“They’re comfortable,” Talon says with a nonchalant shrug, sliding a mug across the counter to me.
“Okay, so I’ll be staying in my room for the foreseeable future,” I tease.
The light-heartedness I feel this morning is so foreign, but it’s like someone finally cracked the curtains in my life, and the first rays of sunlight are poking through.
But that’s Talon. Heisthe sun.
“Wow, jokesanda real smile this morning? It’s amazing what a decent night’s sleep and purging the poison from your life can do for a person,” Talon jokes back.
Or maybe it’s you and those fucking sweatpants,I think.
“Who said I was joking?” I ask, bringing the mug to my mouth, my heart warming at the cream and sugar he put in my cup. A slow, achingly sinful smile spreads across Talon’s face asthough he likes the idea of me being attracted to him. “Talon, I can’t handle that smile.”
He instantly plasters a stoic look onto his face, making me snort.
“This better?” he asks, propping a hip against the counter.
“Marginally.”
My answer makes him grin, and he turns back to the fridge.
“I’m making breakfast. How do you like your eggs?”
I stare at Talon’s back, searching for words as I wonder,how the hell did I end up here, and how long before it all goes to shit?
Chapter 19
Talon
I’ve been working remotely since bringing Zeke home from the hospital. It’s been incredible watching him bloom like a flower that’s finally been given the proper care and conditions it needs to grow.
He smiles more. Occasionally, he even laughs.
We still haven’t discussed the extent of my wealth, but he’s adjusting to living under my roof better than I thought he would. I’m pretty sure it’s the first time he’s ever been—and felt—safe in his own home.
Today, I’m finally returning to the office, and although IbeggedZeke to stay home and off his feet for another week, I’ll admit I’m a little relieved that he stubbornly refused. At least if he’s at Ricochet, I can keep an eye on him. Security is aware of the situation, as is Rebecca, and I feel better knowing he won’t be stuck at the house without a vehicle. Although we haven’t heard anything from Derek, I don’t like the thought of Zeke here alone. The house is private and not listed under my name, but I’m still uneasy whenever he’s out of my sight.
“Hey, Talon?”
Zeke calling my name from down the hall has me on my feet instantly, racing to make sure he’s okay.
A second later, I give a short warning knock on the bathroom door he left cracked open before barging through.
“Zeke? What’s wrong?”
He’s standing in the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. The splotches of color on his torso are fading, but still faintly visible, and the reminder that Derek touched him,hurt him, makes me sick to my stomach.
Zeke’s chuckle over my paranoia unexpectedly goes straight to my dick. That seems to be happening a lot lately, and the dream I had last night had me sweating in my sheets until I finally kicked them off.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he says, running his hands through his hair. “I was just wondering if I could borrow one of your Summit shirts? I know they don’t care that much about my uniform, but I do.”
My hand flies to my heart in relief.
“Yeah. Yeah, of course,” I say, watching him in the mirror as he rubs a second towel over his hair. My eyes catalogue his bruises, noticing that the purple is turning to blue, which is turning to green. Underneath the colors, the ridges of his ribs are visible because he’s lost so much weight. He has a freckle—or maybe it’s a mole—on the front of his right hip. I’m visually inspecting the ridge of the gray towel wrapped low on his narrow waist when he clears his throat, getting my attention.
“Hm-hm, um, would you mind grabbing it for me so I don’t make us late?”
My eyebrows shoot to my hairline as my eyes snap to his in the mirror. “Grabbing what?”
