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 planelanded. You had to have literallyJUST 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 likecoming 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.”
Ino 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, butcontinue 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.Ourroom 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.
