The minute Tess Phillips crossed the finish line in the Chicago Marathon, her life began to change. As the female winner in this year's race, she was handed a check for fifty thousand dollars The money would keep her fledgling recycling business afloat for awhile, but there was one catch. If she wanted to keep the money, she had to let a local sports writer shadow her for an entire week. Although Tess didn't mind sharing her training tips, she couldn't afford to have a reporter prying into her personal life. Especially a reporter like Nick Bartholomew. With his mocking grin, his aggressive style, and his intense blue eyes, Nick wouldn't let one detail slip by. Once Nick started nosing around, Tess's business problems were sure to leak out. She had to avoid him - even if he was the most attractive man she'd ever met. From the start, Nick Bartholomew was not pleased with this assignment. He was sure that Tess Phillips was a complete fraud. No one could win a marathon on their first try. But one look at Tess's clear blue eyes made Nick doubt his reporter's instincts. They weren't the eyes of a hustler. They were too trusting, too vulnerable. If a man stared into Tess Phillips's eyes long enough, he would begin to believe in all sorts of fairy tales. Before he lost his objectivity, Nick had to cut to the chase. It was time to uncover Tess's secret-and he was the best man for the job.