Once Upon a Pet Show (A Redpoint One Romance) (12 page)

"Where is that smell coming from? How can it
hit the pet show and here?" Vallory asked.

The man shook his head, his silvery hair
moving to the movement. "No idea. Half the hotels around the circle
have it, and the other half are worried they are about to get it.
Grab your luggage and go to the desk. They are trying to give
everyone one night's lodging somewhere else while the maintenance
crew works on the problem."

"Thanks," Vallory said even as she thought of
Damien. Overtime for him tonight.

Taking a big gulp of semi-fresh air, she
rushed through the crowd and inside the hotel. Not that it helped
for long. She could hold her breath for only so long, and then had
to take a breath of the air inside.

She almost gagged. The stench caused her eyes
to water to the point she knew she looked like she was crying. She
ran down the hall to her room, her fingers trembling as they
pressed against the keylock pad.

It smelled just as bad inside the room, giving
her no respite as she threw her things together into her luggage.
With luggage in tow, she ran back to the foyer and to the desk
where several tense and uncomfortable-looking hotel employees did
what they could with those lined up.

One man, the top of his head bald, threw up
his hands. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. We are working as fast as we can to
find other rooms for the night, but the station is already full
from the pet show. Please, be patient."

Patient? In this stink? She looked longingly
towards the door leading outside. While she'd been inside packing
someone had propped open the sliding doors, but it didn't do much
to help with the breathability of the air inside.

How she yearned to run out there, to breathe
easily again, but then she would lose her place in line. She needed
somewhere to sleep for the night, after all. Security wouldn't
allow her to make a nest in the dried grass of the enclosure and
sleep with the daubpups. She had a feeling her group would sleep
better tonight than she would.

Another of the hotel guests raised their voice
in complaint as the air thickened with the stench. She didn't
notice as much as she might have. Not with the sight of a familiar
face walking down the hallway from the back of the
hotel.

Damien. Here. At her hotel.

CHAPTER EIGHT

DAMIEN WORE ONLY a simple black t-shirt with
heavy dark-blue pants. The type of clothing one might expect of a
simple laborer. Only, he wore it with confidence and authority. The
men around her in designer shirts and carefully pleated pants
didn't even come close to him.

She'd originally thought of him as a simple
'muscle man?' Yes, he possessed muscles galore, enough to attract
attention from half the women still in the foyer, but he was more
than that.

How much more she wasn't sure she wanted to
dwell on. No point in it. Not when she would soon leave. The
thought lay heavy on her heart. Somehow, she did want to dwell on
it, and more importantly, she wanted it to matter.

Pushing the thoughts firmly aside, she focused
on the one thing she could do. Something she hadn't been able to do
properly before.

As he neared, she waved at him. But, he'd
turned towards his bot, not seeing her. Fortunately the bot did,
and it veered towards her, dragging the cart behind it.

Damien looked up, surprised, searching the
large room for its destination. The full weight of his attention
settled on her. An amused smile lit his face. She hoped it was
because of her, not just because it seemed his bot liked
her.

She knelt as the bot came to her, as she would
to one of the daubpups. The plain white outer shell of the bot was
smooth and cool to her fingertips. "How are you today?"

The bot chirped at her. She didn't know what
the sound meant, but it sounded happy.

The tops of dark short boots came into view.
Still stroking the top of the bot with one hand, she looked up.
Damien met her gaze, his green eyes piercing her soul.

She knew it was all in her mind, but the
logical part of her mind was drowned out by the sheer overwhelming
emotion. Oh yes, he could see her. See her in a way no one else
ever had.

"I see you found my bot," his thoroughly male
voice rumbled.

"I think it found me." She pushed herself back
to her feet. "I'm glad you're here."

A wave of the stench went through the air,
drowning out even her raging emotions. She couldn't stop herself
from clapping her hand over her mouth and nose. Several in the
foyer ran for the doors.

Vallory would have followed them, but Damien
still had his feet planted as if he wasn't leaving. He wasn't
covering his nose, either. Maybe he was used to it. Besides, she
had something to finish.

"If it's about the smell, we are doing our
best," Damien said before she could start. He grimaced as he
glanced back at the hall he'd just come down. "I've changed all the
filters. Checked everything I can think of. I hate to say it, but
while we will continue trying, we'll most likely just have to wait
it out."

Which meant finding another place to sleep.
Judging from the sounds of the poor hotel staff that had no choice
but to stay at the front desk the prospect of finding somewhere was
remote.

"No, that's not it, although getting rid of
the smell would be wonderful." Vallory straightened, forcing
herself to drop her hand from her face. She wished she could take a
deep breath to steady herself, but she had to content herself with
several small quick breaths. Good grief, just his presence affected
her anymore. Why was it getting stronger each time they
met?

"I wanted to thank you for this morning,"
Vallory started.

He tilted his head. "I believe you already
said that."

"But I didn't finish." The smell stopped her
from doing it properly before. Right here and now, the smell would
not stop her. "The show has been stressful, and what happened
yesterday, well, I sure didn't need it. I don't know anything, I'm
dealing with an escape artist." He gave a quick laugh at that. "Now
a baby, which is a euphoric and terrifying event all on its
own."

A women in line ahead of her gave her an
understanding smile. Probably thought she was talking about a human
baby. Would she be as happy and terrified with the arrival of her
own baby? One with a fuzz of dark hair on its head and green eyes
with her fair skin…

She took a shuddering breath, despite the
stink, furious at herself. Why did her mind go there? And yet,
another part of her thrilled at the thought.

"It meant a great deal to have someone believe
in me enough to come to my defense. Thank you for doing so. Oh, and
thank you for staying still for the baby."

She bit her lip as she finished. The woman
gave a horrified gasp, and with a flush of heat to her face,
Vallory realized how odd her last words would have sounded to
anyone who didn't realize she was talking about animals.

Through it all he'd remained silent, his eyes
focused only on her. The full attention gave her another warm rush.
She could come to enjoy such attention.

"You are very welcome," Damien said with an
incline of his head. "And I spoke the truth. I do not believe you
had anything to do with the events at the pet show."

A tightness in her chest loosened. He really
did believe her. It meant so much that he did.

"It sounds as if lodging tonight will be an
issue," he continued.

The rushing in her ears diminished enough that
she could overhear another at the desk. Still having trouble
finding rooms for their guests. Vallory started to wonder if she
could go to the spaceport and try to get comfortable in one of the
benches or chairs there. Not the type of night to look forward
to.

"I believe I know a place with a
bed."

A bed? His… bed?

***

Well, that comment sent her face flushing a bright red. Going
back over the words in his mind, Damien winced. He quickly added,
"A nearby bed and breakfast. I know the owners."

"Oh. Of course," she said just as quickly, but
the flush remained. He could almost see her thoughts whirling
around.

The same thoughts that were whirling around
his own head, making him decidedly uncomfortable. Bed. Oh yes, that
was a pleasant thought.

But, not the right one right now. He gestured
towards the door. "Shall we?"

She hesitated only a moment. The stench
growing stronger must have decided it for her. She grabbed her
luggage and turned to head straight for the exit. "Oh yes. The
sooner the better."

She slowed once outside, as did Damien. He
glared back at the hotel. People fleeing it, and he couldn't figure
out what was causing it. Small consolation that no one else could,
not even Zane.

"I feel bad about taking you away from your
job," Vallory said as she set one of the cases to the ground and
rubbed a shoulder.

He grabbed the case, finding it heavier than
expected. He heaved it into the back of the cart on top of several
covered buckets. Her other luggage soon followed. The cart took it
all without lowering an inch to the ground, but then it was
industrial grade. "I'm on overtime right now. For obvious reasons.
They can wait until I get back."

Zane. Back. It felt strange, but right. He
only wished he would relax a little. Couldn't the man see the rest
of them were glad to have him back? Even the station wanted him
back. Zane either didn't notice, or he didn't want to. Either one
spawned a multitude of questions.

With the luggage in the cart, Damien took her
hand and placed it on his arm. Her hand fisted before relaxing to
grip his forearm.

"It's not far from here or the pet show,"
Damien said, keeping his voice as neutral and conversational as he
could.

"Then they may already be filled up." Her
stride equalled his, something he found oddly pleasing. She gave
him a sad smile. "The hotel is calling every hotel or the like in
the area to accommodate their guests, and it looks like I'm at the
tail end."

"Another meeting?" Whatever those meetings
were about.

"No, observations of the daubpups,
specifically the new baby."

Yes, the little ear nuzzler. "And does it have
a new name?"

As he led her out of the circle of hotels and
towards the large elevator that would take them to the surface of
the ring, she shook her head. "I tried a few names while refilling
the water, but it ignored all of them. They choose their own names.
The problem on my side is finding the right name to say out loud so
they can choose it."

With a bark of laugher, Damien regarded his
bot. "Sounds like my guy. The station repair bots are the same way.
Results in rather odd names."

"Good luck with your naming," Vallory said
with a flash of a smile.

"And you." The hand on his forearm tightened
as they reached the elevator. Like a transit car, it had three
doors, out of which people flowed in and out. At a break in the
flow, Damien led her and his bot inside. A short ride later and
they were on the surface.

Soft lights glowed along walking paths under a
night sky. Night time in the ring, with the night sky filled with
the actual sky surrounding Redpoint One. As good as the view was,
he wished for the better one at one of the observation points at
the top of the ring outer walls. Nothing but the stars and colors
of space. Maybe he could talk Vallory into joining him in one of
them.

Which sounded too much like a date. What was
wrong with him?

His body must have tensed, because she glanced
up at him uncertainly as they walked through the night air. He
forced himself to relax and smile. "I think you'll like this place.
The woman who owns it is slightly nuts, but that's part of its
charm."

Vallory smiled, even though he could feel her
tense through the hand still on his arm. She'd left it there
through the entire walk. He hadn't even meant to do it. It just
seemed the thing to do. "Does she know she's nuts?"