Rafael Patino has a great life in Rain Valley. He’s a teacher at the high school, has a great group of friends, and enjoys the occasional baseball game. Other than the sporadic call from his drunken mother, he’s pretty content. He’s also been in love with his best friend Dustin for nearly a decade. Years of keeping those feelings under control are put to the test when they begin a summer project together. Dustin Vance builds furniture for a living, has just earned his pilot’s license, and has an amazing best friend. When he buys a 1976 Cessna Skyhawk, he asks Rafael to help restore it, then travel with him to Wisconsin for the largest aviation convention in the world. As they spend their days working on the plane, they begin to spend their nights together. Will they find love in the clouds, or will they stall out before they even take off?

Love in the Clouds

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.


Chapter 36