Linda picked up the telephone and placed it down again. She'd promised Carl she'd keep his secret, but for how long? The ophthalmologist's words came back to her with clarity. Macular degeneration could progress slowly or quickly depending on the person. Treatments also varied based on the person.

She'd been having trouble with Carl but the doctor had assured her, denial was normal at first. So she'd become patient and the man was coming around to his sad shit.

Linda had given Carl a deadline to talk to his nephews and niece or else she'd do it. She thought of Carl's handsome profile and her heart sank as her heart knew that she was in love with the man. As per everyone's suggestions she had finally decided to give Carl a push to help himself to her.

Linda took her hair out of a ponytail, shook it and glanced at the various shopping bags. Spread out over her room which contained a new wardrobe. The wardrobe would hopefully send flies to the moth, even the blurry vision flies and now all she needed was the nerve to wear the clothing, loosen things around a bit.

That would do it.

Right?

Gideon felt something warm and soft lying beside him. He rolled over slowly in anticipation and was met by a pair of sharp green eyes staring back at him.

"Jude get in here!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs jumping out of the comforts of his warm bed.

Jude didn't answer and the athlete was forced to leave his room and the feline creature in there closed behind. He headed for the publicist's room. "There's a cat in my room!"

Jude left the full-length mirror, threw his red tie on the bed and moved swiftly across the room for his tie drawer laughing. "Are you scared of cats?"

"No" a little embarrassed "I'm not."

"Hm is that why you came barging in here naked because you're not scared of it?" Jude teased.

The athlete vetted himself, surely he wasn't naked but he was shirtless, in a pair of Nike boxer shorts. As was his sleeping attire but the embarrassing thing for him right now would be the morning hard-on he was spotting and when he looked up. He measured the publicist's leanly toned back and got turned on by the sight before him.

He cleared his throat refusing to discuss the state of his undress "Look you came here with a dog and now you've picked up a cat? Why and from where?"

"This morning, the poor thing didn't have a collar, was purring and hungry so I brought it back here fed it some tuna and it must've stuck out from my room when I was in the shower."

Zero crossed the room, padding slowly in that mesmerizing way Jude liked so much and sat on the bed with a huff "Well it can't stay."

"Until I find the owners yes it will." Jude shot back with a determined tone that broke no room for argument.

Zero sighed "The hell you like these strays for Jude?"

"They like me too but that's none of your business now is it, Mr. Bennett?"

Yet once again instead of inciting his anger the athlete laughed "Anyone ever tell you you're as stubborn as your uncle?"

Jude remained impassive except for the stupid smile that hugged his lips.

"And the strays like you because you feed them," Zero observed.

Jude scoffed.

Zero took a chance saying something out of his perimeter "I think saving animals is a means for you to have control. It lets you accomplish what you couldn't do for your parents." Zero's eyes remained entrained on the sexy publicist and it was hard to miss him wincing a bit, not hissing or spitting back in sass which proved his theory.

Zero liked knowing he could read Jude well enough. He rose to his feet and crossed over to lean on the chest of drawers Jude was lazily crouched at.

Jude gave the athlete a glance and remained nonchalant but it was hard with the heavyweight of emotions he'd brought to the surface. And then there were those damn pheromones floating about- Zero was naked. He licked his lips "Whether you're right or not and I'm not saying you are the cat has nowhere to go."

"I know" a smug smile played at those sexy lips.

"Gideon You can't turn it back on the street or a shelter where they might have to put it down too."

Gideon...in that voice...hmm.

"I know that too." He sounded resigned but his piercing eyes were narrowed and another speculative story.

"It'll only be for a short while; I'll keep it away from you and your bed," Jude promised.

This only reminded Gideon that the stray had been the one to wake up in his bed instead of Jude and without success, he failed to hide how his dilated gaze was checking out the publicist with a look of pure seductive need.

He inched closer to the publicist they were only inches apart when Jude whispered "The cat?"

"Stays" Gideon didn't think he'd ever deny Jude.

Their gazes held, his heart pounded harder than it had with any other man and finally he'd wrapped his hand around Jude's neck pulling him in for a well-calculated impulsive kiss; that defined mouth was hard on his trying to take possession. It was adorable really so he smiled into the kiss.

Despite the kiss being soft, and tender they were aflame a burning heat arose in Zero settling a pulse between his legs. The athlete shivered trembling with desire as he pushed into the kiss deeper increasing its intensity and leading his partner to the bed.

The need to touch and feel Jude's warm body on him was strong it had been a long time and Jude was sexy as fuck, he really had been set up to fail in the test of holding on to his resolve. Perhaps his only virtue.

"We shouldn't do this." Jude murmured their bodies aligned each other, excitement and anticipation built to a frenzied peak his hands were also still tangled in the athlete's soft hair.

Gideon glanced down, brushed a hair from Jude's face and smiled happily. Jude's voice had affected him on a gut level and just looking at him made him hard. "I don't mean to be rude but I really want to fuck you, Jude." He said lowering his hands to his bed partner's hips tight. A low seductive moan rumbled in his chest and reverberated through him when their crotches touched through fabric.

Jude trailed kisses over his jawline then his neck as they gyrated their hips in sync with the mood. Unfortunately, the shirt on Jude prevented him from really feeling him the way he wanted to.

He wanted skin on skin.

He pulled it off and tossed it to the floor.