Chapter 29
Talon
Ineed to slow down. I know I do, but I can’t seem to stop. Being back home and having Zeke here with me has made me almost giddy, and the need to touch him is even more overwhelming than usual.
I’m not sure many people think of New York City as their safe haven, but I did even before everything happened in Montana. I do even more so now. And I hope Zeke does as well.
Stepping up to the retinal scanner, it only takes a second before I hear the double beep and a click, telling me the door is unlocked.
“Are you shitting me right now?” Zeke says next to me. I cock my head to the side in confusion. “A retinal scanner. That’s how you unlock your front door?”
Oh. Right. Probably not totally normal.
“Also,” he continues, “Seems like a bit of an oxymoron to protect an entry like that, considering these are giant, see-through glass doors. Just seems like someone could break in pretty easily.”
I smile. Just wait, I think to myself.
Pulling Zeke through the doorway, I kick it with the toe of my shoe as it closes. The sound of my foot colliding with the metal rings through the space.
“What the hell?” Zeke says, reaching forward to touch the door.
“It’s bulletproof. The glass on the other side is only on the other side, and I can choose what image is displayed through the glass.”
Zeke opens the front door, checking the image, and then peering back into the rest of the house to compare.
“That’s fucking crazy, but…is it really necessary?” he asks. “Are you in danger all the time?”
I walk him farther into my space.
“Personally, I don’t think so, but my parents weren’t taking any chances. Money makes people do some crazy shit. But truly, you’re safe here,” I tell him, walking toward the wall of windows, tugging him with me. “Look down,” I say, moving behind him and wrapping my arms around his torso.
“Is that Central Park?” he asks. The raw excitement in his voice fills my heart with joy.
“Yep,” I confirm, pressing my lips to his neck.
“Can we see it?”
“Of course, baby. We’re going to see it all.”
Zeke spins and jumps into my arms. He’s not as light as he used to be, and he knocks me off balance. I’ll be damned if I drop him, though, so I stumble backward before falling onto the couch, holding him tightly against my chest.
We’re both laughing when the double beep and click alert me to someone coming into my penthouse.
It’s either Eloise or Lukas. Or the housekeeper. Or the chef.
“Ah! My boys are home!” Eloise squeals. “Where are you gu—oh, shit! Guys! Really? I got notified when your plane landed. You had to have literally JUST WALKED IN HERE!”
“We did. And now, so did you,” I tell her, sitting up. Zeke has already launched himself into my sister’s arms.
I groan, dramatically flopping back onto the couch.
“We’re not going to have a moment to ourselves while we’re here, are we?”
Eloise laughs. “Probably not. Zeke, you look great!” She beams, running her hands up and down his shoulders, which have filled out some. “Happiness looks good on you, babe.”
“I have your brother to thank for that,” he says confidently, making my chest swell with pride.
I pull myself from the couch and make my way toward Eloise to give her a hug. As we pull apart, she looks between us, and her eyes land on me with concern.
“What’s your plan for telling everyone about this?”
“On the way here, I sent Mom, Dad, and Lukas an email, telling them that I need to talk to them about something important, but I haven’t spelled it out yet.
” I quickly shift my gaze to Zeke and grab his hand.
“I’m not ashamed or anything like that. Nor am I embarrassed.
I just feel like a conversation this big needs to happen face-to-face. ”
“You don’t have to explain, Talon. You’re allowed to come out to your family however you want,” Zeke says, and I swear he’s standing straighter, holding his shoulders back a little more, and speaking with more conviction than normal.
Unable to help myself, I slip my arm around his waist, tug him against my side, and kiss his temple.
“You know, the crazy part is that it doesn’t feel like coming out. It simply feels like introducing my family to the lo—” I cut myself off mid-sentence and redirect. “To my best friend and significant other.”
I no longer doubt that I love Zeke, but the first time I tell him will be a moment far more intimate than this one.
Eloise catches my eye and quirks a brow. Zeke may have missed the slip, but she definitely didn’t.
“Well, just let me know your plan,” she says. “Maybe Zeke and I can stroll down Fifth Avenue while you talk with them.”
The way Zeke’s eyes light up tells me he’s in favor of this plan, and I hope like hell he does more than window shop.
“I’m meeting them and Lukas at the office tomorrow morning at eleven,” I tell her.
“Perfect. Zeke, I’ll come by for you around ten thirty, but for now, I’ll let you two get back to all the things that were about to happen before I walked in.” She squeezes each of us once more.
She’s gone as quickly as she came, and once the door closes, I’m torn.
“I want to lay you down in my bed and fucking worship you, but I know you’re dying to see the city.” My lips find their way to Zeke’s neck because I can’t stay away. I’m drawn to him like a magnet, certain there’s an invisible force trapping me in his orbit. And I never want to leave.
“Well, I think the city will still be there when we’re done,” he says, tilting his head, giving me better access.
“Yeah?” I mumble against his skin.
“Yeah,” he confirms with a groan.
“Come with me.” I grip his hand and lead him through my penthouse.
He hasn’t even been given a proper tour yet, so I try to hit the highlights as we move about.
“The main floor guest bathroom is here,” I say, pointing to the left.
“You’ve seen the kitchen and the living room.
My home office doubles as the library, and it’s up those stairs, along with two guest rooms and a movie theater.
” I don’t turn around to see Zeke’s expression at my indulgence, but continue down the hallway.
“I still have no idea what I’m supposed to do with this room,” I tell him, pointing to a dark, empty room.
There are only two small windows in here, and the lighting is atrocious.
“And finally, this is my room. Our room now.”
We turn the corner, and Zeke stops in the doorway, causing my arm to jerk at the abruptness of it.
“Holy shit,” he exhales.
My penthouse, like most I’ve seen, is very bright and airy.
New York has a lot of cold, cloudy days, so our spaces are designed to let in a lot of natural light.
The kitchen is white marble, the curtains are white against very light beige walls, and even the chair covers in my dining room are white.
But my bedroom is dark.
Forest green coats my walls, and taupe blackout curtains are pushed back on the sides of the balcony doors. My furniture is rich cherry wood, heavy and expensive, and the remnants of a thousand pumps of Tom Ford cologne hang lightly in the air.
On the wall behind my bed is an original oil painting of a stag. Gold paint drips from his antlers and bleeds into the dark brown and black of his body. Those colors drip to the edge of the painting.
It transports me, and I had to have it.
“Do you like it?” I ask.
“This is…” Zeke trails off before shaking his head. “This is incredible.”
I motion him over to the window, where a slightly different view of Central Park awaits. From my room, I can see the edge of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. It’s currently covered in a thin layer of ice, but the view is stunning, nonetheless.
“Let me grab a quick shower, so I’m nice and fresh, and then I’d like to welcome you to New York properly. Make yourself at home. Feel free to explore.”
Zeke smiles, “I was thinking I could shower with you?”
My cock twitches against my thigh.
Swallowing hard, I grip his waist and confess my struggle as I brush his hair back from his glasses.
“I want you in that shower with me so fucking badly, but I’m finding it harder and harder to keep myself in check around you. Especially here for some reason.”
“In check how?” he asks, his eyes dipping to my lips.
I push my hips forward so he can feel my rapidly growing erection.
“I want more with you,” I say honestly. “Hell, I want everything with you, but I know it’s going to take time.
I just need you to know that I’m crazy about you, and I see this being long-term, so I’m happy to wait as long as it takes, but in order to protect you…
even from myself, I’m not so sure showering together is a great idea right now. ”