Love in the Clouds

by Sarah Hadley Brook

  Dustin grinned and bumped his shoulder against Raf’s. “You’re so good to me. Maybe I should keep you.”

  Raf shot him a strange look, but Lucas started talking again, so Dustin turned to him.

  The party ran late, and by the time he made it into the parking lot, he felt the buzz. A cool breeze hit his heated skin and he breathed deep. Raf had his arm around Dustin’s waist as they walked to his truck, creating a pleasant warmth that spread through him. He leaned his head against Raf’s shoulder and slipped his arm around him.

  “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.” He knew he slurred his words, but he couldn’t stop talking. An intense need to say things to Raf overrode his common sense.

  “Me, too.” Raf’s voice sounded loud in the nearly empty lot.

  “I mean it. I love you, Raf.”

  Raf chuckled. “I think you’re drunk, Dusty.” He opened the passenger door and helped him slide in.

  Dustin sat, his legs hanging out the door, facing Raf. He looked into his eyes, dark in the night, and shook his head. “No. Really, man. I love you. You’re awesome.” He trailed a couple of fingers through the hair on the man’s forearm and smiled. “I knew they’d feel silky.”

  Raf turned him around, buckled him in, then shut the door.

  He must have dozed off, because the next thing he remembered was pulling up in Raf’s driveway. His friend helped him inside and led him to his bedroom.

  “You take the bed, I’ll take the sofa,” he said, standing in the doorway.

  “That’s stupid. Hell, we’re going to be in a small tent in a few weeks when we camp next to my plane. Just sleep in here.”

  Raf looked surprised, but didn’t argue. Dustin sat on the bed, toed off his shoes, then removed his jeans, dropping them to the floor and climbing under the blanket in his boxer briefs and T-shirt. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling.

  He heard Raf in the bathroom brushing his teeth and he closed his eyes when he felt the dip in the mattress. Weird, but his best friend’s scent soothed him. Enveloped him.

  “Good night, Raf,” he whispered.

  “Night, Dusty.”

  He fell asleep in seconds.

  He awoke to rumbling in his ear and it took a moment to realize his head rested on someone’s chest, his arm lay across someone’s waist, while his legs tangled with another pair. He felt an arm around him, holding him close.

  Holy fuck, how drunk had he been last night? His eyelids fluttered open, and the sunlight coming in through the blinds acted like shards of glass. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, then began to pull away, but the man tightened his grip and tugged him closer.

  It wasn’t until he forced himself to lift his head that he realized he was in Raf’s bedroom. That made him feel better and he lay down his head again and settled into Raf’s arms.

  Shit. What the hell had happened last night?

  Memories of the previous evening began to filter in. Had he really told Raf he loved him? Of course, he did love him, but as friends. Best friends. God, his mind reeled.

  He looked up and found Raf’s gaze on him. Wow, his friend looked sexy in the morning, all sleep-rumpled hair and heavy-lidded eyes. Dustin shook his head to clear the fog from his brain.

  Raf also seemed to realize their intimate contact, his eyes slowly widening.

  Dustin raked his hands through his hair. “Fuck, Raf.”

  His friend pulled himself into a sitting position and leaned against the navy blue padded headboard. “First of all, calm down. Nothing happened. Secondly, it’s no big deal that we…cuddled.” He gestured between them.

  Dustin chuckled. “Cuddled?”

  “What the fuck ever…you know what I mean,” Raf growled. “It’s no big deal. We were asleep.”

  A huge weight lifted as Dustin realized they would be okay. He hadn’t gotten too drunk and made a pass at his best friend. He hadn’t fucked up the best friendship of his life. He couldn’t hold back the smirk, though. “But seriously, man. Cuddled? That’s too fucking cute.”

  Raf frowned and climbed out of bed, ignoring Dustin’s teasing. “I’m going to drive you to your car so you can head home and get ready to go to the airport.”

  Dustin watched him stride into the bathroom, long muscular legs carrying him. He tore away his gaze and chastised himself. Yes, this was probably one of the weirder moments of his life, but his friendship with Raf felt strong. They’d get through this. Any strange feelings he experienced were just part of the whole weirdness.

  A short time later, they drove to the bar in silence. It felt a little awkward, but Dustin wasn’t sure what to say. They’d slept in each other’s arms, nothing else, but the more he thought about how they’d woken up together, the more his mind began to go further. Imagining what it would be like to run his fingers over Raf’s morning stubble. Or tracing the edges of his lips. Dustin had been hard when he awoke, and the idea that Raf probably had been, too, had all kinds of dirty images running through his brain.

  Dirty thoughts that had never starred Raf before. Well, that wasn’t true. He’d thought the man gorgeous when meeting him in college. Shy and sweet and easily flustered, too. Kind of checked all Dustin’s boxes. But they’d clicked so well as friends, those sexual feelings had disappeared almost immediately.

  Now, Raf pulled into the parking lot and aimed for Dustin’s silver Honda CR-V, the only automobile there. When he parked alongside it, Dustin fiddled with this seatbelt. He wanted to say thanks. To say he was sorry for getting drunk. But he felt weird and unsure of himself, a total game-changer for him. He was the guy who always knew what to do. Always led the way when others hesitated. But here he was, embarrassed about being in Raf’s arms when he had awoken. But was that really it? Or was it that he had liked the feeling too much?

  “You okay?”

  Raf’s words dragged him from his thoughts, and his cheeks heated. “Yeah. Just…I guess tired?” He hazarded a glance at Raf and sighed when he saw only concern, not judgment. He raked his hand through his hair. “Guess I’m still feeling a little…strange.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake. It didn’t mean anything. You think I threw myself at you or something? Good God, why would I want to be another notch for you?”

  Dustin’s chest tightened. “Whoa! What do you mean by that? Where the hell did that come from?”

  Raf gripped the steering wheel, his gaze out the front windshield. “Nothing. I just meant…you go through men like water. Never seeing one too long. I could never be that. It would kill me.”

  Surprised at Raf’s admission, Dustin grasped his bicep, squeezing. “I would never do that to you.”

  Raf snorted. “It doesn’t matter anyway, Dusty. We’re friends. So quit freaking out over this morning, go home, and get ready. I’ll pick you up at eleven.” His sharp tone cut into Dustin, and he pulled his hand back like he’d been burned.

  “I’ll be ready.” He climbed out without another word. Once his car started, he watched Raf pull out. His best friend was a great guy. Always looking out for him. Just like this morning, not leaving until he knew Dustin’s vehicle started.

  As he drove home, he couldn’t get past what Raf had said. Was he admitting he wanted something more with Dustin? More than friendship? Or was Dustin reading too much into things? True, he used to date a lot, then move on to the next guy. But he wasn’t looking for that anymore. He wanted something real.

  The very idea of being with Raf—in that way—made him tingle. He shook his head, pushing out those thoughts. They were best friends.

  God, he just wanted a hot shower, some food, then to see his plane. He sure hoped things returned to normal between the two of them in a few hours.

  Chapter 3

  Rafael

  As soon as he arrived home, Rafael threw himself into cleaning the place, vacuuming, dusting, organizing. Picking up things and putting them in the right location. It soothed him as he set aside the craziness of the morning. Unfortunately, the moment he finished
, Dustin’s face popped into his head.

  He pulled off his dirty T-shirt and tossed it into the laundry before taking a shower. He’d been looking forward to spending the day with Dustin, but after his verbal eruption in the truck, he’d been having second thoughts. Dustin had seemed horrified at the idea of doing anything sexual with him. He’d always known the man wasn’t interested in him in that way, but Dustin’s reaction had been like a cold slap to his ego.

  The shower felt good, the water hitting his body in all the right places. He braced his hands on the tile wall and let the water cascade down his back. The morning’s events played through his head. God, he’d practically admitted his feelings to Dustin right there in the truck. His only excuse was that he’d been high on hope when he’d awoken to find Dustin’s head on his chest. Fuck, that had felt good. More than good. It had felt right. Like that’s how he should be waking up every morning.

  But Dustin had made it abundantly clear the feelings were one-sided. That had nearly broken him. He needed to get his shit together and go out and get laid. Wipe Dustin from his thoughts. All this time he’d thought he had a good handle on things, but the morning had proved him wrong.

  He knew he would have to work doubly hard to keep his feelings under wraps and just be Dustin’s best friend. Everything that had happened earlier was fixable—he hadn’t done something stupid, like kiss Dustin. He reminded himself, as he’d done so many times, being Dustin’s best friend was better than not being in his life at all.

  Even knowing that, once he dressed, he still checked his reflection in the hall mirror. His favorite 501s, a burgundy Dr Pepper T-shirt, and his favorite old Nikes. He figured he needed to be comfortable, but he still wanted to look good.

  Not that it mattered. He shook his head at his foolishness. Dustin didn’t care what he wore because Dustin didn’t look at him like that.

  As he pulled out of his neighborhood, his phone rang and his mom’s number flashed across the screen on his dashboard. She was the last person he wanted to deal with, but he knew if he didn’t answer, she’d call every five minutes until he did. He sighed, bracing himself before he answered.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Oh, Rafael, I’m in a terrible mess. I need your help.”

  Her carefully mastered woe-is-me-voice was spot-on. “What’s the problem?”

  Sniffles came through the speaker, but he knew from experience there were no real tears.

  “Mom?”

  “I tried calling your sister, but she won’t answer me. Can you believe that? Ignoring her mother in this time of need?”

  Yes, he could. He was already wishing he hadn’t answered.

  “I knew you would help. You’ve always been such a good son.”

  Son. Schmuck. Enabler. It was all the same. So many times he wanted to cut ties with her, but he’d never been as strong as his sister.

  “Mom?” he prodded, eager to find out what she needed this time. Probably liquor. Well, money for liquor.

  “My check is late and my electricity is going to be turned off tomorrow. I just don’t know what to do.”

  “Do you have your bill in front of you? If you send me a picture of it, with the account number, I’ll call in a payment. How much do you owe?” Asking was a waste of time. His stomach clenched as he waited for her answer.

  “Oh, I don’t know. A lot. I don’t know where the bill is, honey. If you could just loan me some money, I can make the payment myself. I don’t want to bother you.”

  And there it was. There was never a bill. Never a crisis. Jennifer Patino just wanted the money. Over the years he’d paid countless bills she could never actually produce.

  “How much, Mom?” He was an idiot. This was a dance he’d done too many times. He needed to put an end to it. He’d watched enough Dr. Phil over the years to know he was doing this to make himself feel better, not her. But she was his mom. Yeah, she’d sucked at it from the moment she became one, but she was the only one he had.

  “About five hundred will cover it all.”

  “How many months behind are you?” Why he even asked was beyond him. He knew she was lying. She knew she was lying. He guessed he just wanted to see how far she’d go with it.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe three?”

  He was being played like a fiddle. “I’ll transfer funds as soon as I pull over.”

  Cue fake love.

  “Oh, sweetie, I knew I could count on you. Thank you. I love you, Rafael.”

  “Love you, too.” But she was already gone.

  He pulled into the Walmart parking lot and parked long enough to transfer funds into her account. An easier method than running to her house at all hours to give her money. Especially since she lived half an hour away. He knew he needed to be stronger and stop indulging her, but for today, he pushed her out of his mind.

  That done, he continued on his way to Dustin’s, his thoughts again returning to his bedroom. God, he’d wanted to kiss Dustin. But that would have ruined everything. He just needed to work through his feelings and find a way to move on, but still keep his friendship.

  By the time he made it to Dustin’s, he’d talked himself into believing things would be just fine. Until Dustin walked into the sunshine, wearing aviator glasses, faded and well-fitting blue jeans, and a blue graphic T boasting “Pilots Do It Better” across his chest. As always, his dark blond hair was in a perfect swoop on top. No getting around it—Dustin looked sexy as hell.

  Rafael’s dick twitched when Dustin gave him that slow, easy grin. “Hey.” Dustin’s musky scent filled the cab and Rafael fought the urge to breathe him in.

  He nodded, not sure he could talk yet. What the actual fuck? His body was reacting like a horny teen’s.

  Dustin cocked his head and furrowed his brow. “You okay?”

  The man could always tell when he was stressed. “Mom called.”

  Dustin’s face softened. “Money?”

  “Yeah.” Dustin knew all about Rafael’s mom. It was nice not to have to explain everything. He just understood. “So, Home Depot?”

  “Uh-huh. Can we grab some lunch after? I never ate breakfast.”

  “Sounds good. I only had a granola bar.” Right on cue, his stomach growled.

  Dustin laughed. “Want to hit the food first? We could run through a drive-thru and eat in the truck.”

  That sounded good, so they drove through the Wendy’s close to Home Depot.

  As they ate, Rafael began to feel better. Things seemed normal, no awkwardness between them. It would be okay.

  “So, about last night,” Dustin began, sliding his glasses to the top of his head and taking a bite of his burger.

  Rafael nearly choked on his chicken sandwich. He grabbed his soda and took a drink while he side-eyed Dustin. “What about it?” Damn, that came out sounding testy.

  “I mean, are we okay? Did I do something? I mean, did I make a pass at you?”

  Rafael’s heart slammed into his chest. “What? No! I told you, nothing happened.”

  Dustin’s cheeks turned bright red. “Promise? I just want to make sure you’re not trying to keep me from feeling embarrassed. If I did anything…well, I just don’t want to fuck things up.”

  “I swear. Nothing happened. Seriously, you’re making a bigger deal than it is, Dusty.” He had tried for nonchalant, but he wasn’t sure he’d pulled it off.

  “I don’t ever want to do anything that would chase you off.”

  Rafael smiled. “Never gonna happen.”

  Dustin’s ocean blue eyes darkened. “I can’t lose you, Raf.”

  He swore the air got sucked out of the truck and his lungs burned while he tried to tear his gaze from Dustin’s eyes. His friend, usually so full of confidence, seemed vulnerable. Rafael carefully chose his words and licked his lips, his meal forgotten for the moment. “You’ll never lose me, Dusty. Never. No matter what.”

  A slow, almost sultry grin spread across Dustin’s face. “You just love me for my plane.” And just
like that, the confidence returned.

  Rafael rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

  Their trip to Home Depot ended up being an expedition of grand proportions as Dustin decided he needed to fill the rolling toolbox with all new tools. And since Rafael had no idea what kind of tools were used on planes, he just stood by and watched his best friend pick them out like a kid in a candy store. He could feel the excitement vibrating off Dustin as they stood in line to pay for the tools and pick up the toolbox he’d ordered.

  They got everything loaded and headed out on the highway toward the airport. The temperature was already climbing and he worried it would be a hot summer. He hated heat. Unless he was in a pool.

  “Hey, any plans for Memorial Day weekend?”

  “Just working on my plane. You want to help?”

  “Sure. But I was thinking we need to hit the pool, too. The one at my townhouse complex opens up that weekend.”

  “Sounds great.”

  He flipped on the radio as he flew down the highway, grassy hills and trees on either side of them. He loved the beginning of summer, when new greenery decorated the area and wildflowers popped up everywhere. Knowing he would have about ten weeks off over the summer only buoyed his mood.

  When he saw a plane flying low as it came in for a landing, it hit him that it could be Dustin soon. Shit. Dustin was a fucking pilot. And they were about to see his plane. Excitement ran through him as he turned into the gated entrance of the small airport.

  He followed the long road that ran along the outer edge, passing a larger brick building with windows around three sides.

  “That’s the main office building. They’ve got a lounge up front where a lot of old timers like to come out and just watch the planes.”

  Dustin continued explaining as they drove.

  “That small metal building by the main office is the fueling station.”

  Rafael’s eyebrows raised upon seeing a series of old-fashioned gas pumps. “They don’t look much different than the ones for cars.”

  “They’re not, really.” Then he pointed out the tower to the north. “This is a small airport, so there’s just one landing strip.”