Page 126 of Almost Ravaged

Color tinges his cheeks, and he looks away. “I… I can’t. I don’t…”

Cupping his jaw, I turn his face back to me.

So much is at risk here. For both of us. But if I don’t try to see this through, I’ll regret it. Boldly, I steel my spine and give him my truth. “I want you, Noah. I don’t know what you’ve been through or who you used to be. But I want you, right now, exactly as you are. I want the man standing in front of me.”

He swallows, his throat bobbing. Then his eyes flit over my shoulder. “What about—”

Still holding tight to him, I peer back at Mercer. Between his heated glare and the noticeable erection tenting his pants, it’s safe to assume that he’ll be more than okay with what I’m about to say.

“Oh, that guy back there?” I quip.

That earns me a cheeky little smirk from the man himself.

I shoot him a wink, then focus on Noah once more. “Mercer and I hadn’t discussed anything beforehand, but he’s right on target. I think his proposition is a good one.”

The air around us heats, the weight of it shrouding us as my words land.

For several heartbeats, it’s nearly silent, the only sounds our breathing and the crickets chirping beyond these walls.

Finally, Noah puts me out of my misery. His body relaxes. His hands float up, capture my hips, and caress down my sides. He gives himself a subtle, barely there nod—permission, I hope—then focuses on me again. “You… you want us both?”

I can’t hold back my grin any longer. “Both is good.” I snag the well-worn ball cap off his head and back up a few steps. “Don’t overthink it, Noah. If you want me”—I glance at Mercer, making sure my intentions are clear—“come get me.”

Then, spinning on my heel, I take off at a slow jog toward the entrance of the corn maze.

Chapter forty-two

Sawyer

The footsteps pounding behind me almost immediately bolster my confidence that this will work.

Liquid lust flows through my limbs, my movements languid, my body feeling heavy, even as I keep up my pace. My pulse skyrockets, my heart beating in time with my footfalls.

They’re following me.

Both of them, by the sound of things. One on the gravel and the other on the grass.

A thrill shoots through me as I stop at the entrance to the corn maze and turn toward them.

Both come to a screeching halt, still out of reach but close enough that I can gauge their expressions.

Noah looks thoroughly panicked, his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open. Mercer’s calm energy, on the other hand, steadies me. Excites me. Hints at just how incredible this idea is.

With a cocked brow, he approaches, only stopping when we’re toe to toe and the crisp, aquatic notes of his cologne wash over me.

Dusk has given way to true darkness, though in the light of the moon, the desire in his eyes is obvious.

The smolder he wears as he meticulously rolls up those damn sleeves makes my knees go weak.

“You want to play?” he muses, giving me a once-over.

His gaze is predatory. Carnal.Primal.

Fuck.

A zing of pleasure pulses in my core, and on instinct, I squeeze my thighs together. Rather than quelling the heat the way I hoped, the move only serves to prove just how wet I already am.

I shake my head. “I don’t want toplay. I want to be caught.”