Page 2 of Cole

“I’m sorry if I came on a little strong,” Daniel said, injecting genuine emotion into his voice. “It’s just, you looked so sad and… lost. It kind of broke my heart.” He smiled sheepishly. “That probably sounded cheesy, huh?”

Mary shook her head and sniffed again. “No,” she whispered. “I think it sounded… nice. People don’t really seem to care about anyone else these days.”

“I’ve noticed,” Daniel murmured. “I guess I’m thankful to be one of the few who do.”

“So am I.” Mary looked at him for what felt like the first time.Reallylooked at him.

Daniel’s smile stretched; he wasn’t worried that she’d see the real him. No one did until he wanted them to. And it wasn’t quite time for that with Mary.

A soft, nervous laugh escaped the young woman. “I guess I’m crazy to go off with someone I don’t know.”

“Notcrazy.”Daniel chuckled lightly.Stupid, maybe.“I suppose it isn’t typically a good idea in most cases, but I mean you no harm. I just couldn’t take seeing such a lovely young woman so heartbroken. I don’t usually ask strange women to take a ride with me. You just looked like you needed to get away from there.”

“I did.” Mary gazed at him gratefully. “Thank you.”

Daniel faced forward as they drove down the two-lane rural road, deeper into the country. Mary didn’t seem to notice that they had left the city. “Do you… want to talk about it?” He glanced at Mary. “The letter.”

“I…” Mary shrugged and blinked as fresh tears sprouted. “I don’t know what to say about it. I don’t understand what happened.” She swallowed thickly and absently twisted the engagement ring on her finger. “We were so in love,” she whispered shakily. “Ithoughtwe were. He was supposed to meet me at the coffee shop to discuss wedding plans. But…” She sniffed. “… he sent this letter instead. Suddenly, he’s… he’s in love with someone else…” Her chin trembled. “And he’s leaving me… for her. He-He couldn’t even tell me to my face.”

Mary turned away and sobbed.

“Hey,” Daniel murmured and took her hand, squeezing gently. “It’s okay to be hurt and angry. What he did, that was… bullshit. A man who would do that to a woman doesn’t deserve you. A real man would have been honest with you and discussed the matter in person, instead of hiding behind a letter and running away like a coward. You deserve so much more.”

Mary cleared her throat and wiped her eyes and nose again. “I-I know you’re right,” she choked. “But right now it… it just hurts. And I feel so… humiliated.”

“Don’t,” Daniel said firmly, squeezing her hand. “You did nothing wrong.Heis the one who deceivedyou. Don’t give him power by feeling like you’re somehow at fault. You’re theonlyinnocent one in all this.”

Mary looked at him, a new emotion warming her eyes.

Eat it up, baby… you’re so close… almost ready.

“Do… do you have a girlfriend?” Mary asked quietly.

Here we go.

“No.” Daniel smiled small. “I mean, I did, but… not anymore. She wasn’t who I thought she was, and things…” He sighed. “… went bad. I’m still reeling a bit from it all.”

“I’m sorry,” Mary whispered sincerely. “You seem like a good guy… a caring man.”

“I try,” Daniel said. “But too often, it’s us good ones who get taken advantage of. Still… I don’t want to be like the ones who use us. I’d rather take my chances being a good person.”

Mary smiled warmly. “Me, too.”

And we have arrived.

Daniel’s cock swelled, bulging his jeans. The ache in his loins squeezed his balls until he nearly cried out. They were far enough away from civilization that he could take her now—with or without her consent—but this one felt different. He didn’t want to rush it and get messy. He wanted to take his time, play out the con, draw her in deeper. It was turning him on like mad. Normally, by now, he was ready to reveal the monster within, revel in the fear his victims experienced when they realized they were caught and there was no escape.

But he wasn’t ready to “scare” Mary just yet.

“Where are we going?” Mary asked, exhibiting no wariness or concern for her safety.

“I thought maybe we could hang out at my place,” Daniel said. “I could cook you dinner, have some wine… give you the five-star treatment you deserve.”

Mary bit her lower lip and smiled. “That sounds… wonderful.”

Daniel hadn’t expected it to be quite this easy. Even in a state of emotional distress, most women would hesitate to go off with a strange man, regardless of how caring he appeared. This woman was a gem. A real find.

The car turned off the rural road and ambled up a gravel drive beneath a canopy of trees. The two-story home was completely concealed from the road. Even with this level of seclusion, Mary showed no signs of uncertainty. She didn’t seem like a foolish woman, per se—yet here she was, in the middle of nowhere with a man she had just met.

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