31. Creed
Chapter 31
Creed
H e’s touching her. My best friend has his arms wrapped around the woman I’ve just claimed as mine. The woman which I just had my fingers buried inside. The one who came on my hand and tasted like sweet, sweet sin.
To be fair, she tackled him like a heat-seeking missile, knocking him back and hugging the life out of him while thanking him for the gifts. But still. He hugged her back.
I watch them closely, searching and trying to dig deep to find that feeling of deep anger or jealousy that should be boiling up and over the edge. I just got her. Literally. Not only has she been home for less than a week, but I’ve claimed her as mine in fewer days than that.
Should be weird as fuck to do something so big so fast, right? But these emotions have been bubbling within me for two years now, and I know she’s wanted me for even longer, so why fucking wait?
My eyes move to where Riley’s fingers are gripping her tight and notice how far her little crop top has ridden up when she raised her arms to wrap them around his neck. Riley doesn’t dare touch her skin, though. His hands stay firmly planted on the soft cotton of her tee, and just clings to her.
Why the hell is my brain so calm about this? Shouldn’t I be raging over another man touching what’s mine? Yeah. I should be.
But Riley isn’t just some random asshole. He’s my best friend. My brother. My family. There’s a lot to unpack about my lack of reaction because I can see how he feels about her and I know he knows that Collins and I are together without him even having to confirm anything. I won’t embarrass him or Collins by doing so either. It’s only been a few days since he’s even met her, but I’ve never seen more spark in his dark eyes than I have this last week.
Collins has that effect on people.
I respect Riley and I know he respects me back.
Exhibit A? When he opens his eyes to see me watching their little embrace and his eyes start swimming with panic but he’s smooth in ending the hug and Collins scoots backward to her spot on the couch and starts playing with my hair.
Fuuuuuck. I could get used to that.
We have a third gift for her that we’d picked out together and ordered last night but before either of us can give it to her, a knock sounds at the door of the bus. Riley jumps like his ass is on fire to answer it, clearly feeling some type of way about the whole hug encounter.
Voices pour into the space as footsteps pound up the steps. Riley pops up first, followed by Ayla, Bear, Ritz, and Steve. They’re all talking to one another so what they’re talking about is lost to me. Bear and Ayla go quiet when they see Collins sitting on the couch which then draws Ritz and Steve’s attention, too.
“ Ohmygod ,” Ayla rushes out, practically shoving Riley out of her way and tripping over my legs as she dives to sit next to Collins on the couch and yanks her into a hug.
Collins is shocked stiff for a moment, but she softens and gives Ayla a soft yet awkward pat on her back. Ayla pulls back and notes the uncertainty in my girl’s expression— feels fuckin’ good to think that phrase and it actually be true —and is quick to apologize. “I’m so sorry, I—you probably don’t remember me, but I’m Ayla. I’m a friend of Creed’s and Bear’s sister.”
She turns her head at the mention of the guy currently plopping down on the couch across from us, his fucking Aquaman hair pulled half up into a bun, and dark eyes observing the whole situation, always fucking scanning for threats and recognition sparks in her eyes. She’d only met him the one time, but the circumstances of that meeting had to have had a lasting impression. Bear’s always been a protector of women, but especially his sister. I have a feeling Collins is being added to that roster considering that he knows she’s now a permanent fixture in my life once again.
“Oh!” Collins squeaks out as she turns back to Ayla. “I do remember you!” she smiles, but then shoots me a glare damn near makes me want to flinch. Almost. But I don’t . I want to go head to head with fiery Collins. “It was you and Bear who found me and helped me out of the woods when I was left alone.” She puts extra emphasis on that last bit and her words are all fire and sass, the accusation dripping like venom from her tongue.
I kind of want to lick it off of her. Want to know what her skin tastes like when she’s all fight. I want to see all of her sides. I want to claim her while she’s happy and soft. But I also want to fuck her while she’s all hard and angry, too. I want to devour her every emotion and sensation like they’re fucking skittles.
Taste her goddamn rainbow.
“Hey, as I recall correctly, Stardust ,” I glare back, but the mirth shining in her eyes tells me she’s not actually pissed anymore. I mean, that would be a very long time to hold a grudge. I continue anyway, “It was Asher’s turn to watch you because I was in the shed getting—” I cut myself off abruptly, not daring to finish.
“Getting what , Creed?” she asks so sweetly, but I can feel the barb from here. She’s sharp as fuck. Kind of want to bleed on it.
But warning bells are going off, flashing lights and lots of beep, beep, beep to the sound of me backing my ass out from the tight space I’ve fucking driven myself into.
Bad Creed. Abort mission. Do NOT poke the little Collins-sized bear.
“Tools.” I blurt with a guilty-as-fuck grin on my face that I just can’t wipe away. We all know exactly what I was getting in that shed, but Collins doesn’t let it affect her. She just scoffs and rolls her eyes like she couldn’t deign to give me the courtesy of her time for a real answer and goes back to talking with Ayla, the two of them relaxing back into the cushions and falling into easy conversation. I love that she’s growing into this take-no-shit sparky side of herself.
She can put me in my place anytime .
Hopefully, that place she puts me in is between her thighs with my face and tongue buried deep inside her sweet pussy.
The girls laugh at something, yanking me out of my little fantasy land that looks and smells and tastes like Collins. My head snaps up to see that they’re huddled close, looking like the best of friends who are swapping secrets. Collins looks lighter, emotionally. Ayla’s good. She’s never once looked at any of us as anything more than a friend, that’s all she’s seen us as, or as she so affectionately likes to call it, minor inconveniences. She’ll be good for Collins, as I’m sure she’ll get sick of my crazy ass and sometimes it’ll just be good to talk to anyone who doesn’t have a dick. I’d know. Ayla’s listened to me bitch and complain about anything and everything since she joined Bear a few years ago and became our social media and PR manager.
Speaking of bears, I had texted dear Barrett last night even after we’d talked during our meeting earlier this week just to remind him that she’d be staying with us while we toured. He knows vaguely of the threats her foster father has been sending, so of course he was all for her staying with us, being the mother hen of the group and all.
Tony—I’m sorry, Ritz, as the asswipe likes to be called, nearly got his ass beat to a pulp when we pulled into the lot and he’d offered for her to ride on his bus, and then to promptly ride on his dick. I wanted to snap his dick off completely and make him choke on it when he spoke about Collins like that .
I took tremendous joy in watching him turn a really fun shade of purple while choking him up against the side of his tacky, chromed-out hummer and threatened him to stay the fuck away from her because I don’t trust his unstable ass.
I know, I know.
Pot, meet kettle.
I like to think I’m the fun crazy.
Tony’s just the… not fun kind. He gives the ick or whatever it is the young people say these days. The kind you want to smother with a pillow and still call it an accident .
I’ve wanted him out of the band from the moment Steve negotiated his contract because he’s always been an embarrassment to be seen with in public. Somehow, unbeknownst to me, he has yet to do anything—or hasn’t been caught, is more like it—to violate his contract to get kicked out of the band. Popping my own nails off with a straight pin sounds more fun than the time I’ve had to spend with that guy. So I’m just waiting for him to fuck up big time and I’ll be there to throw the goodbye party. But I’ll be damned if I let him near Collins, or for her to get caught in the middle of his bullshit and I refuse to let him even speak about her in any way shape or form without repercussions.
Next time he so much as looks at her funny, I’ll fucking kick his teeth in.
Steve clears his throat and all conversations die down and we turn our attention to the greaseball that is our manager. Hate that fuckin’ guy, too.
He’s the only one who doesn’t know about Collins joining us, but at this point, the people who matter know.
Riley drops down on the same couch as Bear, and Tony stands behind Steve, fucking twitching and bouncing around like an ill-mannered child hiding behind their parents’ leg.
I want to roll my eyes at how ridiculous the two of them are and it hasn’t escaped my attention at just how much Steve goes to bat for Tony. How he’s always bailing him out of trouble himself. It’s weird as fuck.
“Just like with any tour, we need to go over the itinerary over the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours.” He pulls out a folder from his jacket and I find myself wondering how the hell he had pockets big enough to hold the damn thing.
I need one of those. I could fit Collins in one of those things.
I grin at the thought of carrying her everywhere with me. She is tiny and pocket-sized, after all.
But Steve opens his mouth again, ruining my little moment. “We take off in thirty, heading southeast to Vegas first. It’s a nine hour drive so we’ll plan on at least two stops. It’s early enough that we shouldn’t need to stop anywhere for the night until we reach the venue. Your first concert isn’t until tomorrow evening so the crew will be on set up duty that night and the following morning in time for sound check later that afternoon. You’ll have a little downtime tonight and tomorrow morning but I expect you to be on stage and ready to run through your set no later than noon.” He gives me a pointed glare which I gladly return. Motherfucker. Like I’m the one who’s fucking late to sound check.
I scowl at him and flip him the middle finger. One time I was late, because I went looking for my fucking mail that he lost, the mail that had that letter in it from Collins. The one that sent me into this spiral of crazy.
Collins looks at me with her brows furrowed before looking back at Steve with a look of question. He doesn’t even acknowledge her existence. Good. One less fucker to come down with a bad case of sleeping face-down in a pillow. I’d never contemplated murder before I found her again, but here I am, getting all creative and shit about it.
“After speaking with Jake, he and his bandmates agreed that you could perform a mix of your own songs, as well as some covers of their songs. This is a unique situation as most bands just cancel their tours due to extended illnesses, so my question to you is this; Do you want this three-month tour to count as part of your U.S. tour? Because if not, you’ll be looking at starting the U.S. leg of your tour in September for another three to four months.”
My bandmates and I each share a look and each give a nod. This is something we’d all discussed from the moment Steve brought this opportunity to us.
What’s a little sleep deprivation to add to the crazy?
I actually feel excited at the thought of getting to spend more time exploring the U.S. with my girl. Spoiling the shit out of her and taking her to see all the places and things she’d been denied as a kid. To get to fuck her in all fifty states? Yes. Fucking. Please.
“Alright.” Steve says, flipping the page of his folder with a little too much gusto. “Now, the first setlist.”
“We’re opening with As We Stand’s most popular hit.” Bear cuts in, his arms still crossed like he couldn’t give two shades of shit about this meeting. Same, bud. Same.
“Which is?” Steve volleys.
“Don’t you have it written in that fancy little folder of yours, Steve?” I enquire, then gesture to his jacket. “Where the hell’d you find one of those with big-ass pockets like that?”
“ Creed,” Collins hisses from behind me, admonishing my question, and tugging softly at my hair which makes my eyes roll back and damn near makes me groan. Do that again, baby girl. “ Focus ,” she whispers.
Good idea. It’ll get people the fuck off this bus sooner and I’ll have thirty minutes to ravage her body before we take off. Yep. Love that plan for me.
Steve coughs into his hand and smooths it over his greased back hair.
Yuck.
“What I have here, Creed,” he spits my name like I’m the gross one here. Ha. “Is the setlist that we’d organized after the release of your newest album. What I don’t have are the songs by As We Stand that you agreed to cover, and when they’ll be sung, so I know how long the show will be.” He whips a fancy pen from his magical deep pocket and clicks it open with unnerving gusto. “So, those songs?”
Bear rolls his eyes and growls out, “We agreed to open with Buried Alive, since it’s got high energy to get the crowd going. It’s one all of their fans know. I think Creed needs to make some sort of announcement after that song, though, because we can’t guarantee that everyone will have heard the news about Jake and his surgery.”
“That I can do.” I confirm, looking at him across the small space between us.
Steve scribbles something on his paper, then looks to Bear for the rest of the songs. He prattles off the rest of the song covers, and when we’re going to play them. Once the set list is adjusted, Steve just stands there for a second, looking at each of us. “Right. I’ll leave you all to…” He claps his hands together and starts to back up to leave the bus but pauses when he finally notices Collins sitting on the couch behind me.
Oh fuck no.
His demeanor changes and I’m sure this fucker is trying to be charming, but he’s so damn creepy that his words sound fucking predatory. “Well, hello there.” He drawls, suddenly in no hurry to leave anymore and his eyes narrow on her. “You look familiar, might we have met before?”
I scrunch my face up in disgust. No fucking way has this guy met Collins before. I look back to Collins, who’s still playing with my hair, but she squeezes at the roots for a moment before she says so softly you can barely hear it. “Um, no. I-I don’t think so.”
“Ah, well, you must have one of those… faces, then.” He says, his eyes roaming over her body and I instinctively reach behind me and grab a throw pillow and throw it over her middle. Steve’s expression immediately sours at the move. See what I mean? Jesus fucking Christ. “What’s your name? Will you be joining us as a guest of Creed’s? ”
Okay, it’s time to put a cork in this conversation before we find out if you can really drown in a teaspoon of water.
Collins opens her mouth to answer, but I shoot from my perch at her feet like a bat out of hell and swing an arm around Steve’s shoulders, leading him toward the steps as I lean down, speaking in a low, dangerous tone. “She’s none of your fucking business, Steve.” Then I raise my voice so everyone can hear, “Thank you so much for your time, dear Steve. But as you said, we take off in…” I glance at my invisible watch and blurt out a random time, “Fifteen minutes. We’ve got lots to do before takeoff, so I’ll catch you later, pal.” I say as I practically shove him out the bus door.
He spins when he’s outside, his face now flush with embarrassment and anger. His jowls shake, sputtering for words. “You can’t just?—”
“I just fucking did.” I back him up as he stares at me wide-eyed. He hasn’t seen my new crazy yet. I kept that shit on a tight leash. Or, like, maybe Ayla did. She takes no prisoners when it comes to keeping our band and its members squeaky clean when it comes to the press. Except for Tony. Sure, she keeps his fuck ups minimal in the press, but she wants him out just as bad as the rest of us. But this isn’t about Ritz, or Bear, or Ayla, or Riley. This is about Steve learning his place when it comes to Collins and how far I’m willing to go to keep her safe. He may handle the organization of our band well, but he’s a greasy fuck and I wouldn’t trust him to be alone with Collins. “You don’t look at her. You don’t talk to her. You leave her the fuck alone. She doesn’t exist to you.”
“Creed, who is?—”
“Have a good day, Steve.” I interrupt him with a smile so wide I’m sure it borders on manic and shut the door in his face. I hear him spout out a string of curses and something about “fucking rockstars” before he disappears from sight.
I take the steps back up to see everyone staring before they break out into laughter. Tony is the loudest of all of us .
Shit. Forgot he was here.
The laughter quickly morphs into random chatter between my bandmates but Tony’s presence is making me itch so I slap him on the back and tell him how Steve needed help loading some shit onto his bus and he practically skips off the bus, throwing up a peace sign that nobody acknowledges.
I look over at Collins to find that her mystical green eyes are already on me. I wink at her and the flush that rushes to her cheeks makes her freckles pop and she bites her lip. I suddenly feel the urge to kick everyone off of this damn bus so I can strip her down and see where else she blushes and how many more freckles I can find on her stunning little body.
My cock twitches in agreement and it’s a gargantuan effort to not reach down and adjust myself with the growing hardness behind my zipper.
Instead, I saunter over to her and sit down in front of her again, tipping my head back to rest against her thigh where her leg is draped over the edge. I’m about to ask her to do something for me, but she beats me to it when I feel her fingers rake through my hair once more. My eyes drift closed and I stifle a groan that wants to rip loose from my chest when she starts to use her nails against my scalp. No one has ever played with my hair, but now it’s my new addiction.
I’m tuned out to all conversations, Collins’ ministrations sending me into a blissed out stupor, but I can feel the eyes on me from all angles. I crack one eye open to see Bear staring at me, one eyebrow raised in question, but I just smirk and close my eyes again, sinking into the feel of my girl’s magic touch. I’ll tell him about it later. Maybe.
I must have drifted off because I wake to the feel of a swaying sensation and soft, full lips pressing against my forehead. The bus is quiet, save for the hum of the engine and the noise of the busy highway. I blink open my eyes to see the most beautiful face looking down at me with a saccharine smile that makes my heart squeeze tight, and I can’t help but smile back.
How is this my life?
I can’t believe that in a matter of a week I’ve found the girl who I’ve cared for my whole life but have craved for two years.
She smiles, her septum piercing glinting in the light coming through the windows as she says, “Hey there Sleeping Beauty.” I want to roll my eyes but she scrapes her nails over my scalp and they roll to the back of my head instead.
Eh. Close enough.
“You fell asleep just before the others took off for their own buses and we’ve been on the road for about an hour or so.”
I stretch out my sore muscles from my position on the floor, my arms reaching up and stretching before wrapping around her shoulders in an awkward upside down hug that makes her laugh, before shoving to stand. I look around and don’t see Ri anywhere. As if reading my thoughts, Collins nods toward the back of the bus, “He said something about listening to the set list for the As We Stand songs.”
“He does that before every show.” I say, walking over to the kitchen area and pulling two bottles of water from the fridge before grabbing the giant bag of m&m’s that Riley keeps stashed away and walking back over to where Collins sits on the couch. I toss everything next to her and yank her up only to pull her down sideways into my lap. Exactly where she belongs.
Her little yelp as she lands makes me chuckle but I reach over to hand her a water bottle and open the bag, pulling out a handful of the chocolatey candy and offering one to her pouty pink lips. She blushes a little but takes the bite. I give her a few more before popping a few into my mouth.
I know that my crazy is calmed a smidge, I fucking love taking care of her. “How long does he stay like that?” She asks, plucking a few m&m’s from the pile in my palm and feeds one to me. “He disappeared with his headphones as soon as we started rolling and he hasn’t come out since.”
I sigh, thinking about my best friend currently holed up in the back of the bus. “His story is his to tell, but I will say that he strives for perfection. He knows his role in the band, and he wants to make sure that he’s good enough to keep his position.”
Her brows furrow and she glances back down the hall, gnawing on her lower lip with concern playing clear as day across her features. It’s been a week, but I can tell the way she cares for others has never changed. “What do you mean? He played for me at this music store in the mall and he’s amazing.”
I smile at that. It’s been too long since Riley did anything for fun, and for him to let loose and play the drums for her at a time that wasn’t just rehearsing or recording? It gives me this huge sense of relief. I love the friendship that Collins has with him. It’s allowing him to actually enjoy life, rather than live day to day under the false guise of trying to prove himself to everyone.
I feed her more candy as I tell her the insane truth about Ri. “He could master the drums of any song just by listening once, but he insists on listening to the sets for hours.”
She hums in contemplation, chewing while still staring down the hall. I can tell she wants to go to him, but I’m a selfish bastard and I want her all to myself while he’s busied himself with his soundproof headphones.
I could interrupt him so that she can open her last gift, but we’ve got several more hours of travel to take care of that. Instead, I toss the bag of chocolate candy aside hoping to all that’s holy that it doesn’t spill because right now I’ve got a single focus.
Collins.
I turn her to straddle me and grasp her face in mine as my lips find hers. My need for this girl knows no bounds. I can’t get enough of her. Yeah, it’s been hours since she’s become mine, but I already know I’m not fucking letting go. She can just strap a collar around my neck and drag me everywhere on a leash because I belong to this girl as much as she belongs to me.
A collar could be a good look for me. Fuck, I’ll even get a tag that says Property of Collins Adaire to complete the look. My hands roam from her hair, down her back and straight to her ass where I squeeze tight, causing her to gasp against my lips, before gripping the back of her thighs. I take her open mouth as an invitation and my tongue darts out, needing a taste of her. Hers meets mine in a dirty dance of frenzied kisses. Her grip tightens in my hair when I push to stand with her still in my arms. I move quickly so a bump in the road doesn’t send us to the floor, though I have no qualms with touching her wherever we end up.
She’ll be coming for me no matter where the fuck we are.
I manage to make it to the bedroom and kick the door shut, but this time instead of laying her down, I back myself to the bed, still ravaging her mouth as I lay myself back, her small, lithe body covering mine. My dick twitches behind my jeans when she takes over, grinding herself on top of me. She breaks the kiss as a moan pushes past her swollen lips. I help her out with my hands that are still gripping her ass and pull her harder down and across my hard cock, her breath hitching with the motion. Her eyes are glazing over with every undulation of her hips and I’m fucking lost in a sea of jade.
I can’t look away from her. I want nothing more than to destroy those little shorts she’s wearing and to rip these jeans off and fuck into her heat so deeply that she’ll feel me there for days, but I don’t want our first time fucking to be muted on a moving bus where we’ll have to be quiet.
No, I’ve got plans for that.
Right now though, I need her pleasure. I fucking crave it. I need her to come for me again. I want to see the flush of her skin, I want to hear those raspy moans. I. Want. Her.
“Ride me, baby.” I say, still pushing her to grind against me. “Fucking come apart in my hands. Shatter for me, Stardust . ”
“Oh, fuck,” She moans and her movements become jerky. She’s close. I’ve never hated denim more than I do right now because I can’t fucking reach her clit, but she’s too far gone for me to stop. So instead, with one hand, I keep helping her out, pushing her down harder, hoping to increase that friction she so desperately needs, and I grip the back of her neck with the other and pull her down for another kiss.
The new angle must do it for her because she cries out against my mouth as her entire body shudders with her release. “What a good fucking girl,” I praise, ignoring my own need to bust my load once again because the fucking throaty, raspy, gasping moan that escapes her lips sounds better than any fucking porn star could ever make and I’ve decided right here and now that I need her to make that sound for me at least three times a day.
I can tell she’s exhausted despite sleeping in the car earlier by the way she collapses against my chest.
I roll us to the side, my arms wrapped around her. We lay there for several minutes, she’s so still I wonder if she’s fallen asleep, but then her slender fingers slide up and across my chest.
I pull back just a little to look down at her and what I see makes my stomach swoop. She looks…lost. Confused, maybe? Either way, I don’t fucking like it and it wakes the crazy in me. It makes me want to bury myself so deep inside her soul that all negative thoughts won’t even stand a chance with the way I’d stand guard around her heart and mind, snarling like a fucking rabid dog at everything daring to plague her happiness.
Using the pad of my thumb, I smooth out the lines marring her perfect soft face and it forces her gaze up to mine. She blinks a few times, as if lost in thought before her gaze refocuses.
Fuck, she’d dissociated for a minute. I mentally slap myself for missing it. I softly swipe my thumb back and forth along her cheek, watching her slowly slip back into reality. “Where’d you go, baby?”
She shifts, inching a little closer as she rolls her lips together. Her hand moves up until one of her delicate fingers starts to trace along the lines of the tattoo on my neck and chest above the collar of my shirt. “I’m sorry,” she starts, and continues before I can protest and tell her to stop apologizing. “Sometimes I just get lost in thought and it causes me to drift into a dissociative state.” Collins bites her bottom lip nervously, as if she’s trying to find the words to explain what happens to her. “It feels almost…dreamlike.”
“What had you drifting away this time?” I ask, calming myself back into a state of sanity. I want to know, not only to encourage her to actually seek help from me rather than think she’s got to deal with everything on her own, but also so that I can try and prevent these episodes in the future.
“The thought that this isn’t real,” she whispers, still tracing the ink on my skin. “That this,” —she gestures between us—“is just temporary, or that maybe I’m stuck in some permanent dissociative episode and I’ll wake up, still working under Tank, or maybe even stuck living with—” she pauses, her breath hitching as she chokes back a sob. She doesn’t have to finish. I know who she’s talking about.
I pull her closer, tucking her into me and I rest my chin atop her head after planting several kisses in her hair. “I’m sorry, Collins.” I say, rubbing her back in comforting circles. She melts into me a little more, her body relaxing a bit. “I’m so, so fucking sorry of all that you’ve endured. But I am so goddamned proud of the way you fought. The way you survived. But you don’t have to do that anymore. You never have to worry.”
“What do you mean?” She asks, her voice quiet and muffled as she speaks into my chest.
I squeeze her lightly, showing her just how real I am. “This is real. I am real. It was a crazy fucking twist of fate that I ended up at Viper, that you ended up in my lap, but it was fucking real. If I go anywhere, it’ll be with me chained to your side.” I smile at the repetitive thought of being collared by her. Fuck yeah. I’m ordering one of those ASA-fucking-P. “You’re stuck with me now, Collins, because I can’t get enough of you. You’re mine, I’m yours.” I tip her chin and meet her sleepy eyes. I smile, in awe of her utter beauty. I kiss her lips tenderly. “This.” Kiss. “ Is.” Kiss. “ Real.” Kiss.
She kisses me back, long, and slow. A barely audible, happy little sigh passes her lips as she whispers back against mine. “Okay.”
I close my eyes, tucking her in tight and we both drift off. Just before the blackness consumes me, it feels like something clicks into place in my chest. It’s beautiful. It’s going to take colossal effort to not smother that feeling, but I’m sure as fuck not letting it go either.