Aiden & Ariel

by Ellie Masters

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  “Do you need to ask?” He tamped down his anger. Yelling would serve no purpose.

  “If it’s about going to the helideck, I needed to check on the helicopter.”

  He spun her against the wall and bracketed her in, bracing his palms against the wall. “And what would you have done? There was no time to do anything, fix anything. It was reckless and dangerous. When I tell you to do something, you do it.”

  Her wide, surprised, eyes took him in. “Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”

  “A big deal?” He closed his eyes and took a calming breath. “You don’t get it, do you?”

  “I don’t. Why are you angry?”

  “Hun, you don’t understand how dangerous this place can be, and that’s on a good day. Anything can happen, and it only takes a moment of distraction for disaster.” He pointed back to the sickbay. “That’s what happened with Jeffery and Caleb, and they’re experienced with our safety protocols. One second of not paying attention,” his voice rose with the resurgence of his anger, “and now, Jeffery’s legs are smashed. Caleb has a concussion. And because of that, all of us are now stuck on a rig in the middle of a damn hurricane. One mistake. That’s all it takes.”

  “I didn’t think—”

  “No, you didn’t. You didn’t think it would be a problem. You decided that, despite my orders to stay put, but that’s not why I’m upset.”

  She gripped at his shirt. “Then why?”

  “Other than the fact you had no idea what you’d find on the way to the helideck, or on it, I’m pissed because you didn’t trust me. You didn’t respect my decision, or my right to make it.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Isn’t it?” Her doe-eyed stare told him everything he needed to know. It was time to establish a hard truth.

  “I trust you, Aiden. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you.”

  He dropped his hands from the wall and took a step back, and then another until he backed against the opposite wall. He crossed his arms. “Look, things between us are a little complicated—”

  “Complicated?” Her brows lifted. “That’s a word people use when they’re calling things off.” A look of disgust rippled across her angelic features. “I thought you were different.” She pivoted and took a step back toward sickbay.

  “Be very careful about the next words out of your mouth,” he said, “because I can damn sure guarantee you that you’re one hundred percent wrong with what’s going on in that head of yours.”

  She turned back to him, head canted to the side. He could see thoughts churning in her head. Pain lingered there. Betrayal. Fear, too. If she thought he was going to bail on her after a single disagreement, then she was in for a surprise.

  Her lips pressed into a thin line and he could see the effort she put into not blurting out what she wanted to say.

  He lifted a knee and kicked his ankle back to brace against the wall. “Let me uncomplicate things for you. On this rig, I’m boss. That means you obey every order I give. If I tell you to jump, you ask me how high. What you don’t do is take my orders as suggestions, because they aren’t. That’s non-negotiable. I know you wanted to check on the helicopter, but I also know the storm could have kicked up any number of hazards. There could have been debris up there, or the helicopter could have shifted. Duncan, Randall, and I needed to check on the rig and make sure the cap on the drill rig was secure. This is a part of our safety protocols. What I didn't need was to worry about what you’re up to.”

  She opened her mouth, but he stopped her with a raised hand.

  “You don’t get to speak yet. Not until I’m done. What I expect is for you to respect my position. If any of my men had gone against a direct order, I would have taken them off shift and shipped them off the rig permanently. I don’t allow disobedience among my crew. I can’t afford it, but that’s not why I’m upset with you.”

  “It’s not?”

  “Not by a long shot. And as for complicating things between us? I’m not going anywhere.”

  “What does that mean?” Her hand lifted to press against her belly.

  “I’ll never interfere in your professional life; that’s exclusive of me. I respect you and the job you do, but between us, I’m in charge. I’m upset with you because I told you to stay put and you didn’t. You disregarded my wishes.” He ran a hand through his hair, worried this would be a deal breaker for her, but hopeful his instincts hadn’t been wrong.

  “Aiden,” she said, “I’m sorry.”

  “I didn’t need to be worried about your safety out there.” His gut clenched thinking about all the things that could have happened to her. “It would’ve distracted me knowing you were climbing about the helideck when I knew it was unsafe. Being distracted is dangerous. I’m not always going to be able to explain every decision I make. I’ll always consider your wishes first, and include you, taking into consideration your needs. Know every decision I make about us will always be in our best interest; yours as well as mine. If we’re going to continue, that’s a truth you need to accept.”

  “Aiden…”

  “I’m not done, and please don’t interrupt me.”

  She gave a tight nod.

  “I’m upset because you were reckless with your safety, and you had no consideration as to how that would affect me.”

  Her lips parted as his words sank in, and she dropped her gaze “I’m sorry. That’s not what—”

  “Not what you intended?”

  Her gaze bounced up to meet his stare, then skittered sideways.

  “That’s the problem, Ariel.” He kicked off from the wall and came to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. Dipping down to get eye-to-eye with her, he softened his tone. His anger had gone, and in its place, a fierce protectiveness took over. “Look, I don’t know what other men have done to you. I don’t know why you believe I would fuck you and walk away. You’re going to tell me all about it someday, but you need to understand one thing.”

  Her eyes shimmered with tears.

  He wiped at her cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, but if you want to continue this…if you decide you want to explore what’s going on between us, then we need to come to an understanding.”

  “I thought…”

  “I know what you thought, but do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “I do.”

  “Good. Take time to think about it, and when you’re ready you let me know. The ball’s in your court. I won’t force you to do anything, or agree to anything you don’t want, but what happened out there…” He made a vague gesture down the hall and the sealed door leading outside. “That can never happen again.”

  “I got it.”

  “Good. Why don’t you head back to the others and think about what I said.”

  “I’d rather come with you.” Her lips curved up then slid back down with a tremble.

  “No. I think we need a moment apart, and time for you to think about what it is you want.” He kissed her forehead and spun her back around, facing the sickbay. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Chapter 18

  Ariel

  A minute stretched to ten minutes, then to thirty. After an hour, Ariel’s nerves were fried. Aiden’s words echoed in her mind, swirling with all kinds of emotions she didn’t understand. Did she want to continue whatever this crazy, unstoppable thing was between them? Was she interested in the other things he offered?

  Most definitely, and resoundingly, that answer came back as an unequivocal yes.

  Could she do that according to his terms?

  That answer came back with a much more tentative yes, but it was still a yes. She didn’t understand everything but grasped the basics. He wanted control, not absolute control, but something which spoke to primal instinct. He didn't hide what he wanted, and she respected that.

  Truth was, she wasn’t afraid to yield to him, especially knowing he would always consider her needs firs
t, but to concede that control terrified her as much as it excited her. It felt deliciously wonderful.

  And exciting.

  A buzzing sensation ran rampant through her body. Memories of his touch, and what they’d done together, made her wish for more; more of his touch but also more of his dominant presence. She spent a career dealing with dominant assholes but found nothing repulsive about Aiden's dominant tendencies. Quite the opposite occurred.

  It turned her on.

  Initially, she’d thought he’d gone over the top with his anger, but once she realized the source of it, her heart bloomed. It had nothing to do with disobeying, although that was a part of it. He’d been angry because she placed herself at risk.

  He cared for her. Not that he came right out and admitted it, but she triggered his fear by placing herself at risk. Nobody ever cared that much about her, ever.

  He said he wouldn’t interfere in her career, but he had to understand the risks inherent to being a pilot. Aiden was a smart man. She was sure he understood. He couldn’t keep her from danger. If he could separate himself from that, then could she give him the rest?

  Probably.

  For the hundredth time, she glanced at the door and stamped down any thoughts of going in search of him. Although he violated his rule, he’d been clear about the use of the buddy system for her and her crew.

  Maybe she could get Duncan to take her to the Control Room?

  A glance at the seriousness of Duncan's expression as he regarded his cards, she discarded that notion. Randall was no help. He had left to catch some shut-eye. Andrew departed as well, headed to whatever bunk had been assigned to him for the duration of their stay.

  For the moment, she was stuck. Which gave her plenty of time to think about what she wanted.

  Meanwhile, Julian roared outside. Waves beat at the support legs of the rig, sending shockwaves vibrating through the steel superstructure. The eyewall slammed into them with ten times the fury of the first half of the storm. Not unexpected, it was still ass-puckering. Things should get better from here on out, but how much longer would they have to stay? How much longer would Aiden leave her alone?

  Another powerful shudder ripped through the rig. She glanced at Larry and his gaze met hers, but he didn’t seem concerned. He counted out three Band-Aids and laid them down on the gurney. Duncan placed his bet and picked up another card. She spun around, looking again at the door, but still no Aiden. With a huff, she stood, stretched, and went to the gurney to join the guys.

  “Deal me in,” she said. “I’m going stir crazy.”

  Larry counted out an assortment of Band-Aids, alcohol wipes, and 2x2 bandages. He dealt her in with the next round. An hour later and still no Aiden.

  Larry glanced up. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “You want an honest answer or should I lie?” Larry folded, leaving her and Duncan in the game.

  “Lie.”

  “It’s not obvious,” Larry said.

  Duncan snorted.

  “Hit me.” She grabbed the card dealt by Larry and looked at her hand. It was shit, but Duncan didn’t know that. Three 2x2s landed in the betting pile. “Raise you.”

  Duncan arched a brow. “Interesting.” He took a long hard look at her, but she revealed nothing. With a huff, he tossed his cards on the table.

  She scooped up the pot and added it to her pot.

  “Aren’t you going to show me your cards?”

  “Nope,” she said with a grin.

  “Aw shit, did you just take me?”

  “Maybe, maybe not,” she teased.

  “I don’t know if you’re fucking with me or not.”

  She didn’t answer.

  The deck-plating beneath their feet rumbled and Larry groaned. “I’m getting really tired of that.”

  The door to the sickbay opened and Aiden looked in. “Duncan, a word…” His tight expression flicked to her and he tried to soften it with a smile. It didn’t work. Something was up. She started to get up, but Aiden shook his head. “Just Duncan. We’ll be back in a bit.”

  Duncan left with Aiden. She tossed her cards on the gurney.

  Larry gave a snicker. “You little shit. You had nothing.”

  “Not a thing.” She reached for the cards Duncan had left and flipped them over. “Two pair.”

  She and Larry laughed as he dealt out a hand of gin rummy. Before long, she realized Aiden and Duncan had yet to return.

  “You think we should go find them?”

  Larry picked up a card. “And where would we begin looking?”

  “I don’t know, but they’ve been gone awhile.”

  “Hmm, hasn’t been that long.”

  “Feels like it has.”

  “Soooo…” Larry drew out the word, “about Aiden?”

  “What about him?”

  “What exactly is going on between you two? Is this serious or just a fling?”

  “Why the sudden interest in my love life?”

  “I don’t need the gory details, but you don’t date. I can count on my pinky finger the number of times you’ve been on a date since we met. Now, you’re nearly inseparable from this guy. I need to know how thorough of a background check I need to do when we get home.”

  “Background check?”

  “Yeah, you didn’t think we weren’t going to check him out.”

  “We?”

  “Yes, your friends actually care about you. So, how thorough?”

  She nibbled at her lower lip.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “I guess so. Is it weird? I’ve known him for barely a day.”

  “And yet, he’s stolen your heart.”

  Aiden had done more than that. She gave Larry a long hard look, surprised by his protectiveness, but thankful for it also.

  “You might want to be thorough.” And with that, her answer to Aiden’s demand couldn’t be more clear. If he would take care of her, then she would trust her heart to him, and everything that came with it. She and Larry played gin rummy while she waited for Aiden.

  But there was no Aiden.

  After another hour, she put down her cards. “Sorry, but I’m carded out.” She went to check on their patients. Jeffery slept soundly, his face eased of pain. Caleb snored softly. She shook him awake and forced him to sit while Larry asked him a series of questions and shined a light in his eyes.

  Caleb groaned. “I’m fucking tired. Let me sleep.”

  “Stop it,” Larry said. “You know this is for the best.”

  Caleb rolled his eyes and laid back down.

  She tugged Larry aside. “If something goes wrong, it’s not like we can do anything.”

  “Not much, but Andrew has a few tricks up his sleeve, temporizing measures until we can get him out.” Larry looked to the door leading out into the hall. “It’s been a few hours. I wonder how much of this storm is left?”

  “It depends. Some hurricanes pass in hours, others can take a day or two.”

  “Well, we’ve already spent a day locked up,” Larry said.

  “As soon as the winds die down, we can take off.” Her gut twisted at that comment. Taking off meant leaving Aiden behind. And then what? What would happen next?

  “Thank fuck for that.” Larry sat back on the gurney and gathered the cards, laying out a row for solitaire.

  Chapter 19

  Aiden

  The news wasn’t good.

  Aiden had been with Duncan and Randall for the past couple hours going over scenarios and contingency plans.

  “Guys, bottom line, the starboard pylon is unstable.” The shifting of the rig, and the force of mammoth-sized waves slamming into them, only destabilized it more.

  “Maybe we can still ride it out.” Duncan rubbed at the stubble on his jaw.

  “How much longer is this thing over us?” Randall glanced up.

  “It’s a shit storm and huge. Julian isn't done with us yet.” He looked to his men.


  Their opinions mattered, and he respected their years of experience. He hoped one of them found a solution he hadn't considered because his assessment of their situation said they were in the middle of a shitstorm that was only going to get worse.

  “Okay, worst case scenario?” He polled their thoughts. "We need solutions."

  “Worst case, the rig capsizes.” Duncan glanced at Randall who gave a tight-lipped nod. “Best case, the skies clear, the seas calm, and we laugh about this over beers.”

  “Preferably on solid ground,” Randall added.

  Another jarring vibration reverberated through the superstructure and the floor beneath him rocked.

  “She’s not going to capsize, is she?” Duncan pulled a face.

  “I hope not.” Aiden remained calm, despite the danger they faced, and the decisions he would have to make. “At least we capped off the well. If that does happen, we won’t be responsible for the worst ecological disaster of our lifetimes.”

  “I thought you were crazy making us do that, but I’m glad for it now.” Randall heaved a weighted sigh. “So, what’s the plan, boss?”

  “We plan for contingencies. If Ariel can’t fly the injured out, we need to figure out how to get them to the lifeboats.”

  “That’s damn near impossible.” Randall’s jaw twitched.

  Duncan grabbed at the counter. “We’ll figure out a way.”

  Bright red, torpedo-shaped boats, they were designed for emergency evacuation by able-bodied men. Getting a man strapped to a stretcher inside the lifeboat was more complicated, maybe impossible, and that didn’t begin to touch on how they would secure Jeffery for the drop into the seething waters below, or the hours he would be tossed around like a cork. There was no way Jeffery could endure such torture.

  “Let’s hope we can avoid it.” He scrubbed at his hair and cursed. Julian had turned out to be a mean bastard. Operations would be shut down for months as they repaired the damage to the rig. “Let’s get ready.”

  “You trust the pilot?”