“If you think I won’t toss you over my shoulder and carry…”
“You ain’t touchin’ the little lady,” a large man said, stepping directly between Tobin and Claudia. “You’ll have to go through me first.”
“Those choppers are coming down once,” Tobin stressed, pointing angrily at the sky. “If you aren’t on them, you better have enough oxygen to last for a few hours. Anyone want to take that chance? I’m guessing you don’t have tanks of oxygen lying about, right? Oxygen is flammable.”
“Miss Claudia?” the large man said over his shoulder, unmoving.
“Let’s go, Tito,” she said painfully. “If it’s snuffed out quickly we can come back and clean up the mess that they will leave behind.”
The men started to descend down the ladder and onto the platform he’d arrived on. The propellers were buffeting the air and the wind was starting to pick up. They needed to get things moving, or they could end up riding out the hurricane on a weakened oil rig.
He watched them move, and the first chopper descended as the men slowly climbed a rope ladder up to the cab of the helicopter. The second one moved into position and Tobin realized Claudia was still hanging about the platform.
“You need to be on this one,” he ordered.
She turned to look at him, and he was amazed at the expression in her gaze. She looked sad, confused, angry, and torn all at once. She stomped over towards him, grabbed his mask like someone grabbing a helmet in football, and yanked him downwards. Tobin was not a small guy, brushing six-foot-tall easily, but when she pulled on the mask – he realized just how powerful a facemask penalty was!
It forced you to move or you could really injure your neck!
Shocked at the strength of the little woman, he moved forward unexpectedly, and felt her plant her lips directly on his. A sizzle was felt in his soul that blanked out everything in his mind other than the sensation she was creating deep within him. A moment later, he was released, falling back onto his haunches in stunned silence.
“I don’t like this, Fabio, but I get it,” she said angrily, making her way down the ladder.
“Tobin,” he blurted out, readjusting his mask that had snapped back into place askew. It was all fogged up from his heavy breathing and hurt painfully as it had popped back onto his face out of position, smacking him in the nose and eye.
“Tobin Randall.”
“Claudia Jenkins – it’s nice to meet you.”
“Be safe.”
“You too.”
Chapter 4
Claudia watched from her perch on the helicopter, unable to move, as a myriad of emotions ran through her. She couldn’t believe her rig was on fire and she was having to evacuate it. There had been fires before in the past, but nothing of this magnitude – and that man!
She was mortified at the flare of attraction that hit her like a ton of bricks. She’d been around men all her life but no one had ever piqued her interest like he did in the few moments that she met him. He was beautiful like one of those fancy statues you saw at art museums.
Her father had always pushed culture on her, but it never really interested her until now. She wondered what that statue was because she now wanted to see it again. Growing up, she always liked to tinker with machinery, cars, and science projects… much to her fathers’ chagrin. He wanted her to be a part of the company and her having her own rig was their compromise that brought them together.
Daddy was going to have a conniption fit when he found out about the fire and was shocked that he hadn’t called her yet. Patting her overall pockets, she rolled her eyes and groaned as she realized her phone was still in her office. She’d hear about that from him too…
Looking back out the window, she watched as the mysterious man, Tobin Randall, turned and ran into the fray. She saw the tiny figures fade as they grew farther and farther away. The fiery geyser still looked intimidating from the horizon and she couldn’t imagine the amount of bravery in each of the firefighter’s hearts.
She hoped and prayed that the rig, and Tobin, were okay.
Her father might not indulge her in another rig if this one wasn’t salvageable, she thought sadly as she pulled her eyes away, blinking back the tears. She looked at the men in the helicopter and realized they were watching her for guidance.
… and leadership.
Leaders didn’t give up.
“That was some hiccup, wasn’t it?” she asked quietly, trying to smile. “Anyone got any ideas what blew, so we can save ourselves the headache and free airfare, next time?”
“You okay boss?” Tito asked.
Claudia looked at the big man who’d been her foreman for years. She trusted him implicitly and he’d always taken care of her in tough scrapes until she built the loyalty with the team on her own. More than once, he’d rescued her from a bully, and taught her how to defend herself. Once she’d taken a bully down in front of others, they’d left her alone and she was ‘one of the boys’.
All the education she received, all of the private tutoring on how to behave in front of cameras, was pushed back mentally. She adopted their language, spoke like them, dressed like them, and became one of her men – and they were her extended family away from home.
Her father would be quite distraught if he saw her like this now – in fact – she could only imagine what the news crews would say.
“Boys, we are gonna be back out there as soon as it’s safe. This is gonna be a little vacation to ride out the storm. We’ll land and get settled someplace for a few days, throw back a few beers, and then get back at it again.”
“You didn’t answer the question,” Jason asked, his weathered face furrowed with worry. “You okay?”
“No. I’m a little pissed it happened but really glad we are all safe. I don’t like the idea of someone else being on my platform without me being there.”
“Or your boyfriend staying behind?” Sam teased, causing several of the guys to smile at her knowingly. Their teeth were pearly against their tanned, oily faces.
“Shaddup you idiots – you know I don’t have a boyfriend nor the time to fool around with a guy. You twerps get more emotional than me! I’m surprised one of you isn’t bawling like you just watched The Notebook or playing a violin. Now, anyone else got a stupid question to ask me?”
At their silence, Claudia looked away and hoped they couldn’t see her blushing underneath the grease and grime on her face. She’d acted like an idiot, yanking Tobin to her and kissing him unexpectedly.
There was something in his eyes that made her desperate in that very moment, wondering if she was going to die or if he would, and she didn’t want to miss her chance. She’d gone with her gut, pulling him towards her and kissing him quickly before evacuating the platform.
Part of her had expected him to reel back at the filth on her face – but he hadn’t. It was like he wanted that kiss too. Instead of fighting it, pushing her away, or getting upset… he’d leaned into it.
Claudia held back a sigh.
The firefighter, Tobin, had made her mad even suggesting that they had to leave – but she understood his reasoning and felt like a dork even arguing with him. She would have never been able to hold her breath like she’d said. He was right, she didn’t like it, and had to listen to him. He’d been reasonable and unmovable, she felt like a child having a small temper tantrum. She’d wanted to shake his stoic presence by kissing him.
She had expected him to bark an order at her. She predicted he would get angry at the personal assault, telling her to get off the platform… but he hadn’t.
He kissed her back.
His lips had opened under hers, turning the frantic, chaste kiss into something more… sensual. It was something she hadn’t expected and the surprised look in his eyes, followed by their quick introduction to each other, told her he hadn’t anticipated a reaction to it either.
His breath and lips were warm, reminding her of warm caramel drizzled over a brownie. She wanted to eat him rig
ht up! Claudia snickered and coughed quickly to cover it.
“Smoke,” she bit out nervously, turning to stare out the window at the ocean beneath them.
Oh yes, Tobin had certainly kissed her back. She had felt the tentative touch of his tongue, and the urge to wrap her arms around him had been incredible – but time was wasting and her ride wouldn’t wait forever. He had to get back to work saving her rig and she needed to get her bum off the platform.
Getting involved with a guy would be a mistake, she mused sadly.
There was no time for a relationship on a rig, nor did she have time to deal with the drama that came with forming one. She’d seen Gossip Girl and Friends – if relationships were full of highs and lows like those on the shows, she wanted no part of that foolishness.
Instead, she needed to focus on being a Jenkins. They had a job to do in maintaining the name, the business, and the dynasty they were creating – and that was her main concern right now.
She could think about that kiss later when she had time to process it.
Right now, she needed to prep herself for the gauntlet of reporters that would probably be waiting when they landed. Everyone loved a good news story and the Jenkins Oil Platform causing a disaster in the ocean would be fodder for weeks to come.
Her father would be quite beside himself when she got home.
Tobin watched the helicopter ascend into the sky. Domino nudged his hand several times in an attempt to provide comfort. The dog knew he was bothered. They had a rough afternoon ahead of them and time was wasting. He needed to get started with the others, but for some reason he couldn’t pull his eyes off that chopper.
Claudia had gotten under his skin.
He would have laughed if he heard someone describe a kiss as ‘earthshaking’ or something silly like that – yet, it was. Claudia’s lips tasted like cherries, vanilla, sweat and smoke. He could only imagine what kissing her would resemble once the results of the fire were gone – and despite it, he was drawn to her. Instead of being deterred by the taste of their labors, he was drawn in, and wanting more. The heat he felt directly behind him was nothing compared to the warmth he felt flaring between their lips.
He wanted more.
He wanted to see her again.
Instead of being taken aback, he wanted to deepen the kiss.
That brief peck of affection had only served to stoke something in him he didn’t realize was there. He’d always thought Gavin was a romantic fool going after Natalie all the time, holding a candle of hope for the woman who’d left him… but now he understood. Watching that helicopter disappear into the distance, Tobin felt the distinct urge of regret… that he should be on that chopper with her.
He should be kissing Claudia again.
Shaking his head, he reached down to pet Domino’s insistent nose, and tried to clear his mind. He had a job to do – and needed time to process what just happened. Claudia Jenkins had him rattled.
Rattled made his world dangerous.
He needed to focus.
He needed to get Domino on the oncoming helicopter that was on the horizon for them all. Tobin would never let his partner get hurt or suffer in having to use the gas. Tex understood that and had called in help without asking.
There would be time to think of the mysterious Claudia Jenkins again later.
Chapter 5
Experience had not failed her in the slightest. All her expectations on what would happen on touchdown turned out to be true. As the helicopter landed, they exited the aircraft, to be immediately swamped with reporters who had the inside scoop on the fire. Putting her hand over her face, she knew if the reporters knew she was coming, so did the press for Jenkins’ Oil.
Sure enough, there were three limousines waiting in a line.
She waved at the men following behind her and opted not to give a statement yet at this time, silently plunging into the crowd towards the large vehicle with blacked-out windows at the front of the line of Jenkins Oil cars that offered a place to hide. She hated being interrogated by the media. Opening the door to climb in, she winced as she met her father’s concerned gaze.
Claudia piled in, quickly followed by the men who’d accompanied her on the helicopter. Sitting opposite of her father, she gave him a tremulous smile.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“Are you okay?”
“We all are.”
Her father turned to the men and nodded tightly. Claudia knew her father would be worried about several things at once. Her being the top priority, the men that had been with her, the equipment, and then the possible financial disaster that could come with a cleanup or lawsuits.
“Everyone make it off the rig okay?”
“Yes sir,” Tito said quickly. “Miss Claudia wouldn’t let any of us get into danger. She was quick to make sure we stayed safe.”
“Good. Good,” he said firmly, turning to meet Claudia’s eyes again. “No statement, I presume?”
“No. I’ll be waiting to hear back on the condition of the platform and what happened before making any kind of statement.”
“We’ll run it past Victoria first.”
“Of course,” Claudia nodded. She knew Victoria only too well. The woman was a master of spinning anything into a positive and had a way of writing speeches, statements, and announcements to make the company look good. She was their media guru, but Claudia had always thought she was in the wrong field – she should have been an attorney.
There had been several times in the past Claudia’s announcements had been rewritten by Victoria in order to remove any interpretations that could be garnered by the press. Growing up as a Jenkins gave you the strangest perspectives when it came to normal life. That was part of the reason she loved living on the oil rig.
She could be herself.
The limo ride was quiet. She could hear people shifting on the leather seats uncomfortably, an occasional throat being cleared, or someone popping their knuckles. She knew when her team filed out of the car, they would talk at that point, until then – the corporate hierarchy came into play and they were sitting with the CEO of Jenkins Oil. As they pulled in front of the high-rise hotel her father was a quiet investor in, she almost smiled.
Of course, her men would be put up there. It would be a tax write off at the end of the year for the accountants. Her father thanked each of them politely for their dedication, instructing them to order whatever they needed clothing-wise and it would be provided.
“Do not worry, the company will pay you for your time down, as we take care of our own,” he finished. “Please relax, enjoy this small break, before we get back to work.”
“Yes sir!” a chorus of voices said quickly before piling out of the limo at the back entrance of the hotel. The media would be staged at the front and her father’s personal secretary, Rockford, was waiting at the back door, smiling and waving them on.
“Claudia, remain seated,” her father said firmly.
“Yes sir.”
She already knew this was not her stop before he said anything. The men filed out, looked back, and she heard the door close firmly behind them. She looked through the tinted windows, glad Rockford was there. He would take care of her men and make sure they lacked nothing in comfort.
“You look atrocious,” her father began and Claudia flinched at the pain in his voice. “I never intended for my little girl to become one of the guys when I gave in to this nonsense…”
“Daddy…”
“Just a moment, young lady,” he bit out, stopping Claudia’s protest immediately. “You have had every indulgence growing up and I understand wanting to make something of yourself – but putting my only child in the middle of the ocean on a potential stick of dynamite had to be the stupidest thing I have ever agreed to. Your mother will have my hide tanned if she sees you like this. Do you know she’s not here because she fainted when we saw it on the news?” he said gruffly, his eyes shiny with unshed tears and rage.
“Is mama okay?”
Claudia whispered, feeling shame and guilt burn at her.
“Yes, I left her with Marcy and assured her that I would fetch you myself.”
“I’m okay, Daddy.”
“I’m not.”
The two looked at each other for what seemed like forever. Claudia knew deep down inside that this battle was lost before she ever got into the vehicle, and she sighed heavily. She had been left to run unfettered for the last two years, making a name for herself.
“I’m sorry,” she admitted. “I’m not sure what happened. I felt the blast coming and the whole thing shook when I…”
“Babygirl,” he said painfully, swiping at his eyes as he sat there in his suit. He sniffed several times and yanked out a handkerchief, taking a deep sigh to compose himself. “…I don’t want to hear the details yet. I can’t. I just need you to go straight to your room, make yourself presentable quickly, and come see your mother. I think if we can both see you in a normal fashion, then perhaps we can talk about it then. Like this,” he said waving his hand at her, “reminds me that I could have lost you today and I just can’t… handle it yet.”
His voice broke… along with her heart.
She never intended to hurt anyone.
Claudia nodded. She knew in that moment that it would be a fight to return to the rig and it wasn’t worth losing her parents over her freedom. There had to be some sort of compromise that could keep her connected to both worlds – she just had no idea what it was.
Dallas
Three months later
“Claudia, your mother is insistent that you attend with us tomorrow night,” her father said, glancing over his computer screen as his phone rang. The media was having a field day with the blast and the fact that the ‘billionaire’s daughter had tucked tail and run from what could be an environmental disaster’
She was being bombarded left and right. Twitter and Facebook had become a nightmare, so much so that she’d closed both her accounts immediately. Private posts were leaked and even something as simple as ‘glad to be home’ was being twisted.
The Oil Tycoon Rescue Page 3
