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Nothing.
So much fucking nothing that his balls were now a permanent shade of periwinkle blue.
Okay, that was an exaggeration, but it felt true in his soul.
Ryder’s feelings for him were nothing more than brotherly affection, just like Rafe’s. His drive to protect Gideon was the urge to do whatever Rafe needed him to do.
That was fine. He was taking one more shot at enticing this man, and it was thanks to his brand-new condo. A home that was one floor above Ryder’s new condo. Yes, living right next to each other without other clanmates interrupting things was going to be the perfect setup for breaking Ryder’s self-restraint; he’d learn once and for all whether the man wanted him.
For the first time in a long time, the end of his shift couldn’t come soon enough. Usually, he was happy dancing in his cage, blocking out the world. Time flew under the beat of the music.
Tonight, it dragged because he had somewhere he was dying to be.
His. New. Place.
Two hours before closing, the DJ announced he was taking a brief break. Gideon’s cage dropped from its dizzying height above the dance floor and to the stage next to the DJ booth.
Just like every night, Ryder was waiting right there the second the cage set down. He opened the door and held out his hand to help Gideon out. Gideon loved the gesture. It usually wasn’t until he stepped onto solid ground that he realized he was exhausted and his legs had become limp noodles.
Or worse, they ached with bone-deep pain because he’d neglected to feed for far too long.
But tonight was neither. Rafe had given him a short shift since his place was ready, following Rafe’s remodeling of the building and Winter’s efforts to put all the security features in to make it safe for two vampires.
“Are you ready to go?” Gideon asked, excitement bubbling through each word as he squeezed Ryder’s hand.
“Yes, but you need to change first.”
Gideon made a dismissive noise as he glanced at his bare chest, bright-red sequined shorts, and knee-high black boots. He looked like one of the devil’s tasty minions, but he didn’t care. He was more than willing to go out like this.
“It’s been snowing off and on all night,” Ryder warned, as if the evil man could read his mind. Ryder led him off the stage and into the private corridors of the nightclub used by the staff and the Varik family.
Gideon huffed and dragged his feet off to the dressing room, where he could bundle up in many respectable layers instead of reminding Ryder that he was a vampire and the cold didn’t bother him…much. The bitter chill often sank into his poorly mended bones and created a teeth-clenching pain that was hard to escape. He wasn’t going to remind Ryder of that because it might derail the man from plans to check out their new digs.
He slid into the dressing room and changed into his normal street clothes in record time. As he expected, he found Ryder waiting in the hallway in a battered leather coat and a frown. The big man stopped him as he tried to skip past and carefully wrapped his scarf around his neck several times before tucking the ends away so it couldn’t become loose.
All his eager energy halted sharply under Ryder’s tender ministrations. Gideon’s heart took over the skipping, and he smiled a big dopey grin at Ryder, watching the man’s frown melt away. Even the perpetual lines in his brow disappeared as he turned all his focus to making sure Gideon was warm.
Stopping wasn’t a hardship, since it meant Gideon got to stare up at Ryder’s face. He wasn’t a traditionally handsome man. His features were all harsh and roughhewn, as if someone had chiseled his face but not bothered to smooth everything out. Black hair hung in front of cold, steel-gray eyes, almost touching thin lips that were an angry slash across his face. Everyone at Phoenix thought he was scary.
Well, except Gideon.
How could he think this vampire was scary when he was so tenderly wrapping his scarf around Gideon’s neck and securing the top button of his coat?
“Ready?” Ryder asked though his voice was barely more than a low growl.
“I was readymonthsago,” Gideon moaned.
Ryder led the way along the hall toward the small rear parking lot used by the employees. Oh, Gideon was pretty sure he caught a tease of a smile. Nothing more than a twitch of one corner, but it still counted.
Gideon hurried after him, sticking close to Ryder’s side as they cut through the parking lot and to Ryder’s big black truck. Gideon had yet to get his driver’s license, and while the idea of learning to drive tempted him, that desire flew out of his head every time he saw Ryder’s vehicle. It was a massive beast Ryder had to help him climb into. He could never manage something so huge.
But he loved riding in it.
He was so high off the ground, allowing him to gaze down on the other cars. He felt safe. Not to mention, Ryder also turned on the seat heater for him during the winter, keeping his butt toasty. The interior was always spotless and smelled faintly of something soft, mixed with a hint of Ryder’s old leather jacket. The perfect combination.
The three-story building Rafe had purchased was four blocks from the nightclub, allowing Gideon to walk to work if he wanted. It was more likely that Ryder wouldn’t give him the option, preferring to drive him in or walk with him if the weather was nice. Despite being in the city, the neighborhood was quiet and a quick jaunt from the theater and shopping.
Not that Gideon did much of either, but he hoped that moving into his own place would be a true new beginning for him. After Rafe rescued him from his maker, he’d spent the past couple of decades existing under Rafe’s protective wing. He didn’t go out and do fun things. Work and hanging out with his close friends within the Varik Clan were the only things in his life.
