Merlin went tense although he didn't grip the horse in anyway, mindful not to startle the poor animal. "That and you keep asking me. Why keep asking me if that's not the point you were trying to prove anyway?" That when it happened it wouldn't be that Merlin didn't want it; it was either going to be because Zach would do it without his consent - something that Zach had vehemently denied - or it would be something Merlin would do without Zach's consent - something that Merlin wouldn't do but that he had seen himself doing, so how could he escape the guilt of that?
Maybe saying yes to Zach at all had been a mistake, his attempt to quell the guilt and even to lessen the trauma he knew was going to be caused for them both.
He bristled at that comment though, that he didn't make it easy. The last time he'd made it 'easy' he'd been stalked. He reached for Ransom's reins, taking the slack Zach had left and tugging the horse gently to a stop. "Let me down." he said, his tone without inflection.