing in. Nini should've known he was up to something when he asked the real estate agent to give them 10 minutes to think of her offer even though this clearly was the house for them.
At the moment, Nini was pinned up against the barely done wall as her man devours her. Her leg was resting over his shoulder as the other one kept her balance. She was amazed the woman downstairs couldn't hear them since her attempts of being quiet were failing her.
She grips onto the back of his hair and tries to keep her eyes open in case someone walks in. He changes his tongue's technique that makes her curl her toes. Her head leans against the wall as she feels that familiar sensation in her gut.
"Fuck, baby. I'm gonna cum."
He adds two fingers inside her much to her surprise as his tongue sped up its pace. Nini bit onto her lip as she couldn't contain herself any longer. When her climax finally hit, she released a quiet moan as her legs became jelly. Ricky held her so she wouldn't fall until she was no longer shaking. Once he licked all of her, he pulled her panties back on and stood up. Nini lost balance and fell against his broad chest.
"My god, Ricky. You've managed to temporarily cripple me without your dick. You're becoming too powerful."
He snickers and holds her tight. "So, I guess that means I did a good job?"
"Too good of a job. I feel like I need to smoke a cigarette after that."
He smiles and pecks her lips. "We should probably go back downstairs. I'm sure she's waiting for our answer."
"Yeah, I bet. By the way, what do you think of the house?"
"It's ideal for us. It's 25 minutes away from work, it's got a lovely front and backyard, it's in a good neighborhood for kids and pets, and it has plenty of space for a family of at least five."
"And most importantly it won't bankrupt us!"
"Yes, that is indeed important."
"So, this is the one?"
"Yeah, this is definitely the one. The other houses didn't give me as much comfort as this one."
"Agreed."
"I can't believe our first memory in this home is you eating me out during a seeing."
He smirks. "Yeah, but at least it's a memory you'll cherish in this room forever."
"Thank god it's the master bedroom."
She interlaces their fingers and guides him back to the living room. The woman hops up from the barstool and smiles at the pair. "So, did we make up our minds, or are we still looking?"
Ricky and Nini meet eyes and smile before Nini answers. "We'll take it."
The woman beams and grabs contracts from her briefcase. "Excellent choice! I'm so thrilled for you two. I'm sure you two will have a lovely family and life here."
Ricky wraps his arm around Nini's shoulder. "Yeah, we think so too."
After the not so fun contracts they had to sign, the house was officially theirs. The woman smiles when the last t was crossed and last i was dotted.
"Congratulations, you're now homeowners!"
Ricky hugs Nini and swings her in a circle.
"This is so exciting, babe!" Nini says.
"I know, right? It's a dream come true."
"I'll just leave your keys with you two while I wait outside for you."
Nini smiles at the polite lady. "Thank you!"
"Oh, and please at least wait until I'm outside before "celebrating." I heard quite a bit of your um...discussion upstairs."
Both of their faces become rosy as they watch the woman walk out of the house. Nini hid her face in his chest. "I told you she'd hear us!"
"I didn't think she would! You did so well!"
"Dammit, that's the last time we do something kinky in public."
"You and I both know that's a lie."
"True, but I'm going on strike until further notice."
"I accept these terms."
She rested her chin on his chest so she could lock eyes with him. "On a lighter note, we just bought our fucking dream house!"
"I know! We need to start planning ASAP. I suck at interior design though."
"No worries. I can handle that and get your opinions as we go."
"It's scary how good we are together."
She cups his cheek. "I don't think it's scary at all. It just means we make sense."
He smiles and dips her, causing her to giggle. He reaches down and kisses her, thinking of all the memories they'd create together in between these four walls.
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I'm becoming more emotional as the story starts getting to its end, but I'm excited for the one shots I already have planned after this story is over. Hope you enjoyed, and see you next time! Also, sorry for not posting last week. I had no energy.