 
The Winner is Love

### 1st book in "The Winner" Series

### Revised Edition

### By:

### Stephanie Payne Hurt

The Winner is Love ©2015 Stephanie Payne Hurt

Smashwords Edition

The Winner Series

Originally published 2012

Horseshoe Publishing

Cover Designer: Kaleigh Payne

Any person mentioned in this book is not based on any person, living or nonliving.

This book is a work of fiction. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher.

Sign up for my newsletter at www.stephaniehurtauthor.com to keep up with upcoming events and new releases.

Also, come by and join my Street Team for chances to win books, get to read chapters before their release and get to know me on a more personal level. All the information is on my

website!
Chapter One

Stacy

It was an unusually cold November morning in Atlanta. Stacy got up and made her coffee just as she'd done for the last ten years. She looked at the thermometer on her back deck and shivered. As usual she was running late. Thank goodness, the secretary was always early. Everything would be running smoothly when she got to the accounting office she'd owned for five years.

Stacy went upstairs and ran through the shower, taking only fifteen minutes to get ready. Grabbing a cup of coffee, before she ran out the garage door. She started the engine and let it warm up while she gulped down her coffee. Flipping on the radio, she listened to the local news. As she backed out of the drive she heard her name on the radio. Slamming on the brakes as she turned up the volume.

"Congratulations again to Ms. Stacy Cauthen of Atlanta for winning the 'Weekend With a Star Contest'. It'll be in a rustic cottage in the Colorado Rockies." Stacy sat there afraid to move. How on Earth was this happening? She hadn't entered a contest, so it must be a mistake. Maybe there was another Stacy Cauthen in Atlanta.

At that moment her cell rang, she saw it was her best friend, Randi. That had to be it. Her crazy friend was playing a trick on her. "Good morning Randi. How'd you do it? Did you pull some strings with the radio station to get them to announce a bogus contest and list me as the winner?"

"Good morning to you too and I did no such thing. It's totally legit." There was a long pause as Stacy tried to make a rational sentence, but nothing came out.

"Stacy, earth to Stacy!"

"I'm here. But I know I heard you wrong. You're joking right?" She heard her friend's laughter and knew this was real. Randi had entered her unknowingly in this contest.

"Why? Just answer me that. Have you completely lost what's left of your brain?"

"Don't you want to know who the actor is that you'll be with in this cozy little cottage in the snow covered hills of Colorado? Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Okay, I'll play along. Who is it? Some offbeat actor trying to score some publicity?"

"Nope, not even close. Who's your favorite actor? You have all of his movies on DVD."

Stacy's head ached from all this early morning drama. Then it dawned on her what Randi had said. "You mean its Slade Collins! THE Slade Collins?"

"The one and only. What I wouldn't do to be with you at this very moment." Her friend was almost giddy with excitement.

"That's exciting, but I'm not going. You know yourself he's nothing but a playboy. I'm not going to be his toy for the weekend."

"He may not really be that way. It may just be his agent's publicity stunts. He may be a real nice guy."

"Randi, why would you do this to me? Why?" She may have raised her voice if her head hadn't started pounding when she heard the news.

"Come on Stacy, you need to get a life. You spend most of your time nose deep in ledgers and tax returns. For once, take a walk on the wild side. You need a vacation and this is a free trip with Mr. Heavenly himself." Stacy could hear her friend's muffled giggles. She was really enjoying this.

"Randi, you know I hate to fly."

"Think of who'll greet you at the end of the flight. That's got to be some kind of incentive."

Stacy backed out of her driveway and started toward the office. She didn't know what to think of all this. "Randi, let's talk about this later. My head is pounding and I'm late for work, as usual."

"Okay, but be thinking about what you'll pack. We probably need to go shopping for you some snow clothes."

"That's if I go Randi. I need to know more about this trip." She sighed realizing that she was giving in a fraction of a bit.

"At least you're open to it. Have a great day and call me later. Love you Stacy."

"Love you too, but not liking you right now." She ended the call and turned into the parking deck of her office building.

When she got to the guard office beside the elevator, Mr. Olsen, the security in the morning, looked up and smiled. He walked out to greet her. "Good morning Ms. Cauthen. Oh, and congratulations on the contest. My wife would give her teeth, if she still had them, to win a trip with that actor. You must be excited." Stacy grinned, picturing his wife with no teeth. She had met her at a barbeque that the owner of the building gave in July.

"Well, thanks. I can honestly say that I was surprised. Have a good morning."

She stepped on the elevator. Had everybody been listening to the morning news on the radio? She got her answer when she stepped off the elevator and her secretary had a banner on the wall that read "Congrats Boss!" Great, now she'd have to go through this all over again. She was going to strangle Randi when she saw her in person.

Abigail jumped up from her desk when Stacy rounded the corner, "I can't believe you're spending a whole weekend with Slade Collins. I could just die." Abigail pretended to swoon, leaning towards the dramatic side as always.

"Well, Randi entered me without my knowledge. I guess I'm still in shock." She started toward her office door. Abigail followed with her messages and appointment schedule. So the day had started out with a bang.
Chapter 2

Slade

Slade walked into his manager's office and sat down to wait for him to finish his phone call. He was dreading this meeting. Andrew, his manager finished his call and looked up at Slade. "Well, that was the radio station confirming the contest winner." He looked pleased. Andrew thought this was a great way to redeem Slade's reputation after that nasty press scandal last spring.

The press had gotten a lead that Slade was seeing a married actress, but it was a case of mistaken identity. It'd been a publicity night mare.

"I don't know if I want to hear this. It's probably some groupie with nose hair down to her lip and floppy earlobes." He shuddered just imagining a weekend with some woman chasing him around the bed. At least he was in good shape. Maybe he could stay ahead. He groaned inwardly.

"They're emailing her profile to me as we speak. Let me check to see if it's here." He punched a couple of keys and smiled. "It's here. Are you ready to see your roommate for the weekend?"

"I don't know if I've had enough coffee yet." Slade walked around to stand behind his manager for a good view of whom or what he would spend three long days with. It seemed to take forever for the profile to come up. When it did, it came up first with her written profile.

Andrew read the profile. "Okay, here we go. Her name is Stacy Cauthen from Atlanta, Georgia. She owns an accounting firm in downtown, 32 and single, never been married. Her hobbies are reading, music, and quiet walks in the park."

Slade groaned, "Sounds like a real barrel of fun. I bet she's a know-it-all. Where's the picture?"

"Hold your horses, here it comes." They both stared at the screen in shock. "Wow, I think I'm jealous. Man, you hit the jackpot!"

"I can't believe it, she's gorgeous. She's got to have a flaw, probably a royal pain in the butt, control freak." He walked back to his chair and fell into it.

"She'll arrive in Aspen next Friday morning. You'll be there to greet her." He looked up from the computer screen and grinned, knowing Slade wasn't happy with this trip.

"I still figure there has to be some flaw. She's 32 and has never been married." He raised his eye brows and frowned.

"Look on the bright side she could have nose hairs and floppy earlobes." He laughed, repeating Slade's earlier description.

"Funny, real funny. So, there'll be a car there to pick us up at the airport and take us to the cabin, right?" He was still unsure about this whole thing. What if she was a psychopath? He'd see what he could find out about her on the internet.

"There will be a car there to pick you up, but first you've got to do an interview for the waiting reporters."

"How convenient, I guess you arranged for a full paparazzi scene."

"Well, that's the main reason for this whole contest, to get you back in the good graces of your fans. What better way for you to spend a romantic weekend with one of your adoring fans?" He grinned with innocence.

Slade rolled his eyes and stood up, "Okay, well this had better work and I hope I come back alive or all of this will be for nothing."

Andrew walked him to the door and put his arm on his shoulder. "Yeah, I feel real bad for you. You have to spend a whole weekend with a gorgeous woman in a cozy snow covered cabin. Man, you've got it rough."

"Well, if I call you in a panic, you better have somebody on standby to come get me." He gave Andrew a look of fear.

"I will be in Denver the whole weekend. I can be at the cabin in twenty minutes."

Slade looked a little relieved. He walked to his car thinking about Stacy Cauthen. She was definitely easy on the eyes. He got in his sports car and started out of the parking deck. He'd see what he could find out about her when he got home.
Chapter 3

Stacy

Stacy thought about the contest all day. It had distracted her from work. She still couldn't believe Randi had done this to her. Her intentions had been good, but a whole weekend and flying on top of that. Abigail poked her head in and told her she was leaving. She looked at her watch and decided to get out of the office earlier than usual. She wanted to get more information about the contest.

She waved to her secretary and turned to log out of her computer, her mind reeling from the day's events. When she got a hold on Randi, she was going to strangle her. She grabbed her purse and headed out of the office.

Traffic was horrible as usual. She sat in stop and go traffic for about thirty minutes. She let her mind drift to Slade Collins. He was a good looking man. A little quiver of excitement ran through her at the thought of meeting him. She grinned for the first time about the whole scenario. She was going to not only meet him, but would spend three days with him alone in a romantic cabin in the snow.

When she finally pulled in her driveway, she was more excited about the contest. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. She walked into her house, dropping her purse and keys on the counter. She put a microwave dinner in and went up to change into lounging pants and a t shirt. When she came back down her microwave was beeping.

She sat down at the small kitchen table and ate dinner. Looking around she realized that she really didn't have much of a life. She worked long hours and usually brought work home with her. Randi was right, she did need a vacation. Her heart plummeted to her toes thinking about flying. She would have to really do some talking to her brain about that.

When she had washed her dishes and straightened the kitchen she went up to look through her closet. She knew she had some snow clothes from the trip her and Randi took a couple of years ago. After about twenty minutes of sifting through the closets in both bedrooms she had accumulated a thick, fur lined coat, two wool sweaters and four pairs of wool socks. She also found her wool lined snow pants and vest. She picked up her cell and called Randi.

"Hello you lucky girl." Randi always started talking first. It made Stacy grin.

"Well, we need to go shopping. I need a few more things for the trip." She sat down on the bed and lay back on the pillows.

"Ok, I'm free tomorrow night. Don't forget some lingerie." She giggled when she heard Stacy's sharp intake of breath.

"It is not going to be that kind of trip. I am going up there to rest and get in some reading." She grinned, thinking about getting to finally read the romance novel that had been collecting dust on her bedside table.

"Ok, whatever you say. Just go prepared for anything. Have you finally gotten used to the fact that you are going on a trip with your favorite star?"

"I'm coming to grips with it. The flying part is still hard to digest, but you're right, I need some relaxation."

"Stop the presses; Stacy Cauthen said I was right." She laughed. "Do you want to meet at the mall?"

Randi worked close to the mall that had the best stores around. "I will try to get out of the office by five. Why don't we meet around 5:30? We can have Italian at the new little bistro inside the mall."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I'll see you tomorrow. Have sweet dreams. Oh, wait your dream has come true. Now you can dream about the trip." She laughed at her own joke.

"We'll see if it is a dream or a nightmare next weekend. I just hope he isn't some brute who thinks it has to be his way or the highway."

"Oh, don't worry. He is probably as nervous as you. He probably figures you are some crazy groupie."

"That's true. See you tomorrow." She closed her phone and sat up. She grabbed a notepad out of her night stand and made a list of what she needed.

When she had everything folded neatly and stacked on the dresser she headed downstairs to her desk. She needed to check on this contest. It wouldn't hurt to see what she now was stuck in the middle of.

She read the contest rules and it was pretty simple. The trip was starting at the airport with a brief press conference, then on to the cabin. It was in an undisclosed location in the hills above Denver. It showed some pictures of the cabin. She couldn't believe how beautiful it looked. She could imagine sitting in front of that fire snuggled in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and her book.

She shut down the computer and sat down to catch the evening news. She laid back and got comfortable. She slipped in and out of sleep. Finally she laid her head over on the pillow beside her and gave in. She dreamed about the little cabin and Slade standing in front of the fire dressed in black silk lounge pants and no shirt. She grinned in her sleep.
Chapter 4

Slade

When Slade got home with his takeout food, he sat it at the bar and walked to the refrigerator for a drink. He sat down and ate his hamburger and fries, but his mind kept going back to the face on the profile. He could only hope she was as nice as she looked. His luck she was stuck up and a real nasty character.

He got up and threw the wrappers in the trash. He had given his housekeeper the night off to be with her daughter. She usually would have a big meal ready for him when he got home. He was out of town more than he was in town. Right now he was in between parts, so he was staying near home.

He walked over to his computer and sat down. He wanted to prepare himself for what this woman might be like. He pulled out the paper with her name on it. He typed it in and waited to see what he could find.

Her name popped up in the search. She had a social media page. He clicked on it. She had graduated top of her glass from a university in Georgia and owned her own accounting firm. That was impressive. She was 32 and had never been married. He sat back as he read the rest of her profile. He scrolled through some of her pictures she had on her profile.

Several of the pictures were with an older couple he figured were her parents. She always had that hauntingly beautiful smile. He saw her with a man several times, but they did not seem to be intimate. He wondered if it was her brother. He finally logged out and rubbed his eyes.

She seemed normal enough. She was smiling in all the photos. Maybe she was a really nice person. He just hoped, because spending three days with a sour puss was not his idea of fun. He got up and stretched. He had worked out after leaving his agent's office. Now he needed a shower and some sleep.

As he lay in bed trying to go into a much needed sleep, he kept seeing her in his mind. There was something about her that pulled at him. She was beautiful which was obvious, but something in her eyes made him see her as more than a pretty face. He rolled to his side and tried to clear his mind, but it was no use. His brain would not shut down.

He finally groaned and sat up, reaching for the remote. He flipped through the channels frustrated that nothing looked interesting. Great, he would feel wonderful tomorrow. He got up and walked downstairs to get some milk. As he propped on the counter drinking his milk, he wondered what she was doing. Since she was in another time zone, she was probably just eating dinner.

For the first time he was a little more at ease about this trip. She didn't look like a psychopath. She looked like the girl next door, but he had learned a long time ago looks could be deceiving.

He walked back up the stairs after he finished his milk. This was going to be a long night. He could already see his mind was going to go crazy the minute he put his head to the pillow. He sat down on the window seat in the corner of his room. It overlooked his pool. He watched the water flow over the waterfall at the end of it.

With all he had, he was a lonely man. With fame came a lot of responsibility. He couldn't just go out with his old friends because they would get mobbed. His old friends didn't come around much anymore and his Hollywood friends were as busy as he was.

He thought about his life. He was doing what he had only dreamed he would do, but what did he have to show for it. Yeah, he was a rich man and could have any woman he wanted, but he was not happy, not really. Here he was forty and no family, just his maid and his agent. He ran his fingers through his hair and groaned. There were plenty of people who wanted to be where he was, but if they could talk to him first, they might not be so eager.

He finally walked over and sat on the bed. He laid back and closed his eyes, wondering if she was excited about this trip. She entered the contest, so she must have wanted to go.

The next day he packed for the long weekend. He was a little apprehensive, but still going. He packed light and threw his bag by the door. He would be meeting her at the airport tomorrow afternoon.
Chapter 5

Stacy

She didn't sleep well. Her dreams were filled with visions of Slade. She wondered if he was ready for their trip. She also wondered if he was agreeable to it or if his agent had insisted. It would be a really lovely time if he was bitter the whole time.

She got up and fixed the coffee. Moving slowly to get ready, her thoughts were filled with blue eyes and dark hair. Stacy had never been one to idolize a movie star or singer, but Slade Collins had always made her think about how lonely she was. She was thirty two and had no children or husband. She was a successful business owner, but that wasn't what life was all about.

Her excitement was starting to rise just a little more. She needed this vacation. _Why not get excited?_ Stacy thought as she went about getting ready for work. Most women would be swooning just thinking that they would spend three days with a star of Slade's magnitude. Although she was a little more down to earth than most women, the thought of getting to meet her favorite star was exciting.

When she started backing out the garage door her heart almost jumped out of her throat as reporters started snapping pictures. She slowly backed through the dozen or so reporters as they shouted questions and tried to block her exit. Finally getting in the street, she quickly called her office, knowing Abigail was already there.

"Good morning, Cauthen Accounting." She heard the bubbly voice of her secretary. Sometimes it really grated on her nerves how excited she always sounded this early in the morning, when she had to drink a pot of coffee to even get out the door.

"Abigail, are there any reporters there?" She asked as she drove down the entrance ramp to I-75.

"I didn't see any when I came in. Do you want me to check with security?"

"Please call down and tell them to keep them out of the parking deck. They were all around my house when I left." She pulled out into the early morning Atlanta traffic. This was the only thing she didn't like about living and working in Atlanta, but knew it was part of it.

"Ok, I'll take care of it. See you in a little bit." Stacy closed the phone and prayed that the reporters would be gone when she got home this afternoon.

When she finally turned onto the road her office was on she held her breath. She noticed the entrance to the parking deck was free from reporters. She let out the breath and turned into the parking area. When she got up to her office she was glad to see Abigail putting a fresh cup of coffee on her desk. Thank heaven for Abigail.

"Thought you might need a little extra kick after your exciting morning." She smiled as she walked past Stacy and out to her desk.

"Thanks so much. At least they have not made it here yet. Maybe they will be gone when I get home."

"I would imagine they will hound you until you leave. You might as well get used to being a local celebrity." Abigail shrugged and sat down to answer the phone.

Stacy sat down and turned to her laptop. Abigail had it up and running already. She was lucky to have such an efficient and faithful secretary and couldn't run this business without her. The day had started out terrible, but the rest of the workday went uneventful. Stacy ate lunch in the cafeteria in the building. She was afraid of running into reporters.

When Stacy turned on her street that evening she noticed only one news truck, but several reporters jumped up when she turned into her driveway. She hit the open button on her garage and went into it quickly shutting the door almost before she was totally inside, sitting there for a minute wondering how real stars put up with all this attention. She didn't like it at all.

Walking into her kitchen, she put her briefcase on the table and went to the refrigerator to grab a frozen dinner, sticking it in the oven and walking upstairs to change into a sweat suit. Her phone rang as she stepped into the closet, smiling when she saw it was Randi, her best friend. They had spoken earlier and decided the shopping trip was out.

"Hey girl, I saw you on the news this afternoon. Bet you love all this attention." Randi said with tongue in cheek.

"Not hardly, can you believe these reporters? They're still in front of my house." She grabbed her sweats and headed to the bathroom.

"I didn't think they would go crazy until after the trip. Do you forgive me?"

"You didn't know that all this would happen. Oh, well, what's done is done." She put her phone on speaker and laid it on the counter. She dressed and picked it back up heading back down to check her dinner.

"So since we're not able to go shopping, what of mine do you need me to bring over?"

Stacy checked her dinner and sat down at the bar. "I think all I need is your snow boots. I can get by with the cold weather clothes I already have."

Randi giggled and cleared her throat. "Well, I'll be over in an hour."

"What's the giggle for? What are you up to now?" She sighed as she thought of what her friend had up her sleeve. With Randi you had to be ready for every possibility.

"Oh, nothing, I just picked up something special for you today. I'll be over in a little bit." She clicked off the phone before Stacy could ask any questions.

Stacy pulled her dinner out of the oven wondering what she was up to. She smiled thinking of all the fun they'd had together. She was looking forward to packing tonight with her friend. Randi was the packing guru. She could make it all go in one suitcase without a wrinkle to be found. It was amazing. Stacy guessed it came from all the traveling she did with her job.

She ate her dinner and went up to start getting her clothes out and put them on the bed. She dragged a suitcase out and put it beside the bed.

The door chime went off and Stacy grinned. Randi had a remote for the garage and key to her house. "Up here Randi." She called down the stairs.

"Alright, but I'm grabbing a cookie first." Randi had a sweet tooth. Looking at her figure you wondered where it all went. She'd always been petite. Stacy had fought for years to keep her figure. If she ate like Randi she'd be huge. She smiled and went back to organizing her clothes on the bed.

Randi laughed when she walked into the bedroom. "You're only going four days and three nights. You look like you're packing for a month." She immediately started sorting and removing clothes. She was very fashion conscious, it came with her job. Soon she had Stacy packed and a pile of clothes beside the bed to put back in the closet.

They went downstairs and had hot chocolate and cookies to celebrate the trip. Randi got up around ten to leave. "Stacy, you have a wonderful trip. Take your reader for the plane ride. That will keep your mind off the flight." She hugged her and smiled.

"I know that look. It's not going to happen." Stacy threw up her hands and laughed. Randi had it in her mind that a romance would blossom on this trip. Stacy knew different.

"Ok, well at least relax while you're up there. I mean, you're only going to be spending the weekend with the most eligible bachelor in the acting world." She walked out the door whistling and smiling that smile.

Stacy grinned and grabbed a bottle of water and headed up to get some sleep. She had to catch a flight the next morning. Her stomach did a flip at the thought.
Chapter 6

When Stacy arrived at the Atlanta airport it was as crowded as expected on a Friday morning. She managed to finally get to the ticket desk without too many bumps and bruises. The desk clerk was smiling in an annoying fashion. Stacy just stamped a grin on and validated the ticket.

She walked to the tram and stepped on when the doors opened. She hated to fly. Her stomach was in so many knots. She took a deep breath and popped a peppermint in her mouth to try to calm the butterflies in her stomach.

The gate was not very crowded and she found a seat facing the windows. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, but the air was crisp with the November chill. She sat staring at the planes going by on the way to their gates or to the runway. Why on earth was she going through with this crazy thing? She pulled out her reader and tried to immerse herself in the latest romance novel she had downloaded, but her mind kept going to the fact that she had to step on that plane in a few minutes.

When the desk attendant called her seat number she jumped. _Here we go_ she thought to herself. She got up and walked to the desk. The attendant smiled and took her ticket.

"Ms. Cauthen, welcome. Congratulations on winning the contest. You are in the First Class section. We will go ahead and seat you." She followed the attendant down the walkway to the plane. Her nerves were so jumbled that she even forgot to thank her. She sat down and was instantly aware of the feel of the seat. She tried not to look too nervous.

When the engines roared to life she grasped the arms of the seat making the gentleman that was seated beside her grinned. "I take it you don't like to fly."

She tried to smile through her nerves but it came out as a grimace. "I wouldn't actually say I didn't like to fly, it would be more like I hate to fly." She closed her eyes tightly as the plane lurched into motion.

"Well, let me try to get your mind off it then. I'm Chet Pentman and your name is." He extended his hand.

She took his hand and shook it, then immediately grabbed the seat again. "I'm Stacy Cauthen, nice to meet you."

"Are you flying to Denver on business or pleasure?" He looked at her and felt sorry for her. His wife was the same way.

"Well, as it happens, I won a contest and of course it takes place in Colorado. You?"

"I'm on business. I own a corporation that has a division in Denver. My wife comes with me sometimes, but she decided to stay home this time. She has a horror of flying too. That's why I knew the signs. It usually helps if you get your mind somewhere else." He smiled at the look on her face.

"Thanks, but I don't think anything can help this fear."

"Well, tell me about the contest."

"It was the "Win a weekend with a star" contest. My best friend entered me in it and I won. I get to spend the weekend at a secluded cabin with a star."

"That sounds exciting. Which star?"

"Slade Collins."

"My wife has a secret crush on him. I remember hearing about this contest. She was so envious of you for winning. I reminded her that she couldn't go anyway."

"That would've been awkward." She smiled thinking of how he probably would've responded to his wife winning. He was a nice looking man and very nice. His wife was lucky.

"It would definitely be awkward since she is very pregnant." He grinned and she saw the excitement in them. "She is seven months and expecting twins."

"That's great. Congratulations. I know you both are excited."

"We're very excited. Wasn't expecting to have twins the first time we got pregnant. But that just means more for us to love. It's one of each too, so we're set." He smiled and pointed out the window.

She slowly turned and noticed they were already in the air. She couldn't believe it. The takeoff was usually the worst and he had kept her mind off it.

"I can't believe it. Thanks for that." She smiled and relaxed.

"No problem. I do this for my wife every time she flies." He sat back and smiled.

They talked about his corporation and her accounting business. They both had heard of the others business. When their breakfast arrived they ate in silence.

After their meal she laid her head back and closed her eyes. The next thing she knew, he was tapping her on the shoulder to tell her they were landing.

She looked out the window as they descended into Denver. "I didn't want you to miss the snow covered mountains. That is not something you normally see in Atlanta."

"Thanks. It's breathtaking. I just wonder where the cabin is we will be staying." She looked at the mountains and sighed. She was excited about the snow. He was right. Atlanta did not have much snow.

When they landed the stewardess told Stacy to stay seated until the plane was empty. She thought that was odd, but she stayed seated. Chet grabbed his bag out of the overhead compartment.

"Thanks for helping me get through this flight. Maybe I'll see you in Atlanta and good luck with the babies." She shook his hand.

"I appreciate that. Have a great trip. I can't wait to tell my wife who I flew with. She'll just have a fit." He smiled and walked out the exit.

When the plane was completely empty the stewardess escorted her out and up the walkway. She heard a big commotion in the terminal. What was going on?

She emerged from the doorway to the flashing of camera and cheers. She stepped back and frowned. She looked at the stewardess. "What's going on?"

The stewardess grinned. "This is your welcoming committee. Congratulations on winning the contest. I'm so jealous." She patted her arm and walked to the desk.

A gentleman walked up and put his arm around her. "Stacy, I'm Andrew Smith, Slade's manager."

"Nice to meet you. Why are all these people here?"

"They are here hoping to see Slade. He is in a private lounge waiting on us. So come with me and let's get the show on the road." He grabbed her elbow and led her to a cart. They sat down and sped away from the crowd down the corridor.

The cart stopped at a door marked private. He helped her down and grabbed her bag. She wondered when she would get her other bag.

"Come on. Slade is just inside." He smiled when she put on the brakes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just a little nervous. This is all so overwhelming." She finally got her legs to move and she walked through the door.

"Don't worry. He's just a normal guy." They walked into a brightly lit lounge. Slade got up from the bar stool and walked over, extending a hand to her.

"Hey, I'm Slade Collins. You must be Stacy Cauthen." He smiled a dazzling smile and she lost all train of thought. He was so handsome and in person he was just plain dreamy.

Stacy finally regained her composure. "Nice to meet you too." Her brain was still on Atlanta time.

Andrew stepped up to them. "Ok guys. We need to do a quick reporter thing, and then you guys will get in the car and head to the cabin." He smiled at Stacy. "Are you ready for this?"

"I guess so." She smiled weakly and followed him out the door with Slade following.
Chapter 7

When the interview was over they got into the SUV that was waiting on them. They sat in the back and Andrew sat in the front with the driver. Her bags had been brought down while they were talking to the reporters.

Stacy watched the scenery go by outside the window, not knowing what to say to any of these men.

Slade sat watching her curiously. Most women would be talking his head off. Stacy was even prettier in person. He was pleasantly surprised. He could tell she was uncomfortable.

"Stacy, have you ever been to Denver?" He said, breaking the silence.

"No, this is my first time. It's gorgeous. We definitely don't see much snow in the south." Stacy turned and smiled at him. Her smile was contagious.

"I like Atlanta. I was there last spring filming a movie." He turned back and looked out the window, his mind wondering about how this weekend would go. He was used to women just falling all over him. It was a nice change to have one that seemed to be keeping a distance.

Andrew turned to look at Stacy. She was smiling so broadly as she watched the snow covered scene rush by. "We are almost to the cabin. I do hope you enjoy it Stacy. It's a special place and you seem to be a special lady." He smiled when she gave him a look of surprise. "Even a Hollywood manager can tell when someone is genuine." He winked at her and turned back to watch the road.

She smiled and the butterflies started back up. They would soon be totally alone for three days. She just hoped that he was not expecting a hot steamy three night stand. That was not the way she did things. She turned to look at him. He was looking out the window. He looked relaxed which she figured didn't happen too much.

They slowed and turned into a drive that went straight up a hill. The drive was tree lined and narrow. It was like out of a mythical novel. She kept expecting to see fairies or unicorns to come out to greet them.

When the drive ended at an opening in the trees she gasped. The little cabin turned out to be a chalet. The front went up to a peak that was at least two stories high. Windows were from the ground to the roof in the center of the chalet. It was a log exterior and had shutters and gingerbread trim like you would find in Bavaria.

When they pulled to a stop in front of the door, she opened the door and stepped out into the cool clean fresh air. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and smiled with her face toward the sun that still had a little warmth. She could hear water babbling over rocks somewhere in the back.

"Do I hear water?"

Andrew laughed. "You have good ears. That's the mountain stream that runs through the back of the property." He laughed again when she left all three of them standing there to go around see the stream.

"Where is she going?" Slade asked as she walked swiftly past him.

"Our little southern belle is enjoying the snow. I think we hit the mother lode with this one. She doesn't look like a serial killer or psycho path." He patted Slade on the back and walked to the edge of the chalet to watch as Stacy walked over the bridge and stood with her eyes closed.

The driver grinned and nudged Slade. "Man, I wish I were you. She's something special." He grinned as he unloaded their luggage and started taking it inside.

Slade walked over to the edge of the bridge. "It's nice here."

She snapped her head around and realized she'd totally left them to the luggage. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me to just run off like that. It's just so mystical here. I've never seen anything as beautiful except in pictures. I might actually get some rest and relaxation here."

"That will be nice for me too. I don't normally get very many vacations, especially from the press. I don't think they can find us up here."

She stepped off the bridge and looked at the back of the chalet. "This is not what I expected. They told me a small cabin. I had pictured a one room cabin with no electricity." She giggled when she saw his look.

"Oh, please say there is electricity." He headed toward Andrew. "Andrew, we do have electricity up here don't we."

Andrew grinned. "Yes and running water and the bathroom is actually inside the chalet." He winked at Stacy. Slade just grunted and walked inside.

"That was cute. Glad to hear the bathroom is inside." She laughed and followed Slade inside. She was speechless as she took in the rustic décor. It was simply unique. On one end was a huge stone fireplace and the driver was already starting a fire. She noticed that to the right of the entrance was an open kitchen with a table in the corner. On the other side of the entrance was a mudroom. Then overlooking the open living area was a balcony. She could see three doors. She walked up the stairs and saw that it had two bedrooms and one bath upstairs. The bathroom had a huge garden tub with jets and a window overlooking the outside stream.

One of the bedrooms was decorated in antique quilts and folk style décor. The other one was decorated in Bavarian style with the huge bed that looked to be cut from huge trees. She walked out and ran into Slade.

"Well, which one do you want?" She asked him.

"I don't care. Just so mine has a bed I'll be happy. I travel so much that I've learned not to be too picky."

"I'll take the one with the quilts on the walls. It reminds me of my grandmother's house." Stacy smiled and walked into the room. Slade poked his head in and laughed.

"Well, it's rustic." He walked into the bathroom and growled. "There's no shower, just great."

She came into the bathroom and laughed. "There's plenty of bubble bath. I guess that is the name of the game this weekend." She winked and walked back into the hall. Andrew walked up the stairs.

"Andrew, there's no shower man. I'm not a bubble bath man." Slade grinned at Stacy. She blushed from her neck to the top of her head. She had a sudden picture of him ensconced in bubbles with the moonlight shining through the window.

"Slade, you'll live. You can always go to the waterfall for a shower." Slade growled something and walked to his room. Andrew turned and grinned at Stacy. "Good luck. It seems our Slade is ruffled." He put his arm around her shoulders. "Just keep him fed and he shouldn't bite."

"I heard that." Slade said from the doorway. "I'm just adjusting that's all. Don't you have somewhere to be?" He looked at Andrew pointedly.

"I do as a matter of fact. Ok you two, the pantry and fridge are packed. Also one of the restaurants in town fixed two complete dinners and they are in the fridge. They sent them with us in the SUV. I have my phone if there is an emergency. Have fun and don't feed the bears." He turned to go back down the stairs. "Oh and don't do anything I wouldn't do." He wiggled his eyebrows, a devilish grin forming on his face.

"Goodbye Andrew." Slade said it in a final tone.

"Thanks for everything." Stacy called down from the balcony. She had a sudden feeling of nervousness now that they were officially alone.

"Well, now what? Do you have any idea what we do now?" Slade looked at her questioningly.

"I am going to unpack, then sit in front of the fire for nostalgia with a cup of hot chocolate." She giggled and walked into her room leaving him open mouthed and shocked. She really was different than he had expected.

He leaned in the doorway to her room watching her unzip the suitcase. As soon as she opened the top she screamed and shut it quickly. He laughed and walked into the room. "What's in there a snake?"

She was blushing again. She held the lid down and laughed. "Not a snake, but a surprise none the less." She couldn't believe Randi had done this to her. Sometime during their packing party last night she had put a very sexy nightie in her suitcase.

Slade was standing beside her staring at the suitcase. She was not letting him see that thing. He would get the wrong idea. He reached out and before she could comprehend what he was doing he had the lid of her suitcase open and there on the top of all her clothes was the red and black lacy nighty.

He pulled it out and held it up. You could see everything on the other side of the room through it. Oh, she was going to kill Randi. He grinned and handed it to her.

"Nice choice in sleep wear, but you might get cold in that thing. Good thing you picked the quilt room." He laughed at the mortified look on her face.

"My friend did this as a joke. I'm going to strangle her when I get home." She snatched the garment out of his hand and poked it in the pocket of her suitcase.

"I'll just go unpack my suitcase. Wonder if I have a surprise in mine." He laughed as he walked out of the room.

She sat down and groaned. How embarrassing. She finished unpacking and picked up her cell to call Randi and of course, no signal.

As she walked down the stairs she noticed Slade standing in front of the window watching the snow falling. This was like a dream come true in a lot of ways. He turned to look up at her.

"It's snowing. I guess the walk in the snow I was going to offer is out for a little while."

"Well, it was a nice thought. Do you want some hot chocolate?" She walked into the kitchen looking in the pantry. She couldn't believe how well stocked the pantry was.

"Sounds good, but we don't by any chance have some of those little marshmallows do we?" She jumped when he spoke from right behind her inside the pantry.

"I don't know. We have a lot of food here. You look on that side and I'll look on this side. How many people are they expecting to feed in here?" She located the hot chocolate and he came up with little marshmallows.

"Looks like we won't get hungry." He followed her out to the kitchen counter. She filled two mugs with water and put them in the microwave. In just a few minutes they were sitting in front of the fire with hot chocolate.

"The fire feels wonderful." She said as she sipped her chocolate.

He got up and headed back to the pantry. "I thought I saw some sugar cookies somewhere in the pantry." He went into the pantry and came back with a bag of cookies. "Now it's perfect."

Stacy laughed as he sat down beside her and offered her a cookie. "Thanks, I love sugar cookies, especially this time of year."

"So, do you like the holidays?" He took a bite of his cookie and sighed. "These are great."

"I love the holidays. I decorate everything at my house that doesn't move."

He laughed. "I don't decorate much, but I do have a tree in the den. My housekeeper makes sure I have something to come home to." He looked into the fire as if suddenly lost in thought.

"Don't you like the holidays?"

Slade grinned. "I do, but most of the time I'm out of town during the holidays."

"You travel a lot don't you?" She turned and put her feet up under her.

"A hazard of my career, I'm usually out of town over half the year." He leaned his head back on the couch.

"I bet you've seen some really exotic places." She was suddenly curious about his life.

"I can say I've seen a lot of places. I've been to several countries and learned different cultures. Sometimes though it's exhausting waking up in different cities weekly and the jet lag is murder." He looked tired just talking about it.

"That would be horrible, especially the flying. I hate to fly." Stacy shivered just thinking about it.

He grinned. "It helps having a private plane. That was the first big purchase I made when I hit it big. That way I can come home when I get ready."

"Private or not private, flying still is not my thing." She groaned and leaned back.

Slade got up and put another log on the fire. He looked out the window. "Boy, it's really snowing hard now."

"I didn't check the weather before I left civilization. I wonder if we're in for a blizzard." She watched the snow start falling harder. It was beautiful.

"Well, we ought to have enough food." He laughed.

"True, we shouldn't starve." She took another cookie and settled in to get warm. Just watching the snow falling outside made her shiver.

He grabbed the quilt that was folded on the chair arm and draped it across her lap. "You're shivering. I'll check the thermostat. It's getting chilly in here."

She smiled and snuggled into the quilt. "Thanks a lot Slade." It felt funny calling him by his name.

When he walked back into the den he had a funny look on his face. "I found out why it's getting chilly. The heating unit is not working. I'll go outside and see if something is blocking the sides of the unit." He started to go upstairs. "I'll get my jacket."

She got up and headed up behind him. "I'll go with you."

They put on their jackets and headed outside. The temperature had dropped since they arrived. They walked around to the side of the chalet. Slade checked the unit and saw nothing from the outside. "I guess it just has something internally wrong. Sorry I don't know anything else to look for." He shrugged and turned to look at her.

"That's fine. We will just have to keep the fire going." She knew it would get cold not having any other heating source.

"I will try to turn it on a little later or maybe it's on a timer." They walked back inside and went to stand in front of the fire.

"At least from the looks of the stacks of wood on the back porch we can keep a good fire going." He turned to warm his hands.

They sat down and got comfortable, both drifting off to sleep.
Chapter 8

Stacy was the first to wake up. She was disoriented for just a moment. It was dark except for the fire that had almost burned out. She turned and saw Slade in the other corner of the couch. He stirred when she got up to put another log on the fire.

He reached over to turn on the lamp beside him. He turned the knob several times, but nothing happened. "Uh Oh, we have a problem. The power is out I think. Try the lamp beside you."

Stacy turned and tried it, but nothing. "Great, now what do we do?"

"I guess we are in for a cold and dark night." He picked up his phone and he still didn't have any signal. "And we can't even call for help."

"That's wonderful, so much for warming dinner. I guess we need to look for matches and candles."

They searched the kitchen and found candles and matches. They lit what they needed. Stacy took the dinners out of the fridge and set them beside the fireplace to get warm.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. Here, I found two flashlights." He said handing her one.

"It's going to get cold tonight." She looked worried.

"When I was young and the power went out, we would make pallets in front of the fireplace. Come on, while dinner is warming we will go upstairs and get blankets and pillows. The couch makes a bed, so we can use the blankets to stay warm."

"Ok, that sounds like a plan." They walked upstairs to round up their supplies. While they were upstairs they both got ready for bed so that they didn't have to come back up. She had packed a flannel gown and warm bedroom shoes. He came out in flannel pajama bottoms and a robe.

She looked at him and grinned. "I didn't think about the power going out." He said as he pulled his robe together.

Stacy couldn't help but notice his washboard abs and tan. She had to force her eyes back to his face. He noticed her staring at him and closed his robe.

They walked downstairs and rolled out the bed. She noticed how narrow it was. This was going to be interesting. They put the sheets and blankets on the bed.

"I think it will be warm enough." He noticed the width of the bed too. He wondered how this would go tonight. He knew from what he could tell that she was a nice lady. He figured she wouldn't attack him in the middle of the night. He walked over and put another log on the fire.

"Well, I guess I'm going to try to go to sleep. Which side do you want?" They both looked back down at the pull out bed and laughed.

"I'm not sure it has sides." He grinned and scratched his head. "Why don't you choose?"

She walked over and sat down on the left side. "I guess this one is fine."

Slade sat down on the other side, not even sure if this bed was considered a full size. It wasn't much bigger than a twin. They both swung their legs up on the bed, laughing as they bumped into one another.

"This ought to be fun." He rolled to his side, moving as close to the edge without falling off. He felt her settle into her side of the small bed. It felt funny sharing a bed with a woman he didn't know. This wasn't going as he'd expected it to.

Stacy turned her back to him and closed her eyes. This wasn't what was supposed to happen tonight. She figured they'd eat dinner, have polite conversation and then head up to their own bedrooms.

He turned slightly and lifted his head. "Goodnight Stacy."

She grinned. "Goodnight Slade." Then she had another thought. "You don't snore do you?"

He laughed. "No, do you?"

"No, I was just checking since we're sharing this small space." She pulled the blanket up to her chin. It felt funny to share a bed with someone, especially a stranger. Well, she felt like she knew him. She'd followed his movies and read articles on him in magazines. This was strange and poetic in some ways. Randi would love this. She drifted off to sleep grinning at that thought.

Slade had a harder time going to sleep. His thoughts were on the woman beside him and their situation. This was not how he usually ended a first date. Well, this really wasn't a date was it? What could you call this?

He got up a couple of hours later and put more wood on the fire. He propped his arm on the mantle and watched the fire. He'd had a great life. He lived the life that many only dreamed of. But he was lonely. Just the little time he'd been around Stacy had been great. She filled a room with easy laughter and charm. Slade had never met a woman like this. He turned to watch her sleeping. She looked like an angel lying there so still. She had a slight smile on her lips. He wondered what she was dreaming.

He walked over to the window and looked out. He couldn't see much other than the white glow. He could feel the cold around the window. The room was warm near the fire, but close to the windows the chill set in. He climbed back in the bed and turned facing Stacy. She had her back to him. He closed his eyes and settle in. Sleep finally claimed him.

Stacy opened her eyes slowly. Her first thought was 'where am I?' Then she realized there was an arm around her. She was snuggled up against someone. Then it hit her. She was at the chalet with Slade. Somehow he had wound up with his arm around her. She didn't move, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. She felt safe enclosed in his embrace, even if it was just from unconscious thought.

He slowly came awake and realized he was holding her against him. He grinned and laid there a little longer not moving. She fit perfectly against his body, which was suddenly reacting to the fact that she was snuggled tightly against him. This would turn into something a lot more interesting if it was a different situation.

Finally, her body told her she needed to move. The fact that she could feel his body reacting to their closeness helped make her decision to move. She slid out of his embrace and sat up. She couldn't look at him, knowing she was blushing.

He missed her as soon as she moved away. He hadn't felt like this for a long time. He sat up and grabbed his robe to hide the obvious affect she had on him. He walked over and put a log on the fire. He turned to see her walking up the stairs. She went straight into the bathroom and shut the door. She was being really quiet this morning. Maybe it had the same effect on her.

She stood in the bathroom staring at her reflection. Why had it affected her so much the closeness? Maybe it was the fact she hadn't been that close to a man in a long time. Not since... No she wouldn't think about that, not now. She turned and got her clothes on. She would have loved a shower, but that wasn't happening without power.

He walked up the stairs and went into his room. He put on a sweater and jeans. He could hear her in the bathroom moving around. She had turned his life upside down in less than 24 hours. He shook his head and went back downstairs to figure out breakfast.

She joined him in the pantry. "Well, what do we have that doesn't require cooking?" She scanned the filled shelves and nothing really stood out.

He snapped his fingers and grinned. "I can use this iron skillet and cook on the fire in the fireplace. We used to do this when I was young. It was a real treat." He started grabbing things from the shelves as she watched in disbelief.

"I've got to see this. What can I do to help?" She still looked skeptical.

He laughed. "I've got this if you'll get the plates and cups. Do you like eggs and bacon?"

"Yes. I can eat cereal if this is too much work." She followed him into the den. He sat all the ingredients on the hearth. She saw eggs, bacon, cheese, bread and butter. Her stomach growled and she giggled.

"I think from the sound of your stomach you need more than just cereal." He put the pan in the fire and let the butter melt. She watched as he cracked the eggs in a bowl and whisked them into frothy foam. He then poured them in the sizzling butter. Soon the eggs were done and the bacon was frying away. The chalet smelt wonderfully homey.

She went back to the kitchen and fixed chocolate milk and sliced oranges for them. When she turned back around he had buttered toast in the skillet. She sat the table and he brought the food over.

"I've got to say I'm surprised. You've outdone yourself and my stomach is grateful." She handed him the chocolate milk.

"Well, I was raised to know how to take care of myself. Just because I'm an actor and have a housekeeper doesn't mean I forgot how to do things." He grinned and took a big swallow of milk.

She tried the eggs and smiled. "These are great. If you're acting career goes south you can become a chef." She dove back into her breakfast eating every bite.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." He smiled watching her eat. The women he met in his line of work usually ate like a bird. He was glad to see a woman that liked to eat as much as he did.

When they were finished with the food they put their dishes in the sink. She walked to the fire and put out her hands to warm them. He walked up beside her.

"Why don't we go outside and take a walk? Maybe we can get a cell signal."

"That sounds like fun." She turned to go get her coat. "I wonder how far we are from any other houses."

"I'm not sure. From what I remember from the drive in yesterday, we're pretty far off the main road and I don't remember seeing any houses for a couple of miles." He grabbed his coat and they walked outside.
Chapter 9

They walked for a few minutes in silence, just enjoying the fresh, crisp air. The sky was clear and blue. There was no sign that the storm had ever been there. The snow was a lot deeper.

He turned to help her over a log. He grabbed her hand and didn't let it go once she was over the log. They walked and held hands in companionable silence.

"Stacy, have you lived in Georgia all your life?" He asked as they were standing beside the creek watching it slowly flow by them.

"I have and loved every minute of it. I love the unpredictable weather and southern grace." She smiled thinking of her home.

"You have a definite southern accent. I guess I could call you a southern belle." He nudged her shoulder with his. She laughed.

"I guess you could. Where are you from?"

"I'm from a small mountain town in Montana. I moved to California to find my Hollywood dream about twenty years ago and been there ever since." He looked out at the snowcapped mountains in the distance and felt homesick for a moment.

"I'm sorry. I read that in an article about you, but I'd forgotten. I feel like I know so much about you, but it doesn't fit you, now that I know you. You're different from what I expected."

"What did you expect? Wait, don't answer that." He held up his hand.

She laughed. "Nothing bad just thought you'd be stuck up and pushy." She made a face.

He laughed. "I guess you figured from the tabloids that I'd attack you last night. Well, the tabloids have always been wrong about me." The grin left Slade's face. "I got to be honest, that's one reason Andrew set up this contest. This is supposed to help my reputation. Don't know if you've heard the latest rumor about me."

"You mean about you and the married woman?"

"That's the one. I was not dating her. She is a good friend and my best friend's wife. We went out to dinner and a tabloid found out. They turned it into something scandalous. It wasn't a date. We were discussing my friend's surprise party." He shrugged his shoulders. "Good thing my friend is a good guy and knew we were out together."

"That's horrible. I guess you have to walk on egg shells. Well, maybe this trip will help." She squeezed his hand. She made a promise at that moment to help him relax and have a great time, power or not.

"I hope so. I've had a rough schedule the last six months. It'll be nice to just do nothing much or rather anything that is planned." He squeezed her hand back and smiled.

They walked into the trees and the light dimmed. Stacy looked up and the trees were like a canopy over their heads. The sun twinkled through between the snow covered branches.

"This is just gorgeous. I can't believe I'm actually here. This is like another world from Atlanta."

"It's really nice. I used to walk in the woods when I was living at home. The snow would get almost knee deep in places. This reminds me of home." The look on his face told her he was remembering his home and family. She knew how that could be.

The wind blew lightly between the trees and dusted them with light snow from the branches above. The air was cold, but the beauty of the place kept them from feeling the cold so much.

As they walked each in their own thoughts, the clouds built up behind the mountain. A new storm threatened on the horizon, but they were oblivious. It was as though they were the only two people on earth and nothing could spoil this day.

They come up on a deer standing in the trees. It didn't realize at first they were around. It stood and watched them for a moment, then turned and ran deeper into the forest. They both laughed and turned to head back to the chalet.

"I hope the electricity is back on. A good long hot bubble bath would be wonderful right now." She pulled her jacket tighter around her.

He grinned at the thought of her wrapped in bubbles. He had to shake his head to get the vision cleared out. His body seemed to have a sudden reaction to the thoughts going through his mind. "That does sound inviting." He cleared his throat and pulled out his cell phone. "We still don't have a signal."

When the chalet came back in view they were both a little sorry. The walk had been wonderful, but her toes were frozen. They both grabbed arm loads of wood and headed inside. The den was cozy from the large fire Slade had built before they left for the walk. Stacy walked immediately to the warmth of the fire. She held her hands out first then lifted her feet to it.

Slade walked up behind her and put his hands on her arms. He rubbed them up and down trying to warm her up. He knew he'd made a mistake as soon as his hands touched her. The air was suddenly electrified with that one touch. He pulled his hands back as if he'd been burned.

She turned and saw the look on his face. He looked down at his feet and hid the look from her searching eyes. The feeling had not gone unfelt to her. She had felt an electrical shock go through her whole body at his touch.

"I think I'll go see what we have to snack on. I walked off my breakfast. Can I get you something?" She asked as she slid past him.

"The sugar cookies and a glass of milk would be great." They went into the kitchen and he grabbed two glasses. "Do you want some milk?"

"That will be fine. I found these chocolate chip cookies too." When they had everything together they sat in front of the fire on the rug. It was a thick fur rug that just enveloped you into its depths.

"Well, we may not get many showers on this vacation, but we'll definitely gain weight." Slade took a bite of a cookie and sighed. "These are so good."

"We'll just have to take several walks to get rid of these cookies." Stacy closed her eyes and the chocolate chunks melted in her mouth. She wondered if the recipe for these cookies could be found anywhere. They were heavenly, or was it the company and atmosphere? Who wouldn't want to be in her shoes, staying with a movie star in a snow covered chalet with no power?

Slade watched her with her eyes closed. She took so much pleasure in the simplest things. He was beginning to really like her. Stacy was so different from the women he was around on a daily basis. She lived life to the fullest when she could. He knew from just the talks they had that she was also a workaholic.

When they were both pleasantly full of cookies and milk, they sat back against the pillows that sat beside the hearth. The fire was warm on their backs. Her eyes got droopy and she closed them for just a moment. When she opened them she was wrapped in a quilt and laying in Slade's embrace of the fluffy rug by the fire.

She snuggled deeper into the blanket. She could hear his even breathing telling her he was in a deep sleep. Stacy closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. She could get used to waking up in his arms.

Slade woke a little later and looked down at the woman in his arms. This was like a dream. He had dreaded this trip so much and now he dreaded the time it would come to an end. He could stay here on this rug with her in his arms forever. She fit to his body perfectly which had a pleasant effect on his body. She was facing him now and he pulled her closer making sure the blanket stayed on them both.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked into the most gorgeous blue eyes. It was as if she could see into his heart in that one glance. They stared at each other for a long time, each trying to read the others thoughts. They were warm and cozy. Maybe that was why her body felt so warm suddenly. He was having the same reaction to her closeness.

Slade knew at that moment that he had to kiss this woman. He looked at her rosy, inviting, soft lips. They looked like petals of a rose. He knew they would be heavenly and wondered how she would react to a simple light kiss. By the look in her eyes she had the same thing in mind.

He propped up on one elbow and looked down at her. When he reached out and stroked her cheek she blushed. He loved this about her. The innocence of her just fired him up. He lowered his mouth to her only meaning to give her a gentle brief kiss, but when their lips touched it was as if an explosion happened. She put her hand on his chest and opened to his kiss.

He groaned and deepened the kiss. He could taste the chocolate on her lips. The kiss deepened to a heated level, both of them getting a lot warmer. He pulled her closer and not even air could get between them. He stroked her back and ran his fingers through her hair at the back of her head. It was as soft as he dreamed of.

Stacy's heart was hammering in her chest. No kiss had ever made her feel this way. Her head was spinning in a spiral up to heaven. The kiss was like an awakening to her senses. She'd been dreaming of this very thing just moments before she woke. The dream had nothing on the real thing. This man knew how to kiss and he was showing her just how inexperienced she was. It was as though they were one person. They couldn't get any closer without joining as one.

When he pulled away from her reluctantly, he smiled down at her. "That was nice. I wondered how it would feel to kiss you." He gently pushed a lock of hair from her forehead. His eyes were dark with desire. They were almost the color of the midnight sky. You could get lost in the depths.

"It was a dream come true." She blushed when she realized what she said out loud. She immediately looked down, hiding her eyes.

"What do you mean, a dream come true?" He grinned at her embarrassment. He reached out and tilted her face back up.

"You're going to think I'm some crazed fan. I've been a fan of yours for a while." She laughed at herself.

"That's flattering, especially coming from you. I do hope I've made your dreams come true. This weekend has been a dream come true for me too. It's more than I've dreamed of." He looked down into her warm inviting eyes. His eyes held a hunger she had not expected.

He lightly brushed a kiss on her closed eyelids and then her cheeks. He couldn't quite get enough of her, knowing deep down that he needed to stop this before it went too far. It was too soon. He didn't want to push her.

She was spinning on a whirlwind of emotions. She was not the type of woman that just kissed a stranger as though her life depended on it. But was he really a stranger? She had read every article about him and knew so many things about him. She knew more about him than she had the man she was engaged to over eight years ago.

He pulled back and looked down into her eyes. "It's getting cold in here again. I need to put more wood on the fire." He started getting up and then she started to get up. "Just stay there, I'll be back in a moment." He put a couple of logs on the fire and got back under the blanket with her. He turned her on her side and he put his body up against her back. He pulled her close to him and sighed.

"This is nice. I could lay here watching the fire all day." She pulled the blanket up to her neck. This was a perfect day.

"I could lay here with you all day." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. He couldn't get enough of her. It had never been this way with any other woman. His heart was beating so hard that he was light headed. "It's not a sexual thing. We seem to have this connection. I feel so drawn to you." He closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing under control.

"I feel the same way. It's weird that we have hit it off so well this quick." She turned to look back at him. He took that opportunity to kiss her again. She rolled to her back and he deepened the kiss again. He groaned as she responded by putting her arms around his neck. This was going way too fast. He knew he needed to stop before he went over the threshold which was coming on quickly. His body was reacting with sudden awareness and interest.

He pulled back and sat up. She only lay on the rug looking at him. He propped his head on his knees. "Stacy, we need to stop before we do something that we would both regret." He looked down at her and grinned. "Well, we wouldn't regret it by any means. What I mean is we need to take our time and not rush into something." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up into a sitting position. "Let's figure out what we're eating for lunch."

Stacy smiled and blushed as she realized that they were only a breath away from making love right there on the rug. Her mind was whirling at the implications of that action so soon into their relationship. At least he had a clear head; hers was completely fogged over with desire.

She got up and followed him to the kitchen. They took a flashlight into the pantry and scanned the shelves. She grabbed a can of soup and turned to him. "Chicken Noodle soup, how does that sound?"

"Sounds good, I'll grab a pot. We can heat it over the fire." He reached in the cabinet and found a pot. At least the can was a pop top. They went to sit by the fire to heat their soup. She brought two bottles of water and bowls.

"I feel like we're camping in style." Slade watched the soup intently. He knew if he looked into her eyes she would see his hunger and it wasn't for the soup. How would he handle their sleeping arrangements tonight? It was hard enough last night, but now it would be pure torture. It would take all his will power to keep from pulling her to him and making love to her all night. That was going to be his undoing.

"It does feel like camping. At least we have a fireplace to cook in. It would be nice to have warm water to bath with." She felt icky from the lack of a bath. What she wouldn't give for a bowl of warm water.

He thought on it for a while and turned back to her with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "I know what we can do." He winked at her and laughed at her look. "Don't look at me so suspicious. We can get one of the large pots and melt snow in it. You could sit by the fire where it's warm and bath." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"That would be great." Then she blushed. If she bathed in front of the fire, she would be out in the open. "Where are you going to be?"

"I'm going to go outside and walk around while you do your bathing. I promise on scout's honor to not look." He held up a scout sign with his fingers and crossed the other one making her laugh.

They ate their soup. She rummaged through the cabinet to find a big stock pot. He walked outside and filled it with snow. They sat on the rug and wait for the water to get warm. She got up and walked upstairs to get soap and towels. She grabbed a change of clothing too. When she walked back down the stairs she could see him staring into the fire. He looked deep in thought. She wondered what he was thinking about.

Stacy would have blushed brightly if she'd been able to read his thoughts. He could only think about her bathing in front of the fire. When the water was warm he put the pot on the hearth and put additional snow in to cool it off a little.

"I'll go outside and walk around while you bathe." He said almost running out the front door. He needed the cold air to cool his body off. Maybe he needed to run and fall into the frozen creek. He knew even that freezing water wouldn't cool off his overheated body. Just thinking of her in front of the fire, really bothered him.

Slade ran his hands through his hair. What was happening to him? He'd never felt this way about anybody before. Was it the situation and the romantic atmosphere that was affecting him so hard? Or was it the wonderfully, beautiful woman inside right now bathing her body in the firelight? He groaned and ran his hands over his face, man that was not what he needed to think about. He needed to think about something totally off subject.

She sat in front of the fire undressing shyly. Even though he was outside, she could feel him everywhere in the room with her. Why was she reacting so heatedly about him? Yes, he was a gorgeous, movie star. Yes, she had been a fan forever. Yes, this was an extremely romantic setting and they were being thrown together closely by the lack of electricity and heat. Well, she'd not been cold all day. That was from the extreme heat coming from their attraction.

She dipped the wash cloth in the water and it felt glorious to wash her face. She washed her body and dressed in fresh clothes. When she was dressed, she walked to the door and motioned to him that she was finished.

He came in and she smelled like lavender. He loved lavender. "Well, I guess it's my turn." He ran upstairs and grabbed what he needed. When he came back downstairs, she was putting on her coat. "You can stay in here. It's too cold for you to go out there with your body still damp from the warm water."

She looked up at him and shook her head. "I'll be fine." She knew she couldn't stay in here knowing he was bathing in the firelight.

"No, you can turn around backwards on the couch." He grinned at the look on her blushing face.

She sat down on the couch and turned backwards. She could hear the rustling of his clothes as he removed them. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She could hear the dripping of the water as he dipped the washcloth in the water. She put her face in her hands and rubbed her eyes. Why did she feel the need to turn around? It was like when you stood on the edge of a cliff and felt the sudden urge to jump.

He watched her back as he ran the wet cloth over his heated body. He heard her intake of breath. She was having the same problem he was. This was going to be a long day and night. He finished bathing and slipped into his clean clothes. He walked over and put his hand on her shoulder causing her to jump and gasp.

"Sorry, I'm done. I will empty this water outside." He carried the pot of water outside and came back to put the pot on the stove. "We can use it again tomorrow if we don't have power by then."

He sat down beside her on the couch. She could smell his cologne and for the first time she noticed the stubble on his chin. He had not shaved. The five o'clock shadow just added to his allure. She closed her eyes and took another cleansing deep breath.
Chapter 10

They sat on the couch watching the fire crackle. Both of them slipping in and out of sleep. The warmth of the fire and the baths had made them pleasantly relaxed. When Stacy woke up, the light was quickly fading in the room. The sun was going behind the mountain. She stood up and stretched. Slade looked up and noticed the waning light.

"I'm starving. I definitely will have to do some major working out after this trip." He got up and headed to the kitchen. They found the dinners that were premade. "I think if we transfer them to metal pans we can warm the pasta and vegetables. Put the slices of pie on plates in front of the fire."

"Ok, you get the pans and I'll get our drinks." Stacy walked to the cabinet, thinking about the fact that they were headed toward night and bedtime. She shook her head and tried to clear that thought. "I'm going to run upstairs to the rest room. I'll be back in a moment." She knew she needed the cool air.

While she was gone, he found tapered candles and matches. He set up a candlelight dinner in front of the fire. When Stacy came back down, the den was transformed into a romantic little bistro.

Slade held out her chair and she sat down. He sat down across from her. They ate their salads and waited for the main course to get warm. It was delicious and the pie would melt in your mouth. They were quiet during the meal. It was as though no conversation was needed. They kept looking at one another. The looks were heated and full of desire. This was going to be a long night.

They cleared their dishes and moved the small table back to the dining area. She sat down on the hearth and enjoyed the warmth. Then she heard soft music. She turned to see he had an mp3 player sitting on the table.

"I thought we could use some entertainment. Would you care to dance?" He held out his hand and Stacy walked into his arms. They danced slowly in front of the fire. It would have been apparent to anyone looking in at them that they were totally aware of each other and nothing else. Slade held her close to his body as they swayed to the music. It was torture, but he would endure it. His body was so tightly wound that he thought he might explode.

Her head lay on his shoulder. The feel of his body against hers was exhilarating. Her body was reacting in shivers. She was dizzy with the intense feelings running through her. Every nerve ending in her body was alive with electrical pulses. This was crazy.

He could feel her shiver. He wondered if she was cold or if she was feeling the vibrations of his body. Looking down at her, she looked up into his eyes he knew he was lost, maybe forever. His heart did a flip and he thought it would slam out of his chest. Her eyes were wide with realization.

Stacy rose up on her toes and kissed his lips lightly. That was his undoing. He pulled her to him in a tight embrace. The kiss was not light or meaningless. He meant to show this woman what he was feeling. When he pulled his lips from hers they were both breathless with desire.

"I think I need some air." He knew he was almost past the point of no return. He didn't want her to think this was all he was after, but if he didn't cool down he was going to push the point.

"I will get some air too. It must be all the food at dinner and the fire. I'm a little dizzy." She smiled and walked past him. He knew she was only kidding. She felt it too and it was only a matter of time before they both gave in to their feelings.

They walked into the cold darkness and sighed. It was almost heavenly, the cold crisp air. The little creek behind the cabin was making a sound like it was caressing the rocks instead of running over them. She listened and the sound was soothing. It was so quiet here. Nothing but nature could be heard.

Slade felt like he needed to lie down in the snow, but was afraid it would melt in a puddle around him. His body was overheated and it wasn't from the fire. They only stood outside for about ten minutes until finally they were forced back in by the onslaught of snow and the wind.

They were covered in snow when they walked into the cabin. Their laughter echoed through the quiet room.

"Well, I guess I'll get ready for bed. It's getting late and I'm tired." She grabbed a flashlight and he followed her up the stairs. They each went into their bedrooms.

She met him on the balcony and they descended the steps together. They pulled the couch bed out and straightened the blankets. He put several pieces of wood on the fire and sat down on the side of the bed.

Slade took a deep breath. It was going to be hard lying in bed so close to her. If it was anyone else it would be a no brainer, but she was special. He wanted it to be special for them. He knew deep in his heart that it was inevitable.

She pulled the blankets up to her chin and laid her head on her pillow. She was a little chilled from their walk outside. She shivered and it shook the bed.

He turned to look down at her. "Are you cold?"

"A little, I got cold from being outside and getting wet from the snow." She snuggled deeper into the covers.

"Come here and put your back up against me." He got under the covers and held his arms open. She backed into his arms. He felt warm and inviting. She could feel the warmth spread through her whole body.

Slade felt the warmth spread too, but it was not his whole body, but mostly one area. He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on getting her warm and nothing else. It was useless, because his body did not want to cooperate.

He held her close and reveled in the feeling. He could get used to holding her every night. Her breathing became even and he realized she'd drifted off to sleep. She had been exhausted and he was tired too. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Chapter 11

When they both awoke it was to the sound of the fan on the fireplace. The power was back on. The lamp beside the couch was glaring down in their eyes. They also noticed that it was morning. He hadn't slept that well in a long time. He slept all night, which was very unusual for him.

Slade sat up and walked over to put a log on the fire, checking the furnace thermostat. "Well we have power, but still no heater. The furnace must be on the fritz."

Stacy got up and stretched. She had slept well. He had held her all night. It was as though they never moved.

She walked into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. Soon the whole place smelt homey with the smell of coffee. She put the cinnamon rolls that were in the fridge in the oven. He walked in the kitchen and sniffed.

"Man it smells good in here. I never knew how much I'd miss coffee. That will be a welcome change." He grabbed two mugs out of the cabinet and they waited. When they had their coffee and rolls they sat on the hearth to eat them.

"It will be nice to actually get in the tub upstairs. I'm doing that as soon as I get through with this roll and coffee. What about you?" He looked quickly up at her, totally misinterpreting what she was asking.

"What do you mean what about me?" He knew it would be too good to be true if she was asking him to join her.

"Oh my, no, I meant what do you want to do first since we have power?" Stacy blushed profusely. He grinned and turned his head away from her.

"Well, I think I'll get a shower when you get out of the bathroom, but first I'll see if the cell reception has returned with the power. I kind of doubt it, but it's worth a try." He grabbed his coat and went out into the cold morning air. He needed the cold air. Just thinking about her upstairs in a bubble bath was messing with his head. He took a deep, cold breath. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and no signal, just as he figured. He looked up to the bathroom window. It was already fogged up with her bath. He shouldn't have looked up there. He was torturing himself.

The cold finally drove him back inside. He put more wood on the fire. This was their last day here. Andrew would be here in the morning to pick them up. He knew he was going to miss her. She was different. He liked her and wanted to get to know her better. His body reacted whenever she was near or just at the thought of her. He shook his head and sat down on the hearth to stare into the fire. He didn't hear her come down the steps.

"I'm out if you want to get in the shower." She laughed when he jumped at the sound of her voice.

"You sure do walk around quietly. I didn't even hear you come up behind me." He noticed her hair was still a little damp. He moved over and motioned for her to sit in front of the fire. "Did you have a nice bath?"

"It was wonderful. I feel so much better now." She turned to look into the fire. She had thought about their growing friendship while she was laying in the bubble bath. It was going to be strange when she left him. She had grown really fond of having him near. She smiled at the silly thought that maybe he felt the same way.

"Well, I guess I will go up and get a shower." He stood up and started toward the stairs. He turned back to look at her by the fire. He wanted to remember everything about her. The way the firelight danced on her hair and in her eyes. He finally turned and started up to take his shower.

When he was upstairs she got up and went into the kitchen to see what they had for dinner. She wanted to make it a special dinner since it was their last night. She found two lasagna dinners in the freezer. She put them in the refrigerator to thaw. It was still early, almost lunch time. She quickly rummaged through the items in the refrigerator and gathered everything for a salad and garlic bread.

By the time he came back down still damp from his shower, she had everything ready to put in the oven at dinnertime.

"Well, we have clam chowder for lunch or sandwiches. Which do you want?" She held up the container of soup in one hand and the sandwich meat in the other.

He looked from one to the other. "I want the clam chowder. That sounds great for this cold day." She warmed the soup for both of them while he grabbed two sodas from the refrigerator. They worked well together. It was as if they'd known each other forever.

As they sat and ate in front of the fire, they talked about their childhoods. The conversation came around to the holidays.

"What do you do for Thanksgiving and Christmas?" Stacy asked as she was taking the last spoon of soup out of her bowl.

"Well, as usual this year I'll be out of the country filming. I missed last year with my family too. We usually get together for Christmas." He looked up at her and grinned. "At least we try to. My schedule sometimes makes it difficult. One year, I was in Paris filming and I flew my whole family in for Christmas. It was great. My parents had never been overseas so they were impressed with the city and the people."

"That would be nice to spend Christmas in Paris. We usually get together at Thanksgiving and Christmas. My parents go all out for Christmas. Most of the family doesn't manage to get home for Thanksgiving, but Christmas they all show up." She rolled her eyes and laughed.

He could just imagine her in front of a Christmas tree, the lights twinkling in her vibrant hazel eyes. He would love to shower her with gifts. He wanted this last night to be special. It just had to be a night to remember, especially since he was leaving the country at the end of the week. It would be a while before he could see her again. He just hoped that she wanted the same thing.

"I hope you get to be with your family for Christmas, Slade. Christmas is all about family." Her heart went out to him. He was living the dream, but dreams had a price. Sometimes that price was at the cost of love and happiness.

"Thanks. I hope for the same thing. That's why I took the earlier shooting dates. If things go well, I'll be back on American soil around December 20th. That's my plan anyway." There was a look that he gave when he was unsure.

They spent the afternoon listening to music and enjoying having electricity. But most of all they were enjoying being together. Neither said anything, but it was obvious that their relationship was budding.
Chapter 12

When it started growing dark outside, Stacy put the Lasagna in the oven and finished the garlic bread. Slade pulled the table close to the fire. He just wanted this to be a special meal. In some ways he felt like it was his last.

The smell of the food cooking filled the room. Stacy put the dishes on the table and Slade put candles. They both laughed thinking about their first dinner with no power. She took the lasagna out and put the garlic bread in. It wasn't long before they were sitting at the table lit with candles.

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "This is our last night of the trip. I want to thank you for a great vacation." He squeezed her hand and let go.

"It has been a wonderful trip. I needed this so much." She couldn't look at him for fear he'd see the tears forming in her eyes. She'd never felt this way about any man. Suddenly it was overwhelming to her that they may never see one another again. He was a huge star. Why would he want to see her again? All she was to him was a way to get his reputation back. Her stomach turned to a huge knot. Why did she have to fall for him? Him, of all people to fall for.

Slade noticed how quiet she had gotten. He wondered if she was having the same thoughts. His heart was aching with just the thought of being away from her. What could he do to let her know how he felt? The old Slade would not hesitate to get her into bed, but not Stacy. He respected her and wanted to do this right. He was almost ready to make the big gesture. He groaned at the thought. Not three days ago he was telling Andrew he would never date a woman steady again. It was too much trouble.

"What's wrong?" He looked up to see concern in her eyes. "You groaned." She explained.

"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking that this is our last night together." He took a deep breath and decided to just go for it. "Stacy, I've never met anyone like you. You've changed me."

"I feel the same way. I've never felt this way." She gasped as she realized she spoke that out loud.

He grinned. "I know what you mean. It may sound cliché, but I feel something happening between us. It's something really spectacular and mind boggling. My heart aches just thinking about tomorrow." He turned slightly red at his admission.

"I'm glad it's not just me. It's like we've known each other forever. I don't know how to explain it." Stacy almost shouted with joy, and Slade felt the same way. Maybe miracles did happen.

"I think it's fate that we met and that you won the contest. I want us to stay in touch." He reached out and held her hand tightly in his. "I want to see you again. I will be back in the country around December 20th. We can video chat while I'm gone. It will be cheaper than trying to get through international cell lines."

She grinned and sighed. This was like a dream and she was afraid she'd wake up. She looked up at him with a serious look on her face. "We only have one problem."

His heart sunk. Here it comes, the bad news, the earth shattering news. "What's that?"

"I don't know how to video chat." She started laughing and he joined in.

"Well, that's not a problem. I'll call you when you get home and walk you through the set up. I'm pretty sure you have a web cam." He started back breathing and relaxed.

"Yes and I'm a quick learner." She squeezed his hand.

They finished their dinner and grabbed mugs of coffee and walked out on the deck to watch the snow fall. They sat holding hands talking. It was as though they had to know everything about one another. When it got too cold they walked back in to sit by the fire.

Slade turned on his mp3 player and played soft music, then reached out and pulled Stacy into his arms. She wound her arms around his neck and he pulled her close. They danced for over an hour without talking, just feeling. It was surreal. It was as though they were one person. He stroked her back and kissed her on top of her head.

She looked up and kissed him lightly on the lips. She closed her eyes trying to remember everything about his kiss and him. Sadness swept over her and tears slowly streamed down her face. He gently wiped them from her cheeks.

"Don't cry. It won't be long and we will see one another again. I promise we'll talk every day." He pulled her closed to his chest and they stood still just holding each other. He could hold her forever. He inhaled her scent which was rich lavender. He knew it had to sustain him while he was gone. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. It took everything he had in him not to carry her upstairs and make love to her all night. But she was different, this was different. He knew that the wait would be more than worth it. It would be the best thing he ever did.

Stacy pulled back and sniffled. She was embarrassed that she let her emotions get the best of her. "Sorry, but I'm soft hearted. I always have been."

"Just another thing I adore about you. Don't ever be sorry for feeling. It's what makes you special, well one of the many things I've found that makes you special." He kissed her on the forehead.

"I guess I need to go up and pack my things. What time is your manager picking us up in the morning?"

He kissed her hand and groaned. "He said he'd be here by ten."

"Well, better get everything ready to go." They walked hand in hand up the stairs, both of them feeling sad. They went into their rooms to pack.

Looking at the lonely bed, Stacy realized that now that they had power, there was no reason to sleep downstairs by the fire. She put everything in her bag and put it on top of the dresser.

He walked to her doorway and watched her pack her things. He had the same thought about the sleeping arrangements. He decided lights or no lights he was holding her all night.

"Stacy, I know we have power, but I want to hold you tonight for as long as I can. Let's sleep in here tonight." He wondered if she would.

She looked up at him. "Do you think that's a good idea?" She was hoping he did.

"I want to do this right. I will just hold you, but that doesn't mean I don't want to make love to you all night. I'm not doing this the way I usually do. We're going to take our time and savor our time. It will be beautiful when we do come together."

She smiled and nodded. "Ok, I will miss your arms around me at night tomorrow." She was not ashamed or embarrassed by that statement. They had already formed a bond that was beyond anything she ever thought she could have.

He went downstairs and put another log on the fire. She went into the bathroom and changed into her nightgown. When he came back, she was already under the covers propped up on pillows. He went into his room and changed into his black sleep pants.

When he walked into the room she couldn't help but look at his gorgeous chest. He was one handsome man. Stacy's heart swelled at the thought of him wanting her. Especially when he could have any woman he chose. All he had to do was snap his fingers and they'd come running.

Slade slid under the covers and pulled her into his arms. Stacy turned toward him and he shook his head.

"None of that because I'm on a thin tether and if you look at me with those beautiful green eyes I will not behave like promised." He turned her back to him and pulled her up against his chest. "Just this is going to be hard enough."

Stacy grinned and pulled his arms tighter around her waist. She entwined her fingers in his and closed her eyes. This was heaven. She knew sleep would not come easy when she got home alone. She would count the days until they were together again.

They both drifted off to sleep, each of them having dreams of the other. He woke several times in a lot of discomfort. He was trying to do the right thing. This was going to kill him.
Chapter 13

The sun came through the window and she opened her eyes. She snuggled back against the man beside her. He shifted and kissed her shoulder. They were quiet for a while. It was morning. They only had a couple of hours left.

Stacy rolled on her back and looked up at him. Reaching up and stroking his face, wanting to remember every curve of his cheek. Those deep blue eyes that held desire in their depths. Her heart beat faster just knowing she evoked that passion in him.

Slade leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. She rose up and pulled him closer. He groaned and deepened the kiss. All he could think about was taking her right here. He realized just before daylight this morning that his feelings were running deep for the woman in his arms.

They rolled on the bed kissing passionately. Neither could get enough of the other. Finally, he pulled away and jumped out of the bed. He knew that the first time they made love it would be right. There would be time to explore and love all night.

"We've got to stop before I lose all sense, which is not far off at this point. I want our first time to be a time to remember. Not a rushed, heated morning. I want it to be special."

"We do have to get up and get ready. It's already after eight." She got up and took a deep breath.

He went to his room and she heard him grunting. She grinned. It was invigorating causing this to feel so passionate.

They met in the kitchen for cinnamon rolls and coffee. She grabbed her camera which she'd forgotten she had. They walked outside and she took pictures of him and he took pictures of her.

"Send me copies. The pictures will have to do until I get back." He pulled her to him and kissed her. They heard the car coming up the drive. When they walked around to the driveway, Andrew and the driver were getting out.

He smiled. "You two look rested." He winked at Slade.

"We did get a lot of rest. Especially considering the power was out for most of the time."

"You're kidding. Why didn't you call me? I could have brought out a generator."

"We didn't have cell signal either. I think we managed pretty well." He put his arm around Stacy and they smiled at each other. Andrew whistled and looked away from the couple.

"Well are you guys packed and ready to go?"

"Everything's inside the door." The driver walked in to get their bags. They walked in and looked around making sure they didn't forget anything. Andrew put out the fire and set the thermostat back.

Stacy stood and looked out the window one last time. Her mood was quiet. Slade walked up and put his hands on her shoulders. She looked back and put her hand on his. They didn't need to speak to get the message across to each other how they felt at that moment.

Andrew stood watching the couple. It was as though he was watching a happily married couple. He saw something special taking place. Smiling, he walked out to give them some privacy.

After a few minutes, they finally went out and got in the SUV. They sat and quietly watched the trees go by. No words were going to make it easier. Andrew noticed this.

When they got to the airport Stacy slowly got out of the vehicle. This was it. Could she be brave and not cry? She doubted it.

He walked around and grabbed her hand. "We're going to fly you home in my private plane."

"No Slade, it's all the way across the country then back to get you home. Thanks, but I couldn't ask you to do that."

"I insist. It'll give us a little more time." He put his arm around her and they followed Andrew to the private entrance at the side of the terminal. They walked up a long hallway and got in an elevator. When they got out of the elevator it was really sinking in how little time they had.

He squeezed her hand and she looked up at him. It only took a few minutes and they were walking out to board his Lear Jet.

When they walked into the main cabin she was pleasantly surprised. It was like a living room. It had two recliners and two couches. On the back of the pilots cabin was a flat screen TV. She noticed a kitchenette on the other end. He walked her to a door at the rear of the plane. When he opened it, she looked in at a private suite. There was a bed and small private bath.

"This is pure luxury." Her eyes were huge as she looked at the whole plane. He was worth a lot more than she was aware of. She was impressed.

"Well it gets me from place to place without a lot of hassle. I also can rest in between trips." He led her to one of the couches.

"This is really nice Slade. I don't even feel like I'm on a plane." She sat down and felt the plane start moving. It was not like it was on the big airplanes. It was a gentle motion. He grabbed her hand and squeezed gently.

"Let's watch a movie. I have a pretty good collection from current to classics." She picked out a classic love story and they sat back to get comfortable. She drifted off to sleep before the movie was over. He carried her to the bed in the back and covered her with the light blanket.

When they were landing he woke her. "Stacy, you're home." He said it with more emotion than he'd intended.

She looked out the window and saw the skyline of Atlanta. She was glad to be home, but not the part about leaving him. Tears started to prick the corners of her eyes. She refused to cry.

Slade hugged her to him and held her tight. When the plane taxied to the hangar he stood up and pulled her with him. "My pilot told me we have to make the stop quick. I wish we had more time to say goodbye. He radioed ahead and has someone to pick you up when you get off the plane. They will escort you to your car."

She looked up at him and he saw her bottom lip tremble. She was trying so hard to be brave, but it was not working. She pulled his head down to hers and they shared a passionate kiss. It left both of them breathless and wanting more.

"That was a nice goodbye. Don't forget my card is in your wallet. I have yours and I'll call you tonight. I miss you already." He already felt an emptiness that was like a black hole in his heart.

"I will be there. It's going to be a long couple of weeks. Don't forget me." She looked into his eyes and he fell hard. He knew then that he was lost forever.

Slade pulled her to him and laughed. "Don't worry about that. You've captured my heart."

A single tear slipped down her face. He kissed it away. The salty tear was his undoing.

The pilot came through the door. "Mr. Collins, they have us refueled and ready to taxi back out to the runway."

Slade nodded to his pilot and put his arm around her shoulders. He walked her down the stairs to the tarmac. The car was waiting for her with her luggage already in the trunk.

"You be careful and have a safe flight back to California." Stacy could hardly look at him.

"I will and you too. I'll call you as soon as I get back to my house." He hugged her one last time and helped her into the back seat of the car. She watched him waving as they drove off. He stood there until the car went around the hangar and left. He got back on his plane and they took off.
Chapter 14

When Stacy walked into her house it seemed different. It felt empty. She walked into the den and dropped down on the couch, closed her eyes and wondered where Slade was. She had lost her heart this weekend. Slade took it with him to California.

She grabbed her cell phone and called Randi. Of course she said she was on her way over and hung up. Randi would not believe this or would she?

Randi came through the door twenty minutes later. She took one look at Stacy and went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

When the coffee was ready she walked into the den and handed a cup to Stacy. "Ok, tell me everything. You're pale and look like you've lost everything."

"It was a beautiful place. Like a picture from a book. We lost power the first night. That was interesting." She smiled remembering. "We had to sleep on the pull out sofa to stay warm."

Randi's head shot up and she smiled. "Well, that must've been interesting. I want details." She snuggled in closer to her friend and hung on her every word.

"It was great. He was a total gentleman. It was as though we'd known each other forever. We got along so well." A look of lonesomeness swept over her face. Randi patted her on the arm.

"It looks like you might have got along a little too well." Randi was concerned. She'd never seen her friend like this. It was as though she'd changed in the last four days.

"Well, we did decide to see each other again. I felt as though my heart was soaring when I was with him. He was funny, smart, and just plain fun to be with. He even cooked breakfast over the fire in the fireplace. It was delicious. He was nothing like I expected. Slade was so much more." Her eyes drifted off to a dream world.

"I think someone lost their heart." She smiled as tears started to stream down Stacy's face. She pulled her friend into an embrace and cried with her. She never could let someone cry alone. It just wasn't happening.

"Randi, I did lose my heart. I feel as though I have a huge hole where my heart was. I miss him so much already. Is this normal?"

"That's the way they describe love in the novels. You feel as though you can't be apart."

"That's it. I don't want to be away from him. I know that sounds silly, but it's the way I feel. I love him Randi. Is that crazy?"

"No honey, it's not. How does he feel?" She was suddenly worried. What if he was acting? She'd have his head on a platter.

"He said he couldn't stand the thought of being apart. But he had to fly out of the country tomorrow for a shoot. He's calling me tonight. We're going to video chat while he's out of the country."

"Sounds like the true deal my dear friend. I'm so glad I entered you in the contest." They sat there for a while sipping their coffee and thinking. Then Randi's face split in a wicked smile. "Did you find my gift?"

"Yes we did. He was standing in the doorway talking to me when I opened my suitcase. I quickly shut it but he was intrigued and opened it to pull out the flimsy nightie."

"Well, did he like it better on or off?" She winked and laughed.

Stacy hit her playfully on the arm. "He liked it immensely, but it stayed in the suitcase."

"Oh, so no time for frills. Just straight to it, huh."

Stacy turned red and grinned. "It wasn't like that at all. He said he wanted our first time to be right. So we're waiting."

"Ok, so he's mister morals. That's good." They sat and talked for over an hour. Stacy described the chalet and the land around it. She told her all about the jet. Her jaws hurt by the time Randi got up to leave.

She hugged her friend. "Well, I'm glad you had a good time and got some much needed rest."

"It was really nice. Thanks for entering me in the contest." She watched Randi leave and walked back into the house.

She called her parents and told them she was home. They talked for a moment and then she went up to get in a bubble bath, taking her cell with her in case he called.

She'd just got her pajamas on when her cell rang. She took a deep breath and answered. "Hello."

"Hey gorgeous, miss me yet." He laughed and she loved the sound. She closed her eyes and could see his smile.

"Nope, not one bit. It's been nice having the place to myself." She almost laughed when she said it.

"Well, I guess I didn't turn on the charm as well as I thought." They both laughed. "I know I've missed you."

"It's weird spending time without you. Why is that? I mean, we've only known each other for four days." She sat down to keep from pacing as she talked.

"It's fate. I thought about it all the way home today and I know it's got to be fate. Here we both were not too keen on the contest and now look at us. We're starting something wonderful and it didn't turn out as horrible as we thought it would."

"Well, we could have used power for some of the trip." She giggled.

"I thought that was the best part. I think that's what helped bring us closer together."

"You're right. It was fun wasn't it? We did well."

"Ok get your laptop and let's get you set up to video chat."

They spent the next hour setting up her laptop for their video chat adventure. She almost cried when he appeared on the screen waving and laughing.

When they said goodnight they'd been talking for over two hours. It was wonderful. They never ran out of things to talk about. He was leaving the next day. When he got settled into his hotel he was going to email her to go on the laptop.
Chapter 15

The next week was spent catching up on office work and spending her evenings talking to Slade on the computer. He was miserable. He had a cold and he missed her. She just wanted to make him chicken noodle soup and make it all better.

She worried about him. He looked really pale and had circles under his eyes. Andrew had a doctor come in and check him out on the set. He said it was just a routine cold and told him to rest as much as he could.

The night before Thanksgiving he was better. They talked for an hour. He was having Thanksgiving with the set crew and Andrew.

She went to her parents the next day. She helped with the food preparation. All her family wanted details on her trip. They were impressed that she'd won the trip. They wanted to know all about Slade.

When she was helping with the dishes afterwards her mom finally asked about Slade. "Well, now that we're alone, tell me the truth. You got all starry eyed when you talked about this young man."

She smiled and nodded agreement. "We're talking. It's wonderful. We have so much in common. He's great and so easy to talk to."

Her mother smiled and put her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Sounds like someone has been bitten by the love bug."

"I feel like it."

She spent the night at her parent's. When everyone had gone to bed she sent Slade a message. They talked for a while. He was feeling better. They missed one another a lot.

As she drifted off to sleep she realized her life had changed so much in the last two weeks. She smiled and snuggled deeper into the covers.

She ate breakfast with her parents and headed home. It was tradition for her to decorate on the Friday after Thanksgiving. While everyone was in a shopping frenzy she was covered in tinsel and glitter.

The Christmas music filled the house as she decorated. Her heart light and happy. It was the first Christmas in a while that she actually felt like celebrating. She loved Christmas, but she always felt something missing at this time of year.

This year Stacy's heart seemed full and content. She didn't know how long this, what could she say it was, relationship with Slade would last. She hoped it would last forever. It was so crazy how fast she'd grown accustomed to him in her life. They'd not missed a day talking to one another. She had started counting down the days until he came home.

Randi came over that night to watch Christmas movies and eat leftover turkey and dressing her mom had sent home with her. They loved this night. It was when they got completely silly and enjoyed life.

When Randi left she messaged Slade and their nightly video chat started. He was smiling broadly when he looked back at her.

"What's up? You look like the cat that swallowed the canary." She laughed and his eyes twinkled.

"Well, I have some news. I hope that it's good news."

"That sounds serious. What's the news?" She suddenly got nervous and didn't know why.

"Andrew said the press is asking for a press conference with us. They want to meet with us at the chalet and find out how things went for the trip." He looked at her and she saw something in his eyes that told her he wasn't telling her everything.

"Ok. When is this conference?" Stacy started chewing on her lower lip. That meant another flight.

"This is the kicker. They want to do it Christmas Eve of all times." He looked serious for a moment. He knew how she loved Christmas.

"Christmas Eve? Are they kidding? That's just out of the question." She got in a huff. Why would they ask such a thing?

"I have an idea. I want to spend Christmas with you and I hope you want to spend it with me. We both want to be with our families that live a whole country apart. Why don't I fly in both families to Colorado for Christmas?" He looked at her hopefully.

She sat for a moment, thinking about it. Her parents loved to travel. Maybe they would enjoy a trip to Colorado. "I can always ask them. I really would love to get to be with you for Christmas and to meet your family." He smiled.

"They want to meet you too. Mom said she could see a change in me." When she looked at him funny, he laughed. "I video chat with mom too. It keeps her from worrying so much."

"Well my mom mentioned something like that yesterday to me too. She said I was pleasantly different. It made me wonder how I was before that."

"You were wonderful before that. We seem to be good for one another."

"How's the film going?"

"It's going better than expected. If everything works out with our families, I will be able to meet you in Colorado by December 24th. We'd thought it would be December 21st, but if we finish this part of the shoot we don't have to come back here."

"Wow, that's seems like a lifetime." Her heart hammered in her chest at having to wait a month to see him.

"I know what you mean. I look at the pictures you emailed to me every night before I go to sleep. They keep me sane." He winked at her. "I missed waking with you in my arms."

"It's been different here too."

They talked a little while longer and finally disconnected. Both of them thinking about Christmas.

She called her mom the next morning and she was excited. She said it would be fun to spend Christmas in the snow. Slade said he was renting the penthouse suite in town. The whole group could stay together.

When she spoke with him that night his family was on board too. They discussed the details and talked about their families.

Stacy called Randi and told her the plans. Her friend laughed and said that sounded awesome. They decided to go Christmas shopping the next day, which was Sunday.

When they met at the shopping mall it was crazy. They parked out at the end of the parking lot so that they could park together. As they walked into the mall, several people turned to look at Stacy. She wondered if she had something on her face.

Then someone walked up and asked for her autograph. She looked at them and laughed. "Why would you want my autograph?"

"You're the woman that won the weekend with Slade Collins. You're in all the tabloids this weekend." The woman held up one of them and showed Stacy. She turned immediately red. The headline read, 'Could this be a hot romance for the bad boy of Hollywood?'

Randi giggled and turned her head away from Stacy's glare. She signed the magazine to be nice, but she was embarrassed.

When the woman went off smiling, Stacy turned to Randi. "Can you believe that? It's insane how this has gone viral."

"What'd you expect? You did spend a weekend with the biggest star out there. He's headline news every time he steps out the door." She pulled Stacy into the crowd and they went into shopping mode.
Chapter 16

As Christmas neared, things got crazy at work. Suddenly, Stacy was a highly wanted accountant. Her business was booming and she hardly had time to breath. She'd finished her shopping online because of the attention she drew when she went out.

Slade was getting very mysterious as Christmas neared. She'd picked him out a blue cable knit sweater and a pair of pajamas which was a joke gift. She grinned as she wrapped them thinking about his black silk sleep pants. She grabbed him a watch too. It was hard to shop for someone like him that could buy anything he wanted.

She packed for the trip the night before. Randi came over and helped. They exchanged gifts. Stacy had purchased her the charm bracelet she had slobbered over at the mall and Randi got her a beautiful gold snowflake necklace and matching earrings. Randi wished her luck before she left.

The next morning her parents came by to pick her up. Since she lived closer to the airport it was easier for them to come get her. When they arrived at the airport they were surprised when they were escorted to a private area of the airport. Slade had arranged for his jet to pick them up. Her parents were very impressed. Her father went from one end of the jet to the other whistling.

"Honey, you've hit the mother lode." He winked at her and her mother hugged her.

"This is special. I can't believe we're on a private jet on the way to spend Christmas in Colorado. I feel like a celebrity."

"It's a funny feeling all of this."

They were met at the airport by Andrew. He explained that Slade was at the penthouse with his parents. Andrew hugged Stacy and shook her parent's hands.

When they arrived at the hotel it was massive. She almost tripped walking across the lobby. The lobby was something out of a magazine. She'd never thought she would ever stay somewhere like this. They got on a private elevator and as it started up she took a deep breath.

As soon as the elevator opened they were in the penthouse. When she walked off the elevator she was immediately enveloped in muscular arms. She wrapped her arms around him and held on. They hugged for what seemed like forever. It felt good to be in his arms again. He pulled back and kissed her soundly on her lips. His eyes dancing with happiness. He laughed when she blushed to the roots of her blonde hair.

Her father cleared his throat. Slade looked up and reached out to shake his hand. "I'm sorry. Hey, I'm Slade Collins."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Frank Cauthen and this is my wife Sheila." He turned and shook Stacy's mother's hand.

A couple walked up behind him. The woman had Slade's eyes and the man walked like him.

"These are my parents, Dorothy and Wendell Collins." As everyone shook hands and grinned, it was apparent that something was going on.

She looked at Slade with questioning eyes. He just shrugged his shoulders and winked. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "It's Christmas. Don't ask questions."

She grinned and looked up into his gorgeous eyes. She'd missed him so much. Her heart swelled as she looked at him.

"Well, since it's Christmas Eve, we have to get to the Chalet and get this interview over with. I hate for us to have to leave you guys as soon as you get here, but I've arranged for you to attend a Christmas production going on in the theatre of the hotel."

Slade's mother put her arm through Stacy's mothers arm and winked. "It's supposed to be a marvelous production. I know you'll love it."

The fathers didn't look as excited as the mothers. Stacy looked a little worried. Her father was the first to speak. "Don't worry about us honey. You two go on and make the press happy." He kissed her on the cheek and watched them get on the elevator.

As soon as the doors closed Slade pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. The kiss did not end until the elevator operator cleared his throat to let them know they were at the lobby.

They grinned and walked out to the limo waiting on them. As they rode up to the Chalet they talked constantly. It was funny that Andrew was not with them. She just figured he was at the Chalet setting up everything.

When they arrived at the Chalet she grinned. He helped her out of the limo. "Where is everyone?" She looked at him and then back around at the snow covered drive with no cars but the limo.

"I guess we're early. Let's go in where it's warm." She looked up at him and he winked. She noticed smoke coming from the chimney.

As they walked in he covered her eyes. She laughed. "What are you doing?"

"Just a little surprise for you."

When he uncovered her eyes she gasped. The entire living room was covered with lights and Christmas decorations. Candles were lit everywhere and in the corner was a Christmas tree that had to be 12 foot tall if not taller. In front of the fire was a table with candles and champagne chilling. She looked up at him.

"What kind of press conference is this?"

He grinned sheepishly. "It's not actually a press conference."

She looked up suddenly and her eyes got round as saucers. "What exactly is this?" Her heart was hammering in her chest.

Slade walked her over to the Christmas tree and stood holding both her hands.

"Stacy Cauthen, I want you to know that you have changed my life. You've made me feel like a whole man, no parts missing. I love you with everything I have. I know without a shadow of doubt that you're my soul mate."

Tears started streaming down her cheeks. She covered her mouth to hold back a sob. He reached into the tree and pulled out a little black velvet box.

He got down on one knee and when he looked up at her, she had no doubt that he loved her. His eyes were so full of love and desire. He opened the box and nestled inside the black velvet was the most gorgeous antique diamond ring.

"Stacy, will you do me the most wonderful honor of becoming my wife, my life and my soul mate?" He looked up at her with tears swimming in his eyes. Stacy stood there with her mouth open and tears streaming. His heart was pounding waiting for her response.

*************

Don't miss the last book in this series, "Winner Takes All" to find out more about Slade and Stacy!

About the Author

Stephanie Payne Hurt has been writing stories since she was a teenager, but only started publishing her work in 2012, 30 years later. The romance genre drew her in at an early age. Since 2012 she's published over 15 Romance novels/novellas.  
Stephanie is a busy lady. She's a Children's Minister, Accountant, wife and mother along with a blogger and writer, along with starting a publishing service called Horseshoe Publishing alongside her publisher. It's been an exciting ride and she looks forward to what the future holds for her writing.  
Currently she writes romance ranging from Christian, Contemporary, Suspense and Cowboy. Her work is available at many online retailers, on her website and in a bookstore in Zebulon, Georgia near her home.  
Come by and visit her at http://www.stephaniehurtauthor.com/ subscribe to get updates and release dates, also her monthly newsletter! Also join her Street Team!

Connect with Author:

Twitter: @StephanieHurt4

Email: stephaniehurt4@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephaniePayneHurt

Please give a review and let her know what you thought!

More from Stephanie Payne Hurt

"Ridge" 1st in the "Five Oaks Ranch" Series

"Oakley" 2nd in the "Five Oaks Ranch" Series

"Chase" 3rd in the "Five Oaks Ranch" Series

"Tender Flames" 1st in the "Flames of Love" Series

"Rekindled Flame" 2nd in the "Flames of Love" Series

"With All My Heart" 1st in the "Lean on Him" Christian Series

"Faith Through the Tears" 2nd in the "Lean on Him" Christian Series

"Her Wish For Christmas" 3rd book in the "Lean on Him" Christian Series

"Victoria" 1st book in the "Women of Magnolia Hill Saga"

"Emma Rose" 2nd book in the "Women of Magnolia Hill Saga"

"The Winner is Love" 1st book in "The Winner" Series

"The Winner Takes All" The 2nd book in "The Winner" series

"Ghost Lover"

"A Love Never Lost"

"Open The Heart" 1st book in the "Alpine Romance" series

"Finding the Right Time" A Time Travel Romance

"Moonbeam & Roses"

"Safe in the Pirate's Arms"

Coming Soon:

"Luke" 4th book in the "Five Oaks Ranch" Series

