You could cut the tension with a knife.

Both of them were as eager as each other to talk about their relationship. But at the same time, it was bad timing. If she hadn't been scheduled for a trial the next day, nothing would have kept them from speaking. But it seemed as though it would just be teasing them. If she went to jail then nothing could happen, she'd be locked away and he'd stay with Fiona.

"Do you want something to eat?" he asked dialling room service. She only shrugged. She wasn't hungry. She sat on the bed watching him move, he was strong and toned that she couldn't stop herself from imagining all that could happen between them.

"No," she answered him forcing herself to look away.

When Alex finished up on phone, he turned to look at Stevie. She had her head down and her eyes away from his, he touched her cheek softly and she looked up. "You're going to be okay," he assured her.

"It's not me I'm worried about," she answered.

He sighed. "I'll be all right when they announce your innocence. Then we can go home and start a life together."

She shook her head. "Have you forgotten? You're married Alex. It's not over with Fiona and I won't have an affair with you, not while you're still with her. I can't," she wanted him to know how strong she felt about this. How wrong it was for them to even be in the same room together, talking about it. She hated that she felt so safe and loved with him he wasn't hers to love… not yet at least, his marriage certificate said so.

"You still want me right? You haven't changed your mind about me, because if you have then don't make this conversation about Fiona, all you have to do is say-" he spoke fast and looked deeply worried. But Stevie reached out her hand and touched his face.

"I haven't changed my mind. I just can't be as positive about all this as you can," at least she was being honest about it.

"Let me for it for the both us then. I love you. I know that justice will be served, you'll be proved innocent, you have to believe it and if not then I'll believe it for you. Tomorrow afternoon we'll be heading home together."

"And then what Alex?" she wanted to know her future held. She took his hand and held it.

"I'll tell Fi that I'm in love with you, ask for a divorce and see what she says. I can only do my part. But I won't give up in getting what I want, and I want you."

She sighed. "I want you too."

He grabbed her tightly and held her. She closed her eyes, wishing like she had a hundred times, that Fiona didn't exist. If she didn't, she could have Alex without hesitation. But how could she encourage him to have an affair when she expected him to stay faithful when he belonged to her? There was no excuse for an affair, no matter what the reason. She believed that with all her heart.

"What was your first impression of me?" Alex asked curiously.

Stevie laughed. "You were goofy."

He pulled a face pretending to be hurt. "You didn't think I was good-looking?"

She laughed again. "I don't know. I thought for a moment you were trying to impress me, but the moment I saw you look at Claire and knew that you two were destined. I didn't really think about you like that. You were just… Alex."

He nodded and a pained expression came to his face, a moment later it was gone. Stevie knew he was thinking of Claire. She doubted he'd ever forget her and she didn't want him to, she knew there was no competing with a ghost. Claire had been her friend too. She was the great love of Alex's life, and she would never ask him to change that. But it didn't mean that he wouldn't love Stevie as much as he had loved Claire; it would just be different.

"You thought I was pretty hot, didn't you?" she teased trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah I did," he answered honestly. She blushed. She wasn't expecting him to say that. "When did you first realise that you…" he didn't want to say the word love, she hadn't used it yet but he knew she felt something strong. He was afraid to push her away, was all.

"I think I always knew deep down, but I didn't want to believe it," she replied not daring to look at him. "But it hit me last year."

"Last year?" he was intrigued.

"Yeah," she was suddenly very nervous as she explained it to him. She couldn't help thinking that it was wrong for her to feel that way. But she wanted to tell him. She wanted him to know how long she had been waiting for him and how hard it had been. "You went missing in the bush and I wasn't sure what happened to you."

"You pushed me over!" he reminded her.

She smiled. "You scared me. I thought you were dead."

"You would a heard the splash. Why didn't you say anything?" he asked with disappointment. If both of them hadn't been so stupid, they would have been together without the complications.

"I didn't know how. I was going to, and I found you in the cottage."

"The fire?" he asked in surprise. Then he nodded remembering the day. "You were acting really weird then. Was that why?"

She nodded. "I'd had a dream about you the night before," she said sheepishly.

"Really?" he grinned raising his eyebrows.

"Shut up!" she snapped punching him in the arm.

"What happened?" he was curious about it. Stevie smiled and turned her head away. "Come on you can tell me."

She sighed and forced herself to look at him. "What's going to happen to us if I go to jail?" she dared to ask.

"Nothing. You won't go to jail!" he sounded so sure of himself, that she had to wonder how he could be so brave.

"But what if I do?" she repeated.

He shrugged. "I don't know." A smile came back to his face. "Is this just your way of getting out of telling me about your dream?"

"No," she laughed.

"So what was it about?"

"You."

"And?"

"A hay bale."

He frowned. "And?"

"A crowbar."

"Where on earth was I?" he couldn't help but laugh.

"In the back shed of Drover's," she could feel her face flush with embarrassment as she remembered it. It was a very passionate moment, but no different than what she had done with him in that hotel room.

"Were you with me?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Were we doing something naughty?"

She rolled her eyes. She hated that he could be so persistent. It wasn't something she wanted to talk about with him. "Don't make it sound dirty!" she snapped. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"When did you realise that you loved me?"

"Oh…" he thought for a moment. "When I thought you were going to run off with Kane. I came to realise how close I was to loosing you. But like you, I didn't know what to say… or if what I was feeling was just jealousy. I said nothing and then over time you never hinted that you felt anything other than friendship. I didn't want to lose you all together." He was being honest with her.

She went quite again. This was a hard reality to be faced with, and thinking about dreams that couldn't come true wasn't helping any. She had to deal with this head on, she had to be brave and strong, she had to fight to keep her emotions in check. If she didn't, she might never survive.

"Please smile," he begged. "I hate that you look like you're about to cry and I can't do anything to fix it."

"You do fix it," she told him touching his cheek. "Being here with me is fixing it. I don't know what I'd do if I was here alone."

He nodded and brought her into his arms again. This time neither of them spoke, he stopped asking about her dream and she stopped asking what would happen if she went to jail. They just sat together until room service brought in the food. Alex ate and Stevie watched him, she loved everything about him, it gave her comfort just watching him.

Then Stevie laid her head on the pillow, a short time later he joined her, holding her to him but asking nothing of her other than what she was giving. "I love you, Stevie." He whispered. She fell asleep in his arms.