Page 5 of Suddenly Tempted
“Your helicopter is grounded, and there’s nothing I or anybody else can do about it,” said Darcy, folding her arms across her chest. “So, why don’t you take your entitled attitude somewhere else and wait for the storm to pass like the rest of us?”
The silence in the lobby was deafening. Fortunately, the other guests had all passed through into the banquet hall, leaving Darcy and Penny alone with Devlin Storm. Darcy could hear her heart pulsing heavily in her ears, and her cheeks were burning more fiercely than ever.
Swallowing awkwardly, she took a couple of steps back, wondering how long it would be until she lost her job. She had no doubt in her mind that Devlin would report her to the management. He must be furious. But when she looked at him, his expression was unreadable. Darcy couldn’t decipher the seriousness on his face. She also couldn’t get over the sheer size of him even though she was standing too. Tall, broad, massive. He towered over her, studying her with his green eyes in a way that made her feel like she was melting. She bit into her lower lip and sat down heavily. The only trouble was that her chair had rolled away and what she sat down on was the floor.
“Oof!” she cried. Penny was there in a flash, helping her up. Darcy groaned, more from the embarrassment than the pain, rubbing her behind. Devlin shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“You have five minutes to get a pilot to the hangar,” he said. “Because in six minutes, I’m leaving.”
He picked up his suitcase and strolled away.
“What do we do?” Darcy asked, her heart drumming against her ribs.
“You go after him,” Penny said. “Try to stop him. I’ll call Abigail.”
“But—”
“Go!” Penny insisted, waving her hands to chase her out from behind the desk. Darcy did as she was told, trying to ignore the wave of panic that swelled inside her. Devlin had crossed the lobby and was heading out through a door marked ‘Staff Only’.
“Mr. Storm!” she called after him. “Please, you can’t go through there!”
She reached the door before it could close, running into the corridor beyond. Devlin was walking fast now, his long legs carrying him down the hallway in a few great strides. Darcy ran to catch up, calling his name to deaf ears. Devlin exited through the door at the far end, a fierce gust of wind blasting sleet and snow into Darcy’s face as she followed. The cold air instantly cut through her shirt as she shivered behind him.
“P-please!” she called. How on earth had she ended up in this situation? She’d only been working at the resort for a week, and now here she was chasing an intolerable, arrogant, rich man through the snow. It was just her luck! Devlin was halfway to the low, squat building that held the guests’ helicopters — a parking lot for the rich and wealthy. He hadn’t looked back once to see if she was okay, or to even check that she was following him. She upped her speed, the snow crunching beneath her cheap shoes, the wind freezing every nook and cranny. She didn’t think she’d ever been this cold before.
Devlin opened the hangar door and walked inside, letting it snap shut just as she was reaching for it. She cursed him as she pulled it open, grateful to be out of the cold. The building looked even bigger on the inside than it did on the outside, at least fifteen sleek, powerful choppers lined up side by side. A small desk sat beside the door and a balding man peered up at them through his glasses.
“The Bell 525 Relentless,” Devlin said. “I need it ready to go, and I need a pilot.”
The man shook his head as he stood up, brushing crumbs from his overalls.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Everything’s grounded. I—”
“You’ll do exactly what I ask,” Devlin stated, pointing a finger at the man. “And you’ll do it now.”
“Mr. Storm,” Darcy said. “That’s enough. You simply cannot fly.”
Devlin turned to her, a look of confusion sweeping his face. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when the door behind Darcy swung open. A middle-aged woman in a sharp suit and heels blustered in, shielding her head with a clipboard. Darcy recognised Abigail Lamb, the CEO of the resort, and took a deep breath of relief. Devlin could argue all he wanted with the receptionist, but he couldn’t argue with the boss.
“Miss Lamb,” said Devlin. “At last, someone with a bit of sense.”
He glanced at Darcy with a dismissive look of contempt before turning around. A great, hulking mountain of muscular back filled her line of sight and told Darcy exactly how important she was to this man-child.
Abigail took a moment to compose herself, smoothing back her silvering hair. She glanced past Devlin to Darcy, an apology of sorts in her expression, then looked at the man demanding the impossible.
“We’ve been told by the experts that this blizzard is a big one. The biggest of the year. It’s rolling in hard from three directions, and we’re right in the middle of it.”
“Then fly the other way,” Devlin argued, brushing snow from his expensive jacket.
“We cannot take responsibility for that,” Abigail went on. “Our pilots are not willing to take the risk.”
“Then I’ll fly it myself,” Devlin said. “I have my license.”
“I think—”
“My license, my bird,” Devlin interrupted her. “You have no power to stop me.”
Abigail sighed. “Actually, we do. It’s the law — no solo flights over the mountains. A pilot must have a co-pilot, in case of emergencies. And none of our pilots are willing to go with you, Mr Storm.”
