Angel with Attitude
Page 29
It might have something to do with the revitalized look, but at the moment the motel was completely full. Zero vacancies. Val’s clientele turned out to be everything from a completely normal family of four vacationing from England, to a depressed wizard who hadn’t come out of his room in a week, to a tiny, maraca-playing demon who was in hiding and looking for a new band.
She tried to be as friendly to all of them as she could. Letting them know that she was there if they needed anything. If she could help out in any way.
Reggie and Claire were thinking about getting engaged. He’d been trying to be on his best behavior, but Val wasn’t really sure how well that was working out. When she’d seen him the day before, Claire had just turned him into a weasel.
And then there’s me, she thought.
Good old unpredictable, slightly selfish, moderately prideful, Valerie Grace. The owner/operator of a slice of Heaven called the Paradise Inn.
All alone on Christmas Eve. And feeling very, very sorry for herself after reading eight romance novels in a row.
Lloyd had sent over his entire backlist as an early Christmas present. Val pulled out the next Trixie L’Amour from under the desk and opened it up to page one. The bell above the door jingled. Oooh, she thought as she started reading. A Regency this time. Nice.
She felt a draft of cold air.
“Sorry,” she said without looking up. “We’re all booked up. There’s another motel right next door. Free shuttle service to the casino and everything.”
“Valerie . . .”
She looked up at the sound of his voice to see Nathaniel standing at the doorway.
A breath caught in her chest.
He smiled and it looked like it hurt a bit. She noticed a pinkish scar where she’d scored him across the eye with her fingernail. He touched his face when he saw where she was looking.
“I know. It didn’t heal.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“What are you doing here?”
He flinched, as if wounded by her curt words. “They threw me out. Of Hell. I’m human now. Just like you.”
“He made it sound like you were going to be punished.”
He smiled. “Lucifer finds different ways of punishing his employees. Being a human is my punishment. I believe Lucifer considers that a worse fate than being turned into a Nightflyer.
Believe it or not, Julian was rewarded and given a promotion because of his—”
“Evil ways?”
“Yeah. Also a little nepotism goes a long way. I guess I’m just not evil enough for them.”
“You can be evil when you try to be.”
He grinned. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“Maybe a little.”
“So, listen,” he said, and met her gaze. “I didn’t really know where else to go. So I’m here. I know you probably hate me after all the ways I screwed up. But . . . I love you Valerie. So much. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Val just stared at him in silence, so he continued. “I honestly didn’t know anything was missing in my existence before I met you.” He frowned. “Well, I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what, other than the fact that I hated what I did. I figured that was my fate.
An eternity of despair, but that was just par for the course. When I was a human before . . . before all of this . . . I didn’t have a very good life then, either. So when I got the chance to become something more, I took it, thinking that might ease my pain, that it might fill the empty hole inside of me, but it didn’t. It only got worse.”
He paused, looked away for a moment, then met her gaze completely. “And then I met you, and everything fell into place. Even though it was an uncomfortable place that scared the shit out of me, it felt so right. I think I loved you before I ever met you. No one else has ever . . . touched me the way you did. Your bravery, your stubbornness. It’s you, Valerie. You are my light.”
She continued to stare at him, then blinked and looked down at the motel ledger. “We’re seriously all filled up. There’s no vacancy. It’s the holidays—big tourist time, you know.”
He pressed his lips together. “Yeah, I figured. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I guess I’ll leave you alone and not bother you anymore then.” He turned away and pushed the door open. Val felt the cold breeze again as she continued to study the check-in ledger.
“Oh, just a moment,” she said. “There does seem to be one room available.”
He turned. “Oh?”
“Yeah.” She looked up. “Room seventeen. Is that okay?”
“Room seventeen. But—” he frowned—“isn’t that your room?”
“Is that going to be a problem?”
A slow, cautious smile appeared. “No problem at all.”
She nodded. “Good. Now there’s only the matter of payment.”
The smile faded. “I don’t have any money. Hell doesn’t even spot us a couple of bucks when we’re thrown out. But, just give me some time—”
Val shook her head. “No, that won’t do at all. I suppose I’ll have to put you to work. I could use the help around here.” She moved out from behind the desk. “You don’t mind being bossed around a bit, do you?”
He stared at her for a moment, then a grin slowly spread across his handsome features. “I guess that all depends on who’s doing the bossing around.”
“Then I think we can come to an understanding.” A wide smile suddenly appeared on Val’s face. “I love you, too, Nathaniel. And I’ve missed you so much. Now I command you to kiss me. Right now.”
He took a step forward, then stopped and frowned. “Wait, there might be a problem.”
“What?”
He grimaced. “I think I may be coming down with a cold. My nose is all stuffed up. I’d probably just give you my germs. I may even sneeze on you.”
Her smile widened. “What’s life without a little risk?”
He smiled back, and then gathered her into his arms to give her a kiss that felt as good as
Heaven itself ever could.
Well, she thought, pretty damn close, anyhow.
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