Page 8 of Nitro

“You can, but why should you have to when I’m around?” I cock my head and study her until she blushes and breaks eye contact. I love it when she turns pink like that. It gets my cock harder than steel.

“What else hurts?” Doc asks.

“My ribs.” She carefully moves the sheet aside to reveal the curve of her belly. It looks so soft and cuddly that I want to lay beside her and use it as a pillow. The only thing stopping me is the discoloration on her skin. Splotches of black and blue decorate her flesh like a dull watercolor painting. There’s nothing artistic about it. My jaw clenches.

“I’m going to press on your abdomen in a few places. Let me know when it hurts,” Doc says.

It kills me to let another man touch her, but this is Doc. He’s just trying to help. He’s not feeling her up or anything. I know this is true, but that doesn’t stop me from being jealous as hell. I want to touch her so badly that my hands tingle. One hug wasn’t enough.

“Ouch!” Holly yelps.

Doc pulls his hands away immediately. “I don’t like the sound of that. On a scale of one to ten, how much pain are you in around your ribs?”

“Fifty?” She grimaces.

“She needs X-rays,” Doc says to me.

“Do you still have that portable machine?”

“It’s at the office.”

“Get it.”

“Let me finish the exam in case I need anything else.”

I nod.

After he finishes, he stands and pulls his latex gloves off with a snap. “The burns will take a few weeks to heal. The cuts from her husband’s teeth don’t need stitches, but she shouldn’t be walking around much, at least until they scab over.”

“Keep her in bed, got it.”

“Nitro,” Doc says in warning.

“I’m kidding.” I grin to cover up the fact that I’m definitely not joking around. Doctor’s orders say she needs to be in bed. Works for me.

“It’s very important that you change the dressing twice a day. I’ll be back in an hour with the portable chest X-ray. Depending on what I find, she may need to go to the hospital.”

“Fuck!” I run my hand through my hair.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

“What? Why are you sorry?” I ask in a tone that’s much too gruff. I immediately regret it, but I can’t take it back.

“I’m being a burden.”

“Kitten, you’re not a burden. I want you here. We’re going to take care of you and make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again. Do you trust me?” I ask.

She nods but doesn’t meet my eyes. I wait until Doc slips out of the room to sit beside her on the bed.

“Holly, look at me.” When she raises her face, tears spill down her cheeks. I gently caress the moisture off one cheek, then the other. “You’re safe now. I won’t let him hurt you again.”

“Thank you,” she murmurs.

“You’ve been through a lot, and I know you’re tired. Lay down and rest until Doc gets back. Can I get you anything? Water? Whiskey?” I smile down at her.

“Just some water. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me. Just let me help you get through this. Okay?”