struggling to get out of bed. Just that much effort had her sweating. Damn Milo.
And she still wasn’t fully dressed. He cursed himself for looking. As she struggled to tug the blanket around her shoulders, he cursed himself again for not taking a better look while he could.
He raced over. “Here, let me help.”
She gasped from the effort. “I thought I’d be fine. I got up on my own this morning.” Her face flushed then paled.
He frowned, hating that she was hurting. “And you will be fine again. Let’s get you into the pod. That will help.”
He half-carried her to where the machine waited then helped her lie down inside. While he watched, the pod fired up and started taking her statistics. That stage could take awhile. He glanced down at her, wondering what he’d forgotten. Mentally, he went through the process from the previous night and brightened. “Right. The critter.”
He ran back to her bedroom and winced. The cat didn’t look very good at all. It only opened its eyes and stared at him, huge chocolate eyes wells of deep dark pain. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. He scooped him up and carried him over to Dani. She lay with her eyes closed, never moving as he approached.
Carefully, he lay the critter down on her stomach.
Her eyes flew open, saw her pet, then her gaze shot up to stare at him in surprise. He shrugged sheepishly. “He looked to be suffering too.”
“He is,” she whispered, her gaze gentling. She studied his face and then smiled. A real smile, no sarcasm, no anger, just a slow blossoming movement that he couldn’t tear his gaze away from. And then the smile hit her eyes.
He was enthralled.
She might be mad sometimes, and she might be sarcastic, but now that she was smiling at him, he realized how honest she was. There was no artifice with her.
She was who she was, and to hell with what anyone thought of that.
He realized how unique she was. And how much he was falling for her – damn it. Milo had been right. He was interested.
Chapter 8
D ani soaked up the warm healing rays. This pod was amazing. She needed one of her own. She’d skip the bed and sleep in this every night. She wanted to sleep now but at the same time, she didn’t want to be unconscious and miss this experience.
Charmin snoozed beside her. She wondered if he was worse off with this time travel thing than she was.
At least she could talk and walk. Charmin was more or less flat out. She reached down and scratched the back of his head. He was definitely more laid back right now. No nagging for attention. No nagging for food. And speaking of food – the pod had arrived before they could eat.
Her heartstrings tugged at the thought of losing her best friend. She had nothing left of her old life but him. He’d been with her for four years and was a major part of her life. To see him hurting like this…
Charmin raised his head and gave her a pitiful look. “Food?”
She smiled in relief. “There will be food soon.”
He groaned. A long slow guttural sigh that made her laugh.
“I’m glad to hear you are feeling better.”
“Feel awful,” he whispered in a low throaty voice.
“I love how you can talk now.” She tilted her head in thought and added, “It must be a side effect of the time travel.”
“I love how you can talk now, too.” Charmin mimicked. “It must be a side effect of the time travel.”
She gasped, then laughed and laughed. And maybe he was right. Maybe she’d been the one to learn to talk cat and not the other way around.
She relaxed, her hand resting on his ruff, letting the hum of the pod do its thing. Whatever that was. The lights were a soothing blue and there was no computer voice to disturb her peace and quiet. Food and more coffee would be good, but barring that miracle, for the moment she was doing just fine.
She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
*
Levi walked into the newly designated pod room and smiled. Both guests were sound asleep. The pod would work
And she still wasn’t fully dressed. He cursed himself for looking. As she struggled to tug the blanket around her shoulders, he cursed himself again for not taking a better look while he could.
He raced over. “Here, let me help.”
She gasped from the effort. “I thought I’d be fine. I got up on my own this morning.” Her face flushed then paled.
He frowned, hating that she was hurting. “And you will be fine again. Let’s get you into the pod. That will help.”
He half-carried her to where the machine waited then helped her lie down inside. While he watched, the pod fired up and started taking her statistics. That stage could take awhile. He glanced down at her, wondering what he’d forgotten. Mentally, he went through the process from the previous night and brightened. “Right. The critter.”
He ran back to her bedroom and winced. The cat didn’t look very good at all. It only opened its eyes and stared at him, huge chocolate eyes wells of deep dark pain. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. He scooped him up and carried him over to Dani. She lay with her eyes closed, never moving as he approached.
Carefully, he lay the critter down on her stomach.
Her eyes flew open, saw her pet, then her gaze shot up to stare at him in surprise. He shrugged sheepishly. “He looked to be suffering too.”
“He is,” she whispered, her gaze gentling. She studied his face and then smiled. A real smile, no sarcasm, no anger, just a slow blossoming movement that he couldn’t tear his gaze away from. And then the smile hit her eyes.
He was enthralled.
She might be mad sometimes, and she might be sarcastic, but now that she was smiling at him, he realized how honest she was. There was no artifice with her.
She was who she was, and to hell with what anyone thought of that.
He realized how unique she was. And how much he was falling for her – damn it. Milo had been right. He was interested.
Chapter 8
D ani soaked up the warm healing rays. This pod was amazing. She needed one of her own. She’d skip the bed and sleep in this every night. She wanted to sleep now but at the same time, she didn’t want to be unconscious and miss this experience.
Charmin snoozed beside her. She wondered if he was worse off with this time travel thing than she was.
At least she could talk and walk. Charmin was more or less flat out. She reached down and scratched the back of his head. He was definitely more laid back right now. No nagging for attention. No nagging for food. And speaking of food – the pod had arrived before they could eat.
Her heartstrings tugged at the thought of losing her best friend. She had nothing left of her old life but him. He’d been with her for four years and was a major part of her life. To see him hurting like this…
Charmin raised his head and gave her a pitiful look. “Food?”
She smiled in relief. “There will be food soon.”
He groaned. A long slow guttural sigh that made her laugh.
“I’m glad to hear you are feeling better.”
“Feel awful,” he whispered in a low throaty voice.
“I love how you can talk now.” She tilted her head in thought and added, “It must be a side effect of the time travel.”
“I love how you can talk now, too.” Charmin mimicked. “It must be a side effect of the time travel.”
She gasped, then laughed and laughed. And maybe he was right. Maybe she’d been the one to learn to talk cat and not the other way around.
She relaxed, her hand resting on his ruff, letting the hum of the pod do its thing. Whatever that was. The lights were a soothing blue and there was no computer voice to disturb her peace and quiet. Food and more coffee would be good, but barring that miracle, for the moment she was doing just fine.
She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
*
Levi walked into the newly designated pod room and smiled. Both guests were sound asleep. The pod would work
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