"Oh for the love of ____" Zero held back a curse.

"What do you have against animals?" Jude wondered out loud.

"Nothing, have you given her a name yet?" He asked.

"She was just on death row and abandoned I'm not thinking names just yet."

Zero raised his gaze heavenward and drew an even breath.

"Look," Jude said shooting him a pleading glance "Many hotels allow pets these days so it shouldn't be hard to keep her out of your way."

"Hotel?" he let out a nervous laugh.

"Motel then?"

He shook his head.

"Bed and Breakfast?" Jude asked hopefully.

"Love, would I be building a lodge if the town didn't need it?"

Jude shrugged "I just got the assignment remember? But I'll be up to speed in no time." He patted the laptop bag for emphasis at the same time Zero tried to reach out to help out with the laptop bag and their hands touched.

A jolt ricocheted through Jude and Zero sucked in a startled breath. They both felt the undeniable connection.

Zero figured Carl had left out details on his nephew and decided to just serve the truth cold and hard "There's no B&B either. The nearest hotel is fifty minutes away. You'll be staying at my place, Jude."

Jude's brow went up warily "I hope you know I'm gay."

"I know and I promise it's not a comeon from me either." Zero defended heading for the car. His mind was working its way imagining a sex high Jude in his king-sized bed, sheets hot from sizzling sex.

He for sure found Carl's nephew attractive, intriguing and it wasn't as if he didn't desire him but he didn't need the involvement that varied from business to that mean old Carl who bragged about scaring away his troublesome niece's dates with a licensed firearm. Zero could definitely imagine Carl scurrying him away with the deadly thing.

"Well, I was just putting it out there," Jude stated, testing the man's tolerance. He usually had good manners, but as cliche, as it sounds...there was something about Zero.

Zero ran a hand through his hair, too floored for words he arched around the car and held out the passenger door open, hoping good manners would make up for the verbal slap to his head publicist.

Jude didn't know what to make of the gesture, was this jock being chivalry toward him just because he was gay? He scoffed and strode to the door, closed it and opened it again for himself defiantly. He never needed any man not the jocks from high school and certainly not Zero treating him like a woman based off of his sexual preference.

"We never settled this; you want a low profile so I can't come out as your publicist so what do we___"

"We'll tell people you're an old college friend with a background in hotel management. Nobody in town will know better and in the meantime, you'll get an inside look at the lodge and I'll get you a rundown of the problems."

Zero's home turned out to be huge modern monstrosity built in the midst of a traditional suburbia. Jude didn't find an issue with the house itself but the lack of shrubs, trees, plants and flowers gave the white stucco an austere unwelcoming look.

The best thing Jude could say about the place was that he was to be guaranteed breathing room and space away from the hot-blooded athlete to whom he was so attracted to. Though how could he be for a straight guy? It's universal knowledge known to all lgbtqa+ folk to not even look at straight people like that.

He thought as he watched him unload the suitcases from the back, muscles flexing beneath his shirt-muscles that would feel good in his palms. He felt heat rise to his ears observing the nicely built back and backside on Zero. He fantasized speculating Zero's nude form internally as he followed the athlete up the stairs.

Jude picked a nail, mentally berating himself to focus on the reason for the trip; damage control for the lodge. Which Zero intended to use as a summer place for underprivileged youth. He shook his head failing to reconcile that altruistic part of the man with the gruff guy who disliked puppies.

Maybe the charity is for show Jude pursed his lips in thought.

"I love your house." He said with forced enthusiasm.

"Really? I hate it." He paused at the door and dug into his pocket for keys. Now there was a comment worth exploring

"Then why live here?"

"Because I wanted to move back out to my hometown and this was the only place that fit my needs." He flung the door open and lugged the publicist's belongings inside his laptop hung from one shoulder, and a suitcase trailed behind him in one bag.

He'd left the uhm puppy up to him. "And what needs are those?" he asked picking up their conversation.

'Peace, quiet and space."

Jude nodded as if he understood, he didn't. He'd lived life afraid of being separated from his siblings and even now as an adult he lived across the floor from Steven and Sophie needing to feel them close by. His apartment was filled with life from plants, flowers and music so he'd never really feel alone.

"So which wing is mine?" he asked half-joking

"I only reopened one part" he explained as the proceeded to leave the room starting down the long hallway on a little house tour "I didn't need the rest so I never really fixed it up or whatever. That room has a double bed for friends who come by. My room's that way there" he pointed to a closed-door next to his. "You have your own bathroom so you'll be fine." He added

Jude choked back a laugh white sterile walls, a bed and a bathroom with a shower all the comforts of a home. Or a prison cell "What's upstairs?" he asked of the grandiose circular staircase he'd seen coming in.

The athlete shrugged nonchalantly "Just more rooms I don't need."

Upstairs probably held a huge master bedroom yet the retired athlete chose to stay down here, in an area originally designated for staff. Strange and stranger the publicist thought and glanced down at his wrist "It's almost 6 pm and I still haven't seen the lodge."

"Hang on" Zero disappeared from the kitchen and returned with a stack of files, "I thought you'd go through the notes on the problems we've been having then tomorrow you can see for yourself." He handed him the files "I'll go get the rest of your luggage."

Jude retreated to his room and unzipped the puppy, hooked on the leash as the pup licked his cheek then headed back into the hall just as Zero was heading back in suitcases in hand. No room on either side, they both manoeuvred it backs flat against the wall and their bodies brushed evocatively against one another.

Chest against chest, thigh against thigh nothing could conceal the heat they generated even the impassive, steely resolve on Zero's face was replaced by warmth and desire? 

His sexy sterling grey gaze deepened and he looked into the honey-hued flecks of Jude which had darkened into darkened arousing pools he wanted to dive into.

Zero inhaled sharply trying to fight the pull, the alluring scent that had surrounded him for hours in the truck had suddenly enveloped him again.

Unlike the first time they met, this time he was face to face with temptation.