Page 16 of Suddenly Tempted
Only in those dreams the man had been kind as well as handsome.
She glanced at Devlin. He was lost in the flickering flames, those green eyes incredibly intense. He still looked powerful, and dangerous, but there was a vulnerability there she hadn’t really noticed before. He was a man who was used to being in control, she knew, and right now he looked lost.
“Are you all right?” she asked, and he stirred as if he had been deep in thought.
“What do you think?” he snapped. He took a deep breath. “Sorry, I’m fine. I’ve been in worse places.”
“Really?” she questioned. “Worse than this?”
“That near-death experience in Colorado was worse,” he said. “And one time I was jet-skiing in the Maldives and I hit a reef. I had to swim half a mile back through shark-infested waters.”
“Seriously?” Darcy said. Devlin nodded, looking almost proud for a moment before Darcy went on. “That has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Why?” he asked, turning to her.
“Because it’s dangerous,” she said. “You could have died.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a little danger,” he argued, returning his attention to the fire. “People used to think fire was dangerous, but without it we wouldn’t have been able to survive. Maybe it’s the same with life. The dangerous moments are the ones that truly make us feel alive.”
“I don’t believe that,” Darcy said. “I think people who chase that danger, chase those extremes, I think they’re missing something else in their life. I think they’rescaredof life.”
“Says the girl who’s scared of everything,” he retorted.
“I am not.”
“You worked in a ski resort, but you’re scared of skiing,” he said. “You worked in a climbing place but are scared of climbing. You worked in an adventure trekking place but are scared of adventure. Did I get that right?”
So, hehadbeen listening to her on the helicopter. Darcy didn’t know whether to be pleased or insulted. She shrugged. There wasn’t much point in arguing, because that’s exactly what she had said. And it was true. All of the opportunities life had thrown at her, she’d turned them down. Maybe he was right, maybe it was her who was scared of life. She shrugged, pulling the blanket up over her jumper. There was something she wanted to say, but she didn’t know how Devlin would react. Clearing her throat, she decided to trust him.
“My dad died when I was a kid,” she said. “He was a fisherman. He was the best sailor I knew. He could sail any boat like it was his best friend. He taught me how to sail, too. He was a big man, indestructible. At least, that’s what I thought.”
“What happened?” Devlin asked when she stopped. Darcy laughed, but there was no humour in it.
“A storm,” she said. “Mum begged him not to go out in it, but it was trout season and he didn’t listen. Like I said, he was an expert. He knew the lakes like he knew himself. So he went out, he just never came back.”
The storm howled outside the window, the cabin rattling in the wind.
“I’m sorry,” Devlin said, meeting her eye.
“He loved extremes too,” she confessed, her gaze caught in Devlin’s. “He loved adventure. And it killed him.”
She wiped a tear away, snuggling under the blanket.
“My dad was nothing like that,” Devlin said, and she noticed instantly that he spoke about his father in the past tense. “He was a coward. The only time he ever showed any interest in me was when I started to make serious money. That’s all he cared about. He sacrificed me and my mum for a few pounds in his pocket.”
“He’s passed on, too?” Darcy asked. Devlin shook his head.
“No, but he’s dead to me.”
“What about your mum?” she asked. It seemed utterly bizarre that she was sitting here by the fire, chatting with Devlin Storm. But what else were they supposed to be doing? A liquid warmth filled her belly as Devlin shifted on his mattress and his arm brushed against hers.
“She was . . .” Devlin took a shuddering sigh, and Darcy’s heart broke a little bit, thoughts firmly back where they should be. “She was amazing. She was a saint. I owe her everything. She always told me that fear was a good thing, because it showed you that you had something worth fighting for, worth living for. She never cared about money, or fame, or big houses, anything like that. She lived for a smile and a laugh and a good meal. She only passed away recently. Just four weeks ago. I wish . . .” He turned away from Darcy and she could have sworn she saw his eyes glisten with tears. When he turned back his face was closed, all the emotion wiped. “There’s no point wishing, though, is there? I can’t buy wishes.”
Darcy reached out her hand, then pulled it back. Then she reached out again and put it over Devlin’s good arm, offering what little comfort she could.
“I still can’t believe she’s not here anymore,” he said. “I’m never going to get used to it.”
“I know,” she replied, tucking her hand back beneath the blanket. “It’s okay to feel all the emotions right now. You have to let yourself grieve.”
