#vvd4

wc:9.1k

Warnings: age gap, morally ambiguous?, hints of betrayal, angst, smut, overall mature themes(18+)

A/n: Read the warnings, don’t like, don’t read. Sorry this took so long, I kept rewriting scenes because nothing felt right. And of course @ptitbijou promised to do a spinoff for Joe so I’m putting her on blast so we all hold her to it🤗. Ignore typos and hope you guys enjoy 🫶🏾

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The old jeep rattles so hard that she has to grit her teeth as her body is thrown about in the driver’s seat; gravel is ubiquitous in these parts of Texas where they don’t bother to venture to pave proper roads. The small town of Navasota is inconvenient and suffocating, that’s true. But she’s also a fucking coward, or that’s what her hideous intrusive thoughts try to convince her the moment she isn’t occupied. Her mother left her father to jet off around the world with another woman. She wasn’t happy, Regina remembers the woman uttering those words with tears in her eyes before she left them behind. Something bitter twists in her chest every time she’s reminded— resentment, she thinks it is. For abandoning her at such a pivotal stage in her life, for all the responsibility that fell on her young shoulders as a result. Her father became a shell of himself when her mother left. And Regina loves both her parents to death, but she developed a softer spot for her old man after her mother left. It hurt seeing him in that state; she felt helpless. So she ran. The acceptance was the first of many she applied to— the college wasn’t even her first choice, but they responded with the urgency she needed. And she didn’t hesitate. Since then, every tentative suggestion from her father that she visit during break was shut down with poor excuses: she was busy, or she got a job for the summer to make her resume look good. Because she couldn’t stand to hear his quiet cries late at night; because she couldn’t stand to beg him to leave his room to eat; because she hated having to shoulder the responsibilities around the home and ranch when he preferred drinking in solitude. It wasn’t intentional, he was just so depressed— she understood. But she was also a teenager who felt like she was abandoned by both her parents. She needed an escape. She kept in touch though, quite often actually. That’s how she noticed the shift in his tone almost eight months ago over one of their many phone calls. The lightness in his voice didn’t sound forced, his laughter was actually unrestrained and not like it was wheezed forcefully from his chest. She asked about it a month after she noticed and his flippant response was that he made some new friends. That’s it. So she decided to take a leap for the summer break and visit; she tries and fails to convince herself that she isn’t a horrible person for waiting until he sounds better for coming around. ‘You were young, what were you supposed to do? Be there for him at the expense of her own life?’ Regina fights against the anxiety gnawing at her chest. She wonders if he secretly resents her for leaving at such a vulnerable time. She guesses she’ll find out soon.

As she nears the traditional country farmhouse she grew up in, her heart begins to race. She didn’t realize how much she missed her father until he’s within reach. There’s also that bitter sting of anxiety, the fear of him withholding his warmth. Regina tries not to let guilt weigh her shoulders down; but she can’t help but think that whatever she’s feeling must be so much worse for her father. Finally, the rental van settles as it pulls onto the grassy lawn of her home. The house itself is humble: two stories high, white wooden planks and glass windows accentuated with modern black frames, a cozy wooden porch lined with chairs that the three of them used to get comfortable in on Sunday evenings with bowls of melting ice cream watching the sun turn the sky in its canvas. The rest of the land spans acres, surrounded by white fencing to keep the cattle that graze a few yards away on the property. Sinclair notices her presence first and alerts her father with elated barking. The loyal great pyrenees runs alongside the van, stopping only when she kills the engine with a laugh.

“Hey, Sinclair.” She greets, stepping out of the van.

The dog attacks her with affection, tail wagging in wild abandon. Shamefully, Regina feels tears pressing at the corners of her eyes. For her, it was only three years that blended into each other through studying, exams and making new friends. For the dog who had been with her throughout her adolescence into teen years, it must’ve felt like decades.

“How are you, my beautiful girl? Still taking care of the cattle and our old man, hm?” She scratches behind her ears, twisting her head to avoid getting slobbered on the mouth.

The commotion gains her father’s attention. Regina sees the screen door flung open before he steps onto the porch. He looks as rugged as she remembers in his brown, leather boots, jeans and a plaid work shirt. His silvery hair comes into view, and apart from the newest addition of crow’s feet around his eyes, he looks just as she remembers when they were a perfect trio of a family. Brown eyes shining, smile easy.

“Hey papa.” Her greeting is almost timid. For some strange reason, she feels like the prodigal daughter returning home.

“Is that my Gina?”

The tension melts away from her frame as she almost runs into his open arms. Regina feels like a little girl again when he picks her up to twirl her around. She giggles, ignoring the tears that threaten to spill over.

“Is that little miss lemonade?” A voice calls teasingly from the porch.

Blinking her eyes open, Regina cackles at the sight of their neighbour- Joe. The brown skinned man doesn’t look like years passed since she last saw him. His beard is still full, hair still curly. The only difference is the width of his shoulders. He’s bulkier everywhere, actually.

“Still with that nickname, seriously?”

“Well, when you get swindled out of $20 for a glass of lemonade it tends to be unforgettable.”

During her younger years, Joe had moved into town to help out the ranch close by when his father had fallen ill. Her parents would send her with baked goods and a glass of lemonade as a welcoming gesture whenever he was seen working on his ranch. What they don’t know is that Regina, in all her feisty preadolescent glory, would demand payment from him for her services. Joe would laugh but slip her a crisp bill every time. By the time her parents found out, Regina had saved enough to buy herself a bicycle. Both her parents were so horrified that they had marched over with a pouting Regina to return every cent. But Joe had insisted it was alright.

“Sorry about that.” She mutters as he pulls her into a side hug.

“No you’re not, and that’s why you’re my favourite.” He tries to smile, but that comes hard to him nowadays. And it’s understandable, losing your partner so young dims the light in a person’s eyes. Her father had broken the news a year and a half ago over one of their calls.

“Sorry about Hope.” She whispers sadly. Sinclair putters about in the semicircle they formed with their bodies; the somber mood is lost on her as she seeks affection from her hands. She keeps scratching her neck.

He responds; “Thanks.” Clipped and a bit antsy, turning his gaze away from them.

The reply at the tip of her tongue withers when another man comes into view on the porch. Joe she’s familiar with, this one, he’s a stranger. A very handsome fucking stranger might she add. He’s taller than both her father and Joe and that says a lot considering both men are 6”2. He wears his curly hair in a man bun, his brows are defined and low— it adds to the air of solemnity around him despite his delicate facial features. His chambray shirt is folded to his elbows revealing a sleeve of tattoos on one arm. He’s lithe with muscular thighs and every bit as manly that makes her heart skip a beat.

“Oh, Regina this is Virgil. He bought the ranch the Wilsons used to own two houses down a year ago. Virgil, this is my baby girl.”

Her mouth goes dry contrasting with her slick palms as she moves to accept his handshake. He dwarfs her hand completely, palms perfectly calloused from strenuous labour.

“Nice to meet you.” His voice is rough.

Maintaining eye contact with him burns. Her cheeks would’ve gone pink if she wasn’t melanated.

“Likewise.”

“You didn’t even tell me you were coming, I would’ve made you a nice meal. You must be hungry.” His eyes drift to the van behind her.

“You even rented a truck when I could’ve picked you up at the airport.” He says in exasperation.

“Wouldn’t be a surprise if I had asked you to do that now, would it?” She tries to smile but it feels wobbly at the edges. Because the man lurking behind Joe has all her attention. He does a quick perusal of her from head to foot and suddenly, she wishes she had put a little more effort in her outfit. Her tank top, denim shorts and sneakers are nothing to look at twice; though she’ll admit her legs look great. She reaches to touch the waist length, small box braids wrapped in a knot on top of her head, feeling a bit self conscious under the older man’s attention.

“Come inside and out of this heat, hm?” Her father moves toward the van to remove her luggage.

“Oh, you’re staying for the entire summer?” He tries to be dégagé while he unloads her bags but she sees the hopeful glimmer in his eyes. Once again, she swallows the guilt that bubbles up.

“Yeah.”

His smile is blinding. Joe and Virgil move to help her father without being prompted. Virgil’s scent lingers as he passes by her— something woody and mouthwatering. Regina hurries inside just so she can occupy her mind with other things. A sad smile stretches her lips when she enters the living room. Nothing has changed; the placement of the furniture, the framed pictures of her from her preschool to high school graduation, a few pictures of them as a family. She steps further into the house, giggling when the floorboards squeak under her weight. The same spot for years. Her bedroom upstairs is the same too, except it’s spotless. Regina can imagine her father cleaning frequently, just hoping that one day she would agree to come. She blinks rapidly to keep the tears away.

“Gina? We’re coming in.” Her father warns just before her bedroom is opened wider.

The three men look gigantic in her room, especially Virgil. They lay her bags in a neat little heap by her door following her father’s lead.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Now how about some lunch? Who’s in the mood for steak?”

“Actually, I best get going, need to run into town for a few things.” Virgil says.

Belatedly, she realizes his words are lilted by an accent she can’t quite place. He nods in her father’s direction then saunters out of her room.

“Yeah I best go check on the ranch, have fun catching up.” Joe gives a small, tired smile before he follows Virgil downstairs.

“Steak sounds lovely.” Regina mutters quickly before the tension has a chance to build.

Her father smiles easily; “Okay sweetheart, I’ll holler when it’s done.”

************

Her father’s shout comes while she’s unpacking after a thorough shower. She finds the table in the living room set: a bowl of fresh salad with vinaigrette, a pitcher of strawberry lemonade and a basket of fresh bread rolls. Her father comes striding out the kitchen with two plates in hand just as she takes a seat. He presents a juicy cut of prime rib— perfectly crusted with black pepper corns visible. Her mouth waters.

“Is this one of ours?” She cocks a brow at him.

He laughs. “Don’t worry, it’s not your David.”

Her father had acquired a breeding bull a few months before she left for college. Regina had accidentally grown attached to the animal who actually is quite fond of her too. She’s the one who named him David.

“Good, I’ll visit him after a nap.”

The steak is perfectly medium and seasoned to perfection. She hums around a mouthful. “I swear you make the best steaks ever, papa.”

“Hm, I thought so too until I tried Virgil’s.” He says with a little chuckle.

Regina almost physically reacts to the sound of the older man’s name.

“What’s the deal with him, anyway? How’d you become such good friends?” She feigns nonchalance, spooning a heap of fresh vegetables on her plate.

“He’s from Holland, moved here a little over a year ago. He’s… fresh out of a divorce, needed an escape, somewhere quiet. All three of us accidentally bonded over our… situation.”

It doesn’t take long for her to make sense of it: Joe is a widower, Virgil and her dad are divorced. Three men finding comfort in each other while they navigate their newly single lives.

“Oh. How um… how long was he married?”

“11 years. He got married young— at 22. Got divorced almost 2 years ago.” Her father mutters absentmindedly while pouring her a drink.

Regina nods while doing silent calculations. That would make the man about 35, 13 years her senior. She gulps, ignoring the way her lower belly flutters.

“Ah, that’s nice… that you’ve made a new friend.” She hurries to tack on. Her father had withdrawn from most citizens of the small town after he heard all the whispers they were doing behind his back after his wife left. A lot of men ridiculed him, not for losing his wife, but for losing her to a woman. Small towns can be charming on paper, but the lack of progressive thinking also drives Regina up the wall.

He hums, then asks the question she was dreading; “Have you heard from your mother?”

He doesn’t look up from his plate as he speaks, but the tension is visible in his shoulders.

“I um… yeah, we speak often. She’s in Italy, or she was when she called two days ago.” Regina clears her throat at an unnecessary volume.

“Did she um… is she doing okay?”

“Uh.. yeah. She sounds happy. She said to tell you hi.” She fidgets in place.

“Oh, tell her hi the next time she calls.”

Regina nods, shoveling another forkful into her mouth to avoid speaking. Her mother said a lot more, but she thinks it’s best to keep it to herself. It’ll change nothing.

*****************

Regina takes a tour of the ranch the next day after a nap turned into her sleeping for 14 hours. Sinclair gallops along as she inspects the cows, and even David approaches for his head pats just like he used to. It almost feels like nothing changed. Until Virgil comes over at around midday. Her adrenaline spikes seeing him stride into her yard like he belongs there. He sees her a few yards away and raises his hand in a lazy wave that she returns. Regina watches him enter the house. She had planned to go into the barn and check on the few horses they own, but she decides that can wait until later. Just before she steps on the porch, Joe’s voice comes from behind.

“Hey Regina.”

She pauses to flash him a smile. “Hey Uncle Joe.”

His face crinkles. “I told you not to call me that.”

“You’re almost a decade older than me and bought me my first bike, what would you call that?”

“First of all, you swindled me out of my money.”

He laughs softly at her exaggerated scandalous expression, patting the top of her head as he makes his way inside. Joe joins them around the table as her father shuffles a deck of cards.

“I win this game and I get that flashy watch on your wrist.” Her father challenges.

Virgil doesn’t back down; he unclasps it and throws it against the table with a gentle thud.

Joe whistles in surprise; “that’s at least 10 grand, are you sure?”

Virgil reclines with an assured smile. “I have more, besides, he’s not winning.”

Her father chuckles. “Oh it’s on, Virgil.”

With a subtle smile, Regina moves into the kitchen like second nature. She whips up a few sandwiches with cold cuts and makes a pitcher of iced tea.

“Oh Gina, you didn’t have to do that.” Her father mutters in surprise when she re-emerges with the tray in hand.

“I know. I felt like being nice today.” She kisses the top of his head with a smile.

Joe mutters his gratitude, but Virgil, Virgil just glances at her in indifference before eyeing his cards in hand.

“I hope you aren’t giving your good for nothing boyfriend this type of treatment.”

Regina is horrified. “Dad!”

“It’s true though. Every time you call sounding sad it’s his fault. You should break up with him.” He says with his full focus on the card Joe just played.

Her face burns, especially when Joe hums in agreement.

“He’s right. And he has the audacity to have you split bills with him on date nights.”

Her eyes widen at Joe’s words. “You told them about that?”

He shrugs carelessly. “They were around.”

Virgil glances at her once more with an expression she can’t decipher.

“That’s actually really humiliating, papa.”

“For him, not you. The shame is his to bear, never yours.” He grins cheekily before laying a card down.

Virgil drops his hand, expression neutral while her father celebrates.

“You don’t look too peeved about handing over your watch, Virgil.” Her father says, inspecting it up close with a glint in his eye.

Virgil shrugs, eyes clashing with hers for two seconds too long. “What can I say? Real men are generous.”

Her breath hitches just as he drops his gaze back to the table.

*********************

The next few days pass in a similar fashion. Both men come over and they spend hours playing cards or watching a game. Each time, Virgil almost gives her the cold shoulder. She wonders if she’s overthinking because she pays attention to his every move. Regina refuses to acknowledge why. It has been almost two weeks since her return when her father wants to take a drive into town.

“Gina, Joe and I are heading into town to get groceries and farm supplies, you wanna tag along?”

Regina contemplates; she thinks of the judgmental stares and harsh whispers. She thinks of all the people who’ll want to ‘catch up’ with her having been gone for three years.

“I’ll stay.”

Her father understands. “Alright, sweetheart. Anything you want me to get for you?”

“Yoghurt and candy please.” Her eyes flutter closed as he presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Of course.”

*************

Virgil comes over thirty minutes after her father leaves. He’s almost brooding as he eyes her sitting alone on the porch with Sinclair napping by her feet. The dog perks up briefly, then settles when she notices he isn’t a stranger. He steps onto the porch and out of the scorching rays of the sun.

She doesn’t wait for him to ask. “They’re in town.”

“Ah, they did mention that yesterday.” His brows furrow like he’s annoyed at himself for forgetting.

Silence settles for a minute then he moves with the intention of leaving.

“Do you have a problem with me?” The words are blurted from her mouth.

He halts on the first step of the porch. “Should I have a problem with you?”

“Please don’t do that.”

He casts a lazy glance at her over his shoulder before he returns his gaze to the field of grazing cattle.

“I just know what it’s like to be abandoned by the people you love when you need them most, that’s all.”

She’s momentarily too stunned to even formulate a coherent thought. When her brain finally catches up, she’s bombarded by a million thoughts at once that comes with a strong wave of guilt. It makes her queasy. Naturally, Regina reaches for anger.

“I was a teen forced to take care of the house and the ranch on the days my father was too out of it; add in the rumors and gossip I had to endure from the people around us-” she pauses to suck in a sharp inhale.

“You can call it whatever you want, but just remember you did the same thing, didn’t you? Hopped on a one way flight from Holland because your wife left you. How many family and friends did you leave behind?” It’s bitter, she knows that. But she needed to hurt him back.

Virgil nearly gives himself whiplash with how fast he twists his neck in her direction. His eyes are stormy. Regina swallows the regret that sits bitterly on her tongue, bracing for whatever scathing words that’ll come.

“Don’t tell your father I dropped by.”

Is all he says before he ambles down the porch and out the yard.

***************

Three days pass without a sight of Virgil and so her father’s worry grows, so does her guilt. The sky keeps darkening as the minutes tick by, building to release something dreadful after weeks of harsh sunlight and sticky humidity. Balance, she supposes.

“I wonder if he’s ill, I should go check on him. He hasn’t been answering his phone either.” Her father mutters, but his eyes stray to the ranch. It takes a lot of time to prepare for a storm with all this responsibility.

“I can go check on him, maybe bring him some lunch while you work on getting things ready here.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have-”

“I know but he’s your friend and it’s important to you so I want to. It’s only a fifteen minute walk, it’s no trouble at all.” Her smile feels tight at the corners.

“Thank you, Gina. Hurry back before the storm hits.” He warns.

A while later, Regina is trekking along the familiar path with her heart slamming against her ribcage. She passes Joe’s residence to see him doing his own preparations in the distance, too far to get his attention without yelling, so she pushes forward. Her feet take her to where the Wilsons once resided. They were once the talk of the town due to the acres they owned, she knows whatever Virgil spent on this was by no means a small amount. The sky above grumbles in warning. Judging by the density and colour of the clouds, Regina knows she has less than two hours to make it back home before the storm hits. His house is the most modern looking in the area, it’s clear he did some renovations. The black accents around the glass windows is a clear indication. It has too many rooms for one person. She catches him moving toward his barn in the backyard and gulps heavily.

The tupperware in her hands suddenly feel like they weigh a ton. He’s still unaware of her presence when he re-emerges on a chocolate brown horse with jet black mane and a black and white border collie sprinting alongside him. It takes him ten minutes to round up his cattle and herd them all into the barn, and only when he’s leading the horse back in a gentle trot does he notice her standing in his yard like an idiot. He removes his Ridgetop hat, fixing her with a blank look. Regina steels her spine and marches to follow him inside the barn. Inside, he already unmounted his horse and is ushering cows in individual stalls with the help of his dog.

“You’re a natural for someone who only owned a ranch for a year.”

The dog barrels toward her in the entrance of the barn after she speaks. Balancing the dishes on one hand, she stretches the back of her hand for it to sniff, then scratches behind the dog’s ear when it deems her safe.

“I grew up on a farm. Why are you here?”

Regina stretches the bag in his direction. “I brought lunch— smothered pork chops.”

He eyes it skeptically. “Why?”

“You’ve been quiet for three days, he’s worried.” She chews on her lower lip.

“And he sent you?”

Her eyes drop to the thick buckle of his belt. “Not exactly. I volunteered because… well, I know you’re avoiding our house because of what I said and I didn’t want him finding out.” She confesses.

He scoffs; “Well, don’t worry your pretty little head about that. That isn’t the reason why I’ve been staying away.”

“Oh… what’s the reason then?”

He stills for a moment after closing the door of the last stall. Contemplating. When he faces her again, his eyes are desperate, expression raw.

“Because the second those words left your mouth, the first thing I wanted to do was bend you over that chair and fuck you until nothing but apologies came from your lips. In the moment, the realization that I was attracted to my friend’s daughter hit me so hard—it sent me reeling and I need time to figure out what kind of man that makes me.”

Regina’s heart stutters to a stop, mouth going dry. She’s sure she looks like a fish out of water, gaping and clueless.

“You should leave.”

Regina’s feet move forward instead. He eyes her warily, but there’s something else simmering in his gaze. Something that makes her blood warm.

“James, house.” His eyes don’t leave her face as he utters the command.

The dog sprints out of the barn at full speed. Regina drops the bag carelessly on a stack of hay, craning her head to look up at him as she moves closer in his space.

“Don’t.”

It lacks conviction. So she continues moving until her nose is bombarded by his scent and she can feel the warmth radiating off him.

“Regina, you don’t want this.” He’s almost pleading with her.

“Yes I do. I did from the moment I saw you.” Her fingertips skim along his forearm.

“How old are you?” He asks after a tight swallow.

“Old enough.”

He shakes his head. “Number, Regina.”

“23 next month.” She whispers softly.

He mutters a string of bitter curses under his breath, eyes squeezed shut.

“I can’t give you what you deserve, Regina. The romance, the gentleness, not right now. I’m bitter, I’m touch starved-”

“I don’t care.” She assures him confidently.

Virgil crashes his mouth against hers in wild abandon. Regina barely has time to moan before he’s unbuttoning her denim shorts, they’re pushed down until the pool around her ankles. Her panties follow, all while she tries to keep up with his desperate mouth. She feels lightheaded but the depravity of it makes her arousal spike. The pads of his index and ring finger spread her apart so his middle finger can pet her bud in teasing touches. Her wanton moan is muffled by his insistent lips, and only when she starts chasing the movement of his finger with her hips does he apply more pressure.

“Get wet for me, Regina.” He keeps repeating the words like a plea.

The urgency in his voice, the desperation in his tone, it almost makes her break apart. Regina rips her mouth away from his to moan his name hoarsely. Her eyes are slam shut, mouth popping open as she ruts against his fingers like an animal in heat. She almost rips his shirt with the sheer strength of her grip. His finger suddenly slides lower, testing the waters. Virgil groans when she wets the pad of his finger. He shuffles her over to brace against the stack of hay, pressing her into a gentle arch. Regina’s ears ring at the sound of his heavy buckle coming loose. She didn’t even get a chance to see him the way she fantasized about plenty of times, but it feels almost irrelevant when her pussy is throbbing like it has a heartbeat of its own.

“So fucking pretty, baby.” He says gruffly.

Her moan is choked off by the sudden press against her entrance. She opens up for him with a bit of reluctance, and that makes her realize he’s by no means average. There’s the slightest burn as he keeps stretching her—pushing deeper and deeper-

“Huhhn, fuck.”

He responds with a groan. He doesn’t stop until her body forces him to. Regina isn’t sure if it’s the angle, the sheer size of him or an intoxicating concoction of both, but the deep pressure she feels from inside makes her teary eyed. Nobody has ever reached the depths he has. Nobody.

“You feel so fucking good, sweetheart.” He says helplessly. It’s too raw, too real. She knows he isn’t faking. Her pussy flutters around him response.

His thrusts are shallow at first, giving her a moment to catch her breath and adjust. Then, he slides all the way out and plunges forward. It punches a wheezing sound from her chest. Virgil meant it when he said he wouldn’t be gentle. His pace is not rabid like the younger guys she’s used to— her boyfriend included. But his cock digs a little deeper on every forward thrust and his thighs meet the backs of her own loudly. It sounds so wet, so debauched: there’s a man more than a decade her senior inside her, not only that, he’s her father’s friend. It makes her wetter. It makes her start dancing on the tip of her toes with every powerful thrust of his hips. It makes her eyes roll and her belly spasm.

“Virgil- I-”

“I know, baby. I know. I can feel you tightening around me. You feel so good, hm?” His voice strains with the effort.

“Uh-huh.” She nods dumbly, reaching between her legs to rub her clit in tight, little circles.

“Does he fuck you like this?”

Regina sobs loudly, pushing her ass back to meet every forward thrust. Virgil tugs her upper body until her back is braced against his chest with her back still slightly arched.

“Does he, Regina?”

“No he doesn’t! I swear he doesn’t! ‘M gonna come, Virgil.” She’s full on crying now, she feels the tears rolling down her cheeks, mingling with her sweat.

“Yeah? Come all over me, princess. Show me how much you love having me inside you.”

Her vision goes white as she spasms around his dick lodged deep inside her. Virgil curses hoarsely on the shell of her ear while he slams into her until he stiffens. He hurries to pull himself from her body, working a tight fist over his slick cock in a series of desperate tugs before he comes all over the perfect swell of her ass in long, thick ropes. He hunches over her, panting by her ear. Sweat cools on her skin. It’s too humid but she’s too sated to care.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers. He sounds disappointed.

She frowns weakly. “Why?”

“You know why.” He straightens, tucking his dick back in his underwear.

“The storm is about to hit, you should leave. Do you need a ride?”

Regina pulls her panties and shorts up simultaneously, avoiding his eyes. She cringes when her panties come in contact with his come cooling on her skin.

“No, I’ll walk. Bye.”

Regina almost runs out of his barn without looking back.

**************

The storm rages throughout the night and leaves like a bad house guest by morning. The type you have to clean up after. Regina is pouting as her worn boots are weighed down by mud as she moves around the ranch gathering large debris. Virgil drops by when she’s still getting her hands dirty; she’s a few yards away from the house, watching him move inside with a certain haste to his steps. He re-emerges in minutes, keeping his focus straight in front. Regina continues with her throat tight and eyes stinging.

Joe comes over at six pm just as her dad is ready to serve dinner. Regina sets an extra place for him at the table without question, smiling at his gentle head pat.

“You’re back already?” Her father inquires, setting a plate in front him.

“Yeah.” Joe mutters with a shrug.

“You and Virgil left for the airport at 2 and it’s three hours away.” He eyes Joe skeptically.

“Airport?” Regina accidentally questions out loud.

“Oh yeah, Virgil’s going back to the Netherlands.”

Her heart drops to the pit of her stomach.

“As in, for good?” Regina hopes she manages to keep the panic out of her voice.

Joe eyes her briefly. And maybe she’s imagining it, but he looks like he can tell she’s still sore from having the older man inside her yesterday. She swallows thickly. The look is gone as quickly as it came.

“No, just for a few days to check on his businesses he said.” Her father responds flippantly.

“Funny how he trusted the people he hired to do just fine for a year but all of a sudden he needed to go himself.” Joe takes a sip from his glass.

Regina keeps her pointed stare on her steaming plate of chicken and mash.

“Hm, maybe he decided to stop running. It must get exhausting.”

Joe hums. “I guess.”

*****************

Virgil returns after a week. Her father’s laugh is delightful as he meets him in the doorway in a hug.

“Was starting to think you abandoned us, Virg.”

“I responded to every text, don’t be dramatic.” He gives a barely there smile.

Virgil shifts his gaze to her standing in the entryway of the kitchen. She can’t tell what he’s thinking and she’s too angry to care. With a glare, she cuts her eyes at him before marching to her room with her sandwich in hand. Regina hides away until her father calls her down to help prepare dinner; she’s not surprised to find all three of them there.

“We’re firing up the grill tonight. Can you help with the sides while we get the meat ready?”

“Sure, papa.”

Regina is singing along to SZA playing at low volume from her phone, hands busy with potatoes when she feels his presence. Her only reaction is to lower her voice. The tentative touch on her waist makes her belly swoop. She steps away from him, keeping her eyes forward stubbornly.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what exactly?” She asks bitterly.

He takes a deep breath, eyeing the entrance to ensure the coast is still clear. “Let’s go for a drive later.”

“Why?”

“Just… please.”

Regina chances a glance at his face and folds at his melancholic eyes. “Fine. I’ll drive to you when my father is asleep. Now move before we get caught.”

She suddenly remembers the way Joe looked at her the other day. Virgil presses a chaste kiss to the shell of her ear before disappearing. Regina bites her lip to hide her smile.

************

Regina never noticed how much she missed seeing a star- filled sky until now. Here in the country, there isn't an overabundance of artificial lights to dim their beauty. She stares up at them in the back of the rented pickup truck with Virgil by her side. They still haven’t spoken; not when she drove to his house, not when they traded places in the driver’s and passenger seats, not the entire ride to the open field.

“So, did you bring me out here at 1am to stare at me?” Regina breaks the ice first, looking at his reclined body in the back of the truck.

Virgil reaches into the pocket of his jeans and retrieves a rectangular suede box. Regina reaches for it tentatively; holding her breath, she opens the lid. It’s a necklace with a teardrop pendant: red and raw. Too raw. It isn’t smooth enough— barely tampered with. She fingers it, testing the weight.

“This is a real ruby necklace, isn’t it?”

“Red looks good on you.” He responds. She thinks back to when he had ever seen her in red; the very first day she arrived.

Her heart flutters delicately. “Is this your way of apologizing?”

He shrugs with a frown. “Something like that.”

“I guess you need to fuck up more often then.”

He laughs unabashedly at her retort. Regina smiles softly while her brain goes a mile a minute. She’ll definitely have to hide this from her father, even though she wants to flaunt her new gift. As the silence stretches, he loses the amusement from his face.

“Regina, I… I shouldn’t have done that. The situation we’re in it’s… delicate. I can’t take you to a nice dinner or-”

“I only want an apology for how you treated me after you fucked me, Virgil. Then you just… left.” She takes a deep breath to gather her thoughts;

“I’m not stupid. I knew what to expect the minute I agreed to having sex with you, but some after care would’ve been fucking nice, you know?”

His eyes swim with guilt. Virgil reaches for her, maneuvering her into straddling his lap. “You’re right. There’s no excuse for that, no matter how I was feeling. I’m a grown ass fucking man.”

She hums softly. “Exactly, even my ‘good for nothing’ boyfriend cuddles me after.”

She smirks as his expression darkens. “You like to push buttons, huh?”

She pouts, blinking at him innocently; “Maybe. What are you gonna do about it?”

He raises his hips suddenly, making her fall into his chest with an airy giggle. He kisses the smile from her lips, tongue mapping every inch of her mouth while she moans sweetly for him.

He pulls away briefly, ignoring her petulant whine. “Take your shorts off.”

She scrambles to obey, pulling her cotton shorts down her legs. It leaves her lower half bare since she decided to skip underwear. He hikes her shirt up, demanding without words. Regina lifts it over head too. Then she’s fully naked for him. He stares like he wants to commit her to memory.

“Put it on, just for now.” It’s too soft to be a command. It’s a request. He wants to see her in the necklace he bought.

Biting her swollen lower lip, she reaches for the box. Virgil sits up to help her secure the necklace in place. It rests delicately between her breasts and he is right, red complements her skin tone well.

“Beautiful, just beautiful.”

She grasps his face in her hands to kiss him deeply, scratching at his goatee while their mouths move in tandem. Her chest warms and it spreads through her body like a potent drug. The kind that gives the most euphoric high but destroys you from the inside the more you partake. She knows it, but at the moment, she couldn’t care less. He pulls away from her mouth to leave a burning trail down the column of her neck with his lips and tongue. When he closes his mouth around her tight nipple, Regina sighs at the sharp sting of pleasure that jolts up her spine. She shivers in his hold as he laps and sucks until they’re sensitive enough to bring tears to her eyes.

“Virgil, please?”

He hums then reclines. Gripping her thighs in his hands, he hikes higher up his body. Regina keeps her eyes on him as he presses kisses on her belly. She’s sure he feels her belly jolting against his lips. He pauses to gently bite and tug at the ring above her navel.

“I like this.” He mutters.

“I’ll start showing it more then.” Her voice breaks on the last word because he dips his tongue in her bellybutton.

“Please don’t. I wouldn’t be able to think straight.” He nibbles softly at the skin just below her belly ring.

“Exactly, fun.”

He brings a palm down firmly against the swell of her ass to chastise her. A sound between a moan and a giggle escapes her mouth.

“Break up with your boyfriend.” He commands.

Her pussy clenches at his stern tone. She nods subtly; they’ve barely talked to each other since summer break started anyway. It was inevitable, and they’ve been drifting apart for some time now. They were only together because neither of them cared enough to break things off.

“Do it right now.”

She keeps their eyes locked while she scrambles to fish her phone from the pocket of her shorts. The text is quick and straight to the point: “It’s over.”

Junior will see it in the morning and he’ll probably just shrug his shoulders and go on about it his day.

“Done.” She whispers, showing him the message.

Virgil grabs her phone and snaps a picture of the pendant against her skin with his big hand hiding her breast. He types something quickly then hits send before tossing her phone to the side. Regina has no time to question him because he hauls her up to press her pussy against his mouth. Her head falls forward with a whimper.

He pulls away briefly to praise her; “I love how wet you get for me.”

He dives right back in to lap at her like he’s parched.

“Oh fuck, feels so good.” She starts rocking against his face, pressing her clit against his nose on every upward drag.

Regina reaches down to scratch at his scalp, disheveling his hair from the neat bun he likes to wear it in. He doesn’t care. Virgil groans in approval at how she rides his face, at the feel of her hand in his hair. The pressure begins to build and she attempts to chase the release, rocking against him faster. But he grips her hips to slow her down.

She whines. “Virg-”

“Don’t rush, let it build.” His words are muffled but she’s able to make sense of it. She wants to protest, but ecstasy steals her voice— her very breath. Regina goes cross eyed as she keeps grinding onto his face. She’s being stimulated by his lips, his tongue, his nose, even the prickly hairs on his chin.

“Oh, I’m gonna- I-”

The slow build up is absolutely worth it the moment she shatters. Regina can’t even breathe as she trembles through it. Embarrassingly, she feels a lone tear trailing down her cheek. She keeps rocking, he keeps licking, she keeps coming. When her voice returns, she screams: it’s sharp, it’s loud, it’s raw.

Virgil pulls her off his mouth to give her some respite when she starts babbling nonsense. He peppers kisses along her thighs, petting her skin until her shaking calms to gentle, sporadic twitches.

“With me, princess?”

“Uh- huh.”

“Good.” He works on undoing the button and zipper on his jeans.

Regina drops her gaze between her legs to watch his deft fingers work to free his dick from its confines. She never got a chance to actually see it, and now that she is, Regina can’t help but marvel at the size of it. No wonder she was sore for days.

“It’s so big.” She whispers it like a secret.

“And you took it so well the last time, hm? You can do it again for me, right baby?”

She nods eagerly. Tremors still wrack her legs but she hoists herself up, grasping his cock in hand to position him just right. Regina feels too greedy for teasing; she missed having him inside her the second he pulled out that day in the barn. Tilting her hips just right, she slowly begins to impale herself on him. He moans from the pit of his belly, eyes glued between her legs to watch her pussy swallow him up.

“Oh fuck, Regina.” His hands find her hips to cling to.

“Oh, I don’t know if I— it’s too much.”

“You can take it, I know you can.” He flexes his hip slightly to slip a little deeper.

“Relax, this is what you wanted, hm? So take it.”

Regina’s moan is unrestrained when she drops all the way down until her legs are flush against his thighs.

“Oh fuck, you look so pretty struggling to take me like this. You’re such a good girl, aren’t you?”

She nods rapidly in agreement. “Uh-huh.”

“Hm, the best. Take what you need, baby.”

Her belly spasms at his words. Virgil unbuttons his shirt in haste, baring his upper body to warm night air. Her hands press against his chest so she can tentatively rock her hips to find a rhythm. Regina tilts her hips further forward and jolts with a sob.

“There it is. Keep going.”

Regina follows his command; she raises her hips and slams down, keeping the angle just right so his cock nudges that spot that feels extra sensitive inside. Junior never found it. Throwing her head back, Regina rides him until her legs burn and her throat is dry. Even then, she doesn’t stop or slow her pace. His fingers dig a little harder into her skin, his groans rattle her fingers against his chest.

“You sound so pretty, all fucked out.”

She almost wants to beg him to shut up because his words are so arousing, it almost feels like too much pleasure for her body to take.

“Virgil- I can’t-” Regina grits her teeth. She lifts her hips but keeps hovering, wanting some respite from the overwhelming feeling of his dick rubbing against that spot inside. It’s overstimulating.

“Don’t start running now, Regina.” He slams his hips up, fucking into her body until she yells.

“So fucking good; do you know what you do to me, hm?” He keeps fucking up into her, tutting at the tears that trail softly down her cheeks.

“Red, baby?”

She shakes her head vehemently before she starts meeting his rhythm. She’s so wet that she splashes a little between them. The van rattles under them, squeaking under the force of their movement.

“Ran away from town to get away from you and all I could think about was you, anyway.” He says through gritted teeth.

That sends her over the edge. Her scream rubs her throat raw as she sent hurtling over the edge. Virgil curses loudly, slamming his hips up and burying himself to the hilt inside her until he’s throbbing. He pulls her face to the crook of his neck as she quivers and hiccups.

“You did so well, baby. How good do you feel?”

“So good. So fucking good, daddy.”

Virgil’s spent dick twitches inside her body.

He stiffens briefly beneath her body then chuckles by her ear.

“You’re fucking trouble, Regina. Fuck.”

She smiles in the crook of his neck as he caresses her body and whispers sweet nothings in her ear.

They’re both mindful to remove the necklace when she drops him off. He kisses her so passionately that she’s momentarily gripped by panic. She can’t like him too much. It’ll only cause more trouble. It’s gone the second he pulls back to smile at her.

“Text me the second you’re home.”

“It’s just five minutes away, Virgil.” She rolls her eyes playfully.

“I don’t care. It’s late.” He says sternly.

Regina’s breath hitches the second she steps inside her house. Her father is in the living room, eyes still low with sleep with a glass of water in hand.

“Gina? Why weren’t you in the house?” He asks incredulously.

“Um, I couldn’t sleep so I just went for a drive.” Her cheeks burn at the feel of Virgil’s come wetting the crotch of her shorts. Her adrenaline spikes; she’s anxious and mortified. If he steps closer he’ll smell him on her.

“Oh, next time let me know. I’d be happy to tag along. I know the town is generally safe but being out this late alone isn’t smart.”

If only he knew she had company. “Okay papa.”

She breathes a sigh of relief when he nods before heading back upstairs. Regina locks her bedroom door and doubles over to properly catch her breath. Retrieving her phone, her eyes widen at the notifications on screen. 20 missed calls and 15 messages from her boyfriend. Ex. Curious, she opens the chat to see what Virgil had sent earlier. The picture he took and a simple message:

[A real ruby necklace by the way, keep your half paid dinners].

She giggles. Turns out men do care when their egos are bruised. She leaves his chat without reading a single message to send a message to the newly saved contact in her phone before moving to take a thorough shower.

*************

Predictably, the sexual chemistry and passion makes them a bit reckless. Regina suddenly starts going on walks that take two hours because she drops by Virgil’s house. He shows her his games room with a pool table. He pretends to teach her how to play but it always ends with her being fucked senseless on top of it. Her father is a bit suspicious, but figures she’s wandering off to have phone calls with her mom.

“You can chat with your mother here, Gina. I promise I’m okay.”

She smiles stiffly but doesn’t correct him. It’s a great cover, actually.

But of course, it doesn’t stop there. When Virgil’s at the house, the subtle touches and teasing glances are nonstop. Especially since she started wearing slightly cropped shirts to show off her belly piercing.

So Regina isn’t surprised that Virgil ends up balls- deep in her father’s barn while the man is upstairs taking a nap after Virgil spent the afternoon over. She moans around his tongue, clenching rhythmically around him while his hips stutter as he empties himself inside her.

“Fuck, I need to stop doing that.”

“‘S okay, I’m on birth control.” Her words sound slurred.

“Still…”

“I know.”

They discussed testing after the third time they fucked. Regina gets a full panel every three months and Virgil did during his trip to Holland just to be safe. But pregnancy isn’t a hundred percent preventable with just pills and she knows it.

He kisses her forehead gently before lowering her onto shaky legs. That’s how Joe finds them— with both their pants around their ankles in the humid barn.

Regina is so frightened that she’s rendered immobile. Virgil is quick to shield her body with his own.

“I had a hunch, but I was hoping it wasn’t true.” He mutters in disappointment.

Tears blur her vision as she hurries to shimmy her pants up her legs. Virgil is more composed as he re-dresses.

“How could you do this?” He narrows his eyes at his friend.

“Joe, I swear he didn’t coerce me into anything. This was all me, I promise.” Regina peeks from behind Virgil’s back; the words leave her mouth desperately.

Joe shifts his gaze to her and maybe it’s the anxiety and shame, but Regina swears she can physically see his perception of her changing in the moment. It makes her want to curl into herself and disappear.

“Still, Virgil is your dad’s friend.”

“I know, and I fucking wish I this didn’t have to happen but… she makes me feel again, Joe and fuck. Maybe my ex-wife was right about me being selfish but I need this.”

Regina’s grip on the back of his shirt tightens.

“So you’re just using her to make yourself feel better.”

“No. I like her a lot more than I should. It’s why I tried to run but, fuck I couldn’t stay away. Judge me all you want for it but not her. Never her.” He begs earnestly.

Her chest warms even as tears roll down her cheeks. “Please don’t tell my father.”

Joe curses softly. “I don’t approve but you’re two grown adults and this is your mess to deal with. If he hears about it, it won’t be from me.”

She almost doubles over in relief. “Thank you.”

Still, he eyes Virgil in silent judgment.

“You can judge me, I get it. But one day, someone unexpected will waltz into your life and make you actually look forward to waking up in the mornings then you’ll understand.” Virgil says it with all the surety of someone who knows something the rest of them don’t.

Joe shakes his head then turns to leave. But Regina swears she sees something suspiciously like hope in his gaze before he turned away.

Virgil faces her to gauge her reaction. “Okay?”

She blinks up at him for a moment before exhaling a heavy breath. “I guess that means no more in the barn hookups, huh?”

Despite the tension still buzzing in the air, Virgil barks a sharp laugh and hugs her to his chest.

************

The rest of summer passes in secret rendezvous, passionate sex and more gifts. Virgil even went as far as wiring her money for the new semester.

“To have fun and dilly dally.” He waved her off flippantly when she inquired about it.

Regina had grinned, she’ll never complain about that. She spent the hours into the early morning of her last night at home with Virgil under the stars again. They chatted for hours, then fucked until she almost passed out, then chatted again until the colour of the skyline noticeably changed. The mood is solemn as all three help her load her bags into the van.

“Are you sure you don’t want me driving you to the airport?” Her father asks for the tenth time.

“I’m sure, papa. I have to return the rental truck there. Are you going to follow me there?”

“Yes.”

She giggles, throwing herself in his arms. “You’ll be okay. It’s my last year of school.” She closes her eyes, basking in his warmth and familiar scent.

“I’ll miss you anyway.”

Reluctantly, he allows her to pull away. Regina gives Joe a side hug, trying to ignore the awkward stiffness of his shoulders.

“See you around, Joe.”

“Take care, Regina.”

Her gaze drifts to Virgil who stands with his hands in his pockets. “It was nice meeting you, Virgil.” She doesn’t move forward to touch him. It would give something away. And Regina isn’t stupid, if this continues, which she’s sure it will, her father will eventually find out. Eventually. He doesn’t need to know right now.

“Likewise, Regina.”

Her heart skips a beat at his subtly suggestive tone.

Regina climbs into the van after giving Sinclair some cuddles. She wills herself not to cry.

“You’ll come back during winter break, right?” Her father asks timidly a few feet away. Her heart squeezes in her chest.

“Of course, dad. I promise.”

Her phone buzzes by her leg; she doesn’t have to guess who because she sees Virgil with his own phone in hand. Regina pulls away, waving one last time before zooming down the dirt road. It’s only when she’s out of sight that reaches for the device to check his message.

[Virgil. 10:02 am]: You better.

too fine😝 my man

He loves mirror selfies now 🩷