The corn maze hums with the wind all rustle and whisper and gold light.

You’ve been walking for what feels like hours, lost somewhere between laughter and the sound of his boots behind you. The air’s cool, smelling of dirt and dusk.

“You sure you know where we’re goin’?” you tease, glancing over your shoulder.

Kayce’s smile flashes quick, crooked. “Nope,” he says. “Ain’t the point.”

You turn another corner, the path narrowing, the sky fading into orange twilight. “What is the point then?”

“Gettin’ lost with you,” he says easily.

You laugh and that’s when it happens. A root catches your boot, and you stumble, hands catching his chest before you fall. He steadies you instantly, big palms splayed across your back. The world goes still except for your breath and his.

His voice drops low, all smoke and heat. “Careful there, darlin’. Can’t have you runnin’ off before I’m done enjoyin’ this.”

“Enjoyin’ what?”

He leans down, breath warm against your ear. “You, blushin’ like that.”

You roll your eyes, though your pulse betrays you. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Yeah,” he murmurs, thumb brushing along your jaw, rough and slow. “But you like me that way.”

The wind shifts, and the corn whispers around you soft, secret. He glances down the path, then back at you, smile turning to something darker.

“Ain’t no one findin’ us for a while, baby,” he says, voice a rumble. “You scared?”

You meet his gaze steady, daring. “Should I be?”

He grins, thumb still tracing your skin like he’s memorizing it. “Only if you think I’m gonna let you go.”

Your laugh breaks the tension, and he chuckles too, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. “C’mon,” he says, taking your hand. “Let’s get lost proper. World don’t need us just yet.”

And as he leads you deeper into the maze, lantern light catching on his grin, you realize he’s right this, whatever it is between you, feels better than being found.