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No, it sounded wonderful and amazing, but it was wrong after Gideon’s scare. Maybe he could tuck Gideon into his bed and crash at Gideon’s place for the night.
Except Gideon didn’t even give him the chance to suggest that. His new sleepover friend pulled off the borrowed shirt and socks and crawled under the covers when he reached the bed. The second he was comfortable, he patted the empty side of the bed.
“You’re not leaving me alone, are you?”
Well, that was a fucking evil question.
Stuffing down a sigh, Ryder climbed into bed and settled the blankets over both of them before grabbing his phone off the nightstand.
Gideon placed his hand over the screen. “Maybe we should wait until sunset. It’s dawn. Fox and Winter have probably fallen asleep. I don’t want to wake them.”
“Okay,” Ryder agreed. He was in no mood to piss off Winter. He put his phone on the nightstand and flipped off the light.
As the darkness fell around them and they snuggled in the bed, Ryder willed his heart to slow. Gideon could hear it and think it was strange that he was freaking out because Gideon was in his bed. There had been some situations over the years where they’d been in some less-than-ideal conditions due to various threats, and he’d held Gideon as he slept at dawn. He’d watched over the vampire. But never had he been in bed with him.
Hell, this was the first time he’d been in bed with a man.
It didn’t feel weird. Just nerve-wracking and exciting.
“Do you think Winter will be able to talk to her? Get her to leave the trunk?” Gideon asked quietly.
“Probably. Winter can see ghosts. I’m assuming he can talk to them.”
“Did the ghost scare you?”
“No.”
Gideon let out a bark of laughter. “Liar. I can hear your heart racing. That ghost scared you, too!”
Ryder could clearly see Gideon’s broad, cheeky grin in the darkness.
“How do you know my heart’s not racing because of you?”
The vampire’s mouth fell open and sort of soundlessly bobbed for a couple of seconds as if the very suggestion had rendered him completely speechless.
“What? Me?”
“This is the first time I’ve been in bed with someone since…” Ryder trailed off, the last word dying in his throat. He was afraid to bring it up with Gideon, but he didn’t want to be. He’d never talked to anyone about her. Gideon would be the first. Except, maybe Gideon didn’t want to know.
“Since who?” Gideon asked, his voice filling with excited curiosity. “Did you used to have a boyfriend a long time ago? Another vampire?”
“My wife,” Ryder whispered.
“What?” Gideon croaked. He pulled the blankets up to his chin and did his landed fish impression. “I’m so confused. Are you…were you…married? But does that make you straight? Or were you gay and pretending to be straight? Or wait…no…should that be are you gay and pretending to be straight? I…I’m so confused. You’re married?”
Ryder could so easily image the squirrel on the wheel in Gideon’s brain jumping off and falling over. He’d broken the poor vampire.
“I was married when I was human. Her name was Caroline, and we had two children together—a boy and a girl. Their names were Kevin and Mary.” A small echo of an old pain spread briefly through his chest at the mention of their names. He hadn’t said them out loud in years. Maybe not since he’d become a vampire.
“Whoa,” Gideon whispered. “You were married. To a woman. Kids. What happened? Did a vampire attack you and your family? Oh God, I hope not. Wait, let’s go back. Are you gay? Wait! Don’t tell me. I don’t think I can handle it if you’re straight. Wait! No. It’s okay, but are you? You—”
Ryder stopped Gideon’s adorable babbling by pressing his lips to Gideon’s in a soft, sweet kiss. He closed his eyes and focused on those perfect lips as they brushed and moved on his. Time slowed while his heart sped up to the point of nearly breaking out of his chest.He was kissing Gideon.
After waiting and wanting for so many years, he was finally kissing him. The faint scent of honeysuckle and vanilla danced past his nose, and he breathed it in. The two scents would always be associated with his precious Gideon, and now they were wrapping around him and sinking into his sheets, marking his place in Ryder’s life.
He pulled back, but those lips chased after him, pressing for another small, hungry kiss. His first and second kiss with a man. And he was so glad they were with Gideon.
The kiss ended, and he smiled against Gideon’s mouth, pressing another little one to the corner.
