Page 3 of Highway To Destiny

I noticed he had a deep, pleasant voice and came across as well-mannered. I had a gut feeling I needed to get to know him, and the brief trip would satisfy my needs. And those eyes of his captivated me.

He smiled a huge grin, grabbed his pack, and hustled around the front of the rig. It was obvious, climbing into a beast like this, that you needed to step high and use the handrails to pull yourself up to open the door. He did it without guidance. He disappeared out of sight and hoisted his pack into the seat. I grabbed it and pulled it into the space behind him. He quickly followed suit, helping before settling into the passenger seat.

With a heavy breath from the exertion, he looked at me and put on the seatbelt. When I saw a big, dimpled smile and those incredible green eyes, time stood still. His eyes brought back a flood of mixed emotions.

Most were great, others not so much.

4

CONNOR

We looked at each other, and all I could see was his intense gaze as he stared into my eyes. He seemed to lose some of the color in his face. It was almost disconcerting, not scary, but it made me think about what could be going through his head.Am I safe in this situation I’ve put myself in?I opened my mouth to speak but shut it, trying to organize my thoughts.Is he having second thoughts about giving me a ride and thinking of his own safety?Once again, his eyes darted back and forth.

Finally, I decided the best course of action should be gratitude. “Thank you so much for the ride. You’re a lifesaver,” I said with a big smile and an extended hand to shake his. He seemed to come back to his senses, seeing my hand thrust before him, and as color returned to his cheeks, he took it in a strong grip that lingered longer than normal.

“The name’s Connor,” I said with enthusiasm. He smiled, looking down at our hands and then back to me.

“Mason. And you’re welcome. Pleased to meet you, Connor,” he replied.

The effortless way he said it was reassuring, his soothing baritone carrying a warmth that resonated within me. The subtle electricity that sparked between our joined hands only heightened our connection. I liked it.

My thoughts gravitated to how Mason might feel under my hands and what his lips would taste like. My heart rate quickened, and I felt a sudden stirring in my cargo shorts. We finally released our grip, and I settled back in the seat, trying to get rid of my lustful thoughts and hoping he didn’t see me flush or notice the slight tenting of my shorts.

As Mason settled back on the road quickly, I took it upon myself to assess him. I’d already deciphered his striking facial features from outside the cab window and was equally impressed with his overall appearance. His broad shoulders, strong forearms skillfully guiding the semi’s steering wheel, and his lean, muscular build pushed all my arousal buttons. A fitted blue polo shirt highlighted his steely blue eyes, making them even more striking.Yes, I’d really like to get my hands on him.

I wasn’t sure of his age, but I pegged him in his mid-forties. He looked over six feet, making him taller than me by a couple of inches. I liked bigger guys. He must like football since he was sporting a ball cap with a San Francisco football logo. I was a football fan too, so I tucked that piece of information away for a future conversation.

“So, what are you studying in school?” he asked, briefly glancing from the highway.

“I’m going for my MBA, and it’s my first year in grad school,” I said cheerfully, liking that he was taking an interest and we wouldn’t be traveling in complete silence. “I’m hoping to own or run a business in the future, either in import/export or something involving transportation. We live in such a global market that I figure it might open doors, even international career options.”

Mason nodded, and I noticed he looked my way again. “Smart,” he said.

I went with that remark and said, “Yes…I am!” with a wink in his direction. He gave a low chuckle, realizing what he’d said could be taken as a smart move for a career or that I was intelligent.

“Oh, and a smart ass, too!” he said with no malice and a quick laugh.

“I can be. It keeps me from getting too serious,” I said happily to keep the conversation light. “I think having a business degree works in any field, and I want to keep my options open for future employment. Once I get my feet wet in the ‘real world,’ I can decide what direction to pursue.”

I was hoping I came across as intelligent. Mason was easy to talk to and easy on the eyes, so I wanted our brief encounter to be enjoyable. He didn’t seem like a stereotypical truck driver, and the way he spoke suggested he had a solid education. Intelligent, handsome, older men had always turned me on. I’d only had sex with guys my age once I got to college, but this trucker captivated me and stirred my libido.

Mason, being older, made me think of things I wanted him to do to me. I’d recently realized I was more the submissive type, and a man like Mason taking control and dominating me, fucking me, was a major turn-on. I liked the idea of a man being a little rough and manhandling me, and I felt the tightness in my shorts again as my thoughts raced.

“How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking, twenty-one, twenty-two?” Mason asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked at him as he looked straight ahead. “I’ll be twenty-two in a couple of months.”

“Hmmm”, he muttered.

“Why the hmmm?” I asked. “You don’t believe me?”

“No, it’s not that. I guess I’m surprised you have a life plan at such a young age,” he said. “I have an undergraduate degree in business but didn’t have a plan or even an inkling as to what I wanted to do with it once I graduated. I’m just impressed with your focus.”

I felt proud, considering I’d always been driven as a student and was a Type A personality. I’d always been that way, the total opposite of my older brother. Mom raised two boys, completely opposite from each other in how we approached life goals.

“Well, thank you,” I said, looking back at him, pleased at the compliment. Mason smiled and said we’d be coming up on La Grande in about ten minutes. I was surprised how quickly we’d got there. My sense of time must have been skewed after hiking most of the day. If only walking were effortless!

The rest of the ride was in comfortable silence other than the pop hits from the rig’s stereo. My musical tastes were more skewed toward electronic dance music, but I wasn’t about to make him change what was playing.

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