Mark gripped the steering wheel tighter as the endless highway stretched out under the late afternoon sun. Dust kicked up from the tires of his old pickup truck, the engine rumbling steadily through the empty stretch of rural road. He'd been driving for hours, the monotony gnawing at him, when he spotted her up ahead—a woman standing by the roadside, thumb out, her slender figure silhouetted against the golden fields. She had curves that caught the light just right, hips swaying slightly as she shifted her weight, a backpack slung over one shoulder. Her dark hair tumbled wild over her shoulders, and those smoky eyes locked onto his truck as he slowed down.
He pulled over with a crunch of gravel, heart picking up speed. This was the kind of adventure he'd craved on this solo road trip—some
