by Shea Balik
Yeah, right.
Reese mentally gave his inner voice a scowl. All right, maybe he’d hooked up a few times when he’d been kicked out of the house. The freedom of being out from under his father’s thumb had him going a little crazy, but that had been years ago. He no longer did one night stands – usually.
For Spencer, he just might amend that rule. Then again, he wasn’t sure one night would be enough to satisfy either of them considering the way Spencer had been staring at him.
“Thank you.” The man who he’d just released from the ice hugged his freezing body against Reese. “I seriously thought my nuts were going to fall right off.” Not letting go, probably because he was shivering violently, the man said, “I’m Axom, by the way. Is that your dog? Or is he a wolf? It’s hard to tell, but I have to say, I appreciate you not letting him eat me. Talk about an embarrassing way to die.”
Then Axom stepped back and put a hand up as if he were imitating a headline. “’Man gets eaten by wolves while pinned to the ice by his cock and balls.’ Talk about humiliating. I would have had to forever be a ghost with that hanging over my head.”
“At least your ghost would look good,” Spencer said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
But Axom, crazy as it seemed, smiled brightly and seemed to preen at the compliment as he smoothed down his skirt and straightened the soft sweater he was wearing. The only piece of clothing the man was wearing that was a nod to the cold weather.
“Yes, I would,” Axom agreed with Spencer, who was staring at Reese with enough heat to melt the ice around them.
Damn, the man was hot. If Reese didn’t have his principles about having sex before a first date, he would already be balls deep in that taut ass.
“Wow, yeah, uhmmmmm,” Axom said as his head went from Reese, to Spencer, and back to Reese. “It was nice to meet you, but I think I’m going to go to the hotel and see if I can’t warm up my balls by the fire. Alone. Not that either of you would care.”
When Axom turned to walk away, Reese could have sworn he heard the man muttering, “No. Really. I’m fine. I may have lost my cock and balls, but don’t worry about me. Keep flirting. I might as well have just died for all they cared. Maybe I’m a ghost and they couldn’t hear me. Fuck, could that have happened? I better go find Anook and ask him.”
Yep. Life was definitely full of surprises. It was the reason Reese was even in Mystic Pines.
Four months ago, when it was still warm, Reese Alston had read an article about five men who were going to save the little town of Mystic Pines, Alaska by turning it into a resort, catering to the LGBTQ community. No one would ever be turned away just because they weren’t part of the community, but their advertising was directed toward anyone who wanted to have a vacation where they could just be themselves.
According to the article, a large resort-style hotel was already being built, which would include a spa. They would also have other amenities like guided outdoor activities, trips for whale watching in the summer, and skiing in the winter.
When Reese had finished reading, he was hooked. He’d made a call to the man the article was centered around, Anook Jackson. Anook had been the one to inherit the town of Mystic Pines, which had once been a booming copper mining town, but now was listed as a ghost town.
Not wanting his family’s legacy to completely die, Anook had convinced four of his friends to invest in the town and turn it into a safe place for the LGBTQ community to vacation. After speaking with Anook, Reese started to make plans to move.
He’d always wanted to be a part of something that would help others. His mother had always supported him, but his father? Not only weren’t they speaking, but his mother had divorced him when he told Reese he no longer had a son.
It hadn’t been what he wanted, especially since it divided the rest of the family. His older sister, Lucy, had not only sided with their father against Reese, but refused to speak to anyone who thought Reese’s ‘behavior’ was acceptable.
His younger sister Chloe had told Reese that she didn’t give a shit who he fucked. They were siblings, that was all that mattered. She also told him that Lucy needed to get that stick up her ass removed, especially since she had no room to talk, since she apparently had no clue how to use a condom. Lucy had gotten pregnant at sixteen, had an abortion because she didn’t feel she was capable of having a child, only to end up pregnant again four months later. But that was Chloe. Blunt and honest to a fault.
Admittedly, working near a resort that catered to the LGBTQ community hadn’t exactly been what Reese had imagined, but he was still excited. Now that he met Spencer, he was damn glad he’d decided to take the chance.
Sammy barked, drawing Spencer’s attention. Based on the fearful look in Spencer’s mocha brown eyes, that wasn’t a good thing. “Should you really have a wolf running around town?”
Reese had to force himself not to roll his eyes. It was a question he got a lot. “Sammy is a Husky, not a wolf.” He decided, at least for now leaving out the fact that technically Sammy was a quarter wolf. No point in frightening Spencer or anyone else in town with trivial nonsense.
Spencer lifted an eyebrow, the doubt clearly written on his face. “Really? Because I could have sworn he howled just like a wolf earlier.”
Laughing it off, Reese pointed his finger to the ground, and Sammy obediently came right to his side and sat as he’d been trained. “Dogs do howl, you know.”
“Yeah, but he sounded more like a wolf than a dog,” Spencer countered.
It was a point Reese couldn’t deny. “Some breeds, like Sammy here…” Reese gave him a pat on the head to try and show Spencer there was nothing to fear. “Are crossbred with wolves. Technically, he is part wolf, but the husky side of him makes him an amazingly smart and loving pet.”
“But he is still part wolf.” Spencer took a full step back as if that would help him if Sammy decided to attack, which he wouldn’t. Or, at least, he wouldn’t so long as Spencer didn’t try to hurt Reese. Then all bets were off, because Sammy would rip out his throat.
“But he’s mostly Husky,” Reese countered. “I promise you, Sammy would never hurt anyone without a reason. But that is true of all dogs.”
Spencer didn’t look like he was ready to accept that, but that was fine. Reese was used to people being wary around Sammy. Cute as he was, he really had a lot of wolf features, which tended to cause some hesitation. Although, it didn’t usually take Sammy long to prove how lovable he was.
Hoping to get Spencer off the subject of Sammy, Reese decided it would be a good time to talk to the man about the reason he’d come to Mystic Pines. “Before I came to Alaska, I talked with your friend, Anook Jackson, about opening a dog spa and daycare for the resort’s guests. He suggested I speak to you about it, since he said you were the one that would be running the hotel.”
The topic change got Spencer to stop looking at Sammy as if he were going to jump him at any moment, but Reese wasn’t so sure that was a good thing, since he was now frowning at him. The man was frowning so hard, his eyebrows were nearly touching and the corners of his lips came close to reaching his chin. There was no way that could be a good sign.
“Why would that be necessary?” Spencer asked him as if he were completely mystified by Reese’s statement.
The answer seemed obvious to Reese. He just wasn’t quite sure why it appeared to stump Spencer. “Because your guests won’t be able to bring their pets whale watching or skiing. Plus, some of the smaller breeds, or cats, for that matter, wouldn’t do well on a hike.”
Reese had seriously debated if he would be willing to take in cats, but, in the end, he’d decided he shouldn’t discriminate. Many people were cat people and it wouldn’t be right for Reese to exclude them from enjoying their outings with the assurance that their feline companions were being cared for.
If it were possible, Spencer’s frown deepened. “This is a resort, not a dog hotel. No pets will be allowed.”
There was no give in the
words or resolute tone Spencer used, which just pissed Reese off. He’d assumed Spencer had just been afraid of Sammy because he resembled a wolf. It mystified Reese that anyone could not like animals, but it was obvious this man felt that way. Such a shame, too. Reese had been hoping to get know Spencer on a more personal level. No way that was happening now.
“But you have advertised that you are an inclusive resort,” Reese told him. He had the brochure that Anook had sent him as well as the news article that had been written about the opening of the resort. “How can you exclude pet parents?”
The concept was completely alien to Reese. He knew there were places that didn’t allow pets, but he never frequented those establishments. Then again, the neighborhood he’d left in Seattle had been very pet friendly. Based on the complaints of some of pet parents he often interacted with, not everywhere was as accepting.
It was one of the reasons he’d decided to come to Mystic Pines. He couldn’t imagine anyone who was willing to travel without their pet. Yet, logically, cats and dogs couldn’t go everywhere without risking their safety. His daycare would provide a safe space for them while their parents got to do the things they wanted, while still coming back to their animals at the end of the day.
To Reese, it was a win-win.
“We’re not excluding those who own pets.” Reese tried not to scowl at the way Spencer stated that pets were some kind of property. They weren’t owned. Hell, Sammy had chosen him as much as Reese had chosen Sammy. Reese took care of his needs, but Sammy did the same for him by providing all the love Reese could ever need. “They just need to leave their pets behind.”
“But when I spoke with Anook about my idea he never indicated that Mystic Pines would ban pets.” If he had, Reese never would have bothered moving. “He claimed it was a good idea and encouraged me to move here.”
That might have been a slight stretch, but Reese took Anook’s friendly tone to mean that he liked Reese’s plan. And he never once indicated that there would be a problem. In Reese’s book, that was the same thing as telling him Anook approved.
Spencer didn’t look impressed. “Anook doesn’t run the hotel, I do. There will be no animals allowed, only people.”
Sammy stood up and growled. Reese could tell he wasn’t really upset, just letting Spencer know he wasn’t happy with him, but Spencer didn’t know that.
“Did he just growl at me?” Spencer took several more steps back. “You need to put a leash on that thing before he kills someone.” Then Spencer stomped away, checking over his shoulder every few steps that Sammy wasn’t going to attack.
Kneeling down, Reese hugged Sammy. “It’s okay, boy. He just doesn’t know you yet. But we’ll show him how sweet you really are, won’t we?”
Sammy gave him a soft woof, then licked his face in agreement.
CHAPTER 3
“I don’t see what the problem is.” Anook said when Spencer confronted him about Reese’s pet suggestion that evening at dinner.
“I agree,” Kip said as he ate his meatless chili, while the rest of them had chili bursting with meat, just as they loved it. “What’s wrong with allowing guests to bring their pets? My parents won’t travel unless they can take their cat because they don’t want her to get lonely.”
Was he in some alternate universe? Maybe Axom’s ramblings about there being vortices to other dimensions in Alaska might be true. It was the only reasonable explanation as to why his four friends seemed to think pets in a resort hotel were okay.
“They’re animals,” Spencer emphasized but that didn’t seem to make an impact on anyone around the table. “Animals belong outside, not in a hotel. How are we supposed to keep things hygienic if there are animals running around?”
He truly didn’t understand how anyone would want all that shedding fur everywhere. “Between the fur coating every surface and their dirty paws on everything…” Spencer shuddered at the thought. “It’s disgusting.”
Axom tilted his head, his hazel eyes sparkling with amusement. “You mean unlike our dirty shoes and boots tracking in dirt and mud?”
“It’s not the same,” Spencer insisted, although he wasn’t entirely sure how, but he was sure it wasn’t.
Cass let out a laugh, which was fairly typical of the man, who never took anything seriously. “How isn’t it the same? I mean, sure, I guess you have a point about the fur, but their paws don’t track in any more than our shoes do.”
“Like it or not,” Anook said. “Reese had a point. People feel their pets are family, not just some animal. Offering them a destination where they can bring that part of their family along will only help us when we open.”
“How?” Spencer asked incredulously. “By bringing in fleas and ticks? Pooping on the floors? Keeping people up all night by barking and meowing?”
This time all of them laughed. “Are you hearing yourself?” Axom finally asked. “People bring viruses and bacteria. Kids throw up and poop on floors. As for being kept up all night, are you going ban babies, too? Or what about alcohol, because I’ve lived with you, and you, my friend, are much louder than a dog when you’re drunk.”
“And in case you missed it,” Anook added with a healthy dose of sarcasm. “We live in Alaska, home of the eternal daylight during the summer. Hell, the whole damn season you did nothing but bitch about the constant light and not being able to sleep. What?” Anook leaned forward over his bowl, his expression mocking Spencer. “Do you plan on banning the sun, too?”
Cass smacked the table several times as he laughed so hard tears started running down his face. Axom wasn’t much better, although, as he was wearing eyeliner and mascara, his friend managed not to go so far as to cry.
“Not funny,” Spencer spit out. Unsure how to convince his friends that animals in the resort weren’t acceptable, he silently fumed as he ate his chili. It wasn’t until Kip sneezed when he added some more red pepper flake to his bowl that Spencer came up with one final point. “What about those people who are allergic? Are we supposed to ignore their needs just because someone is too attached to their pet?”
As much as he wanted to do a victory dance when no one had an instant comeback, Spencer refrained. He might have actually won this debate. Good thing too. Who the hell was going to want to come to a hotel that had animals running around creating havoc?
“We could have a designated floor for those with allergies,” Kip suggested. “Or, since the lobby will be in the center of the hotel, we’d make one half pet friendly and the other half pet-free.”
Spencer glared at his friend.
“What?” Kip shrugged. “I like animals. You know that. If I had a cat or dog, I wouldn’t want to leave him or her behind.”
That was hard to argue. Not the leaving one’s pet behind, but that Kip loved animals. Then again, he loved every living creature, including homophobic assholes. The man had a way of finding the best in everyone, no matter how hateful they might be.
“We all agreed that I would run the hotel part of the resort how I see fit,” Spencer reminded them.
Anook nodded. “True. But we also agreed that all major decisions would be voted on by all of us.”
Spencer was fuming. He wasn’t one to just give up. Well, he had been in the past, but when this opportunity to shape Mystic Pines into a LGBTQ friendly resort town, he’d been determined to shed that part of himself.
“The hotel won’t open for two more months.” He hoped. The snow had started early that year, causing a slew of delays that were costing them dearly. It had taken a herculean effort, but they’d finally gotten back on track.
The first weekend in March, they would officially open. It would only be to family and friends, as well as several locals from nearby Anchorage and Valdez, but they needed to make that deadline if they had any hope of ensuring they were ready for the following weekend. That would be the real test, for they had invited dozens of travel reviewers. With any luck, they would get glowing recommendations, which would lead to a booked resort.
“Give me a month to do some research on what happens when animals are allowed into hotels,” Spencer requested of them. “Then you can make a more informed decision.”
His four friends glanced at each other and Anook nodded. “Okay. But to be fair, I’ll be giving Reese the same opportunity.”
“What?” That was not what Spencer wanted to hear. “Why would you do that? I thought we make the decisions that affect our business, not some outsider.” The last thing he needed was for Reese to make some emotional plea that would cause his more sensitive friends to ignore the facts that he’d present.
“Maybe,” Anook agreed. “But since this affects all of us, I believe we should hear from both sides of this debate, don’t you?”
As much as Spencer wanted to say, ‘no,’ he knew he couldn’t without sounding like a petulant child. “Fine.” He gave in, knowing there was no other option. He may not want the other side of the equation to muddy the waters, but it was only fair.
Damn it.
He would just have to find enough evidence to prove that animals weren’t a good idea to counter any emotional case Reese would most likely make. It wouldn’t be easy, but Spencer would find a way.
“Did anyone notice Dane, today?” Axom asked, smacking his lips. “That boy had on a tight t-shirt that had me itching to take it off of him.”
For Spencer, instead of Dane, who had heard about their new town and come to Mystic Pines to open a tavern, popping to mind, it was the image of Reese’s smile. So easy and open, as if the man had no cares in the world.
From the moment Spencer had glanced at his pretty face, he’d been half-hard and, if he were honest, even when he was arguing with Reese about pets being in the resort, his erection hadn’t gone down in the slightest. If anything, he’d only gotten harder as the thought of all that passion Reese showed translating to the bedroom.
