So much thanks goes out to IlovetowriteSMP, jeffandjimmieschick, houselovescameron, and KZfan for their reviews; thanks to everyone else who's been reading this. It's been a fun ride.

The truth is that I, Natalie Buchanan, could fall head over heels for Jared Banks -- if I'm not already half-way there.

"Well good evening, Ms. Buchanan. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"You are a jackass. And what is it that you have against clothes? Would it kill you to put on pants? And a shirt."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't normally entertain guests this late in the evening nor do I generally shower fully clothed."

"Whatever. Just put something other than a towel on."

"There is just no pleasing you. Am I satisfactorily clothed enough for you now?"

"Okay, what is with your attitude?"

"You barged into my motel room in the middle of the night to yell at me for being a jackass and then started ordering me around -- I'm supposed to be happy about that?"

"Hey, I don't want to be here. In fact, I wouldn't be here if every word that came out of your mouth wasn't always a lie."

"Hey! Not everything I say is a lie. I might manipulate things and maybe the truth a bit to get what I want but you can't blame a guy."

"The hell I can't! Do you know how sick and tired I am of always being second-best or just some damn place-holder for people until they can be with who they really want to be with? Or of being used by slime balls like you who pretend that maybe they want to be with me but really they're using me as a means to an end? You do not get to just-- …."

"Ow, Sparky! Hit a tiny bit harder next time, maybe you'll succeed in breaking my jaw."

"You kissed me!"

"Yeah, it seemed the best way to get you to calm down or at least take a breath. Geez, that's one killer right hook you've got there. You always hit guys that kiss you?"

"No -- well, actually, yeah. But you are the first I've hit because of the kissing."

"And the reason?"

"There seems to be a pattern with the guys I usually end up dating that we don't always get along at first and then things change…. Okay, you can stop smirking now."

"Sure thing, Sparky. But I meant was why did you hit me? It wasn't a bad kiss."

"You kissed me."

"Still not following."

"You're a liar."

"Are we back on that again?"

"You said that you weren't going to kiss me before I kissed you. You lied."

"You are a control freak."

"Oh, and you aren't? Blackmail, manipulation…."

"You want me."

"Oh God, this was such a bad idea."

"You might as well admit it, Sparky, it'll make this visit of yours a lot nicer."

"I'm not admitting anything! You chose my family's company over me."

"Well, you can only knock a guy down and kick him so many times before he thinks that it may be time to give up. You're really brutal, you know that?"

"Only to guys who deserve it."

"If it had to be your choice, would you choose me over your family's company?"

"I barely know you. And this isn't about me."

"You can't fault me for doing what you wanted me to. I'll let you in on a little secret though: I read all of BE's bylaws and Code of Ethics and everything else when I started; I also got the memo that went out when the Code of Ethics was changed last week. You knew that all employees would receive that memo. That very vague wording left room for some very large loop holes; I'm pretty sure you did that on purpose."

"So you played me."

"Well, you did try to play me."

"Only because you've been trying to play me from the second you first set foot in my office!"

"That's not the only reason. Admit it."

"No."

"Come on, Sparky. I'll make it worth your while."

"I doubt that."

"Come on. Look, I'll go first. I like you. You're beautiful and you're intelligent and you're feisty and I want to do incredibly naughty things to you."

"Fine. I kind of like you too."

"Kind of?"

"That's all you're getting right now."

"It's like pulling teeth with you."

"I am so going to regret this."

"Only if you leave before morning, Sparky."

"I am not sleeping with you tonight."

"What about tomorrow night?"

"Keep this up and you'll continue sleeping alone for a long time."

"How about the end of this week?"

"What do I have to do to shut you up? Other than that?"

"I'm sure you can come up with something."

So she gave in a little more and she kissed him -- because, to be honest, she does find him charming and she is attracted to him. She does love it when he calls her "Sparky." And there is more to them than distractions and animosity. She wants him in her life because she is in over her head with him but she likes it. She likes him. A lot.