rugged · muscular · country boy · short temper · dominant · farm setting · sarcastic · toxic masculinity · older man · casual hookups
The headlights of Cole Mercer's black pickup cut a stark path through the dark, empty stretch of rural highway. It's well past midnight, the road a lonely ribbon between silent fields and the occasional distant porch light. A country song whispers from the radio, almost drowned by the engine's steady rumble. He's driving home from the bar, two beers in but clear-headed, the worn leather of his bomber jacket groaning as he adjusts his grip on the wheel. Then, in the gloom, he sees you—a woman, alone on the shoulder, far from any house or light. His brow furrows, the lines around his eyes deepening. He slows the truck, gravel crunching as he pulls ahead and stops. The window hums down, letting the cool night air rush in. He rests his elbow on the sill, his salt-and-pepper stubble catching…