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“You’ve already won my heart. I know how good you are.” He smiled at her before focusing on his food.

Holly wasn’t sure what to make of that comment. Right now, she was too exhausted to mull it over. This was all she needed, a sit down, some great food, and Avel’s company. She’d done it. Her first food fair had been a winner, and this was just the beginning.

“I’ll have to plan my next event,” Holly said.

“You should. Have you thought about setting up your own store?”

She nodded. “I’ve got my eye on a place on Prodigy, actually. It’s small, and the initial lease is for six months, but it’s just what I need. There’s a kitchen out the back and a display area at the front. I can work on my chocolates and serve customers.”

“Why haven’t you gone for it?”

Holly pursed her lips. “I’m not sure I’m ready. It’s a huge step from selling out at a food fair to running an actual store.”

“It’s not so different,” Avel said. “You attract passing trade and win them over with your treats. Once word gets around, you’ll have queues out the door every day.”

She smiled. “Not everyone has a sweet tooth like you, but I’m thinking about it.”

“You should stop thinking and act. Otherwise, you might miss your chance.” Avel’s wrist comm pinged. He checked the message and frowned.

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing to worry about. I’ve been keeping an eye on a star storm heading our way. We need to leave if we’re to stay ahead of it. Otherwise, we’ll have to stay the night.”

“Of course. Everything’s packed. We can leave as soon as it’s all on board.”

Avel scooped up the last of his curry and nodded. “We should be good for another hour. I didn’t think it would be a problem since we were staying another day, but we might as well leave while we can, or we could be trapped here for a while.”

Holly stood, leaving her half-finished curry.

Avel leaped up and rested a hand on her shoulder. “You sit and eat. You’ve worked hard today. I’ll take your equipment to the ship and get us a transport window. I’ll come back for you when it’s time to go.”

Her heart fluttered at his thoughtfulness. It had been a long time since any guy had looked out for her and made sure she was doing okay. If she’d been here with Eric, he’d have abandoned her and wouldn’t have thought twice that she might be hungry or tired at the end of the day. She wasn’t even involved with Avel, and he’d brought her food, checked that she’d had a good day, and was helping tidy up. He was one of the good guys, no matter how hard he tried to deny it.

She settled back in her seat and continued to eat, watching Avel as he commandeered a carrier bot, expertly packed her equipment on it, and then winked at her before strolling back toward the docking bay.

Holly watched him leave, admiring the way his butt filled his pants. He was in excellent physical shape, no matter how much chocolate he consumed.

She smiled as she finished her curry. This felt like the start of something amazing.

Just as she scooped up her last mouthful, a tall brunette wandered past. She slowed and nodded at her. “Hey, I’ve just been enjoying some of your chocolates.”

“Oh, did you like them?”

“They were awesome.” The woman grinned. “I don’t suppose you’ve got any more?”

Holly shook her head. “Sorry, all sold out.”

“I figured you wouldn’t have much stock left. Your business partner is a very persuasive guy.”

Holly’s brow wrinkled. “My business partner? Who are you talking about?”

“The hot guy you had standing at the entrance of the food fair. I don’t think he missed anyone who came in. He was handing out samples and giving virtual flyers. He was there for hours.”

“Samples?” Holly had wondered where some of her sample trays had gone. She was certain she’d had enough but had opened extra boxes of chocolates and sliced them up to have plenty to go around.

“You make a great team. The box I bought was supposed to be for my boyfriend, but once I sampled one, I couldn’t stop. Let me know when you’re open for business. I’ll be one of your first customers.” She nodded before strolling off.

Holly scrubbed the end of her nose. There was only one person who would get involved in promoting her business.