Page 43 of Dust and Desire
“I like the sound of that,” I finally whispered.
Dustin smiled, a shy, genuine thing that made my chest ache. “Me too.”
I rolled onto my side, pulling him with me so we faced each other, legs tangled beneath the sheets. Morning light filtered through the curtains, painting golden streaks across his skin. I traced one with my finger, following it from his shoulder down to his hip.
“I could get used to mornings like this,” he murmured, eyes half-closed as he enjoyed my touch.
“Then let’s have more of them,” I said simply, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. As if there weren’t complications and work lurking just outside this bubble we’d created.
He caught my hand, bringing it to his lips. “I’d like that.”
We lay there for a while, trading lazy kisses and soft touches as the sun rose higher outside. It felt surreal, this quiet intimacy with a man who’d crashed into my life like a meteor. Part of me wondered if I was dreaming, if I’d wake up alone in my apartment with nothing but the memory of what could have been.
“What are you thinking about?” Dustin asked, interrupting my thoughts. “You look miles away.”
I forced a smile. “Just thinking how lucky I am to be here with you.”
He studied me for a moment, and I worried he could see through the half-truth. But then he smiled back, that beautiful, trusting smile that made my guilt twist deeper.
“I’m the lucky one,” he said. “Never thought I’d find someone like you in Sagebrush, Texas.”
“A cocky cowboy with nothing to lose?” I teased, grateful for the lighter turn. “There’s gotta be a million of us.”
“A man who sees me,” he corrected, his voice suddenly serious. “Really sees me. For the first time.”
The weight of his words settled on my shoulders. He trusted me to see him, to know him, while I was keeping parts of myself hiddenaway. The hypocrisy of it burned, but the fear of losing him burned hotter.
“I do see you,” I said, because that much was true. “All of you. And I think you’re pretty spectacular.”
His cheeks flushed again. “Even with all my hangups and insecurities?”
“Especially with those,” I said firmly. “They’re part of what makes you who you are. And who you are is someone I want to be with.”
The words slipped out again before I could stop them, more honest than I’d intended. Something about Dustin made it almost impossible to keep them back. I watched as his cheeks burned red, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just slipped a hand down my hip, giving it a light squeeze.
“You’re making it hard to keep my hands to myself,” I murmured against his neck, feeling the way he shivered as I slid my hands down his torso.
“Who says you have to?” he whispered back, his voice taking on that breathy quality that made my pulse race.
I pulled back to look at him, studying the flush spreading across his chest, the way his pupils were already dilating with want. “Insatiable,” I teased, but there was no complaint in my voice.
“I’ve got a lot to catch up on,” he said, a coy smile spreading over his face.
I laughed, low and rough, as I pressed my mouth to his throat. “Well, we’ve got all morning,” I murmured against his skin, feeling his pulse jump under my lips. “And I’m nothing if not thorough.”
Chapter 16
Dustin
It had been a week since the break-in at Alex’s apartment and so far, he hadn’t spent a single night in his own bed. Instead, he stayed with me, our every evening spent wrapped in one another’s arms. It was pure heaven and every day that went by was another that I felt more confident and surer that this is what I wanted out of life.
Up until now, I’d been secretly questioning whether or not I’d made the right choice with Ali. At the time, the divorce was more of a selfless act. I wanted to save her from the clearly unhappy situation she found herself in with me. If I was the one that asked for the divorce, I could be the bad guy and let her retain some dignity.
But now that I’d actually found the courage to pursue what I’d secretly wanted all those years… well, I felt like myself. And not only that, I wasactuallyhappy. Which, to be honest, was a fucking wild feeling, one I’d never truly experienced until now. I didn’t know it was possible to be so blissfully wrapped up in affection and sex and beauty like I was with Alex. He was just some dusty cowboy who had, quite accidentally, answered all my hopes, prayers, and dreams.
And even though I’d only known of him for three weeks, I knew I was falling for him.Hard. And that scared the shit out of me.
How could a summer that started just like all the rest, turn out to be so undeniably wonderful? I felt like I was living in a dream. A hazy mist enveloped everything in my world, turning it soft, mysterious, and nostalgic. It was as if one of my romance novels had come to life and I was the young lord, coming back home from a long trip. And there, as the morning fog parted, was Alex, waiting with arms wide to welcome me back into the sweetest place I never wanted to leave again.
