Page 16 of Whiskey and Wildfire

“But I want to know,” I said quickly. “I really do. If you’d give me a chance.”

“Logan,” he sighed, shaking his head. “You’re lost right now. I can see it in your eyes. As much as I’d love to be your life preserver while you’re drowning… I don’t want to be the only reason you get up in the morning. That’s too much pressure.” He turned his head away. “I’m a quiet man and I like my peace. And you… well, you’re a little too much like wildfire right now. It’s pretty to look at and mesmerizing, but eventually it’s gonna burn me and that’s not something I see either of us surviving.”

I felt my chest tighten at his words, a mix of disappointment and understanding washing over me. “I... I get it,” I said softly, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice. “I know I’m a mess. And I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

Dakota turned back to me, his dark eyes softening. “You didn’t,” he assured me. “And I ain’t saying never. Just... not right now. Not like this.”

We lay there in silence for a moment, the air between us thick with unspoken words and unfulfilled desires. I could feel the warmth of his body next to mine, so close yet impossibly far away.

“So, what do we do now?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Dakota sighed, running a hand through his long hair. “We sleep,” he said simply. “And tomorrow, we finish this drive. Then... well, I reckon we go back to the way things were.”

I felt a sharp pang in my chest at his words. Go back to the way things were? After everything we’d just shared? It seemed impossible, like trying to shove toothpaste back in the tube.

“I don’t know if I can do that,” I admitted softly. “Pretend like none of this ever happened.”

Dakota was quiet for a long moment, his eyes fixed on the canvas above us. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and rough. “We don’t have to pretend it never happened. But we can’t act on it either. Not now, anyway.”

I nodded, trying to swallow past the lump in my throat. “I understand,” I whispered, even though part of me wanted to argue, to beg him to reconsider.

He turned his head then, meeting my gaze. In the dim light, I could see a softness in his eyes that made my heart do a little flip. I wanted so badly to lean forward and kiss him, to taste those lips of his just once. But that might push him away forever and I didn’t want that.

“Can… Can we at least be friends?” I asked, realizing how pathetic I sounded. “I know my daddy is your boss, but that doesn’t mean we can’t both be a little less lonely out here in all this grass and dust.”

Dakota stared at me for a long moment before he nodded. “Alright. I think I can do that.”

I smiled, unable to hold it back. “Like I said before, just being quiet around each other is fine too. In fact, I like the quiet. After all those years in New York, it’s nice to just sit and hear… nothin’.”

“That’s just fine with me.”

Giving him a nod, I turned back to my side of the tent, our bodies still a few inches apart under the sleeping bag. I tried to force myself to fall asleep, but with so little fabric to share and the cold seeping in through the tent seams, I was shivering. Dakota must have felt me shaking, because the next thing I knew he was scooching close, his arm draped over my waist.

“It’s a cold night,” he said softly, his breath playing over my ear in a way that sent tingles shooting straight down to my cock.

The moment my body reacted, I was far too aware of how much of his skin was touching mine. His bare chest against my back felt like fire and his pelvis snuggled against my ass sent my mind spinning with lusty thoughts. And, if I wasn’t mistaken, it felt like his own cock was reacting to me as well. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I felt a twitch or two against my ass as he pulled me close.

“Thanks,” I muttered, relishing in my newfound warmth.

I wished, more than anything, that it would go further. That his hands would touch me the way I craved to be touched by him. But, like the true gentleman he was, he kept still.

“Goodnight,” he whispered in my ear, sending another shiver through my body.

“Night.”

Chapter 7

Dakota

As much as I loved being out on the prairie, I was desperately looking forward to my first hot shower. After a week on the dusty trail, I stank of horse, cow, sweat, and grime. It was no secret all of us needed a bath something awful. And that’s why, as soon as the last cow was in and the gate was closed, I headed back toward my little cabin on the far corner of the property.

I’d left Sogwili in the care of Caroline, so I knew she’d be well tended to. All the Bakers had turned up the moment we got back, taking out bags and horses without question. They knew me, Beau, and Logan were dead tired and sore from head to toe. Poor Beau still had to drive himself home. But I figured Lucas would give him a good welcome. This was probably the longest they’d been apart since he moved down to Sagebrush.

There was a pang of jealousy in my chest as I thought of how lavishly Lucas would probably dote on Beau. But it wasn’t just that either. The thought of having someone to come home to was an enticing one. Of course, I wanted it to be Logan, but I knew that wasn’t possible. That didn’t stop me from thinking about it though.

The moment I stepped in my cabin, I stripped my clothes off and tossed them in the washing machine. However, as Iunloaded my duffel into the washer, I realized I was short a set, as if I’d left them out on the trail. Then I remembered. I’d given them to Logan after his tent was trampled. As far as I knew, he was still wearing them.

An image entered my mind, one of him standing there at the end of the bed wearing nothing but my button down and his cowboy hat. I’d seen nearly all of him, so the image in my mind’s eye was fairly complete. The only part I hadn’t seen was his cock. But that just made it more fun to imagine.

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