Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

thought.
    "Why do I trust him? Can I trust him? Did I do all of that ?" Jeremy was at a loss for words. No question presented a rational answer: I can empathise with such degradation; the man's violence continued to remain internalised – I could see it in the tense, naked, overwrought muscles; and, drat!
    His chain of thought broke: Was I flirting ? Jeremy had read an obscene number of romances from the myriad fiction in his safekeeping, but to have him express such nonsense… He did say what was needed, but, really ?
    Jacob .
    Jeremy's thoughts suddenly turned towards the intruder, brooding in silence to distract him from the rising tide of his own distress. Contrary to the occasional sly inflections to Jacob's conversation, Jeremy had not seen anything – despite the temptation. There was an earthy musk to him, what people would normally consider overly ripened with age, but it narcotized Jeremy's actions like an addictive drug. He could not help but lean again the kitchen doorframe to take a second helping of the scent earlier. A kaleidoscope of dark mythology came to mind; tasting the virility and strength imbued in such a potent scent – a musk that appealed to Jeremy's sensibilities to leave him almost weak at the knees.
    Jeremy swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, and coughed a sigh, examining his surroundings. No clue as to his whereabouts, he relaxed into his impromptu solitude, lost in the wild scenery. Sitting in a knell of a nearby oak's roots, he leaned his head back again the rough bark, closing his eyes in contemplation.
    His name is nice , Jeremy thought, refusing to smile while recollecting Jacob's desperate shout as the door slammed.
    He glimpsed the colour of russet, like tanned leather – that was the hue of the man. Jacob . He snickered at the realisation that even though he deliberately, thoroughly, looked him over – purely for discombobulating purposes, of course – he could still remember a few details of the giant. How Jacob barely had a few inches leeway from the (eight-foot) ceiling. Or, how Jacob was perfectly proportioned. Even with some muscles the size of his own arms, crawling beneath and stretching the unmarred canvass of autumn skin, he worked with grace. Yes, Jeremy was rather interested in Jacob's bulging muscles; the steaming haze surrounding those consistent, deep definitions everywhere Jeremy could see on Jacob's body (around that baking tray)… Although he was, perhaps, slightly emaciated…
    Violent shivers shook Jeremy as the cold day licked his sides, imbuing him with a renewed cold fury, frustration and rage at his situation. He screamed, loud enough to make him hoarse and high enough to distress any sentient animal nearby. His pain came back with vengeance, leaving a festering gap beneath his ribs. With all his effort, Jeremy refrained from scraping his skin, as the painful itch spread through him like a rash.
    " Jacob ", Jeremy purred. The pain reduced to a throb. All the hurt in his life held back tight by the dam dividing his mind, the overflow now being increasingly reduced to a slight trickle.
    Time ran past, shadows twisted in the sky, lengthening and darkening. Jeremy could not recall why, as he remained in a foetal position, with his senses closed around him and breathe deepening, he could feel hunger. The caressing scratches turned into a cruel itch as the hunger burned from inside the void left by the previous pain.
    The thirst in his dry mouth; his skin, throbbing, aching for a touch; a hunger that no full stomach could cure, all kept him company through his increasing calm. Like a balm, these new feelings, accepted without question, soothed away the derision. Clarity shone through his eyes once again and a full breath flowed from stable, non-shaking, lungs. For Jeremy, this unfamiliar process gathered his wits, the glowing feelings basking him in a healing light.
    Time passed by. The light of the world seemed to brighten as his eyes opened, clenched fists and body relaxed, and thoughts resumed with clarity.
    Jacob , Jeremy simultaneously whispered and thought to himself, awaiting another reaction. Nothing in his body rebelled against him. As Jeremy came to his senses, only a growing warmth from the centre of his belly marked any change as he gathered his energy for this third iteration of Jacob's name. It was nice. The name relaxed Jeremy as he thought over Jacob, the enigma.
    Jeremy made his way back home through the twisting vegetation, following the