Page 22 of Dust and Desire (Sagebrush Cowboys #5)

Alex

R ain was pouring down as I headed up the lane to Dustin’s place.

I would’ve run, but there didn’t seem much point after about three seconds.

The rain soaked me through to the skin nearly the moment I stepped onto the path.

I knew I should’ve taken my truck, but the walk sounded nice after spending all day on horseback.

Oh well, my clothes would dry. I knew Dustin wouldn’t mind.

By the time I reached his porch, water was streaming from my hair, and my boots were squelching with every step.

I could see warm light glowing through the windows, and the sight made my chest tighten with something I was still afraid to name.

Home. That’s what this felt like, coming back to him after a long day.

I knocked, not wanting to just walk in despite how comfortable we’d become. The door opened almost immediately, and Dustin’s face lit up when he saw me, then immediately shifted to concern.

“Jesus, Alex, you’re soaked.” He stepped back, pulling me inside. “Get in here before you catch pneumonia.”

I stood dripping on his hardwood floor, suddenly self-conscious about the puddle forming at my feet. “Sorry, I should’ve taken the truck. The rain came down harder than I expected. ”

“Don’t apologize,” he said, already moving toward what I assumed was the linen closet. “I’m just glad you made it safely. The lightning was getting pretty intense.”

He returned with a towel, and I expected him to hand it to me.

Instead, he stepped closer, reaching up to gently dry my hair.

The intimate gesture caught me off guard, and I found myself studying his face as he worked.

There was something different about him tonight, a confidence I hadn’t seen before.

“Better?” he asked softly, his hands stilling in my hair.

“Much,” I replied, my voice rougher than intended.

The storm outside seemed to intensify, rain hammering against the windows and thunder rolling across the prairie. But inside this small house, with Dustin’s hands still tangled in my damp hair, everything felt perfectly still.

“You know,” he said, a small smile playing at his lips, “I was thinking while you were gone. About the rain, about you coming home to me...” He trailed off, color rising in his cheeks.

“What about it?”

Instead of answering, he moved to his phone, scrolling through something before soft music began to fill the room. Something slow and romantic that made my pulse quicken.

“Dance with me,” he said, extending his hand.

I glanced down at my soaked clothes, then back at his expectant face. “Dustin, I’m still dripping wet.”

“I don’t care.” His blue eyes were bright with something that looked like joy. “I want to dance with you in the rain.”

“We’re inside,” I pointed out, but I was already reaching for his hand.

“Then let’s fix that,” he said, tugging me toward the door.

“Are you insane?” I laughed, but I was following him anyway. “It’s pouring out there.”

“Exactly.” He threw open the door, and the sound of rain filled the small space. “Come on, cowboy. Live a little.”

He pulled me out onto the porch, and I felt the spray of rain misting across my face.

The music drifted through the open door, mixing with the percussion of raindrops on the roof.

Dustin’s hair was already getting damp, dark strands sticking to his forehead, but he was grinning like he’d discovered some wonderful secret.

“You’re going to get soaked,” I warned, even as I let him draw me closer.

“Good,” he said, stepping off the porch and into the downpour. “I want to be soaked with you.”

The rain hit us both immediately, cold and shocking and perfect. Within seconds we were both drenched, our clothes clinging to our bodies, water streaming down our faces. But Dustin was laughing, actually laughing, and the sound was better than any music.

He pulled me into his arms, one hand on my waist, the other clasping mine. We swayed together in the muddy grass, rain cascading around us like a curtain. I could barely hear the music anymore over the storm, but it didn’t matter. We found our own rhythm, slow and intimate and completely ours.

“This is crazy,” I murmured against his ear, but I was smiling too.

“The best kind of crazy,” he replied, tilting his head back to let the rain wash over his face. When he looked at me again, his eyes were bright with tears I couldn’t distinguish from the rainwater. “I feel alive, Alex. For the first time in my life, I feel completely alive.”

Something in his voice made my chest ache. I spun him slowly, watching the way he moved with surprising grace, his wet shirt transparent against his skin. When I pulled him back to me, he was breathless and beautiful and completely mine.

“I love this,” he whispered, pressing closer. “I love dancing with you. I love the rain. I love?—”

He stopped himself, but I heard what he didn’t say hanging in the air between us. The words I’d been carrying around like a secret for days now.

“Say it,” I urged, my hands framing his face. “Whatever you were going to say. ”

He shook his head, water droplets flying from his hair. “It’s too soon. It’s too much.”

“It’s not,” I said firmly, surprising even myself. “Nothing about this is too much.”

The rain continued to pour around us, creating a private world where only we existed. His lips were slightly parted, chest rising and falling rapidly, and I could see the exact moment he made his decision.

“I love you,” he breathed, the words barely audible over the storm. “I know it’s insane and we’ve only known each other for three weeks, but I love you, Alex.”

My heart stopped completely, then started again with a fierce rhythm that had nothing to do with our dancing. “Dustin?—”

“You don’t have to say it back,” he rushed on, panic flickering in his eyes. “I know you’re due to leave once the job here is done and you don’t like staying in one place for very long and?—”

I put a finger on his lips to quiet him. “I don’t stay places because I never have a reason to.” I pulled him close, cupping his cheek in my hand. “I love you too.”

The words left my mouth before I could second-guess them, and I watched as Dustin’s face transformed.

Pure joy flooded his features, washing away the anxiety and fear that had been building there.

He surged forward, capturing my lips in a kiss that was desperate and sweet and tasted like rainwater and promises.

I kissed him back with everything I had, pouring all my tangled emotions into the connection between us. The storm raged around us, but all I could focus on was the warmth of his mouth, the way his hands fisted in my soaked shirt, the little sounds he made against my lips.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, he rested his forehead against mine. “Say it again,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

“I love you,” I repeated, the words easier this time, more natural. “I love you, Dustin Corvus. ”

He let out a shaky laugh, tears mixing with the rain on his cheeks. “I never thought I’d hear someone say that to me. Not like this. Not like they actually meant it.”

“I mean it,” I said fiercely, my hands tightening on his waist. “I’ve never meant anything more in my life.”

Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating us both in stark relief for a moment. Thunder followed almost immediately, and I felt him shiver in my arms.

“We should go inside,” I said, though I was reluctant to break this spell we’d cast around ourselves.

“Not yet,” he said, pressing closer. “I want to stay here with you a little longer. In our own little world.”

So we did. We swayed together in the rain, holding each other like lifelines, whispering words of love and devotion that were immediately washed away by the storm but burned into our hearts forever.

His hands roamed over my back, my shoulders, my face, as if he was trying to memorize every inch of me.

“I was so scared,” he admitted against my neck, his breath warm despite the cold rain. “Scared you’d think I was crazy or needy or?—”

“Never,” I cut him off, tilting his chin up to meet my eyes. “You’re brave, Dustin. Braver than me.”

“How am I braver than you?”

“Because you said it first,” I said simply. “I’ve been carrying those words around for days, too terrified to speak them out loud.”

His eyes widened. “Really?”

“Really.” I brushed a strand of wet hair from his forehead. “I was convinced I’d scare you away.”

“You couldn’t scare me away if you tried,” he said with such conviction that it made my chest ache. “I’m yours, Alex. Completely yours.”

The possessiveness in his voice sent heat straight through me despite the cold rain.

I spun him again, slower this time, watching the way his eyes never left mine.

When I pulled him back, he was flushed and breathless, his lips parted in invitation.

I couldn’ t resist claiming his mouth again, this kiss hungrier than the last. His hands tangled in my wet hair as he pressed himself against me, and I could feel his arousal through the soaked denim of his jeans.

“Take me inside,” he whispered against my lips, his voice rough with need. “Please.”

I didn’t need to be asked twice. Scooping him up in my arms, I carried him through the rain toward the porch, both of us laughing as water streamed from our clothes. He buried his face in my neck, pressing soft kisses there that made my steps falter.

“I love you,” he murmured against my throat, and I felt the words vibrate through my entire body.

“I love you too,” I replied, setting him down gently once we reached the shelter of the porch. “So fucking much.”

We stood there dripping, staring at each other with wonder and desire. The music was still playing softly inside, mixing with the sound of rain on the roof. Lightning illuminated his face in brief, brilliant flashes, and I saw nothing but love and trust in those blue eyes.

“You’re shivering,” I noticed, running my hands up and down his arms.

“I don’t care,” he said, stepping closer. “I’ve never felt anything like this before. Like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

“You are,” I said, cupping his face in my hands. “We both are.”

He leaned into my touch, closing his eyes. “I was so afraid of feeling this way about someone. Afraid I’d mess it up, or that it wasn’t real or?—”

“Hey,” I interrupted gently. “Look at me.” His eyes opened, meeting mine. “This is real. What we have is real. And you’re not going to mess it up.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know you,” I said simply. “I know your heart, Dustin. And it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

A tear slipped down his cheek, mixing with the rainwater there. “I love you so much it scares me. ”

“Good,” I said, pressing my forehead to his. “Love should be a little scary. It means it matters.”

He nodded, swallowing hard. “It matters. You matter. More than anything.”

The intensity in his voice made my heart race. I pulled him closer, feeling the heat of his body even through our soaked clothes. “Let’s get you inside before you catch cold.”

“Only if you promise to warm me up,” he said, that shy smile I loved so much playing at his lips.

“I promise,” I said, opening the door and guiding him inside. “I’ll spend all night warming you up if you want.”

“Promise?” he breathed, and the way he said it made my blood sing.

“I promise,” I replied, pulling him toward the house.

And fuck did I mean it.