Page 20 of Suddenly Tempted
“The storm’s blown over,” he answered, shuffling back towards her. “It must have worn itself out. Blue skies and no wind. We stand a good chance of getting rescued today.”
Relief flooded through Darcy.
“That’s great,” she said. “I thought it was supposed to last for days.”
“The weather up here is so unpredictable,” he pointed out, taking a bite of his energy bar. He swallowed. “Storms come and go. But there’s nothing to say it won’t charge itself back up, so we need to move fast.”
Darcy nodded, taking a deep drink of water. It was freezing cold and had a strange aftertaste.
“You did wash this, right?” she asked, looking at the beaker. He shook his head.
“Take a walk on the wild side, Darcy. Live a little.”
“I’m more worried about dying a little,” she said. “What if they were conducting experiments in these? What if they were, you know, storingurinein them or something?”
Devlin’s smile wavered.
“Yeah, I probably should have washed them,” he admitted. He took a gulp from his. “But never mind. It’s snow water, as fresh as it’s possible to get.”
Darcy took another sip, trying not to worry. It wasn’t champagne, but it was still one of the most amazing things she’d ever tasted. She picked up a piece of protein bar, chewing its peanut-buttery goodness as Devlin spoke.
“I peeked outside this morning. The snow is deep, but not as bad as I’d feared. We should still be able to walk on it. I’m too worried about the ravines to head down, so I suggest we make our way up. It will be harder, but it’s a shorter walk and far less dangerous.”
Darcy nodded. The protein bar tasted pretty gross, but she was grateful for it.
“The ranger station is two miles or so away, and from there we’ll be able to radio for help. If conditions stay like this, we’ll be home in time for lunch.”
Darcy paused. Home. Back at the resort, then to her tiny apartment. Her tiny,emptyapartment. She looked at Devlin, knowing that after today she would never see him again.
“Great,” she said, but she didn’t really mean it. For a while she sat in silence, watching the last of the flames.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Devlin asked.
“Oh, um, nothing really,” she replied, floundering. “I was just happy, you know, that the storm is over.”
“Me too. Once we’ve eaten, we’ll pack some supplies and head out. You good with that?”
“Sounds great,” she said. “I can’t wait to get out of here.”
She wondered whether Devlin would notice the lie.
Chapter 11
DEVLIN
Devlin finished the last of the protein bar, using his fingers to mop up the crumbs. His right arm still ached, but he’d taken more pain killers when he’d woken and they were fighting off the worst. It helped that his mood was a million times better than it had been last night. With the storm long gone, and the day as bright as anything, the helicopters would be out in force looking for him. By noon at the latest he’d be sitting in the bar with his friends drinking champagne and flirting with the waitresses.
He smiled at the thought. This little trip to the mountains would be nothing more than a bad memory, a story to tell at dinner parties. He’d buy another helicopter, and life would go on just as it had before.
He wasn’t sure why the thought filled him with sadness. Once again, he’d be Devlin Storm, and the world would be his oyster. What did he have to feel down about?
“Thanks for breakfast,” Darcy said, placing the makeshift tray on the floor and stretching again. She was dressed in that ridiculous sweater, and her hair resembled some kind of haystack, but she was still tantalisingly beautiful. She caught him looking and frowned, putting a hand on her head. “It does this. I don’t suppose you’ve got a bottle of conditioner in that case of yours? Is that something your club promotes? APEX conditioner?”
He raised an eyebrow as he shook his head, then pushed himself to his feet.
“We should leave as soon as possible,” he said. “In case there’s another storm moving in. I’ll double check the map, and leave a note here in case anyone finds the place.”
“I’ll do another sweep of the cabin for food,” she said. “Just in case we missed anything.”
