Billionaire Romance Boxed Set 1(119)

“Meow!”

“Come here, kitty,” I said, extending my hand. The kitten just sat in the middle of the doorway, watching me.

“Fine, then.” I said. I pulled two blankets off of the beds. I touched the radiator, but it was just lukewarm with water inside, probably just enough to keep the pipes from freezing. Oh well, better than nothing. I swaddled myself in blankets and leaned up next to the tepid radiator, sniffing all the while.

The kitten padded over across the room curiously. I let one finger slide out from under the blanket and his ears perked up, his thin, fuzzy tail swishing behind him. He pounced on my hand and bit my glove harmlessly.

“I’m going to call you Lucky. Is that okay, Lucky?” I petted him with my free hand, but he continued to gnaw at my finger, his back paws kicking at my arm playfully.

“Good,” I said. “Then it’s settled.”

I leaned my head back against the wall, petting Lucky as my eyelids drooped lower.

“Good kitty,” I said, and then I was asleep.





I woke up in darkness, not knowing where I was for a moment. The light from the window outside had dimmed to nothing, and the bunk beds around me loomed menacingly like monsters from a bad dream. The air was freezing cold. I blinked, my heart racing, and then I heard a faint purring from my lap. I looked down. Lucky had curled up in the crook of my arm and slept soundly, his white paws tucked under his small gray body.

“Good kitty,” I mumbled, petting him with one hand. My fingers ached with the cold, and as I stood up carefully with Lucky in my arms I felt all of my joints cry out with the same chilly ache. I put Lucky down on the bed and checked my phone, my teeth already starting to chatter. In the darkness of the room my phone shone brightly, and I could see puffs of my breath coming out over the small screen.

It was ten o’clock. I didn’t want to disturb Eliot if I didn’t have to, but at the same time I didn’t want to get hypothermia on my first day in Hungary. My muscles twitched with cold. I switched the ceiling light on and squinted in the sudden brightness.

“What should I do, Lucky?” I sat down on the bed next to him and he stretched his paws out on my lap, kneading my thigh with his tiny claws. I scratched behind his ears and he wriggled with happiness, then bit down hard my finger.

“If I have to get another tetanus shot because of you, I’m never giving you salami again,” I said.

“Meow?”

“Okay,” I said. I put down the phone in my lap and took a deep breath. When I picked it up to dial the number, my fingers were shaking, whether with cold or nerves I didn’t know. Eliot picked up on the first ring.

“Hello?”

“Um, Dr. Herceg?”

“Brynn!” His voice sounded so warm and inviting that at first I couldn’t speak. In the background, I could hear laughter and the sounds of people eating. I swallowed hard and coughed.

“Um, I’m here. Got in a few hours ago.”

“Oh, how wonderful! I can’t tell you how glad I am that you made it.” My heartstrings vibrated with his words. “How are you? Did you find the apartments alright? I haven’t been over there yet myself, still at this nonsense dinner.”#p#分页标题#e#

“It’s… uh, it’s really cold.”

“Much colder than California, that’s certain!”

“Um, is there—is there any way to turn the heater on?”

“Sorry, I can’t hear you. One second.” The background noises grew quieter and then I heard Eliot again. “What’s that? The heater?”

“Um, yeah. The heater isn’t on, and I—”

“The heater isn’t on? Brynn, you must be freezing? Are you still in the apartments?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“My god.” Eliot swore, and I heard him speak to someone at the party, this time in Hungarian. They talked back and forth and then Eliot was back on the line.

“Brynn, are you there?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Stay where you are. I’ll be by as soon as I can.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I’ll be right there, don’t worry.” He paused, as though about to say something else, but then changed his mind. “See you soon.”

“See you,” I said. The phone went dark in my hand.

I patted Lucky on the head.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “We’ll be okay.”

Lucky purred contentedly.





CHAPTER EIGHT



Eliot threw down his napkin on the table.

“I have to be off,” he said.

“So soon? The party isn’t even started yet!” His brother clapped him on the back. “Eliot, I’m throwing this for your honor. The guest of honor can’t leave halfway through the party!”