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She didn’t argue, nibbling at the branch.

I glanced over at Zeke, debating whether I should wake him up to eat something or let him finish resting. Deciding he could eat later, I turned back to Raelynn, noticing glowing blue liquid from nearby mushrooms smeared across her cheek. I wasn’t sure if it would hurt her or not, so I crouched down in front of her.

She squinted at me. “What is it?”

“Stay still.” I reached out and wiped the liquid from her cheek, making her flinch. Wiping my thumb off on my slacks, I looked back at her to find her gaze locked on my naked torso.

I wouldn’t say anything. I’d pushed her enough. But I wouldn’t move away either if she wanted to look at me. As much as I hated to admit it, I liked her eyes on me.

“Do you think we’ll get out of here?”

The question came out as a faint whisper, but I was close enough to hear it.

I dropped my head forward and sighed, giving her the only truth I knew. “I don’t know. I hope so.” As she looked away, I went to stand but froze when she grabbed my arm.

“It was you,” she whispered.

I said nothing, letting her decide if she wanted to elaborate on what I assumed she meant.

“He was there too, touching me, but you were the one having sex with me.”

I inhaled the potent spike of her scent that came with her confession. Her fingers flexed on my arm when I shuddered.

I asked in a barely audible rasp, “Why are you telling me now?”

Her fingers twitched again.

“Raelynn.” I swallowed, willing the tension in my body to ease before I snapped. “Why are you telling me now? Are you asking for something?” When her fingers flexed again, I growled low in warning. “I told you I would never take anything from you that you didn’t ask for. Are you asking me?”

“I don’t wanna think about dying out here,” she whispered, sliding her hand up my arm. “I want to forget we’re here.” Her whisper couldn’t hide the tremble in her voice or the fear I felt flickering through our incomplete tether.

Fuck me.

If she wanted to use me as a distraction, fine. I could do that for her.

We both wanted each other—at least on a physical level. It’d be foolish to lie about it. If losing myself in her body and letting her get lost in mine would give her a few moments of peace while quieting the fear clawing at her through our tether, I didn’t see the problem.

I threaded my fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head as I seized her lips and eased her onto the moss. She parted her legs to make room for me between her thighs.

My body relaxed when she whimpered into my mouth.

I wouldn’t tell her how much I loved the taste of her lips. That when she provoked me and I ended up with my tongue in her mouth, I sometimes forgot my own name.

That wasn’t what this was.

This was transactional.

She wanted an escape. I wanted… it didn’t matter what I wanted.

I wasted no time, pulling up what remained of the lower half of her dress and ridding her of her panties. This wouldn’t turn into another situation like in her bedroom where I dry-humped her like a bitch in heat.

I groaned when I saw how wet she was. I’d never seen her open like this before.

The one night we had sex, the room was dark and everything was very impersonal. I was so conflicted by what I felt and the strange sensations I experienced with her that I didn’t know what to do. Leaving her there without even looking at her was probably the worst thing I could have done—and that’s exactly what I did. I panicked and ran like a coward.

I shook my head to push the negative thoughts away.

I lowered onto my belly and buried my face between her thighs, dragging my tongue from her entrance to her clit. I flicked it with the barbell in my tongue, making her gasp.