Daniel's eyes widened in surprise at her request. He knew this woman. Now he knew her intimately, but even before they had made love, he felt he knew her heart, her soul. At least, he could say that about Betty years ago.

As much as he wanted her again, too, he knew they needed to sit down and talk seriously to make sure they were both on the same page with what she expected (other than sex and possibly making babies).

He took her hands in his and smiled, "Of course we can, sweetie! Believe me, I want that, too! But first...I don't know about you, but this old man needs sustenance! Like, maybe some protein? Aren't you starving?"

She shrugged, "I could eat. Are you telling me you actually have food in your kitchen? Something besides leftover pizza and Chinese food that should have been thrown out in the Reagan era? Wow, you really have changed!"

"Very funny! I'll have you know, Missy, I have the basics, eggs, milk, um...bread, water, maybe some fruit if we're lucky. I'm sure I've got some apples and cereal. Oh, and most importantly, coffee!"

She got up and pulled him from the chair, throwing his boxers at his head, "Coffee? Why didn't you say so? Lead the way!"

He took a clean tee shirt and boxers from his drawer and threw them to her, "Here! You should probably put something on. I don't want to burn myself getting distracted by your lovely body while I'm cooking!"

She pulled on his shorts and the shirt, both of which were no match for her curves. He smiled, as she walked past him, putting her hand up, "Don't you dare say a word!"

He laughed, "What? I was only going to pay you a compliment. You definitely do justice to my boring old shirt and shorts!"

As soon as she saw the coffee maker, Betty put in the pod and got two cups, making them some coffee. She looked up, seeing he was watching her with a smile, "What?"

He shook his head, "Nothing.I just...missed you! I still can't believe you're actually here after all this time and you're staying!"

She sighed, as she handed him his coffee, and after getting creamer from his fridge, took a sip of her own, as she looked up at him, "Like I said, I gave Lindsay my notice earlier, and I can ask Charmaine to pack up my things and send them here. And I can help you out at the office till you get someone to replace Amanda.

But only for a few weeks, because I'm going to need to get going on my own online magazine. I can do it from anywhere, but not while I'm your assistant. It'll take too much time. So, does that work for you? I don't mind temping for you, but...remember, you're not REALLY my boss anymore. I'd just be...helping out a friend."

He raised his eyebrows, "I get it. You're the boss now, huh?"

"No, I'm not saying I'm YOUR boss. It's your office, Daniel. But I do remember how...demanding you can be…"

Daniel looked shocked and slightly offended, "Demanding? Me? Why, because I asked for coffee and a bagel?"

She raised her eyebrows, "Daniel, it's okay. I know you didn't MEAN to be that way. You just...were sort of...well, let's say, spoiled. You wanted what you wanted and you didn't really think how difficult the things you asked for might be to get!"

"Is this still about your first week? Are you ever going to let me off the hook for that? I've said I was sorry like a million times!"

"No! It's not that! It was...calling me at all hours of the day and night, drunk dialing me because you lost your keys or needed condoms or locked yourself out or needed…"

He rolled his eyes, "You? Fine, I know I called you a lot and maybe I did need you too much, but I wanted to see you. I liked being with you. I get that I sometimes acted like a spoiled child, Betty, but…"

"Sometimes?"

He pulled her close, "Okay, fine, I was childish MOST of the time you worked for me before. Are you happy? But I've come to realize over the years that the reason I "Needed" you so much was because I wanted you around me all the time, because I loved you. I still love you and I still can't live without you."

"You really need to stop saying things like that...if you don't expect me to kiss you again and attack you. You said you were going to feed me first."

"Is that a promise?" He laughed, and pulled her in front of him turning her around for a kiss.

After they finished eating, she reminded him, "I'm just saying that I need you to realize that I'm a grown woman now who has been my own boss along with my own staff for over eight years now. I'm used to ordering people around, so I WON'T be getting your um...coffee and bagel at the office anymore, got it?"

He grinned, holding up the coffee mug she had handed him, "Got it! Oh, and just so you know, like I said, I don't mind if YOU want to boss me around. I'm secure enough in my manhood that it won't emasculate me if you forget you're not back in London, bossing everybody around, including yours truly.

And full disclosure, I plan to try and convince you to have office sex while you're my temp. You should know I'm totally into office sex, or elevator sex, copy room sex, sex anywhere you're up for it. After all, we're on a deadline for that baby of yours, so we've got to multi-task. Besides, I'm used to bossy women, remember? I did work with Wilhelmina Slater for four years, after all! And YOU, of course!"

"Me? Okay, I'll give you that. Maybe I am bossy, even more so now than when you knew me. But that's because I have to be!"

He grinned, "In order to get things done your way, you mean?"

"Is this our first fight?"

"I'm not fighting. I'm agreeing with you."

"You mean you're saying what you think I want to hear, and then you'll turn around and still do whatever the heck you want?"

"Betty...honey that's NOT what I'm doing!"

"Don't Betty honey me. It is, too, Daniel! It's what you always do!"

He sighed, running his hands through his hair in exasperation, "Okay, maybe I did do that. Once upon a time. But that was a LONG time ago! I know better now than to try and trick you. Obviously you were too smart for my silly games back then and you're definitely too smart now.

Are you trying to pick a fight so we can have makeup sex or something? Is that your plan?"

"No, I just want to be clear about what I expect at the office. We are NOT going back to you, ordering me around. I'm helping a friend, period."

"Friend, huh? Ten years later, after our first time together, and you're STILL trying to put me back in the 'friend zone'?"

She rolled her eyes, "Daniel, don't be silly! We can have sex and still be friends, can't we? Did I ACT like just a friend earlier?"

He smirked, "Let's finish our breakfast, then we can uh...you know, do what you were saying before, go again! Our...second set! In the meantime, I think I'm going to need a little… encore! Or should we consider it a preview of coming attractions?"

He lifted her up onto the kitchen counter, with his arms on either side of her, as he leaned forward to kiss her.

As he began nibbling on her neck, she moaned, "Sorry, I wasn't trying to 'pick a fight', it's just...well, I guess I'm a little nervous, making all these big life decisions without…"

He smiled, "Making your pros and cons list and using post its and thinking about it and researching every possible connotation of each option tirelessly and thoroughly? Yeah, that sort of surprised the hell out of me, too, Betty!

This is all so..unlike you! Or at least, the Betty I used to know. She would never have just hopped on a plane and showed up like this, hitting on me like you did!"

He held onto her arm, and brushed back her hair, looking into her eyes, then smiled, "Don't get me wrong, it was...very romantic, very hot, very sexy. Maybe a little overdue, but...it's the thought that counts!"

He kissed her mouth, her cheek, all over her face, making her crazy, "Hey, I just realized something, am I your...birthday present to yourself?

Please tell me I'm not on some kind of bucket list you have,

'have sex with Daniel', and then once you've had your fun with me, you check me off your list, you're going to hop back on a plane back to England and leave me, high and dry and lonely again!"

She shook her head, wrapping her legs around his waist, and held him close, hugging him tightly, then whispered, as she took his face in her hands, "Yes, you're my birthday, Christmas, Easter, and New Year's present to myself, Daniel Meade. But I'm not going anywhere, okay?

It finally occurred to me that I have been in love with you in one way or another since the first day I met you, and you helped me up, and asked if I was alright! You are quite literally, the man of my dreams! I was just too young and stupid to realize that when I let you get away before.

But I meant it when I said I want to stay here, with you. There is no one else for me, Daniel. There never will be another man like you. Where am I ever going to find a guy who is so sweet, so kind, so giving and loving and yet so incredibly handsome and of course, such an amazing lover?" she smiled, as she ran her hands over his chest, and began kissing his neck, enjoying the way her words and her touch was clearly affecting him.

He picked her up, cradling her ass as he moaned, "Are you trying to get me so hot I'll take you right on this counter? Because...that actually sounds like a really great idea!"

"I don't know. Is it working?" she giggled, seeing how worked up he was, frantically stripping off what little clothing they both had on and kissing her feverishly, "Oh, yeah! Definitely, Mrs. Mea...um...baby!"