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"Yeah and I thought you’d have your ass back before she got out of the shower I scared the piss out of her She came out of the bathroom in just a towel because you left her clothes on the bed She wasn’t expecting me to be there, and when I mentioned that I’d need her not to be dressed when I looked her over, she went into meltdownhe’d wanted to do was frighten her
He turned sideways and slipped past Diego and entered the bedroom, only to find it eave her a robe," Diego said fro that towel, and she looked cold and extreht the robe would make her feel not quite so vulnerable and it’s possible that we can work it so that she stays mostly covered except for each part I check out in turn"
Rio thrust the tray at Diego "Here, you take this I’ll get Grace out of the bathrooo took the tray and Rio hurried toward the bathroom door He knocked softly "Grace? Honey, you can coo check you over, then I’ll get rid of him so you can relax and eat and then we’ll talk about Shea"
Rio turned to see Diego throw hio mouthed
The door cracked open and Rio turned back around to see Grace peering out, her eyes wide and wary
"Hey," he said softly "You ready to do this? We just need to make sure you’re okay and don’t need more medical attention than e can provide you He’ll be quick"
"I want you here," she said in barely above a whisper
His chest kind of caved in at the vulnerability in her voice Already, whether she realized it or acknowledged it, there was a thread of trust between them She felt safe with hi anywhere," he proet this over with before your food gets cold I had gumbo in the freezer and I nuked it It’ll cure what ails you for sure The ulti it just outside the crack in the door where she could see it Slowly, she opened the door wider and then slid her hand into his
It was soft against the roughness of his Velvety An electric sensation shivered up his ar the hair all the way to his nape Then she wrapped her slender fingers more firmly around his
She was enveloped in his robe It dragged the floor at her feet and the sleeves fell to her knuckles She had it wrapped ale she presented, all da He liked it and felt rather stupid about that fact
He shook hio had put her tray on the nightstand and stood away as if not wanting to overwhelm Grace more than she already was
He led her to the bed and then paused He put one hand on her shoulder and turned her so she looked directly into his eyes
"Now you tell me how you want to do this, okay? I can leave, I can stay, I can sit beside you and not look I’ll hold your hand You’ll know I’ to make you uncomfortable"
"Just stay next to me I mean unless you aren’t comfortable with it," she added hastily Then she closed her eyes "I’ stupid I’ers underneath her chin and nudged upward "Grace, you’ve been brutalized by ruthless men over and over I’d be a little worried if this didn’t freak you out on some level You’re not stupid"
She sucked in a deep breath and then glanced nervously in Diego’s direction Then her shoulders sagged and she started to untie the robe "Let’s just get it over with"
Diego stepped forward and put his hand gently on Grace’s hand to stop her "Go to the side of the bed Undo your robe Rio and I will turn our backs while you get on the bed Once you’re there, cover yourself with the robe I’ll only uncover what I need as I exaave him a tremulous smile "Okay"
Rio dutifully turned his back while Grace walked around to the side A moment later, he heard her move onto the bed
"You can turn around now," she said softly
Rio and Diego turned, though Diego didn’t spend any ti He swiftly moved around to the side, brisk and all business Rio stood for adown at the woman with a robe pulled up to her chin Only her bare feet and a portion of her legs poked out from underneath
She looked…She looked scared and nervous and he wanted o away He went around to the opposite side and then climbed onto the bed He plumped the pillows behind his back so he could prop up beside her and then he reached for her hand and squeezed
She ss to his throat and his chest
On her other side, Diego exa her to flex and extend her fingers and then her wrist and then to bend at the elbow She did all without coriently laid her arh that he bared a portion of her rib cage He exa to ask her if it hurt, then continued over the rest of her abdoo asked "Or were you injured before that as well?"
She sighed "It’s difficult to explain"
"Try lanced over at Rio and he squeezed her hand again just to let her know that it was okay She turned her head so that she stared up at the ceiling and then she took a deep breath
"Before the fall, I was sick, injured, ill, whatever you want to call it because I’d healed so ot a break It was one after another, a never-ending litany of pain andto die
""1e He wentWhen I fell, those injuries were…real time Not that the others weren’t They were just different They happened directly to me, not because I absorbed them from someone else So to answer your question, the injuries from the fall were just more in a line of injuries, but the others had already started to heal, or as iven the circuave a very cut-and-dried explanation, but the underlying despair and anguish in her voice careatly And even though the physical wounds would heal, the emotional wounds cut deep and would reht, Grace, almost done But I need you to tell me what all you hurt when you fell You were a little out of it before You said ribs and your arm What about your head? Do you hurt anywhere else?"
She pursed her lips and wrinkled her brow in thought Then she slowly shook her head
"And how does it feel to you now? Does it feel like you’re healing? Is it taking longer than usual?"
"It’s slower Hurts ile Like I’m still broken somehow," she whispered
Rio put his arm around her shoulders and then leaned into her She immediately tucked her head underneath his chin
Hell, she was broken In spirit and body How she was still so deter on was beyond him He’d sensed her acceptance of her fate and yet it was like she si of death, she was pushing herself with superhuth Past all endurance A point when o carefully arranged the robe back over her "I’d say you’re doing reiven that youYour breath sounds had decreased markedly on one side and yet they sound ale of motion with your arm, and I can’t even tell where it was broken That’s pretty dauess I just don’t kno to die," she said wanly
Rio frowned Diego’s expression wasn’t any better
"How about we don’t talk about dying and instead focus on getting you strong again," Rio said "Starting with a good o nodded and started for the door