Page 21 of Creed
“Will you tell me about it some day?”
He paused for a moment before pulling my hand away from his tattoo to tuck it between us instead. “Maybe. Now, go to sleep. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
Even after he closed his own eyes, he continued to hold onto my hand. I took that as permission to cuddle up next to him and draped one of my legs across his hips to pull him as close as possible.
I was still ecstatic over everything we’d done together, and the last edges of adrenaline hadn’t fully left my system. I could feel my veins buzzing under my skin.
Yet, I was also exhausted, and when I closed my eyes, I fell asleep almost instantly.
From the firstmoment I woke up the next morning, I felt like I was a teenager again. I couldn’t keep my eyes off Creed. From preparing our breakfast over the campfire, to packing up the tent and other supplies, my gaze was drawn to him every time he moved.
It was just like high school all over again.
Just over an hour after sunrise, we were packed up and ready to continue our hike. My bag was no different than before, but I swore it felt ten pounds lighter.
“Creed?” I asked after we’d been walking for a few minutes. “Did you do something to my pack?”
His silence was answer enough.
“You did! You put more of the supplies in your own bag. Why? I can carry my own weight on this trip.”
He mumbled something I couldn’t hear then started walking faster.
“What was that? Hey, don’t walk away from me. Explain yourself.”
He slowed down so I could catch up, but still kept his eyes pointed forward.
“You’re limping.”
“What?”
I stopped frozen in the middle of the trail, wondering if Creed was hallucinating.
Then the ache in my back reminded me of our activities of last night, and I realized what he meant.
“Creed,” his name dripped from my lips, half spoken word and half laughter. “It’s not that bad. Okay, yes, there’s a slight hitch in my step. What can I say? You’re a big boy, and you really worked me over last night. But it’s nothing I’m not used to. I’ll be fine. You don’t need to carry my supplies for me.”
I tried to unclip one of the extra bags that was strapped to his main pack so I could add it to my own, but he danced out of my reach.
“I caused your discomfort,” he insisted. “So, I’ll shoulder the responsibility.”
“That doesn’t have to be so literal.” I tried to grab the bag again, but he easily maneuvered away from me. “Creed, come on. Stop being so stubborn.”
“Stop being so reckless with your own health.”
He turned his back on me, intending to walk away now that he’d made the final decision.
I wasn’t going to be thwarted so easily.
If I made another grab for the bag right away, he was bound to notice. So, I waited. After another hour of hiking, I sidled up next to him, letting my hand trail up his arm in a teasing manner. He gave me a suspicious glance, but didn’t try to stop me, so I went in for the kill. Leaning closer, I pressed a quick kiss to the side of his neck.
It worked. A shiver traveled up Creed’s spine, which he tried to hide, but I could still see it from such closer proximity.
I placed another kiss on his neck, then behind his ear, then traveled down his jaw until I eventually reached his mouth. Once I had him locked into a proper kiss, I pushed him backward until I had him pressed up against a tree.
It was a make-out session worthy of any teenage romance. I slotted my leg between his, letting my thigh rub against his erection through his pants, just to make sure he was thoroughly distracted.
Then I reached for the bag again.
