A/N: This story is the sequel to Southern Comfort. If you haven't done so already, you may want to read that one first. However, for those of you who have and need a quick recap:

PPTH had hosted an elegant reception celebrating the new expansion of the hospital's Pediatric Wing. It was a very important event for the hospital and Cuddy expected House to be there because he was the one responsible for bringing in the major donor's dollars. And House of course, had planned to be MIA.

This time, Cuddy's idle threats of more clinic duty suddenly become more of a threat to House. Against his wishes, he unwilling goes to the reception but with a plan in place to ruin Cuddy's night at the gala.

Hilarity ensues as House and Cuddy play a game of cat and mouse. Boy chases girl, boy gets girl and wins her heart after feelings are shared and secrets revealed.

The only person who knows about their newfound relationship is Wilson.

At least that's what they thought…

Wicked Games

Chapter 1

A young woman with long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail stood frozen in the corridors of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. She had just witnessed a short period of time ago a rather serendipitous moment between Doctor Gregory House and The Dean of Medicine.

Perhaps they were impervious to the glass walls of the office. Or maybe they had a blatant disregard for privacy. Either way it was quite clear to any onlooker that something was going on between the two of them beyond an employer employee relationship.

The woman clenched her jaw and continued to stare at the two of them. Disappointment and frustration sank into her brain.

She wanted to be the one circled in his strong, yielding arms.

House pulled away from Cuddy's embrace and cleared his throat. " Um, excuse me, weren't you the one who said we really needed to control ourselves at work?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. You're the one who kissed me! Less than five minutes ago you said," he tried to imitate her voice, "House, we really shouldn't do that kind of stuff anymore at work."

Then with a jovial smile he added, "And now you want to play tonsil hockey in my office? I'm flattered. Really. But, now is neither, the time nor the place."

He quickly reached for his cane at his desk and snarked, "What do you say about the janitor's closet in ten minutes?"

"House."

"You're right. Make it five."

"House! I was…I was…I…was…just merely thanking…you…for planning that wonderful European trip. That's all." The last couple of words rolled fast off her tongue.

House made a sour face. "Then what was that?"

"That," she pointed a finger repeatedly at her chest and back at him, "was not an invitation."

"Yeah right."

Cuddy's voice started off in a higher register. "No really. It was very sweet and romantic. I was caught off guard because it was so…you know, so unlike you."

"Hey, Pinocchio. I can tell that you're lying."

"I'm not. Really."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure there's some truth in your lie."

He raised his hand to her face, cupped her jaw and brushed his thumb along her cheek.

"But I know when you're lying because you have a tell."

"I do?"

"As a matter of fac…"

House suddenly noticed something or someone standing outside his office in his peripheral vision. He removed his hand from Cuddy's soft skin and quickly whipped his head around.

A flash of pink went by.

"Cameron."

Cuddy joked, "No, it's Cuddy. You know, rhymes with," she said the first thing that popped into her mind, "Huddy."

He arched his brow. "Huddy? That's not even a word. You probably should have come up for some air during our make-out sess."

"I wouldn't call that making out?"

"You were already rounding first and on your way home."

"I'm not good with baseball metaphors. What's first base again?"

"Cuddy. I'm serious. I think Cameron saw us."

"So? So what? It's Cameron. She's harmless. And she has Chase. No biggie."

"Yeah, that's what she said."

Cuddy placed her hands on her hips and canted her head to the side.

"It's just that I always get this weird vibe from her. I don't think she's quite over me. I think she still wants to be all over me and literally under me."

"What are you trying to say, House? You think she has the hots for youor something?"

"Well, once upon a time it was common knowledge that she had a thing for me."

Cuddy clutched her belly and laughed. "House," she puffed out the remainder of sentence in between giggles, "you're old enough to be her…"

"Boss! Exactly!"

He bit his lip.

"Anyway, nothing ever happened between us even after our," he shuttered, "our date. Don't get me wrong, Cameron is smart, young and aesthetically pleasing but I didn't want her, I've never wanted her…because thing is, I sort of had this thing all along for my boss…"

She smiled. "That's so..."

"And for my boss' thing."

He pointed to his crotch.

"And had this thing for my boss too."

"I'm charmed. Really. Anyway all joking aside, I think it's best we listen to Wilson and set some ground rules at work. About us."

"Whatever you say, boss." He slapped the back of her ass.

"I mean it."

House innocently grabbed his shoulder and lightly caressed it. "Sorry, reflex."

"From this day forward on hospital grounds," Cuddy splayed her hands and tapped each digit as she openly listed the rules, "there will be no sex. No fondling. No ogling. No cat calling…"

"No fun." House made a sourpuss face. "Cuddy, I do at least three of those on a daily basis."

"Are you whining?"

"How about I do you at least three times at work on daily basis and we forget about all these cockamamie rules?"

"What's the matter, House? Think you'll be the first one to crack under pressure?"

"No, I'm just saying that if I don't act like myself and harass you in some manner, hospital personnel will suspect something is up and scrutinize my every move."

Cuddy snarked, "And I could go a day without HR complaints about you!"

"A day? Is that how long you think I'll last without breaking any of your lame rules?"

"I was being nice and rather generous when I said a day."

He moved in closer to her. "Oh really? "

She closed the gap tighter and was practically in his face. "Yeah."

As thousands of neurons fired in House's head, a thought popped into his mind and a wicked grin crept up on his face. "Do you want to put your money where your mouth is? How about we play a little game?"

Cuddy moved over to his desk and sat on the edge with her legs crossed as House circled the room. "I'm listening."

"A bet, perhaps?"

"How much?"

"No, not for money. Sexual favors."

House licked his lips.

"Winner gets…"

"Let me guess. You're going to try to make this about us somehow having another romp in the hay at work."

"I love how you know me so well."

Cuddy shook her head. "House, no."

House walked over to Cuddy and traced the outline of the desk with his middle finger. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'd really like it if we could get better acquainted with Wilson's desk."

"House."

"It would be funny, our dirty little secret. I mean, we already told Wilson that we did it on his desk anyway when we really didn't."

"Your persistence is getting you nowhere."

"Come on. This would technically turn our lie into a truth. And, you know how much I hate to lie."

Cuddy smirked. "First you're whining and now you're practically begging? I think I'm going to like this wicked game. Dr. Gregory House, you're going down…"

"On you? My, oh my. Now, look who's begging whom?"

"Look, you can't say winner gets a nooner at work because that would break all the ground rules we've established five minutes ago."

"Fine. If I win, you have to," he thought hard for a moment, "wear no panties for the day."

She laughed. "That's easy. Been there, done that."

House's brows shot up. "Wait. Are you telling me that you're not wearing any…right now?"

She blushed and turned away. "I've already said too much."

He became excited. And so did it. "Seriously?"

"Why don't you come here and find out."

"Seriously?"

In a very breathy voice Cuddy responded, "House, tell me now…what happens," she licked her lips and grazed the tip of her index finger down her mouth, "when I win this bet because I'm a few seconds away from achieving that goal."

"Hey! I wasn't going to put the moves on you."

"Sure."

"Your cunning attempt to trick me didn't work."

"Whatever. So, what do I get if I when this bet?"

"How about I cook breakfast for you."

She motioned with her arms for him to continue. "And?'

"In my birthday suit?"

"And?"

"What do you mean? And?"

"And breakfast has to be something nice. Whatever I want."

"Fine. Cook all your favorites in my birthday suit."

"And?"

"And? There's that word again."

"And you'll have to do an extra four hours of clinic a week for the next six months."

"What? You're insane, woman!"

"What's the matter? Stakes too high? Afraid that you'll lose?"

"Okay." House rolled up his sleeves on his wrinkled blue button-downed shirt. "Well, in addition to the crotch-less panties you'll have to…"

He gave her a quizzical look as a small smile fought its way onto Cuddy's lips.

"Wait a minute." House shook a finger at her and chuckled. "Oh, you're good and sneaky. I didn't realize I was dealing with such a fierce competitor. We haven't even finalized the terms of the bet and you're already playing the game."

She batted her eyelashes and innocently remarked, "I don't know what you're talking about, House."

"You think I'm weak. You're trying to turn me on, right now."

Cuddy twirled a strand of hair and looked down at his bulging crotch. "Don't I turn you on all the time?"

"Yes! And stop doing that!"

"Oh, this is going to be too easy. My little caveman is going to cave in by the end of the day."

"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?"

"I thought that's what we were doing, House. Oh man, you're hopeless. I bet you won't even last through the afternoon without saying something or making a move on me."

"Well, I bet you couldn't even last through our lunch date later on in the cafeteria."

Cuddy heavily laughed. "You're on!"

She walked to his door and opened it. An inviting cool breeze soothed her flushed face.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to write up a grocery list of all the things you'll need to get in order to make my breakfast tomorrow morning."

"And you better prepare yourself to be skirting around the hospital thong-less."

Cuddy looked back at him with a wicked grin. "Oh, if only you knew."

House fell back against his chair as she exited his office. He exhaled deeply and grabbed his balls, the giant one and the red one from his desk.

"Fuck."

He sank his teeth into his giant tennis ball. Then he placed it back on his desk and grabbed his other balls.

"I am so fucked."

House picked up his phone and dialed Cuddy's extension.

Cuddy was in her office at her desk, thinking about what delicious meal House would make for her tomorrow morning. With a pen in hand she jotted down a few things on a note pad.

Then her phone rang.

She picked it up on the fourth ring. "Hello?"

"What are you wearing?"

"House. I just left your office."

"Better yet, describe for me what you'll be wearing tomorrow underneath all your clothes since you're going to lose the bet."

"Phone sex?"

"No rule about touching ourselves at work."

Cuddy continued writing down her breakfast favorites. "Shouldn't you be focusing on a case?"

"I'd rather be focusing on…"

She raised her voice a little louder. "House."

"I don't have one."

"Well then, shouldn't you be in clinic."

"Really, Cuddy?"

She remained deathly silent on the line.

"Cuddy?"

"Get back to work."

"Slave driver."

"Slacker."

"Perjurer."

"Felon."

"Enough with the foreplay. I'll see you at lunch. That is, if you could last till then." He chuckled. "You know where to find me."

"Actually House, half the time I really don't have a clue about your whereabouts in this hospital since you tend to, you know, hide from me all the time. But, I suppose I could follow the scent of desperation and longing," she snarked.

"And I suppose I could follow the trail of your sticky goo behind me. That is, of course, if the janitor doesn't mop it up first."

"House, you're not going to win."

"Admit it, Cuddy. You're just as hot and bothered right now as me?"

"Goodbye House."

Cuddy hung up the phone and shifted a little in her seat. The fabric of her damp panties conspicuously clung to her lady parts. She stood up for a moment from her porous black leather office chair. A moist circular film was imprinted in the middle of her seat.

She sat back down and sighed relief, extremely glad that House wasn't privy to that knowledge. If only he knew how his actions—let alone their banter—physically affected her all of those years.

She glanced back down at her note pad. Omelet. Crepes. French toast. Blueberry muffins. Everything sounded wonderful. But further down the end of the page she apparently had absentmindedly written some more items while on the phone with House. Sausage. Salami. Bologna pony. Meat popsicle.

Cuddy balled up the paper in her hand and threw it in the wastebasket.

"Oy. Maybe this isn't going to be as easy as I thought."