Epilogue
Zeke
I’ve been in New York full time for seven months. I began taking acting classes and waiting tables in the restaurant on the bottom floor of our high-rise. Not working was never an option for me, and just because my boyfriend is worth billions doesn’t mean I won’t contribute.
Derek was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison.
When I was told, I felt nothing at all. My therapist assured me that my response was okay. She said it just meant that I’d closed that chapter before the judicial system had, and whatever happened to Derek was no longer relevant to me.
I liked that outlook.
Currently, I’m in a dressing room backstage, sweating my nerves out through my eyeballs. Tonight is my Broadway debut. The director I met several months ago has been incredible to work with, and although I’m nervous as hell, this is what I’ve always wanted.
Knuckles rap on the doorframe behind me, and I turn to see Talon.
He’s holding an iced coffee in his hand.
“I thought about having someone deliver this for me, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tell you good luck in person.”
“Mama mia! Who is this tall, iced white mocha?” Kevandre says behind me. He and I share a dressing room. We also play opposite each other in this production. He’s been another amazing mentor.
“Key, this is my boyfriend, Talon.”
The men shake hands, and Kevandre looks back at me.
“It makes sense you’d snag a hottie, but damn.”
Key kisses my cheek and slips out the door with a ‘nice to meet you, handsome,’ and I don’t fear Talon’s reaction at all.
There is no beating coming. There is no punishment waiting on the threshold.
There is no threat, no hiding my location, no lying about where I’ll be after the show, because he’ll be right beside me, where I want him.
“Nice guy,” Talon says with a smile, handing me the drink. With his hands now free, he reaches forward and pulls me toward him, careful not to smudge my stage makeup. “Have I ever told you how fucking gorgeous you are?” he asks, making me smile.
“Maybe once or twice, but I wouldn’t hate hearing it again.”
“You’re so fucking hot, baby, and I can’t wait to get you home tonight.”
Me neither, because I have something special in mind. I think enough time has passed that I want to give the last piece of myself to Talon. I need his mark to be the only one I bear and for his DNA to erase any that was there before him.
“I love you,” I tell him.
“I love you, too. See you onstage.”
The standing ovation from the crowd is deafening, and I beam with pride, my hands clasping those of the incredible artists next to me as we bow again. I can’t see past the lights, but I feel Talon’s presence. His whole family is here, including Lukas, Annie, and their girls.
I’ve gone out for drinks dozens of times with my castmates and have made so many friendships, but tonight, I decline the offer.
“Sorry, guys, I’ve got something to do.”
“But Zeeeekkkkeee,” Ashley whines. “You always come.”
Kevandre knocks her with his shoulder. “I think that’s still the plan, honey.”
I throw my head back in laughter because he’s not wrong.
The entire Devereaux family is waiting for me once I’ve gotten changed, and I’m immediately wrapped up in hugs, everyone singing praises of my performance.
Talon waits patiently for his turn.
When his arms wrap around me, I finally take a deep breath, inhaling my place of peace.
“You are so talented, you know that? I wish it had been my theater that hosted your debut, but I understand why it wasn’t.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, appreciating that he didn’t give me shit when I said I needed to start my career apart from his name.
Cupping the back of his neck, I pull his ear to my mouth. “Now, take me home so we can celebrate properly.”
Talon starts the round of goodbyes, and once we’re free, he practically runs us to the waiting car.
Alone in the elevator, he types in the code, and then his body is pressed against mine, comforting and familiar. Grabbing his hand, I guide it to my dick, needing his touch. Wanting his touch.
We’re a tangle of limbs and tongues as we trip down the hall toward the door. Clothes start coming off as soon as we hear the click and the door swings open.
Frantic hands pull at sweaters, rip buttons, and scramble to unzip zippers.
We knock a picture off the wall in the hallway and almost topple to the floor in our haste.
When we’re finally naked and bathed in the moonlight coming in through the sheer curtains in our room, Talon reaches for my already hard cock, handing me the lube at the same time.
I push the bottle back toward him, earning a confused frown.
“I was thinking maybe we could try something new tonight,” I tell him, thrusting into his fist as I stroke his cock with my free hand.
“Anything,” Talon answers, just like always.
“I thought tonight, you could try…fucking me?”
Talon freezes, his mouth forming a perfect ‘O’, and I smile.
“We don’t ever have to—”
“I want to,” I assure him.
His breathing hitches, and I know he likes the idea, but I also know he’s going to worry about me the entire time.
“You’re sure?” he asks.
“I’m sure. If it’s too much, I promise I’ll tell you. Just let me grab a shower, and then I’m all yours.”
I take my time refamiliarizing myself with my body in that way, breathing through the initial panic caused by my own fingers as they start exploring.
Before I get too far into the process, there’s a knock on the door. I hear Talon’s voice, but he stays hidden, giving me privacy.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want it, but I poured a glass of that Riesling you like.” A glass of white wine suddenly appears around the door. “And then I thought maybe you’d rather have something more hydrating, so I brought lemon water too.” Talon’s other hand appears in my line of sight.
“Both look wonderful, Tal. Thank you. Just leave them on the vanity.”
He does so and closes the bathroom door, not pressing for more.
Getting back to work, I think about the man waiting for me as I begin opening myself up for him in a whole new way.
Talon
This is a big fucking deal.
The biggest.
I never allowed myself to think about this possibility because I knew I’d never ask for it. The symbolism of him asking for it tonight…opening night…isn’t lost on me, and God, I hope I do this well.
I’m not sure whose nerves are higher right now, but I will do everything in my power to put Zeke at ease.
When he emerges from the bathroom, he doesn’t even have a towel around his waist, and I’m struck again by his beauty and his trust in me.
He meets me on the bed, kissing me once before settling on his back against the pillows.
“I want to be able to see you,” he says, and something about the statement has tears pooling in my eyes.
Nodding, I lean down to kiss him softly.
“What’s off limits?” I ask, needing to know if I’m allowed to use my tongue and fingers or if tonight needs to be restricted to the more mechanical act just to help ease him back in.
“Nothing,” he says, lighting my nerve endings on fire.
I stare into his eyes, promising him the world before moving to his neck, down his smooth chest, across his stomach, and further still to his dick.
I spend several minutes here. This is familiar territory for us and a comfortable place to be.
While my mouth is on his cock, my hand moves to his balls.
Again, nothing new here.
Zeke swells in my mouth as I lick and suck the way he likes. It’s not until his fingers curl in my hair that I tentatively dip my finger lower, behind his balls. He stiffens, but relaxes quickly.
“Are you doing okay?” I ask, checking in.
“Yes,” he confirms.
Tentatively, I rub over the puckered flesh, losing myself to how it feels beneath my fingertip.
Moving down the bed on my stomach, I push one of his knees toward his chest. I don’t want him to feel overly exposed just yet, but I’m at war with myself because I’m dying to put my mouth on him.
“Can I taste you?” I ask, breathing heavily, needing consent every step of the way.
“Yes,” Zeke says.
I lick my way from his balls, across his taint, and finally over his hole. The sheer relief I feel at finally knowing this part of him is so intense that an uncontrollable moan is ripped from my throat.
Zeke tenses, causing me to pause and look up at him before taking another lick.
“You taste so fucking good. Your flavor is heaven. Can I keep going?”
He nods, and I dive back in, doing my best to bury my face inside him.
Somewhere above me, the sound of the lube catches my attention, and I smile when I realize he’s jerking himself. But now I want to watch.
Decisions, decisions.
I take one more long, deep, swipe over his hole before pushing back into a sitting position.
Zeke stills his hand.
“Don’t stop. I want to watch. Can I use my fingers on you?”
“Okay,” he says. But okay isn’t yes. It feels like the answer he thinks he should give, not the one he wants to give.
“Hey, I’m in no rush. If you’ve changed your mind about what you want tonight, I’m already on Cloud Nine, baby. There’s no pressure to do more or go farther.”
“No, I want you to. It’s just getting difficult to verbalize my thoughts,” Zeke says with a pointed look at his dripping, swollen cock.
Leaning forward, I lick him clean as his back bows off the bed.
Placing a lubed finger at his entrance, I can tell he’s bracing himself for the pain, the burn, the forced entry. But I’m going to make sure it never comes.
My left hand is still pushing his right knee to his chest, but we manage to lace our fingers together on the side of his thigh.
I tease just the very tip of my finger inside him, lubricating my path millimeters at a time.
I don’t bother telling him to relax because I’ll work around his body even if he’s strung tighter than a guitar string.
“You’re doing so fucking great, baby.”
More lube. Another few millimeters.
By the time I have two fingers seated fully inside him, we’re both leaking precum, and Zeke is panting.
“Please,” he whimpers as I remove my fingers. I’m fully prepared to give him a third and make sure he’s more than ready, but he doesn’t want it. “Talon, I’m good. Fuck me.”
I douse my cock in lube, willing to sacrifice all the friction for his comfort.
“Do you want your legs up or feet planted on the bed?” I ask.
“Down for now,” he says.
It’s harder to see this way, so I use my finger as a guide. I almost black out simply from pressing the head of my cock against his hole. I’m not even inside yet.
Moving forward, his body welcomes me easily thanks to the ample amount of gel coating us both.
As soon as the head of my cock breaches the first ring of muscle, I’m sucked into his body, and I release the breath I hadn’t known I was holding.
He feels so goddamn good; I could fucking cry.
My dick twitches inside his ass, and I see him wince.
“Shit. Sorry, baby.”
“Don’t be. It’s okay. Can you move?”
“Yeah, but this won’t…” I have to stop talking as I begin to slide slowly in and out of him. “Ohmygod, Zeke. I’m not going to last long.” My hand still has plenty of lube on it, so I reach forward and begin stroking him, needing him riding the edge with me.
He fists the sheets while simultaneously watching me fill his ass and stroke his cock.
When our eyes lock, I see only love and peace.
There is no fear.
There is no regret.
There is only us.
“I didn’t know it could be like this,” Zeke says, making all my feelings spill over the rim of my eyes.
“It’s perfect,” I tell him through the emotion clogging my throat.
“We’re perfect,” he corrects.
“Holy shit, I love you,” I tell him, unable to stop myself from picking up speed as I piston in and out of him. “Zeke, I’m about to come. Do you want—”
“Yes. Fucking come inside me. Mark every corner of my body as yours.”
His words have my release shooting from my body. I’m so lost to the tremors wracking me from head to toe that I don’t notice he’s placed his hand over mine on his cock and is stroking furiously.
It’s his own series of muscle spasms, and the way his ass bears down on me that makes me realize he’s coming, too.
“Talon, I…ah…ah…fuck,” he groans before his head falls back on the pillow, a pool of cum gathering on his stomach.
I take in the sight before me.
“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my entire life,” I tell him honestly.
“Not even the view from Summit?”
“Baby, you are the view from Summit.”