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  “Hi,” he said almost in a whisper.

  His voice was so low and masculine it made her bones shake.

  “Hi,” she managed to croak as their eyes locked in on each other’s and they both seemed unable to tear away.

  “Vodka, straight up,” the bartender slammed the tumbler down in front of him and broke their awkward moment.

  “Thanks,” the guy said as he slid ten dollars across the counter before he turned back to Chloe. “You new here?” he asked.

  “Umm,” she stammered. “Yeah, I, well we, I got here earlier today.”

  “We?” he asked, looking around the bar as if to try and find who she was with.

  “Oh no,” Chloe shook her head. “I’m on my own here… but I’m here in the resort with my family. Last minute Christmas vacation,” she shrugged.

  “Nice place to come last minute,” he raised his eyebrows.

  “Well,” she found herself trying not to trip over her words, “My dad had to go away so he sent us here… sort of like a consolation prize.”

  He nodded and swigged the vodka down in one before he tapped the bar top again and the tender began to pour him another.

  She felt uncomfortable, as if she had said the wrong thing and broke his gaze to twiddle with the label on the beer bottle in front of her.

  “I’m Finn,” he said finally as he held out his big rough hand and slid it into hers.

  “Chloe,” she smiled.

  “Nice name,” he grinned at her and raised his eyebrows.

  She felt herself blushing and she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “So Chloe,” he continued. “How about you let me buy you a drink?”

  Suddenly, she wasn’t so tired anymore.

  6.

  Finn bought them beer after beer and each time they chinked them together in celebration. Their conversation flowed easily and he told her that he had been at the resort staying in a friend’s lodge for the past couple of weeks and was on leave from the military. Chloe listened with intrigue as he told her about his experiences in the town, but when she tried to ask him more about his life at work, he clammed up and seemed to veer off the subject.

  “I’m originally from Alaska,” he said as he swigged his beer. “But I’ve been away from there for a long time.”

  “Well I’m glad you’re here tonight,” she said bravely, the alcohol helping her to loosen up. “Otherwise I’d be sat here alone.”

  “I’m glad too,” he smiled warmly as their eyes locked together again.

  The bell rang behind the bar for last orders and he motioned to the bartender to bring them another. Since Finn had walked in, time had gone crazily fast and she couldn’t believe it was almost midnight. Each time she looked into his eyes, she felt herself being pulled more into his world, as if they had known each other a lot longer than a couple of hours. Each time he opened his mouth to laugh and flashed his glistening white teeth she found her heart racing just a little bit more and her pulse thumped through her veins with excitement.

  “So,” he smiled, “Let me walk you home?” he got to his feet and held out his arm like a gentleman.

  Chloe felt like she was blushing crimson, and although she wanted him to, she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.

  “Let him,” the bartender said sensing her hesitation. “The woods aren’t safe at this time of night.”

  Chloe’s heart rate quickened.

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “There’s been a bear seen around here recently, a big bear… some people say its white,” the bartender snorted at the end of his sentence.

  “A big, white… bear?” Chloe asked with amusement.

  “Yep,” the bartender nodded. “Don’t shoot the messenger, but that’s what I’ve been told… people have to be careful out there walking back… who knows what may wander out and…you know…” he made a claw with his hand and ripped at the air.

  Chloe stepped back and wrinkled her nose and Finn shifted uneasily next to her.

  “Come on,” he said, dismissing the barman’s story. “Let me walk you back.”

  As they approached her lodge Finn looked into her eyes and smiled.

  “It was lovely to meet you Chloe,” he said as he brushed the stray strand of hair behind her ear.

  She looked up at him and felt the world around them begin to blur. As she leaned forward and wrapped her arm around his waist and he pulled her against him, her whole body felt on fire. Their kiss was electric and as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and their lips brushed softly together, she felt like she could have been jelly in his arms.

  Chloe had never felt like this before… and she had only known him a couple of hours. Finn had the kind of personality that made it seem as if they had been friends for years, and he was so sexy, so confident and comfortable in his own skin, that it was a huge turn-on.

  “What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked as he stared into her eyes.

  “Going out with you,” she smiled.

  Finn nodded with a huge grin on his face and leant in and kissed her once more.

  “Meet me at the bar at eight,” he said as he turned on his heel and stepped back into the snow.

  He waited as Chloe climbed the steps to the lodge and opened the door. As she stepped inside she waved to him and smiled.

  “Tomorrow at eight,” he repeated.

  “Tomorrow at eight,” she nodded and waved.

  As she closed the door behind her she breathed a huge sigh and couldn’t help her grin from reaching ear to ear.

  I have a date, she thought. I’ve been here for less than a day… and already I’ve met someone and I have a date… this is shaping up to be the best Christmas ever!

  She locked the door and turned out the lights in the lodge before she crept up the stairs so as to not wake her mom and brother. As she slipped into her warm bed and pulled the covers around her she felt genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. She would never be able to thank her dad enough. This vacation was exactly what she needed.

  7.

  The intoxicating scent of smoked bacon and maple syrup drifted up through the beams and across the landing towards Chloe’s bedroom late the following morning. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes and wished that she had a bell to ring to get Oliver to bring breakfast to her. But even if she did, she knew she stood no chance of him putting himself out for her.

  She yawned and stretched and felt a smile creep across her face.

  Finn.

  The previous evening had been so much fun… and so unexpected… and she had another date with him lined up in a matter of hours’ time.

  “Chloeee!” Her mom called from somewhere downstairs and she stepped down onto the warm wooden floorboards and grabbed her robe.

  The lodge was alive with sound, Christmas music was playing on the radio and Oliver was sat in the main living area with his feet up watching the game. Their mom was working away at the kitchen counters, cooking them brunch and as Chloe stepped down the stairs she really felt the absence of her father.

  “Morning Darling,” her mom said as she kissed her on the cheek. “So, how was it out there last night?” she motioned out of the French doors and out into the snowy mountains.

  “It was great,” Chloe said coyly. “It’s a really cute place, you’ll both like it.” She smirked at her little secret.

  “That’s good,” her mom beamed, “I’m looking forward to heading out in an hour or so.”

  “I’ll come with,” Oliver called over his shoulder. “I want to see what this place is about too.”

  Chloe picked up the pot of coffee and poured herself a big, frothy cup before she sat down with Oliver and slapped his feet off the table.

  “Have you heard from Dad?” she called over to her mom.

  “No…” she said. “I tried to call him last night but I think he’ll have been travelling…”

  “Maybe we should try him again?” Chloe sat up and looked at her. To mak
e them aware of how much he resented their conversation, Oliver began to turn up the volume on the TV and Chloe slapped him on the shoulder and snatched the remote.

  “Here,” her mom said as she passed Chloe her cell phone.

  Chloe sipped her coffee, pressed dial and held the phone to her ear. It started ringing and she hummed as she waited, expecting her father to pick up. When it switched the answerphone, she hung up and lay the phone down on the coffee table.

  “He didn’t answer,” she said quietly.

  “Oh well,” her mom replied from the kitchen, “He’s probably asleep.”

  Chloe nodded and sipped her drink, but something at the back of her mind was nagging… It wasn’t like her dad not to be in touch with at least one of them… especially when they were all travelling and apart.

  Oliver jumped up and slapped his hands together.

  “Right mom,” he said, “Where’s this breakfast?”

  Chloe found herself rolling her eyes again and wondering how long she’d be able to stand her brother’s annoying attitude. At least she knew she would have the lodge to herself for the rest of the day, and she could look forward to a few hours peace.

  Then suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, Chloe knew what was wrong.

  The cell phone… the dial tone… it hadn’t been international.

  “Mom?” she said as she got to her feet. “When did dad fly to the UAE?”

  “Late yesterday dear, why?” her mom didn’t seem fazed.

  “His dial tone wasn’t international…” Chloe felt herself tense.

  “Oh Chloe,” her mom chuckled, “You worry too much, now come on, foods ready.”

  Chloe followed her mom’s orders and made her way to the table. Even though she knew her instincts were usually right, she didn’t want to worry unnecessarily… She was sure her mom was right… everything was sure to be fine.

  Later that day Chloe relaxed in the outdoor hot tub on the lodge’s terrace and watched the way the hot steam billowed up into the freezing cold air around her. She looked out at the snowy mountains and breathed in the fresh scent of pine. She really did love being in this sort of environment, it suited her perfectly.

  She closed her eyes and lay back, keeping her head resting just right on the edge of the tub as the bubbles raged around her. Her mom and Oliver had gone into town a few hours before, and she had enjoyed a lazy afternoon of day dreaming about Finn and mentally planning what she would wear that evening for their next date at the bar.

  When she thought about how instant their attraction had been it filled her with butterflies and the kind of excitement that was rare to find. She had heard her parents talk about how they had first met and of how they had known instantly that it was meant to be. Chloe felt crazy thinking this way, but that is how it had been for her the night before. The second she had lay eyes on Finn, she knew that he was going to be someone important. She thought back to Damon and of how he had made her so miserable over the past few months. She was so glad to be away from him, so glad to not have to deal with his mood swings and his aggressive nature. He was so shifty and untrustworthy… and even if he was in the same corporate world as her father, she knew that he was a dishonest man and would only have continued to drag her further into the ground.

  As her mind wandered and she found herself becoming hot and bothered at the thought of Finn and what he might look like if he climbed into the hot tub with her, she suddenly had the strange feeling that she wasn’t alone. She sat up and brushed her wet hair back off her face. She stood up slightly and looked around. The roads around the lodge seemed quiet and there wasn’t any movement in the trees… yet she could feel it… somewhere, eyes were on her.

  She reached out of the tub and across to the chair where her towel and robe were laying and she scooped them up in one. As she got fully to her feet, still standing in the water, she wrapped the huge waffle towel around her and tucked it in at her chest before she pulled the robe over her too. Her teeth chattered as the cold air battered her skin and she skipped lightly to the edge of the terrace and looked out into the forest properly and down onto the roads. She could see other lodges clearly, but she couldn’t see any people. The feeling that she was being watched refused to leave her, and she felt that whoever was there… was close.

  She stepped back slowly and made her way back to the French doors, opened them and locked them behind her. Chloe had never been a nervous person, but that had given her the creeps.

  She would have bet good money that she wasn’t alone out there. She just knew that someone was watching.

  8.

  As she walked down into town later that night, her heart raced with anticipation and she couldn’t keep the smile from her face. The thought of seeing Finn again was making her feel as excited as she had done when she was a kid on Christmas Eve. She laughed to herself at the irony and quickened up her pace.

  More snow had fallen throughout the afternoon and she crunched through the fresh white in her black boots. Even though the heel was small, she still tottered on them with care, not wanting to slip.

  The noise of the town grew louder around her and as she stepped into the main stretch her heart felt warm at the sight of all of the lights and people having fun. She hugged her arms around herself and made her way toward the lodge bar that stood tall and proud in the center of the square.

  As she crunched over the snowy ground and the scent of beer and warm bodies grew closer her mind skipped back to how she had felt when she was with Finn… the scent of his cologne, the way his eyes locked with hers… his smile…

  “Hey,” his voice pierced through the night and was so unexpected it made her jump.

  Chloe spun around to see Finn standing behind her with a cheeky smile on his face and as he started to laugh, knowing that he had shocked her, she slapped him playfully on the shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

  He was so strong and protective, and she felt tiny in his arms. She looked up into his eyes and he planted a soft, solitary kiss on her lips.

  “Sorry,” he shrugged cheekily.

  “Sneaking up on a girl at night… all alone…” she joked. “It’s a good job I’m not trained in martial arts.”

  She raised her eyebrows and Finn winked at her.

  “I won’t do it again,” he leaned in closer, “Scouts honor.”

  Chloe felt herself blushing. She had been relaxed with booze the previous evening, and now she was completely sober she felt shy and nervous around him. It was as if they were two teenagers, just meeting up for the first time at the movies.

  “Come on,” Finn said as he clasped his hand in hers. “I want to show you something.”

  He pulled her towards the other side of the square and away from the bar. Chloe realized that her chance of Dutch courage was slipping away behind her and she was going to have to roll with it. Even though her nerves were getting the better of her, she knew she would enjoy herself, just being with Finn again was making her feel so alive it was liberating.

  “Where are we going?” she asked as he pulled her further out of the square and out towards the forest.

  “You’ll have to wait and see…” Finn smiled at her warmly.

  They crossed onto a pathway that was lit with lights and lined with Christmas trees. With each step they took they seemed to be going more into a fairytale. The town was so beautiful and all of the houses were like something out of a dream. Out of the main section where Chloe’s lodge was situated and closer towards the town, the houses were more like cottages out of a Disney movie and really made the place feel like magic.

  “It’s just up here,” Finn said as he raced up an incline and Chloe tried to keep up with him without skidding on her boots and making an ass out of herself.

  When they reached the top he wrapped his arm around her and Chloe gasped as she looked out from their vantage point and out across the whole town. It was so incredible to see it from there at night, all lit up and bustling with life and
the sounds of winter. Christmas songs and people singing and laughing drifted up the mountain to meet them and it was hard to believe that it was all real.

  “It’s almost like this is the only place on earth, don’t you think?” Finn whispered.

  Chloe nodded and turned to look at him. As he pulled her closer to him she had an overwhelming sense of unreality.

  “Where did you come from?” she whispered as he ran a hand through her hair.

  He kissed her deeply and hard, and it was so powerful it almost took her breath away. As she entwined herself with him she couldn’t believe how fast she was falling for him and how natural it felt. It was as if this was always meant to happen and they had both just had to find their way to this point in time.

  Finn smiled at her and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

  “Come on,” he said. “I don’t want to keep you out, up here in these dangerous mountains,” he joked, obviously mocking the bartender from the night before. Chloe laughed and slipped her hand into his as they walked together back down the hill.

  “How long will you stay for?” she asked him as they began to approach the square.

  “I’m not sure,” Finn shrugged. “Probably until after the holidays.”

  “Me too,” Chloe beamed. She was glad that he wasn’t going to be disappearing on her any time soon.

  He led her towards the bar and as they stepped inside they chose to take a quiet table in the corner next to one of the roaring fires and cuddled up on one of the big cozy couches.

  Finn ordered them a bottle of red wine and poured it for them both before relaxing back into the cushions and pulling Chloe close to him. If the room had been quieter, it could almost have been as if they were an established couple, relaxing at home on an evening in front of the fire. Chloe closed her eyes and imagined it and smiled.

  They were wrapped up in each other’s arms, kissing and exploring each other without offending everyone else in the bar when Chloe felt her cell phone vibrating in her back pocket. She ignored it at first, but when it started to go off for what must have been the fifth time she apologized to Finn and excused herself from the table.