Page 35 of Trick or Tease

SAbrINA

I walked through the corn maze one final time, my flashlight cutting through the darkness as I checked for any stragglers who might have gotten lost or decided to hide out after closing.

The maze felt different at night. During the day, with families laughing and kids shrieking with delight, it was just fun and games.

But now, with shadows stretching between the tall stalks and my spooky decorations, I could almost understand why some of the younger visitors had been genuinely scared.

It was definitely spooky at night when it was so quiet. I could hear Billy’s voice carrying through the maze, but it sounded like he was miles away. If someone was hiding in the maze, I was probably going to have a mild heart attack.

I was rounding the corner near the final turn when a dark figure suddenly jumped out from behind the cornstalks.

“Boo!”

I screamed and nearly dropped my flashlight before I recognized Garrett’s laugh. “You absolute ass!” I gasped, my heart hammering against my ribs. “I could have had a heart attack!”

He was grinning like a devil, clearly pleased with himself. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. You looked so serious with your little flashlight, all business.”

“I was doing my job,” I said, but I was already smiling despite myself. “Making sure we don’t have any teenagers camping out in here overnight.”

“Well, you’ve got one adult who’s thinking about it,” he said, stepping closer. In the beam of my flashlight, his eyes flashed with familiar hunger. “This maze has some very private corners.”

My breath caught as he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Garrett.”

But he was already kissing me, his mouth warm against mine. I melted into him immediately. He pushed against me, causing me to stumble backward. The dried cornstalks rustled around us as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine in a way that made my knees weak.

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.

“We should go find Billy and Lucy,” I whispered, though I made no move to step away from him.

“We should,” he agreed, but his thumb was tracing my bottom lip in a way that suggested he wasn’t in any hurry to leave.

I forced myself to step back before we got completely carried away. “Come on. They’re probably wondering where we are.”

We found Billy and Lucy at the main house, sitting on the front porch swing with steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Lucy was curled up against Billy’s side, looking tired but happy.

“There you are,” Billy called out. “We were starting to think you’d gotten lost.”

“Just doing a final sweep,” I said, hoping my voice sounded normal. “Everything’s clear.”

“Good,” Lucy said, stifling a yawn. “I think I’m about ready to crash. Today was incredible, but I’m exhausted.”

“You should be proud,” Garrett said. “The whole thing ran like clockwork. Better than some corporate events I’ve seen.”

Billy beamed at the compliment. “We couldn’t have done it without you, man.”

“It was a team effort,” Garrett said, but I could tell he was pleased to be a part of that team.

We chatted for a few more minutes about the day’s successes and what we might do differently next time, but it was clear everyone was winding down. Lucy was practically asleep against Billy’s shoulder.

“I think that’s our cue,” I said, standing up. “You two should get some rest.”

“What about you?” Billy asked. “You worked just as hard as anyone today.”

“I’m too wired to sleep yet,” I admitted. “I think I need to decompress a little first.”

Garrett stood up too. “I know the feeling. Maybe I’ll take a walk around the property, make sure everything’s secure.”

Yeah, yeah, everyone knew exactly what we were going to get up to. But thankfully, they had the good grace not to give us shit about it.

Billy and Lucy said goodnight and headed inside, leaving Garrett and me alone on the porch. The night air was cool but not uncomfortable, with more stars visible than you’d ever see in the city.

“Want some company on that walk?” I asked.

“I was hoping you’d ask.”

We wandered back toward the main attraction area. In the moonlight, everything looked peaceful and somehow magical.

“Look,” Garrett said, pointing up at the flatbed trailer we used for the hayrides. It was still loaded with hay bales and blankets. “That looks comfortable.”

“Are you suggesting we do some stargazing?” I asked with a cheesy grin. I had a feeling he saw the bed and a blanket and had something else on his mind. I loved teasing him.

“I’m suggesting we find a way to keep warm while we talk about how amazing today was.”

I couldn’t argue with that logic.

We climbed up onto the trailer. Garrett spread out one of the blankets over the hay before we settled down next to each other. The night was definitely chilly, so when he pulled another blanket over both of us and wrapped his arms around me, I snuggled gratefully against his warmth.

“God, look at all those stars,” I murmured, tilting my head back. “You forget how many there are when you spend time in places with streetlights.”

“I’d forgotten,” Garrett said quietly. “In the city, you can barely see anything. Light pollution blocks it all out.”

We lay there in comfortable silence for a few minutes, just looking up at the vast canopy above us. I could feel Garrett’s chest rising and falling beneath my cheek, could hear his heartbeat steady and strong.

“Do you remember when we were kids, we’d sneak out here on summer nights? You and Billy would dare each other to sleep outside, and I’d tag along because I didn’t want to miss anything.”

Garrett chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. “I remember. You were always braver than both of us, but you would never admit it. You would act like you were scared so we’d feel tough.”

“I was scared sometimes,” I said.

“Liar.”

“You two were always talking about the places you’d go, the things you’d do when you grew up. Billy wanted to travel the world, and you wanted to conquer it. I just wanted to stay right here and be part of whatever you were planning.”

“And look how things turned out,” Garrett said softly. “Billy found his happiness right here on the farm, and I spent twelve years chasing something I’m not even sure I wanted.”

I lifted my head to look at him. “What did you want? Back then, when we were lying out here making wishes on shooting stars?”

He was quiet for so long I thought he might not answer.

“I wanted to matter,” he said. “I wanted to be important, successful, respected. I wanted people to look at me and think I’d made something of myself.”

“And now?”

He turned slightly so we were facing each other, his hand coming up to cup my cheek.

“Now I think maybe I had it backwards. Maybe the important thing isn’t what other people think of what you’ve made.

Maybe it’s about what you’ve made of the people around you.

What you’ve contributed to something bigger than yourself. ”

My heart did a little flip at the intensity in his voice. “Today felt pretty important,” I said. “Seeing all those families having fun, knowing we created something that brought the community together.”

“It did,” he agreed. “More important than any contract I’ve ever negotiated or deal I’ve ever closed.”

I wanted to ask him what that meant for his future, for us, but I was afraid of the answer. Instead, I settled back against his chest and tried to memorize this moment.

“Make a wish,” Garrett whispered against my hair.

I closed my eyes and wished for the one thing I wanted most and feared I could never have: for him to choose this life, this place, me, over everything else calling him back to the city.

When I opened my eyes, a shooting star was streaking across the sky, as if the universe had heard me and decided to offer just a glimmer of hope.

“Did you make a wish?” I asked softly.

“I did,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. “But I’m not telling you what it was.”

“That’s not fair. I told you mine.”

“No, you didn’t.” He chuckled. “You just closed your eyes and got that dreamy look on your face.”

I turned in his arms so I could see his expression in the moonlight. “Maybe I’ll tell you later.”

“Maybe I’ll make you tell me,” he said, his voice dropping to that low, husky tone that never failed to make my pulse race.

His thumb brushed across my bottom lip. I couldn’t help but part them slightly. The simple touch sent heat spiraling through me, and suddenly the blankets felt too warm despite the cool night air.

“Garrett,” I whispered, not sure if I was warning him or encouraging him.

“I know we should go inside,” he said, his forehead resting against mine. “But I don’t want this moment to end.”

Neither did I. Out here under the stars, with his arms around me and the whole world feeling peaceful and right, I could almost believe that this was our real life. That every night could end like this, with us together, planning tomorrow and the day after that.

But the hay was starting to poke through the blanket, and the October air was getting colder by the minute. When I shivered involuntarily, Garrett made the decision for both of us.

“Come on,” he said, sitting up and pulling me with him. “Let’s get you somewhere warm.”

We gathered up the blankets and climbed down from the trailer. I expected him to head toward the main house, but instead he took my hand and led me toward the old Hogan house on the hill.

Us and the ghosts again.

He squeezed my hand and gave me a mysterious smile. “Trust me.”

The old house was dark and quiet as we stepped inside, but Garrett seemed to know exactly where he was going. He led me up the stairs to the same room where we’d been the night before, but this time he walked straight to the closet in the corner.

“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.

Instead of answering, he opened the closet door and pulled out what looked like a camping mattress, still in its package, along with a couple of thick blankets I’d never seen before.

I stared at him in amazement. “When did you do all this?”

“Yesterday, when I went into town for supplies,” he said, looking almost shy. “I thought maybe we might want to come back here, and that floor is pretty unforgiving.”

My heart did a little somersault. He’d been planning this. Planning for us to be together again, planning to make it more comfortable, more special.

“You bought an air mattress for our haunted house hookups?” I teased, trying to lighten the mood before I got too overwhelmed by feelings.

“I bought an air mattress because I wanted to hold you properly,” he said seriously, ripping open the package. “I wanted to wake up with you in my arms without feeling like I’d been hit by a truck.”

It took him a few minutes to get the mattress inflated and positioned in the center of the room.

I helped him spread the blankets over it, creating a cozy little nest in the middle of the empty space.

When we were finished, it actually looked inviting rather than like we were camping in an abandoned house.

“Much better,” I said, sitting down on the edge to test it out. The mattress was surprisingly comfortable, and the blankets were soft and warm.

“I hope this doesn’t seem presumptuous. I just thought?—”

I silenced him by leaning over and kissing him softly. “It’s perfect,” I whispered against his lips. “You’re perfect.”

He kissed me like we had all the time in the world, like he wanted to savor every second.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes were dark with want. “Are you warm enough?”

I nodded, though I was starting to shiver again—not from cold but from anticipation. He seemed to understand because he reached for the hem of my sweater and slowly lifted it over my head.

He took his time undressing me. By the time he was kissing his way down my body, I was trembling with need.

“So beautiful,” he murmured against my collarbone. “I can’t believe you’re real sometimes.”

I wanted to tell him that I felt the same way about him, that being with him felt too good to be true, but words seemed inadequate. Instead, I showed him with my hands and my mouth, helping him out of his clothes and kissing him everywhere I could.

When he settled between my thighs, it felt different than the night before. He moved slowly, carefully, his eyes never leaving mine as he pushed inside me.

Okay?” he asked, stilling until I nodded.

“More than okay,” I breathed, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He began to move with a steady rhythm that had me arching beneath him. Every thrust sent waves of pleasure through me, building slowly but surely toward something that felt bigger than just physical release.

“God, Sabrina,” he groaned, his face buried in my neck. “You feel so good. So perfect.”

I could only whimper in response, completely lost in the sensation of him moving inside me. The air mattress gave slightly with each movement, creating a gentle rocking motion that somehow made everything more intense.

When his thumb found the sensitive bundle of nerves at the apex of my thighs, I cried out, my back arching off the makeshift bed. He worked me expertly, taking me higher and higher.

“Come for me,” he whispered, his voice rough with need. “I want to feel you come apart.”

The combination of his words and his touch sent me over the edge. I shattered around him, my body pulsing with wave after wave of pleasure. He followed me over, his own release tearing through him as he buried his face against my shoulder.

Afterward, we lay tangled together under the blankets, our breathing slowly returning to normal. The air mattress was definitely more comfortable than the floor.

“This is nice,” I murmured, tracing lazy circles on his chest.

“It is,” he agreed, his arm tightening around me. “I could get used to this.”

Something in his tone made me look up at him. “Could you? Really?”

“Yeah,” he murmured.

I didn’t push. I didn’t need to. I didn’t want to. I wanted to fall asleep with the hope in my heart.