SAGE
TITAN barked and ran around Sage as he circled the plane for pre-flight checks. There was something about Miss. Derrick that moved him. He wasn't sure what it was, but Titan 's relentless urge to bark at him didn't help him organize his thoughts.He bent down and patted Titan 's head."Be quiet, my boy. I need to focus," he said.As he circled the plane, he saw Miss. Derrick and Joseph. They are talking and smiling. Seeing their joy upset him. But then that feeling stopped him. What's the matter with him? The day had just begun, and he was already grumpy."I just finished my final inspection," he said, clearing his throat and nodding his head toward the plane.Irena stared at him."Sage, are you a pilot?Sage smiled. This plane is his child. It is his second home. A gift from her father on graduation day. It's ironic because his dad hates that he went to flying school instead of Harvard."Kennedy 's going to Harvard, Sage."To this day, her father's voice still rings in her ears.But now is not the time to think about that father. There's no need to stir up those emotions as well."Yes. Isn't she a beauty?" he said, placing his hand on the outside of the plane.Irena kept staring at him. "Will you fly this to Greenland?"Why is it so hard to believe?"Yes. I'm a pilot. I came and – before you asked me – yes, I graduated from flight school."Her cheeks flushed red. It accentuates those damn freckles.She leans over to Joseph."Did you fly with him?"Joseph sneered."He's an excellent driver."Irena looked at Sage then walked back to the plane.Suspicious enough, Sage stepped forward and grabbed the railing of the stairs and knocked them both down at once."Let's go," he said as he stepped onto the plane.Familiar sights and scents relax him. That's exactly what he needed. He sighed as he took off his vest and hung it over the back of one of the chairs.A loud thud from the plane's entrance grew louder. Irena walked out the door with a suitcase in hand and a displeased look on her face. Sage started moving to help her, but then he shook his head. He even doubted that she would accept his help if he offered.And right now, he didn't want to be rejected by Irena Derrick.Instead, he turned around and took a bottle of water from the mini fridge."Where am I sitting?" she asked.He turned to her and glanced around."Choose a seat. Any chair is fine."She looked at him. Then step onto the chair furthest away from him."Did you steal everything? Or do you have a copilot?"Sage glanced at her. Did he detect the sound of hope in her voice? He jerked his head toward the cockpit."Just me and Titan."Titan barks."Is your dog your copilot?""Best around."She laughs."I guess you don't care about the FAA. You feel like you're above the rules" she said under her breath.Sage stopped and stared at her."What?"She looked at him."What?""You mean I'm above the rules?"She pursed her lips.Disappointment boiled in him. She watched the news. Well, he should have expected that."Perhaps you should try asking questions and find out the truth before you assume, Miss. Derrick," he said.She frowned and leaned back in her chair."Are you telling me you're going to tell me the truth?"He took a step forward, inches away from her. There's nothing he hates more than people assuming everything about him. He was not her father, and he was not the father of her past."You'll find that I'm more permissive when you ask." His voice was lower than expected."How can I believe you're honest?""I'm sure you have feelings for me and my family. But your review is not what I paid for in your magazine. Pick yourself up and do your job." He pulled away from her and headed for the cockpit.His muscles tightened. Who is she to make such judgments about him? She doesn't know him."Sorry?" She almost shouted after him. "Mr. Kennedy, this is not judgmental. This is a matter of right and wrong."His gaze fell on her."And you're an expert on right and wrong?""I like to think people pay me to be an expert. That's the job of a journalist."Sage snorted as he turned around and started preparing for the flight. I looked at their magazine. He knew they were in trouble. Amanda thought that Kennedy Outdoors would definitely get a standout story if they offered the Magazine a substantial amount of money. Irena seemed pretty haughty with the items they took out."Seven ways to please your man?" Are you an expert on this? He looked at her."It wasn't my paper," she said, leaning back and crossing her arms.He could tell he was shaking her. Her cheeks flushed pink.He forced a smile. All journalists are the same. Good and complete sense of their own."Sure. We'll agree."What about you? Pretending to love the outdoors, but secretly hunting illegal animals with your dad?"His chest tightened at the mention of his father. He turned and stared at her."Don't talk like you know me or my dad."Her eyes widened for a moment, then crossed her arms."All billionaires are the same.""Yeah? Well, all reporters are the same."She opened her mouth, and he could see the reporter word forming on her lips. But Joseph appeared behind her and raised her hand. hands up."Joseph, come in please." Sage said as he looked at Irena and walked past her and the rest of the plane."I'm so sorry to bother you, but Amanda called you on my phone. Looks like she can't reach you?" Joseph hands Sage the phone.Sage picks it up and walks away. towards the stairs"Hello""Sage?""Yeah.""What's going on? Why don't you answer my call?""Relax, Amanda. I'm just preparing for the plane. Miss. Derrick and I will be leaving in less than twenty minutes."She was silent for a moment."Joseph said he heard you arguing. Are you arguing with Miss. Derrick?""No."Amanda sighed."Stop arguing with her. We need her to write a positive article."Sage shrugs. Amanda wants him to play nice, huh? But Irena Derrick is just that annoying. He took a deep breath."Alright.""Good. Call me as soon as you arrive in Greenland. We have a lot to do."Yeah." He ended the call and got on the plane. "Here Joseph," he said, handing her the phone.Joseph picked it up and stuffed it in his pocket."Well, I should go. I will see you when you come back." He nodded and slid out of the plane.There was silence as Sage gathered his thoughts. He didn't want to apologize to the angry woman in front of him. But he knew it was his duty now. Embrace those who hold their future in their hands."Miss. Derrick, I think we may have started the wrong way." She scoffed at him.Frustration built up in him, but he exhaled."Can we continue?She studied him. He flinched under her scrutiny. Finally, she sighed and sat up."Let's move on," she said, holding out her hand.Sage glanced at it then caught his gesture. Small sparks shot out from his arm as he felt his skin. It used all its strength not to back down.At the end of the allotted time, he let go."We should move."A glance crossed her face, and for a moment she seemed to have felt something, too. Lam shook his head. He is ridiculous. There is no feeling between them.Looking at his watch, he whistled. Titan thundered up the stairs."Time to go, man," he said, patting his dog's head. Titan turned around and started licking Sage 's hand.Sage sat up and finished preparing the plane for take-off. Irena's words flashed through his mind.The things she said about him and his father... made his stomach hurt. No matter how much he tried to push them away, they stayed.As he closed the plane door, he sighed. That's not what he wanted to do right now. He should never have allowed people into his life, even if she was there to help him. Experience has taught him that when you are alone, you will never hurt yourself. And Sage was determined to never get hurt again.IRENA IT didn't take long before the plane was ready and rolling down the runway. As the plane took off, Irena clutched the handrails to her death. She deliberately put her life in the hands of Sage Kennedy . What is she thinking? She had to do some breathing exercises she learned at the yoga studio—trips requested by Bridget—to calm her nerves. It didn't help that her argument with Sage kept coming to her mind. Man, he really gets goosebumps with his cocky ideas and sexy arms. She shook her head. It wasn't something she should be thinking about. He was a stuffy, rude billionaire. But the image of your muscular arm under the white shirt kept coming back to me. She rubbed her eyes, blaming herself. She's not going to be the swoon, swoon girl that guys like Sage attract. She is better than that. She leans back in her chair, tilts her head back. It makes the interior of the plane more spacious than flying in an overbooked carriage. Traveling with a rich man has its advantages. The
SAGESAGE 'S ears buzzed as he groaned and opened his eyelids. Constant blinking seemed to help blur his vision. The red light on the dashboard is flashing. A piercing sound filled the air. Sage raised his hand and held his head. What just happened? He looks out the window. White surrounds him. The slope of the mountain. He noticed this when he had to land the plane after both engines died. It took all of his school time before he calmed down and went flying in the snow. He winced as he recalled the sound of metal falling to the floor. His limbs ached, but he still endured the pain and stood up straight. Where are Titan and Irena? His heart skipped a beat at the thought of them being hurt – or worse. His fingers fumbled for the seat belt. "Titan? Irena?" he cried, then immediately regretted it. Leaning down, he touched his stomach. He pulled his finger away and stepped back. There was no blood, but his ribs hurt. He wondered if he had hurt any of them. After taking a deep breath
IRENA IRENA stood in front of the pile of clothes she had put in the toilet. Her hands trembled as she grabbed them in front of her face. She didn't know if it was frustration with the fact that she had just survived a plane crash. A plane crash was caused by Sage. It seems to be the source of his problems.She looks out the door. Who does this man think he is? Frustrated, she grabbed the jeans he'd given her. An arrogant man who knows all the pain in his ass - he is.She shakes her jeans, enjoying the moment he created. After taking off her skirt, she puts on her pants and prays that they don't fit. Tucking them into her panties, she smiled. Thanks God. The distance between her belly and waist is ten centimeters.After rolling up the shirt a few times, the pants are still standing. She was still wearing her satin sleeveless top but had taken off her sweater. She rolled her eyes. Lindsay and her insistence on asking her to bring sexy things on this trip. She must know better.After L
SAGESAGE zipped his jacket and turned to glance at Irena. She had a displeased look on her face. He smiled at her again, hoping to ease her pain. She bent down and met his gaze. "You laugh a lot. Should I be worried if you have a concussion?" She raised her finger. "Most people don't even show signs of concussion. Are you confused? Are you more sensitive to light? What about the sound?" She bent down, studying his eyes. "Miss. Derrick," he said, stepping back. "Yes?" "If I'm confused, do you think it's wise to ask me so many questions?" She shyly looked at him. "I'm sorry, unnecessary information." She patted her forehead and grimaced as she approached the incision on her head. "Hey," he stepped forward. "Let me help you with that." He reached out and took her hand. She stared at him. "I... uh..." "No apologies. I am the cause." He led her to the chair and motioned for her to sit down. She looked worried but didn't object. He goes to the sink on the other side
IRENA IRENA is all alone. Scratch that. She is alone in the sense that there are no other human beings. However, there is a dog. And it stinks. Every time she moved inside the plane, Titan followed her. She had counted countless times she almost tripped over him. "Titan ," she exclaimed for the thirty-third time. "Just go lie down." Why Sage refused to take her on an expedition, she did not know. He had been gone for ten minutes, and Irena considered opening the door and driving Titan away. But she had promised Sage to keep an eye on the animal. She sighed. Why did she have to make promises that made her unhappy? Next time she really needs to think before she speaks. Titan barked at him. After saying that, she went into the small kitchen. Sage asks her to cook something for dinner using canned food in the kitchen. Hopefully the rescue team will find them tomorrow. If not . . . Irena shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. They will be found. Arrange. A
SAGE"HELLO."A hoarse whisper and a hard push on the shoulder pulled Sage out of his dream. Or nightmare. They have become one in the same."What?" he asked, straightening up and looking around.Irena 's wide eyes looked at him.He pulled the blanket over her. If there is danger, he cannot be entangled in it. "Everything OK?" He blinked in the darkness, trying to focus on Irena .For a moment, he thought he saw his lower lip quiver. Her chest swelled at the thought that she felt fear. The urge to protect her suddenly came to him."Hey. What's wrong?" he asked, placing his hand on her knee. Her legs are crossed in front of her chest and she hugs them.Her face turned pale as she approached him. She didn't seem so panicked that there couldn't be any imminent danger. Adrenaline ran through his body as he tried to relax. He moved to lean on the sofa and Irena followed him. He took his blanket and placed it on their lap."May I sit next to you?" she asked.Sage looked at her. Her jaw
IRENA IRENA shivered as she opened her eyes. She looked at the bowl of embers, Titan lying a few feet away and the white snow in front of the window. Damned. The plane crash is not a nightmare. Right. That means the embrace around her belongs only to Sage Kennedy. She could feel his chest rise and fall under her head. His heart pounded in his ears. She slept on Sage. Why did she sleep on top of him? What did she do last night? She pulled her body away from him. Once at a safe distance, she jumped off the floor and into the bathroom as her mind tried to follow. The snap made her shiver. Turning around, she sat down on the toilet lid in front of her. When she is alone, she is free to control her emotions. Her shoulders shook as memories of the past flooded her mind. She knew why she climbed into Sage Kenned's bed. She was very scared. All that she had tried to lock down since childhood spilled out. Every detail is terrible. She tried to hold back her sobs by turning her f
SAGE AFTER a few splashes of cold water on his face, Sage 's anger was smoldering. What did he do? It's not like you're begging Irena to sleep with you. She did it herself. He shook his head. How was last night? The fear around him was almost tangible. Something in the past scared him. It wasn't just a plane crash, though she seemed desperate to convince him that was the case. There is something more. A deep fear. Although he wanted to hate her for the way she treated him, he couldn't. Maybe she was just as devastated as he was, and he couldn't blame her. After all, if he wasn't her father, she wasn't his past. He rubs his face as he examines his reflection. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of how wonderful it felt to have Irena in his arms. She leaned on him. The warmth of her body and the feel of her flesh under his hand seemed to be etched in her mind. Focus, Sage , he sings in his head. Today they had to get out of the mountains and into the snow before dark. Then