His words seemed to take her by surprise, and for a second, he thought she might just accept his offer. "No, I'm glad you're here. Why don't we get unpacked and then we can get some lunch?"

Joe unlocked Perrie's room door and helped her carry her bags inside, tossing them on the bed. If she was determined to leave, he might as well make it easy for her. "Actually, I could use a shower," he said. "Why don't we meet in an hour? After we have lunch, we can try the hot springs."

Perrie nodded, then walked him to the door. "So I'll see you in an hour."

Joe stared down at her, wondering if this was the last time he'd ever look into her beautiful green eyes. Would she leave as soon as he was out of sight? He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, to tell her that he was in love with her. But a strong instinct for self-preservation prevented him from saying anything. Time would tell if she really loved him.

He bent down and kissed her cheek. "All right, I'll see you later."

When he reached the privacy of his own room, Joe dropped his duffel on the floor and cursed softly. Leaning back against the door, he raked his hands through his hair. "The first woman I ever love and she doesn't love me," he muttered. "Serves you right, Brennan."

As he stood against the door, he heard a sound outside in the hall. He turned and peered through the peephole in the door. Perrie looked both ways, then headed down the hall. A cynical laugh escaped his throat and Joe opened the door to follow her.

A few minutes later, he stood in the shadows in a corner of the resort's lounge, his attention fixed on the transaction being negotiated at the bar. His jaw tensed and his heart hardened. He should have known she'd try. He should have known.

He watched as she spoke to the bartender before she moved down the row of chairs to a man who sat alone at the end of the bar. They talked for three or four minutes, Perrie glancing around the room every few seconds, as if she knew she was being watched. Then she shook his hand and hurried out of the bar, passing so close to Joe that he could nearly touch her, yet never noticing his presence.

Joe watched until she was long gone before he stepped from the shadows. In a few strides, he crossed the room and slid onto the stool next to Perrie's gentleman friend. He turned and glanced at the guy, who nursed a half glass of beer. "The woman. The pretty one with the red hair. What did she want?"

The guy scoffed. "What business is it of yours, buddy?"

Joe stared at him long and hard, wondering if he should grab him by the collar now or wait a few more seconds. He slowly stood and leaned over the guy. "It's my business, all right? Answer my question."

The guy shrugged, his cocky attitude cooled by Joe's thinly veiled temper. "She wants me to fly her to Seattle."

"Is she paying you?"

"She gave me a credit card number for starters. Said there would be an extra five hundred for me in Seattle if I was willing to wait for the cash."

"What's your name?" Joe asked.

"Andrews. Dave Andrews."

"I've heard of you. So, Andrews, if I check you and your plane out, am I going to be happy?"

"Hey, buddy, I'm a good pilot. And I keep my plane in top shape. You can ask any of the guys around here."

"When does she want you to fly her out?"

"Late this afternoon."

Joe reached in his pocket for his wallet, then withdrew two fifty-dollar bills. "Call her room and tell her you can't fly her out until tomorrow morning. She's in room 37."

"Who the hell are you?"

"The name's Brennan. Joe Brennan."

Andrews blinked in surprise. "Polar Bear Air? Aren't you the guy who found that climber on Denali a few weeks back?"

"Yeah, that's me."

Andrews smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "I heard all about that. Good eyes. But if you want this lady to go back to Seattle tomorrow morning, why don't you just fly her yourself?"

"I'm not sure that she's going to leave," joe replied. "I'm hoping she'll decide to stay. So if she doesn't meet you, I don't want you coming to look for her, all right?"

"But how am I gonna get paid?"

"I'll pay you."

Andrews considered the request for a moment, then nodded. "All right." He took a long swig of his beer. "What is mis woman to you? Wife? Girlfriend?"

"I'm not sure yet. But I'm about to find out." Joe pushed away from the bar, then turned back. "One more thing. If she does leave with you, and she changes her mind, I want you to bring her back here. I don't care where you are, just turn around and fly her back. All right?"

"Man, you must have it real bad for this girl."

The man had a talent for stating the obvious. "You'll do it?" Joe asked.

Andrews nodded. "Yeah, if she wants to come back, I'll bring her."

"I'd appreciate that. Now call her and tell her the flight's been delayed."

Andrews nodded and asked the bartender for a phone. Satisfied that he'd covered all his bases, Joe turned and walked out of the lounge. But instead of returning to his room, he headed out the front doors of the lobby into the frigid cold.

This was a dangerous game he was playing, risking his heart on a woman he'd come to love. If he had any shred of common sense left, he'd walk away, save himself the pain and regret he was certain to feel. But his heart overruled his brain. He couldn't give up on them, not yet. He had to believe that somewhere in Perrie's heart she cared for him, maybe even loved him. And that given time, she'd recognize her feelings.

But did he have enough time? Or would the clock suddenly run out, leaving him with nothing but memories of a woman he'd loved and lost?


Perrie stood nervously in the hallway outside her room, watching as Joe pushed the room key into the lock. She knew this moment was coming, but she was completely unprepared to handle it.

She and Joe had spent a wonderful day together, swimming in the hot springs, enjoying a long, leisurely dinner and taking a sleigh ride through the snow-kissed woods. For brief snatches of time, she forgot all about her plan to leave him and, instead, found herself captivated by his charm and gentle humor.

All this would have been avoided, had her pilot kept to their original plans. She would have left Joe waiting in his room before dinner, while she flew away to the safety of Seattle. Now she would have to wait until daybreak to make her escape.

Joe pushed the door open, then stepped aside. Perrie slowly walked past him, silently rehearsing the excuse she would give. She turned, but to her surprise, he was standing right there, so close she could feel the heat from his body.

In the blink of an eye, he pulled her against him and captured her mouth with his. He kissed her long and hard and she let him, knowing that it would be the last thing they shared.

He pressed his forehead against hers and looked down into her eyes. "You are so beautiful, Perrie. There are times when I can't keep from touching you." With gentle fingers, he brushed the hair from her temple, then touched his warm lips to the spot But he didn't kiss her again. It was as if he were waiting for her to say something.

Drawing up her courage, Perrie smiled brightly and stepped out of his embrace. "I-I'm really tired," she said, inwardly cringing at the trite excuse. "I think I'd like to turn in early." She swallowed hard. "Alone."

He showed no reaction to her words. In her heart, she wanted him to brush away her excuse and carry her into the room to make wild, passionate love to her against all her protests. But Joe simply shrugged and smiled.

"I'm tired, too," he said, his gaze fixed on her face.

He stared at her a long time, as if he were memorizing her features. And then he blinked and shook his head.

"Good night, sweetheart." He kissed her once more, a sweet and quiet kiss that nearly melted her icy resolve. She felt his fingers caress her cheek and then he was gone.

The sound of his room door closing drove a dagger into her heart and her breath caught in her chest at the pain. "Goodbye, Joe Brennan," she whispered, her throat tight with welling emotion.

The silence of her own room closed in around her. Perrie lay down on the bed and covered her eyes with her arms, willing away the doubt that assailed her mind. This was for the best. Even if they did love each other now, they would soon grow apart. To be together, one of them would have to give up their dream, and a sacrifice like that would soon cause regrets and recriminations.

Joe Brennan was a bush pilot in Alaska and Perrie Kincaid was a reporter in Seattle. Nothing they could do or say would change that fact. For them, love had been impossible from the beginning.

Perrie curled up on her side and stared at the bedside clock, counting the seconds for each minute that passed. Her eyes slowly closed, and soon she found herself floating between conscious thought and sleep.

Images of Joe drifted through her mind, but she didn't try to push them aside. She could almost feel his lips trace a path from her cheek to her mouth. She imagined the two of them at her door, imagined a different end to their time together. Her breath felt warm against his cheek and she listened, trying to make out the words she spoke. She pinched her eyes shut and focused her thoughts. And then, she heard herself.

I want you. I need you. I love you.

"I want you," Perrie murmured, opening her eyes. "I need you." She pushed up from the bed. "And I love you."

A force more powerful than all her resolve pulled her toward the door. She opened it and stepped out into the hall, her gaze fixed on the room across from hers. Perrie reached out and touched the smooth wood, then, closing her eyes, she rapped hard.