It was not their way to be distant after sex but they didn't have pillow talk either. When it was over, Eric would hold her as long as she liked or until they fell asleep. If it was early yet, Calleigh would get up for the washroom, drink a glass of water and come back to him to fool around.

Eric kissed her forehead, rubbing her back soothingly. They were silent, enjoying the bliss of post-coitus but he knew he needed to say it. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Sitting up straight, she looked at him as though he had just told her he was leaving. She looked away from them and frowned. Strange she could be so aggressive with him but feel shy about when he pulled out from being inside her after sex.

Calleigh shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this."

"We've never talked about it. With everything else in my life I'd just rather know what's going on here," Eric replied. Calleigh walked to her washroom and Eric followed her, not wanting her interrupt the conversation again. "C'mon Calleigh. I'm not being a dick because I want to know where we stand."

Calleigh shut the door, silent with a look in her eyes that said 'Fuck off, shut up.' Eric sighed and leaned against the door frame. After a few seconds he could hear the toilet flush and the water run through the door. She opened the door, walked straight past him and back to the living room.

"Hey."

Calleigh waved her hand downward. "No!"

"I'm not being a jerk. Stop acting like you're mad at me," he told her. "C'mon."

Calleigh took her plate to the kitchen, Eric close on her heels. She put her plate in the sink and rested her hands on the edge of the counter. Whatever plans she had for the evening earlier were obviously askew. As she dug through evidence she vowed she would hide away - not see anyone, not deal with anything and just sleep.

"Hey," Eric called. He took her arm and turned her around to face him. "We've always been honest with one another. Even before we started all of this."

Calleigh slowly looked up to meet his eyes, hers filled with tears and regret. "I know."

"You were honest with me about that night with the girl outside of the club," Eric reminded her.

His hands were on either side of the counter, holding her hands in place. Only with her was he this physically aggressive or tactile. Calleigh assumed he was like this with every woman he slept with but, what she didn't know was, Eric only behaved like this with her. At work, he gave her space - keeping their contact to a minimum - but when they were alone he touched her constantly, as though she would pull away at any moment. At night he pulled her close to him with both arms wrapped tightly around her; it was a position she had grown accustomed to sleeping in.

"Not your finest hour," Calleigh said, her eyes again studying the floor behind them.

Eric kissed her cheek. "I know."

Calleigh looked up at him and bit her lip. "I was surprised to find you at my door. I didn't think you'd want me again. It had been a while."

"I didn't know how to approach you." He shook his head self deprecatingly and kissed her lips. "I'd never not want you."

Her expression told him she didn't believe him. "You're a sexy man, Eric. Women are going to throw themselves at you and I know you'll want someone else."

"Are you trying to save yourself from a messy break up? Or are you trying to save yourself from being hurt?" he yelled stepping back. He crossed his arms and looked openly confused. "Are you worried about what someone would say? Are you worried about what Horatio would think?"

Calleigh rubbed her forehead. "No."

"You're lying," he countered and her attention was suddenly focused on his face. "You'd die in your little sexy pumps at the idea of Horatio knowing about us."

"That's not true," Calleigh protested, putting her hands on her hips. Eric rolled his eyes and walked to the middle of the kitchen. "Eric, that's not true."

"Okay, I kiss you in front of Horatio and the whole department, you'd be fine with it?" Eric proposed. Calleigh's face flushed and Eric shook his head. "This is what I'm talking about."

"I don't want to complicate things at work, Eric," she defended and his eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"If you didn't want to complicate things then you shouldn't have said yes," he said, suddenly angry, waving his hand back and forth. "You shouldn't have continued all this with me."

"YOU kissed me!" Calleigh reminded him, taking a step towards him. "You asked me over to your house for a drink and before we even made it to the front door YOU kissed me!"

"What is it you're afraid of?" he shouted. "I'm not like your dad and I'm certainly not John!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she vied, her voice suddenly calm and steady. "What the hell is that supposed to mean Eric?"

Eric put his hands on his hips. "I'm not dangerous, Calleigh." She groaned and Eric lowered his voice. "I know my limits when I drink. I don't smoke. I'm healthy. I'm from a good family. I'm not into drugs and the only thing I'm hooked on is fucking you."

"I'm not falling for any romantic notions you might have," Calleigh retorted sarcastically.

"Doesn't fit in with your Louisiana morals?" Eric shot back. "Not gun totin' enough? Too ethnic? Not back country and shotgun enough for you?"

"Yes, I have a problem taking half Cuban-half Russian guys home. You look too much like the help and my momma would ask why you're not in your uniform," she said dryly, her accent thick. "Get real, Eric! If I was worried about race do you think I would have let you in?"

Eric let out a breath. "Well what is it?"

"And don't throw the race card in my face - not with your family," Calleigh shouted.

"Excuse me?" Eric asked.

"Have you met your mother?" Calleigh asked, looking at him as though it was so obvious. "Hi Cuban-Mom, meet my Louisiana-white girlfriend. I know she's not Catholic, I know she's not Hispanic or have any of the other qualities that you hoped Eric would look for in a woman but can you try anyway?"

"That's pretty harsh, Calleigh," Eric said, cocking his head. "My family would accept you, and you know it."

"They wouldn't! I'm the blonde woman you work with. I'm nothing more to them and you know it," she said, sadly. "We just can't keep this up, Eric. If we end this now, at least no one gets hurt."

"I'm hurt," he said. "I'm hurt, Calleigh. I can tell you're hurt too."

"This was casual, up until twenty minutes ago," she said to no one in particular, letting out a long breath.

"That's bullshit," he spit out.

"I wasn't going to let you in tonight," she said as though that would have solved all their problems.

Eric grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him. "If you wanted to really fix things you shouldn't have come into my apartment. You shouldn't have batted your eyelashes at me and brushed up against me."

Calleigh tried pulling away. "Your ego astounds me."

Eric tightened his grip. "You wanted me to and don't even act like you still don't. Don't act like you don't like the feeling of me being inside you."

Calleigh's face flushed and Eric knew he had struck a cord.

"It was a mistake," she stated.

Eric shook his head. "No."

"I shouldn't have let you in, tonight," Calleigh replied. "I am over this."

"You're not, you're in it as much as I am. You're just scared because you're addicted to me fucking you too," Eric said and Calleigh shook her head. "I see it in your eyes. You like this just as much as I do. You walk around work like you're so demure but in the end you just like to be fucked."

"No," she whispered.

He shook his head and kissed her, pulling her body tight to his. Calleigh moaned as his tongue massaged hers; his left hand in her hair and his right digging into the flesh on her butt. Eric broke the kiss, pushing her down to the cold tile floor and reclaimed her lips again. He held her on the floor with his hand on her shoulder, unbuttoning the three buttons Calleigh had done up and pulled her underwear off. He spread her legs with his hands and entered her in one fast movement.

He didn't wait for her body to adjust and pulled out quickly to thrust inside her again. Calleigh cried out, closing her eyes and arching her back. With every thrust in and out, Calleigh felt like she couldn't take the next one; her body aching from their activities earlier that night.

"Tell me you don't like this," Eric growled next to her ear and Calleigh shook her head but her body couldn't tell him no. Eric could feel her and she incredibly wet. "C'mon. Tell me you don't want this."

Pinned on the floor, it was the opposite of every encounter they had ever had. Eric lay on top of her propped on his right elbow, his right hand gripping her shoulder tightly. His left hand was next to her abdomen, holding her there. She couldn't move her hips or kiss his chest. It was all she could to do hold on. He was rough. He wasn't treating her like a china doll and to her own surprise, her body was approaching climax quickly. Calleigh let go of the flesh on his back, dropping her hands on the floor and scratching at the tiles. Eric knew she was trying to grip the tiles like she was gripping the bed sheets.

"Don't you dare cum unless you're going to admit the truth," Eric said and thrust hard. Calleigh opened her mouth but she couldn't make any noise. He stilled his movements, poised to enter her again. "Tell me to stop. Tell me you don't love this."

"Please don't stop," Calleigh pleaded, her voice sultry and low. Her green eyes were bright, staring into his brown ones. She whispered softly, "I love this."

"Me too," Eric said and kissed her as he thrust in again.

Calleigh reached her orgasm, quivering beneath him. Eric kept his pace and she came a second time as he propped himself on his hands and began moving fast.

His smooth skin was radiant with sweat but Calleigh had to admire his stamina. The developed muscles on his shoulders, pectorals and back were getting a work out and as she ran her hand down his washboard stomach, she had to appreciate what a hot body he had.

Calleigh dug her nails into the flesh on his ass, Eric grunted and emptied himself inside her, pushing Calleigh to climax beneath him a third time.