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The shorter man waved a hand at him as he stopped in the middle of the living room and glared at the emptiness. “I will help you fix this. I know some good online stores that have stuff that would work well with your colors and style. We can make this look awesome.”
“But comfortable too, right? I want my space to be comfortable like yours.”
The smile Gideon gifted him with made his heart skip. He was going to die a second time, but this time of joy. Gideon had the best smile, the way his happiness shone through his bright-blue eyes.
“We can totally do that. I got you. When can we start?” Gideon had barely asked when his hands jumped to his hair and gripped it. “Wait! Work. We’ve gotta work. When do we have off again?”
“Few days, I think.”
“But you can’t wait that long for stuff.”
Ryder closed the distance between them and gently pried Gideon’s fingers from his hair so he couldn’t hurt himself. “I have a mattress and blanket for sleeping during the day. I have supplies for showering. At night, we’ll be at work. And I doubt I’ll use my kitchen. The only time I eat food is with the Variks. It can wait.”
Gideon frowned at him. “I guess, but the times we’re off shift and you want to relax somewhere other than on your mattress, you can always come up to my place and chill.”
“Won’t I be in the way of your new dating life?” Ryder grumbled.
The little vampire huffed at him and pulled his hands free. “You’re so annoying.” Gideon marched to the stairs, Ryder trailing him. “If you don’t watch it, I’ll load this place up with pink and glitter. You’ll never get that shit out.”
That was fine with Ryder. He’d accept it with a smile on his face so long as he got to spend more time with Gideon.
Chapter3
Gideon
Shopping with Ryder was exhausting.
And Gideon usually had damn good stamina when it came to searching for deals and fun stuff.
It was even better that it was winter. The longer nights meant they had access to the stores for more hours.Thank God. They needed every second they could get.
A week passed before they could go pick things out in person. First, Rafe had kept their schedules packed, and then Ryder had refused to do any shopping for his place until Gideon had all of his boxes emptied and items put in their proper places.
That part he wasn’t complaining about. It meant Ryder was in his place a lot after work. They talked—which was mostly Gideon rambling while Ryder grunted occasionally—as Gideon unpacked boxes. Ryder was happy to put things up in high places and hang pictures on the walls.
The moment Gideon had the last thing put away, they snuggled together on the couch with Gideon’s laptop as they ordered some random household items: bookshelves, a TV, and a few other basics that Ryder was sorely missing. The furniture, sheets, blankets, and towels all needed to be picked in person. Each item had to be checked for softness and fluffiness. It was the one thing Ryder was adamant about.
Sadly, he had no opinion about color or style. He’d only ask, “Do you like it?” or “Do you think it would match?”
Gideon was developing an eye twitch.
By the fourth store of the night, Gideon learned that as long as Ryder liked the feel, it was up to Gideon to decide on the actual appearance.
“I’m sorry this has been such a hassle for you,” Ryder murmured, breaking the silence of the truck as they idled at a red light.
“What? No!” Gideon argued, but the rest of his words got stuck in his throat with a single skeptical look from Ryder. Gideon grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. “I wouldn’t say hassle. I guess I expected you to have more of an opinion on things.”
“Sorry.”
Gideon shifted toward Ryder and petted his right arm through his leather jacket. “No, don’t be sorry. There’s nothing to be sorry about. Some people aren’t into this kind of thing. It’s no big deal. I’m just worried about your place being too heavily influenced by me and not having enough of your own personal taste.”
“I like your taste.”
Heat instantly suffused Gideon’s cheeks and he might have briefly choked on a breath while mentally repeating that Ryder didnotmean that the way it sounded.
Shit!What were they talking about? His brain had completely stopped working. Now it was full of visions of Ryder’s mouth moving over every inch of his naked body. His tongue lapping at him as though he were a fucking piece of candy.
And now he was getting hard.
