Page 49 of Beyond Repair: Part One

"Nina," he says my name with so much strength and emotion I can't keep myself from listening. "Breathe."

And I do. With my inhale, he yanks my pants down all the way until he's on his knees. I flush a bright shade of red when his face disappears behind my butt. Unable to deal with the sheer embarrassment of the moment, my hands fly up to cover my face.

In just my bra and panties with my pants around my ankles, I'm the most vulnerable I think I have ever been. This isn't like curling into a fetal position while kicks and punches rain down on my broken body. This is much scarier.

I'm baring myself to one of my greatest loves. Not only am I hoping he'll appreciate my thin figure, but I yearn for him to accept my pain.

Tingles race up my spine as Trevor runs a gentle finger across my butt and lower back. "You are...a warrior," he expresses with awe.

Trevor's words and warmth on the backs of my thighs unleash a choked sob from the depths of my soul. I have no response to give, only these aching convulsions pushing my deepest hurts from my body.

Pricks of pain around my hairline keep me rooted to the here and now where Iama warrior. My fingernails dig into my scalp as I struggle to calm myself. If Trevor would have seen me back then, lying on the cement ground in my own blood without a fight left in my body, he wouldn't think me strong.

"Beautiful." Heat presses against my hamstring with a kiss.

I breathe in his compliment.

"Strong." A tickle on my hip.

I exhale, releasing my belief of weakness.

"Stunning." His hand grabs my hip, then he's towering over me once again.

I breathe in his acceptance and drop my hands to watch what he does next.

"Courageous," he mumbles, rubbing his scruff against my marred shoulder.

I exhale my worries.

"Admirable."

I inhale, but I’m not certain I can believe that one.

"A survivor," he whispers against the top of my spine.

I exhale, making room for this new narrative he's weaving.

"Mine. Ours." Trevor wraps an arm around me and tugs me against his chest. His free hand grabs my jaw and angles my face back so our lips are an inch apart. "Say you're ours, Nina. Make me, makeus, the luckiest men in the world."

I breathe in his request and exhale my agreement, "Yours."

Instead of taking me hard and fast like I expected him to, Trevor presses his mouth against mine so tenderly it brings tears to my eyes. The kiss is over before I can truly taste him, but by the adoration I see in his sky-blue eyes, I know this is only the beginning.

Chapter 40

Ridge

"You gonna show her your creep cave?" Kai's teasing only serves to make me even more anxious.

"Fuck off," I grumble, shoving him up the front steps to our house. "If I'm a creep, you are too."

When Nina heard Trev and me talking about coming back to our house to get more of our shit, she asked if she could come with. I was excited to have her join us, but now I'm fucking terrified of what she'll think.

"Fair warning," Henry says to Nina, "it's a bit chaotic in there."

Trevor enters the code for the front door while I watch, fascinated, as she wraps an arm around Henry's waist and snuggles under his arm. "Four men, one house? I'm under no illusion there won’t be underwear and bras everywhere."

I stiffen, annoyance rooting itself between my eyebrows. "What did you just say?" My voice is strained, but I can't help it. Nina's always undermining how important she is and always has been.

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