SAGE SAGE watched as Irena disappear into the tunnel. His head ached as fear pierced him. What if something happened to him? He used to be very confident in his ability to survive, but now that confidence is gone. Maybe it has to do with the fact that two more lives depend on him. When he's alone, it doesn't matter if he puts himself in life-threatening situations. That's just him. "Let's go, Titan!" he called and hissed. Sage poked his head behind a rock. He glanced at TItan, barked, then ran. Sage grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into the tunnel. Sage 's fingernails scratch the ice, but Sage doesn't give in. They just had to go far enough into the tunnel that the entrance was no longer visible. Then Sage will settle down. "How are you, Irena ?" Sage shouted. He waited as silence settled around him. He struggled to hear her despite the sound of his heart beating. "So wet, my feet hurt." His voice echoed from the tunnel walls. He exhaled the breath he was hol
IRENAIRENA has never been so cold in her life. Everything shook as she sat on the shore watching Sage light the fire. A fire. She closes her eyes as she imagines herself sitting by the fireplace at Christmas. Warmth surrounded her body. If only she hadn't woken up. She was very happy here. "Irena. Wake up." Sage 's voice interrupted his reverie. She groaned and closed her eyes. Why did he take her away from this memory? That's too welcoming. Here, his body is relaxed and his mind calm. "Wake up!" A jerk on her shoulder pulled her out of the dream she wanted to come true. Opening her eyes, she looked up. Sage opened her bag and pulled out a sleeping bag beside her. He's unbuttoning his shirt as he examines it. "W-w-what are you doing?" she asked, shivering at each word. "Your body is in shock from the cold. We need to warm you up. He took off his shirt and placed it near the fire." Fire. Yellow and orange flames lick the wood. He looked warm, but Irena felt
SAGEAN hour had passed, but Sage couldn't calm down. Irena seems fine. Her eyes were closed, her lashes fluttering over her cheeks. He moved and pulled her closer. He wanted to feel his breath. He couldn't get the image of her limp body out of his mind. His stomach twisted as he loosened his grip on her. Part of him wanted to run away – to protect himself. The other side never wanted to let go. I want to be here forever wrapped in my arms. He couldn't deny how wonderful her soft skin felt to his touch. He had to do his best not to pull her against him and kiss her. She survived. She's fine. His chest swelled as the fear rooted in him broke free from its icy grip. Even if she were to lie there and spew ridiculous reports in the media, he wouldn't want it any other way. She sighed as she walked. Her eyes opened and her gaze turned to his. "Did I oversleep?" He nodded. "Are you there?" she asked. "I can't sleep." She stepped back a little and coughed. He frowned. " H
IRENA THAT night Irena went to bed hungry. When she woke up in the morning, she had a stomach ache. She blinked at the lack of sleep she'd had the night before. Rounds 4-7-8 did nothing for her. Not when the sky is never really dark. Now she knows why so few people live here. It's too cold. Too bright. And overflowing with a particularly illegible billionaire curled up beside her. Even though their conversation ended abruptly last night, he still insisted that they sleep together to keep warm. He had been busy building a domed shelter while she dressed. Then he told her that they should get some sleep. Discuss in more depth. More mixed emotions. It's business as usual. She sighed, turning away from Sage . The leaves above her swayed in the gentle breeze. They are bright yellow and contrast with the blue sky. She fought back a cry as a cold, wet feeling ran down her cheek. Flapping aside, she saw Titan 's large nose just inches from her face. "Titan !" she hissed, pulling
SAGE BUSHES surrounded them as they stood in the trees. It takes more than an hour to cross the mountain to reach the top of the forest. A thick fog coiled around them, but Sage could see below the hill that looked like a deep canyon. He felt a little hopeful. It could mean a river was there. He stops and throws his bag over his shoulder. He sat up, arching his back as he stretched. He gave the flare gun and bear spray to Irena . It helps his joints with only bags and guns to carry. Titan is walking around, sniffing everything. Irena glanced at Sage . Her expression hurt for a moment before she forced a smile. "Where to go?" she asked. Sage studies her. Why does she have to be so tough all the time? He doesn't care that she's out of his element. In fact, he loved taking care of her. He just wished she'd let go of her pride long enough to let him in. "We're going down the hill. I hope there's a river there. Once we're done, we can stop. Then I went to get food. "He
IRENA IRENA hates Greenland . She hates plants. She hated the constant drizzle that wouldn't stop. And she hated Sage and his nasty questions. Since she refused to answer his questions about her parents, he decided to focus on his work, his hobbies, and Lindsay's. She should have wiped him out, but confronting a three-meter grizzly bear because she refuses to talk doesn't seem like a better trade. So she's reluctant to share almost every aspect of her life with the talkative billionaire behind her back. She has another point to add to her post. The Kennedy family is curious. While they refuse to share personal information about themselves, they want to know all about you. She can incorporate that part into the story. His lips twitched. He began to take his own life. It wasn't until well past noon that they finally made it through the bushes and discovered the river Sage suspected ran through the canyon. Irena rejoiced as she knelt by the river and washed her face with c
SAGE SAGE tried not to give in to the frustration that welled up in his stomach. He spent the evening following what he thought was a herd of deer, only to have the trail turn chilly. It was now miles from camp and it was getting dark. Not to mention he has no food. The rustle of the trees above made him slow down and hide behind a bush. Looking up, he saw a squirrel jumping over the top of a tree. He pulled the gun out of his hand and slung it over his shoulder. It's food and he's hungry. He got ready by pulling the trigger and gunfire rang out. Immediately, the squirrel fell from the tree to the ground in front of him. He grabbed her and tied her feet to the rope he carried. One more, and they'll be ready for dinner. Sunset surrounded him as he returned to camp. Fortunately, he left a mark on the tree, which brought him back. Without them, he cannot find his way. Everything looks the same. After killing another squirrel, he accelerates. As he approached the camp, he strai
IRENA SAGE is near. Too close. Part of her wanted to be in his arms, but another part wanted to run away. She has become too attached. She should know better. But she is very worried that something has happened to her so her presence will ease the pain in her soul. He looked at her with such seriousness that she almost leaned over. Most of them. Fortunately, his head is noisier than his heart. Using the little strength she had, she backed away enough to break his grip. The cool evening air surrounded her, reminding her how cold it was to be alone in the Greenlandic wilderness. "Are you okay?" Sage asked. His voice was lower than usual. It made her shiver. She nodded and bit her lip. They need to put some distance between them. "What took so long?" she asked, hoping the coldness in her voice would help calm her pounding heart. He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" "You've been gone all night. I think you want to keep moving forward. Now it looks like we'll have to
SAGE16 months later, Snow falls out of the window as Sage walks forward. He looked down at his watch. Irena was an hour late. Where was she? A soft Christmas ballad plays in the background. Amanda did a great job finding a decorator to decorate this cabin. A Christmas tree sits in the far corner with twinkling lights. Titan was lying nearby with Irena 's present tied around his collar. Everything is perfect. Except that Irena wasn't there. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His outfit made him feel like he was strangling her. He wasn't sure if it was his stress because he was about to ask Irena to marry him. Or that he's afraid Greenland has claimed it again. He should have known he shouldn't have booked a cabin in the mountains of Greenland. But somehow he thought it would be romantic to go back to the place where they fell in love. Man, he can be stupid sometimes. He should have taken Amanda 's parted lips and raised his eyebrows as he told her what he ha
SAGE SAGE tried to calm his nerves by staring at Irena . Her tear-stained face and red eyes tugged at his heart in a way he had never experienced before. All he wanted to do right now was hug her and comfort her. But there are a few things that need to be said before he can do that. And they all had to do with the article. On his way to the press conference, he pulled out the magazine, already hating what Irena had written. After all, he saw the first draft. But the more he advances, the more he realizes that she has changed all that. "Is that what you mean?" he asked, opening the magazine to his article. "Or are you just trying to sell copies?" Irena looked down at the page then back at him. She studied his gaze for a moment before nodding. "Yes," she whispered. His heart was beating so hard that it could be heard clearly in his ears. "Yes, you're trying to sell magazines, or yes, you mean that" - he bent down to study the words as if he still hadn't memorized
IRENATHE familiar thrill that ran through Irena as she stood next to fellow reporters and photographers at a press conference no longer had the same effect on her this time. Still shocked that she hadn't told Lindsay about forcing her to leave, she crossed her arms over her chest. Her skirt is flying up and her heels are hugging her legs. It didn't help that there were blisters from the boots Sage made her wear five days ago. Furthermore, Lindsay decided that a press conference sounded extremely interesting and chose to stay and stand right next to Irena . This makes a hasty retreat almost impossible. Lindsay patted Irena 's arm as she smiled at him. "You never told me how fun these things are," she said as her eyes danced in amusement. Irena stared at her. "Probably because they don't," she said. What's interesting is her bed and blanket. A place where she can hide and where the rest of the world doesn't know about her. A place where Sage Kennedy doesn't exist.
SAGETHE silks under Sage were so soft. Almost too soft. The beeps beside him filled the silence as he stirred on the mattress. Pain shot through his shoulder and he swore. He needed to stop moving, but back in his room felt strange. It's only been five days since he was shot and he's already looking forward to leaving. A knock brought his attention to the door. "Come in," he called. Hopefully it was his doctor and he was there to say that everything is fine and can finally resume his daily activities. When Amanda appeared in the doorway, he groaned. Great. That's not the person he wanted to see. She had completed every job since the hospital handed him over to the doctor. Amanda had been hired to take care of her. It was clear that she wanted full access to him, and the trips to and from the hospital were overwhelming. "Nice to see you're up," she said, looking at him through her glasses. He shrugged. What he really wants to do is run away. Pack your luggage and leave
IRENATWO days later.Irena was sitting in her faded red chair, staring out the window. It's drizzling here which is nothing new. Raindrops settled on the glass and then slid away, leaving a long trail behind. She shivered and pulled the blanket around her. Although it had been two days, she still could not shake off the constant bone-chilling cold. It must come from trauma. "Are you okay?" Lindsay asked, walking behind her. She held a smoking cup in her hand. Irena slid down, nodding. "I think so." Lindsay handed him the cup, then sat down on the equally pale blue flower chair. She clicked her tongue as she stared at Irena . This made Irena uncomfortable, so she changed her position. "What?" she asked. But she already knew what her roommate was thinking. Lindsay had been trying to convince her to talk about the ordeal since her return, but Irena couldn't bring herself to speak. Mrs. Brimone said she had to start talking." Everything that happens to you affects your a
SAGETHE sun burst through the leaves above Sage . Every time the wind blew, it caused the shadows to shift below him. The steady sound of the rushing river filled the air. He had propped himself up against a nearby rock. His arms were folded as he stared out into the expansive woods in front of him.Irena 's words kept repeating in his mind. Some were sections of her so-called article that reamed out his family and rich people in general. Some were the words she'd spoken to him. And how she'd spoken to him.He sighed and rubbed his shoulder. There was a knot that had formed there from sleeping on the ground next to her. He rubbed his arm as he thought about the feeling of having her so close to him. Sharing warmth with her.And the kiss they'd shared last night. The closeness he'd allowed himself to feel. He reached down and grabbed a flat rock. He angled his body toward the river and chucked it into the water. It plopped and then disappeared.He was such a fool. He should have never
IRENASAGE was silent when she returned to the campsite. She was shaky, jumping at every sound, but did feel better after having washed her face seven times in the icy water. It took all her courage to go out into the woods by herself, but facing the bear didn't seem as bad as facing the disappointment that was written all over Sage 's face.His words had cut deeper than any words her father ever yelled at her mother, or herself. She'd let him down, and Sage knew it. She steadied her breath as she walked up to him."What can I do to help?" she asked.Sage glanced over to her. His jaw was set, and his gaze lethal. "Grab the sleeping bag." He nodded toward the dome he'd made.She bit her lip to keep from saying anything and walked past him. Reaching out, she grabbed the bag and began to roll it.Sage busied himself behind her. She could hear his footsteps as he walked back and forth, laying things out on the tarp. She wanted to say something. Explain what had happened. But the words
SAGETHERE were too many emotions in Sage 's body to understand any of them. There was a bear. Titan is seriously injured. And Irena sat on the floor, shaking all over.Overwhelmed with what to do first, Sage lets his natural instincts kick in. He leaned his gun against a tree and walked over to Irena . He needs her to gather her wits and help him. Most Titan 's lacerations aren't that deep. But there was one that was bleeding. He put his hand on his shoulder. She turned to look at him. His eyes were red and stains were on his cheeks.His pulse is beating fast. Does the bear also achieve it?Her face disappears as she turns her head to the ground. "Leave me alone," she whispered.Sage has seen this before. She was shocked. He needed to assure himself that she was safe. He pushed her up there. His fiery gaze met hers as he stretched out his legs. There's not much time left to procrastinate. If she was hurt, he must know by now."What are you doing?" she asked as she tried to stand up.
IRENA SAGE didn't talk about the kiss for the rest of the night. In fact, he didn't move to kiss her again. It was as if their former campsite held all the magic, and in the new place everything was still going as usual. Her soft breathing could be heard a few millimeters from where she lay. Although they hadn't kissed again, he thought it would be a good idea if they slept in the same sleeping bag. This way, they can share their body temperature and stay close in case something decides to rush out of the forest and attack them. What he didn't mention was that being around him without knowing what they were was really torture for Irena . But she felt stupid asking. Who does it these days? Is there a discussion to define the relationship? God, she's going to look like a loser. She lay on her side, arms crossed over her chest. She began to take deep breaths, held her breath, then released. She wanted his body to relax, and soon he did. The sun emerged in the little hut-like