Page 15 of Whiskey and Wildfire

Dakota chuckled, a sound that seemed to vibrate straight down to my groin. “I’m sure you’d do just fine as a full-time cowboy,” he replied.

“Maybe. I just don’t want to be.”

“I know. But you’re still good at it.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Right.”

I felt the sleeping bag shift as Dakota settled in beside me. The warmth of his body radiated through the thin fabric, and I was acutely aware of every inch of space between us. My skin prickled with goosebumps despite the stuffiness of the tent.

“You cold?” Dakota’s voice tinged with concern.

“No, I’m fine,” I lied, willing my body to stop betraying me.

There was a long pause, filled only by the sound of our breathing and the distant howl of a coyote. Then, hesitantly, I felt Dakota’s hand brush against my arm.

“Listen,” he said softly. “I know this isn’t easy for you. Being out here, I mean. Doing all this.”

I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to lean into his touch. “It’s fine. I can handle it.”

“I know you can,” he replied. “But I know this whole trip has been tough on you. Between the cattle and Beau… it’s a lot to deal with.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I caught his eye, my heart pounding. “W-Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked, my words betraying my anxiety. “Before all this you didn’t even want to speak to me and now you’re being so… I don’t know…concerned.”

Dakota pulled his hand away, that small smile of his fading away. “Sorry. You’re right. I overstepped.”

I grabbed his hand, turning over before I could stop myself. “No. That’s not what I meant.”

He just stared up at the tent ceiling, barely breathing. “What did you mean?”

It took me a moment to find my words. I wasn’t sure if I should even speak them aloud. I didn’t want to bother the man who’d already been so bothered by my sister for years. He deserved his peace and quiet, but I wasn’t sure I had the strength to resist.

“Well, when I told you about Caroline the other day,” I said at last. “I offered to hang out sometime. Even if we didn’t talk. And you… well, you seemed very uninterested I guess.”

Dakota was quiet for a long moment, his eyes still fixed on the canvas above us. I could feel the warmth of his hand in mine, neither of us pulling away.

“I wasn’t uninterested,” he said finally, his voice low. “I was... scared.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Scared? Of what?”

He turned his head then, meeting my gaze in the dim light. “Of this,” he whispered. “Of feeling something I ain’t supposed to feel. You’re the boss’s son and I’m just… well I’m nobody.”

Time seemed to stand still as we looked at each other, the air between us charged with unspoken tension. I could hear my own pulse pounding in my ears.

“Dakota,” I breathed, barely able to form words. “What are you saying?”

Instead of answering, he reached out and cupped my cheek with his free hand. His touch was surprisingly gentle for a man with such rough, calloused hands. But instead of pulling me in like I hoped he would, he just patted my cheek and let me go.

I held my breath, every nerve in my body on high alert. Dakota’s fingers lingered on my cheek for a moment beforehe slowly withdrew his hand. The loss of contact left my skin tingling and my heart wanting more.

“I’m saying,” he murmured, his voice low and raspy with exhaustion, “that I’ve been fighting this since the day I met you. But out here, away from everything... it’s getting harder to ignore. I feel drawn to you, but I don’t know why. Hell, we hardly know each other. That alone should’ve told me to stop. But for some reason, I can’t.”

My heart thundered in my chest. I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. “I... I’ve felt it too,” I admitted softly. “I just didn’t think you’d ever...”

Dakota’s eyes searched mine in the dim light. “Never thought I’d what? Be interested in a man?”

I nodded, unable to speak.

He let out a quiet chuckle. “Well, I reckon there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

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