Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Unless Gideon did love decorating and shopping. Then, if Gideon helped him decorate his place, Ryder could make sure that he got things that Gideon enjoyed. Soft, comfy things that would make him want to be in Ryder’s apartment. Plus, if they went shopping, they could spend more time together.
Yes, this could be an excellent plan.
And if it was just the two of them, maybe he’d get more comfortable talking to Gideon.
Wait. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.
But it was a good start to a plan.
Ryder was attempting to formulate how he would broach the topic with Gideon when a smoke alarm began blaring…in Gideon’s condo.
He was on his feet in a second and up the private back stairs that connected their places. He burst through the door, expecting to see flames. Not Gideon frantically waving his T-shirt in front of the smoke detector. His thin, pale chest seemed to glow in the bright overhead light. Blond hair stood up in every direction as if he’d pulled at it. The young vampire turned wide eyes on him and his expression said, Oh, shit!
“It’s okay! Everything is okay! Nothing is on fire!” Gideon claimed, words pouring out of him in a rush as he continued to wildly wave his shirt in the air. He’d barely finished speaking when the smoke detector stopped screaming, leaving them in an almost deafening silence broken only by Gideon’s panting.
Clutching his shirt to his chest, Gideon winced as he stared up at Ryder. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to bother you.”
“What happened?”
Gideon sighed, and his expression became even more pained. “When Fox and River were here earlier, they ordered pizza. Fox said you can’t move without pizza. It’s like a human rule, but I don’t remember that one. Anyway, they left me some, and I wanted to heat it up to eat while I unpack boxes. And well…that happened.” He waved toward the singed, slightly smoking cardboard box on the stovetop.
First, Ryder was stunned there were leftovers. He’d seen the werewolf eat; he was a bottomless pit. And the witch wasn’t much better. Maybe it was something like a weird housewarming gift?
He stepped closer to Gideon, fighting the urge to wrap him up in a tight hug. That bare chest and slumped shoulders demanded he cuddle the little vampire. He made do with a hand on the top of his head, gently stroking his hair. “I think it might be best to put the pizza on one of those metal cooking pans instead of heating cardboard.”
Gideon tipped his head up, giving Ryder some serious side-eye. “Yeah. Kinda figured that one out after it started smoking.”
Ryder pressed his lips together to stop his grin. Gideon wouldn’t appreciate that. “I think there’s something about pizza stones that helps with cooking them, but I don’t know if these are special stones or just any old rocks.”
Gideon’s eyes immediately widened. “Oooh! I’ll have to look that up and get some!”
Pinching some of his hair between his thumb and forefinger, Ryder gave it a small tug. “Gideon, if you’re feeling hungry, I’m here for you. I’m happy to provide for you.”
Happy was the understatement of this and the next century. Giving Gideon blood was the best thing in his entire world. It was the one way he felt truly close to him as he listened to the soft noises of pleasure he made or got lost in the feel of his fingers holding him so tightly, as if he were afraid Ryder would push him away.
The younger vampire twisted and jumped away from him, waving his hands at Ryder. “No! I’m not that kind of hungry. I wanted something to nibble on while I worked. To make the moving feel more official.” He clutched his shirt in both hands. “Besides, I don’t want you to be a crutch for me. It’s important that I’m comfortable hunting on my own, or Rafe will take this away.”
Ryder fisted his hands at his sides and nodded, his eyes dropping to the floor. Gideon was right. As much as he wanted to be the one who always supplied Gideon with blood, there might be times when he wasn’t around, and Gideon needed to be strong enough to take care of himself.
“Mn. You’re right,” he mumbled.
A hand reached out and gripped his fist, squeezing until he loosened his fingers. Ryder lifted his eyes to find Gideon smiling at him. “But I appreciate the offer. Really.”
That helped a little.
He turned to stare into the open doorway from the kitchen through the small dining room to the living room. Gideon had emptied some boxes. There were more colors and soft things, as if a rainbow had exploded across Gideon’s living room. He was making some progress.
“You like…shopping and decorating, right?” Ryder asked softly.
Gideon released him and tugged his shirt on over his head. He shoved both hands through his hair, smoothing it into place as if nothing had happened. A bright smile spread across his lips and his eyes shone. “Well, yeah. It’s fun! There’s checking out all the different styles and fabrics. Making your place reflect your personality. And then just the adventure of finding fun stuff.”