Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

men at odd moments, and felt his skin crawl.
    So as much as Jacob loved the thought of dropping to his knees for Daniel in that small dark space, he was even more scared of it. And he'd never let Daniel do it for him. Even though after that night Daniel had been paradoxically angry enough to be fearless, and willing.
    Willing. God. Jacob couldn't keep a smile off his face, thinking about their last leave. Daniel was a genius at finding them a place, passing Jacob a slip of paper with an address or directions. There was nothing better in the world than wandering down some dusty road under a foreign sky, the wind brushing unfamiliar scents across his skin, and rounding a corner to see Daniel lounging at ease outside a room. Strolling casually over a few minutes later to tap on the door. And being admitted to a private space and Daniel's arms, and usually minutes later Daniel's mouth.
    Jacob sped up his steps and tried to steer his mind to icebergs and weevils and being naked in front of his great-uncle. Because if he kept thinking about Daniel he would be walking these halls with the biggest hard-on ever. He tugged casually at his pants as he passed a couple of radio operators, headed for the mess deck. Intent on food, they didn't give him a second look. Maybe there was an advantage to not being built too big. Now Daniel... Jacob loved the size of Daniel in his hands, in his mouth, once he got up the nerve to take him there... Damn, that was not helping.
    He turned the corner, heading away from the main passageway. Only another hundred yards. The door beckoned to him, just one in a dozen like it. His patch of heaven. He put his hand on the knob, hearing a faint rustle of sound from inside. Daniel had arrived first, as usual. He pulled the door open.
    Two faces stared out at him. Neither one was Daniel. He had just a moment to register Sutter's bulk bent over, Neil's bare ass white in the light from the passage, before he slammed the door shut again and backed away. Shit. Shit!
    He turned and walked off as far as the main passageway before pausing to put his shoulders to the bulkhead. The ship heaved and dropped, as if trying to dislodge him. What now? He wasn't going to say anything, obviously. He wanted them to know that. He had a flash of the look on Neil's face, pale as a ghost looking back over his shoulder as Jacob stood in the doorway. Shit. The guy had to be scared as hell. But Jacob didn't know what to do about it.
    And what if Daniel walked in on them? Right now they wouldn't be thinking much about why Jacob had been there, even if he had no good reason to be digging in the linen storeroom in the middle of a storm. But if Daniel showed up right after, well, with what they were doing they would probably get the right idea. Certainly Sutter would. He was older, and no fool. Jacob tipped his head back and winced as his motion combined with the roll of the ship knocked his noggin hard against the bulkhead.
    "Trying to knock yourself out before we even get started?" Daniel's voice was soft with affection.
    Jacob straightened fast. "No. God. This way." He reached for Daniel's sleeve and then dropped his hand.
    Daniel followed obediently at Jacob's shoulder. "Problem?" he breathed.
    "The space was occupied."
    Daniel choked a little laugh. "Ah. Who?"
    "Sutter and Neil."
    "Neil's got a nice ass." Daniel's eyes twinkled as Jacob shot him a look of annoyance. He held up a hand. "I'm just saying so. Although I wouldn't have thought he would go with Sutter. What were they doing?"
    Jacob pressed his lips together.
    Daniel snorted again. "You're blushing. I thought I cured you of that. It must have been good."
    "Um..."
    "Really good?"
    Jacob suddenly saw the picture again in his mind's eye, Sutter arched over Neil as the younger man braced himself on the bulkhead. The one pump of Sutter's hips downward, pressing deep, before they froze in the light. Jacob's breath caught. "It was pretty cracked of them, to take that kind of chance." He wished his scorn didn't have an undercurrent of envy in it. He and Daniel had never done that, never even talked about it, although sometimes afterward, lying with Daniel spooned in his arms, he'd wondered if maybe someday they would.
    "It was risky, anyway," Daniel said thoughtfully. "Damn, I could drive nails and it seems like that's not in the cards for tonight."
    "Shut up," Jacob said roughly. Because it damned well wasn't. The reminder of how easily they could get caught should have been