"There are more effective ways to get my attention than setting yourself on fire," Erin said, moving closer to the fireplace to avoid the bone-chilling cold blowing through the window.

"It was a dish-towel, Erin," he said, slamming the window closed, "There are easier ways than risking life and limb to get your attention." He moved to stand behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't-"

"Don't what? Suddenly it's a crime to help a lady out of her coat?"

A chill ripped down her spine when his fingertips brushed against her skin, "I'm as bad as you are," she admitted. They were never supposed to speak of their time together, what they did was bad enough but the memories still haunted her.

"We can't be up here!" She hissed, as he began to climb the ladder of the lighthouse.

"We can be wherever we want, unless you're afraid," he chided, his eyes sparkling with mischief, "Climb On up here, Fraidy Cat."

"You're hell bent on getting us locked up the night before Thanksgiving!" She said between clenched teeth. Her arms crossed across her chest to fight off the wind blowing off the bay.

"No, I'm hell bent on getting your ass inside that lighthouse," He offered her his hand, "Come on."

"You are footing the bail money," she said, grabbing his hand and hoisting herself on the ladder.

Her heart sped from anticipation or fear, she wasn't sure.

'Just don't look down, don't look down.' she chanted in her mind.

"Almost there, don't look down and you will be fine," Dave said as they neared the top rung.

"Funny, I was just thinking that."

He reached the top and pulled her inside, she scrambled to her feet.

"We're on the top floor, shut your eyes-"

"And let you lead me right off the edge of this thing?" She quipped, just managing to hide her smile.

"And ruin the evening? Humor me."

"Okay," she breathed struggling to control the speed of her heart, "I trust you."

His hands gripped the top of her shoulders, "I'm blindfolding you."

The smooth feel of silk on her face set off butterflies in her stomach.

His hot breath tickled her ear, "Take my hand," he said, entwining their fingers, "And walk."

"Ready? One. Two. Three."

The silk fell from her face, the circular room bathed in pink as the sun set around them, candles outlined the room and blankets covered the floor.

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

"That, Ladies and Gentlemen is an actual smile. We have a winner."

"Would you take it back?" She asked, pulling her gaze away from the flickering fire.

"Take what back?"He asked.

"Maryland."

Dave crossed his arms against his chest, her answer came like a punch to the stomach. 'Where the hell did that come from?'

"Not a single moment," he answered honestly.

"You wouldn't?"

"That was the best week of my adult life, why would I want to forget that. Why would you?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Because what we did was-"

"Don't say it was wrong Erin. If anything was wrong, it was the silly commitments we had back home."

Her voice choked in her throat, "We shouldn't have-"

'Stop it, you made your bed lay in it.' Her conscious berated.

"What brought this up?"

"We're stupid-I'm stupid for thinking about it; reminiscing wasn't part of the deal." She said, the words came out harsher than intended; but dammit she was tired of fighting She was just tired plain and simple. She pressed a hand to her lower back the extra thirty pounds making itself known.

"You brought it up, but it's my fault? Okay, Erin what's really going on here?"

"We had a deal-"

"That we would never talk about the time we spent together." He cut in,"Is this because you think I used you?"

"We used each other," the bitter declaration dropped like a stone in her stomach, what they had wasn't love, it was nothing but a bad decision. So why was she with him now?

"Finally, a little honesty."

"I've always been honest with you."

Dave raised an eyebrow in speculation, "Come on, Erin we both know Crammer didn't send you up here."

"What the hell are you talking about? Why would I lie about that?"

"You needed an excuse-"

She straightened to her full height, with her hands on her hips, "An excuse?"

Dave leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, now for the fun part of being a profiler.