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My stomach tightens slightly as I wonder if that also includes me.
“So does that mean you’re going to kill him?” I swallow hard.
“More like make an example of him.”
I shudder to think what that might mean, yet I don’t feel an ounce of sympathy for the man. At least not with the pain of his assault still radiating through my body.
“Stand up,” Mateo instructs, catching me off guard.
“What?”
“Stand up. I need to look at your stomach.”
“Why?” I bite down on the inside of my cheek, suddenly panicked.
“So I can make sure nothing is broken.”
“Nothing’s broken,” I say too quickly.
He grins.
“Relax. I just want to take a quick look.” When I don’t move, he leans in closer. “Trust me, if I wanted your dress off for another reason, I wouldn’t ask.” The gritty sound of his accent makes the words sound so erotic that my entire body tenses. In fear? In arousal? Both?
I’m so confused by the direction of my own thoughts that I jump when he speaks again.
“Now stand,” he orders in a way that is not to be argued with.
Even though I don’t want to, I push to my feet, my breath catching when he grabs the hem of my dress and slowly lifts it, bunching the material just below my chest. With the way he’s positioned, his eyes are level with my abdomen and I swear I’ve never felt more self-conscious than I do at this very moment.
“Well, I don’t think anything is broken.” He presses gently on my ribs, causing me to wince. “But you’re definitely going to be sore for a few days.” He lets my dress fall as he stands. For some reason I’m disappointed.
And that confuses me further.
Maybe when the man hit me he gave me a concussion. That must be it, I reason with myself. Nothing else can explain the sudden left turn my mind has taken.
I reclaim my seat on the edge of the bed, straightening the thin fabric of my sundress when there’s a soft knock on the door. Norma steps inside moments later, and like being doused in cold water, the heat that seemed to be seeping out of every one of my pores dissipates and my body temperature begins to return to normal.
She crosses the room toward me.
“Thank you.” I muster as much of a smile as I can when she hands me two tablets and a glass of water. Without being prompted, I pop them into my mouth and quickly swallow.
“You’re very welcome.” She takes the water from my hand and puts an ice pack in its place. “You’re swollen.” She gestures to her own face in the same location where the man backhanded me. “Might want to keep that on there for a while.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“If you need anything else...” She straightens, her attention now on Mateo.
“I think we’re good. Why don’t you turn in for the night?”
“My dear, you know me. I’ll turn in when I’m good and ready.” She pats him on the cheek in the sweetest way before exiting the room.
“Is she your grandma?” I ask the instant the door snaps closed behind her.
“Not by blood. But yeah, I guess you could call her that.”
“Why haven’t I met her before now?”
“She doesn’t like to get involved in my business affairs.”
