Billionaire Undaunted:The Billionaire's Obsession ~ Zane(7)

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice. I'm your ride out of here.  The media is still camped outside the hospital. I guess you'll have to  stay," Zane answered matter-of-factly as he walked beside her  wheelchair.

Ellie crossed her arms and glared up at him. "You set this all up.  Aileen hasn't answered her phone, and I haven't seen Tate and Lara in  two days."

Zane shrugged a little too innocently. "Maybe they're busy."

Ellie liked Zane, but he was being unreasonable and somewhat  manipulative, too. "I used to like you," she mumbled under her breath.

"Did you say something?" he inquired politely.

"No. Look, you know I want to go back to Rocky Springs. You're probably  needed here in your lab. It makes no sense for me to stay at your place  alone. I don't even have a car anymore, and I need to be able to get  around. I have to look for a job, straighten out everything that was  left undone. This isn't even reasonable. You've done enough for me,  Zane."

"Until you're better, I'll be there, Ellie," Zane rasped as they exited  up a ramp and onto the rooftop. He plucked her out of the wheelchair,  nodded to the nurse, a woman who had been completely silent and  disappeared just as quietly.

Ellie was confused as Zane deposited her into a sleek helicopter,  dropped her bag with what few belongings she had with her in the  backseat, and then hopped into the pilot's position.

"We're really flying home?" she squeaked, still stunned as he put on a  pair of headphones with a microphone attached, and carefully placed  another on her head.

"It's a long drive. I'm not going to make you go through the media mob  and then have you sit in a vehicle that long." He methodically buckled  her in, and then secured his own straps. "I told you we'd fly out."

She startled as she heard his low, husky voice through the headphones.  Zane had told her that he'd fly her from a helicopter off the roof, but  the reality of that scenario had never registered with Ellie. Because  Chloe had been her friend most of their lives, it was easy to forget  just how ridiculously wealthy the Colter family really was. For being  ultra-rich, most of the family was down-to-earth. Sure, they owned a  large amount of property, but none of them acted like wealthy snobs.  Chloe was the sweetest woman Ellie had ever known, and she hated the  lives of the super-rich. Her friend would rather be with her beloved  horses than at a party with other rich people.         

     



 

As the aircraft started up, she asked him curiously, "Can you really pilot this thing?" Didn't most rich guys have a pilot?

He shrugged. "Of course. It makes it more efficient to get around. I  have a pilot for my jet, but I generally fly myself in the helicopter  and small planes. I might not be the hotshot pilot that Tate is, but I'm  competent enough." He started doing checks, and communicating with what  she assumed was some kind of air traffic control center.

Ellie had no doubt Zane was skilled at everything he did. When they  finally lifted off, her stomach felt like it had dropped to her feet.  "Oh, God. I've never flown before." She put a hand to her belly.

"Are you going to be okay?" His voice sounded concerned.

When they leveled off, Ellie's fear started to drift away as she looked  down at the scenery below after they left the Denver metro area. "Yeah. I  mean, I'm not going to get sick or anything. This is just … different."

"Hang in there. It's not that long by helicopter."

"Take your time," she said breathlessly, overwhelmed by the experience  of viewing Colorado from so high up. "It's kind of amazing."

"You've really never flown before? Not even in a commercial plane?"

"No. I've never been out of Colorado." Honestly, she'd never gone far  from her hometown. "When things got really bad and I was sure I was  going to die, one of my regrets was that I never got to see much outside  of Rocky Springs."

"What other regrets did you have?" he asked hoarsely.

That I never got to kiss you!

Ellie wasn't about to reveal all of the epiphanies she'd had when she  thought her time on Earth was done. "Lots of things. It's strange what  you think about when you suddenly realize how little you've done in your  life, and you're pretty sure you're going to die."

"What?" he persisted.

Ellie sighed. "I was just starting a small side business when James  abducted me. It wasn't doing a lot, but it was slowly growing. I was  sorry I hadn't started it earlier so I could see how people liked my  products." She paused before adding, "And I've never really been in  love, or had a guy who was crazy enough about me to actually romance  me." She'd never gotten flowers or even a romantic dinner. "And I've  never been kissed so passionately that I could forget the rest of the  world and come out of it breathless," she admitted reluctantly.

"You've dated," Zane argued.

"Some," she conceded. "But it was all pretty casual. I was overweight,  so I wasn't exactly attractive enough to turn many heads, and the guys  who wanted to go out with me got bored pretty quickly. I don't exactly  lead an exciting life, and I was usually more interested in working on  my new business than going out."

"You've always been beautiful, Ell. What kind of business?"

There was that intimate nickname again, and his casual comment about how she looked surprised her.

"Just a little online thing. I make candles, essential oils, lotions,  and soaps. I dabble a little with personal fragrances, but most of it  revolves around aromatherapy." She looked out the window, noticing that  they were getting into areas with sparser populations, and she was awed  by the view of the snow-covered peaks of the front range of the Rocky  Mountains. Even though she saw them all the time, they looked different  from the air.

"You believe in the healing powers of scents?"

Ellie couldn't tell if Zane was laughing at her or just curious. "To a  point," she answered honestly. "I don't think it's actually a cure for  diseases, but I think certain scents can affect moods and create a sense  of well-being. It's something I've been interested in for years, and  everything I know is from self-study. But I love making the products. I  love making people feel … happier."

"You did all that from that tiny apartment?" Zane started to descend once he reached the valleys in between the peaks.

"Yeah. It wasn't easy. I'm pretty sure all of my supplies and equipment are gone now."

"They will be at my house," he assured her. "Nothing got thrown away."

"I'm sure I got hammered in emails by a few customers since there were  some orders that I didn't deliver since I was … " She swallowed hard.  "Unavailable."

Zane expertly maneuvered the aircraft onto the small airstrip and set them gently down on the ground.

"Everything will be okay," he said confidently. "Give it time, Ellie."         

     



 

She pulled off her headphones, wondering how Zane always seemed to know  what she was thinking. Her insecurity must be showing, because she still  felt lost. And for some odd reason, Zane seemed to sense it.

Someone must have dropped off his vehicle, because he shifted her directly from the seat of the helicopter into a black SUV.

Reflexively, she briefly flinched as he swept her into his strong arms, a  knee-jerk reaction that she hadn't been able to completely lose when  anybody touched her. Her heart lurched as she relaxed and put her arms  around his neck, her face so close to him that she could get drunk on  his masculine scent. "I am capable of walking, you know," she told him  nervously. The feel of his powerful body cradling her in his arms felt  way too good, way too safe.

He scowled down at her. "In those flimsy shoes? Not happening."

What she was wearing was little more than slippers, but there was no snow on the runway.

She didn't argue as he put her in the passenger seat of his SUV as some  guy she didn't know came jogging out of a hangar to take care of the  helicopter. Most likely, he was an employee. Since she had spent zero  time at the airfield on Colter land, she wasn't sure.

Zane's vehicle was running and warm, and Ellie was starting to get  overheated from the layers of clothing Zane had insisted she wear  because it was a cold day. She pulled the hat off her head and unwrapped  the scarf around her neck, placing both items in her lap before  unzipping her down jacket. They were all items Zane had brought with him  to take her home.

Zane slid into the driver's seat and quickly closed the door. "We'll be home shortly. Are you okay?"

"Fine," she reassured him. "But I don't really have a home anymore."

"You have mine," Zane growled as he put the vehicle in motion. "You  don't have to be so damn stubborn. It's the safest place for you to be  right now."