Billionaire Romance Boxed Set 1(157)

“What doctor?”

“A therapist, Dr. Herceg.” The old physician looked up at him over his spectacles. “The girl’s been through a hard time. She should talk to someone about it.”

“Of course.” Eliot hadn’t even thought about it, so worried was he about her physical health. Brynn would get everything she needed to recover. He would see to it.

“I have a friend who specializes in trauma recovery. I’ll leave you her card.”

“Thank you.”#p#分页标题#e#

The old doctor rose and snapped the buckles of his bag shut.

“Wait,” Eliot said. “Are you leaving?”

“She’s stable and sleeping,” Doctor Toth said, a kind smile on his face. “She’ll be fine without me.”

“When will you come back to check on her?”

“It really isn’t necessary,” the doctor said, but he saw the worry in Eliot’s eyes. “I’ll check in tomorrow morning just to be safe.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Make sure she gets plenty of rest. That’s all she needs now. Rest and care.”

“Thank you, doctor, I will.” You’ve no idea how much I care. Eliot walked the doctor to the door, then returned to Brynn’s side. The kitten, Lucky, found them and jumped up on Brynn’s bed, nestling down into the covers between her ankles. No harm in that, Eliot thought, and let the little gray ball of fur remain purring at her feet.

She woke in the middle of the night, twisting in the bed under the sheets as though she was fighting someone off. She woke Eliot with her thrashing. Lucky had already abandoned the warm covers in favor of a bed that didn’t move.

Eliot pulled the sheets back over her body, averting his eyes in the dim light. After the hot bath, he’d had to undress her, stripping off her wet clothes. Remembering the way her body looked, naked and beautiful, made him ache with desire as well as shame. He should not have seen her, but he had. The curved lines of her hips, the pinkness of her skin… Eliot shifted his weight on his feet, uncomfortable with the longing, entirely too familiar, that strafed his heart whenever he saw Brynn. It was some time before he could fall back asleep at her side.

Brynn woke up the next morning after the family doctor had already left. Eliot was dozing in the chair beside her bed, a book in his lap. He heard her stirring and leaned forward to see her eyelids flutter and open slightly.

“Eliot?” She coughed slightly.

“Brynn.” Eliot placed his book on the end table.

“Where is he?” She looked around, as though expecting someone to jump out of the shadows. “The hunter. What happened?”

“He’s gone. The police took him away. How do you feel?”

Brynn coughed. “Awful.” She coughed again, clearing her throat, and looked down, then quickly pulled the covers up to her neck.

“Eliot, I don’t have any clothes on!” Her voice sounded shocked with indignation.

“I’m sorry, I had to… you were entirely soaked…” Eliot stammered. He hadn’t expected her to react like this.

“Well, get me something to put on!” Brynn had the covers up to her chin, and was flushing bright red.

Eliot brought her the underwear that had already been through the dryer, and a robe.

“I don’t have anything too suitable for you,” he said. “But I’ll call the apartments.” He kicked himself mentally for not already having done so.

“Have you told them? The other students?” Brynn seemed mortified.

“No. Well, I told them that you had fallen on my property and were being looked after by my doctor,” Eliot said. “Not quite the truth.”

“Not quite a lie,” Brynn said. Her fingers clutched the robe above the blankets. “Can you look away?”

Eliot averted his face. When Brynn gave the okay, he turned to find her bundled in the robe, standing at the bedside.

“The doctor said you should rest,” Eliot said.

“I’m fine,” Brynn said, but her stance was unsteady.

“For my sake, please, stay lying down.”

“You have to go, don’t you?” Brynn asked. “You’re leaving.”

“Brynn—”

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she hugged her arms to her chest tightly.

“You said you loved me,” she said. Eliot stepped over. At first he thought she would shy away from his embrace, but she leaned into his chest. Her shoulders moved only slightly as she sobbed. In his arms she felt so fragile, like a beautiful, ornate vase already broken and repaired once, ready to shatter. He could not be the one to shatter her.

“Oh, Brynn,” Eliot said. He pressed his cheek down onto her hair, caressing her shoulders, her back. Her sobs grew quiet, slow, and then stopped altogether. When she pulled away, he dug into his pocket for a handkerchief to offer her.