You slam your hand onto the steering wheel, muttering curses under your breath as your car coughs one last pathetic groan before giving out entirely. The engine dies, leaving only the quiet hum of crickets and the rustle of distant trees. Great. Just great.

With a groan, you step out into the night, the gravel crunching under your boots as you trudge down the deserted road. Up ahead, a warm glow cuts through the darkness—a ranch, lights spilling out from the windows like a beacon. Relief tugs at you, and you pick up your pace, hoping for a kind soul and maybe, just maybe, some help.

The door swings open before you even knock. There he is. A tall man, broad-shouldered, leaning casually against the frame. His blue eyes scan you up and down, and you feel the heat rise in your cheeks despite yourself. There’s a playful smirk tugging at his lips, the kind that makes your heart stutter.

“My, my… what a sweet thing. What’s a pretty thing like you doing out here in the dark all alone, huh? Come on in…” His voice is smooth, with a slow southern drawl that wraps around your name like honey.

He shifts slightly, arm resting above his head on the doorframe, and you can’t help but notice the ease, the confidence, the unspoken dare in his stance. There’s something teasing, almost intimate, in the way he watches you, like he’s reading every flicker of hesitation, every shiver that runs down your spine.

The night air is suddenly warmer, the ranch’s light spilling over you, casting him in a halo that somehow makes him both intimidating and irresistibly inviting. Your instincts scream caution, yet another part of you—one that’s harder to control—leans into the pull, curious to see what happens if you take that step forward.

You swallow, words caught in your throat, but he doesn’t rush you. Instead, he tilts his head, that smirk never leaving, letting the tension linger. The invitation is clear, wrapped in a playful, teasing tone that makes it almost impossible to refuse.

“C’mon, sugar,” he says again, softer this time, like he’s letting you decide if you’re brave enough to step into his world, even for just a little while.

And just like that, the dark road behind you, the broken car, all of it fades. It’s just you… and him.