“Hi”

He looked up to see her standing in the doorway to his office

“I assume you two are back together?” he said dryly

Alexis shook her head yes

“I know I’m probably the last person you want to see… but I had to come by…”

Peter interrupted her excuse by standing from behind his desk and offering her the seat in front of him

She sat, glad he offered

“I had to come and apologize to you”

“You don’t have to”

“Yes I do!”

“Apologize for what Alexis? Being in love with your husband?”

“For being a jerk”

“You’re not a jerk”

“Would you stop being so nice? I hate what I did to you! And you have every right to think I’m crazy for…”

“Alexis”

She stopped

“I don’t hate you and I don’t think you’re crazy…”

“Sorry I guess that’s a little egotistical to think it’s even had that much affect on you…”

“Alexis… I fell in love with you… and I wanted you to fall in love with me. I even believed you would. But I realized that despite every protest you had about still being in love with Ric, your protest were just as good as confirming that you still were. Not being able to sleep with me was because you love him… it’s admirable, it was a bit boggling but admirable that you love him that…”

“I didn’t want to just lead you on. It’s what I thought I really wanted”

“I believe you”

“Why are you so understanding?”

“Because I’ve been prepared for this since the day Jax introduced us at the Metro Court. I asked him about your personal life and he told me it was complicated… Later that night at the hospital I saw the look on Ric’s face when he thought something bad had happened to you… I had to prepare myself to be disappointed because you still loved him…”

“Then why did you get involved? Why did you want me enough to risk what I guess you believed was the inevitable?”

“You’re a wonderful woman Alexis. And maybe you just make a man do crazy things… Ask Ric, hell ask Jax I think they both could give you good reasons why a man would do anything to be with you”

“So that’s it?” Alexis said taking her eyes from Peter

“No that’s not it”

Her eyes shot back to his

“I hope we can be friends and I hope I continue to be your cardiologist…”

She breathed a sigh of relief

“I want us to be friends”

“Good”

“And of course I want you to still be my cardiologist”

Alexis stood and Peter followed

She stood in front of him for a moment before kissing him on the cheek

“Thank you”

“For?”

“For being there for me when I needed someone the most. You’re a wonderful man Peter”

Peter smiled

Alexis turned for the door

“Alexis?”

“Yeah”

“Just try and be happy ok, doctor’s orders!”

She grinned and shook her head as she closed the door behind her

++++++++++++

Candles

Candles everywhere, casting shadows

“Hey” She said looking to Ric sitting on the couch with a glass of Chardonnay held out to her “I thought you were working late”

“I couldn’t work thinking of you. I wanted to be with my wife”

“Where are the girls?”

“With Uncle Jax”

Alexis grinned as she pulled off her suit jacket revealing the creamy lace camisole underneath

She sat down close to Ric, taking the glass of wine

“Everything ok?” Ric said studying her face

“A little too good maybe…” she hesitated for a moment “I went to see Peter…”

Ric shifted on the couch

“I had to apologize for how I left things between us”

“And?”

“And we’re fine, everything’s fine. He said he knew he was taking a chance because he knew how much I loved you…”

“And you’re ok with this?”

“Yes… I mean I just, I didn’t expect him to be so nice about it all. To be so understanding…” She was fidgeting “We decided to be friends”

“That’s really great” Ric said with emotion

“All wrapped up neatly” she said mimicking his tone

“Are you ok with just being friends?” Ric asked concerned

“Yes! I mean I’m really glad we are… I guess I’m just not use to everything falling in to place…”

Ric leaned in and gave her a kiss

Every kiss… comfort

“I Love you”

Alexis looked at Ric

“Is that your way of saying shut up about Peter?”

“No it’s my way of saying you have a beautiful heart. One that cares deeply about other people and their feelings… just another reason why I love you so much”

Alexis gave Ric a shy smile

“You’re really going to try and follow through on that happy ever after thing aren’t you?” She said seriously

“Absolutely… I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you”

“I might find you a bit annoying after a while”

“Good!” Ric said as he began to kiss her once again

“You’re only creating a monster you know”

“What?” he said pulling his lips from her cheek

“Me coming home, you being here, kissing me like this…”

“I’m not afraid of some monster” he said now brushing his hands across her face

She took his hands in to hers

“I just want this all to be real. I want to wake up tomorrow and you be there beside me with your scruffy face and leg thrown over me and your arms tangled with mine… I just don’t want this to not be real”

Ric once again leaned in to kiss her this time more passionately

“I’ll be wherever you are every morning that you wake up from now” he said in between kisses

You think one would become unfamiliar with how to kiss just one certain person

You would think that after time familiarity would cease and a fumbling newness would be inevitable

But the way his lips kissed hers

And the way his hands touched her

It all seemed perfect

Perfect and in sync with the other

It had felt like forever, it had been forever since they made love

And it had been forever since they both felt so complete

Ric slid he camisole from her body and neither noticed where it landed

His shirt

Her skirt

His pants

And everything else gone…

Ric stopped to look at her naked body “I’ve missed you so much”

She only bit her bottom lip as his own lips began to roam

Her eyes closed, her body arched… she ravished in his kissed

Alexis leaned in to whisper in his ear “Take me to bed”

Ric didn’t hesitate. He swept her from the couch blowing out each candle as they went by leaving them to only moonlit darkness

They began to make love as soon as their bodies fell upon the sheets

Slowly and with attention to every detail

Passionate, perfect, relief… love

Beads of sweat lined their skin as each tried to catch their breath…

It had been a long time but at that moment they were both happy they couldn’t breathe

Ric kissed down her back sending chills down her spine until she pulled him in to her arms

They both held each other in a firm embrace as they lay there in each others arms

“I never forgot” she said as her voice made a whisper in to the air “I never once forgot what it felt like to be here like this… I would lie in bed awake thinking about you holding me… of how you use to hold me”

He only held her closer as tears began to fall from her eyes

He kissed the tears resting on her cheeks

All he could whisper back was “I love you” as he clenched his eyes shut “Alexis I love you”