“You just said you’re naked with a sexy neighbor who is bringing your fever down!”
“Oh, it’s okay. He’s naked, too.”
“Are you trying to get me killed?” Brax yelped and made a play for self-preservation. “Hello? Hello, Penny’s mother,” he said in his most sweeping “Southern Charm” voice. “I’m so sorry to alarm you. I’m just trying to accommodate Penny, who was quite feverish and wandering half-naked outside.”
“Oh, my goodness.”
“Now, don’t you fret. I’m going to keep her in the house—but there is some sort of malfunction with the heater, so I’m afraid she’s stripped down to the bare essentials. I’m being a perfect gentleman, however.”
Penny snorted at that. “Liar,” she caroled. “Liar, Liar, Brax is on fire. No! Brax is on ice, but I’m on fire. The streets are icing over. Brax, what about that talking mouse and the wi—”
“Without a doubt, you are alarming your mother, Penny. We’ll get you some fever reducer and orange juice, precious. No more little talking mice.”
“Oh, God. She’s hallucinating.” Penny’s mother made an anguished sound. “Maybe you should call an ambulance. I don’t know if they could get there.”
“Look, I’ll take care of Penny. I promise. My intentions towards your daughter are honorable. Sudden, but honorable,” he added in an undertone. “I won’t do a thing to hurt her, only heal her, you have my word as a Louisiana gentleman.”
“Mom went to Mardi Gras when she was in college. She knows all about the New Orleans brand of Louisiana gentlemen,” Penny giggled. She bolted out her apartment door,down the hall, and up the stairs, stopping at the little landing and smashing her face to the window that looked out towards the parking lot and the campus. “Yep. It’s a winter no-man’s land out there.” She stopped and winced away from the window as she heard the screech of tires and metal. Oh. Oh, no...”
Brax pushed the phone back into Penny’s hand and stood behind her, cold chest to her burning back, looking around. Both of them let out a shaking sigh of relief at the contact.
“Mom, it looks dangerous out.”
“I hope you’re better by tomorrow, sweetie. If you are... Well, maybe you should bring that young man with you for Christmas dinner? He’s not going home to Louisiana?”
“He can’t go back. Cursed.”
“Ex-girlfriend with a psychotic streak,” Brax explained over her shoulder. “Penny, we shouldn’t be out here. It looks deserted, but—”
Penny looked up at him, an amused smile eking through the worry on her face as he smiled back, his grin mirroring hers. “Do you promise to behave if I bring you? No biting?” she murmured.
“Not a dog,” he grunted.
“Then why are you humping my—”
Brax slapped his hand over her mouth. “I’d love to accept your invitation and meet the rest of Penny’s family. I hope she and the roads are both sane tomorrow.”
“Call me if she doesn’t improve. I’ll be up late.”
“Mom, you need sleep!” Penny blurted.
“ And Mr. Brax...” her mother’s voice was a growl so low that Penny turned to see what had suddenly caused the heating to malfunction. “If you do a thing to my little girl...”
“You can’t hurt Brax. He’s bringing my fever down. It’s the only thing that works. I tried cold water, and ice, and everything.You know how when people have to put their bodies together not to freeze to death?”
“Penny, you have a fever, not hypothermia,” her mother pointed out, voice sounding more bewildered by the second.
“No, but he’s half-frozen, and I’m half-burnt. We were perfect together.Are.Are perfect together. We make everything just right.”
“Oh. Well. I... I’ve never heard you talk about a young man like that before, sweetie.”
“Well, I’ve never spent time with a young man like this before. Although he’s old. Wayyy old.”
“She means I’m 29!” Brax shouted, glaring at her. “Hang. Up.”
“Gotta go, Mom. Hope I see you tomorrow. Merry Christmas Eve to everyone!”
Penny found herself spun around, her chest to his, her back to the icy window, where the freezing world outside was actually causing icy trails to form.
