Sydney stepped out into the fresh night air taking a deep breath, letting it sooth away the stress in her shoulders. Spending the day so close to Dr. Easton had been draining, and after he had helped her with the box the tension had only increased, but she had been determined to spend the entire day working so that she could skip the following day.

She climbed on her bicycle and started the long ride back to the hotel. She was glad that the bicycle had a light and reflector, it made the journey in the dark a little less dangerous. She had also learned a shortcut that kept her off of the highway as much as possible.

About twenty minutes into her journey, and only a few minutes away from the diner, she reached the highway. She was going along at a nice clip when she heard a horn blare from behind her. It frightened her so much that she fell off her bicycle and landed in scrub bush on the side of the road.

Sydney heard a screeching of wheels, and as the vehicle came to a sudden stop, and she lifted her head up in time to see Dr. Easton getting out of his truck and bearing down on her. He looked furious. With a heavy sigh, she lowered her head, closing her eyes. Maybe if she played dead he would go away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" he yelled as he leaned over where her body lay sprawled in a bush.

"Apology accepted, Dr. Easton, and don't worry, I'm not hurt much," Sydney fired back without bothering to open her eyes. She could all but hear his teeth grinding as he stood silently above her.

Gathering up all the nerve she had, she peeked out at him from her lowered lashes, but it was hard to see him in the dark.

"Answer my question, please." He had done his best to rein in his anger but it was still there, she could sense it.

"I am going to get my dinner, and then I'm going back to the hotel."

Dr. Easton's hands reach out to pull her out of the bush with such force that she landed against him, forcing all of the air from her lungs once again. Sydney could feel every inch of him pressed against her.

"Are you trying to kill me!" she roughly asked a few moments later when she had regained her breath and had managed to push away from him. His arms had been far too warm and comforting as they had held her despite his anger.

He didn't answer as he turned his back to her and marched over to where her bicycle had landed. He picked it up as if it weighed nothing and threw it in the back of the truck. Then he marched back over to where she was standing, watching him, completely dumbfounded, and grabbed her arm pulling her towards the truck.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing!" she repeated his earlier question, digging her feet into the ground, fighting him as much as she could.

"I'm taking you to get some dinner then back to the hotel." This time it was Sydney's turn to grind her teeth. Easton must have had enough of fighting her because he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

She paused, completely shocked, and laid limply over his muscular shoulder. By the time she had regained her wits, he was dumping her into the passenger side of the truck then picking up her legs and shoving them in behind her. It wasn't very graceful, and Sydney had to take a minute to straighten herself out of the twist in which she had landed.

"Buckle your seat belt," he said as he climbed in next to her.

Again, Sydney could only stared at him, her eyes shooting him her best death glance.

Impatient and deciding to take care of it himself, he reached across her and pulled the seatbelt down and across her body clipping it into place. His face was only inches from hers as he completed the move, and she could tell that he was still irate as the muscle in his jaw jumped.

She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to kiss away his anger.

Dr. Easton moved back into his seat, buckling his seatbelt and then throwing the truck into drive. He pulled back onto the highway from the side of the road for the minute it took to reach the diner.

"Hardly seems worth it," Sydney said under her breath, but he must have heard her because he turned to look at her as he cut off the engine. She couldn't help her gaze as it landed on his lips. It caused the energy between them to change once again, and she watched as his glance took in her whole face, lingering on her eyes and eventually her lips.

Sydney heard her comment in her head, and it was so similar to what Easton had said that night by the pool that she felt her face turn red as she fumbled for the door handle. He had to be thinking that he had been right all those years ago, and that she still wasn't worth the risk.

"If you'll get the bicycle out of the back then you can be on your way to wherever it was you were going." She fell out of the truck slamming the door behind her.

"No, I'm not finished with you," he insisted as he climbed out of the truck and walked around it, taking her arm and leading her into the diner. It was empty except for Stephanie and Eddie.

He held onto her arm all the way to the booth in the back corner and waited for her to sit down. Once she did, he sat across from her leaning back into his seat studying her. She met his gaze while doing her best to keep her eyes blank.

"Hey Sydney, everything O.K.?" Stephanie asked as she came to their table with menus. "Are you in trouble again?" she joked as she looked from one to the other.

"I was never out of trouble Stephanie." Sydney forced herself to look away from Dr. Easton's sharp blue gaze and smile up at Stephanie. "I'll just have water and grilled cheese with fries."

"I'll have the same but add a couple of bowls of tomato soup please," Dr. Easton said.

Sydney hadn't thought about soup, but it sounded delicious, so she didn't complain as she let her eyes meet his again and they recommenced the staring war. She would stay silent and let him do all the talking.

"I'll be more specific in my questions since you're either too thick to understand or are misunderstanding me on purpose." He finally broke the silence after an uncomfortable few minutes in which time their waters had been delivered. "Why are you riding a bicycle to and from work, and why are you riding it after dark?"

Had he just called her dumb? "I don't have a car, Dr. Easton," Sydney said, taking a sip of her water and trying to sound bored. She was anything but bored though, any time spent in Dr. Easton's company was thrilling.

"I think it's time we moved on to you calling me Cole, don't you?" He sounded resigned.

"No." She may not decide to call him Cole, but she would concede to think of him that way.

"I'm going to call you Sydney, if you don't mind?' He gave her a smile which was almost mocking.

Sydney shrugged in response then watched his hand tighten around his glass. She felt a momentary sense of triumph at his reaction. He may be immune to her naked body, but he wasn't immune to her careless attitude.

"How do you not have a car, Sydney? Almost everyone here does." His voice was overly calm as if he was talking to a small child.

"I have never had a car Dr. Easton. I have never needed one." Sydney shrugged.

"Well you do now," he muttered.

"No, the bicycle works fine." Sydney's chin took on a stubborn tilt.

"The bicycle may work fine, but the rider doesn't. Thank goodness there was a bush to catch you." Cole took a sip of his water, watching her.

She fought back a blush, and this time it was her hand that tightened on her glass. "I do just fine unless some maniac honks their horn right behind me,'" she hissed.

"That's my point. What if it was some other man who did what I did? I'm a maniac that you know, and there was no way you could have fought me off, and you know it Sydney, you're so small a gust of wind could knock you over."

"At least you admit that you're a maniac," she grumbled, knowing he was right. She took a deep sigh and looked out the window. She was tired of fighting him, what would happen if she stopped? She looked over at him, her eyes open and honest as she let her guard drop.

"I know you're right, I know that it is a risk to ride a bicycle by myself, especially after dark, but I don't have a choice. You did such a good job of making the others dislike me that there is no one here who I can ask for help. I received the schedule that I have from Theresa. My guess was that it was at your request. When I mentioned the transportation issue, she told me it wasn't her problem. Thankfully, the Miller's overheard my conversation with her and offered me their daughter's bicycle. I do my best to stay off the main road, and I rarely ride after dark. The only time I have to is on the weekends when I take care of Flora."

He was silent for a moment as her regarded her, probably trying to determine if what she said was true. "Why are you here, Sydney?"

"That one I won't answer, Dr. Easton, but it's not the reason you think it is."

"What's the reason I think it is?" he fired back as Stephanie delivered their food.

"Here Sydney, Sam made me promise to give this to you next time I saw you. He said that it was something that you two saw on your walk home and that you would understand it." Stephanie slid a piece of paper across the table.

She and Sam had made up a story about a Mexican cactus named Pedro that had adventures in the desert. Sam had drawn him and had done a good job of it. Sydney smiled and laughed. "Thank him for me. Tell him it's perfect."

She still had a smile on her face when she looked back at Cole, wanting to share the joke with him, but his frown stopped her. When Stephanie stepped away, Cole repeated his question.

"It's simple, you think that most girls, like Theresa and I, are out to get the rich professor by trying to seduce you or land you in a compromising position." She took a bite of her sandwich watching him watch her.

"And you're not?" He sounded disbelieving. "It's always about the money in the end."

His comment made Sydney sad, what must he have gone through to feel that way? "No, four years ago was...it was an opportunity that I was a fool to try and take advantage of, all I can say is that I was young and naïve. I didn't think about the position I had put you in until it was too late. I can't take it back, but if I could, I would."

They continued to eat in silence, "I don't get you," Cole finally said leaning back in his seat.

"I don't get you either. What happened to make you distrust women so much, why do you think they're all out to get you? I don't believe that you're an overly conceited man."

He gave a wry smile at her comment, "Thanks for that, I guess." He didn't answer her question though, and they finished their meal in silence then Cole paid the check.

"Why did you feel the need to make everyone hate me though?" Sydney asked after they had loaded themselves back up in the truck.

"I didn't." his response was terse, and she felt his anger rise. There went their few minutes of peace.

"So, all of this hate directed at me just miraculously appeared?" Sydney asked in disbelief.

"What would be the point of my making everyone hate you? Why would I even want to discuss you with another student? That would be unprofessional and unethical." His voice was hard in anger.

"Not really, technically I'm not your student, I'm a volunteer because I already graduated."

"You did?" he looked over at her, his surprise was evident.

"Yes."

"It amazes me, not only were you allowed on the dig when you're not even a student of Anthropology, but you aren't even a student of the University. Your father must have deep pockets." Cole shook his head in disbelief.

"Yes, so deep there is no reason for me to keep chasing you. It's not like I need the money. Maybe I should cut my losses and quit." She thought aloud, and if he agreed she could leave tomorrow.

He slammed on the breaks. "No, you will stay, and you will finish."

"Why are you so insistent that I stay when three weeks ago you were just as insistent that I go? I know you hate me. I can leave and make all of our lives much more pleasant," Sydney insisted.

Cole ground his teeth as he silently fumed next to her before throwing the same question back at her. "You fought to get here, and now you're fighting to leave. Do you ever complete anything you start? You dropped out of my classes. Tell me did you honestly graduate?"

Sydney felt her anger rising all over again, she had never wanted to hit anyone as hard as she wanted to hit him. She had worked hard to get her degree, and she hadn't fought to be on the dig, but she wouldn't tell him that. Sydney knew she was stubborn, but as much as she didn't want him to hate her, she needed him to hate her to survive.

"Are you calling me lazy?" she asked between clenched teeth.

"No, I'm calling you spoiled."

Sydney had had enough, she would walk back. She threw open the door and jumped out of the truck, but she didn't get very far before Cole's hand was on her arm pulling her to a stop. She turned around and lashed out at him to make him let her go but he wouldn't.

"Stop! Let me go!" She was tired again, tired of being disliked, tired of being an outcast, but more than anything she was tired of Cole's animosity. She had always liked him and to know that he hated her hurt, even though she knew it was necessary for her to survive. She was crying, and she hadn't realized it until he pulled her close, grabbing her face between his hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs.

There was something in his look that made her freeze. He was looking hard at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. When his lips met hers in a sudden kiss, she stopped breathing. It was all that she had wanted it to be and more.

She allowed her arms to curl around his neck and he lifted her up as he pulled her close. Just as Sydney realized that she had found heaven he ended the kiss, setting her away from him as he turned his back to her, and she watched as a shudder coursed through his body.

"Not worth it, right?" she asked softly, knowing he detested himself for what he had just done.

"No." He looked back at her where she stood in the headlights of the truck, but his eyes were hidden in the shadows. "Very much worth it."

They stood there staring at each other neither saying a word as they realized that something serious had just happened and that it was possible that nothing would ever be the same.

"Get in the truck," he ordered, waiting as she complied.

They drove in silence back to the hotel, and there was new energy between them that they were both doing their best to ignore. The kiss was an admission of the attraction that was strong between them.

As he pulled up at the hotel he cut the truck's engine and turned to her. "Be ready to go after breakfast."

A million questions zoomed through her head, but she sensed that he was at the end of his rope, so she just nodded and got out of the truck. When she reached her room and turned to close the door behind her, she noticed that he hadn't moved, that he was still sitting silently, in the dark, in his truck.