Chapter 23
Talon
Leaving Zeke this morning was physically painful. A strong statement for so early on, I know, but true nonetheless. I wanted to stay wrapped around him all morning, telling him how beautiful he is and how much brighter he makes my life simply by being in it.
After confessing that he has—understandably—struggled to get off for a while, my heart was set to burst over the fact that Zeke trusted me enough to let go. It’s the most beautiful gift I’ve ever been given.
And now, I’m headed to Ricochet to make sure that gift is protected at all costs.
As far as I know, Derek remains unaware of who I really am. He knows my first name and my face, but has no reason to suspect who my family is or what I’m worth.
By the time I arrive at the ski resort, security has already escorted Derek off the property.
The video footage shows him starting out calm, requesting an hour pass to park so he can dine at Summit, which my team promptly declined.
However, the situation escalated as Derek became increasingly frustrated over being kept from me… not Zeke.
My team did an excellent job playing dumb, stating the lots were full, and no hour passes were available. They were professional but strict, and when Derek finally left, they called me right away.
I do my best to focus on work while I’m here, stopping every hour to update Zeke as promised. I manage to call my dad and fill him in on numbers, projections, and ideas for growth that have been fed to me by the other team leaders. Thank God for them.
I definitely do not tell him about Zeke or the drama surrounding us at the moment.
Once I’m off the phone, I take the gondola up to Summit.
“Hey Tal…uh, I mean, Mr. Devereaux,” Hayden says, greeting me with a smile when I walk into the restaurant.
Returning his smile, I shake his hand. “Talon is fine, Hayden. How are things going up here?”
“Good. I thought Zeke was working today, though. I miss the sulky little fucker. Glad he got over that illness. Dude never misses a day of work.”
“Yeah,” I say noncommittally. “I got an email from him saying he should be back tomorrow.”
At hearing his name, I think about the man I left in my bed this morning and finish making the rounds quickly so I can return to him. When I get to Rebecca’s office, she closes the door behind me and perches on her desk.
“Do you think Derek will be able to figure out he’s staying with you?
” she asks bluntly. I catch my surprised expression quickly, but I fear it’s not quickly enough because she laughs.
“Talon, I’m not one to go running my mouth or be in other people’s business, but I did see Zeke the morning you took him to the hospital.
More importantly, I saw you that morning, and you were a total wreck.
You owe me nothing, but give me some credit.
I’m not blind. No way in hell were you sending him back to Derek, and I know Zeke wouldn’t allow you to pay for him to stay somewhere else, which means he’s staying with you.
” I open my mouth to argue, but she cuts me off.
“You don’t have to confirm or deny it. Just tell me he’s going to be okay. ”
“He’s going to be okay,” I answer quickly. “You know, if you ever find yourself wanting to relocate, let me know, Rebecca. You’re quite an asset, and I’d like to ensure you stay a part of the Devereaux Properties team.”
She grins at me.
“Thank you, sir.”
I groan. “You don’t have to call me sir.”
Smiling, she says, “I kind of do. It was different when I thought you worked for me, but knowing it’s me who works for you changes things.”
“I wish it didn’t,” I tell her honestly.
She gives me a sincere smile as I head out the door.
Back down the mountain, I’m walking to my office when my cell phone rings with an unknown number. I briefly consider not answering, but since Zeke and I are currently apart, I’ll take no chances. If there’s a possibility that he needs me, then I’m going to answer.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Devereaux, this is Officer Michaels. I just wanted to let you know we were finally able to get a hold of Derek Palmer to deliver the protective order late last night. It’s unlikely Mr. Palmer will be bothering you again for a while.”
So that’s why he showed up today looking for me. After Rebecca pointed out how I wear my feelings for Zeke on my face, I guess it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together, and Derek has, in fact, realized Zeke is with me.
I brace a shoulder against the nearest building, stopping to digest Officer Michaels’ words.
“Thank you for letting me know, Officer.”
I blow out a breath and immediately call Zeke.
“If you’re feeling up for it, I’d love to take you out to celebrate tonight,” I suggest, elated at the thought of taking Zeke on a proper date.
“It doesn’t seem too soon?” he asks with a note of hesitation.
“Too soon to go on a date or too soon to celebrate?”
“Either?”
“It’s definitely not too soon for our first real date. In fact, I’m probably a little late in asking. As for Derek, he’s robbed enough from us.”
He’s been warned to stay away, and I’m choosing to believe he’ll heed that warning…because what other choice do we have? Never go out? Live in a constant state of worry that he’s going to show up? No thanks.
“Okay, sure, as long as—”
“I’m paying. This is me asking you on a date,” I say, interrupting him, knowing he was going to put up a fight. “You’re saving your money. All of it,” I remind him. “And as soon as you let me help, we’re investing it, so you can hit your goals even faster.”
I know I won’t truly believe this thing we have is real until Zeke is financially independent and still chooses to be with me.
Until then, I’m going to soak up every minute I’m blessed with.
“You’re impossible,” he says, but I hear the smile in his voice.
“Only when it comes to you. I’ll be home by five-thirty. Think about where you’d like to eat.”
The domesticity in that sentence has my heart fluttering in my chest, and the knowledge that I won’t be coming home to an empty house has my soul singing.
“Honey, I’m hoooooooome,” I yell, stepping inside the house from the garage.
Zeke’s sitting at the bar, dressed in jeans and a button-down. He begrudgingly allowed me to expand his wardrobe from the sweats collection he had when he realized he couldn’t wear sweatpants to work.
I mean, he could, because I’d let him do anything he wanted to, but he’s anti-special treatment.
His hair is much longer on the top than it was a few weeks ago, and he’s styled it so it’s brushed back from his face.
The rim of his glasses rests on those cheekbones that make my knees weak, and his eyes are bright behind the lenses.
He’s so achingly beautiful, I can’t stop myself from walking straight toward him and placing my lips against his.
He kisses me back, his hands flying to my waist as a small moan escapes.
I’m smiling as I pull back.
“Keep making those sounds, and dinner will have to wait.” I give him one last peck on the lips before removing my jacket and throwing it over the back of one of the kitchen chairs. “Did you decide where you want to go?”
“I don’t really know how to pick…for like a date,” he says. “In the spirit of communicating about everything, I’m worried I’ll pick someplace too cheap and you won’t like the food, or it’ll be too expensive, and you still won’t like the food.”
I understand his hesitance. I hate it, but I understand it. I’m sure Derek blamed him for a lot of things that were never his fault, and that’s a mentality that’s hard to break free of.
“Tell you what. How about I pick tonight, and while we’re at dinner, we’ll cover all our likes and dislikes, so we know which places to avoid?”
“Sounds like a plan,” he says.
“Great. I’ll go change.”
Ten minutes later, I come back into the living room wearing a navy sweater and slim-fit khaki pants with brown boots.
“So, I’m thinking the Japanese steakhouse,” I say.
Zeke’s bright eyes darken immediately as his gaze sweeps over me, heating my blood.
Licking his lips, he replies, “You’re sure we have to go out at all?”
I’ve never been in a relationship where my partner wants me as much as I want them, and I’m tempted to stay home and peel every layer off us both. Except Zeke deserves this. He deserves to be taken out and to experience a normal, healthy relationship.
It doesn’t matter that we got our shit together less than forty-eight hours ago; this has been building for a while.
“Yes,” I force myself to say. “It’ll be nice. And the wait will make the reward that much better.”
I’m not actually sure that’s true, but I’m trying to convince myself that it is, so I actually leave the house.
After helping Zeke into his coat, I hold the door open for him and kiss him once more just because I can.
Before backing out of the garage, I hand Zeke my phone.
“Why don’t you DJ? The password is one-two-one-two.”
He takes the phone slowly.
“You just want me to open your phone and scroll through your stuff?” he asks, like it’s the most insane idea he’s ever heard.
“Yeah, I have nothing to hide. Not anymore, at least,” I tease. “And not from you.”
“Same,” he says quickly before changing the subject. “Okay, let’s see what you played last.” His head whips to me when the sultry French lyrics of Indila’s song Dernière Danse ring through the SUV.
“You know Indila?” he asks, taken aback, making me smile.
“You know Indila?” I fire back.
“I was a French aristocrat in a play once. I listened to a lot of her stuff to get into the role.”
“I would have loved to have seen that. I think you’d make a hot aristocrat. Have you decided if you’re going to audition for that other play?” I ask, realizing I haven’t heard him mention it since he told me he’d been asked to audition.
“Yeah, I think I’m going to pass. That theater and those people…it’s not the same as it was.”
“I hate that he ruined opening night for you. You should have had only happy memories after that performance,” I tell Zeke, reaching over to lace our fingers together.
“Maybe in time I’ll be able to return. But not right now.” A look of agony passes across Zeke’s features, and despite knowing what happened to him, I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something.
“Take all the time you need,” I tell him, not wanting him to feel any pressure from me.
We spend the rest of the ride in a comfortable silence as the French lyrics swirl around us.
The restaurant is in a beautiful white-brick shopping center nestled in the small downtown area. The kind that encourages you to walk around despite the frigid temperatures, thanks to the gas fire pits dotted along the brick walkways.
Being in public with Zeke feels so good. Not simply hiding at home makes this feel real in a way that it hasn’t yet. I try not to show him off, but my chest puffs out with pride at having him by my side as I approach the hostess stand, still clutching his hand.
“Table for two, please,” I tell her, acutely aware that her eyes drift to where our hands are linked and her smile falters.
I’m not one to make others uncomfortable intentionally, but when Zeke tenses beside me, I know he saw her look and is affected by it.
And that just won’t fly. “My boyfriend and I are celebrating tonight, so I’d like a booth, please.
I want to be able to sit next to him so there’s not as much distance. ”
“Sure,” she says, clearly annoyed as she reroutes and leads us toward a booth by a window.
“Perfect. Thank you,” I tell her cheerfully.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” Zeke says, once the hostess has left.
“Of course I did. She’s an abomination to hosts and hostesses everywhere,” I tell him. “Could you imagine judging patrons of Summit so openly?”
“No, I’m way better at judging them quietly,” he teases, making me laugh.
“What should we drink tonight? After all, we are celebrating.”