Wrestling 1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Stephanie sipped on her glass of wine as she settled back in the seat. The plane was safely in the air and on the way to New York. Her eyes took in her luxurious surroundings and she smiled softly to herself. This really was the life and was something she could quickly get used to. Getting upgraded to first class had been a pleasant surprise but unfortunately it was a one-time deal only due to some mistake with her booking. Still she wasn't going to complain. It was better than travelling on coach with screaming babies and irritable mothers. She glanced around the plane and saw her fellow travel companions were mostly men in suits probably travelling on business.

Stephanie tried her best not to feel out of place and picked up the financial magazine beside her. She casually flicked through it balancing the pages on her lap. Her blue eyes settled on page 51 where it listed the world's rich and successful. She sighed in envy at the billions of dollars just on that one page alone. What she'd do with just a fraction of that fortune. It was quite sickening really. Here she was struggling to afford her small studio apartment in the city and these guys could buy and sell an entire country. Number 24 even sounded like he could afford at least two and he was only thirty four years old. Just seven years older than her and he was a millionaire and owned a successful PR company with several branches across Europe. He was based in Geneva. She'd always wanted to go to Switzerland. He sounded like he was French too. Paul Michael Levesque. It was a pretty name and the face was even prettier. The picture to left showed he was an extremely handsome man. Underneath it stated he was single. Stephanie frowned wondering why when this guy was clearly the catch of the century. Well, for someone who would be stupid enough to want to fall in love that is. Fortunately she was smart enough to know that romance and relationships were for idiots.

As Stephanie turned the page of the magazine, she became aware of someone sitting at the seat to her left. She lifted her eyes, shifting her body and almost spilled her wine when she saw who it was. She quickly glanced back at the magazine checking the page she had just been looking over. There was no doubt in her mind that it was him. As she lifted her eyes once more, she realized the small black and white picture didn't even do him justice. Paul Levesque was even more handsome in person. In fact, he was striking. It was his hair that caught her attention first. The long blonde strands sat on his shoulders and looked so straight and smooth. His frame was massive and he obviously worked out. The guy probably even had his own custom built gym for heaven sakes and the black suit he was wearing was definitely a designer brand, some expensive European label she would imagine.

As Stephanie moved her line of vision, she almost jumped in her seat when she was met with a pair of startling brown eyes. They were watching her curiously and she realized she must have been staring. Clearing her throat awkwardly, Stephanie quickly glanced away feeling her cheeks burn and took another quick gulp of wine.

"Nervous flyer?"

Stephanie looked up surprised to hear the deep American accent. His lips were curved up gently and she found herself smiling back at him. "Not really."

He glanced at the open magazine in her lap and his smile slowly crept further across his face. "Interesting reading." he commented.

Stephanie instantly blushed and quickly closed the magazine feeling a little embarrassed.

"You know, you shouldn't believe everything you read in those things. Damn journalists just write whatever they like. Half the time they don't even bother with the truth either."

Stephanie pressed her lips together. "Is that so?"

"All they're interested in is a headline or the next scandal." He raised himself from his seat and offered her his outstretched hand. "I'm Paul, by the way." His brown eyes briefly drifted to the closed magazine. "But I guess you already knew that."

Stephanie managed a tight smile as she took his hand. Paul's grip was firm and assured as he shook it gently. "I'm Stephanie." she replied.

"So you travelling on business, Stephanie?" asked Paul as he settled back in his seat.

"Yes."

"And what kind of business are you involved in?"

Stephanie paused for a beat before offering him a cool reply. "Headlines and scandal." She managed to contain her laughter at Paul's look of surprise. "I'm a journalist for a national magazine."

She watched with satisfaction as Paul's smile instantly faded.

"Oh." he replied simply.

"Enjoy your flight Mr Levesque." said Stephanie as she turned in her seat and deliberately looked in the opposite direction briefly ending their conversation.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The loud scraping of chairs signalled the end of the press conference. People started to mill about while waitresses served even more glasses of champagne and trays of canapés. Stephanie drained her own glass and smiled her thanks as she accepted another drink. After all it would be a shame not to take advantage of the free champagne and the man's generous hospitality.

Stephanie's face flickered with amusement as she looked towards the front of the room to see the man in question standing deep in conversation with some tall leggy blonde. Really, what were the odds that she would meet this man on an aeroplane only to rebuff him and be instructed to cover his press conference less than twenty four hours later? And better yet conduct an interview with him. 

Stephanie shook her head slightly as she took a large sip of the champagne. She had a feeling she was going to need it. As her blue eyes settled on him once more, she noticed with alarm that he had finished his conversation and was now walking over in her direction. She quickly cleared her throat and smoothed down her best black pencil skirt. For some reason, seeing Mr Levesque was making her feel slightly uneasy right now. Maybe it was because she didn't fully appreciate before how powerful this man really was. She'd been doing some more research and Paul had a scary reputation in the European business world. He was also a genius, something her boss had told her just this morning as well as being listed as one the cleverest entrepreneurs of this generation. All in all, he was a very successful and powerful man not to mention ridiculously wealthy. 

She noticed he was wearing yet another expensive suit. It was a dark grey colour with a white shirt underneath and definitely designer and probably cost more than her entire wardrobe put together. She had to give him credit. Paul was dressed immaculately and stood out a mile from everyone else in the room. Stephanie brushed off a loose thread from her own black jacket as he finally stopped in front of her with a hint of a smile on his lips. 

"So, it looks like we meet again." 

"Much to your displeasure, I'm sure." 

Paul's deep laughter made his shoulders shake and Stephanie tried not to notice how handsome he looked in the low lighting of the room or how good he smelled. 

"In fact, I'm surprised you even agreed to this interview." she continued. 

"Well when I saw it would be you that would be conducting it, I couldn't resist." he replied smiling. "Shall we?" 

Stephanie nodded and gathered her things together carrying them to the small table and chairs in the corner of the room where Paul was already standing holding out a seat for her. It looked like the man had manners. She smiled her thanks and sat down as he took the chair directly across from her. 

"I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday." said Paul before his smiling his thanks at the waitress who had placed down fresh drinks at their table. 

Stephanie shrugged as she guided her hair behind her ear and slid her glass in front of her. "You're entitled to your opinion." 

"Yeah, well maybe you'll be able to change that. Tell me about yourself, Stephanie." 

Her blue eyes stared at him. "I thought I was supposed to ask you that being the interviewer and all." 

Paul lifted his shoulder placing his drink down. "I think I'd rather hear about you." 

"Trust me, I'm not that interesting. Now, if we could get down to some questions." replied Stephanie, leafing through her notepad. 

"So I guess this is where the interrogation begins then." he smiled. 

"I'll try and make this as quick and painless as possible for you, Mr Levesque." 

"Manage that and I'll be forever in your debt." His brown eyes stared at her making Stephanie shift in her seat uncomfortably. "Which might not be such a bad thing if you think about it."

She ignored the flirtatious tone in his voice as her eyes stared at the neatly written notes she'd made earlier. "You're branching out overseas. It seems European success obviously isn't enough for you, Mr Levesque." 

Paul's lips lifted into a smile. "Well in my opinion you can never have enough success." 

"Is that why you're opening an office here? To have even more success?" 

"Well, that and because this is my home." 

Stephanie wrinkled her brow. "But I thought Geneva was your home." 

Paul shook his head. "Only for the last ten years. I got the opportunity to work over there when I graduated from NYU and I took it. I acquired my first big client within the first month then before I knew it, I had offices in six major European countries including London and Paris." 

"So New York is next on the list." 

He nodded. "It's always been my dream to move back here. It was just a matter of time." He took a sip of his drink, his brown eyes appraising her. "You know the journalists I've encountered back in Europe aren't half as beautiful as you." 

Stephanie felt the heat rush to her cheeks at the unexpected turn in the conversation as she quickly took a gulp of her own champagne. 

"And you're even more beautiful when you blush." he grinned. 

"Em, thank you." she stammered. "So, next question…." 

"Will you have dinner with me?" 

Her blue eyes went side with surprise. "What?" 

"It's a simple question, Miss McMahon. Will you have dinner with me or not?" 

Stephanie quickly shook her head. "I don't think that's a very good idea, Mr Levesque." 

"Paul. My name is Paul." he reminded her. 

"Well…Paul… I think we should just concentrate on getting this interview done." 

"Hey, I'm new in town. You wouldn't want me eating all alone would you?" 

"Well I'm pretty sure there are plenty of women out there more than willing to take you up on that offer." 

"Yeah but I'm not interested in them. I'm interested in you." 

Stephanie swallowed feeling a little taken aback by his answer. "Yeah, well I don't do dates I'm afraid." 

"Who said anything about a date? I'm only asking you to accompany me to dinner." he replied, his brown eyes twinkling as his fingers raked through his blonde hair. "So, what do you say? You can ask me anything you like." 

Stephanie shrugged as the allure of being wined and dined in an expensive restaurant finally won her over. "Then I guess I can't refuse." 

"Good." smiled Paul. "Anywhere you would recommend?" 

"Well that depends." 

"On what?" 

"On what you're in the mood for." 

"Oh I don't think you'd want to know what I'm in the mood for." he chuckled as his stare smouldered in her direction and Stephanie blushed once more wondering what on earth she'd just let herself in for.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Stephanie smiled at the waiter as he placed down her dessert. She shifted in her seat feeling pleasantly full from her previous two courses but the food had been so delicious that she hadn't been able to say no to anything including these caramelised pears that she knew she would never get the chance to eat again, not on her lousy budget. She'd even been unable to refuse the wine despite her plan to stick to water wanting to keep a clear head for the interview, an interview that had become more of a chat really. Despite his tremendous wealth and success, Paul was a pretty down to earth guy and in her experience that was a rarity. Most businessmen liked to brag about their accomplishments but not him, not so far. Paul seemed quite happy to let his success speak for itself although there was no denying the proud look in his eye whenever the subject was raised.

Stephanie adjusted the cloth napkin on her lap and picked up her spoon. 

"So, tell me something about yourself." said Paul. 

Stephanie glanced up from her pudding dangling the spoon between her fingers. "I thought we were talking about you." 

"Yeah well I'm ending that conversation. I want to hear about you." 

"Why?" 

"Because you intrigue me Stephanie and in more ways than one might I add." he smiled. 

Stephanie swallowed thickly and lifted her shoulder in a casual shrug trying not to notice how handsome Paul looked with the candlelight flickering across his face or how soft his hair looked as it fell around his face. "There's not that much to tell really." 

"Well that can't be true. What about your career, a relationship….." 

Stephanie quickly shook her head cutting him off. "I don't do relationships." 

Paul's lips curved into a smile as he sat back in his chair. "So I'm guessing there is a story behind that bitter tone to your voice." 

"Like there is a story as to why there's no wife and children in your life?" 

"Wow." he replied raising his brow in surprise. "You certainly turned that one around." 

Stephanie shrugged apologetically as she took a bite of her dessert. She hadn't meant to bring up Paul's personal life and in that manner but it had been a defensive reaction. The last thing she felt like discussing was her crappy luck at love especially when the hurt and the lies were all so fresh in her mind. 

"But to answer your question, I don't believe in marriage." 

Stephanie swallowed her dessert as her blue eyes looked at him, surprised that he had answered her without any prompting. She decided to try her luck and take the questioning that little bit further if nothing but for her own curiosity because if she was honest with herself, Paul wasn't the only person intrigued at this table. She cleared her throat as she placed down her spoon. "And what about love?" 

Paul smiled tightly. "Easy. It doesn't exist." 

"Well, at least that's something we can agree on." 

His smile softened as he lifted his glass of wine. Minutes later the waiter was clearing their table and Stephanie noticed they were the only two left in the dining room.  
She glanced at her watch surprised at the late hour. 

"I guess I should probably go." she suggested. 

Paul said nothing as he stared at her thoughtfully. 

"I think I've asked you everything I needed to." she smiled. 

"See, that's a pity because I was hoping you could stick around a little bit longer."

Stephanie felt a little breathless as she looked around the room laughing nervously. "I don't think the staff here would be very pleased about that." 

"Well we don't have to stay here." 

She blushed, feeling the heat rushing to her cheeks. "Then what do you suggest?" 

Paul's brown eyes were dark and piercing as he leaned forward in his chair. "My hotel isn't too far from here. We could have a drink and talk some more……" 

As Stephanie struggled to find her voice, she knew that if she went back to the hotel the last thing they would be doing is talking. Now she knew drinking all that wine was a bad idea because she was actually contemplating doing this. She'd never been so reckless but there was something about this man she couldn't resist. He was so sexy and overpowering and exuded such confidence. Paul was like no one else she had met before or would ever meet again, not in her walk of life. 

"So what do you say?" 

Not trusting herself to speak, Stephanie quickly nodded her head. 

"Okay, wait here. I'll be back in a second." smiled Paul as he got to his feet. 

Stephanie stared after him in a daze wringing her hands together and wondering what on earth was wrong with her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Stephanie let out a slow breath as the cab pulled up outside the grand hotel where the roof disappeared into the black New York skyline. She nervously smoothed down her skirt and grabbed her purse and when she looked up again, she saw her door was open with Paul standing holding out his hand to her. She smiled, surprised. He really was a gentleman in every sense of the word. No one had ever opened a door for her before and especially not a guy who was probably used to having doors opened for him. 

As Stephanie took his hand she wasn't prepared for the small tingles through her body or the fact that when she was safely out of the cab, Paul didn't let go as he led her into the spectacular entrance. His hand felt so big and warm. Stephanie looked around her in awe as she took in the amazing furnishings and plush carpets. What she would give to be able to afford to stay in a place like this. Instead she was stuck with cheap motels whenever she travelled. That's why she was going to make the most of tonight and enjoy all this luxury. It was all a bit like a fairytale really. She was like Cinderella and Paul was her Prince Charming whisking her away to elegant dinners and beautiful hotels but inevitably when the night was over, she would be back to the rags and poverty of her mundane, boring life. Stephanie frowned as Paul smiled at the porter standing by the elevator. Now she knew she had drunk far too much wine. She was comparing herself to frigging Cinderella? 

"Top floor, sir?" 

Paul nodded as they stepped inside. Stephanie's eyes went big as she stared around the mirrored walls. He was obviously staying in the penthouse suite. Of course that shouldn't have surprised her. Paul was rich, filthy rich. Even spending a year in the most luxurious hotel wouldn't put a dent in his fortune. 

"So, it's going to be a long ride up." said Paul. 

Stephanie turned to see Paul looking at her with those lovely brown eyes of his. Her heart raced in her chest as she licked her lips. The porter was standing facing the closed doors but it was like he wasn't even there as Paul stepped closer to her backing her into the side wall. She could smell his cologne. It was gorgeous just like the man standing in front of her. Clearing her throat, she smiled at him. 

"I never did thank you for dinner." she said. 

"Hey, the pleasure was all mine. It's not every day I get to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman." 

Her blue eyes stared at him disbelievingly. "I'm pretty sure that's not true." 

Paul slowly shook his head. "Not a woman as breathtaking as you." 

Stephanie felt her face flash with heat and Paul began to grin. 

"And now I've made you blush again." 

"No, it's just a little hot in here." she lied as she tugged at the collar of her black suit jacket. 

"You know, I should probably do a little thanking of my own." 

"Why?" she asked. 

"Well, you did what you said. You made that whole interview process relatively painless." 

Her lips lifted in a soft smile. "Well it was my pleasure." 

"I guess that means I owe you one now." said Paul as his finger lifted to lightly stroke her cheek. 

Stephanie tried to find her breath. "Yeah. I guess you do." 

As Paul's face moved towards her, Stephanie knew he was going to kiss her and she wanted him to. She really did. She didn't care about the porter standing in front of them. She didn't care that she hardly knew this man. Maybe she was drunk and had lost her senses. Maybe she was just swept away by all his compliments and his charm but it felt so nice to have someone pay attention to her. Paul made her feel special and she hadn't felt special in such a long time. Her head was literally spinning here.  
As his soft lips finally met hers, Stephanie felt her whole body melt as she closed her eyes and lost herself in his kiss. Her heart pounded. Paul's mouth was so warm and he tasted of wine. It was like no other kiss she had felt before. It literally gave her goose bumps all over. She never wanted it to stop.

As Paul slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, Stephanie let her fingers reach up to touch his long, blonde hair. It felt so soft against her fingertips and she felt him open his mouth and deepen the kiss.  
As she kissed him back passionately she knew without a doubt there wouldn't be any talking done tonight. Just like she knew she would probably be staying the night in Paul's bed although really, she had known that all along from the moment he had asked her to come back here with him. Sleeping with him would be the perfect end to her little fairytale where for one night only she got to experience the happy ending. The happy ending she used to believe existed a long time ago and the happy ending that would help her forget her pain just for tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Stephanie was breathless as she took her seat at her desk and quickly switching on her computer, she looked around to see if anyone noticed she was late. She'd had to make a quick dash home to grab a shower and change into some fresh clothes. Coming to work in yesterday's suit for the second day running would have definitely raised a few eyebrows and encouraged questions she just didn't want to answer. God knows she was struggling to justify her actions to herself never mind anyone else.

Sighing softly, Stephanie pushed back her hair from her forehead as she pulled out her notebook and cell phone from her black tote bag. Flicking through her notes from her interview, her blue eyes saw his name in her own looped scrawl and she felt a strange fluttering sensation in her gut as her finger lightly traced the page. Paul had still been fast asleep when she had left the hotel. The sun had just begun to rise in the sky as she'd quickly gathered her scattered clothes and gotten dressed. Her heart had been racing the whole time scared he would wake up and see her sneaking away but he hadn't and despite her need to leave as quickly as possible, she'd stopped by the bed for a moment to watch him and admire how handsome he looked. He'd looked so peaceful and as memories of the night they had shared came rushing back, she hadn't been able to resist pressing her lips to her fingers only to place them gently against his mouth as she had whispered her goodbye.

All morning, she'd felt so guilty for walking out on him like that but really, what had been the point in sticking around. The night was over. Things would have only been horribly awkward between them. At least this way, there were no empty promises of phone calls that would never happen or forced conversation between them. Last night had been what it was and it had been better just to leave it that way. Besides, the chances of them crossing paths again were very slim. She and Paul were from very different walks of life. Still, she had no regrets. How could she when it had possibly been the most incredible and beautiful experience she would ever have. 

Stephanie quickly shook her head and forced herself to get a grip. She had to stop dwelling on last night and get some work done. Although how on earth she was meant to concentrate when every time she saw Paul's name all she wanted to do was think about how soft his kisses were or how amazing he felt……… 

Stephanie deliberately pushed back her chair and decided that before she even started she was going to get some coffee, very strong and black. All that wine she'd consumed last night was still clearly affecting her brain. She had to try and forget all about Paul and put him firmly out of her mind. She had sworn off men a long time ago and it had been for a very good reason. The last thing she needed was to screw that up and have ridiculous, romantic notions about some guy who quite clearly was out of her league and probably by now had forgotten all about her…… 

Paul sat at the large oak desk looking out at the Manhattan skyline. His office smelled of fresh, new paint and people were rushing around on the other side of his door setting up for Monday's grand opening. He couldn't help but feel a little excited. This was his dream after all, a dream that on Monday would quickly become a reality. There was no doubt in his mind it would be a success. He hadn't come this far second guessing himself. Still, it didn't stop the nerves twisting in his stomach every time he thought about Monday. This was way too important to him and had been a culmination of all his hard work over the last year and a half. Now he just had to make his mark on this city he called home. It would certainly be a challenge. The fast pace and cut throat businessmen were a far cry from what he was used to in Europe. So were a lot of things and that included the women. 

Paul twirled in his chair as he let out a soft sigh. Quite honestly, he had been surprised to wake up this morning and find Stephanie gone. Usually he was the one creeping out and disappearing into the dawn. If he was honest with himself, he had been a little disappointed she had left and that unnerved him a bit. After all, he wasn't in the habit of waking up with someone. Why would Stephanie be any different? But for some reason, she was. Just like for some reason, he couldn't get her out of his head. He had a tonne of preparation to do before Monday but he just couldn't concentrate. All he could think about was last night…… 

Getting to his feet, Paul walked to the window. His fingers reached into his navy jacket pocket and he pulled out the silver bracelet. He'd found it in bed this morning at the side of his pillow. The clasp had obviously come loose and it had fallen from Stephanie's wrist. All morning he'd been fighting the urge to find some way to return it to her. After all, how could he when he didn't even know where she lived? He had no idea where she worked either. He knew it was for some financial newspaper but there were hundreds of those around and he hadn't really bothered to find out the details yesterday which was yet something else that unnerved him never mind the fact he didn't even know her full name. Usually he was a stickler for that kind of information but somehow just being around Stephanie made him forget all about business. He wasn't joking when he'd told her she was beautiful. She was. He'd noticed it the moment she'd sat down on that plane which was why he'd attempted to strike up a conversation with her. There was something about her that had captivated him and pulled him in. Now she had walked out on him leaving no note or no way of getting in contact with her. 

Paul sighed and opened the drawer to his desk and placed the bracelet carefully inside. He had to stop thinking about her. It had been only one night, one pretty incredible night at that. Still, he had to get a grip. It wasn't like he hadn't slept with a beautiful woman before. He had to be jet lagged or something because he was never this way the morning after. God, even over breakfast he'd worried that she'd gotten home okay. Monday was obviously stressing him out more than he thought. The sooner it was here, the better then he could stop these ridiculous thoughts about Stephanie.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Here you go." 

Stephanie looked up from her desk to see Julie, her editor and boss, standing beside her with the next day's edition in her hand. 

"Want to take a look?" she asked as she threw it down in front of Stephanie. Her blue eyes glanced down at the newspaper and her heart gave an unexpected flip as she saw his face staring back at her from the front page.  
"Cute, isn't he?" 

Stephanie slowly nodded her head. Cute was an understatement though. Paul looked extremely handsome standing with one of his work colleagues in their new suite of offices. He wore a smile on his face, a smile that she remembered all too well much to her frustration. 

"Cosmopolitan already tagged him as the hottest catch around town." said Julie. 

"A must have for every single gold digger out there." mumbled Stephanie rolling her eyes and forcing herself to look away from the page. Julie was smiling at her. 

"Oh I'm pretty sure money isn't his only attraction." 

Stephanie narrowed her eyes. "Why? What do you mean?" 

"Well, you were the one that interviewed him. You tell me." 

She shrugged her shoulder trying her best to be casual. "He seemed okay. Smart. Down to earth…" 

"Yeah well that article was some of your best work." said Julie placing her hand on her shoulder. "You put a lot of effort and time into it, Stephanie. Seems to me you thought he was more than okay." 

Stephanie swallowed hard as Julie walked away from her desk. Her eyes immediately turned back to the newspaper wondering if she had really been that transparent. She had tried her best not to let what had happened between them cloud her judgement but it had been so hard especially when every time she typed his name she remembered that night fondly. Sighing softly, Stephanie tossed the paper to the side. She'd honestly tried her best to forget about Paul but a week later and she still couldn't shake him. Of course it didn't help that his name was cropping up all over the place. The opening of his new office had caused quite the stir in the financial world. 

Stephanie allowed a smile to trace her lips as she picked up her pen. She genuinely was happy for him. It was early days but things seemed to be going really well for Paul. Investors were buzzing about his company and word on the street was that his list of clients had trebled within a matter of days. It looked like he had the success he had always dreamed of. If she had the guts, she'd call him up at his new office and congratulate him. Although who was she kidding? She'd just been another notch on his bed post and she was pretty sure Paul didn't even remember her name let alone the time they had spent together. She just wished she could do the same instead of replaying each moment over and over in her mind. 

She didn't know why it was proving so impossible not to think about him. It was like her heart was refusing to let go and was still caught up in the romance of the candlelit dinner and Paul's words. It had been a long time since anyone had called her beautiful never mind breathtaking. But that's all they had been. Just words. Words he had probably used on every single other woman out there who had fallen for his charm. Still, she'd like to think he had meant them and that maybe those kisses and the night they had spent together had been as magical for him as it had been for her. 

Stephanie sat up in her chair and gave herself a shake. She really had to stop this nonsense. She'd clearly been subjected to far too many fairytales when she was growing up because she was actually starting to believe in romance and happy endings. What she really needed was a harsh reality check and remember that all love brought was pain and heartache. Besides, love didn't exist. Paul was the one who had told her that so the sooner she got that into her head, the better especially if it meant she could finally forget all about him. The problem was she wasn't sure if it would be anytime soon…… 

Paul loosened the tie around his neck as he picked up his drink. He took a sip of his bourbon and lifted up the pile of messages left on his desk. He flicked through them wearily. He was practically dead on his feet after spending most of the evening talking with a client over dinner. The last seven days had been an absolute daze. He honestly couldn't believe how quickly word had spread about his reputation this side of the water and it seemed people were more than happy to jump ship and join his company. Really, it was more than he had ever could have imagined and to have that level of success meant so much especially here, the place he considered home. Still, he wasn't naïve. He knew he still had to work hard and earn his reputation. 

Sighing softly, he placed down the messages and his attention turned to the newspaper on his desk. He lifted off the yellow post it note that his secretary attached highlighting the article on the front. His brown eyes fell on the photograph that had been taken at his grand opening. He then turned his attention to the article.  
As he read the words, his lips curved into a gentle smile. The article was more than flattering and he knew right away the writer was Stephanie. Funnily enough, he had been thinking about her today. Actually, if he was honest, he had thought about her every day. Usually in his hotel suite when he was alone at night and he would lie there in bed unable to stop himself from remembering the night they shared. He just didn't know why he couldn't get it out of his head. He was starting to think stress had nothing to do with it at all. But of course that led to another set of questions that quite frankly he wasn't going to even go into because that would mean admitting that he wasn't in control and he didn't like that. Not when he was so used to being in control of every aspect of his life. 

Licking his lips, Paul threw down his paper. His eyes fell on the drawer next to him and he opened it up picking out the bracelet. He stared at it sitting in the palm of his hand before looking at the paper once more. His eyes drifted to the top of the page as the bold logo of the newspaper stood out. He now knew where Stephanie worked. He even knew her name. The small print at the bottom of the article had read Stephanie McMahon. He had all the information he needed to find her. The question was did he want to because he wasn't sure that if he saw her, he could simply return her bracelet and walk away. Not when he knew every part of him wanted to see her again and quite frankly that scared him more than anything. 

Sitting down heavily in his chair, Paul took another sip of his drink as the bracelet remained clutched in his hand and he stared at the newspaper column once more deep in thought……


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Stephanie stepped out into the sunshine and smiled as she felt the warm breeze on her face. It was quite literally a breath of fresh air to her. She'd been stuck inside the office all day trying to meet the deadline for tomorrow's early morning edition and to make matters worse the air conditioning had broken down again. The heat in the office had been absolutely unbearable and their numerous calls to maintenance had fallen on deaf ears. Well, that was until Julie had threatened the guy with physical violence and he had quickly promised the repair would be done first thing in the morning although just to be safe she would make a mental note to wear something minimal and light. The maintenance guys weren't exactly what you would call reliable.

Pushing her brown hair behind her ears, Stephanie began to walk down the street. Her mind was preoccupied with laundry and dinner so she didn't even notice the shiny black car that pulled up beside her or hear the car door open as she passed by. But when he called out her name, she froze in her tracks feeling a little breathless at the sound of his voice. Without even turning round, she knew without a doubt that it was Paul. She'd recognise his deep smooth tone anywhere. God knows she'd heard it enough times over and over in her head. 

Slowly turning on her heel, Stephanie let a slow breath trying to control the pounding in her chest. She swallowed hard as she met his pair of amazing brown eyes. His blonde hair was blowing gently in the wind. Paul was even more handsome than she remembered in his black suit and shirt and her heart gave a flip as he stood in front of her smiling at her.

"Hello Stephanie." 

"Hey." she managed to reply as her mind still tried to process the fact that he was here. Paul was really here. 

"I was hoping I would catch you." he smiled as he tucked his hair behind his ear. 

"You….you were waiting for me?" she asked, caught a little off guard by his admission. If anything, she thought it was co-incidence, a chance meeting. 

"Yeah. You don't mind do you?" 

Her blue eyes narrowed in his direction as she rolled her lips together. "Well that all depends." 

"On what exactly?" 

"On the reason why you've been waiting for me." 

Paul's lips lifted into an amused smile as he placed his hand on her back guiding her towards the edge of the street and out of the way of the busy pedestrians. "Well I saw your article yesterday….."

Stephanie cut him off trying to ignore the way her body was tingling at his touch. "That article was nothing but complimentary to you and your company." 

"I know." 

"Oh." she replied suddenly feeling a little lost for words. She hadn't expected him to agree with her. She licked her lips as she watched Paul loosen the collar from his neck. The same soft, thick neck she had kissed that night……Stephanie immediately shook her head stopping that train of thought. Really, it wasn't helping matters. It was bad enough her heart was racing and her palms were sweating when she was supposed to be acting calm and composed. After all, she didn't want Paul to know how badly that night had affected her and how she couldn't stop thinking about him. The last thing she wanted was for him to know how pathetic she was. A girl needed to have a bit of pride after all.

"And I want to say thank you." he smiled. 

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug trying her best to casual about it. "You're welcome."

She licked her lips as she looked into his eyes. She knew it was a mistake as she instantly felt herself falling into them but she couldn't stop herself even if she wanted to. She had no control when it came to Paul. It was why she had kissed him in that elevator and it was why she had spent the night with him. It was also why she couldn't forget him. 

"But you know, the article is not the reason why I'm here." 

Her blue eyes widened with surprise. "It's not?" 

Paul slowly shook his head as Stephanie watched his hand reach into his pocket. "I believe this is yours." 

She held her palm out and watched the silver bracelet fall into it. As she picked it up between her fingers, she realised she felt a little bit disappointed. For one crazy second she allowed herself to believe that Paul was here because he felt the same way she did, that he couldn't her out of his head just like she couldn't get him out of hers. Obviously she had been sorely mistaken. The bracelet was why he was here and she had been stupid to think anything else. And even although Paul had gone out of his way to return it to her, it was only because he was a gentleman and he probably felt it was the noble thing to do. Forcing down her disappointment, Stephanie looked up and smiled at him gratefully.

"Thank you. I knew I had lost it. I just wasn't sure where." 

"I found it in bed the next morning." 

Stephanie felt herself blush as she quickly nodded. "Well, thanks." 

Her fingers were shaking slightly as she wrapped the bracelet around her wrist fumbling with the clasp. 

"Here. Allow me." 

Paul's touch was warm and gentle as he pushed up the cuff of her pink blouse and fastened the clasp for her and his hand lingered for a second before falling to his side once more. 

"Thanks." she whispered and allowing herself to look at him one last time, she decided she would be the first one to say goodbye. It would save any awkwardness and besides, Paul had returned the bracelet and there was really nothing left to say. Well nothing that she would ever have the courage to say anyway. Adjusting the bag on her shoulder, Stephanie lifted her wrist and checked her watch. "Well, I guess I should be going." She smiled and held out her hand towards him. "Goodbye Paul." 

He hesitated for a second before taking hold of her hand and bringing it up to his lips, he kissed her knuckles gently. "Goodbye." 

Paul stood there in the street watching Stephanie disappear into the crowd. He frowned as he wondered just what the hell he was doing. He didn't want her to walk away. He knew that much. After all, he had come here for a reason and the bracelet was only part of it. He wanted to see Stephanie again. Of course it wasn't that simple and that was why he was standing here rooted to the spot instead of chasing after her. The truth was he knew he was developing feelings for her, feelings that honestly, he'd never had in his life before. Feelings that scared him to death every time he thought about her but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get rid of them. Just like the fact that he couldn't get rid of the notion that if he let Stephanie walk away right now, he could be making the single biggest mistake of his life and he wasn't sure he could live with that. He'd never had one single regret in his life and he wasn't about to start now. 

His lips curved up gently and Paul realised his mind was made up. Before he could second guess himself any longer, he began to walk quickly down the street looking for Stephanie. He saw her just as she was crossing over to the other side. Narrowly avoiding a cab, Paul followed her.  
"Stephanie!" he called. 

There was no mistaking the look of surprise on her face as he approached her. He smiled at her and as she smiled back his heart skipped a beat. 

"So, I figured I owed you one for the article and wondered if I could buy you dinner tonight to say thank you." 

Stephanie slowly shook her head. "I can't." 

He tried to quash the unexpected and overwhelming feeling of disappointment in his gut as he nodded his head and took a step back. 

"But if the offer still stands, I'm free tomorrow." 

Paul bit down on his lip trying to contain his grin as he watched her rummage in her bag and pull out a business card which she handed to him. 

"Maybe you could call me and we'll arrange something." 

He nodded once more as he looked at her flipping the card between his fingers. "You can count on it." 

Her face lit up with her pretty smile before she slowly turned on her heel and began to walk down the street unaware that Paul had stood and watched her until she'd turned the corner and disappeared from sight.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Stephanie nervously stepped out of the elevator and walked through the plush office area to the reception desk over by the large glass windows. Clutching her purse in her hand, she saw a grey haired lady sitting there on the telephone watching her as she approached the desk. Her face seemed warm and friendly and it put Stephanie instantly at ease. For some reason she had been nervous about coming here despite her suggesting it and Paul reassuring her it would be absolutely fine. It was either that or she sat at home waiting for him and that was a disaster in itself. She'd already changed her outfit five times and she'd had to leave her apartment before she had been tempted to pull out her entire wardrobe again. At least she felt comfortable in the simple black dress she owned and wore. Thankfully it was a dress for all occasions and she knew she wouldn't feel out of place wherever Paul took her. 

"Can I help you dear?" 

As she heard the woman's voice, Stephanie smiled realising she had finished her call. "Yes. I'm Stephanie McMahon. I'm here to see Paul, Paul Levesque." 

The lady nodded and immediately stood up. "I've been expecting you dear. Mr Levesque is waiting for you in his office. It's the door at the end of the corridor." 

Stephanie nodded her head and smoothed down her dress before making her way down the hall. As she got to the bottom, she saw the oak door ahead. The gold plaque had Paul's full name on it and she bit down on her lip anxiously before she lifted her hand and knocked on the door. 

"Come in." 

Stephanie let out a shaky breath before entering the room. She walked in to see Paul standing behind his desk holding some papers in his hand as he looked up at her. 

"Stephanie! Hey!" 

"Hey." she replied feeling a little shy as she walked into his office. It was large and spacious and beautifully decorated. 

"I'm so sorry about this." he frowned as he placed the papers on his desk and walked round to meet her. "I honestly didn't expect that meeting to run over as long as it did." 

"That's okay." she smiled as she licked her lips. "And I meant what I said to you on the phone, you know. We could have cancelled if you are busy and just made this another time." 

Paul immediately shook his head and a gentle smile lit up his face. "And miss out on the chance of having dinner with you? You're kidding me, right?" 

Stephanie felt herself blush as his smouldering brown eyes took in her dress, her pinned up hair and perfect makeup. 

"And can I say you look absolutely stunning. You do know I'll be the envy of every guy in that restaurant." 

"Get out of here." she replied bashfully as her mouth curved into a crooked smile. 

"You know, that's probably the best advice anyone's given me all day." grinned Paul as he walked back to his desk and picked up his pen. "Just give me a minute to finish signing those papers?" 

"Sure." she nodded. 

"Want to take a seat?" 

Stephanie smiled and sat down in the leather chair in front of him. Her blue eyes watched him entranced. Quite honestly, she couldn't believe she was here and that they were actually going out on a date, although technically it wasn't a date. It was just dinner but for some reason it felt so much more than that. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening here. After all, she was pretty sure he didn't invite out every single journalist who had written an article about him just like he didn't have to chase after her last night but for some reason he had. Of course, she'd spent all day trying to figure out why when Paul could have any woman he wanted and yet he seemed to want her. She'd honestly thought she was nothing more than a notch on his bed post and that nothing would ever come of the night they had spent together especially after she had left him in the way she did. 

Stephanie sighed softly feeling a little bit guilty. That was something else that had been occupying her mind. Running out on him hadn't seemed to matter when she had thought she would never see Paul again but now she was here with him, she couldn't stop worrying about it, feeling the sudden need to apologise for her actions. 

"So are you ready to get out of here?" 

Paul's voice interrupted her thoughts and Stephanie forced a smile as she got to her feet watching him pull on his grey suit jacket and tuck his blonde hair behind his ear. 

"The restaurant is just around the corner so I thought we could walk there?" 

Stephanie nodded and clutching her purse she took a deep breath for courage. "But before we do, can I talk to you?" 

His brown eyes fell on her as he stood in front of her. "Sure. What is it you wanted to talk about?" 

"Well…..see, the thing is….." She let out a sigh as she bit down on her lip. "I'm sorry. I'm not really sure how to say this." 

Paul reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder making her body tingle. "Starting at the beginning is usually a good place." he smiled. 

Stephanie returned his smile as she nodded. She let out another shaky breath before meeting his eyes. "Paul, I want to apologise to you." 

His nose wrinkled with confusion. "Whatever for?" 

"Well, for running out on you that time. I don't know why. I woke up and just freaked out. Contrary to what you might believe, I'm not in the habit of sleeping around with strange men." 

"I'm strange?" 

Stephanie shook her head as she held back her smile. "You know what I mean." 

Paul's slow grin lit up his face as he nodded. 

"I just hope you understand and can forgive me." she said. 

"There's nothing to forgive, Stephanie." 

She gave him a relieved smile. 

"Although I probably wouldn't object if you felt the need to make it up to me after dinner." he winked. 

"Is that right?" she smirked as their eyes looked at one another for a second before Paul guided her towards the door. 

"Come on. Let's get out of here." 

As they walked out of the office, Stephanie felt his hand brush against hers before he took it in his and a warm glow encompassed her as she made a promise to herself to just enjoy tonight and enjoy spending time with Paul. For too long she'd let her pain ruin her life. She wasn't going to do that any more. She was going to have fun and hopefully tonight would just be the start of it………..

"That food was delicious." said Stephanie placing down her napkin beside her and licking her lips. "Although I'm not sure I can move right now."

Paul grinned as he pushed away his plate. "Well we don't have to leave straight away. Besides, we've still got this wine to finish." He removed the bottle from the bucket at the side of the table and began to refill her glass. 

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Mr Levesque?" asked Stephanie trying to conceal her smile. 

"Well I usually like my ladies good and loaded before I take them home with me." 

The heat immediately rose to her cheeks as Paul began to laugh out loud. 

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you blush." 

She slid her fingers together as her hands rested on the table. "Yeah well it seems to be a knack you have around me." 

"Come on. You do know I only do it because you look so beautiful with your cheeks all flushed and red like that." winked Paul as he placed the wine bottle back in the bucket and sat back in his seat, his brown eyes watching her. He fought the urge to reach across the table and push back the loose curl that had fallen around her face. In fact, he'd been fighting the urge to touch her all night and kiss the mouth that looked as soft as he remembered. 

"You're in an awfully good mood." said Stephanie lifting up her glass and breaking his thoughts. "Your meeting must have gone well today." 

Paul shook his head. "Not particularly." 

Stephanie raised her brow as she took a sip of her wine. 

"But then you walked into my office and suddenly my day got a hell of a lot better." 

Stephanie bit down on her lip to hide her smile. "Then I'm glad I could help you out." 

"Oh you more than helped me out. Trust me." 

This time she couldn't stop the slow smile that lit up her face. "You know I meant to call and congratulate you when you opened your office." 

Paul swallowed his wine and placing down his glass, his brown eyes looked at Stephanie curiously. "You did?" 

She nodded and smiled. "But in the end I decided it probably wasn't a good idea." 

"Why?" 

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug as she glanced down shyly at the table. "I guess I just wasn't sure if you would remember me, that's all." Her fingers wrapped around the stem of her glass as she guided it along the table cloth towards her. 

"Oh I remembered you." 

She quickly lifted her head to see Paul watching her with a soft smile on his face as he pushed back his long blonde hair and leant towards her. 

"I mean, how can you not remember someone who has been constantly on your mind?" 

Her blue eyes went wide as she stared at him in disbelief and her heart skipped a beat as she realised that all this time, Paul had been thinking about her too. 

"You shouldn't look so shocked, you know. You're not someone who is easily forgotten." 

Stephanie felt breathless as their eyes met across the table and she swallowed hard. "Neither are you." 

Paul looked at her so intensely for a moment that her whole body began to tingle. 

"You want to leave?" he asked and without any hesitation Stephanie nodded and pushed back her chair. She didn't once question what she was doing. Her need for Paul overrode anything else and that included any doubts about what this meant or if there really was something happening between them. She knew she had feelings for Paul. It was crazy to deny that any longer. She also knew that after tonight she wanted to see him again but of course that was all up to Paul. Maybe they would talk about it tomorrow but tonight, she just wanted to be with him. 

"Ready?" 

Stephanie smiled as she took his hand and they walked out of the restaurant. It wasn't until they turned the corner of the street that she felt Paul tug her towards him. His fingers gently caressed her face before his lips brushed over hers. Stephanie's eyes closed as she lost herself in his kiss, her fingers tangling in his soft hair. Her other hand slid underneath his jacket feeling the heat of his body underneath the shirt. Paul's kiss was tender yet firm blowing her mind away. She felt herself melt against him and when he finally pulled away, her heart felt like it was pounding right out of her chest. 

"I wanted to do that all night." whispered Paul as his thumb softly stroked her chin. 

"So what took you so long?" smiled Stephanie. 

Paul's laughter carried into the warm summer night as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Well we were in a public place. I don't think those people in the restaurant would have appreciated the free show." 

"Those people aren't here now." she said boldly as her hand rubbed his back and she rested her forehead against his. She licked her lips wanting Paul to kiss her again and tried not to feel disappointed as he pulled away, a slow grin crossing his face. 

"That maybe but we are still in a public place and what I have planned for you requires complete and utter privacy." 

"Oh yeah? And what exactly do you have planned?" 

"I'm afraid you'll have to accompany me back to the hotel and find out." he replied placing a kiss on her nose. 

"Then what are we standing here for?" 

Paul smirked as he grabbed hold of her hand and quickly led her away, their laughter carrying down the street.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Stephanie's eyes fluttered gently as she began to wake up and she lay there dazed for a moment trying to get her bearings. The bright fresh room was awash in sunlight and she became aware of a heavy weight across her stomach. Suddenly her blue eyes popped open and she glanced down to see the large forearm draped across the sheets. She could also feel a warm leg nestled in between hers and a lazy, happy smile lit up her face as memories of the previous night came flooding back and she realised she was lying next to Paul in his bed.

Stephanie tried her best not to disturb him as she slowly turned round to face him. Paul was still fast asleep. He looked so peaceful lying there and so handsome with the sunlight on his face. Unable to stop herself from touching him, Stephanie lifted her hand and pushed back the hair that had fallen across his face. She let her thumb linger on his cheek as she remembered every touch and every kiss they had shared. Last night had really been incredible and the best part of it was the fact that she was lying here not even tempted to run. There was none of the awkwardness she had felt the first time she had woken up next to him. She definitely had the feeling that things had changed between them and that last night simply hadn't been a conquest for Paul. God knows he could have his fair share of those if he wanted to. She was sure half the women in the city were after him especially after that magazine article had labelled him the hottest catch around town. Yet for some reason he wanted to be with her, the poor working class girl who had always loved to dream that someday she would get her fairytale. 

But for the last two years she'd quickly given up on that dream. A betrayal by the man she thought she had loved had made her realise that her notion of love wasn't as magical or romantic as she had believed it to be. In fact, love had brought her nothing but pain and heartache which is why she had decided that love actually didn't exist at all. Well, not her idea of love anyway. But lying here next to Paul she wondered if maybe, just maybe, she was wrong. Maybe the type of love she had read about in those fairytale books did exist after all. Why else would she feel like her heart was about to burst with all the emotions she was feeling right now? Why else would she feel so happy and alive and unable to stop thinking about this man or kissing him or wanting to be with him. It was completely crazy with the short space of time she had known him yet she knew that what she felt was real. She was falling for Paul.  
But she wasn't going to get carried away with herself. Not when she didn't have a clue how Paul really felt about her. Then of course there was the fact that he was someone else that didn't believe love existed. He had told her so himself. But still, Paul had come looking for her. He had admitted he couldn't stop thinking about her. Maybe, just maybe, she could change his mind about love. Not that she was going to push him in any way. She would never do that to him. After all, she wanted to be with someone who wanted to be with her just as much. Still, there was nothing stopping her from helping things along. Every single moment she spent with him, she was going to treat Paul so well and care for him so much that he was never ever going to want to let her go. Well, providing she actually got the chance to spend those moments with them. 

Stephanie let out a soft sigh and that was when she noticed Paul's eyes slowly open. Her heart almost stopped as a sleepy smile crossed his face. 

"Hey." he said, his voice hoarse with sleep as his arm wrapped around her a little tighter pulling her close.

"Hey." she replied as she bit down on her lip shyly. 

"Nice to see you stuck around this morning." 

Stephanie saw the twinkle in his brown eyes and suddenly her shyness disappeared as she smirked at him. "Yeah well I heard the breakfast here was out of this world so I thought I would maybe check it out." 

"Well I hope you're not that hungry." 

Stephanie felt herself shiver as Paul's body moved over her and his fingers gently stroked her face. 

"My plans for this morning don't include breakfast. Well at least not for a while." 

His smiling lips pressed against hers and he began to kiss her slowly. Stephanie's nails lightly scraped his back as she moaned softly into his mouth. His skin was so soft and smooth and his body felt so wonderful against hers. It was like they fitted together perfectly. As their tongues brushed together, Stephanie felt herself getting lost in Paul once more and the way he made her feel. She'd never lost herself so completely in anyone before which is why she trusted what she felt and which was why she was giving this a chance. She just had to hope that Paul wanted to take the chance along with her………..

Later that morning Stephanie moaned in satisfaction as she pushed away her plate and lifting up her napkin, she dabbed the corners of her mouth. "Those croissants were absolutely delicious." 

Paul smiled as he looked up from the newspaper and sitting back in his chair, he tucked his hair behind his ear. "So was the breakfast worth sticking around for?" 

Stephanie nodded her head as she leant over the corner of the table towards him. Her hand reached out to grip his fingers that rested on his leg. "But it wasn't the only attraction, you know." 

The left side of Paul's mouth curled into a smirk as his face moved closer until his mouth was hovering over hers and he could feel her warm breath kiss his face. "Really?" 

"Yeah." Stephanie licked her lips as she looked into his eyes thinking once again just how handsome he really was in his black dress shirt and how wonderfully surreal it all felt sitting here with him like this. Yet somehow it also felt like the most natural thing in the world. "I was hoping you wouldn't mind me grabbing a soak in that huge big tub of yours." 

Paul's mouth quickly pulled away from her as he pretended to scowl slowly shaking his head. "So this is what it's come down to, huh? My ability to provide you with a free food and hygiene service." 

Stephanie shrugged casually as she briefly glanced down at the white terry towelling garment she wore. "Don't forget the robe." 

"Of course not." replied Paul as his brown eyes lit up with his smile and he placed a soft kiss on Stephanie's lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and as he pulled away, their noses rubbed together gently. 

"You know you are more than welcome to join me in the tub. There is definitely more than enough room for two." she suggested. 

Paul moaned softly into her mouth as Stephanie began kissing him once more. As his fingers brushed through her tousled hair, he realised he wanted to stay. In fact, every part of him wanted to stay despite the fact he had business to take care of this morning. In fact, even for a brief second he'd even considered blowing off his client which only proved what he knew deep down already. Stephanie had a power over him that no other woman had ever had before. He already found himself wanting to spend more time with her and knew that before he left he'd ask her out tonight. He couldn't help himself where Stephanie was concerned and even although losing that control alarmed him somewhat, he couldn't fight it. Just like he couldn't fight wanting her so much right now. 

As Stephanie's mouth moved to kiss his throat, Paul drew on what little resolve he had left and he gently pulled away cupping her face in his hand. "As tempting as that sounds, and trust me, it's very tempting, I have to get to the office. I've got a meeting in half an hour." 

Stephanie's nose wrinkled in disapproval. "But it's Saturday." 

"I know." 

"Do you always work at the weekend?" she frowned. 

"Time and money wait for no man." 

"But Paul you need to relax and have a little fun." 

"I had fun this morning." he smirked and laughed as Stephanie playfully smacked his arm trying to stifle her grin and her blushes. 

"You know what I mean." 

Paul lifted his shoulder in a light shrug. "I guess I've just never felt the need to relax. Besides, my work has always come first." 

"Well not any more." 

His brown eyes narrowed curiously in her direction. 

"Tomorrow you're taking the day off and I don't want any arguments." 

Paul's hand lifted tucking her brown strands behind her right ear. "Why? What have you got planned in that beautiful head of yours?" 

"Take the day off and you'll find out." she told him matter of factly and Paul knew by the determined look on her face that he would have no choice but to agree. The truth was, he wasn't really going to complain about it especially not when he knew he wanted to spend the time with her anyway. 

"Okay, okay. I'll take the day off but on one condition." 

"What's that?" 

His finger tucked her under the chin. "You let me take you out tonight." 

A slow smile crossed Stephanie's face. "I definitely don't have any objections to that." 

"Good." Paul's lips brushed against hers once more. "Now I really have to go or I'll be late." 

Stephanie nodded and sat back as she watched him to get to his feet and pull on his black suit jacket. She felt a pang of disappointment that he was leaving but that was quickly dampened by the fact that in a matter of hours she would be seeing him again. Smiling, she stood up from the chair flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Is it still okay to use the tub before I go home?" 

"Sure. There's no rush to leave. You can stay here all day if you like." 

"That would be nice but a girl needs some fresh clothes, you know." 

Paul chuckled as he reached into his trouser pocket and when he took hold her of arm, she felt him press something into her palm. "Here. I want you to have this." 

As he stepped away, she glanced down to see a roll of money. Her blue eyes went wide. "What's that for?" 

Paul shrugged casually as he fixed his silk tie. "Well I know how much you women love to shop, though why you love it is beyond me." 

Stephanie quickly shook her head as she held the money out to him. "Paul, I can't take this." 

"Why not?" 

"Because I'm not here with you because of your money." 

"I know that." he smiled and he affectionately rubbed her arm before winking at her. "It's the food and the tub, right?" 

Stephanie couldn't stop herself from returning his smile. "Right." 

Paul chuckled as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Look, just let me do this, okay? Besides, giving you that money benefits me more than it benefits you." 

"And how do you figure that one out?" 

"Well if you shop for some clothes, it means you won't have to go home which means you might be here when I get back in a few hours." 

Stephanie's hand reached to cup his face and her lips curled up shyly as she realised that maybe, just maybe, Paul was sick of coming back to an empty hotel suite. "I'll be here." 

"Good." he replied softly kissing her once more. "Now I really have to go." 

Stephanie watched him grab his briefcase from the small leather sofa and stop by the entrance to the small hallway of his suite. "See you later?" 

Stephanie nodded and smiled. "Later." 

Her smile lingered as the door closed behind him and glancing down at the money, her head slowly shook in disbelief. There was definitely hundreds of dollars of there and probably more than her month's salary. And yet, it was nothing to Paul. He had all the money in the world. Still, that money could only do so much and it didn't take away the loneliness she swore she saw in his eyes just now. As Stephanie wandered towards back towards the bedroom, she felt the excitement bubble up in her stomach. Paul wanted to see her again tonight. Paul even wanted her to be here when he got back. Letting out an excited shriek, Stephanie threw herself on the unmade bed, her blue eyes staring up at the ceiling. This honestly felt too good to be true but it was real. It was unbelievably real and she was going to make the most of every second. She was going to show Paul exactly what he would be missing out on if he let her go and maybe he would realise he didn't have to be lonely any more. Not if he didn't want to be.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Stephanie's blue eyes remained focused ahead as she moved on the blanket, stretching her long legs out in front of her. The shadows of the elm tree directly above her danced across her bare skin sheltering her from the hot summer rays and her hand absently picked at a few strands of grass as she waited patiently on Paul. He was talking on his cell phone again. Apparently taking the day off didn't mean switching off completely and this had been his fourth call since they had left the hotel and arrived at the park. He hadn't told her much only that it was one of his major clients back in Europe who were beginning to panic over some press release due out this week and Paul was trying his best to calm them down. Unfortunately, right now, his reassurances didn't appear to be working. 

Stephanie sighed as she crossed her right leg over her left, smoothing down the hem of her purple summer dress. She wiggled her bare toes as she watched Paul lightly kick at the ground and rake his fingers through his blonde hair that blew behind him gently in the warm breeze. She loved it when he did that. She could watch him do it all day just like she could watch him walk in those faded jeans he wore. They hugged those thick thighs of his perfectly. She'd honestly never seen a pair of denims look so good especially accompanied by the crisp white shirt that hung loosely over his waistband. Paul just exuded sexiness from head to toe. Of course, he looked even better out of the clothes. 

Stephanie blushed slightly as she noticed Paul hang up and end the call. She smiled to herself knowing he would get a kick out of the fact that even without saying a word he still had the knack of making her cheeks turn red. Still it was little wonder after the morning and night they had shared. Paul's talents and skill were definitely not limited to business. They also stretched to the luxurious king size bed, the leather sofa and not to mention that huge bath tub. Who knew hot water and bubbles could be such fun……. 

"What are you grinning about?" 

Paul's voice snapped her out of her haze and clearing her throat awkwardly, Stephanie tried to be as casual as possible as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Nothing in particular. I'm just enjoying the sunshine, that's all." 

She shifted across the blanket as Paul sat down next to her. She inhaled his spicy cologne as he drew his left knee up to his chest. 

"So how's the client? Still freaking out?" she asked. 

Paul nodded and sighed as he tilted his face towards the sun. "The rumours about the press release have caused the stock value to dip considerably. God knows what will happen when the markets re-open tomorrow." 

"Isn't there anything you can do to try and stop it?" 

Paul turned his head and smiled at her. "My team in Geneva are working on that as we speak. That's why I was on the phone for so long." He sighed again pressing his lips together. "I'm sorry. I know we're supposed to be spending the day together." 

Stephanie quickly shook her head. "You don't have to apologise, Paul. I know a guy as successful as you didn't get to where he is now working nine to five. I mean, you don't exactly have a regular job now, do you?" 

"Well, no." he chuckled. 

Stephanie smiled as she reached out and took his hand lacing his fingers through hers. "Still, it doesn't hurt you to mix a little pleasure with business every now and again." 

"Oh I would say the pleasure has been more than a little." His brown eyes stared at her as he lifted their joined hands to his mouth kissing her knuckles. "Especially the last couple of days." he added winking at her. 

Stephanie felt the heat rush to her cheeks once more as his deep chuckle carried into the breeze. 

"You know you're looking a little red there. Maybe you've had a bit much of the sun today." teased Paul. 

Stephanie pretended to scowl as she playfully slapped his arm. "Shut up and pour me another glass of wine." 

This time it was her turn to chuckle as Paul made a mock salute before reaching for the bottle that sat at the edge of the blanket beside the small picnic basket Stephanie had organised courtesy of the hotel. It really did pay to stay in luxury and it was something she could happily get used to especially after spending all weekend in that beautiful penthouse suite. It was going to be a sharp crash to reality when she went back home tonight to her poky one bedroom apartment and her leaky faucet in the kitchen. Their lives really were so far apart. In fact she and Paul were from completely different worlds yet somehow none of that seemed to matter when she was with him. But she knew it would matter eventually. It had to. 

"One drink for the beautiful lady." 

Paul's voice jolted her from her thoughts and Stephanie forced herself to smile as she accepted her wine. 

"You know I think I can remember coming here when I was a boy." he asked. 

Stephanie swallowed her drink and licked her lips. "You lived around here?" 

Paul nodded as he stretched his legs out across the blanket. "My parents actually had an apartment a few blocks from my office once upon a time." 

Stephanie's eyes widened in surprise as she turned to face him bending her legs and tucking them underneath the hem of her dress. "And do they still live in the city?" 

Paul frowned slightly as he shook his head. "Mom died just after I graduated university." 

Stephanie inhaled sharply and reached for his hand. "God, Paul. I'm so sorry." 

"Don't be. She had been ill for a long time. It was cancer." His brown eyes appeared sad as he glanced down at their entwined fingers and began to roll his thumb over the back of her hand. "She'd tried to fight it, of course but by the end she was in so much pain, I was just relieved it was all finally over and she was at peace." 

Stephanie nodded as she squeezed his hand gently letting him know she was there for him. Inside, her heart broke for him touched by his story and the pain he himself must have been through watching his mother suffer for all those years. "Is that why you moved to Europe?" she asked. 

"Yeah." replied Paul. "I just needed to get away from it all, you know." As he glanced up, the sad expression on his face made Stephanie just want to reach out and pull him close. Instead she held his hand a little tighter, her blue eyes filling with sympathy. 

"What about your father?" she asked. 

The minute the words were out of her mouth, Stephanie regretted them as Paul's brown eyes hardened and his jaw stiffened. 

"He doesn't exist." 

Stephanie's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand." 

"Oh it's pretty simple really." he replied angrily and shook his hand free from her grasp raking it through his hair. "See, he walked out on Mom when she got sick. Apparently it was too painful to stick around and watch her die so he packed his bags and left forgetting everything he had ever promised to her. I mean marriage is supposed to be in sickness and in health right? Until death do us part?" 

Stephanie quickly nodded not even sure that Paul was looking for an answer but wanting to give him one anyway. 

"And Dad stood in that church and he made those vows to her. He made a commitment to Mom by marrying her but when it came right down to it, it was just that easy for him to walk away from her. When the going got tough, he got going. Those promises he made to her didn't mean a thing. Even her pleas and her tears couldn't get him to stay. Her love for him meant absolutely nothing. All it brought her was pain and heartache. So I ask you, what is the point of it all?" 

Stephanie rolled her lips together not sure what to say. The bitterness in Paul's voice was evident and really she couldn't blame him. After all, his father hadn't just hurt his mother when he had walked out of their lives. He had hurt Paul deeply too and she could see that hurt in his eyes. She now also understood why he felt the way he did about marriage and love. His father's actions had shattered his belief in both and maybe too much for him to ever trust in them again. Ignoring the pang of disappointment in her chest at that realisation, Stephanie reached out and gently squeezed his leg. 

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you all that. I don't even know why I did." sighed Paul as he rubbed at his chin wearily. 

"Well for what it's worth, I'm glad you did. You've been through so much. You shouldn't have to bottle it all up inside and I want you to know that I'm here for you, Paul." 

His brown eyes immediately narrowed in her direction. "Why?" 

Stephanie swallowed hard as she scanned his confused face. "Do you really have to ask that question?" 

His brown eyes went wide and she sensed him pulling away before he even began to move on the blanket and glancing up at the sky, he rubbed his palms together. "I guess we should probably get back to the hotel. It will be getting dark soon." 

Stephanie nodded and tried her best to smile on the outside while inside it felt like her heart was crumbling. The very same heart she'd guarded so fiercely until she had met Paul yet somehow he'd found a way to smash her walls down. She wasn't sure she could survive losing him even although it had only been a matter of days since he had turned her world upside down. Yet somehow she feared she would have to try and find a way to do just that. Paul had obviously seen something in her eyes that gave her away. He probably knew she had fallen in love with him. Now that love would probably push him away because quite simply Paul wasn't ready for it and she had to face up to the fact that just maybe he never would be.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Paul sighed heavily and threw down his pen watching it roll across the papers strewn over the table. His big hand lifted to rub at his face wearily and he yawned as he sat back in the chair. He was tired yet he knew he wouldn't sleep. Not when he had so much weighing on his mind. His client was freaking out even more than before especially when he had found out that his team in Geneva were handling his affairs. Apparently that wasn't good enough and only the top man would do, the top man being himself of course. So he had spent a couple of hours before dinner drafting a statement that would be released in an attempt to try and minimise any damage. Not that he had made much progress. He just hadn't been able to concentrate and even now, six hours later the silence of the hotel just unsettled him more. His thoughts kept drifting to something else or more specifically someone else. 

Pushing his hair back from his forehead, Paul got to his feet and his bare soles sunk into the plush carpet as he crossed the short distance to the bedroom. His shoulder rested against the painted wood as he lingered in the doorway. Stephanie was lying fast asleep in the bed. The sheets rested across her chest and her arm was stretched across the mattress. The soft moonlight through the window illuminated her beautiful face and the loose soft strands of hair that fell across her cheek. He swore she looked just like an angel and seemed so peaceful. If only he could feel half as content. But he couldn't switch off. He couldn't stop thinking about Stephanie. Not that it was a new development. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her from the moment he had met her. He had a feeling Stephanie McMahon would be a hard woman to forget. 

Licking his lips, Paul slowly walked to the bed. He sat down next to Stephanie on the crumpled sheets and brushed away the soft strands from her face. The expression in his brown eyes was gentle as he watched her with her steady breathing filling the room. Despite his anxiety, he knew he was glad she had stayed again tonight. When she had suggested going home after dinner, he had felt slightly panicked. For some reason, he hadn't wanted her to leave. He was beginning to feel pretty sick and tired of being alone all the time and it had actually felt pretty nice having someone around the last couple of days. Someone who was interested in him and not what his power or his money could get them. When he talked, he actually felt like Stephanie really listened to him. That was a rarity in his life and probably why he'd said more than he should have this afternoon when she had asked him about his parents. His father was still a sore, open wound which was why he very rarely thought about him let alone mentioned him to anyone. Pretending he didn't exist was his way of protecting himself. Yet around Stephanie, his defences just tumbled down around him. Any control he had simply disappeared when he was around her. Then there were the feelings he had that completely terrified him. He knew without a doubt he was beginning to fall for her. Quite simply he had let Stephanie get too close and now that left them with only one choice especially after her hushed confession tonight. 

Sighing softly, Paul let his fingertips lightly brush her cheek. She'd said the words so softly, he'd almost missed them. She thought he'd been asleep and he almost had been until he'd felt her lips brush over his and she whispered the three words that changed everything between them. _I love you_. 

Paul swallowed thickly as his hand trailed from her face and fell to the sheets seeking out her fingers. Part of him wished he could say the words back to her. Part of him wanted to be that person who could mean everything to her because he honestly didn't want to lose her. Stephanie had come to mean so much to him but he couldn't lie to her either and pretend that what he felt for her would be enough. It wouldn't be and how could it when he didn't even trust in those feelings. That's why he had to stop this now before it ended up too late because the last thing in the world he wanted was to hurt Stephanie. God knows he'd seen enough pain and heartache in his lifetime. It was why he had always kept his distance from women. It's why he'd never let anyone get close to him. He wasn't going to be that man. He wasn't going to be his father. 

Paul suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to be close to Stephanie. To hold her so tight that maybe during the lonely nights, he could remember exactly how she felt in his arms. Her soft, warm skin. The vanilla scent of her body lotion. He wanted to commit it all to memory because after tonight the memories would be all he had left.  
Paul's brown eyes were sad as he slipped between the sheets trying his best not to disturb Stephanie as he carefully slid his arms around her and pulled her close to him. As her head nestled against his chest, he kissed her temple and tried to ignore the pang in his chest at the thought of letting her go. He knew he was doing the right thing and quite honestly, he really didn't have a choice any more.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Stephanie felt the warm sun on her skin before she even opened her eyes and a lazy smile crossed her face as she stretched out across the bed. As her hand felt the coldness of the sheets in the space next to her, she realised that Paul was already awake. Sighing softly, she threw back the sheets and picked up the robe that was lying on the floor. Her bleary eyes checked the digital clock on the nightstand beside her and was relieved to find that she had a couple of hours before she was due in at work She really didn't think she could have mustered the energy right now to make the mad dash across the city. Not before she had some coffee anyway.

Slipping on the robe, Stephanie tightened up the belt and walked through the hotel suite. Paul was standing at the table, his brow furrowed as he looked at the papers in front of him while his fingers fumbled awkwardly with the tie around his neck. Smiling gently to herself, Stephanie walked towards him and he jumped slightly startled at the sound of her voice. 

"Here. Let me." 

As her fingers began to fix his grey silk tie, Paul felt his breath catch in his throat for a second, suddenly all too aware of her closeness. He could even detect the faint scent of her perfume. Her hair was tousled and her face clean and fresh. As she smiled at him, he felt that all too familiar shift in his chest and his brown eyes became serious as he placed his hand over hers, stilling her movement. 

"I have to fly out to Geneva tonight." he told her. 

"When will you be back?" 

Paul lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "I'm not too sure." 

Stephanie nodded as she straightened the neat knot pushing it up to his collar. "But you are coming back, right? I mean you're not disappearing on me for good." she joked but her smile faded as she lifted her eyes and saw the expression on his face. He looked guilty, remorseful and there was definitely regret in his beautiful brown eyes. Suddenly the realisation of what was happening came crashing down on her like a tonne of bricks and she slowly began to back away from him in disbelief. "You're leaving because of me, aren't you?" she asked. 

"No. Its business." replied Paul half heartedly not entirely sure who he was trying to kid here when they both knew that wasn't the whole truth. He was leaving in large part because of Stephanie and he wasn't convincing anyone of anything different and that included himself. 

"It's because of yesterday, isn't it? It's what I said in the park to you." 

Paul sighed heavily raking his fingers through his hair. He knew she deserved an explanation. He knew he had to be honest with her but he was struggling to find the words and of course that was something else that unnerved him. He'd never had a problem expressing himself before but somehow Stephanie had changed all that. In fact, Stephanie was changing everything and he wasn't sure he liked it. That's why he needed this space between them right now because staying in New York meant there was every chance he would start listening to what was inside his heart and he just couldn't afford to do that. He had to protect himself. 

"You can't handle it so you're running away!" snorted Stephanie. 

"I'm not running away." scowled Paul. "I told you. It's business." 

Stephanie glared at him angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest. "So, tell me. Is that what it always comes down to? You. Your life. Is it all just about business?" 

"It's what I do. It's what made me successful and it's how I make my living." 

"But success isn't just defined by money, Paul. It's not all about material things like your expensive suits or staying in some luxurious penthouse suite. It's not only about how hard you work either. It can be the people around you. The people who care about you and who want to share your life because just the simple act of being around you, makes them happy." Her expression softened as she looked around the beautifully decorated room and her hands dropped to her sides as she met Paul's eyes once more. "I mean, don't get me wrong. All this is nice but really when it comes down to it, can you honestly stand there and tell me it makes up for the dinners spent alone and the loneliness at nights." 

Paul's mouth parted to speak but before he could Stephanie held her hand up silencing up. 

"Don't even try to deny it, Paul. I've seen that look in your eye and I recognise it all too well. See, you're not the only one who feels that way." She paused for a second as she lifted her shoulder in a light shrug. "Just like you're not the only one who is absolutely terrified of what they are feeling right about now." 

Paul pressed his lips together feeling absolutely speechless. Stephanie's honesty had completely thrown him and he wasn't sure what to think let alone what to say. She had caught him on the hop but again that was something he should be familiar with because Stephanie had had him on the hop for quite a while now. His brown eyes could only stare in her direction as she continued. 

"But you know what, I trust it and being with you has made me realise what I want now. I want a guy like you for real. Not because you give me money and take me to nice places. In fact, the nicest thing you've done for me is hold my hand but you can't give me that can you? You can't give me what I want." 

Paul just looked at her in silence. 

"I didn't think so." she whispered sadly. 

"Steph….." 

She quickly shook her head silencing him. "Hey, it's not your fault. I mean you told me from the start how you felt about love. I was just stupid enough to believe that I could actually have the fairytale." 

Paul licked his lips as he sighed softly and reached out to gently caress her arm. "You know I didn't plan any of this and the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you." 

Stephanie swallowed hard as she felt a lump in her throat. "I know." She blinked back the hot tears that burned the back of her eyes as she deliberately stepped back from him. "But I'm not prepared to settle, Paul. Not any more. See, you've shown me that love does exist and now I want it all. I want the happy ending." 

Paul's brown eyes were sad as he slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry." 

"So am I." she sniffed. "Because I truly believe we would have been something great." 

As she turned away and walked to the bedroom, Paul resisted the urge to call after her and instead busied himself with the papers on the table trying to his best to forget what she had said. He didn't want to dwell on her words. He couldn't. Besides, it was better this way. He could never give Stephanie what she wanted and even though it was killing him inside to let her go, his mind was made up and there was no turning back. He had never been in the habit of second guessing himself and he wasn't about to start now.

Scribbling a note on a piece of paper, he folded it up and placed it inside Stephanie's leather handbag that hung from one of the chairs. Grabbing his briefcase, Paul walked through the living area and paused for a second by the bedroom door listening to the running water in the bathroom. A hint of regret washed over his eyes before his jaw stiffened and he left, the door clicking shut behind him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Stephanie closed the apartment door behind her. The silence was deafening as she dumped her bags and coat on the floor and walked slowly towards the large pane window. Her fingers rested on the painted ledge as she gazed out at the city below. Despite the hustle and bustle it all felt so lonely to her. She knew it was because Paul wasn't out there. He had left the city and was probably half way to Geneva by now. Still, she couldn't believe he was actually gone. It hadn't really sunk in despite the pain in her chest constantly reminding her that it was over. As her blue eyes rose to the darkening sky, Stephanie wondered how it all went wrong so fast. One minute she was in his arms kissing him and holding him. The next thing she knew Paul had walked out on her without even saying goodbye. She had been devastated when she had come out of the bathroom to find out he was already gone. 

Sighing heavily, Stephanie turned from the window and slumped down in the small sofa. She rested her elbow on the arm and threaded her fingers through her hair leaning her head against her palm. She knew it was her fault. She blamed herself entirely. After all, she knew Paul wasn't ready for love yet instead of being patient and quietly surprising him, she had let her emotions get the better of her. She had let him see that she had fallen in love but the truth was she just couldn't help herself. When she was with Paul, all her feelings came bubbling to the surface and she couldn't hold them back even if she tried. He overwhelmed her and had opened her heart so much so that she hadn't needed words to express how she felt. Her emotions had spilled over into her eyes, terrifying Paul to the point that he felt the need to run from them. But she had meant what she had told him. He was that person for her and she wasn't prepared to settle for less. Paul had been her happy ending but now she was going to have to try to find a way to live without him. 

Stephanie sniffed and blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over her lashes. This was so much easier when she had been angry with him this morning. Focusing on the fact that he hadn't had the guts to face her, it had given her strength and she had left that hotel room with her head held high. But as the day drew on, that anger had disappeared. After all, how could she stay angry with him when she actually understood his reasons for leaving her? What had happened with his parents had really hurt him deeply. She could sense his pain when he had talked about it yesterday but along with that pain there had also been hatred. Paul resented his father's actions so much that his belief in love had been completely tarnished to the point that he refused to believe in its existence. He didn't even want to give himself the chance to find out any differently and at the first sign of anyone getting close to him, he had immediately hopped on a plane putting thousands of miles between them. The problem was that distance wasn't going to change anything, at least not for her. Paul was inside her heart now and she wasn't sure she could let him go. She wasn't sure she even wanted to. 

Just then she heard a muffled ringing and sighing, she got up from the sofa. It was her cell phone but quite honestly, she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. All day she had been avoiding conversation and had just wanted to be left alone. Still, her curiosity got the better of her. That and there was the fact that Paul had her cell phone number. They had exchanged them over the weekend when they had gotten back to the hotel one night after dinner so even though the chance was very remote, she knew there could be a possibility that he was calling. 

Lifting her bag from the floor, she fumbled around inside. Her fingers wrapped around her phone and as she pulled it out, she absently noticed a piece of paper falling to the floor. The ringing stopped just as she checked the screen and her shoulders slumped with disappointment as she saw her friend's name instead of Paul's. Sighing once more, she dropped her bag to the floor and threw her phone on the small table next to her. She would wait and call Sophie back later. She couldn't face the questions she knew she would throw in her direction especially when those questions would all be related to Paul in some way. She just wasn't ready to talk about him yet because that would make it all too real. She was happy to try and pretend that none of this was happening and maybe convince herself it was all a bad dream. But if this was a dream, why did her heart feel so twisted and broken inside? 

Pushing back her hair, Stephanie let out a shaky breath. As her feet shuffled back to the sofa, she noticed the folded sheet of paper lying on the faded carpet. Scrunching her nose up in mild curiosity, she reached down and picked it up. She lifted up the corner and as her eyes settled on the neat scrawl on the page she felt the lump in the back of her throat. Four simple words stared out at her. 

"I'll never forget you." 

Her hot tears spilled over her lashes as her fingers touched the blurred page. Her heart broke all over again as she realised what this meant. Paul had found a way to say goodbye to her after all. Somehow he had just been too scared to say it to her face. As Stephanie sniffed and wiped at her wet cheek, she tried to fathom out why he would feel that way. After all, he didn't love her like she loved him. Why was it so hard to walk away and tell her that it was over and not only that feel he had to travel thousands of miles to put some distance between them. 

Suddenly a breath hitched in Stephanie's throat and she felt a tiny bit of hope creep into her heart. The tiny bit of hope that made sense of Paul's actions and the tiny bit of hope that made her believe that maybe, just maybe, her feelings weren't so one sided after all. Maybe there was a chance Paul felt something for her too, something so strong and real that it had him running in the opposite direction from it. Something he had never felt before and it had blind-sided him forcing him to question everything he thought he knew. His fear had obviously stopped him from even trying to figure any of it out but maybe that's because Paul was trying to do this all himself. And why wouldn't he? It seemed that there hadn't been anyone important in his life for the longest time. His mother had died and his father had given up on him. Paul was all alone and had no one to lean on. Or at least he hadn't up until now. Maybe it was up to her to let him know in no uncertain terms that someone was there for him. That just because he had pushed her away, she wasn't going to give up on him, not like his father had done. 

Glancing around the room anxiously, Stephanie felt the sudden need to go after Paul. To fly to Geneva and confront him but how on earth was she meant to do that? She was lucky if she had a hundred dollars in her bank account. Still, she was going to find a way to get that money. She had to because if there was a chance she could convince Paul that their love was enough, then it would be a small price to pay for a dream come true.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Stephanie poked her head around the door and smiled. "I believe you wanted to see me." 

Julie nodded and waved her into her office as she dumped a stack of paper on her desk and gestured to the seat in front of her. "Won't you sit down?" 

Stephanie briefly nodded as she sat in the chair, smoothing out the wrinkles in her blue skirt. 

"Something was brought to my attention this morning. I thought you might like to see it before the gossip spreads and you hear it from someone else." 

Stephanie raised her brow in surprise as Julie handed her a newspaper. It was a tabloid, one of the gossip rags. As her blue eyes scanned the page, she let out a silent gasp of surprise as she saw the black and white picture on the right hand side. It was of Paul and he wasn't alone. Her own smiling face stared back at her and Stephanie was stunned into momentary silence. It must have been taken just a couple days ago when they had been out walking in the park. She felt a pang of loneliness in her chest as her fingers reached up to lightly touch the photograph. 

"I have to say I was shocked when I realised the woman in the photograph was you. I had no idea you and Paul were together." said Julie as she sat on the corner of her desk. 

A sad smile traced Stephanie's lips as her eyes lingered on Paul. "We're not together. Well, not any more." Her finger fell away and as she glanced up, she saw Julie watching her carefully. 

"I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. 

Stephanie quickly shook her head and pressed her lips together. 

"Is there anything I can do?" 

"Not unless you can magic me a ticket to Geneva." she joked. 

Julie's brow furrowed in confusion and Stephanie sighed as she began to explain. 

"Paul flew back there yesterday and I had this crazy idea to go after him." 

A grin spread across Julie's face. "And are you? Going after him, I mean." 

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug and tucked a lock of hair behind her left ear. "I don't know. It all made perfect sense to me last night but now….." She paused and sighed once more. "Well now I'm just wondering if it would be worth the humiliation putting myself out there like that. I mean, I could go all the way over there to see Paul only to find out he doesn't love me after all. That he's not just running scared because of the past and that maybe I've just imagined that what I felt with him was real. Maybe I've just been caught up in the romance of it all because really how could I have the fairy tale with a guy I've only known for a couple of weeks?" Stephanie quickly silenced herself realising she'd said too much and smiled at Julie apologetically. "See. I told you it was crazy." 

Julie's grin got wider. "Are you kidding me? I think it's a great idea." 

Stephanie's blue eyes shone and her nose crinkled with surprise. "You do?" 

"Of course I do! Do you know how many women would kill to be in your shoes right now? God, half of them are probably in mourning after seeing that picture this morning." 

Stephanie laughed as she glanced down at the magazine once more. "But what if I have got it wrong, Jules? What if Paul really doesn't love me?" 

Julie smiled softly as she flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Then at least you've given it a shot and you won't spend the rest of your life wondering what if." 

Stephanie nodded as she sighed softly. 

"So when are you going after him?" 

She couldn't help but smile at Julie's enthusiasm. "As soon as I can get the money together." she told her. "Maybe in a couple of weeks." 

"A couple of weeks?" cried Julie. "You can't wait that long! I can't wait that long." 

As she jumped down from her desk, Stephanie watched her curiously feeling her own enthusiasm bubbling to the surface. She had been trying so hard not to get her hopes up about Paul and the whole situation. That was why she had spent the best part of last night lying in bed trying her best to talk herself out of going after him. After all, it was such a huge risk putting her heart on the line like that especially when it had already been broken. She was terrified of getting hurt but Julie had made a good point. She couldn't live the rest of her life not knowing if she and Paul had the chance at a future together. She had to find the courage to do this especially when her need for him overcame everything else in her life. Quite simply, she didn't want to live without him. 

"Okay, I have an idea." 

Stephanie felt her stomach flutter with excitement as Julie flicked through her diary and sat down at her chair. When she looked at Stephanie, a huge smile adorned her face. 

"I can get you to Geneva in two days if you can do something for me in return." 

Stephanie let out a small gasp as she nodded her head and leant forward in her chair. "Of course. Anything." 

"I need you to meet with a stock broker in London tomorrow night. He's giving us an exclusive article on the market over there. Mike would usually cover it but I'll blow him off and send you instead. What do you think? If I cover your air fare to Heathrow, can you get yourself to Geneva?" 

A slow grin crossed Stephanie's face. "I'll make sure of it." 

"That's my girl." winked Julie as she snapped over her diary and sat back in her chair. "I'll arrange your tickets. In the meantime, you'd better take the rest of the day off. I'm sure you've got arrangements you need to take care of." 

Stephanie nodded as she got to her feet quickly crossing the short distance to Julie's desk surprising her by wrapping her arms around her neck and hugging her.  
"I don't know how I'll ever thank you enough." 

"Just get that article to me by nine sharp Friday morning." she smiled. 

"You've got it." promised Stephanie before making her way to the office door. 

"Oh and Stephanie?" 

She turned round looking at Julie as she rested her hand on the doorway. 

"Make sure you don't come back to New York empty handed." 

Stephanie paused for a beat as she let out a calming breath. "Trust me. I don't intend

to." 

Her footsteps were slow as she walked back to her desk practically in a daze. Her heart was racing and her palms were sweaty. As she began to tidy her desk, her mind was rushing through the list of things she needed to do. There were her tickets, money not to mention her luggage. As she switched off her computer, Stephanie glanced across at the window and the realisation washed over her that despite the distance between them, somewhere Paul was watching and sharing the exact same clear blue sky. And just for that moment her frantic mind suddenly became peaceful and a soft smile lingered on her lips as she stared out across the city..…. 

Paul's shoulder rested against the frame of the large glass window as he looked out at the setting sun disappearing behind the office buildings. The blue sky was covered in pink and orange hue. Not for the first time that day, his thoughts turned to Stephanie as he wondered where she was and what she was doing. For two days straight he'd fought the urge to call her simply to hear her voice or just to tell her he was sorry. God knows he was sorry about a lot of things especially walking out on her the way that he did. But it had been the only way because his resolve had been breaking as it was. Leaving was self preservation on his part. Still, he meant what he had said in that note. He would never forget her although since the moment he had left that hotel room he had tried his best to do just that. 

The second his plane had landed he had buried himself in work. He hadn't given himself the time to miss Stephanie or even to think about her yet every so often she would creep into his thoughts quietly and suddenly. Like just a moment ago when he had signed and sealed an important investment. His immediate reaction had been to call and share it with her. He didn't know why. Maybe it was because she was the only person who showed an interest in his life. Stephanie was the first person in a long time that he had shared anything with and now he'd had a brief glimpse of what that felt like again, he wasn't so sure he could go back to life without her. Quite honestly, he wasn't even sure he wanted to which raised an important question. Why the hell was he standing here instead of doing anything about it? Oh yeah, his fear of becoming his father. 

Sighing heavily, Paul raked his fingers through his hair and began to pace the floor of his office. That man had ruined his life once. Now it was time for round two. The only difference was he knew deep down, he had a choice this time. That was probably what got him more than anything. He knew that for the first time he was second guessing himself. He knew that his fear and his apprehension had gotten the better of him and that's why he had left New York. He was scared of what he felt for Stephanie. He was scared of himself. God knows he's spent enough time analysing it all to death ever since he got on that plane and ever since he got here, he just wanted to be somewhere else. Somewhere that Stephanie was. The place his heart was.  
The question was did he have the guts to get what he wanted or did he live in fear for the rest of his life hoping against hope that the loneliness he felt would somehow disappear or that the longing in his heart would just vanish into thin air. After all, it had only been a couple of days. He hadn't really given himself the time to get over Stephanie although he wasn't entirely sure that you ever got over the person you had given your heart to. After all, despite everything, his mother had never gotten over his father. She loved him until the day she had passed away. 

Paul's brown eyes were sad as he glanced at his desk where her framed picture sat and where her matching pair of brown eyes stared back at him. He picked it up and stood just looking at her. He had lost count of the number of times she had told him that all she wanted was for him to find someone and be happy. Someone who would love him the way he deserved to be loved, someone just like Stephanie. Paul knew without a doubt his mother would have approved of her. 

_Listen to your heart._

Paul swallowed thickly as he heard her voice in his head. It was something his mother had told him a long time ago and something she had wanted him to trust and believe in. Yet somehow through time and his pain over his father's betrayal, he had forgotten that shutting off his emotions. It had been the only way to survive, well at least up until now.

Sighing softly, Paul placed the picture back on his desk and looking at his mother's beautiful face once more, he felt a sense of clarity that he hadn't had before. He knew where he had to be. He had to be where Stephanie was. It was the place where his heart was and where he knew it would always belong. Suddenly admitting that to himself didn't seem so terrifying any more. Not as terrifying as realising that by staying here, he would be living the rest of his life without Stephanie. 

Grabbing his coat, Paul quickly crossed the room and left his office. He didn't want to wait a moment longer. He was going back to New York and he was going to do what he should have done in the first place. He was going to tell Stephanie he was in love with her.


	15. Chapter 15

Only one more chapter to go after this one. Thanks to everyone for their lovely reviews. :) Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 15

Stephanie sighed as she checked the departures board where the "delayed" sign still flashed intermittently in front of her. Rolling her eyes she adjusted the strap of her leather bag and wandered back to her seat sipping from the hot coffee that she held in her hand. It was her third cup in the two hours she had been stuck here. God knows she needed something to try and keep her eyes open. It had been a long twenty four hours since she'd departed from New York but she had been so occupied she hadn't had time to think about sleep. The moment she had landed in London she had been whisked away to conduct her interview with the stock broker. He had seemed a pleasant enough guy and it had all gone pretty smoothly. She had then made a quick phone call to Julie at the office giving her a brief rundown before grabbing some dinner and jumping in a cab back to the airport. That was when she had discovered that a technical problem with the incoming aircraft was causing her flight to Geneva to be delayed for a minimum of two hours. From that moment on, she had deflated and the tiredness had crept up on her.

Of course it hadn't helped that she hadn't slept the night before she left. She couldn't. She had been too excited to sleep. She had also been anxious too and had lain in bed working out exactly what she would say to Paul when she saw him. After all, this was the rest of her life. She couldn't afford to screw this up. She wanted Paul to know just how much he meant to her but at the same time, she had to tread carefully. She couldn't come on too strong and scare him away. The last thing she wanted was to send him running again because the truth of the matter was, her heart couldn't take him leaving. Not a second time. That's a big reason why she hadn't even called him to tell him she was coming. She was scared of the rejection.

Taking another sip from her coffee, Stephanie sat down in the empty chair. As an announcement crackled over the tannoy, she stretched out her long legs and glanced around her. The airport was relatively quiet due to the late hour of the evening. A couple of people were stretched out over the seats letting their exhaustion get the better of them. If only she could be so lucky and switch off long enough to rest, not that she would risk it. She couldn't. Not when there was a chance that she would miss the boarding call and in turn miss her flight. It was bad enough that she had to wait this long when all she wanted was to be in Geneva and be with Paul. The waiting around was killing her not to mention driving her crazy. Every second she was stuck here was a precious second away from him and their future together. Well, providing she could persuade Paul they actually had a future.

That was something else that made her hate all this waiting around because the longer she was stuck in this airport, the more time she had to cast doubt in her mind that Paul didn't love her after all. It also made her question her own sanity too. She wasn't in the habit of pursuing any man never mind travelling to another continent on some romantic declaration of her love. She was usually so logical and sensible about everything. She was rational and always thought things through. This was totally out of character to her to act so impulsively yet at the same time she had never felt so sure of herself. She knew what she wanted. She wanted Paul and she wanted her happy ending and she was determined nothing was going to stop her. Well, once the problem with the plane was out of the way that was. Until then, she just had to try and be patient.

Stephanie had just finished her coffee when she heard the announcement apologising for the delay and that her flight would be boarding in ten minutes. Her heart skipped a beat as she realised her waiting was over and in a matter of hours she would be with Paul. As she felt the anticipation build up in her stomach, Stephanie got to her feet tossing her Styrofoam cup in the waste bin beside her and made her way to the departure gate. Her head was bowed as she began to rummage in her bag searching for her boarding pass and lightly cursed as she couldn't find it. She tried to quell her rising panic remembering it being right there next to her cell phone when she had checked it half an hour ago. Right then she stopped in her tracks as her fingers began to search more frantically.

"Damn it!"

Stephanie heard the annoyed tone in the deep voice and grimaced knowing she had caused someone to run into her. She quickly lifted her head as an apologetic smile traced her lips. However, that smile froze and she suddenly felt breathless as her wide blue eyes stared in disbelief at the person standing in front of her. "Paul?" she whispered shakily.


	16. Chapter 16

So here it is. The final chapter of the story. I hope you like it :) Thanks to everyone who read this and left me some awesome feedback. I really appreciate it and thanks for taking the time to read this and share your thoughts with me. It's what keeps me writing!

* * *

Chapter 16

Paul's head snapped up at the sound of her voice. The annoyed scowl on his face quickly disappeared and his brown eyes were filled with pure amazement as he looked at her slightly dazed, his mouth parted in surprise.

"Stephanie? What the hell are you doing here?"

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug trying her best to catch her breath and her words. The blood was beating in her ears and her throat felt terribly dry. She was absolutely speechless and completely blown away by the fact that Paul was standing right there in front of her. She wasn't prepared for seeing him like this. It was supposed to be another place, another time. A time when she would be calm and collected and all the things she had planned to say to Paul would come flowing from her mouth with ease. Instead she felt flustered and shocked and everything else in between. She honestly couldn't believe he was here looking even more amazing than she remembered. She fought the urge to reach out and just pull him into her arms. Instead she let out a calming breath before her mouth curved into a shy smile.

"The same thing as you, I guess." she replied.

Paul shook his head in disbelief as he raked his fingers through his long blonde strands. "You mean you're flying to New York?"

"No. I…." Stephanie's voice trailed away as the realisation of his words hit her and she paused for a moment licking her lips. Her blue eyes narrowed in his direction as she adjusted the strap of her bag. "Wait. You're going to New York?"

As Paul nodded, she pressed her lips together trying to suppress her laughter at the irony of the whole situation. After all here she was minutes away from her flight. A flight that now seemed pointless and futile considering Paul wouldn't even be there.

"Or at least I was going there."

Stephanie could only stare at him once more as a gentle smile crossed his face.

"It looks like you saved me the trouble."

"Wh-what do you mean?" she stammered as her heart pounded madly in her chest not quite daring to believe that his admission meant what she thought it meant. That somehow Paul was travelling to New York because of her. It all seemed too good to be true to be real. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. But as he simply watched her for a moment, his gentle brown eyes penetrating through her, she realised she knew the answer and swallowed thickly, her knees trembling slightly under his intense stare.

"You see, I suddenly realised I had something important I needed to tell you."

"You….you did?" she stammered.

"Yeah." said Paul licking his lips as he took a step closer.

Just then the tannoy crackled into life again as the last call was made for the flight to Geneva. Stephanie bit down on her lip feeling her cheeks flush as she tucked her strands of hair behind her ear. Paul simply looked at her for a moment before his nose crinkled cutely, the pieces suddenly coming together in his mind.

"Wait a second. Where are you going tonight?"

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a slight shrug. "Well, someone once told me the Alps look fantastic at this time of year."

Paul snorted in disbelief. "You're going to Geneva?"

A slow smile crept across her face. "I was but funnily enough it looks like you just saved me the trouble."

"I don't believe this." he chuckled as he shook his head guiding her to the edge of the hallway and out of the path of a group of travellers now racing towards them obviously late for their flight. Stephanie felt her wrist tingle where his warm fingers loosely gripped hold of her and everyone and everything seemed to drift a million miles away as he looked at her once more, his beautiful smile lingering on the corner of his lips.

"So, I guess I should probably admit that it's been a while since I read any sort of fairytale book. I might need a little help in figuring out what happens now we've chased one another half way around the world." Paul said softly.

Stephanie felt her heart burst with happiness as she swallowed thickly and looked deeply into his amazing brown eyes. "Well you did say you had something important to tell me."

"I did, didn't I?"

Stephanie nodded.

"And you really want me to tell you right here in front of everyone else?"

A flicker of amusement crossed Stephanie's face as she glanced back towards the practically deserted airport lounge. "Somehow I don't think they'll interrupt us."

"Okay." replied Paul as he began to feel a little nervous. He let out a shaky breath as he wiped his sweaty palm on his black trouser leg. Suddenly he felt terribly tongue tied and his words felt lodged at the back of his throat. He wasn't prepared for this. He honestly thought he had more time, at least until tomorrow afternoon when his connecting flight landed in New York. The last thing in the world he had expected was to find Stephanie here in London and not only that she was on her way to Geneva to see him. She obviously hadn't been prepared to just give up on him and she would never know how much that meant to him. That despite walking out on her, she still wanted him and God, did he want her. He wanted her more than he had wanted anything in his life. Clearing his throat, Paul looked into her incredible blue eyes. The emotion he saw there overwhelmed him but at the same time, it soothed him too as he felt his fear slowly slip away.

"Stephanie McMahon, you have turned my world completely on its head." he began.  
A gentle smile lit up his face as his hand curled around her cheek.  
"From that first moment I saw you on that plane, I was gripped by you. By your beauty, your smile…..just everything about you got to me. Then I got the chance to know you and I realised that your beauty ran so much deeper. You just blew me away. I mean, for so long I've been alone and I've been perfectly fine with that. Or at least I thought I was until you came along with that huge heart of yours and swept me off my feet. Steph, you took my breath away and I've been struggling to catch it ever since."

Paul paused for a moment as his thumb lightly traced her jaw line and his smile faded into an apologetic frown.

"I'm so sorry I walked out on you, Stephanie. I really am but I guess I was just running scared. See, I had all these feelings for you and well….you were right with what you said that day. They did terrify me to the point that I wanted to hide from it and run. See, I never planned to fall in love, not after everything that happened with my father. But you know what? I'm tired of hating of my father and I'm tired of letting what he did dictate my life. I want to be happy, Steph. Right here and now. And you…" His thumb ran across her bottom lip. "Well you make me happy. Not money. Not global domination." he grinned.

Stephanie laughed as she felt her unshed tears burn her eyes.

"Just you." he told her simply.

Stephanie sniffed as her lips trembled with her smile.

"I guess what I really mean to say is that…well, I've fallen in love with you Steph and as scary as that is, I don't want to run from it any more. I don't want to hide from it. I just want to be with you."

A solitary tear trickled down her cheek as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I love you too." she whispered as their noses brushed against one another and her eyes closed as their lips met in a slow, soft kiss. Her heart was racing in her chest when they broke apart and Paul's fingers brushed through the ends of her hair.

"How about we find a hotel for the night and finish talking there?"

Stephanie's blue eyes shone with her amusement. "I think I've heard this proposition before. The way I remember it, there wasn't much talking done."

"Yeah, well the way I remember it, you weren't complaining." A mischievous grin crossed his face as he playfully tapped her nose. "In fact, your moans were more of an appreciative nature."

His deep laughter made his shoulders shake as Stephanie's face instantly flooded with heat.

"And there she goes with those beautiful blushes again."

Stephanie pretended to scowl as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "Just shut up and get me to a hotel."

"Awfully keen aren't you?"

"Paul!" she warned him trying to look stern while the corners of her mouth trembled with her concealed smile. She realised this was a perfect moment. One she would cherish forever in her mind and in her heart. "Would you do me a favour?"

"Anything." he winked.

"Hold my hand?" she asked holding her outstretched palm to him.

The expression in his brown eyes was warm and tender as he looked at her, sliding his fingers through hers.

"Always." he smiled.


End file.
