“What the fuck, man?” Zach held it together until he and Graham had dropped a strangely silent Rowan back in their cabin. She’d probably never speak to them again after Graham’s ultimatum. As soon as they were out of earshot, he shoved Graham back against the side of a cinderblock storage shed painted a deep forest green. “You’re going to force her to sleep with us? What the fuck is wrong with you? I’m no fucking rapist. Didn’t think you were either.”
Graham pushed off the wall and shoved Zach back. “Calm the fuck down. It’s not like that.”
Zach rubbed his face with both hands before lacing his fingers together and gripping the back of his neck. “Oh really? Then what the fuck is it like? Because I like this girl. She could be the one. And you want to extort our way into bed with her?”
Graham leaned back against the building. Zach shook his head in disbelief at Graham’s casual pose.
“Did you see how she reacted to the idea before?” Graham asked.
“Yeah, she freaked the fuck out.” Zach started pacing.
“That might have been her initial reaction, but if you were paying attention, she was intrigued. Curious.”
“What’s your point, man? Because I seriously think you fucked this one up. I mean ... after the experience she had …”
“This gives her the right motivation to let go of all that and give it—hell, us—a try.”
“By forcing her?”
“No one is forcing her to do anything. She says no, then it ends there.”
Zach stopped his pacing and waited until Graham met his gaze. “If she even thinks no, then it ends there.”
Graham nodded. “Just wait and see. Give her a little time to mull over the idea. What do we have to lose? You want her. I want her. We only have a few days to make it happen. If we can’t tie her to us, she walks away forever. I didn’t figure you’d let that happen without a fight, and ...” Graham paused meaningfully. “I’m not willing to let it happen either.”
Zach eyed his friend, amazed that he’d given voice to his feelings about a woman. It had only taken a fucking apocalypse. Zach’s thoughts went back to Ro. “She looked so ... fragile or something … when she told us what went down before.”
Graham inclined his head. “She didn’t look fragile when she devised and executed her escape, did she? And she sure wasn’t fragile when she grabbed a backpack and left Chicago by herself.” Graham paused. “That girl is gutsy as hell and willing to take a risk. Why shouldn’t she take a risk with us?”
Zach exhaled a long breath. “I still think you’re an asshole for the way you set this up. Just know that the second she says no, which could be as soon as we walk back in that door, I’m backing off.”
“Agreed. Now, this is what I’m thinking …”
Ro clenched and unclenched her fists while she replayed the conversation in her head. Each time, it seemed like the roar of the blood in her ears got louder and her heart pounded harder. Her initial stunned silence had given way to anger at Graham’s highhanded declaration. And then to curiosity. And then to arousal. Apparently Graham and Zach were her one-way ticket on the crazy train.
Zach had promised to come back within the hour. Ro couldn’t begin to imagine what she’d be feeling in an hour. At this point, she put fifty-fifty odds on homicidal or horny.
She grabbed the pillow on the end of the couch and hugged it. How the hell was a girl supposed to respond to something like that? Total meltdown? Hunger strike? Striptease? Her mind raced with the possibilities. She had options. Hell, she had a taser. She could suck it up and mount another escape attempt. Except the scariest thought running through Ro’s head was that she didn’t want to run from this. She sort of ... wanted to reach out and grab it with both hands. Or she could tell them both to fuck off. It would work. She was confident they’d back off. And then they could refuse to provide the escort Graham had promised.
Dammit. She wanted to smack that “I dare you” look off Graham’s face. Cocky asshole. She glanced toward Graham’s bedroom. Memories of last night—before she’d had her mini breakdown over Zach’s comment—came rushing back. She’d been drowning in the heat from Graham’s kiss. Graham had claimed to be up front about what they wanted. Was that what this was? Their declaration of intent? Way to score perfect tens on the shock factor, Conan. He had to be expecting her to balk. Ro thought she’d made it pretty damn obvious that she wasn’t down with taking orders from anyone. Exhibit A: her escape attempt this morning. She couldn’t really call his bluff, because she didn’t think he was bluffing. But she could turn the tables on them—make her own demands. She’d been branded a slut in her past life for something she hadn’t done. Why not earn that scarlet letter now? Everything was different. She had nothing to lose. And maybe a hell of an experience to gain ...
Graham. Zach. One hundred percent focused on her. Naked. Ro shivered at the thought. And it wasn’t a shiver of disgust.