Where the Devil Says Goodnight (Folk Lore 1)

The trees beyond the border of the homestead beckoned him with their bright green leaves, so he went, listening to the voice that resembled Emil’s. A small footpath led from a second gate to the property, and he followed it, with his heart beating slightly faster when a woodpecker drilled into a tree somewhere above. The green-and-brown expanse ahead stretched forever, engulfing him with its fresh yet earthy scent and gentle bird song.

And the aroma of smoke and wood he associated with Emil? He could sense that too.

But the image he saw once he stood on the top of a low slope made him forget why he’d come here in the first place.

Emil, naked as the day he was born, stood knee deep in a crystal-clear stream, which flowed so fast it splashed his thighs.

“Come on, Leia! Don’t make me freeze my balls off,” Emil yelled at a black goat scrambling on a rock submerged in the shallow water.

Adam entered a surreal world where the handsomest of men lay himself bare before him, and he couldn’t even be blamed for it, because he hadn’t planned to stare. Tall and muscular, Emil had wide shoulders and narrow hips, which naturally steered Adam’s gaze to his buttocks. Cute dimples in their sides deepened when Emil moved, trying to help the animal. And while he was facing away, the brief movement between the toned thighs made Adam’s heart beat faster.

Emil was like an ancient river god about to descend back into the waves.

“Why are you naked?” he asked, knowing that if he was to keep his sanity, this shameless staring had to end.

Emil’s head whipped back in an instant and he stilled. “What are you doing on my property?” He paused, turning that bit more Adam’s way. “Thirsty again?”

Adam stiffened as he struggled to keep his gaze on Emil’s handsome features. He could see the firm chest, the long waves of hair, and surely Emil’s crotch was on show as well, but he would not tempt fate. He would not go down that rabbit hole again. And… was that a nipple ring? He quickly looked up from the twin metal balls attached to Emil’s nipple below one more tattoo. “I’m here on official business. For God’s sake, cover yourself!”

“No, you look away if you have to stand there. The stupid goat’s been on that rock for half an hour. She’s afraid to come back. You know what? Take your shoes off and help me, since you’re already here.” He powered through the water and back to the shore, where he grabbed a pair of briefs from a messy pile of fabric and pulled them on. “There. Happy? For your sake.”

Now Adam regretted he hadn’t taken a peek, but as he approached, the damp underwear Emil wore revealed the exact shape and length of his cock. It was that same cock Emil claimed to have let another man suck, the same cock that had been in another man’s anus, the same one that had sprayed sperm all over freckled buttocks.

He should really have worn the cassock, because his own penis was filling so fast he needed to step into that stream to keep his erection from growing.

Why was God trying him in a way so insidious? He’d done nothing wrong.

Adam kicked off his sneakers and socks, before stepping into the water, which assaulted him with a temperature so low his feet instantly felt as if they were going numb in a prelude to frostbite. Yet all he could see was the damp skin on Emil’s shoulders and back, and the dark hair reaching all the way to his waistline.

“Tell me what to do,” he said, approaching the animal, which stared at him with eyes that seemed to drift into two different directions.

“We just need to grab her by the horns and lead her back through the water. I don’t know why she did that. I only left the gate open for two minutes.”

Adam’s gaze once more strayed where it shouldn’t when Emil pushed back some of his hair and took a step closer. Leia chose this moment to release a scream that could have originated in hell, and Adam flinched, grabbing Emil’s arm not to fall over into the icy water.

“Goats do that sometimes, I know, it’s freaky.” Emil laughed, but didn’t shrug Adam off.

Adam’s breath was still shallow when he looked up into the dark green of Emil’s eyes, but he let go, even if taking his time.

Thankfully, Emil didn’t try anything funny, as eager to leave the stream as Adam was, and after a bit of push and pull they managed to lead Leia—called so because she was as sassy and independent as Princess Leia from Star Wars—to the safety of the shore. By the time Adam left the water, he could barely feel the grass under his feet. He could only imagine how bad Emil’s toes had to feel, so he took over goat-holding duty while the other man dressed in jeans.