With a bright red face, he took the jock strap from Cici’s hands and stepped into it. As I glanced at his body in the mirror, I prayed that my dick wouldn’t embarrass me here. Ryder’s body was on display while wearing the inviting jock strap. While I’d become accustomed to seeing the young men wearing them at the academy, I hadn’t found myself as dangerously turned on by one as I had with Ryder. It was dangerous because I knew Ryder was already destined for someone. And it wasn’t just anyone… It wastheKing.
I watched Cici’s fingers dip between the waistband and Ryder’s flesh. He tugged a little on the band and commented, “It doesn’t feel too tight.” Keeping two fingers nestled between the band and Ryder’s skin, he walked around him. Cici flattened his hand and pressed his open palm against the navy silk that was pulled tightly over Ryder’s cock. Normally, the young men liked this subtle attention from Cici and would quickly get hard. Ryder did get hard, but he stepped away from Cici’s hand and looked at the ground.
“Ryder.”
“I can’t do this, Atlas,” Ryder said as I looked at Cici.
“We need a break, Cici,” I said. After Cici left the room and closed the drape behind him to give us some privacy, I stepped toward Ryder.
“I don’t think I can do this, Atlas,” he said again. My eyes scanned from his face and down his body to watch his flat stomach move in and out with each breath. The navy-clad bulge he had sat tucked in the corner of my eye.
“You can,” I assured him. I dragged my gaze back to his face.
Ryder shook his head but remained silent. I wanted to keep him talking so he didn’t shut down on me.
“I know it’s a lot. I knew today would potentially be overwhelming with all the clothes and the fitting. Do you want to sit down for a few minutes?”
“No. I just want to finish.”
“We will, but first you need a breather. Is there something that’s bothered you the most?” Even though he was quiet, I could tell he was thinking because of the way his eyes moved side to side. “Ryder, talk to me. Your voice matters to me.” That declaration seemed to bring him around. At least, it was what he needed to hear.
“I just don’t think I can do this.”
“What are you afraid of?” When he didn’t respond, I pushed the envelope with him. “Afraid of finding out you enjoy things outside the box?”
“I’m not afraid of anything,” he said, a hint of defiance in his tone.
“Good.” I reached out and patted his chest. “Now, you just need to believe it.”
14
Atlas
December
Iarrived at Ryder’s hotel at quarter to seven and took a seat on the plush velvet bench outside of the entrance to the restaurant. I’d met him here every morning at seven. He had always been on time, except for this morning. Knowing that sometimes it could be a pain to catch the elevators in large hotels, I wasn’t too concerned at first. But as it neared seven fifteen, I sent him a text. When it went unanswered for five minutes, I abandoned the bench and headed toward the elevators. I was risking possibly missing him while riding up to his room, but at this point it was a risk I was willing to take.
When I reached the door to his suite, I knocked and waited a few moments to give him a chance to open the door. With concern mounting, I knocked again, but this time I made sure it was louder.
“Ryder, it’s Atlas,” I said as I leaned on the door.
I worried that he was perhaps sick or even injured. As I opened my wallet to retrieve the second key card to his room,I didn’t feel guilty about practically barging my way inside. I doubted I was going to find him in bed with someone, and even if he was, this would serve as an excellent reminder to be on time when expected somewhere. I waved the key over the card reader and as soon as the light turned green, I turned the handle and went inside.
“Ryder,” I called out as I walked from the door, through the small living room, and to the bedroom. The drapes were still pulled closed, and only fragments of light peeked through the cracks of the window coverings.
“Shit!” Ryder mumbled from the bed. “Sorry, Atlas,” Ryder apologized as soon as he saw me.
As I stepped closer, I was relieved to see he was here and appeared to be safe and well. As he reached for his cell phone from the nightstand, my eyes began to scan his face and body to make sure he was all right and that there weren’t any new injuries. Not that I expected there to be, but I looked him over for my own piece of mind, because if someone had hurt him while I was on the clock, there’d be hell to pay. His eyes looked puffy and tired as the light from the phone reflected up at his face. Ryder sat upright in bed and stared at the cell phone in his hand. Though the sheet was pulled up to his waist, I still was able to see the band of his underwear peering at me, teasing me.
I forced my eyes off the tantalizing sight and found myself staring at a large bruise on his chest that had been a deep, dark, blueish gray when he had been examined by the academy’s doctor. Anger filtered through my veins. It had been weeks since I took him away from those assholes, and he still carried their marks. My gaze wandered to the faint lines on his abdomen. Ryder had defined abs that were trying to break out but hadn’t yet. I thought it was because he simply hadn’t had the time to dedicate to his body yet. I gathered some saliva in my mouth andswallowed it all at once to relieve my throat of having gone bone dry.
“Are you all right?” I asked as I walked to the nightstand.
“Yeah, I think I must have turned the alarm off or forgot to set it.”
I reached out and took hold of his chin and gently tilted it up so he’d look at me.
“Didn’t you sleep well?”
