Different post amounts shown per pagination page

<?php
    $max_first_page = 3;  // Show this many posts on front page
    $args = array(
        'caller_get_posts' => 1, // Using stickies messes up the count0
        'post_type' => 'news-item'
    );
    $page = (get_query_var('paged')) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1;
    $posts_per_page = 4;
    $posts_to_skip = $posts_per_page - $max_first_page;

    if ($page == 1) {
        $max_posts = $max_first_page;
    } else {
        $max_posts = $posts_per_page;
        $args['offset'] = (($page - 1) * $max_posts)- $posts_to_skip;
    }
    $temp = $wp_query;
    $wp_query= null;
    $wp_query = new WP_Query($args);

    if ($wp_query->max_num_pages < ceil(($wp_query->found_posts + $posts_to_skip)/$posts_per_page))
        ++$wp_query->max_num_pages;

    $counter = 0;
    $style_classes = array('first','second');
    $style_index = 0;
?>


<?php if (have_posts()) : ?>
    <?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
        <?php if (++$counter > $max_posts) continue; ?>
            <?php $c++; if(!$paged && $c == 1): // First post on first page ?>
                <div class="most-recent-post">
                                // Large post
                                </div>

            <?php else: // All posts from first ?>
                <div class="post-block <?php $k = $style_index%2; echo "$style_classes[$k]"; $style_index++; ?>">
                // Normal posts
                </div>
            <?php endif; ?>
    <?php endwhile; ?>
<?php endif; ?>


<!-- page nav -->
<div class="page-navi">
    <?php next_posts_link('Older Entries »', 0); ?>
    <?php previous_posts_link('« Newer Entries', 0); ?>
    <?php if(function_exists('wp_paginate')) { wp_paginate(); } ?>
</div>
<?php $wp_query = null; $wp_query = $temp; ?>