A/N: This chapter has been giving me fits for a long time. Finally I said dammit it's getting finished and posted TODAY. Lol I'm trying to catch up on all my poor forgotten stories. Any one's you want updated? Let me know xxxxxxx

They didn't talk again for three weeks, they texted occasionally, but they hadn't seen each other at all. Between his work schedule and her still unpacking her house some and joining her volunteer groups, there just wasn't time.

Daryl had interactions with her husband at work, she knew that they saw each other. He seemed to her to be the kind of man who would shake her husband's hand knowing he had his hands on her.

He would probably get off on that.

He would like knowing that Ed had no idea that the peon paramedic at his hospital was fucking his wife. Daryl had a cocky side which was worse than Shane and she was excited by it.

She also wasn't the least bit sorry that she felt that way. Life was short and she knew that all too well, she was going to live her life with no regrets.

The one thing she regretted could never be changed and now? All bets were off. Her daughter was dead, a victim of leukemia at the age of six.

The child of a doctor, at the best hospital in the country could not be saved.

She would eat the cookie, take the vacation and fuck the guy.

Something told her that Daryl was on the same page as her about all of that. He just had that swagger about him that told everyone that he was just a little bit of a bad boy.

Carol was not bothered by that knowledge about him. What they had going on was a satisfaction of mutual needs. It was working, and as long as it didn't get messy it would continue.

Carol did not do messy.

She was at Barns and Noble with Maggie one day and they had just come from yoga class. It was a Tuesday and she hadn't seen Daryl in a few weeks. He had been on forced overtime and exhausted from what she could figure from his texts.

They had planned to see each other as soon as he was off overtime, which was going to be another week or so.

Carol and Maggie were online for tea at the coffee bar and she saw him walk by the window with a tall blonde haired woman. That would be his wife.

She turned around hoping he wouldn't see her but he did. He also saw how she turned around when she saw him. Well, that was just a fucking challenge, he thought to himself.

She wasn't alone and he took that as even more of a challenge.

A few minutes later he walked in without the blonde, the alleged Mrs. Dixon.

He walked right up and got on line about three people behind Carol and Maggie. The both ordered green tea and she did her best to pretend he wasn't there.

She felt like the temperature in the room went up a million degrees and her face was flushing, she was sure of it. Just from being in the same room with him and that was good and bad.

If Maggie suspected anything different about her she didn't say a word.

They paid for their drinks and sat down at a table, Carol could hear him order his drink. Café mocha, shot of espresso and extra whipped cream, the exact opposite of her and his voice was so damn sexy.

She was surprised that women weren't following him all over the place. She almost wished they were because he was about to upset her apple cart, she just knew it.

Her boat was going to get rocked and not in the good way.

Maggie got up and excused herself to go to the bathroom and before Carol could look up he was in Maggie's chair.

"I know you saw me outside." He said.

"And what if I did?" She said.

"You were going to pretend you didn't."

She nodded. "Yeah, I was, Maggie is going to be back soon. You need to go."

He sipped his coffee like he had all the time in the world and grinned at her in the process. He wouldn't let her ignore him.

"What are you doing later?" He asked, giving her that grin that got her into the bathroom at the wedding.

"Seriously?" She said incredulously. "Ed's home."

"So is Marina, she's actually next door at the pharmacy." He tilted his head and motioned towards the other stores in the strip mall.

"You are such a jerk, you know that?"

"I know, let's go to a hotel." He looked back to make sure Maggie wasn't walking back.

"What would you have me say to Ed?" She said. "I'm going to bang the good looking paramedic that works with you?"

He smiled that wide grin that showed off his dimples perfectly. "I dare you."

He looked back and Maggie was in the back of the store looking at some books, she would be back soon.

"Meet me at the hotel where we met tonight at six."

He stood up and grabbed his coffee.

"I can't." She hissed.

He nodded. "You know you want to."

He sipped his coffee and Carol saw Maggie starting to walk back to her.

"I'll be at the bar, but this time we'll go to a room."

"I won't be there." She said.

"Yes, you will."

He sipped his coffee, winked and walked away.

/

Carol told Ed she had joined a book club and walked into the bar at precisely six pm. He was sitting at the bar drinking his drink and there was one there for her. He expected her to come and for some reason that both annoyed and amused her.

She sat down on the stool next to him and he looked over at her without turning his head.

She took a sip of her drink.

"You're pretty sure of yourself aren't you?"

He nodded.

"You're cocky too." She said turning to him on the barstool. "And very amusing."

"How long can you stay?" He asked.

"A few hours." She said and he took his drink down in one gulp.

"Come on, drink up. " He motioned to her drink.

She took a sip and swallowed half of the glass in one shot.

He nodded. "That's my girl."

He took her by the hand and led her towards the elevator. He slung his arm over her shoulder and casually asked if she had ever done it in an elevator.

It turned out she hadn't.

The minute the doors closed he had her up against the back of the elevator and actually lifted her up off of her feet. She wrapped her legs around him as he plundered her mouth with his, pushing his tongue into her mouth deliciously. He readjusted and grabbed her legs pulling her up against him so that she could feel how hard he was through her thin cotton pants.

His lips and teeth were moving down her neck and he growled audibly as he bit her softly with just enough pressure. "Next time wear a skirt. We aint got enough time now."

"Holy shit, I guess you missed me?" She gasped out because he was totally pushing all her buttons right now. She dug her hands into his hair and pulled him closer for a toe curling kiss.

The only thing he could reach was under her shirt and he went for it sliding his hand up her shirt and palming her breast.

The elevator dinged, they were at their floor.

"Yeah, I missed ya, it's been weeks." He kissed her again and let her slide down his body until her feet were back on the ground and the doors opened.

There were two women standing there gawking at them. His hair was a mess and her shirt was all disheveled.

"Evening Ladies." He said as he took Carol's hand and led her out into the hallway. They laughed all the way to the room.

/

There was something about being in a hotel with someone you weren't supposed to be with that made it so much hotter than the last time at her house. They had more time that night and this was going to be just a few hours.

But the air was different here, it was thicker and filled with electricity.

The minute they got in the room he backed her up against the bed and they both had half of their clothes off along the way.

He kicked off his boots and they both had the rest of their clothes off quickly and then they were on the bed. There was no small talk and no pretense and he was inside her immediately. The noises that escaped their lips after not being together for so long were feral and loud.

His hands ran up her arms and he pulled them over her head with both his hands and held them there as he grinded his hips against her in a mad frenzy.

His kisses were fevered leaving a hot trail along her neck and over her lips. "You ok?" He said against her lips. "Sorry it's so…"

"I'm ok. More." He dove in for another kiss sweeping his tongue against hers still holding her hands down. He didn't plan on being so aggressive but she was right there with him matching his thrusts with complete abandon.

"I did miss you." He breathed out as he let go of her arms, backed up from her and flipped her over onto her stomach. He reached for her and pulled her up by the hips until he was inside her again. She let out a moan so deep it made his dick twitch and pushed her hands onto the headboard.

The sweat was rolling off both of them and he didn't let up, but it wouldn't be long for him because he was burning up from the fire she set in him. The noises she made and the things she did made him absolutely crazy.

"More." She panted with her head against her arm. "More."

"Tell me you missed me." He pulled her hips back against his and reached his hand around to the front and stroked her nice and slow. "Tell me."

He brought his lips down to her ear and whispered it again into her ear as his hand continued to bring her to the brink. "Tell me you missed me." He didn't stop touching her and moving against her and soon he felt he body starting to contract around him.

"I…missed… you." She cried out as the waves hit her totally taking him along with her on the ride down.