Loving The Corporate Prince Ch. 17-18

I wondered how someone so young had gotten so wise.

"Thank you for being such an amazing friend." I said.

"River, you're like one of the best parts of living in Ellis. I don't even think of you as a friend, you're like my family - like a little brother or something - you know that."

"Um, I'm older than you?"

"I said what I said, River."

The two of us giggled before tucking ourselves in and shoving a two-cassette VHS of Titanic in her tv and for the first time in a week, I felt normal again.

"River?" Stephanie said.

"Yeah?"

"You're not weak if you forgive him."

⟡ CHAPTER EIGHTEEN ⟡

DUSTIN

"Cas, you don't have to come, you know,"

"I know, but let's be honest with ourselves - I need to get out of New York as much as you need your family around. I won't pretend that this doesn't benefit us both." Cas laughed in the passenger seat of Dustin's car. "Besides, we've been in the car for 10 hours and you just now say that?"

"Fair enough," Dustin began as the two sped down the exit that read 'Lake Stanfield - 1 Mile' and within a minute, they passed the small convenience store and gas station across the street from the market.

'Green, green, green!' He thought, as if the silent voice in his head could manifest a green light but of course, it manifested the opposite and the car had to pull to a full stop.

Dustin hadn't realized how difficult it would actually be to be back in Ellis and he had to admit, he really was glad Cas was with him.

"Do we need gas or something?" Cas laughed, pulling Dustin from his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, no."

Cas' face twisted into confusion before she nodded toward the gas station.

"Then why are you staring longingly?"

Dustin sighed as he refocused his hands on the steering wheel and waited patiently for the longest light in town.

"River works there,"

"Oooh," Cas said, rubbing Dustin's back. "It'll be OK."

"You don't know that,"

"No, but I have a good feeling and you know I'm very intuitive."

Dustin laughed.

"What would I do without you?"

"Dunno, probably be just fine. Hey! Why don't you give me the tour of town while I'm here? Show me your school and stuff, I wanna see it all!"

Finally, the light turned green and the car reluctantly sped off. Dustin hadn't said anything, but he did notice Rivers' car wasn't at work, which for River, was unusual.

Dustin resisted the nearly overwhelming urge to text River, just to let him know he was back and ask him why he wasn't at work, but he reminded himself that River knew when he'd be back and if he wanted to talk, he would reach out.

'Give him his space. Don't be too clingy. He'll talk when he's ready,'

✧

"Wow, you weren't kidding about this town being tiny." Cas said, relaxing on Dustin's couch. "That took us all of what, 20 minutes? Half hour?"

"Something like that," Dustin laughed.

"So would you say it was worth it? Have you... Found yourself? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm asking because... Well... This seems kinda nice..."

Dustin settled into his couch next to Cas and gave her a warm smile. He knew she was feeling lost lately too, and he had to admit, he loved the idea of her being around here with him.

"Yeah, I think I have... I mean, do I need a degree for photography? Not exactly, but I have learned a lot more than I thought I would as LSCC. Things that make photography seem more complicated, like editing, lighting, the functions of the camera, composition... They've only made me love photography even more.

See that picture? That's this park River and I used to go to... My friend Stephanie even paid me to take pictures of her dog, both of whom, you'd love. I've met some amazing people here."

Cas smiled.

"I'm really proud of you."

"For what?"

"I mean, you've made some serious sacrifices for what's important - your happiness. You've given up the luxuries of New York and found something that people rarely do."

"Thanks, Cas. What about you?"

"What about me?" Cas laughed.

"Where do you go from here?"

Cas shrugged.

"Maybe I don't have to go anywhere from here. I don't know..."

"You know what? I should text Steph and she if she wants to come over. She's a great person to talk to,"

"Wait! Is she cute?! Let me take a shower first, I'm disgusting!"

✧

RIVER

Stephanie gasped down at her phone, as we shoved pancakes in our mouths.

"What?" I said.

"Dustin texted me. He wants to hang out." Stephanie gasped again. "Oh my God, I've never seen his place, I bet it's amazing,"

My heart thumped hard in my chest. I could feel it thumping my sternum and making me sweat, but not with anger or fear, with excitement.

'Fuck, I missed him so much,'

I realized I hadn't responded to Steph when her face dropped.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry. Is it a total betrayal if I go hang out with him?"

"No! No, not at all. I'm actually kind of... Bummed he didn't text me," I said.

"I think he's trying to give you your space. He probably wants you to reach out when you're ready. That's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah, he's the best." My eyes brimmed with tears that rarely came.

"You should go hang," I said. "It's not a betrayal at all. I think I'm gonna go to the park and try to get some writing done."

"Ok," Steph began, finishing up her plate of afternoon pancakes. "Wrap up, OK? It looks nice out but it's deceptively cold."

With that, Steph and I got ready to part ways for the rest of the day.

✧

'Shit, Steph was right. It's freezing,' I thought, sitting on the bench in front of the creek, nursing my coffee for both warmth and energy.

The blank notebook on my lap glared at me so I tried not to look at it directly.

Instead, my imagination ran away with the memories of dates Dustin and I shared in this park.

The snow that blanketed the ground muffled and absorbed any extra sounds that travelled through the air, making it quieter than usual. It was both peaceful and eerie. When I sighed, my breath misted out of my mouth.

'I've been here for 45 minutes and still, nothing. Not a single word,'

I heard a faint patter that drew my eyes and thoughts away from my paper. I scanned the area, trying to find a source and my heart skipped a beat when I saw blonde hair popping out of a gray beanie and his camera hanging around his neck.

'Dustin?'

His own eyes must have caught my movement in his peripherals, because he suddenly stopped looking at his feet and caught my eye. I could tell from his body language that he must have been feeling the same thing I was. Excitement mixed with nerves.

"H-hey," he said, waving. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd be here,"

"No, no! It's OK. I thought you'd be with Stephanie at your place..."

"Oh! Well... Uh, I mostly wanted to introduce her and Cas and they were getting along really well so... Wait, how did you know that Steph...?"

"I'm, uh, I'm staying at her place for right now,"

"Oh my God, is everything OK?" Dustin immediately sat down next to me. His body and energy were my home and I was severely homesick. "I'm sorry, I know you want your space. I'll leave you alo-"

"No!" I said. "No, I actually wanted to text you. I just didn't know what to say."

"You did?"

"Yeah..." I cleared my throat.

'Why am I so awkward? What do I say? What do I say!?'

Dustin sat there, patiently waiting for me to respond.

"Um... I'm sorry about how everything went down. Being outed sucked and feeling like you didn't trust me sucked too but I wanted to let you know that I understand where it came from."

"I'm sorry too. It really wasn't fair of me to put my past hurt on you like that, especially because I know you've gone through it too. I want you to know that I really do trust you."

"I talked to Steph about it and what she said gave me a lot of - ugh, sounds so corny - but it gave me a lot of peace. She said that it's OK to have our walls up with each other, especially because we're new and have both been burned so many times and that we should decide for ourselves what trust looks like in our relationship... And celebrate our milestones."

"How did she get so wise?"

"I don't know," I laughed. "Maybe because she loves love so much. She thinks about it all the time?"

"Sounds about right - wait. So... Y-you still want to be in a relationship with me?"

Dustin asked, his eyes brimmed with tears and I had my own fight with the waterfall in my eyes.

"Of course, are you kidding? When Steph told me you texted her, just knowing you're back... it was like the sun came back after a storm. D-do you still want to be in a relationship with me?"

Dustin wrapped his hands around my face and pressed his forehead against mine.

"Being away from you for only that week has made me realize how much I fucking hate being that far away from you. All I want is to be with you,"

Dustin's lips crashed against mine. The warmth of his skin felt so right against the cold backdrop. It was like being under an electric blanket in the morning with the air blasting on high. It was both comforting and refreshing.

He somehow tasted better than ever. My tongue had a mind of its own, traveling along his lower lip.

"I love you," he breathed when we finally parted.

"I love you, Dustin. I love you so much."

He kissed me again, but this time, with double the hunger. His cold hands grappled with my jacket while mine tugged at his beanie.

"Holy shit," I said. "I missed you so fucking much."

"I missed you too. It feels so good to be back,"

"Are Steph and Cas at your place?"

Dustin raised an eyebrow.

"I think so, why?"

"Well, Gil should be at work today... Want to go warm up at mine?"

✧

"Um... this might sound weird but I wasn't expecting this to happen today and I've been sitting in the car for 10 hours so... can I take a shower first?" Dustin blushed.

'God, he's so cute. The idea that he could ever be gross is unfathomable to me,'

"Of course!" I beamed. "You don't have to ask... Um... Do you want company?"

✧

Our faces crashed together while our hands clawed at each other's clothes. Dustin shoved me up against the wall, making my insides twist with arousal. I've never seen him be so domineering and it turned me on to feel him against me aggressively.

His body pressed against mine in waves, while both his hands held the sides of my face and in some ways I've never felt safer or more loved. I hooked my fingers around his belt loop, pulling his hips into mine while the whirr of the shower silenced any free flowing thoughts.

The steam made our already hot and sticky skin, hotter and soon we were peeling our clothes off, one by one.

Although it had only been a small time since I had last made love to Dustin, but it felt like an eternity and the gorgeous man only got better with time. His abs rippled and glistened and his nipples stood erect. They burned pinker with every moment that passed and I couldn't have my mouth on them fast enough.

My lips trailed against Dustin's collar bone, moving lower, taking in every sweet scent and taste of his skin. His chest rose and fell heavily, and the heavy breathing only told me how turned on he was, which turned me on even more. I let my saliva run through my mouth, moistening my tongue with its warmth before flicking his nipples.

Dustin's head tilted back as he released a shudder.

"Fuck," he moaned.

"Mmm, you like that?"

"Mhm," Dustin's voice morphed into an erotic cry when he bit his lips. My fingers tweaked the nipple that wasn't being teased by my mouth and I could feel his chiseled hips resisting thrusting his erection into mine.

He gently pressed his hand on the back of my neck, almost cupping my head, and guiding my face back up to his.

"Your turn," he growled, pushing me back up against the wall and unfastening my pants with a force I had never seen. My jeans fell to the floor and before I could step out of them, Dustin's mouth was all over my body, traveling south.

As if the blood wasn't flowing fast enough, I watched him remove his own pants, revealing a stiff, sexy cock that I couldn't wait to have inside me.

"Ah!" I cried as the wet warmth of Dustin's mouth encompassed my sensitive head.

His tongue flicked it, mirroring the way I had teased his nipples just seconds before. His sandy blonde hair hardly moved as his skilled mouth bobbed up and down on me.

All I could think and feel was that warmth and the breath escaping from my lungs.

The pleasure was so immense. I had missed him so much. I missed this love. I missed his body. I missed his attention.

He growled with his mouth around me, causing me to look down and notice him stroking.

"H-holy shit, Dustin," I breathed. "You turn me on so much."

He growled and moaned even more. My insides twisted and I could feel my release bubbling inside me, but I didn't want it just yet. It was far too soon. I needed more time with him and with this moment.

"D-Dustin?" I moaned.

"What is it, baby?"

"Fuck me in the shower." The demand was spoken softly but commanded his attention nonetheless. His eyes burned hotter than fire as a smile curved his lips.

Before I knew it, my chest was pressed up against the cool, tile wall of the shower. Dustin's gripped my hips as he ground his stiffness into me. I could feel his own chest pressed against my back as the warm beads of water cascade between us.

He teased me, mercifully, sliding his member between my now soaked thighs and rubbing his erection against mine.

My hands moved all over the tile, desperate to grip something and push myself back into him, but there was nothing.

"Fuck me," I cried, reaching behind me and grabbing his head as his mouth sucked at the sensitive skin on my neck. "Please!"

I arched my back, and within moments, I felt his head at my entrance. I couldn't help but release a moan of excitement and pure arousal. There was the familiar pressure on my swollen insides as he slid inside me, further, deeper... I gasped. Finally, he grabbed my hips and began thrusting. At first, we moved at a slow and steady pace, but when I cried and begged for more, he pulled out.

I spun around, curiously.

"Are you OK?" I asked, seeing Dustin out of breath as large beads of water stuck to his godlike muscles.

He nodded.

"Y-you're about to make me come,"

"Good!"

"Seriously," he laughed.

"I'm serious too, I want you to fuck me till you can't even think."

With that, Dustin pressed me up against the wall with force, yet again, only this time my back hit the tiles, and Dustin's mouth was glued to mine. His tongue dominated my mouth as one of his hands held my face, and the other held one of my legs up.

I released a loud breath as he shoved himself in me once again and thrust with the same force as before. It was as if he had never pulled out, in the first place. The pleasure resumed, the growls resumed, the heavy, hot kisses made us numb to our surroundings.

I was able to snap out of it when Dustin removed his hand from my face and reached his hand up to remove the showerhead. His thrusts never wavered as he shot the hot stream in circles around my cock.

"Holy fuck!" I cried as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. "Oh God, Dustin, don't stop."

My heartbeat faster than a hummingbird's wings as the pleasure. Waves of pleasure shot through me with each growl he moaned in my ear and each of his moans grew louder with each thrust.

"I'm so close," Dustin cried.

"M-me too,"

"You're so fucking hot. You feel so fucking good."

"Y-y-you..." I could hardly get out my words as my climax encompassed me. Tingles move from my fingers tips and coursed through my arms before crashing into my chest.

"Feel..." The tingles went to my toes before crashing in my abdomen.

"Fuck! Yes!"

Dustin's hips rolled harder into me as my body tightened around him. My orgasm finally released within me like a volcanic eruption. The pleasure was so immense that my arms wrapped around Dustin's shoulders were all I had to hold me up. The one knee I was standing on was left weak and shaking and had Dustin not had me pressed up against the wall, I would have collapsed.

Dustin didn't stop fucking me through my orgasm, which only made it all the better, because not long after he pulled out and shot his load all over me, groaning so loud and sexy in my ear - I could be happy hearing those noises come out of his mouth anytime.

He hung up the showerhead quickly before wrapping his arms fully around my waist. I think he could tell I was too weak to stand because he sat us down on the bottom of the tub. Me on his lap as his face continued to be buried in my neck.

We sat there, motionless and wordless, catching our breath as the shower drenched us like rain from our very own romantic drama film. As we regained our strength a little, Dustin began to rock us.

"I love you," Dustin breathed.

"I love you too,"

"Thank you." He said.

"For what?"

"For loving me."

"Loving you is easy. Thank you for loving me."

✧

Dustin fiddled with his keys before the door to his apartment flung open. There stood Cas with a wide smile on her face under her messy bun and sweats. I never thought I'd be so happy to see someone I just met, but as my arms opened wide and she squealed my name, the butterflies in my stomach erupted.

"River!" Cas yelled. "Did you two finally make up already?"

Cas embraced me and pulled me into Dustin's apartment. The door closed behind us and Stephanie emerged from the bathroom with a smile that matched Cas'. She gasped and hugged us both before we all moved to the kitchen to sit around Dustin's island.

"Dustin, I can't believe you were hiding this amazing lady from me!" Stephanie squealed, giving Cas a big, loving squeeze. Cas wrapped her arms back around Steph, mouthing 'I love her' to us and it was obvious the two bubbly souls were a perfect match.

"River, I love you but we might have to have a roommate swap!"

"Oh, hey. You never told me why you're staying at Steph's." Dustin said.

"You didn't?" Steph began, with a knowing smile that caused my face to burn hotter than hellfire. "But you were gone for so long, what on Earth were you two talking about that whole time?"

Cas giggled, equally knowing and devilish.

"🎵 Dustin and River, sitting in a tree! F-U-C-🎵"

"Oh my God!" I cried, burying my face in my hands with laughter. "I already regret letting them be introduced!"

"You and me both," Dustin laughed, blushing, but nowhere near as bad as I was.

"Anyway, long story, short - Gil is The Oracle Insider's source. We both thought it was a bad idea for me to keep staying there and Steph was nice enough to let me crash at her place until I figure out what to do."

"Wait -" Dustin gasped. "What?"

I looked at Steph with a face that said, 'do you wanna tell the story?'

"We all know that Gil and I were practically siblings. I noticed him sneaking off to make phone calls. It wasn't like a few times, it was like... Every time we hung out. So I started getting a little worried.

One night, I go to ask him what all this is about. I swear I didn't mean to eavesdrop it just happened. And I heard him say somethin' about information and being compensated and that you can't get this anywhere else. So, River and I did a little detective work and we found out that the person who he'd been calling was some Jeff Lewis guy -"

"The Editor of the OI?" Cas gasped.

"Yes! So now we've got the proof... Just..."

"I have to confront him about it,"

The room went silent and the three members of my new, small family, stared. They stared at each other, their hands, the counter... Me. Dustin's hand reached over to mine and his thumb rubbed my knuckles.