Forty-One

"Trust me?"

She did, but that didn't ease her reluctance because, even though his injuries were by far the more serious, she knew he would hate further evidence of the violence against her. She wasn't exactly keen on the reminder herself. But, looking into those warm brown eyes, she found herself nodding before her gaze dropped self-consciously to the floor of his clubhouse dorm room.

A gentle finger below the chin tilted Eden's face back up to his and Chibs leaned in to press a kiss to her lips, one so tender that her eyes drifted closed of their own accord and she barely noticed his hands finding the hem of her top to slowly ease it upwards. He had to pull away to lift the silky material over her head, but she heard the inhale and tried to swallow down the sudden lump in her throat.

"Jesus, Eden," the biker sighed, his fingers grazing feather-light over the mottled bruising that graced her ribs. "I'm so sorry, darlin'."

"It's … okay," she tried to shrug, because what else could she say? It wasn't like it was his fault.

"It really fucking isn't," he said, his touch turning just a little firmer, probing as gently as he could. "You sure nothing's broken?"

"Just bruised. Guess I got … lucky."

Something that might have been a wry smile tugged at her mouth and was gone again. Lucky. It was hard to acquaint everything that had gone down with anything resembling luck and yet she knew that, as bad as it had been, it could have been worse. The man stood in front of her, a fresh scar hidden under his shirt and cut, could be laid out in the mortuary and she could have miscarried a baby she hadn't even known existed. If that vicious boot had been aimed just a little lower …

Chibs may not have fully understood the train of thought that led to it, but he caught the shiver that ran down her spine, sympathy etched across his face. His lips sought out hers again, a hand coming up to cradle the back of her head.

"I promise you, love, I'll do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again," he murmured, holding her close. "Everything."

"I know," Eden whispered, her arms around him as he softly kissed her neck, then her bare shoulder.

But much as his ministrations were just the comforting balm needed to sooth away the lingering aftermath of all that fear and anxiety and pain, she couldn't help tensing when his mouth drifted lower, wondering if he'd notice the changes her body was already undergoing as she stood there in just her jeans and a lacy nude-coloured bra she was sure used to cover more than it did now.

She knew she had to tell Chibs her news, and soon. She couldn't help fearing the worst though and, after everything, she couldn't bear the thought of losing something she had only just gotten back. Surely waiting one more night couldn't hurt? One night to just let him be that source of comfort she so badly needed.

One more night before everything potentially went to hell again.

And if one night was all she was getting …

Pulling the silver-haired Scotsman close, Eden kissed him passionately, feeling him hesitate and then wrap her up in his arms as he kissed her back.

"Not that I'm in the habit o' complaining about these things," he tried, when they were both breathless. "But what was that for?"

Eden simply shrugged. "Wanted to," she smiled, almost shyly, drawing a little longing groan from the biker.

"Fuck, lass, the things you do to me," Chibs managed roughly, as he walked them both closer to the bed, only for reality to creep back in for the young woman in his arms.

"Your stitches …"

"I'll let you sew me back up if I pop one?" he suggested, letting his hands roam up and down her bare back.

"Filip …"

It was his turn to shrug in the face of her half scolding tone. "Just gonna have to be gentle wi' me," he said. "'Cause I ain't being funny, darlin', but right now I reckon me head's about to explode!"

Even she had to laugh at that and Chibs grinned to see it, only to turn serious for a moment, his forehead resting against hers. "I told you I'd take things slow and I will if you need me to, 'course I will. But if a wee war wound's the only thing holding ya back, love …. Trust me, ain't nothing gonna make me feel better right now than getting to show my girl how much I absolutely bloody love her."

Tracing one of his scarred cheeks and letting her fingertips scratch lightly through the scruff of his salt-and-pepper beard, Eden pressed a tiny kiss to the biker president's lips.

"Show me then," she whispered, her cheeks flushing under the heat of his gaze. "Show me you love me."

A slow smile curved the Scot's lips upwards. He didn't intend leaving one damn shred of doubt in her mind, stitches or no stitches.

And he didn't.


It had been far too long since she had been in his bed, but Chibs was determined to take it slow, to savour every second and to do whatever he could to help exorcise the demons in his girl's mind. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well, that she'd been restless and seemingly tormented by nightmares. Not that she had admitted it herself, but he'd gone ahead and checked in with Seth for a more accurate update, telling himself he'd rather face Eden's wrath for going behind her back than let her just suffer in silence.

He needed to understand what was really going on with her, to know how she was coping, without her putting a brave face on it because she was more worried about his bloody recovery. There was no fucking need to spare him. So he'd been stabbed and, aye, it hadn't exactly been a walk in the park, but he'd had worse. Getting blown up in an IRA car-bomb, just for example.

That wasn't really the tone he wanted to take with his girl though, all things considered. I'm-fine-compared-to-all-the-other-times-this-life-near-killed-me. Not exactly reassuring.

And he hadn't been lying before. He would have waited, content to just fall asleep with her next to him, knowing she was safe and that he hadn't totally fucked up their relationship by pushing her away and then, thoughtless fucker that he was, shagging the first bird who looked his way. And even though he had already realised he'd fallen for the wee medic, the thought of her in danger, the thought that he might lose her, had fully opened his eyes and it startled him to discover just how deep his feelings ran.

His goddamn heart had been ripped from his chest, stamped on and patched back up too many times. He'd started to think maybe life would be easier if he kept everyone at a distance, let himself turn cold and hard. Maybe that was the only way to survive this life, especially once forced to wield that gavel.

And yet it was too late. Because he loved her, wholly and completely, and he already couldn't imagine his world without her in it. He couldn't harden his heart against that any more than he could turn his back on his brothers, his family.

So there could be no more pushing her away. No shutting her out of his life, even the parts that were dark and ugly. But he would be there, he would do everything he damn well could to be everything she needed. To help her heal and keep her safe. Because she loved him too and that blew his fucking mind.

He didn't deserve to have her laid in his bed, still a little tense and unsure, but looking up at him with such love and trust in those gorgeous green eyes, and he kissed her lips softly. He wanted her more than he'd wanted anything in a long time, but he'd spend all night just kissing her, if that was what she needed, his hands slowly caressing her soft skin. No impatience, no urgency, just slowly soothing away her apprehension.

Her fingers reached out to tangle in the beads of the cross around his neck and she smiled up at him faintly, tugging him down into another, more passionate kiss. His hand slipped downwards and under the low waistband of her panties, pausing at the first sign of hesitancy, before she let her legs part for him and he pressed tender kisses along her jaw to her ear, whispering for her to open her eyes again.

"See? Just me, my darlin'," he murmured roughly. "Just me … You tell me to stop if it's too much, yeah?"

"Don't stop," Eden whispered, an arm around his shoulders and her other hand behind her head, gripping the pillow tight. "Please, Filip …"

Her words trailed off into a little whimper at the gentle touch of his fingers.

"That's it, love, relax," Chibs said, nuzzling kisses down her throat. "I ain't hurting you, am I?"

She shook her head, her eyes drifting closed and her bottom lip caught between her teeth as his mouth moved lower, kissing the swell of her breasts. The strap of her bra slipped off her shoulder and he peeled the delicate lace down, the scruff of his beard tickling her soft skin as he took her nipple in his mouth. The little moan pulled from her by his ministrations and the warm wetness on his fingers made him quirk an eyebrow and he urged her to open her eyes again, wanting to be sure there was no chance of dark memories intruding on their time together and slowly letting his fingers press inside her as he held her gaze.

Her breath hitched in her throat, but at his unspoken question, she swallowed and nodded for him to keep going, his lips against her temple as he murmured to her while his fingers found their rhythm.

Fuck, he was rock-hard for her, shifting to try to keep his weight off her. And the soft moans he was drawing from her weren't exactly helping. He was still prepared to call time on this at any sign of distress from his girl, but he was pleasantly surprised when she reached for him beneath the covers. Christ, he had missed her touch. He shifted again, noting what movement led to an uncomfortable pull on his wound and trying to remind himself to take it easy as he reached for a condom.

"You sure, lass?" Chibs asked again, knowing a shake of her head would result in probably the worst case of blue balls a man could go through, but equally determined to leave all the control with Eden. He needed her to know she could trust him completely.

Her cheeks flushed as she reached for him again, quickly inspecting the gauze taped over his wound for any sign of bleeding and, finding none, pulling him down into a long passionate kiss.

"I need you," Eden whispered. "I want this … I want you. I love you, Filip."

"Jesus, Eden, I love you too," he managed gruffly, murmuring it over and over into her ear as his cock pressed against her entrance, finally sliding deep inside with a guttural groan. "Fuck, I love you, my darlin' …"


Finally laid spent in her lover's arms, her fingertips tracing lightly over the ink gracing his chest and biceps, Eden smiled softly at the feel of his hand stroking over her bed-tousled hair.

"You good, pet?"

She could only nod at first, struggling to find words for what she wanted to say. "I've never had this," she said finally, her voice quiet. "Someone who puts me first like you do."

Chibs considered that for a moment. "I know the club can get in the way o' that sometimes," he said honestly. "And sometimes I just ain't got a choice in that. But when I do, when it's my choice, that's how it'll be, darlin'. You deserve better than me, but whatever you need … I'll be there."

"You're a good man, Filip," Eden said, frowning at his wry look. "I mean it. I know you've got the whole tough biker thing going on, but underneath it all, you're kind and you're caring. You make me feel safe. Loved."

"'Cause you are, darlin'," he smiled, cuddling her close and pressing a fervent kiss to her head, inadvertently cutting off anything else she might have said. "Now, stop filling my head wi' all that or you'll have me gearing up for round two and, right now, it just might finish us both off. Get some sleep, my wee love."

For a moment, she thought about saying something. About trying to find the words to explain about the little spark of life the two of them had unwittingly created. But she'd had such a lot to come to terms with, such a lot to process. And with the rest of her body so blissfully content for the first time in a long time, it was easier to drown out the nagging voice in her head and to overlook the tiny knot of anxiety in her stomach. To tell herself this time together, this peaceful cocoon they seemed to have woven around themselves, was something to be treasured, not blown apart and turned upside down with a bombshell announcement.

Tomorrow. One way or another, she'd tell him tomorrow.