Page 62 of Dust and Desire
“We can take some to go,” I suggested, already reaching for my wallet. “My treat.”
Ali’s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly sensing something off. “Are you sure everything’s okay, Alex? You seem... anxious.”
“Fine,” I insisted, throwing down enough cash to cover the meal and a generous tip. “Just remembering I promised Logan I’d help with the new foal firstthing tomorrow.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. There was a new foal, and I had promised to help. But that wasn’t why I needed to get Dustin away from here, away from Keith’s watching eyes.
“If you’re sure,” Dustin said slowly, sliding out of the booth.
I nodded, desperate to get moving. The walls of the diner suddenly felt too close, the air too thick. Every moment we lingered was another moment Keith had to observe us, to plan whatever sick game he was playing.
“I’m sorry to cut the evening short,” I said to Ali, trying to keep my voice steady. “Rain check on that pie?”
“Of course,” she replied, though her expression remained thoughtful, assessing. “I’m here for a few days at least.”
As we walked to the door, I positioned myself between Dustin and the window, subtly shielding him from view. My hand found the small of his back, guiding him through the door with what I hoped seemed like casual affection rather than protective urgency.
The night air hit us like a welcome relief after the stuffy diner. I scanned the street, my heart pounding when I confirmed the red truck was still there, parked under a streetlight that barely illuminated its outline.
“I parked over here,” Dustin said, gesturing toward his truck at the far end of the lot.
“I’ll walk Ali to her car first,” I said quickly, not wanting either of them alone for even a moment.
Ali raised an eyebrow. “Southern gentleman, aren’t you? I’m just over there.” She pointed to a sleek rental car nearby.
We walked her to her vehicle, making small talk that I barely registered. My attention was split between keeping Dustin close and watching the red truck in my peripheral vision. When Ali got to her car, she turned to face us both.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said, her eyes moving between Dustin and me. “It was... illuminating.”
“Let’s do it again,” Dustin replied, wrapping his arm around my waist in a gesture that would have normally made my heart soar.Tonight, it just made me more aware of how exposed we were standing under the streetlight.
Ali studied us for another moment, and I had the uncomfortable feeling she was cataloging every detail of our interaction. “Alex,” she said finally, “take care of him.”
The words were simple enough, but something in her tone suggested she meant more than just general well-being. Like she could sense the danger I was trying so hard to hide.
“Always,” I managed, my voice rougher than intended.
She nodded once, satisfied with whatever she’d seen in my expression, then got into her car. We watched her drive away, her taillights disappearing around the corner toward town.
“Come on,” I said immediately, taking Dustin’s hand and pulling him toward his truck with barely restrained urgency.
“Alex, slow down,” Dustin laughed, stumbling slightly as I practically dragged him across the parking lot. “What’s the rush?”
I forced myself to ease up, but every instinct I had was screaming at me to get him out of here, away from Keith’s watching eyes. “Sorry. Just eager to get you home.”
The words came out loaded with implication, and Dustin’s eyes darkened with interest. “Is that right?”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. It wasn’t entirely a lie. I did want to get him home, wanted to lose myself in his body, in the safety of our private world where Keith couldn’t touch us. Where I could pretend, for a few hours at least, that my past wasn’t threatening to destroy everything good in my life.
We reached his truck, and I couldn’t help but glance back toward where the red pickup had been parked. It was gone.
My blood ran cold. If Keith wasn’t watching from a distance anymore, where was he? Was he following Ali? Was he circling around to intercept us on the road back to the ranch?
“Alex.” Dustin’s hand cupped my cheek, forcing me to look at him. “You’re distracted. Is something wrong?”
The concern in his blue eyes, the trust and love I saw there,nearly broke me. He deserved the truth. He deserved to know what kind of danger I might be bringing into his life. But the thought of watching that trust turn to fear, or worse, watching him decide I wasn’t worth the risk...
“Nothing’s wrong,” I lied, leaning into his touch despite myself. “Just want to be alone with you.”
