Gavin wasn't on the couch when Zeke came home. He had to go to his office for his laptop and flash drive. Emily had shown up as he'd been leaving, and he'd left Gavin in her care.
He hadn't had much of a choice about going out. If he was going to work from home, he needed all the files and paperwork to work from home. He could have sent Martin, but he needed to address his employees as well. He needed to tell them he wouldn't be in the office for a while and if they needed anything they could call him. No one had asked him questions, but he knew there would be rumors swirling around. As long as no one pried, he didn't care about them.
He had plenty of emotions rolling around his head. Could he be what Gavin needed? Could he do what he needed to do for his company and take care of him? Would he have to give one or the other up? So many things whirled around in his head that he didn't want to think about them.
He took a shower in his office so he didn't take anything upstairs and tossed his clothes in the laundry. He changed into something comfortable and went upstairs. He rapped on the door a couple of times, waiting for a voice to allow him entrance. When he didn't hear one, he opened the door.
There was buzzing coming from the bathroom. He knew what it meant, but he didn't want to believe it. He walked to the bathroom door and leaned against it. His heart sank because he knew it was true.
Emily steadily ran the razor over Gavin's head. Most of his dark curls already lay on a dark towel on the floor. She was removing the rest slowly. Zeke watched his face in the mirror. He was crying, big tears rolling down his face. Emily was crying as well, but she wasn't as silent about it.
Zeke had known Gavin wanted to shave his head, but he hadn't thought he'd do it at home. He thought he'd take him to the salon and have a professional do it. Now that he watched the whole scene, he realized Gavin needed to do this with a friend. He didn't need a stranger cutting his hair because it wouldn't be as personal. It wouldn't mean anything.
The razor was cut off. Emily brushed the stray strands off Gavin's shoulders and removed the other towel. He opened his eyes and stared at himself in the mirror. There were no words, but the look on his face was disastrous.
Emily gathered the towels and walked over to Zeke. She looked over her shoulder at Gavin as he sat in the chair. "He wanted to do it without you here," she whispered. "He didn't want to feel pitied. I told him that wasn't the case, but he wouldn't listen. I hope you're not mad."
Zeke shook his head as every emotion tore through him. "No, I'm not. I appreciate it actually."
She smiled tightly. "Don't tell him, but Davis and Jetson have shaved their heads as well. He didn't tell them to do it, but they wanted to support him. They also said for you not to do it because he needs some semblance of normalcy. Also, they want to know if we can come for dinner this weekend? We haven't seen him since his birthday."
"Ask my assistant for my number. We'll plan it out."
Emily nodded and excused herself. Zeke looked back into the bathroom, waiting for any response from the other man. Gavin watched himself in the mirror for a long time. Between the port surgery and now shaving his head, things were becoming real. He was sick, sicker than he had ever been, and he was having to take care of himself in ways he never thought he would have to.
He finally looked at Zeke. The older man tried to hold his composure as the young man's face fell apart. He started crying harder with gut-wrenching sobs shaking his shoulders. Zeke went in and gathered the man to him, tucking his face into his shoulder. He could hear the desperation in his voice and the sheer terror behind his cries.
Gavin didn't say anything. He gripped Zeke's shirt so hard the owner thought he was going to rip it. Normally he would be upset because it was a designer, but in this instance he couldn't find the anger. All he could do was hold the broken man as he fell apart.
Slowly, he bent and scooped him up. He kissed the side of his head as he walked him to the bed. Gavin landed gently in the middle and reached for the u-shaped pillow. They had bought it for him so he could feel secure as he slept. Sometimes he had a hard time getting comfortable so the pillow helped him feel better.
Once he was satisfied he was comfortable for now, Zeke left the room and went back downstairs. He went into the kitchen and grabbed an orange, banana, and apple. He peeled all three then sliced them. Putting them in a bowl, he splashed some lemon juice on them and grabbed some Greek yogurt. Stuffing two bottles of water into his back pockets, he went back upstairs.
Gavin sat up and accepted the bowl. He popped a piece of banana into his mouth and chewed as he watched Zeke rip open the foil lid of the yogurt. He passed it to him with a fork then sat down beside him. Zeke watched him eat slowly. He savored the fruit and the yogurt like it was his last meal.
When he was done, he set the bowl on the table and leaned back. Zeke gripped his arm gently and pulled him to him. He crawled over the body pillow and tucked his head into Zeke's neck. He sighed heavily as he let his body relax.
"What is it?" he asked. He rubbed his back soothingly.
"I'm overwhelmed," Gavin replied. "My chest hurts from surgery, and now I've shaved my head. It's a bit strange."
Zeke lifted his hand and rubbed the smooth skin of his scalp. "I think it looks good on you. And if anyone asks, you're developing alopecia."
Gavin laughed. "I'll just wear a beanie or something."
"Gavin?"
The younger man looked up. When he did, Zeke dropped his head and kissed him. Gavin smiled and kissed him back. His hand bunched in the designer shirt, and once again the owner didn't mind. He gathered the younger man to him, urging him to straddle his lap so he could get a better angle.
Gavin sat back and looked at him. "I don't..."
"It's alright. I wasn't thinking about sex," Zeke consoled. He ran his hands up and down his back. "But if you ever want it, just let me know."
"Why are you so good to me?" The older man frowned and tilted his head. "I'm nothing but property to you."
"You're not property, Gavin. You never have been." He rested his hands on the young man's hips and massaged his thumbs into them. "I never had any intention of taking you from New Orleans. That was your grandfather's doing."
"What?" The stunned look on his face made his brown eyes pop. They were wide with disbelief.
"When your father died, you were naturally the heir to the Duquesne legacy since you were the only grandchild. But your grandfather spent all of the money and needed someone to bail him out. Since he was one of the biggest construction companies in Louisiana and I wanted to invest in rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward, I naturally sought him out to help. He jumped at the chance. He said he'd draft a contract we would both be happy with, and all I had to do was sign on the dotted line. At first, the contract looked good to even my legal team so we signed it. It wasn't until I'd flown back that we realized what the finer print actually said."
Zeke remembered the day his attorney had called him with the news. In one of the sub-clauses there had been two small sentences that had the biggest impact on him. When he'd signed the contract, he had basically "bought" Raoul Duquesne's grandson. He had called the old man with every intention to pay the breach of contract.
But Raoul had countered that he'd release to every news outlet that Zeke Daniels liked to purchase people in his contracts. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he had accepted the fact that he was not able to get out of the contract. He'd made plans to move Gavin in with him, cutting ties with his other lover so Gavin didn't feel like a third wheel. He'd paid the woman handsomely and hadn't heard from her again.
"I had no intention of bringing you here," he continued. "You were better off at home with your family, but your grandfather sneakily added you into the contract. I would have taken a hit to my company if I didn't fulfill my terms. So I moved you here."
"And making me your lover?" Gavin asked. His voice shook a bit. Zeke couldn't figure out if it was from anger or sadness.
"That was purely a coincidence. I had no idea you would be open to it, but after that first night, I couldn't stop. I had to have you anyway I could get you."
"What about my family? Why won't they have anything to do with me? If what you say is true, wouldn't they know it was a plot by my grandfather?"
"If I were your grandfather, I wouldn't tell anyone I sold my grandson. I would twist the story to make it seem like he ran away to be with someone." He let that hang between them. Gavin's face shut down as he thought things over. "I will show you the contract if you wish."
"No, I believe you." He sat back on his side of the bed and pulled one leg of the body pillow over his lap. "My grandfather is the type of person to make an outlandish demand on a contract. He's enjoyed his rich lifestyle. He wouldn't want to give it up. He'd rather sell his family than his money."
He sighed and ran his hand over his bald head. "I guess you couldn't help all the rules you put on me."
Zeke shook his head. "Every lover I've taken has had to follow the rules. When you moved in, I didn't plan on imposing them on you. But after that first night, it naturally came back. You didn't really argue with them so I didn't think anything of it." He tilted his head to the side as he licked the side of his lips. "What made you sleep with me that first night?"
Gavin shrugged and tucked his feet under Zeke's knees. "I was always curious about it. When it presented itself to me, I jumped on it."
In the literal sense. Gavin had allowed Zeke to kiss him in the office. One thing had led to another, and Zeke had taken him in his office. It was like in the movies. He'd cleared the desk and draped him over it as he'd done whatever he wanted to him. Gavin could still feel the sting of his hand on his virgin skin as Zeke had slapped the fatty part of his ass a couple of times. He hadn't been able to sit down for a couple of days afterwards.
"Have you always been gay?" Zeke asked.
Gavin had to think about it. He had been attracted to men before but he'd never acted on it. And the one girlfriend he had had decided she was better at being his friend than a girlfriend. They still talked from time to time, and she was happily married.
"Maybe," he said finally. "But I've never had someone to test the theory with." His brows furrowed. "Does that mean anything?"
"So... that means I'm your first in anything?"
Gavin slapped his arm gently. He couldn't hurt him if he wanted to. He was too weak. "Don't say it like that. But yes, you are."
Zeke sat up and wrapped his arms around him. He turned and pulled Gavin down to the mattress. The young man blew air from his lungs and bit back the bile threatening to come up. They looked at each other before Zeke kissed his nose.
"We'll figure all this out," he whispered. "And when we do, you'll be better than ever."
Gavin smiled and kissed his nose in return. Zeke settled beside him. With one hand to his bald scalp and the other around his waist, he made a silent vow never to let anyone hurt him again.