Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

ice water on his sex drive, but that little glimpse seemed to be having the opposite effect. And the sound of Daniel's regretful voice at his shoulder wasn't helping.
    Daniel laughed. "We'd better split up. Won't be too long for us anyway. George says we're headed for Espiritu Santo, and some liberty." Another deep roll of the ship that threw both of them against the starboard bulkhead made him add, "As long as this storm doesn't decide to become a hurricane."
    Jacob straightened, rubbing his shoulder. "Where the hell is Espirit whatever?"
    "How would I know? As long as there are hotels, I don't care."
    "Mm." Jacob could agree with that. Join the Navy and see the world. All he wanted to see was the inside of some safe little room. That would be better than the storeroom even if it did mean waiting. Which brought his mind back to where it had been. He said carefully, "Have you ever thought about trying...?"
    "Trying what?" Apparently the heating of Jacob's damned fair skin was giving Daniel a clue, because his steps slowed. There were voices up ahead. Daniel said softly, "I guess I've thought about it. You?"
    There was no time and it was certainly not something he was going to talk about in an open passageway. But before he stepped away from Daniel to head back to his own berth, Jacob nodded. Maybe a little too hard, because Daniel's chuckle followed him down the passageway.
    He was stripped to his skivvies and about to turn in when a big hand tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and found himself looking at Sutter.
    "Can I have a word with you somewhere?"
    Jacob hesitated, wondering for just a moment if the grim expression on Sutter's face could be a threat. The man was huge, hard-muscled and black-browed, with a good ten years and probably fifty pounds over Jacob, and the penalty hanging over Sutter was a serious one, if Jacob had intended to tell an officer what he'd seen.
    But Sutter dropped his hand and just stood there stiffly. Jacob nodded. He followed Sutter through the room, being fended off, sometimes good-naturedly, sometimes with impatience as the ship's motions jolted him into the other men. He noted with envy that Sutter instinctively matched the pitch and yaw, picking his way between the hammocks to the door.
    Sutter turned to port-side, working his way aft until they found a secluded spot. The growl of the laboring engines, and the creaks and groans of the old ship as she flexed in the high seas, covered their voices. Sutter put his back to the bulkhead and cleared his throat. "So. I don't know what you thought you saw..."
    Well, that was easy. Maybe Jacob could finish this right now. "Nothing. Didn't see a thing."
    He turned away but Sutter's big hand wrapped around his forearm. "Wait."
    Jacob glanced down at the grease-stained fingers on his arm, and Sutter let go quickly. "Sorry. Sorry, I just want to talk to you."
    "Look, you don't need to worry, all right? I'm not going to say anything. Tell Neil..." He bit off his words, but Sutter sighed harshly.
    "So you did see."
    Jacob shrugged.
    "Look, I know it looks bad and you probably can't stand to be around me but he's just a kid, all right? If you say anything, if you even start treating him badly..."
    Jacob shook his head, searching for the right words without exposing himself. "There's a war on. We're all stuck on this rust bucket for weeks at a time. Personally I don't care if he fucks goats, as long as he does his share of the job. It's none of my business. No one will know different from me."
    "That's pretty big of you," Sutter said gratefully. "I can stand the heat, if it comes out, but it would about kill him."
    "Might think about somewhere safer than a locker then," Jacob suggested irritably. He wanted the hell away from this conversation.
    "Yeah. That won't be necessary. It won't happen again, I swear it. Just don't say anything and I promise, that will be the last time."
    There was something so wrong about this big hard man supplicating him. Jacob muttered, "Not my business," again and turned away abruptly. At the corner he looked back. Sutter was staring after him, anxiety not fully erased from his face. Jacob cursed under his breath and staggered his way back to his bunk.
    ****
    Four days later
    Daniel stretched out on the double bed carefully. He hoped Jacob wasn't too far behind him, because he was nervous, and each minute of waiting made it worse. It was warm, but not unpleasantly so. A light rain outside made it humid though. On the