Page 8 of The Wild Man
I’m just getting ready to stand and inform him that I’m leaving and to ask if he minds if I return tomorrow, but he gets to his feet first, startling me. I tense, unsure what he’s about to do.
What he does do is more than unexpected. As he rounds the fire to my side, he yanks the piece of meat from the stick and tears off a portion of it. It has to be hot, but he shows no sign of it burning his hand.
I hold still, preparing to pull the gun from my hip should I need it. He stops a foot away from me and holds out the small piece of meat. My gaze switches from the meat in his hand to his face and back again several times before I realize what he’s doing.
He… wants me to eat.
This wild and untamed man is trying to feed me.
I look back at the meat, inspecting it with a critical eye. There’s no telling what animal it is. There are a number of creatures known to inhabit this part of the forest. Bears, coyotes, bobcats, wolves, and foxes are just a few of the deadlier kind. None of them sound appealing to eat. But it would be rude and offensive to refuse his offering.
I reach out and take the piece of meat from him, ignoring the way my stomach flips on its side at not knowing exactly what I’ll be putting in my mouth. Surprisingly, it looks good and the smell isn’t bad either.
Wild Man waits a moment before he turns and goes back to his side of the fire. He resumes his squatted position, but he doesn’t eat. His dark, brooding eyes stay latched onto me, as if he’s waiting on something.
Here goes nothing, Ever.
I bring the meat to my lips and take a small bite. Wild Man watches me, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s a hint of expectancy in his blank expression. The look makes me think he’s waiting for my reaction to the food, and maybe even hopes I like it.
It doesn’t taste bad. It actually reminds me of one of the grilled steaks Dad is known for during cookouts. It’s charred perfectly, is tender, and has just the right amount of juices.
“This is good.” I don’t even know if he can understand me, but I still feel the need to voice my praise. “What animal is it?”
No response.
I take another bite, this time bigger. Wild Man seems satisfied with my reaction and starts eating his own piece. Unlike me, he tears into it with zero amount of grace. He just digs his teeth into it and yanks a piece off. He finishes before me, despite his piece being twice as big as mine. The simple meal settles in my stomach, leaving me satisfied.
He stands again, and I watch as he walks inside the covered area and comes back out a moment later. He carries a small plastic jug. Stopping beside me in the same spot as before, he holds the jug out. I slowly take it from him. It looks filthy on the outside, but when I look inside the little opening, the clear liquid looks fresh and clean.
I don’t know why I feel compelled to eat this man’s food and drink his water—assuming it is water. It wouldn’t be a stretch for him to poison me somehow. After all, I’m a complete stranger that wandered into his camp. He has every reason to get rid of me.
Even so, I lift the jug to my mouth and take a small sip. The water is cool and refreshing against my parched tongue. I swallow two more mouthfuls before I hand it back to Wild Man with a smile. He looks down at the jug, flips it around, and drinks from the exact spot that I drank from. For some reason, that move heats my cheeks and makes my stomach swirl.
Droplets of water cling to his lips and beard when he pulls the jug away. Lifting his arm, he uses the back of his hand to smear away the lingering moisture. Unconsciously, and of their own accord, my eyes fall back down. Right to his groin, which is only a couple of feet in front of me, right at eye level.
This whole time, I’ve done an excellent job at avoiding it, no matter how often my eyes want to stray. It’s just so damn big, it’s hard to miss. It’s like a huge fucking log, swaying in the wind each time he moves.
When I realize I’ve been staring at it for too long, and I’ve even gone so far as to lick my lips, I jerk my eyes back up to where they should be. This view isn’t much better. The man is a work of God-like art. I’m pretty sure the man upstairs spent way too much time perfecting the body in front of me.
His eyes, which are as black as obsidian, are focused on me. Something lurks behind the darkness, barely noticeable, and the look sends a ripple down my spine. Not the pleasant kind of ripple, but the kind someone gets when they instinctively know something bad is about to happen. The kind that kicks in right before the fight or flight response activates.
And that’s my cue to leave.
That’s when I make my first mistake.
My attention is on my backpack as I get up from the log. “Thank you for the food,” I say, grabbing the pack with the intention of throwing it over my shoulder. “I’m going to lea?—”
My words fall short when I look up. Wild Man has moved closer. So close that he’s in my personal bubble, and I can see a few faint freckles dotting his forehead and feel the heat coming off his naked body. He looms over me, his expression an unreadable mask. I’m forced to tilt my head way back to keep him in view.
When I try to take a step away, he darts his hand out, wrapping his long fingers around my much smaller bicep. His grip isn’t tight enough to bruise, but it’s also unyielding.
“Let go,” I demand in a no-nonsense tone.
That’s where I make my second mistake. Thinking I can force him to release me.
In response, Wild Man tightens his grip. Fear shoots through me at the defiant look that darkens his already unfathomable eyes. Just that look alone tells me he has no intentions of following my order.
I drop my pack and reach for my gun. My fingertips barely graze the butt of it when my hand is snatched away. Before I have a chance to reach for my taser, my arms are pulled behind me and my wrists are captured into one of his big hands. He yanks me forward and my breasts are smashed against his firm chest. I can feel the thick length of his cock trapped between our bodies. This close, I can smell him. The scent of primal male radiates off him; a slight musk, pine, and a hint of earth.