Chapter Forty One

"The necklace really suits you." Lee smiled, slowly running his finger down the chain and onto the pendant.

"It's so beautiful." Chloe agreed.

"Like it's owner." he smiled at her.

"It's a sapphire." he told her, noticing that she had completely disregarded the compliment but deciding that it wasn't the right time to push it. Chloe smiled and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'm so nervous." she whispered.

"I know, me too." he said.

"At least you actually know what you're doing, you're like a pro." Chloe giggled, trying to diffuse her tension.

"I'm just afraid that I'm going to hurt you." he whispered, gently planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Even if you do, it won't be on purpose." she told him gently, removing her head from his shoulder and looking him in the eye.

"I trust you." she whispered. Lee smiled at her. His heart pounded against his chest as he processed her words. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her. This young, naturally beautiful woman who was so pure and innocent, like all of her hardships hadn't tainted her. Her sweet, kind nature still shone through and he knew that she would do anything for him. And here she was, ready to place her trust in him of all people.

"And you think it's you that doesn't deserve me." he whispered so quietly; he wasn't entirely sure if she heard. Chloe smiled at Lee as he placed a soft kiss on the corner of her lips before slowly trailing kisses along her jawline, finally stopping when he reached her neck.

"Seriously though, how do I know what to do?" Chloe asked him nervously. Lee instantly stopped kissing her neck.

"You don't have to do anything." he told her.

"You're supposed to teach me though so that I know how to keep you happy and stuff." she squeaked, her cheeks colouring as she gazed at the ground, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

"Not tonight though, tonight is about making you as comfortable as possible." he told her. Chloe nodded slowly, still gazing at the floor. Lee cupped her chin and gently tipped it upwards so that she was finally looking him in the eye.

"So, you let me take the lead okay." he told her.

"Okay." she replied quietly.

"Are you on the pill?" he asked her.

"I started taking it after I recovered from the stabbing, just in case." she told him.

"Good." he said.

"I think I'm ready to get out now." she said quietly.

"Okay, I'll wait in the bedroom." he told her, quickly standing up.

"You have your clothes there, so you have the choice to come out wearing as much or as little as you are comfortable with." he said, standing in the doorway.

"Okay." she smiled at him.

"There's no rush, take as long as you need." he smiled at her before quickly closing the bathroom door behind himself.

As soon as Lee left the room, Chloe climbed out of the bath and wrapped a warm towel around her slender frame. She reached up to unclip her hair and quickly brushed it through. She sighed sadly as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the bathroom mirror. If only she was beautiful, she'd have given anything to be able to walk out of the bathroom with her head held high, but she knew that was never going to happen. She slowly unwrapped the towel and pulled on her underwear. Her eyes wandered to the very visible scar on her abdomen. She traced it with her finger, desperately wishing that it wasn't there, just another thing to make her feel unattractive. Chloe reached out to the doorknob; her hand frozen in place on it. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. You can do this. she told herself over and over again. She quickly opened the door and walked into the bedroom before she could talk herself out of it. As soon as she walked into the room, she saw Lee was perched on the end of the bed, his leg bouncing up and down nervously.

She stood for a moment, hovering nervously, not sure what to do with herself. Lee eventually glanced up at her, his eyes widening as he gazed at her flawless figure.

"Wow Chloe." Lee breathed, his heart pounding against his chest.

"Please don't tell me things that aren't true just to make me feel better." she said quickly, before he could say anything else.

"I wouldn't, I honestly think you are stunning." he told her. She watched him closely as he slowly unfastened his shirt, struggling slightly because his hands were shaking. When he eventually removed it, he quickly stood up in front of Chloe. He gazed down at her, the two of them not touching but so close they could feel the heat radiating from each other's body. Lee gently placed his hands on her ribs, gently stroking the material of her bra with his thumb. He could feel her trembling nervously under his touch.

"Are you ready to do this?" he whispered in her ear. She hesitated a moment before nodding. Lee took her hand and slowly led her over to the bed. He waited until she laid down and climbed onto the bed, laying on his side beside her. Chloe turned on her side to face him and smiled nervously, her cheeks colouring. Lee wrapped his left arm around her head and began to slowly stroke her hair. His other hand gently traced circles on her bare stomach. Chloe leaned forward to kiss him tenderly. After a few moments they broke the kiss, the two of them slightly breathless. Chloe glanced down at Lee's hand that was still gently stroking her stomach and winced slightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, noticing her change in expression.

"I really hate that scar." she said quietly.

"I don't." he told her, tracing his thumb along it.

"It's part of you." he added, leaning down to plant a kiss on it. Chloe sighed in pleasure and gently stroked Lee's hair as he continued to plant kisses on her abdomen, slowly trailing his way upwards, along her sternum and collarbone. As soon as he reached her, he slowly made his way back down the way he came, teasing her. When he reached her abdomen, Chloe arched her back towards him. He smiled to himself when he heard Chloe sigh disappointingly when he stopped kissing her. As soon as Lee's face came back to hers, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You doing okay?" he asked her.

"Um hum." she mumbled, not really trusting her voice. Lee kissed her lips gently for a moment before quickly deepening the kiss. He could feel the goosebumps on Chloe's slender legs as he gently ran his hand up them. Chloe gasped against his mouth as she felt Lee gently place his hand inside her underwear.

"It's okay." he told her gently.

"I know, I'm fine." she whispered. As Lee continued what he was doing, Chloe snuggled closer to him, her whole body now pressed against him, her forehead pressed against his collarbone. Her whole body trembled against Lee as an occasional whimper escaped her lips.

"I actually can't cope with how hot you look right now." he admitted hoarsely. She lifted her head slightly and placed a soft kiss on his lips, gently resting her forehead against his, enjoying the feel of his warm breath on her face. Chloe could feel her legs becoming weak as Lee continued with his hand in her underwear.

"Lee....I..." she said in a small voice.

"I know, just relax and go with it." he reassured her. As soon as Lee said those words Chloe closed her eyes and felt herself release.

Shockwaves rippled through her body as she collapsed against him. Lee placed his hands on her hips and sat up, gently pulling her with him so that she was on his lap.

"You really are a pro." she whispered, still slightly breathless.

"You've no idea how hard it is for me to not just take you right now." he breathed, glancing down at Chloe when she began to plant a series of gentle kisses on his bare chest. Chloe quickly looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"Do it then." she said quietly. Before Lee could say anything, Chloe reached down and began to undo his belt, her hands fumbling slightly. Lee slowly reached around her and unclasped her bra. As soon as it fell onto the bed, Chloe instinctively wrapped her arms across her chest, covering her breasts.

"Sorry." she whispered when she realised what she'd done.

"You don't have to apologise." he told her gently.

"Just take a minute." he added, slowly climbing off the bed and removing his trousers and boxers, before climbing back on the bed beside her.

"I really wish I had your body confidence." she admitted.

"You will one day." he reassured her. He held his hands out in front of her and raised his eyebrow, waiting for her to place her hands in his. After a few moments she reluctantly lowered her arms and placed her hands in his. Lee's eyes were drawn to her perfectly formed breasts, but he didn't allow himself to stare, the last thing he wanted to do was to make her even more self-conscious than she already was. Chloe stared at her hands as Lee placed them on her lap and let go of them. His hands trailed up to her knickers and he expertly removed them.

"Lay back then." he told her gently. She remained silent and quickly did as he asked, feeling slightly embarrassed as she lay in front of him, completely naked. Chloe gazed into Lee's eyes as he gently climbed on top of her.

"Ready?" he asked her. She nodded slowly and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain. Chloe gasped and bit her lip as Lee slowly pushed part of the way into her.

"Don't bite your lip, you'll make it bleed." he said gently, before brushing his finger along her lips and carefully pulling her lip out from between her teeth.

"It's not actually too bad." she said quietly.

"That's only part of it." Lee told her sadly. He propped himself up on his elbows and quickly took Chloe's hands, gently guiding them to the bed post.

"Here, grip this." he told her, curling her hands around the rails.

"It might help." he added quietly. Before Lee could talk himself out of it, he gently pushed the rest of the way into her. Chloe cried out in pain and gripped the rails tightly. She screwed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the searing pain between her legs. Lee's stomach turned with guilt as he watched the woman that he loved in pain because of him.

"I knew this was a bad idea." he muttered under his breath. Chloe's eyes snapped open.

"I'm fine." she said, trying to reassure him.

"No, you're not." Lee whispered, gently kissing away the tears that were rolling down Chloe's cheeks.

"Please Lee, I want this." she told him. He sighed to himself, afraid to move in case he hurt her more. In the turmoil of his thoughts an idea suddenly popped into his head.

"Alexa, play Broken by Lee Knight." he said loudly. Chloe smiled slightly as she heard their song start to play. She frowned to herself as she heard Lee's powerful voice sing the opening.

"Did you record a new version?" she asked.

"Yeah, I recorded a version where I sing the whole song. I was saving it for your birthday, but it seems more appropriate now." he explained. Chloe smiled at him, her heart fluttering in her chest. Whenever she listened to Lee sing it made her feel light and fluffy, even more so when he sang their song.

"Just focus on the song." he whispered in her ear.