▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 Sheriff Bastillo is a piece of shit.I cannot stress that enough.If dirt could crawl into a uniform and pretend to be a man, it would be him.I leaned back in the creaking chair, arms folded, my face set in stone as he rattled on about how this town was going to shit—and how, apparently, it was all my fault.Typical.He leaned forward, fingers steepled, eyes narrow and gleaming with fake authority. “You people don’t understand how things work. You’re all just looking for a reason to stir up trouble.”I clenched my jaw so tight my teeth ached. “Poisoned water isn’t a conspiracy, Bastillo. It’s killing people.”He rolled his eyes like I had just told him ghosts were haunting the town well.“Oh, please,” he scoffed. “Next, you’re going to tell me the trees are whispering secrets in the wind.” He laughed, and I could feel it in my bones—the disgust simmering, threatening to boil over.“You think this is funny?” I asked, my voice low. Too low. The kind of quiet tha
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I hadn’t expected colton to ask me out. It just seemed like a non possibility. It’s not a date, at least not to me. It’s a prequel before we return to his place and fuck like senseless people. Just the way i like it.I was taken to a nice sweet spot in Dusty Creek. Like super nice. Not a fancy resturant type of nice. A hometown type of nice. Where everyone knows everyone.May i just say that might just be the motto for this town?“You’re sure this is the right place to have dinner?” i confirmed with him as we approached the area.“Yeah, but not like a date type of dinner.” i had just made the same conclusive statement in my mind, and yet here i was feeling slight disappointed that he also felt the need to state that out loud.So a sweet spot with a homey feeling.Not a date—Colton made that clear. Just a way of thanking me. And also, a way to show me something decent in a town I had already decided I wasn’t too fond of.Still, as I stepped inside the barb
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★The moment I took my last bite, the music changed. Something a little faster, a little livelier, and I noticed a group of women clearing the tables near the center of the restaurant to make space.I was about to ask what was happening when a woman about my age, with all sun-kissed skin, and bright eyes, slid up to our booth with a knowing grin. “You dance, city girl?”I blinked. “Not… really.” I only dance when I’m drunk, and it’s definitely not to country music. It has heart and soul. My type of music“She does,” Colton answered before I could stop him, the smirk on his face damn near criminal. “She just doesn’t know it yet.”The woman—Sarah, I caught from the name tag on her shirt—laughed and held out a hand. “Come on, honey. You can’t come to a place like this and not dance at least once.”I glanced at Colton, expecting him to bail me out since the last time I was dancing he was quick to try to get me back home, but the bastard just leaned back in the
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★The house was quiet. Too quiet.I sat on the edge of the couch, staring at the dimly lit hallway where Colton had disappeared, my fingers still curled loosely around the fabric of my shirt. The warmth of his touch lingered on my skin, like an echo of something I didn’t quite understand.What the hell was that?A slow, unsteady breath left me as I pushed myself up. My body felt heavy, the alcohol dulling the edges of my thoughts, but not enough to make me forget. Not enough to stop the questions from creeping in.I was used to a night like this—well, not exactly like this, but the kind that started with easy conversation, teasing, a little tension. It usually led to something. Maybe not love, not commitment, but pleasure. A good time.So why hadn’t it?I rose from the couch, and went upstairs to my bedroom to figure out the mess happening in my head. The type of mess that fucked up with my head, and my heart more than i wanted it to. I padded toward the g
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥The second I stepped out of the shower, steam curling around my skin, I knew she was coming.It wasn’t just my heightened senses picking up on her approach—the light drag of her bare feet across the wooden floor, the hesitation in her breath—it was something else. Something deeper.I had taken two showers tonight. Two. And neither had done a damn thing to wash her off me.Vanessa.City girl with a sharp tongue and eyes that gave her away more than she realized. Stubborn as hell, quick to push, quicker to run. And yet, here she was.I walked to the door before she even had the chance to knock.When I swung it open, she was right there, caught mid-motion, knuckles hovering just shy of the wood.For a second, neither of us moved.She was standing there in a pair of those damn shorts that should be illegal and a shirt that was thin enough that I could see the curve of her collarbone, the hint of skin beneath. Her hair was still a little damp from her own shower, str
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥I knew this was a bad idea.But when Vanessa lifted her eyes to mine, half-lidded, her lips swollen from the way I’d already kissed her, I didn’t care.I tipped her chin up with two fingers, my thumb skimming over the curve of her jaw.“Sure about this, darlin’? We won’t be able to turn back from this.” My voice was rougher than I meant it to be.She swallowed, then nodded. But it was the way she looked at me—like she was already gone—that sent something sharp cutting through my ribs.I kissed her slowly at first like I had all the time in the world. Like I wasn’t already unraveling from the feel of her against me.But then she made this quiet sound—half a sigh, half my undoing—and suddenly, slow wasn’t an option anymore.Her hands slid into my hair, tugging me closer, and I pressed her back against the door, molding myself to her inch by inch. I wasn’t sure who was chasing who at this point—only that neither of us wanted to stop.She tasted like whatever cheap
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥I didn’t move for some time. I think i must have drifted off thinking because it doesn’t feel like I’ve been asleep or awake and yet the clock says it’s two hours from six am.The room was dim, the only light coming from the sliver of dawn trying to creep through the curtains. Outside, the ranch was quiet, the world still caught somewhere between night and morning. Inside, the warmth of her body still lingered against mine, her slow, steady breaths the only sound filling the silence.Vanessa was still asleep. Peaceful. Oblivious to the storm rolling through me.I should have gotten up by now. Slipped out of bed, gotten dressed, gone about my morning like I always did. But I didn’t. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of last night settle into my bones.And hell, I could still feel her.Not just the way her body had fit against mine, the way her lips had tasted, or the softness of her skin under my hands. No, it was something deeper than
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the cold.The space beside me was empty. The sheets were rumpled, but the warmth was long gone. I blinked up at the ceiling, my body heavy with sleep, but my mind was already racing.He left.I should’ve expected it. Hell, I should’ve wanted it. That’s how this worked. No strings, no attachments, just a good time and a clean break. That was the rule. My rule.So why did my chest feel tight?He left his own room, before i woke up. Should i be charmed?I swallowed hard and sat up, running a hand through my hair. The room was dim, the faintest hint of morning creeping in from the edges of the curtain. I let my eyes roam over the space—his space. The scent of him still clung to the sheets, and I hated how much I noticed.Pulling the covers off, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my bare feet pressing into the hardwood floor. My clothes were scattered from the night before, a careless trail leading back to wh
★。\|/。★ VANESSA DAVIS ★。/|\。★ After that shocking statement, I decided to calm myself. Sip my coffee, then say something. “Kyrie, how did you find out about me?” She stirred her cup and looked down, unable to meet my eyes. “I was curious about my parents' love story. They never talked about it to us because Dad always looked weird. I know that look is guilt now, but back then, I had no clue.” She took a pause, then continued. “One night I cornered my father and asked him why he won't talk about how he and my mum met. That was when he admitted that she had been married. It didn't bother me, I assumed she was in a toxic relationship for him to have gotten intimate with her.” Kyrie cleared her throat. “But he corrected me. Admitting that in fact, her husband had just been through something terrible and she had three children. I remember just freezing and looking at him weirdly.” She lifted the cup, and drank a big gulp. She looked nervous. Perhaps it has something to do with the w
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and by the next morning, I could finally borrow a horse to take into town. She was a sweet, chestnut-colored mare with big, curious eyes and a habit of nudging my back like she expected me to sneak her a treat. I had no idea what her name was, but she felt like a Daisy, so that’s what I called her as we made our way down the winding dirt road toward Dusty Creek.The ride was smooth, if a little slow, and the morning air was crisp against my skin. I made it into town just as the sun was beginning to warm the streets fully, and my first stop was the post office. The clerk was a stocky man with a long beard and an even longer drawl. He took one look at my package and squinted at me like he was trying to determine if I was a troublemaker."Sending somethin' delicate?" he asked, tapping a meaty finger against the box."Yep. Fragile as can be. If this breaks, I'm suing."He let out a slow chuckle, shaking his head as he
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I leaned back against the headboard, my laptop balanced on my thighs, scrolling through an endless list of chemical compounds.It was like trying to find a single drop of water in the ocean.Chemicals existed in everything—water, soil, the air we breathed. And each one had variations, different combinations of elements that could alter their properties just enough to make them untraceable to the untrained eye.If Darcy had still had her research, this wouldn’t be so difficult.I sighed, rubbing my fingers over my temple. My eyes flicked to my phone screen lighting up with a message.RACHEL: Vanessa. Call me back. Now.I ignored it.Rachel was going to be my brother’s soon-to-be ex-wife. And lately, all she did was call when she needed something. I used to help her. Used to get involved.Not anymore. Lincoln was right. I gotta choose, and if it’s between my best friend who cheated or my brother who was cheated on.... the answer seems like it was written i
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 I had a list of things I wanted to tackle today. A damn good list, too. The kind that should’ve kept me busy from sunup to sundown, handling the animals, checking on the new foals, and making sure the workers were staying on top of things.But before I could even get started, I ran into Catia.She was lingering near the barn, arms crossed over her chest, bottom lip tucked between her teeth the way she did when something was eating at her.“Everything alright?” I asked, wiping my hands on my jeans.She hesitated before saying, “I wanna go fishing.”That was all she said, but I knew what it meant.Dusty Creek might look like it was in the middle of nowhere, but on my farm, it felt like the heart of everything. The land stretched wide and welcoming, the fields golden under the sun, the trees whispering with the wind.Sure, a witch-like crystal was aiding our crops, buried deep in the soil by some ancestor long before my time, but magic alone didn’t keep the farm r
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★Darcy began slowly explaining what happened to her on the day of the attack. She had gotten some word back from her friend in the city who had collected the package earlier than she had thought. Yes, she took my advice to send some samples over. He explained that i was right about some odd chemical being there. And he tested it on a frog, as well as a hamster. Appalling but he figured it wasn’t that harmful. The frog died instantly, and the hamster was gradually falling ill. He explained that he has no clue what the chemical is but it reacts differently with each person. I listened attentively as Darcy went on.“I was curious. Most people drink from this. The crops, animals, all the lives lost, what if the town is suffering for it too? How long has this chemical been in the rivers?” She huffed. “I was reaching out to someone after the call when I heard a sound. I pretended not to hear it to avoid alerting the intruder. Just in case it turned out to be s
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★Breakfast went by smoothly. Too smoothly. The kind of smooth that made my brain itch with questions.Colton had made sure I had coffee, slid a plate in front of me before I could protest, and even pulled out my chair like some old-fashioned gentleman. He was attentive in a way that wasn’t suffocating—just enough to make me notice.And then, just like that, he was up and moving, brushing past me to grab his hat and keys. I barely had time to open my mouth before he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.A kiss. On my cheek.A very sweet, very platonic thing.But do casual people do that?I sat there for a full thirty seconds after he walked out, processing the strange little ritual we’d somehow formed. Breakfast together. Quiet conversation. A lingering moment before he left for work.This is weird.I mean, it’s not weird-weird, but it’s… something.With a deep breath, I pushed away from the table and started my slow, painful trek up the stairs.
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I woke up to the bright rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains. The worst kind of wake up call. I could hear chickens in the distance. I’m kind of surprised. This is my first time hearing them. Colton’s house is nowhere near the major parts of the farm. I wanted the noise just to stop. My body was aching, and I can’t even remember why. Why does it feel like a truck ran through me?I rubbed my eyes, groaning at the sight of the sun. I was enclosed in a warm embrace from the back. I didn’t need to look down to know whose arms were tightly curled around my ribs. Colton. Yeah i don’t have a crazy hangover but i do remember staring in a porno titled how long can two people fuck?The answer is a blur. My jaw aches, my thighs ache, i think my vagina is officially on time out. Cause no. I’ve fucked enough to last me a week. Or longer. I don’t know how long I stayed staring at the streaks of sunlight, but eventually Colton moved his body from mine. I let
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 The best kind of hell is the one Vanessa Davis is putting me through. Even while drunk she’ll do as she pleases. Even if that means I get to sit back and watch it happen. Yes, I’d kissed her first. Throw all the blame you like, it will never make me feel guilty. I couldn’t help myself. I gave into that urge to kiss her senseless and it was amazing. To have her in my lap, moaning, making all the lovely sounds that went straight to my cock. I inhaled, letting my lungs fill up with her scent as she rode me.She was naked, my hat was the only thing she had on and she looked divine in it. Clutching her tits, teasing her nipples as our hips bucked against each other. God, I can’t stop looking at her. I can’t stop touching her. Feeling her ass as she bounces on my cock.Her insides are warm, wet, squeezing, and taking my ability to think about anything but her. I watched as her eyes rolled, this was our second round. We’d fucked fully clothed before, pressed up again
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★After munching on the pie, and having some more conversations with my new favourite person. Laia. I think her husband doesn’t deserve her, and it’s likely her choice under his coercion that she decided to quit her job. I’m just saying. After drinking some more moonshine, and chatting with the sisters. Colton decided it was time for us to go. Laia told me she’d contact me the next morning. I stumbled out of their house with a bunch of food she insisted i take, and another pie ashley said she makes for guest. Not gonna lie, i do enjoy their hospitality. Though some people *cough* Samson *cough* don’t like me, but that’s fine. Hostility never bothered. I know, people should be more confident, just like me. The drive back to the house was a blur for me. The funny thing is this moonshine didn’t make me feel drunk or like I’d be sick the next day. I felt nothing but easiness, and i felt loose. When we got to the house, i hopped out of the massive behemouth