Page 18 of Dust and Desire
But then Alex looked up, as if sensing my presence, and our eyes locked across the fire. His smile widened when he saw me, and he raised his beer bottle in a small salute. The simple gesture sent warmth flooding through my chest, chasing away my doubts.
“Well, well,” Caroline called out, having followed Alex’s gaze. “Look what the cat dragged in. Dustin, get your ass over here before you change your mind and bolt.”
Heat crept up my neck as everyone turned to look at me. I forcedmy feet to move, emerging from the tree line with what I hoped passed for confidence.
“Hey, everyone. I brought beer,” I said lamely, holding up the six-pack like a fool.
“My kind of man,” Colt grinned, reaching for one of the bottles. “Come sit. We were just telling embarrassing stories about Caroline’s barrel racing days.”
“They were not embarrassing,” Caroline protested, but her eyes sparkled with mirth. “That horse had it out for me, I swear.”
I found myself an empty spot on one of the logs arranged around the fire, trying not to notice that it put me directly across from Alex. Trying and failing. Every time I looked up, he was watching me, those brown eyes reflecting the firelight.
“So, Dustin,” Logan said, settling beside me with a fresh beer. “Dakota says you’ve been writing. What kind of stuff are you working on?”
I nearly choked on my drink. “Just... personal stuff. Nothing interesting.”
“Come on,” Alex spoke up, his voice carrying easily across the crackling flames. “I bet it’s more interesting than you think. What got you started?”
The question was innocent enough, but the way he asked it, leaning forward slightly, his full attention focused on me... it made my mouth go dry.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I guess I needed something to do with my hands. With my mind. The quiet out here... it makes you think.”
“Good thinking or bad thinking?” Alex asked, and there was something in his tone that made me wonder if he understood more than he was letting on.
“Both,” I admitted, taking another swig of beer for courage. “Depends on the day.” I shook my head. “But I haven’t come up with anything good yet. I’m still trying to figure out what I want to say.”
“It must be important then,” Caroline grinned. “Almost two years and you haven’t figured out what you want to say yet.”
“Y-Yeah… I guess…”
“Give the man a break,” Alex chimed in, coming to my rescue. “I’ve been here a week and I’m fairly certain the lot of you couldn’t string together six words to save your lives.”
That caused an uproar, taking the heat off me. Alex took his lashing from the others, but he just smiled through it, shooting me quick glances. I couldn’t help but smile back and feel thankful for his intervention.
The conversation flowed around us after that, but I found myself only half-listening. I was too aware of Alex, of the way the firelight played across his features, of how his laugh sent shivers down my spine. Every so often, our eyes would meet, and the intensity in his gaze made my breath catch. He was such a beautiful man.
As the night wore on, people began to drift away. Caroline was the first to go, claiming an early morning. Dakota and Logan followed not long after, and soon it was just me, Alex, Colt, and Beau around the dying fire.
“I should probably head back too,” Colt said, stretching. “Got to help Caroline with the new horses tomorrow.”
Beau nodded, standing and brushing dirt off his jeans. “Yeah, me too. Lucas is probably waiting up for me. You coming, Dustin?”
I glanced at Alex, who was still seated, poking at the embers with a stick. “I think I’ll stay a bit longer. Make sure the fire’s properly out.”
Beau gave me a knowing look but didn’t comment. “Alright. See you tomorrow.”
Colt gave me a wink. “Have a good night.”
And then it was just the two of us.
The silence stretched between us, filled only by the crackling of dying flames and the gentle lapping of water against the shore. Alex continued prodding the fire, sending sparks dancing up into the night sky. I watched his hands, mesmerized by the way his fingersgripped the stick, the way the tendons in his forearms shifted with each movement.
“You don’t really need to make sure the fire’s out, do you?” Alex said finally, his voice low and rough.
My heart hammered against my ribs. “No. I don’t.”
He looked up then, meeting my eyes across the glowing embers. “Good. I was hoping you’d stay.”
