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“Do you mind if I check your ribs?” Matt wanted to make sure he hadn’t injured Delilah.
“It’s fine. I trust you.”
He kissed her gently. “Thank you.”
“You owe me a real kiss.”
That made him smile. “I do. Before you go to sleep, okay?”
“Promise?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ve been looking forward to that kiss all day.” He placed his hands on her ribcage and felt for breaks in the bones. Finally, he sat back. “No breaks. Tell me the truth, Delilah. Is the pain subsiding at all?”
She shook her head.
“I can support them with athletic tape. You’ll be able to move more freely with reduced pain. I use the tape on Bravo. You’ll be able to shower with it on. In a few days, the tape will loosen enough to pull off. Go slow and make sure the tape is wet. Otherwise, you’ll remove a layer of skin along with the tape. Will you let me tape your ribs?”
“You think it will help?”
“I know it will.”
“Okay.”
He squeezed her knee and rose. “I’ll be right back.” Matt left the room and picked up his mike bag. Figuring Delilah would be more comfortable with a woman in the room, he turned to Sasha. “I need you for a minute.”
She turned from the French doors. “How can I help?”
“I need to tape Delilah’s ribs. Will you keep her shirt elevated enough for me to work? Should take a couple minutes.”
“Sure.” Sasha followed him inside the second bedroom.
Matt unzipped the mike bag and plunged his hand inside to grab the athletic tape. “Black or blue? Sorry, no girly color like pink. My teammates would never let me hear the end of it if I had that color.”
“Blue, please.”
When Delilah’s voice quivered, Matt’s gaze locked on her. She sounded nervous. Why? “This won’t take long,” he assured her. “Two minutes, tops.”
“Okay.”
Unsure what the problem was, Matt feared he’d make matters worse if he didn’t get busy. “Which side, sweetheart?”
“Left.”
“Show me where it hurts.” After she complied, Matt glanced at Sasha. “Lift the shirt to the bottom of Delilah’s bra and hold it there.” He tore a strip of the blue tape. He turned to Delilah and noticed she wouldn’t look at him.
Jaw clenched, Matt bent to apply the tape to her skin and froze. Oh, man. No wonder she was upset. She didn’t want him to see the scars left from her surgery. He placed several strips, then nodded at Sasha to let go of the shirt. “Thanks.”
“No problem. I’m going to check the room service menu.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.
Matt took a minute to close his mike bag, then sat on the bed beside Delilah. He waited a moment for her to look at him. When her gaze remained glued to her hands, he cupped her chin and raised her head. The woman refused to look him in the eyes. “Delilah, look at me.”
When she complied, her cheeks were flushed.
“Every inch of you is beautiful to me. Those scars are evidence of your courage and determination.”
“They’re ugly,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “I don’t see scars. I just see you, a woman with the strength to change her life, a beautiful woman I want more than my next breath. I am in awe of you, Delilah Frost.” He only knew one way to show her the scars didn’t deter his attraction to her.
