Page 73 of Suddenly Tempted
DARCY
One Year Later
“I see him!” Darcy pointed excitedly through the helicopter window, her heart racing at the scene below.
Devlin nodded, steering them to the side. The helicopter banked so hard that Darcy felt her stomach do a loop-the-loop, the mountain slope looming up through the window. Two tiny figures came into view, both dressed in bright-red climbing gear, their silhouettes stark against the white backdrop. One of the climbers was lying motionless, while the other waved frantically, trying to get their attention.
“I can’t see a place to land,” Devlin said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. He skilfully guided the helicopter lower, trying to get as close as he could to the stranded climbers. The slope below was steep, with jagged rocks and thick snow making it impossible for a safe landing. “You’ll have to drop.”
Darcy nodded. There was no room for hesitation. She unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of her seat, moving into the back of the helicopter where the equipment was stored. Her hands moved swiftly as she rigged up the winch line to her safety harness, the metal clinking against her karabiner as she checked everything twice, making sure it was secure. She couldn’t afford any mistakes.
With a deep breath, she reached for the sliding door and pulled it open. Cold air rushed in, snatching Darcy’s breath away. She was used to it, though, bracing herself as Devlin levelled out the Bell 525 ten metres above the slope. For an instant she thought back to the woman she had been just a few months ago — scared of adventure, scared of anything new, scared of herself. If somebody had told her that one day she’d be jumping out of a helicopter in order to rescue stranded climbers from some of the highest peaks in Europe, she’d have burst out laughing.
But here she was, about to do exactly that. She’d been doing it for five months now, ever since she’d completed her training. Devlin had bought three new helicopters for the ranger team and had devoted himself to piloting rescue missions. It was as if he had found a new purpose — a way to give back, to live a life of meaning beyond the world of fashion.
He still designed, of course, and his business was doing just fine. In fact, his business had never been better. Devlin’s speech during the press conference had gone viral around the world, and everybody had praised his honesty and his transformation. Once upon a time, Devlin Storm’s name had been synonymous with arrogance and selfishness, a man who cared only about his own success. But now, he was a symbol of something else — a man who had found redemption, who had become a bastion of decency and integrity.
Devlin’s public apology had been genuine, raw and vulnerable, and people responded to it. Instead of damaging his reputation, it had strengthened it. He had become someone people respected, someone they admired. The shift had been profound, not just in how the world saw him, but in how he saw himself, and Darcy had been at his side ever since. She had never felt prouder.
He’d even made good on his payment of £100,000, although it had gone to a delighted Sophia, not Darcy. Darcy didn’t need his money. She had the man himself.
She looked over at him, grinning. He grinned back, his smile still powerful enough to make her feel giddy. He looked like the same man, but he was also so different from the Devlin she had first met. Goodness seemed to flow out of him, his expression was open and welcoming and kind. He was the man in the ice, the man who had always been there, and she had helped him escape.
That’s why she loved him. That’s why he loved her.
“Be safe,” he mouthed as he flashed her the OK sign with his hand.
Darcy nodded, a grin spreading across her face as she secured the final piece of her gear. She felt the exhilaration rise in her chest, the thrill of the jump buzzing through her veins. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward into the cold, biting wind, feeling the rush of adrenaline as her body prepared for the descent. Then, with a gasp of excitement and exhilaration, she dropped out of the helicopter, her harness catching as she dangled in mid-air, the snowy slope rising up to meet her. This was her life now — her adventure. And she loved every second of it.
* * *
DEVLIN
“We’re late!” Devlin said as the helicopter bumped down on the landing pad forty-five minutes later. He checked his watch, his brow furrowing. “Really late!”
“They’ll wait,” said Darcy with a playful grin from the seat next to him. “It’s not like they have a choice. We’re the only ones who can fly them off the mountain.”
Devlin laughed, leaning across the cockpit to steal a kiss. Darcy met him halfway, her hand on his cheek. They were late because they’d had to fly the stranded climbers down to base camp. One man had broken his leg in a fall, but thanks to their quick rescue, they were both healthy, and hypothermia hadn’t had a chance to set in. They had been delighted to be rescued, but it was Devlin who was happiest. He sat back in his seat, feeling the thrill of the rescue give way to a wonderful, unbeatable sense of relief and satisfaction.
It had been Darcy who had suggested they offer help to people lost or hurt in the mountains. Of course it had. She was the kindest, most selfless person he knew. She was the bravest, too. The girl he’d first met had been terrified of everything, but that core of bravery had been in her even then.
“You’ve changed me,” he said, as he had so many times before. “I’m so glad you climbed into that helicopter with me.”
“Like I always say,” she replied, eyes sparkling with mischief, “I’m not sure I really had a choice. But I am glad I did, too.”
Without her, he never would have survived that first trip. She had changed his life. She had changedhim. He had gone to the mountains to say goodbye to his mother, but in doing so he had found his soulmate, and he gave thanks for that every single day.
Devlin checked his watch again.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I’ve been ready for this for eight wonderful months,” she said.
He opened his door, ducking beneath the lazily spinning rotors, and offering his hand to Darcy as she stepped down. They walked away from the landing pad and past the outpost station, heading up the familiar slope. It was the middle of summer, and even though there were still scraps of snow here, most of the slope was lush with grass, alpine flowers blooming and filling the air with their scent. It was so warm that Devlin had to take off his coat. Beneath was a tuxedo, complete with a bow tie.
“We may as well change here,” Darcy said. “Do you still need help getting out of your clothes?”
Devlin laughed, flexing his arm. The break had healed, and even though it still ached in the cold, he barely noticed it anymore.
