Chapter 9 Ryder
RYDER
It took all of Ryder’s self-restraint not to drag Felix into the car and back to his place when they met outside Saks on Fifth Avenue.
Felix was looking at the window display, which was always iconic, and he had a woolly hat on with some tufts of his ginger hair sticking out.
Ryder wanted to grab it while he fucked him, and he wondered if he’d be up for a bit of rough play .
. . and now he was hard in the street. What was it about Felix?
He had some kind of mystical power over Ryder’s dick.
“Evening, cutie,” said Ryder, startling Felix.
He turned round and beamed at Ryder before looking awkward, not knowing how to greet him in public.
It wasn’t something they’d discussed, but Ryder wasn’t missing an opportunity to get his mouth on those lips.
He yanked Felix forward and kissed him, but he kept his tongue out of it, given they were in public, because Ryder knew he wouldn’t be able to hold back once he got a full taste.
He’d worn a baseball cap so it reduced the possibility of him being recognised.
Ryder was proud to have him on his arm, but he knew Felix wasn’t keen on the attention, and he wanted to reduce the risk of him being put off from the attention Ryder got, which could be a lot.
After they’d cleared the air at Epicure, they’d had a wonderful evening, eating great food and getting to know each other more.
Ryder loved how animated Felix got about his photography.
The passion was strong. It reminded Ryder of his love of fitness, something he’d been less focused on since his social media profile had taken off.
He still kept himself fit and healthy because it was his brand, but hearing Felix speak about what he loved made Ryder want that passion back in his own life.
“What’s if someone sees us?” asked Felix, looking anxious.
“We’ve had this conversation. I don’t care. Everyone will know I’m on a date with an adorable cutie.”
Felix blushed, looking at the floor at the same time. He was grateful Ryder had, but Ryder gripped his chin, not too hard, and lifted his face up. He gave him another gentle kiss and saw him relax.
“Shall we go inside?”
“Bit out of my price range,” said Felix.
“We’re only window shopping. Come on.”
They walked inside and Ryder appreciated the warmth straight away.
The temperature had dropped to forty degrees for the first time, and the wind chill made it feel mid-thirties.
He watched Felix get excited at all the different displays, and there was the odd thing he lingered on.
Ryder made the mistake of offering to buy him something once, but he got such a glare he didn’t do it again.
They hit some of the other shops whenever they needed to get out of the cold, and stopped for a hot chocolate before they headed to Rockerfeller.
Ryder wanted to go to FAO Schwarz to get something for his young cousin, because even though he wouldn’t see him this Christmas, that wouldn’t stop him from sending an extravagant gift.
He’d also buy him another when he next visited.
It wasn’t a good sign for when he became an uncle.
He knew his sisters would give him a hard time about spoiling their kids, but he’d do it anyway.
The store was incredible, as always, mixing history with a wide and eclectic offering, alongside traditional decorations and a blend of classic and modern holiday music.
Felix looked to be in complete awe, and it was a wonderful sight to see.
The place was absolutely packed, but it didn’t feel stifling.
Ryder could tell some people had recognized him despite the baseball cao, but they were keeping a respectful distance.
He would never be rude to a fan, but he was here with Felix and didn’t want anyone interrupting their time together.
“Have you ever been ice skating?” asked Felix.
“Yeah. Loads of times. Do you want to go?”
“No . . . It just looks fun, but I’ve never . . .”
“Well then, we have to go if you’re a virgin.”
“Definitely not a virgin.”
He flushed when he realized what he’d said. Ryder felt a flare of excitement at the images running through his head, and a strange pang of jealousy knowing other men had put their hands on him, which was ridiculous. Felix wasn’t Ryder’s property, but he didn’t want anyone else touching him either.
Felix was hesitant to go ice skating because he’d never done it before, and Ryder had to promise he wouldn’t abandon him on the ice.
Ryder arranged with the store to have his purchases wrapped and delivered to his apartment so he wouldn’t be carrying anything.
His cousin was going to love the model railway.
He was only four, but already a big train geek.
Ryder was offered the opportunity to jump the queue, but he declined.
He didn’t want Felix to judge him for it, which he’d never cared about before with anyone else, but his opinion mattered to Ryder.
After ten minutes, he was regretting his decision; standing still in the cold was not what he’d planned for the evening.
But their conversation was easy, and Felix shared some anecdotes of the events he’d had to photograph, some of which had Ryder cracking up.
“Are you Ryder Quinn?” asked a random young woman who didn’t look older than twenty. She had a group of friends with her about the same age.
“Yes. What can I do for you?”
“A fuck would be nice, but I suppose this is a bit too public.”
Ryder winced. He was used to this type of crass comment from some members of the public. Most were very nice and polite, but you got the odd one. He was worried about Felix, but his snort and stifled laugh were enough to put Ryder at ease.
“What’s your problem?” she snapped at Felix.
He looked startled at her tone, which Ryder wasn’t standing for.
“Felix is with me, so I’d appreciate it if you weren’t rude to him.”
“Oh, is he one of your charity projects?”
“Felix is my date,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
“Yeah, right,” she replied with a snort. “Can we get some selfies?”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said no. You were rude to my date.”
“Oh, you were serious about that? Has he paid you or something?”
“You can leave now,” he snapped, struggling to keep his temper in check.
He saw Felix trying to shrink away out of the corner of his eye, so he flung his arm around his shoulder and pulled him close before glaring at the women.
“This is our place in the queue, so we ain’t going nowhere until we get our selfies.”
Ryder steered Felix out of the queue and down to the front. He spoke to the guy manning the entrance and asked if they could go ahead. A few minutes later they were putting their boots on. Felix hadn’t said a word, and Ryder couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Please don’t let those people upset you,” he said.
“Is it always like that?”
“No. Most people are amiable when they talk to me. They were an exception.”
“They were right, though, weren’t they?”
“About what?”
“Me being out of your league.”
“If anything, I’m out of your league.”
Felix snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Ryder wasn’t having this defeatist attitude caused by some bitter bitch and her minions.
He pulled Felix towards him and pressed their lips together, and he let the kiss linger for a while as Felix melted into it.
When he pulled away, he saw some people filming them.
He didn’t care, and Felix still had his eyes closed, blissed out from the kiss.
Ryder loved knowing he’d done that to him.
Once they were booted up, they hit the ice.
Felix was doing his best impression of Bambi, so Ryder took his hand and supported him as they slowly made their way around the rink.
He knew people were watching them, and some people had their phone cameras out, but he stayed in the moment, watching the joy on Felix’s face as he got more confident on the ice.
It took half a dozen laps of the rink before he felt comfortable skating without holding Ryder’s hand.
“Sorry, I’m slowing you down.”
“I’m just happy being with you.”
They skated around again a few more times before Felix came to a stop at the exit.
“Why don’t you show me what Ryder Quinn is made of? Then we can go somewhere warm.”
Ryder got goosebumps at the thought of taking him home, but he wanted their first time to be special, and not on a weeknight.
Not that either of them had regular hour jobs, but he’d like to take his time and get to know Felix more.
However, if Felix offered himself up on a platter, he’d be a fool to say no.
Once Felix was off the ice, Ryder let loose and spun round the rink a few times.
He knew he was being filmed, but he was happy to show off a bit.
He’d prefer that to be what people posted on social media, rather than pictures of him with Felix.
Nothing embarrassed Ryder, but he already felt protective of Felix, which was new for him.
After a few spins, he looked over at Felix and noticed he was surrounded by those bitches from before. He made for the exit straight away and skidded to a loud stop.
“What’s going on here?” he said firmly, causing them to jump.
Felix had retreated in on himself, and it was clear he was uncomfortable with whatever had happened.
“Do you all want to disappear before I call the manager over and get you removed?”
They dispersed quickly after that, the ringleader shooting them both dirty looks.
Ryder put his arm around Felix’s shoulder, and he stiffened, so he moved it away.
He quickly changed out of his boots. Felix was ready to go, and not another word was spoken while they handed their skates back and left.
“Where do you want to go now?” asked Ryder. “You said some place warm.”
“I just want to go home.”
Ryder wanted to argue, but Felix looked upset, so he didn’t want to push him.
“Let me order the car to collect us.”
“I can get the subway. You’re miles away from me.”
“No, Felix. I’ll take you home, and I want my goodnight kiss.”
Felix smiled. That was better. He wasn’t sure what those girls had said to him, but the smile was enough to convince Ryder they hadn’t done any permanent damage. Before he said goodnight, they’d be arranging their next date.