“Aw, for fuck’s sake,” she said, turning in the mirror again. “I’ll never be able to wear a bathing suit again.”
“Because of a stretchmark? It’s cute!”
Gia guffawed and let the hem of her coral-colored dress slip over her stomach to cover the little monstrosity. “This one stretch mark might be cute to you, but I’m only halfway through this pregnancy. I’ll have billions at this rate.”
“Be serious. Billions?”
She crossed her arms and pouted. “Perhaps trillions.”
“Baby,” Creed said sympathetically, pulling her into his arms. He splayed his legs to be eye-level with her. “Even if you had trillions of stretchmarks…I’d still hit it.”
Gia swatted his arm. “I thought you were going to say something romantic.”
“That is romantic.”
“I’d still hit it? You’d hit anything with a slimy hole.”
“Gia, stop it.”
He was laughing harder now, and a grin cracked her face. She hated the little stretchmark with the intensity of a thousand suns, but she did love that it had evicted the faraway look in her mate’s face and replaced it with a genuine grin.
Creed fondled her boob and dragged her waist against him. Against her ear, he murmured, “I only like your slimy hole.”
She giggled and kissed him, insecurities all but forgotten because her man didn’t give two fudge pops whether his baby marked her up or not.
His hands gripped the hem of her dress and slid it slowly up her thighs as he leaned forward and kissed her.
A knock pounded against the door. “Our taxi is here. We’re leaving!” Willa called through the barrier.
Gia sighed and hugged Creed close as she stared at the fancy gold and cream wall paper of the bedroom.
He nibbled her ear and lifted her off her feet, then carried her gently toward the door. Air whooshed in as he opened it. “You guys want to meet up for dinner before our flight back?” Creed asked Matt and Willa. “Or do you want to meet at the airport?”
“I think we’ll probably spend the whole day with my dad,” Willa said as she leaned against Matt’s side. “I imagine finding out your only kid has been Turned into a werebear will require some extra reassurance that said kid won’t actually go primal and eat people.”
“Good luck,” Gia said, hugging Willa up tight and kissing her on the cheek. She knew exactly where her parents stood on the whole shifter issue, but Willa’s dad had been dealt a blow with his mother and wife passing away within a short time of each other. And now his only daughter had lost her humanity? She felt bad for Mr. Madden and hoped Willa could somehow make him feel comfortable with it before they all had to fly back to Wyoming tonight.
“You, too,” Willa said, squeezing her shoulders. “You’re going to need it a whole lot more than me.”
“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” she teased.
“Ha! Your parents have been snooty butt-faces since the first time I met them. At least they’re consistent. Have fun meeting your future in-laws, Creedy.”
“Dooon’t,” Creed drawled out. “Don’t call me Creedy.”
“I werebear swear I won’t ever do it again,” Willa said with a wave as she sauntered down the hallway with Matt toward the elevators. Her spiky red ponytail bobbed with every confident step. “Bye, Gia. Bye, Creedy!”
Matt’s chuckle echoed down the hallway. “Good one, Nerd.”
Hands hooked on his hips, Creed watched Willa and Matt disappear around a corner with narrowed eyes and a resigned sigh.
“You ready?” Gia asked.
“Yeah.” Creed buttoned his starched white shirt, then gestured for Gia to pass through the doorway first.
She’d worn her hair long and flowing today to compliment the dress, but Mom would probably still find something wrong with her appearance. As she walked toward the elevator with Creed, she realized how much she hadn’t missed her parent’s cruel words over the past week. At some point in her life, she’d grown used to the biting, snide remarks and the insults that took place of the compliments Gia always dreamed of getting from them. But over the last week, she’d felt better about herself without her parents and the bombshells in her life, constantly placing her beneath them. No one in the Gray Backs made her feel less than.
Perhaps because they were broken themselves, or perhaps they just didn’t care where she came from or what inadequacies she toted like baggage. Or maybe it was because she was mate of the alpha. She didn’t know. All she knew was she felt better about herself when she was at the trailer park than she did right now, marching toward their rental car to meet her unsupportive parents for a meal.