Love in the Clouds

by Sarah Hadley Brook

  His lover, heavy-lidded, breaths coming in short pants, raised his head to stare at him. “You’re gorgeous,” he whispered.

  Smiling, Rafael wrapped his fingers around Dustin’s dick and brought it to his face, gliding the head along his lips. His tongue swirled around the head, then he sucked him in until it hit the back of his throat. Rafael slid him out, then back in faster, swallowing when he hit his throat again, taking him deeper.

  “Holy shit, Raf!” Dustin nearly came off the bed, but Rafael held him down.

  Dustin’s cock throbbed in this throat before he pulled off with a loud, wet, porn-star-worthy pop. He settled between Dustin’s legs, gently licking his balls, suckling them one at a time. He liked that Dustin wasn’t too hairy, a stark contrast to himself. He rolled the heavy balls in his hands, listening to Dustin’s pants growing louder.

  He pushed up Dustin’s thighs, putting the man on display, his hole twitching. Rafael stroked his throbbing dick in front of Dustin, whose gaze followed his every movement.

  “You like what you see?”

  A sinfully sexy smile spread across Dustin’s face. “God, yes. What about you? You see anything you like?”

  Rafael answered him by licking under his balls and over his hole. Dustin gasped and shook. So Rafael did it again. And again, until his hole was slick with saliva. Rafael pushed in his tongue, swirling, teasing. “Open for me, Sunshine. Let me in.”

  Dustin relaxed and Rafael reveled in the musky heat at his core. After a moment, he asked Dustin to grab a condom and lube from the nightstand.

  Rafael slicked up his fingers and Dustin’s hole, then pressed for entry. Dustin’s ass clenched around his finger.

  “I need it. Slide it in further,” he whimpered. “Please.”

  Rafael stared at the exquisite man splayed out in front of him, and his heart stuttered. He worked his finger into the hole deeper and deeper until Dustin mewled with pleasure. He found that special spot and crooked his finger, eliciting a loud moan followed by a string of curses. Rafael added a second finger, stretching him, readying him, brushing against that same spot until Dustin shuddered over and over. Rafael thought it beautiful how the man’s body accepted his fingers, took him into his heat.

  Dustin started stroking his cock, but Rafael ordered him to return his hand to the bed, and Dustin immediately complied. His eagerness to follow orders only made Rafael want to take care of him more. Make him feel so good, he’d cry out Rafael’s name.

  “That’s good, Dusty,” he praised. “No touching your cock until I say so. Understand?”

  Dustin nodded and whimpered.

  When Dustin started begging, Rafael pulled out, wiped his fingers on the blanket, and rolled on a condom. He folded back Dustin’s legs to his chest, then lined up his cock and slid into the tight, velvety heat.

  Both men groaned as Rafael pushed in, inch by agonizing inch, until his balls pressed against Dustin’s ass. Rafael had never felt such an excruciatingly beautiful sensation.

  “Fuck, Dusty. You feel…feel so goddamned perfect.” The incredible heat surrounding his dick urged him to move, but he wanted to give Dustin time to adjust.

  But Dustin had other ideas, wrapping his legs around Rafael’s waist. “Don’t hold back. Please, Raf, I need it. I need you.”

  Rafael pulled back, then sank into heaven again and again. He changed his angle, then watched Dustin throw back his head as Rafael brushed against his prostate, over and over.

  “Look at me, Dusty,” he ordered. “Show me everything. Don’t hide your eyes.”

  Dustin brought up his head, his eyes wild with need. God, the raw emotion pouring off of the man proved a powerful drug, and Rafael wanted more. Needed more. His thrusts became harder. Faster. He grunted as his balls slapped Dustin’s ass.

  He leaned down, capturing his mouth in a hot, wet kiss. Dustin moaned around Rafael’s tongue, his hips rising to meet every thrust.

  Soon, Rafael rose onto his knees, holding Dustin’s hips as he pounded him hard. “You’re so fucking beautiful like this, Sunshine.”

  Dustin came apart under him, sweat dampening his skin, his moans growing louder and louder. His hands scrabbled for purchase on the bed, then he stroked Rafael’s arms, his chest. But still, Dustin waited for permission to grab his own cock.

  Rafael lowered himself so their chests glided together. He felt Dustin’s cock trapped between them, knowing the friction would drive his lover crazy.

  Sure enough, Dustin cried out, a litany of “fuck, fuck, fuck” falling from his lips.

  Rafael sped up, pistoned in and out hard, and bit Dustin’s earlobe. “Come for me, Sunshine.”

  Dustin’s release spilled hot and wet between them. The man threw back his head, running his nails down Rafael’s back. He looked absolutely breathtaking, and pleasure seared through Rafael as his own release rocketed through him, uncoiling fast and jetting out of him, deep inside Dustin. Colors swirled in front of his eyes, his body flying, as pleasure like he’d never known burst through him.

  When he finally fell back to Earth, he collapsed, body shaking, his full weight on Dustin, while his breathing slowly returned to normal. Dustin held him tightly inside, and they shared a soft, sensual kiss. Slow and languid, Rafael tasted him, tried to pour everything he felt into the kiss without uttering the actual words he knew were too soon to say.

  Rafael finally rolled away and sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. Dustin stroked his back. After Rafael took care of the condom, he turned and smiled at the disheveled mess, knowing he probably looked just as wild and sated as Dustin. “I’ll be right back,” he promised and walked to the attached bathroom, feeling his lover’s gaze on him.

  A glance in the mirror made him stop for a moment. Yes, he looked a sweaty mess, but happy. More than happy. He quickly wet a washcloth and cleaned himself, then returned to the bedroom. Dustin lay on his back, looking utterly worn out, an arm thrown above his head, a smile playing at his lips.

  Rafael swallowed hard, the unasked question hanging in the air. Did Dustin feel the same about him? But he concentrated on cleaning Dustin, then tossing aside the washcloth. He wasn’t sure what to do next, all at once feeling exposed. But without a word, Dustin opened his arms, inviting Rafael in.

  His heart tilted and he moved into Dustin’s embrace, the vulnerability melting away. The way Dustin fit against him, the way it felt to finally kiss him, overwhelmed him. They kissed, touching and stroking skin, the only sounds their sighs and soft breaths.

  Rafael fell asleep, hoping this was the beginning of their future together.

  Chapter 10

  Dustin

  Dustin woke in the middle of the night, tangled in Raf’s arms. The sensation of skin-on-skin sent pleasure through him, and his dick hardened, pressed against Raf’s hip. Too lit up to sleep, he let the memories run through his mind. His fingers trailed through the whorls of hair on Raf’s chest, then he cupped his lover’s cheek. The stubble tickled his fingers and he loved being able to touch Raf this way.

  He’d never experienced sex like that. It was hot, definitely, but also so much more. Dustin had never opened himself like that, given someone everything, offered his body, his heart, his soul to Raf. The connection they’d shared had undone him, allowing him to feel a pure bliss he’d never known in the arms of another man.

  Raf stirred, his hand covering Dustin’s. He raised up on his elbow and looked down at Raf, the sliver of moonlight washing over them.

  “Hi.” Raf squeezed his hand.

  “Hi.” An unaccustomed shyness came over Dustin and his cheeks heated.

  “How are you?” Raf asked, his voice husky with sleep, but tentative with concern.

  He smiled at his best-friend-turned-lover. “Really good.” He leaned down for a soft kiss. When he pulled away, he stayed close, their lips only an inch apart. “What about you?”

  Raf grinned. “Flying.”

  Dustin raised an eyebrow. “Flying? We haven’t even been up in our—I mean,
my—plane.” He worried about his slip. Although it made sense. Raf was as much a part of that Cessna as Dustin. He’d spent countless hours working hard on it. But if Raf had noticed what he’d said, he let it go.

  “We’ll be up in it soon, but…what happened earlier…was incredible. I don’t want to scare you, but I nearly had an out-of-body experience when I came. It was like I was flying. It was indescribable, really.”

  “That’s beautiful. When did you become so romantic?” Dustin kissed him again.

  Raf flipped them over, making Dustin laugh when he bounced in the center of the bed. Raf nuzzled his neck. “I can’t help it when I’m with you. You drive me crazy, Dusty.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I’ve been holding back for so long. I was used to hiding my feelings.” He shifted so they stared into each other’s eyes. “And I was sure they’d never be reciprocated. I decided that being your friend was better than not having you in my life.”

  Dustin swallowed, tears springing to his eyes. “How long have you felt like this?”

  “Years.”

  “What made you finally…tell me?”

  Raf rolled to his side. “When I saw you with Conner, it nearly broke me. I know the two of you are just friends, and it’s not like you haven’t dated over the years, but something about watching you dance with him, the way you let go and moved with the music—God, you were so fucking beautiful, Sunshine. And that’s how I truly feel about you. You bring sun and light and happiness into my life. People are drawn to you, including me. In that moment last night, I knew I had to tell you. And when I saw the way you looked back—God, it jarred me. You seemed like…”

  “Like I wanted you?”

  “Exactly. You were so open and raw. You didn’t hide anything.”

  Dustin put his hands on Raf’s cheeks. “I can’t hide it. Not anymore.”

  They kissed leisurely, as if they had all the time in the world. It wasn’t about sex now, but about simply being together. Knowing they wanted the same thing. They didn’t talk of labels—whether they were boyfriends, where was this going—but let the night wrap around them, holding each other close. They had time to figure things out.

  The last thing Dustin remembered was Raf kissing his cheek and telling him he was happier than he’d ever been. Before Dustin could voice his agreement, Raf’s hands, gently stroking him everywhere, lulled him into sleep.

  When morning came, he felt no awkwardness, and had no regrets. This time, their kisses went from sweet to erotic, and soon, Raf’s hand wrapped around both of their cocks, slick with lube, sliding together until they came, their releases mingling as they dripped from Raf’s hand. Dustin thought it one of the hottest things he’d ever seen.

  They ended up in the shower—a whole new kind of fun—but couldn’t linger. Dustin had been so busy with the plane, he’d let a few furniture orders pile up. As much as he wanted to head to the airport, he needed to go home. But he also wanted to spend time with Raf. Funny how easy it felt to go from friends to more. And so natural.

  Conner had texted that he was awake, so Raf drove Dustin to Jack’s to pick up his Honda. Once he got his keys from Conner, he jogged back to Raf’s truck.

  “I’ll be out in my workshop most of the day. I’ve got to finish a drop-leaf table and a bookshelf. But if you want to stop by later…”

  Raf grinned. “How ‘bout I bring over some lunch?”

  “That’s great. Around noon?”

  “Sure. What sounds good?”

  Dustin leaned into the window and kissed his cheek. “Surprise me. You know what I like,” he teased, enjoying the easy flirting that rolled off his tongue.

  Raf grasped the back of his neck and kissed him hard. “I definitely know what you like, but I may need a refresher later.”

  “That can be arranged. Tonight. After we work on the plane.”

  Raf groaned. “You sure you don’t want to stay in tonight? Watch a movie…or something?”

  “Hey, you’re having a good time at the hangar and you know it.”

  “Of course, I am. But there are other ways to have fun—ways I had hoped might interest you.”

  “Hmm, I’m not sure what you mean, but you’re the teacher, Raf. It’s up to you to instruct me in the fine art of fun. Tonight. After the hangar.” Dustin winked. “Would this by any chance be naked fun? Because I’m all for that.”

  “Fuck, you’re killing me, Sunshine.”

  “See you around noon?”

  Raf nodded and they finally parted.

  Dustin couldn’t keep the grin from his face all morning. Even as he spilled stain on one of his tarps, he was in too good a mood to be upset.

  Who would’ve thought after all these years he and Raf would end up in bed together? He had no idea how good it could truly be with someone you loved.

  And he did love Raf. He’d loved him for years as a best friend, but now that love had bloomed into something stronger. Loving Raf was nearly as natural as breathing. Not that either man had said the words. It was way too early. They’d been best friends for so many years and knew almost everything about each other, but now there were new things to learn. New exploring between them. A combination of excitement and terror bubbled up inside of him, making it difficult to concentrate on the drop-leaf table.

  His mind spun as he tried to process everything. What was he doing falling in love? He’d made a promise to himself to never let that happen. But this was Rafael. His best friend. A man who would never hurt him, no matter what happened. Looking back, it was easy to see this love had been coming for a long time, growing over the years. He’d just been too blind to see it earlier. And now that the whole thing was right there in front of him, he felt like an idiot. How could he have not seen it? How could he have missed the way Raf looked at him? The way Raf called him “Dusty”? The fear didn’t completely leave, but just thinking about Raf calmed him down.

  Shit. He was losing his mind. He shook his head and forced himself to focus on his work.

  He’d gone with a shaker style of table, made of oak, tapered at the bottom, and with squared legs. He’d never used the gray stain on anything before, but the color was becoming popular, so he’d given it a whirl, glad he’d purchased two cans, since he’d spilled the first one. It looked pretty good and he hoped it would make the buyer happy.

  Later, while washing up at the large utility sink in the corner of his workshop, he heard the door open and turned to see Raf.

  “Is it noon already?” The morning had flown by.

  Raf looked around at all of Dustin’s projects before meeting his gaze again. Dustin’s heart tumbled at the way Raf smiled at him. He pointed to the brown paper bag Raf carried. “Why don’t you take the food into the kitchen? This place is a mess. I’ll meet you in there in a few minutes.”

  Heat unfurled low in his belly at the wicked and hot-as-fuck expression on Raf’s face, and he hurried to join him inside.

  After he walked into his kitchen, he slipped off his work shoes, as he usually did in case he’d spilled stain on them, and glanced around for Raf. The bag of food sat on the table and he finally got a look at the name of the restaurant. “Hey, you got us Rainy Days Café?” he called.

  Raf appeared around the corner from the living room and pinned him with a stare. “Remember, you did say I know what you like.”

  Dustin nodded, swallowing at the double entendre. He pulled the items from the bag and smiled at his favorite sandwich, the Rainy Day Special—a grilled ham and Swiss on multigrain bread they made fresh daily. But the spread they used on the bread when toasting it had all kinds of herbs, creating a veritable melt-in-your-mouth sandwich.

  He also saw that Raf had gotten his usual and smiled. No matter how things were evolving between them, some things would never change. Raf had been eating their roast beef and cheddar sandwiches for as long as Dustin could remember.

  Raf stepped closer and gave him a quick kiss before sitting on Dustin’s left.
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br />   Dustin pulled out a fry, rolling it between his fingers. “Is this…weird for you?”

  Raf leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed. “No! Is it for you?”

  “No. I guess that’s what’s so strange about it. That it feels so…right.”

  Raf covered Dustin’s hand with his and squeezed. “It is right. Now eat, since you’re going to need your strength later.”

  Dustin laughed. “Oh, really?”

  Raf tried to appear innocent. “I just mean that working on the Cessna is going to be hard today. It’s hot. We didn’t sleep all that much. I’m going to be distracting you.”

  “How do you know I won’t be the one distracting you?”

  “Oh, that’s a given, Dusty. You always distract me. God, the years I tried to keep my eyes off your ass.” He grinned, his eyes on Dustin’s. “You have the sexiest ass I’ve ever seen.”

  Dustin nearly choked on his sandwich while heat flooded his cheeks. God, he was a mess around Raf. Any other man, he’d be able to keep the flirtation talk going—be confidant and sexy. But the way Raf looked at him made him shiver. How had he not seen it in his eyes before? He wanted to strip him and suck him right here in his kitchen. The idea of heading to the hangar was losing to the thought of spending more time with Raf. In bed. Or on the kitchen table. Get a grip, Dustin.

  “Um, would you be upset if I decided to skip going to the airport today?”

  “No. Everything okay?”

  “Just reconsidering that whole ‘staying in’ thing you mentioned earlier. I know we have a lot to do on the Cessna, but what if we went first thing tomorrow and worked all day? Mac’s going to take it soon to finish the other repairs.”

  “I’m good with that. Want to go back to my house? Or hang out here?”

  “I need to work on the bookshelf some, so how about we stay here?”

  “Sounds good.”

  They finished eating, then cleaned up. Dustin gave Raf a kiss meant to be quick, but the second their lips touched, the heat between them ratcheted up, and before he knew it, Dustin was up against the wall, their tongues dueling. He moaned when Raf raked his hands through his hair and rolled his hips against him.