Chapter 1

• The rain was pouring down heavily, and Amanda knew that the roads leading to her tiny property would be closed. Many low-lying areas had already been devastated by flash floods in the aftermath of the depressing weather brought on by the remnants of Storm Zelda.Because the weather had been so pleasant the previous two days and the sun had begun to dry off the muddy ground, she had assumed the storms were done.
• A powerful thunderclap rocked the foundations of her ancient timber farmhouse as a bolt of lightning pierced the darkness of her bedroom. She made her way to the bay window and gazed out at the two greenhouses her father had built in the early morning light. They were in desperate need of repair, and she was crossing her fingers that the new weather change would spare the buildings any further harm. She just had to wait until Valentine's Day to start making money, and that should be enough to see her through another year.
• During the pre-dawn darkness, she peeked out of her window and tried to trace the line of ancient poles that held the electrical cables that connected her to the outside world, which was obscured by the heavy rain on her tin roof. She could still see the faint lights in the greenhouses, which indicated that everything was still operational. The sky was once again illuminated by a lightning strike. Then she noticed it, just beyond the greenhouse's glass panels, which had partially obstructed her vision.
• One-eighty-degree banking on a tiny plane flying low gave the impression that it was attempting to land on the property's historic airstrip, which served the region before civilization encroached and made the area presently considered semi-rural. In the pouring rain, she waited barely a second longer to be sure of what she saw before yelling, "Fuck! No!"
• A resounding "NO!" Amanda screamed and ran to the back door of the home. A torch and an Akubra were all she needed as she put on her boots and a long oil-slick jacket. Waving the light, she hurried to tell the pilot that although it seemed like a decent spot to land from the air, it had fallen into such disrepair due to a lack of usage over the previous decade that trying to land there would be suicide. Her eyes were wide with fear as she ran.
• Despite the rain, she rushed, flashing the torch around futilely as she waited for the plane to touch down. In spite of the sun's efforts to burst through the cloud cover, it remained gloomy. To her surprise, the jet shook and bounced as it She slowed her pace and watched in dread. In response to one especially strong shock, the landing gear collapsed, the jet trembled and dropped its nose, sliding down the ground and veering into one of her greenhouses' direct routes.
• Despite her best efforts, all she could do was watch in horror as the plane's wing smashed into the greenhouse, destroying all she'd worked so hard to build and grow on this piece of property. When she heard the screams, she accelerated and fled harder. When she got to the now-still jet, she tried not to stare at the damaged equipment and plants while she worked out the latch to go inside and make sure the pilot was okay.
• Despite her best efforts, she was unable to hold open the door before the wind ripped it from her grip and slammed it shut. When Amanda finally boarded the plane, she discovered the only occupant, slumped and unmoving in his restraint seatbelt. She lifted his body into a more upright stance with both hands. Her gaze was obscured by the pilot's unkempt hair and olive complexion, but she recognized the square jaw and aquiline nose from some distance. Then she took off his headset and gently rubbed the back of his ears to see whether there were any visible injuries on his face or in his temples.
• Slowly and softly, she checked his head for any signs of injury and then his body for any signs of broken bones or misaligned joints, keeping an eye out for any reaction that may indicate he had suffered a significant injury. She was shaken out of her thoughts of the man by a bolt of lightning. The choice has to be made quickly. a few hours away in ideal weather, but with the road restrictions near her home, it might take a lot longer in the worst case scenario. She had no choice but to get him out of the jet, as that was the only way to save him. Aside from the fact that she was completely unaware of his remaining fuel supply, she was also unaware of the extent of the collision damage. Moving his enormous unconscious figure was a difficult task. She weighed her choices carefully and came to a decision.
• Because she was the sole caretaker of the nursery, there was no one she could contact for aid. As the housing estates encroached on her neighborhood, her neighbors on one side had given up, and her neighbor on the other was a man she referred to as the Vulture. She could have waited for the neighbors' hired men to come and flagged one of them down, but when the thunder roared once again, rocking the aircraft, she realized she couldn't wait.
• screamed, "Time to wake up, sleeping beauty. Don't push me into your arms." She then vigorously shakes his shoulders, causing him to fall to the ground. She knew she wasn't exaggerating as she kept her eyes fixed on his face. His features were pleasing to the eye. Even when he was asleep, his lips were pursed in a seductive half-smile that piqued her interest. However, she had a brief idea about the possibility of awakening the sleeping beauty and kissing her . She didn't kiss him because his eyes began to flutter open and he murmured an incoherent slurring string of syllables, even though he looked like a Greek god.