Page 38 of Road to Nowhere (Road to Nowhere 1)

  TEN

  *Creed*

  Mia was now in her third trimester, seven months pregnant and popping. It was like baby girl decided to grow double in size in only a few weeks time. I left for a few days and came back to a very pregnant Mia. She was still cute-as-shit, fucking adorable, walking around with this basketball under her shirt, or at least that’s what it looked like to me. Mia was all belly. You couldn’t even tell she was pregnant unless she turned to the side.

  The season changed over to fall, and it began to get a little colder outside some days. Her clothes were no longer fitting as comfortably as they were before, and I couldn’t take her shopping to see what fit, so we made due. She just started wearing my sweatshirt or long sleeved shirts. It wasn’t like she had anywhere to go or anyone to impress.

  She drowned in my clothes, barely being able to tell she was even pregnant anymore. I fucking loved it. Seeing her waddling around, wearing my things. I always made sure I took something with me when I left, so I’d have something to remind me of her since her addicting scent lingered in the fabric. Offering time and time again to try and bring her back some maternity clothes when I left, but she refused, saying my things were perfect. All she wanted was for me to come back home to her safely.

  I hated that she started to think of this place as her home. Especially because of the reason she was there in the first place, for the last two months. I let it slide, playing it off when I was around her. Not wanting to add to the grief that I knew she already carried.

  “Hey,” Diesel greeted, standing guard outside the safe house. Watching me walk up. “You’re here early.”

  I nodded to him. “Why don’t you and Taz take off for a while. Got some business to handle with Mia.”

  “Everything alright?”

  “I’d tell you if it wasn’t.”

  “Alright. We’ll be back later tonight. After dark enough time for you to handle your woman?”

  “Should be. I’ll let ya know otherwise if anythin’ changes.”

  “Alright. Be gentle, bro.” He winked, nudging my shoulder as he walked away with Taz.

  I took a deep breath, standing on the porch, staring at the front door after they left. Trying to gather my thoughts before entering the safe house. This relationship shit was such new territory for me, but I wanted to make Mia happy. She was such an amazing woman and deserved a man who could put his pride and ego aside. Even if it was only for a few hours, just to give her what she obviously craved.

  Women always said men were complicated, but they couldn’t have been more fucking wrong. Men were easy—we wanted to be fed and we wanted pussy, that’s it. As long as our woman kept our stomach’s full and our ball’s empty, we were fucking golden. Everything else was just an added bonus.

  Women were a fucking paradox of contradictions. Mia’s hormones were all over the place. One minute she was happy and the next she was crying over the stupidest shit, like a commercial on TV or a line she read in one of her books. Her emotions were a roller coaster and I was riding along, holding on for dear fucking life. Sometimes I could barely keep up.

  I used to laugh at the brothers when it came to their old ladies. Badass bikers turned into pussy-whipped bitches, and here I was doing whatever it took to make Mia smile. To make her laugh. To make her happy.

  To keep her in love with me.

  She glanced up from her book when she heard me walk in. “Have I told you how much I love you coming back early?”

  I set some bags down on the coffee table and took a seat beside her, pulling her onto my lap. She came effortlessly, straddling my waist, leaving enough room for her growing belly. I grabbed her chin, bringing her pouty lips over to meet mine, kissing her like I hadn’t seen her in months. She moaned, reaching for my belt buckle.

  But I caught her wrist at the last second, softly pecking her lips one last time. “Got plenty of time for that later.”

  “You’re passing up sex? Creed Jameson, are you feeling okay?” she giggled as she pulled away, sitting up straight. “What’s in there?” she questioned, pointing over her shoulder at the shopping bags. “Your momma make me some more food? Baby girl has been feigning for her apple pie.”

  “I bought you a lil’ somethin’.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Grab the gray bag.”

  She reached behind her, picking up the lightweight bag, and placed it in between the baby and me. Her eyes glazed over when she pulled out the cream dress.

  “Thought of you when I rode past a mannequin, wearin’ it in the window at one of those fancy shops downtown.”

  “It’s beautiful. I can’t wait to wear it when we can go out some day. Thank you, I love it.”

  “Wear it for me.”

  “Now?” she asked, confused. Looking around the room.

  “Yeah, babe. Go get all dolled up for me.”

  She smirked, placing the dress back into the bag. “I can do that.”

  I watched her prance out of the living room, waiting till she was out of sight before grabbing the rest of the bags. Getting started on what I had to do. Thinking how fucking perfect Mia was going to look the entire time I was working. She had no clue that I hid makeup in the bottom of the bag, as well. Not that she needed it. She was flawless, naturally beautiful, but I knew she missed all that girly shit. Dressing up in something other than my clothes. Doing her hair and makeup for the first time in months, making her feel somewhat human again.

  I spent most of my morning at the department store, trying to figure out what the hell was on the displays. There was too much to choose from. Silently questioning if women really used this much shit on their faces. No wonder it took them so fucking long to get ready. Thank God for the older lady behind the counter, who noticed I was getting frustrated with the endless supply of who the fuck knows what.

  Finally, walking out with just the basics.

  After spending thirty minutes, getting everything set for Mia, I spent another thirty minutes on the couch, waiting for her to emerge. I knew girls took fucking forever to get ready, but this was getting ridiculous. I waited another twenty minutes. Flipping through some of her gossip magazines she had laying around before I decided to forego this waiting bullshit. Walking back to my bedroom to see what the hold-up was all about, instead.

  “Mia!” I called out, knocking on the bathroom door. “Everythin’ alright in there?”

  “Yeah! Just… Just…” She sounded like she was crying. “Give me a few more minutes!”

  “Babe, I’m—” I started opening the door.

  “NO! Don’t come in here!”

  “The fuck?” I whispered to myself, opening the door anyway. Completely caught off guard by what I walked in on.

  She was soaking wet, standing naked in the bathtub. Her legs covered in shaving cream and a razor in her hand. “I told you not to come in here,” she choked out, instantly covering her tits with her arms.

  “Pippin, ain’t nothin’ new. I’ve seen them,” I said, gesturing to her breasts.

  She blushed, her eyes watering with fresh tears. “I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

  “Mia, what’s goin’ on?”

  She sank back into the bathtub, fidgeting with the razor in her hands, not looking at me. “I just can’t…” she whispered out the rest of her sentence so low, I couldn’t hear what she said.

  “Gotta speak up, babe, can’t read lips.”

  She sighed with tears streaming down her pretty face. “I can’t shave … by myself, anymore. I’m too big… It’s too hard… My belly won’t… it won’t let me bend over…” she let it out, speaking in the saddest voice I’d ever heard. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t sexy… I just wanted to look perfect for you… but I’m fat…”

  It broke my heart seeing her so weak over something so unimportant to me. I knew it was against her nature. Mia was one of the strongest women I’d ever met.

  She’d have to be, to put up with me.

  I was over to her in three s

teady strides, grabbing the razor out of her hand and helping her up out of the water. “Park that sweet little ass of yours on the back ledge of the tub for me, babe.”

  She sniffled, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. Doing what she was told. I crouched down at the side of the tub and reached into the soapy bath water, grabbing her foot. Propping it up on the edge in front of me. She watched with curious eyes, as I gathered suds from the water in my hands and slid them down her soft, silky skin. Getting her leg prepped, again.

  Her lips parted, sucking in air, when I placed the razor to her ankle, gently gliding it up to her knee. Being careful not to cut her.

  “Only gonna say this one fuckin’ time.” I stopped shaving her leg so I could look at her. “You’re perfect, Mia. Always have been, always will be. I’m here for you no matter what… To shave you, bathe you, or fuck you,” I paused, smiling. Trying to get her to laugh, earning me a smirk, instead. I leaned forward, grinning against her mouth, rasping, “And just so you know… I’m hard as fuck right now. Been hard since I saw you standin’ there wet, glowin’, all fuckin’ delicious. Don’t ever let me hear you say your fat, again. I’ll take ya over my knee and spank that little fuckin’ ass. You’re the sexiest woman I ever laid eyes on, big belly and all. Ya feel me?”

  She bit her lip, nodding. More tears falling down her cheeks. This time I wiped them away with my thumbs. “I ask myself every fuckin’ day how I got so goddamn lucky. You’re my everythin’, babe. Can’t imagine my life without you in it. I love you.”

  I kissed her and went back to my task at hand. Mia blushed the entire time, and I couldn’t help but love being able to do this for her. Feeling as though I was a part of her pregnancy, if that made any sense. When I was done shaving her all over, I spread her legs open and ate her pussy like a starving fucking man, unable to resist her naked body any longer. It helped, making Mia more comfortable and relaxed again. My touch consistently had that effect on her.

  I would always take care of my girl.

  In every sense of the word.

  *Mia*

  Creed helped me out of the tub after he finished giving me a mind-blowing orgasm with his mouth. Wrapping a towel around my shivering body to warm me up. He offered to dress me, too, but I declined. Telling him I could handle it. Truth be told, I really just needed a few minutes to myself. I couldn’t believe what he’d done for me. It was more intimate than anything we’d ever shared together, more than anything I’d ever shared with anyone. I always knew there were several sides to him. Though I never imagined, he could be like this…

  With me.

  There were no words to express how I felt in that moment, in that second, in that instant…

  With him.

  There were never any gray areas with Creed. No maybes. It was either black or white, yes or no. It took me until that day to realize I was his gray area. I was the maybe. He really would do anything for me, and I didn’t understand why it took something so minuscule to prove it. He had been showing me since the first day I met him and every day after.

  Pushing me away, time and time again.

  Having to say goodbye before he went into the military, and taking my courage patch with him.

  Talking to me at the lake, when I needed a friend.

  Giving me my first kiss.

  And every other time that followed…

  His actions always contradicted his words. And now his words belonged to me. I think this was the turning point in our relationship, where I truly knew he was mine.

  He’d always been mine.

  He was leaning against the front door with his arms crossed over his chest, when I walked into the living room. Fully dressed for him with my hair and makeup all done up. He looked me up and down, taking in every last inch of my body, from head to toe. Staring at me, igniting a feeling deep within my body, the only way Creed ever could.

  “There’s my girl,” he declared, reaching his hand out for me to take.

  “How did you know my size?” I asked, referring to the dress that fit me perfect. I grabbed a hold of his hand and he instantly twirled me around in a circle, like one of those ballerinas in a jewelry box. Looking at me in a way I had never witnessed before. “Are we dancing? You taking me dancing?”

  “Don’t dance, Pippin,” he gruffed out, continuing to twirl me around, pulling me back and spinning then forward. The look on his face as he watched me never changed, if anything it got more intense.

  “You’re dancing right now.”

  “You’re dancin’ right now.”

  I rolled my eyes. “And the makeup? That must have been quite a sight. Big badass biker, shopping around for me. The women in the boutique must have loved that.”

  He shrugged it off. “Babe, I was like one of those fuckin’ heroes in the smut books you read. Jaws dropped and panties melted.” He tugged me into his torso and kissed my lips. “Now close your eyes.”

  “It’s not smut if it has a storyline.” I cunningly smiled against his lips. “You’re not going to kidnap me again, are you?”

  “Can’t kidnap what’s already yours.”

  I laughed, closing my eyes. Impatiently waiting for what was to come. I heard the front door open as he took my hand, guiding me to walk forward. Following as close as I could to his warm body. Overthinking the possibilities of what he had planned in my mind when I suddenly felt him shift. He let go of my hand, moving to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, and pulling me close to his chest.

  “Open them,” he whispered close to my ear.

  My eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the bright light. We were outside, the fresh air and cold breeze hit all my senses. It had been months since I felt the outdoors. The sun on my face. The grass beneath my feet. Creed had made a picnic outside of the safe house, in the woods. Overlooking the gorgeous sun and riverbank situated out in front of us. The breathtaking greenery, the autumn colors, and leaves that were now falling from the trees. The view looked like a postcard.

  “I can’t believe you did all this,” I said, trying to hold back the tears.

  “Consider this our first date.” He kissed my neck, leaving me in shock to go sit on the blanket.

  I stood there dumbfounded for I don’t know how long, taking in my surroundings before sitting down next to him. Noticing all my favorite foods, desserts and even my favorite thing to drink, lined the center of our blanket. My guitar leaning up against a tree. I had mentioned I missed playing it.

  “I have no words, Creed. You have officially outdone yourself.”

  “You can thank me later.” He winked, throwing a chocolate covered strawberry in his mouth. “It’s a nice fall day. Didn’t want to waste it.”

  “It feels amazing to be outside. God, it feels like forever since I felt the sun on my skin.”

  “When this all blows over, you can lay out naked by the pool at our house, for as long as you want. It can be my new favorite thing.”

  I chuckled, resisting the urge to ask him how much longer he planned to keep me captive. I didn’t want to ruin the moment. He had put a lot of thought and effort into this date, and I couldn’t have been more grateful.

  We spent the next few hours eating, laughing, talking about anything and everything. Learning all sorts of new things about each other. At one point he handed me my guitar. He asked me to play for him, he knew that I never played for people, blame it on stage fright, he said he wanted a part of me that nobody had before. I grabbed it and started to strum the strings to the melody of “Foolish Games,” by Jewel. A song that made me thing of him through the years. He sat there watching me with a fascinated look in his eyes, as I poured my heart out to him through the lyrics. Knowing I had never played for anyone before.

  Time just flew by, and before I knew it, I was leaning against his chest, watching the sunset behind the trees.

  “I talked to Mason,” he said out of nowhere.

  I abruptly turned around to face him. “What do you mean? When? He?

??s alright then?”

  “Yeah, Pippin, he’s fine. He was just sent on a mission off the grid. Ain’t too fuckin’ happy with me, though,” he scoffed, taking a swig of his beer.

  “Why? You didn’t do anything.”

  “Didn’t watch out for you.”

  I jerked back. “What?”

  “Promised him I’d watch out for you, after I was discharged.”

  “You did?”

  He nodded, drinking again.

  “But I… Noah and I… I mean… you were still in the military.”

  “Ain’t got shit to do with you and Noah, but he ain’t too fuckin’ thrilled about that situation either.” He looked me over. “You forget you’re missin’, Mia?”

  “Oh… So, he knows I’m pregnant?”

  “Yes. It’s aiight. I can handle Mason. Just wanted you to know he’s safe.”

  “And… my parents’? Did he say anything about them? How are they doing?” I coaxed in a gentle tone.

  “How you think? Hmm?” he countered, tugging on the ends of my hair.

  “Yeah…” I breathed out, finally mustering up the courage to ask, “What’s going to happen when I go home, Creed? What am I supposed to tell my family? The cops? Everyone is going to want to know where I’ve been for the last… however long I end up staying here.”

  “You don’t think I know that? What did you want me to do? Leave ya there. Back in Oak Island, let you be a sittin’ fuckin’ duck? An easy fuckin’ target? Couldn’t do it, babe. Against my fuckin’ nature, ta not protect the ones I love. It’s who I am. Knowin’ that your family could fuckin’ hate me cuz of this, well it was a risk I was more than willin’ to fuckin’ take. In fact, I’d do it again if I had to.”

  “They won’t hate you.”

  “Yeah? You sure about that? They already think I’m fuckin’ biker trash. A low life piece of shit from the wrong side of the tracks. Don’t blame them either. Like I said before, I wouldn’t want my baby girl with the likes of me either. But can’t let you go, Mia. As you know… I’ve already fuckin’ tried,” he reminded me, taking another swig of his beer.