Gray Back Alpha Bear(33)

She dug her nails into the smooth skin across his shoulder blades, and Creed gripped the back of her hair and dragged her gaze to his eyes, the color of polished chrome. “Careful with those claws, kitty.” A wicked grin curved up the corners of his mouth as he bucked into her again, refusing to release her from the intensity of his eyes.

Trapped, trapped, trapped—she was trapped looking at the one she loved while he drew her orgasm ever closer.

“Creed,” she said on a gasp.

“Louder.”

Pressure was building so fast, so intense in her core where they collided. Arching her back, she obeyed and yelled his name as release pounded through her.

Creed pushed into her again and gritted out her name. Pulsing warmth sprayed into her as Creed’s muscles tensed and released, tensed and released. He dipped his head and set his teeth against her shoulder, biting down, but not nearly enough to break skin. Oh, her sexy bear. Chest heaving, she closed her eyes as aftershocks rocked through her core, matching Creed’s as they fell into oblivion together.

Creed’s gentle nip turned into a lingering kiss. He trailed more up her throat and along her jawline, adoring her slowly as her bones felt like they were melting away.

“Sexy, beautiful, sweet mate,” he murmured against her skin as he sucked and nipped. “I do wonder if you were my fate.” Palming her belly, he kissed her lips, then rested his forehead against hers. “I don’t know how I would’ve handled everything this week without you.” He eased back and searched her eyes as his dimmed to the onyx color that said his bear was sleeping. “You make me feel stronger.”

The baby kicked from inside her, hard, and Creed’s eyes went wide.

“Please tell me you felt that,” she said on a hopeful breath. He hadn’t been able to feel the kicking and rolling that she did. Not yet.

Creed slid out of her and carried her tenderly to the bed where he lay her down and propped on his elbow beside her. He laid soft kisses along the curve of her belly and settled his hand over her again.

A thump against her other side had Gia dragging his palm to where she felt the movement. A moment of stillness, and then another hard kick. The smile on Creed’s face was instant and beaming—beautiful. He looked so proud she wanted to cry.

“You’ll be a wonderful father,” she whispered through her thickening throat. “No matter what happened in your past, I can tell you are going to be great.”

With a sigh, he pulled her against his chest until her belly rested against his.

“You make me better,” he murmured, laying a kiss on her forehead. “I was so frustrated with my crew before you came, and now you’ve reminded me that the reward for trying could be great. You’ll make an amazing alpha’s mate, if you’ll have me.”

Gia smiled as she endured another solid kick to her middle. “You’re mine, too.” A steady rumble vibrated against her chest, and she laughed. “You purr when you’re happy.”

“Bears don’t purr.”

Gia leaned back and grinned up at him. “I wonder if our cub will purr like you.”

“I hope it’s a girl,” he said suddenly.

“You do? I thought you wanted a boy. You always say he.”

Creed dipped his chin slightly and stroked her hair. “I want a little girl who looks like you. One who’s sweet like you.”

She hugged him close to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. Her big, tough bear. Alpha to the feral Gray Backs and keeper of so many scars. Steadfast and strong and hoping for a cub with a tender heart.

Big, tough bear who was so much more than he seemed.

She loved him. She loved him.

And no matter what happened tomorrow, or next week, or ten years from now, her heart would belong to him always.





Chapter Twelve




Gia gasped and turned in the hotel’s full-length mirror. “What is that?” she murmured, squinting. She mashed her belly against the reflective glass to get a better look. “Creed!”

“Yeah?” he said around his toothbrush, sticking his head out of the bathroom.

“What is this? Is that a stretchmark?”

With a frown, he muttered, “Hang on,” then rinsed in the sink as she poked the little red stripe of betrayal. Her body got a C-minus in baby growing. Twenty-five pounds gained and a stretchmark at five months? She let off a human snarl.

“You put a giant baby in me,” she groused as Creed knelt by her belly to study the tiny rip near her hip bone.

He laughed, but tried to cover it up unsuccessfully with a cough. After he’d cleared his throat and tried to stifle the grin on his face, he announced, “It looks like a stretchmark.”