Cory Chase is an average guy in the greatest sense of the word. Howbeit, he is a player of sorts, but who isn't these days? A married man, he has his share of shortcomings, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Women like him, and he likes women. In his mind, it's really nothing more than that.With the intention of taking better care of his family and increasing his bottom line, Cory accepts a contract job on an oil and gas project in Daviston, Texas. His new gig takes him far away from his wife and children in Chicago. Then, on his first day of orientation, he meets Trouble and takes her by the hand.Freda Batiste intrigues him the moment he lays eyes on her. A seasoned project whore, she proceeds to take Cory on a passionate roller-coaster ride through her world. During their impetuous journey, his physical health begins to slowly deteriorate. Initially, his heart sternly rejects any notion that the loathsome developments taking place in his body may be linked to his new amour. But as his illness progresses, he begins to question the origins of their relationship.Will Cory find his way back home? Or will he allow Freda and the allure of project life to take him down a road from which there is no return? Rutted is AE Thomas's poignant new story that examines forbidden love through the eyes of the beholder. But we must all remember there is another set of eyes that never sleeps, and those eyes unceasingly behold the good and the evil.