“Yeah, you’re right about all of that,” she said as she batted a wayward stalk away from her face. Every so often, their shoulders brushed, and a punch of awareness streaked through her core. She tried to ignore it, but each time it happened, she wanted more. “Now that I’m here, I can’t imagine living in a city again. This is just so…peaceful, I guess.” She hummed. “I don’t even know what I’m trying to say. Just that I like it here.”
The slightly narrowed-eyed look he gave her told her he didn’t fully believe it, but whatever. She no longer cared whether people approved of her or what they thought of how she lived her second chance at life.
The path tightened again, so she took the lead. One of the stalks grew sideways, directly blocking the path. Mickie pushed it aside, stepped past then heard a thwack. “Oh, my God,” she said as she spun in time to see Keith swatting the plant out of his face. The thing had hit him square in the nose.
Mickie pressed a hand over her mouth as she tried to muffle her giggle. “I’m so sorry,” she said mumbled behind her hand. “I totally didn’t mean to do that.”
Instead of getting pissed as she’d have expected, Keith’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Yeah, you sound really torn up about it.”
After another round of giggles, this time without even pretending to hide her immense amusement, she walked closer to him. Reaching up a hand, she paused before touching his hair. “You have…” —more snickers— “You have some leaves in your hair.”
He mock scowled. “Guess you’re gonna have to get ’em out then, huh?” His eyes held a challenge that heated her blood and made her want to press her legs together to relieve the sudden ache.
Swallowing, Mickie gave herself a fraction of a second to take him in before she removed the foliage. The tip of his nose had reddened from the rapidly cooling evening air. Her own cheeks tingled and practically begged her to lean in and rub against the neatly trimmed dark beard that gave him such a roguish look. After clearing her throat, she reached a hand up and sifted her fingers through his hair. At the feel of the silky strands sliding along her palm, she nearly groaned.
The urge to curl her fingers into a tight grip and pull his mouth to hers struck her so hard, she staggered back. “All better,” she croaked.
Keith caught her hand. Time seemed to stand still though the world kept on spinning. “Thanks,” he said, voice rough, as he lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers. The warmth of his mouth on her frigid digits sent a shiver of delight down her spine. The man was far too sexy for his own good, and if he kept up the gentleman routine, she’d cave and beg for a repeat of the other night.
With a gentle tug, she pried her hand away. “Guess we better keep moving if we want to be out of here by midnight.” She peeked at her phone. “Uh, doesn’t the maze close at seven?”
“Yeah, why?”
Holding up her phone with a grimace, she said, “It’s seven fifteen.”
“Well, fuck.”
They began navigating their way again. “Do you think they’ve ever left anyone in here overnight?” she asked.
His tight laughter floated over her shoulder, making her realize she wasn’t the only one affected by their nearness. She risked a glance back in time to see him take a deep breath as though in attempt to calm himself.
“Pretty sure they’ll send someone through at some point to catch any stragglers.” His voice had roughened, and she swore she could almost feel it caressing her skin. “Hopefully we’ll get out before then.”
“Oh, look. Over there.” Swallowing around a thickened throat, she pointed to an opening in the maze. “I think we found the exit! Damn, we’re good.” She glanced over her shoulder at him with a grin that had to be cheesy, but she didn’t care. These kinds of clear-headed experiences were entirely new to her, and she was having a blast.
Mickie picked up her pace and hustled to the break in the corn stalks. As she burst through, she said, “Who knew I’d be so good at—uh oh.”
Keith slammed into her back as she stopped dead in her tracks. “Uh, sorry.” He grabbed her shoulders to keep her from flying forward. Even that almost dispassionate touch had her nerve endings tingling.
“What’s wrong?” After a quick look around, he groaned. “Oh fuck.”
Mickie couldn’t help it. She began laughing. It grew and grew until she was doubled over with a cramp in her stomach. Somehow it appeared they’d found a random opening in the maze and ended up on the opposite side of where they were supposed to exit. As large, open field stretched dark and as far as the eye could see.