A half hour later, Celine looked at her watch and then looked towards the entrance of the lounge and saw the man she called, leaning against the side of the wall

A half hour later, Celine looked at her watch and then looked towards the entrance of the lounge and saw the man she called, leaning against the side of the wall. She just watched him and he did the same.

The music, a jazz type, suddenly changed as it was midnight and lights dimmed. People started to get up and dance. The song playing was Scream, by Timbaland . The man walked towards Celine.

Intoxicated with desire,

And you're the designated driver, yeah

I'm not afraid, 'cause I'm a rider, yeah

Ain't nothing wrong with feeling right, so won't you

He held out his hand Celine placed hers in his. His soft touch sent shocks threw her arm and across her whole being. He lifted it towards his mouth a kissed it lightly.

I love it babe, got me here doing things Id never do

Can hold me downs, why I'm here making sure, things are up for you

Like a getaway , for the lights go off, you turn on

I love this place, cause I can hear the echo when you make me ah

She smiled and never took her eyes off him. He gave her hand back.

''You look beautiful.'' He said.

''Thank you.'' Celine blushed.

''So why did you call me over?''

''It's stupid.''

''Come on, you can tell me. Anything you want.''

''I...I can't stay in this hotel. Everything in my room reminds me of her death and I just can't handle it.'' Tears started to drop from her eyes. He saw the wet sparkles leak from her eyes. So he wrapped his arms around her drawing her into him. She inhaled his wonderful cologne and her sweet perfume roamed around him. Celine was still teary eyed, wetting his shirt but he didn't mind. After a few minutes, both as they were before, Celine lifted her head and saw the wet mess she left on his chest. She took a step back and he saw what she was looking at.

''I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm acting like this.'' She said looking at her shoes, which she thought looked extremely pretty.

''Because a good friend just died, I would be baffled if you weren't acting like so. It's ok to cry, especially when your in a foreign country alone, and have no shoulder to cry on.'' the man replied.

''Had. I had no shoulder to cry on.'' She looked at him and he gave her a warm smile and hugged her tight. She savored his aroma and he did also, once more. Celine didn't want there hug to break but suddenly he broke it.

''You know, I have a couple of empty guest rooms at my place. Your welcome to stay with me till you leave.'' He told her.

''I wouldn't want to impose.''

''Never could you. I'll go up and gather your stuff, you check out.''

''What about Michelle's things?''

''I'll get some one to come and recover them and send them back to her family.''

''Alright, I guess.'' She replied.

''I wouldn't do anything to worry you.'' With that, the man started to walk towards the elevator. But Celine stopped him.

''Ryan! Wait!'' She ran up to him and stopped gently.

''Thank you.'' She said as she got up on her tippy toes and cupped his face with her hand. She gave him a quick gentle kiss and walked of towards the check out counter. Ryan turned around and watched her walk off. He smiled and didn't stop, even when the elevator doors opened and he got in. An elderly man looked up at him and grimaced.

''Young people these days.'' The old man said rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

Ryan arrived at his destination and walked down the hallway to 1514, Celine's suite. He ran the key-card threw the scanner then entered. The girls kept the place pretty clean. In the bedroom were two queen size beds covered in solid red duvet and white and black pillows. On the far right side were big glass windows that ran along the whole wall, which were all white. On the left side was a giant closet full of suits for both women and the bathroom door. Right beside him, to the left, was a dresser and on the right was a desk. He went threw the closet and found the clothes that belonged to Celine and placed them in the luggage bag with her name on it. Then he went threw the dresser and placed the rest of her clothes into the suite case. Next was the washroom. It was a big washroom, the size of the bedroom, which was really big too. There was a beautiful marble sink with gold decor running around it. He found to makeup bags and took Celine and placed it into the second luggage bag. All the walls were tile half way up then were finished with a maroon paint. Beside the sink was a toilet then empty space till the back wall hit. Along the back wall a very high end Jacuzzi. The on, on his right was a steam shower that could hold at least four people. It had dark teal tiles and bamboo running across all the walls except for the glass door that leads in and out. He walked over to the living area. A large red sofa and some red armchairs were grouped around a glass table. A huge TV was placed in front of a black loveseat, accompanied by two white armchairs. One side of the room, the wall was all windows, the other, were plain white walls. Ryan picked up a few things that belonged to Celine, just lying around and packed them in the last bag. He finished picking up the last of her shoes and headed out. He pushed the down button on the elevator and then stepped in and waited till he reached the ground floor. Once he arrived he saw Celine sitting on a comfy looking armchair. He walked towards her and she stood up.

''Is that it?'' She asked.

''From what I could tell. I'm going to call Eric to pick up the rest. I'll bring you to the lab tomorrow morning and you can go threw what's left.''

''Ok.'' Ryan took out his phone and called Eric. They talked for about a minute then Ryan flipped his phone shut.

''All good?''

''All good,'' Ryan confirmed. ''Let's go.'' Celine rolled one bag and Ryan rolled the other. They headed towards Ryan's big truck and loaded the stuff. Ryan opened Celine's door then scooted to his side and started up the engine and drove off.

''So what brings you to France from Miami?'' Celine asked.

''Eric and I are on a temporary transfer from the Miami Dade Forensic Lab because we messed up.''

''Messed up how?'' Ryan didn't say anything and starred at the road. Celine felt stupid for letting her curious side take over. SO she just dropped it and starred out her window.

''We beat up a suspect,'' Ryan said out of the blue. Celine's eyes widened towards him. She was surprised that his warm personality and gentle hands can be so powerful and fierce. Ryan continued. ''We found a fourteen year old girl, Melissa Tanner, murdered and raped. She was average height and weight. Brown hair and orange eyes, just like you. She was doing great in school and she had many friends and family that cared for her. We discovered, after a week that it was the older bother of a girl that she didn't really get along with. He said that his sister told him that Melissa liked older guys, especially him. He saw her at a party and approached her. He was being smooth and slick, drawing her to him. Being a teenage girl, she thought it was cool that a older guy was hitting on her. She thought her reputation would rocket sky high. She joined him outside, far from the party. When he started getting rough, she tried to get away. He wouldn't let her. Then he killed her. He thought he shouldn't leave without finishing her up. Once we caught him. Eric and I stuck him in our trunk. Brought him to her head stone an beat him up at the cemetery. In court, he opened his mouth and we were sent here.''

''Oh, I'm sorry I asked. That was personal. I'm sorry.'' Celine gave Ryan a apologetic look.

''You know, it was worth it. Melissa knew we found her killer and that he wouldn't get away. And I met you.''

''Worth meeting me? I'm not special. I'm just your typical soccer player. Well no, I'm a total emotional wreck who's all messed up.''

''Yeah, but that's because you care a lot.''

''Yeah, well that bit me the ass didn't it.'' Ryan gave a small laugh and Celine smiled.

''And you are definitely special. Don't argue.'' He pointed his finger towards her in warning. She lifted both her hands in the air as a sign of surrender and they both smiled. They arrived at his place and he stopped the truck and turned it off.

''I'm not saying it was good what you did, but that guy did deserve it.'' Celine said.

''What are you talking about?''

''The reason why you are here, in France.''

''Oh. I felt like then that if I took did a thing or two to him, it would give her peace. But now that I've thought about it, just arresting the guy, knowing that he'll be in jail for as long as I can help it, knowing he won't hurt anyone else, would do the trick.''

''You're a nice guy Ryan, you know that.''

''I didn't feel like one after what I had done to the guy.''

''We all have our moments and we all make mistakes. The more you make, the more human you are. As long as you learn from them.''

''Thanks. Come' on, I'm getting cold.'' They both opened their doors and slam them shut. Ryan grabbed the heavier and bigger bag and Celine took the one that was left. They jogged over to door. It was cold and snowing but Celine enjoyed the change from the Miami weather she has been in for many years. With snow falling Ryan place looked beautiful, it had the look of a big, fancy, five million dollar cottage. And it's all up in the mountains for a plus. How can a cop afford it. Celine had no clue. Can I even afford it? Yeah, after five years on the team and some publicity, maybe. Celine thought but didn't bother asking. The outside was covered in mostly log and rocks running around the garage and along the bottom of the whole cabin. The door was black with a window up top. Ryan unlocked and opened the door and let Celine in first. He then shut the door behind himself and locked it. Celine had amazement written all over her face. Her mouth dropped to the floor and her eyes were wide open.

''Ryan it's beautiful.'' She commented.

''I'm just renting so don't break anything.'' She gave him a gently slap in the stomach and took off her shoes and walked around.

The floors were a polished and smooth wood. There were stairs composed of a few steps on her right, which she walked down into the living area. A large design rug was laid on the floor. A black, wood coffee table was surrounded by a sofa and some armchairs. A fireplace right in the middle of the far walk, covered in stones. The ceilings were low but after Celine walked threw to the next set of a few stairs, Ryan right on her heels, the ceiling grew taller and a big open, white tile space was visible. A chandelier hung above her in the center of the room. A black colored kitchen was visible on her right. It was big: she counted two cupboard doors, a stainless steel fridge, then ten more cupboard doors. A counter ran from the fridge to the sink, two cupboards down and then back to the oven and stove, which was all the way at the end. Everything was stainless steel and everything else was black. She walked along the kitchen to another sitting area with some white couches a glass coffee table squished in the middle. Window covered the back wall right beside the couches. To the left was a big, colorful, elegant Christmas tree.

Ryan saw Celine looking at his tree.

''I did that myself.'' He told her proudly.

''No way!''

''It wasn't hard; all there is is trees here in the mountains.'' Ryan gave her a joker's smile.

''I meant the decoration and time put into it. The beauty of Christmas.''

''Well, when I found my present, I was thinking it was because of Christmas. I decided to bring a little Christmas cheer to my life as thanks.''

''Living in this house. That would be a damn good present to me too.''

''That's not the present I'm talking about.''

''Well then what's the present; I haven't seen you bounce for joy holding something in your hands.''

''I can't tell.'' Ryan said, teasing her. ''It would ruin Christmas forever. You have to wait till Christmas Eve at least.'' Celine smiled and continued walking threw the house. She walked up carpet stairs with more then two or three steps, infact there was at least ten times that. It was carpet all threw the third level. The wood railing continued till it hit a wall. Celine walked past the wall into a fairly long hallway. The walls were wood like the bottom floor. There were only three black doors. One was a linens closet, another was a washroom then the last was a huge bedroom. The walls were all wood and the floor was also carpet. The room had a western style to it. Brown and gold colored bedspread and loveseat and a big TV on the wall. A cowboy hat was a on a hook labeled: Cowboys and another hat on a hook labeled: Cowgirls. There were two more doors in the room. One that opened up to a large walk-in closet. The second opened to a very, also huge, bathroom. Celine tuned around straight away and walked quickly down the stairs and towards Ryan, who was sitting on one of the sofas in the second level and stopped abruptly in front of him.

''Where am I supposed to sleep?'' Celine asked with an angry tone in her voice.

''I was going to let you use my bed and I was going to crash down here.''

''Oh. Ok, I guess that's fine.'' Ryan smiled and watched her walk up the stairs. Once she reached the top, she stopped.

''Goodnight Ryan.'' She yelled down.

''Goodnight Celine.'' He heard footsteps and a door close. He turned off all the lights and got some boxer pajamas pants and no shirt. He took a blanket and laid down. She's quite the gal. I don't know what it is but she keeps me wondering. She's intriguing, captivating. She's entertaining, enchanting. She's also very sweet and very stunning. She's something special. As Ryan kept thinking, he fell into a deep, calm, sleep, dreaming of her.