"Maxie?" Mike greeted her as she stepped over the threshold into the quiet atmosphere of the diner. "What are you doing here? Your shift doesn't start for another…" He glanced down at his watch. "Three hours."

Maxie wiped her hand over her somewhat frazzled short hair and gave him a smile. "Would you mind if I just started now? I could really use the money." Maxie explained eagerly. The last thing she wanted was for Ric to find her at home. There was a good chance he would come looking for her here, but she continued to hope that he wouldn't put in that kind of effort. She wanted to be left alone.

"No problem. It's your morning." Mike chuckled. "Would you mind starting a fresh pot of coffee? I've got a customer on hold." He gestured toward the phone.

"That's fine. Coffee I can do." Maxie smiled brightly though it never reached her eyes. She went into the back of the aging kitchen in search of fresh filters and coffee grounds. It was a new addition, the bell Mike had set on the counter, and it was one Maxie could have done without. Customers had always been rude, hell people were rude, but why give them an open invitation to act that way? She could hear it, the damn bell, clinging noisily from its place on the bar and she had to ground out all of the words that instantly sprung to mind. Pushing open the door irritably, she looked around for the person she was destined to maim and kill.

"I don't think that smile's genuine." Ric teased from his side of the counter.

Maxie wanted to crawl under the counter and never come out. Well of course he would show up here; she had already known that. She was never going to have a normal shift again, was she? "What are you doing here?" Her voice was neutral as she moved about the tiny space and started the mundane task of making coffee.

"Do you really have to ask that?" Ric's tone was subtly irritated and she half expected him to plant his hands on his hips. Last night had been wonderfully strange and while a part of her wanted to do it again, she knew better than to trust that there would be a next time.

"I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye this morning. I had to get to work early—" Maxie babbled tearing her eyes from his.

"That's a lie Maxie. We both know it's a lie so don't waste my time okay?" His frustration might have been restrained, but she could feel his anger building.

"It's not a lie. I really did have to work." Maxie insisted though her tone said the opposite. "Do you want some coffee?" She asked offhandedly. "You look terrible."

Ric balked at her. "Do you have any idea what it was like to wake up and have you gone?"

"I'm sure it wasn't something you're used to." Maxie muttered under her breath. "However, the fact remains: I had to work."

"Stop it!" Ric slammed his left palm against the counter.

Maxie jumped. "Don't come in here and throw a temper tantrum. I'm in no mood for it."

"If anyone gets to be irritable this morning, it's going to be me. Got that?" Ric growled at her.

"By all means. Just do it somewhere else. I don't want to get fired." Maxie snorted in reply.

Ric slid a hand through his hair and held it between his fingers as if trying to reel in his temper. She noticed his inner struggle and almost felt bad for causing it. Almost. He had to understand that this was casual. Why did he have such a hard time accepting that? "I don't know how to win with you." He admitted reaching over the counter and finding a cup to keep his hands occupied with. Maxie obliged him with some coffee but it was all she was willing to do.

"You already won." Maxie pointed out brashly.

Ric snatched her palm in his free hand and held her in place. She started to squirm when he didn't say anything, tried to pull away, but of course he was having none of that. "What happened last night?"

It was Maxie's turn to look incredulous. "Excuse me?"

"Before you came over. What happened?"

"Nothing." Maxie shook her head.

"Something happened. Something drove you over to my house and made you want in so badly you picked the lock."

"A car drove me and picking locks isn't difficult." Maxie countered flippantly.

"Did you get in a fight with someone?"

"I told you nothing happened. Can we drop it?"

"No. We can't. Tell me."

"Why does it matter? You got me for the night which is more than any guy's gotten in a while." She pulled her wrist out of his grasp and turned off the coffee pot.

"This isn't about your issues Darling. This is about last night. Something was different."

"I didn't run away. That's the only difference." Maxie whispered.

"No. That's not it at all. Why are you dodging my questions?"

"Because I don't want to answer them."

"Tough." Ric snapped. "I want to know."

Maxie let out an aggravated breath. "Kristina's been having nightmares." She explained. "And when I tried to comfort her, she said she wanted Lulu. She only wanted Lulu. Even Alexis couldn't calm her down. I had to get out of there and your place seemed the most logical place to go. I needed a distraction."

"Maxie…" Ric said quietly.

"Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear? I'm not as cold-hearted as I wish I was. It hurt…it hurt for her not to need me."

"She still needs you. She's just scared—" Ric claimed.

"What would you know about it?" Maxie challenged folding her arms across her chest.

"A lot actually. She's been through something terrible and it's going to take time for her to adjust—"

Maxie put up her hand to cut him off. "Thank you Dr. Lansing. I've got it all figured out. I don't need your analysis, okay?"

"So last night was just…?" Ric began.

"Just an escape from an uncomfortable situation." Maxie finished for him.

"I don't believe you." Ric muttered after a long pause.

"Then don't. I have to get back to work." Maxie turned her back on him hoping, praying, that he would take the hint and leave. She didn't want to be this vulnerable around anyone, least of all him.

"Maxie, don't run." His voice came from directly behind her and she knew he had climbed behind the counter with her. She told herself not to face him because she wouldn't be able to tell him no if she did. As long as she could rely on some kind of physical barrier to separate them she could keep him away emotionally. His hands moved to her wrists and she felt his body press into her back.

"Why are you doing this?" Maxie whispered in torment. "What more do you want?"

"More than you want to give me." Ric concluded sweeping his hands up and down her arms in an unnerving rhythm.

"Don't." Maxie whispered but his mouth was already on the back of her neck.

"I know what you want Maxie. Let me give it to you." He said into her ear.

Maxie trembled in response barely able to push away from him. "I can't do that." She told herself she would fine as long as she kept some definite distance between them.

"I think you want to." Ric pointed out.

She brought her left fist to her lips and held them there for several seconds just thinking. Even if he was right that didn't mean she was going to give into his every whim. Especially not when she was at work. "I didn't…I didn't realize how hard it would be to leave you alone this morning." She admitted with a gulp.

"Why did you?" Ric wondered.

"I didn't want you to wake up and find out that you had made a mistake." Maxie clarified.

"Why would I think that? God, I know I wasn't alone in how I felt last night." Ric's eyes shot to his shoes.

"What did you feel?"

Mike returned to the counter and gave Ric a funny look. "Why don't you take this to my office, okay? No reason to cause a spectacle." He suggested with a nod.

"Ric was just leaving." Maxie nodded.

"No I wasn't. Thanks Mike." Ric latched onto her wrist and dragged her to the back hallway.

"There was nothing I could say stashed in an office with you that I couldn't out there." Maxie assured him when she noticed him close the door.

"Good. I'm counting on you not talking anyway." Ric chuckled pulling her to him and ducking his head before she could dodge his kiss. With each passing second the kiss intensified until she was standing on her tiptoes to deepen it. The force of her body colliding with his pushed him into the door and he gingerly lifted her off out of her shoes.

Maxie grumbled against his mouth indignantly and his hand slipped under her white cotton blouse. Caressing her breasts thoroughly, his fingers pushing the cups aside impatiently, he was able to calm her in a matter of seconds. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" Ric asked innocently, placing a few biting kisses across her jaw.

"How do you make me want you this much?" Maxie tried to explain.

"I told you: I know what you want." Ric left her to make what she would of his comment as he carried her over to Mike's desk and deposited her on top of it.

Maxie dug in his back pocket for a condom knowing instinctively that he had stuck one back there and smiled when she found it. Dropping it onto the desk beside her, she yanked efficiently at his belt and thumbed the top button of his jeans. Ric pushed everything off of the desk and then devoted himself to the simple task of yanking her black leggings down leaving them to pool at her ankles. She rolled the condom onto his hardening shaft and lay back against the desk in invitation. His mouth descended on hers and he took his time kissing her, teasing her tongue with his, and exploring her mouth: all of the things he hadn't been able to do the night before. His body screamed for him to drive into her and find his own release. His hands touched and teased and cupped every luscious part of her trembling body and he told himself he would just have to be satisfied for the moment because he wasn't rushing them through this.

"What's wrong?" Maxie wanted to know.

"Nothing. I just want to look at you." Ric told her.

Her eyes widened as they landed on his and he smiled in return kissing her full lips and stroking her hips carefully. This was what he had wanted last night, this. She hadn't been the first woman he had been with since he broke things off with Kate, but he wanted to make this special for her. She must have felt so cheap last night. Why else would she have run this morning? He had had every intention of waking her up with a kiss and making love to her properly.

Her legs shifted and her thighs parted in sweet temptation; only then did he step forward and slide into her. His body jerked and her breath caught. He drew back and thrust again his teeth gritting together at how perfectly their bodies fit. Her back lifted off of the desk as she tried to wrap her legs around his waist only her leggings holding her back. Kicking them away, she moaned when his hips jerked and he drove deeper. Her voice caught on a cry when his fingers slid between their bodies to stroke her searing flesh.

"I like that." She whispered.

"What else do you do like?" came his hoarse reply.

"Harder." She begged him. "Please. Harder."

"Shh." Ric hushed her.

Maxie laughed even though she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the soft arrogance in his voice. Maybe it was the wonderful feel of his hands gliding across her body. She didn't close her eyes for fear that she would wake up and find that this would all be a dream. His eyes sharpened and she knew he was reaching his own sexual release. Wanting to help him, she latched her legs tightly around his waist and held his shaft with her inner muscles only to let go a few seconds later. He watched her with glazed eyes and his hands moved to her waist pulling her to him again and again.

Each touch brought her closer and closer to climax as he let out a gargled cry. She held his face between her hands trying to keep her body as close to his as possible. He pulled out of her completely—she held her breath—and then he thrust into her sharply. Unlike the previous night, her body welcomed the intrusion and started to shake in ecstasy. She wasn't sure which of them came first, but the world quickly started to float away and she held him to her so she wouldn't lose him.

"If you're not busy right now, maybe you want to come over?" Ric offered kissing her chin.

"I think I can manage that." Maxie nodded.

"That's good because I don't have to work for another three hours and I plan on spending that time in bed with you." Ric explained taking her hand and helping her off of the desk.

"Three hours?" Maxie yelped.