For those of you asking, my Mother passed away three weeks ago and that has taken a toll on me emotionally. I appreciate your patience as I get back on schedule with this story. This chapter's a little different, but I do hope you enjoy it. It's dedicated to my friend Aya, who has supported my writing and motivated when I needed it. Thank you! This is also for Mila…who gave a nudge.

H

She found him in the dining room staring out the window. On the surface he appeared relaxed, leaning against the edge of the wall in only his boxers and a t-shirt, coffee cup in hand, but the frown that creased his brow hinted at the storm brewing beneath the surface. Cuddy fought the sense of defeat that wanted to wash over her. They'd had such an amazing night. Why couldn't it last a little while longer?

With a deep breath, she came to stand beside him.

"Hi," she said, and he turned to look at her. She felt a flutter in her stomach when the worry seemed to almost vanish from his eyes as he looked at her, replaced with a tenderness that never failed to melt her.

"Hi," he answered, and grinned as she took the mug from his hand and sipped from it.

His eyes roamed over her, as if he could see through her robe, and she felt the usual response as tingles spread to her most sensitive areas. There wasn't a spot on her body he had not explored last night, and she was sure his beard had marked her in several places. As he looked at her, she could almost feel his mouth, his tongue…

"If you keep looking at me like that, we may never get out of here today." His voice held a husky note, and she felt a thrill that she could excite him as easily as he did her.

"You started it."

His grin was salacious. "I'm no where near finished."

Cuddy leaned into him, her hand running along his jaw to the back of his neck to pull him down to her. She kissed him lightly before running her lips along his jaw toward his ear.

"I'm not either," she whispered.

House grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into an embrace. There was an intense undercurrent of emotion beneath the surface of his teasing Cuddy didn't understand. Wherever his thoughts had been when she'd entered the room, it was dark and dreary, a place he seemed to want to escape. So, she didn't press him. She simply held him close, enjoying his embrace and his willingness to be with her in the now.

"What time do you need to pick Rachel up?"

Cuddy leaned back to look at him. "Not until tonight. Why?"

"I don't want this to end yet," he admitted. "I want it to be us for a little longer."

He had asked this before, when they'd first started out. He'd asked her to cut her phone off and let it be just the two of them. He had been right. They had needed time, time to revel in their newly revealed love, to build a foundation and work through the possibilities. They had needed time to learn the landscape of their relationship and map out a semblance of direction. Instead, they'd wasted time. He'd been distracted with manipulating things at the hospital to prevent any interruptions, dodging Wilson's intrusions, and awkwardly trying to be the romantic he thought she wanted. She'd been worrying over what he was thinking, if he was ready for this, how she'd handle things at the hospital and generally navigating would-be mine fields. In the end, even though the day had brought them closer, there had been something off, something that didn't settle well. She'd left more worried about their future than she'd been the night before when she'd come to his apartment and found him on the bathroom floor.

They needed time together, just the two of them…the real House and Cuddy. No pretense, no facades. They needed to enjoy each other and have some fun, without so much worry and fear. Perhaps this time they could actually manage it.

"Tell you what," Cuddy said, resting her palm on his chest as her other hand held the coffee mug away from them. "I'll see if I can pick her up later, but only if we do something you enjoy. I don't want you to try and figure out what will make me happy or try to do something I will enjoy. I want to be with you, in your element."

"That could be monster trucks and mud wrestling, Cuddy."

"That's fine," she answered in all seriousness.

House seemed to be searching for the truth in her eyes. That laser blue gaze would never cease to take her breath away.

"You think doing the things that interest me will give you some kind of insight into my psyche," he gently accused.

She laughed. "Hardly."

He grinned and took the mug from her, taking a swallow of coffee as he continued to watch her, still dubious.

"House, I want to be a part of your life," she said. "That means doing what you want to do sometimes. Compromise, remember? We're working on learning that together."

"We are?"

She grinned at him, enjoying the way he was teasing even as they addressed a fairly serious matter. "Not at the moment," she sassed. "Right now I'm going to prepare what I want for breakfast. To hell with you."

House waited until she was at the kitchen door to answer.

"In that case, leave that quiche in the oven alone. It's all mine. I'm not sharing."

Cuddy took a deep breath, only just now catching the aroma wafting from the kitchen.

"You made breakfast," she smiled as she turned back to look at him.

"Hmmm," he nodded. "Roasted tomatoes, onions, goat cheese…" He smacked his lips.

She felt her insides melt and her heart skip a beat as he moved toward her.

"You made breakfast for me?"

He lifted his brow as if to say "duh" and squeezed by her through the doorway. "Too bad you want a selfish moment. You really know how to kill the romance."

H

Cuddy leaned back on the blanket, propping herself on an elbow as she watched House play with his remote control helicopter. He was taking it high up in the air to hover over the ducks, and then quickly dropping it low to scare them, grinning in boyish delight as they scattered in fowl panic.

"You're going to make them molt," she called out to him. He laughed and directed the flyer to chase a bird with a particularly loud objection.

Cuddy shook her head at him, but couldn't help but enjoy his childlike play.

He'd surprised her, yet again. During breakfast, he'd not given any indication to his ideas for how they'd spend the day together. He had made sarcastic remarks about every article in the newspaper, had helped her clear the dishes and then instructed her to dress casually. She'd wanted him to join her in the shower, but he'd said he needed to pick something up and would be back soon. He'd returned a little less than an hour later, freshly showered, and wearing his trademark jeans with t-shirt. He'd quickly guided her out the door and given instructions on how to share the motorcycle seat with a stuffed canvas bag strapped to the back. Within minutes they were at the park in a rather private area near the edge of the lake.

House had pulled a blanket out of his bag and spread it out beneath a shade tree, then pulled out several toys.

"This is a double horse with three speeds and primo control action," he'd explained as he pulled out a remote control helicopter. "And this baby doesn't look like much, but it can out race almost any other car in its class." It was a miniature jeep with oversized wheels.

Cuddy was mesmerized by his enthusiasm.

House had continued to empty his bag, spreading out the contents on the blanket: two bottles of water, bag of grapes, box of crackers and a cheese ball. "I even remembered the spreader." He'd been so proud.

"You came prepared." She'd tried to keep a straight face.

"You have no idea," he'd grinned and opened the bag to show her remaining contents. It looked like an assortment of candy, but she'd barely processed the brands before he'd tossed her a Chunky candy bar and a box of condoms.

"Not a chance," she'd said.

"Is that a dare?"

"No."

"The lady protests too much," he'd said, then kissed her with a potency that left her trembling and needy. When she was starting to reconsider her protestations, he'd pulled away. "Now come on. Let's play."

He'd jumped up like a giddy child and pulled parts and pieces of wood, connections and fabric out of the bag. As he'd installed the masts and sails on two miniature sailboats, he'd spent an exorbitant amount of time describing how he'd modified the original plans. "They are aerodynamically designed for speeds far beyond their class, and the ease of control during turns will blow your mind."

Cuddy had slowly processed what he was planning. They were going to race sailboats. The scenario would have seemed surreal if it had not been for the fact that the little boy in House seemed to be calling forth the little girl inside her. How often had she watched Rachel playing, completely absorbed in her imagination and the fun at hand, unconcerned with the future or the past, but fully embracing with abandon the present experience? It always warmed her heart and filled her with a sense of wonder, of the joy and innocence of a simpler time. Yet she'd watched and enjoyed from a distance, with a protective eye and a nurturing stance. Now, here was this grown man, usually dark, brooding, and cynical, totally immersed in the excitement of toys and she wanted nothing more than to drop all sense of responsibility and all burden of time to play with him. She wanted to feel the carefree wonder and curiosity that had taken him over.

So, they'd raced boats. Laughing when she'd completely lost control and managed to trap her boat into the fountain in the middle of the lake. House had used his helicopter and a vine he'd pulled from a tree to perform a rescue mission. She'd marveled at his creativity, and giggled as he'd boasted about being her hero. Once she'd gotten the hang of how the remote control interacted with the actual wind and sails, she'd become a rather formidable opponent. House had suggested they make wagers on the races, but it quickly became obvious his main goal was to have sex in the park. He hadn't completely reverted back to childhood. A part of the man was alive and well.

All day he'd been such a tease, stealing kisses and copping a feel every chance he'd get. He'd tossed grapes in the air, encouraging her to catch them in her mouth, giving an answering kiss at every success. He'd "accidentally" spilled his water on her chest, leered at her breasts, and then gallantly started to dry her off with the blanket. When he took a little too much time at her nipples, she had to push him away for fear of jumping him. Yet there didn't appear to be a plan, a set of strategic moves to get him to his ultimate goal. He hadn't been House the puppet master. Instead, he'd seemed to just do what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it, with a sense of pure abandon that excluded reaction or consequence. It had brought out the carefree side of her she'd long forgotten. One minute he'd be so suggestive and playful she wanted to rip his clothes off, the next he'd be so competitive and taunting she wanted to rip him to shreds. At the moment, as he directed his helicopter, she just couldn't take her eyes off him. He was relaxed, unburdened, and thrilled by the simple things in life…like terrifying birds.

"Come on, Cuddy!" He called to her. "I'll let you fly her for a while."

"I'll pass. You enjoy yourself."

House had brought the helicopter higher into the air again and was now directing it toward her.

"We're supposed to be bonding," he said.

"Don't get that thing close to me."

"We can't bond if you're not playing with me."

"House," her voice held a warning. "Don't fly that thing any closer to me."

"You're not even trying to have fun anymore!"

"House," she jumped up to get away from the helicopter that was looming dangerously close to her.

He shifted the lever on the remote, and it quickly redirected the helicopter. Cuddy reacted just as quickly. She started running.

House was laughing as the helicopter followed close behind then circled around her.

"House," she screamed and ducked, just in time for it to fly over her head. Before he could shift the remote again, she started running toward him.

He was so focused on the helicopter it took him a few seconds to realize she was coming straight at him.

"Don't do it," he said, eyes wide.

Cuddy kept coming.

"Handicap here!"

She didn't pause.

"Cuddy!"

He was backing up, attempting to keep the helicopter under control and dodge her at the same time.

"House!" She mimicked, just before tackling him.

She was sprawled out on top of him, laughing at his shocked expression. His eyes were on her lips and he seemed to release a shuddering breath. Cuddy felt that familiar insidious vine of desire snake through her, around her nipples and straight to her womb, as his pupils dilated and his lips parted slightly. He was truly extraordinary. There were so many reasons to say he was not the best looking man she'd ever seen, and yet he was the most appealing. He was the only man who could elicit such reactions with just a look. And being with him as he put away all his fears and pain to just play had only increased her susceptibility to him. The sensations were so intense they stopped just short of being painful. Her uncontrollable response never failed to leave her shaken as well as hypersensitive. Smiling down at him, it gave her comfort to know she had the same power over him. Cuddy noticed the pulse in his neck quicken and felt the change in his body as it came in tune with hers. With a deep breath, she gathered her reserves, and took advantage of his weak moment to yank the remote control from his hand.

House was only stunned for a moment. "You made me crash the flyer," he pouted, and brought his hands up to encircle her waist.

"Be glad I didn't do worse."

"Ooh, Cuddy. You're so aggressive!"

Cuddy laughed, and House shifted, rolling over to position her beneath him.

"Now this is bonding." He grinned and captured her mouth, tasting her lips when they parted. His tongue swept inside, tangling with her, and he seemed to grow breathless at the ways she dragged her fingers along his back. It was always like this with them. A simple kiss started a conflagration and they were taken away from the park, away from this world, into a world of their own. House shifted and positioned one of his legs between hers, pressing his groin into her. She welcomed him, groaning at the feel of him nestled against her. When his hands grabbed her ass and squeezed, pulling her up so his hot ridge of arousal was nudging at her point of need, she swallowed a whimper.

Cuddy felt a sense of shock at the knowledge she could be a few inhalations away from a complete loss of control.

Someone whistled in the distance, followed by a catcall, and the sound brought them back to consciousness.

House pulled away and dropped his head to her shoulder as Cuddy dropped her hands to her side.

"Grab the condoms and I'll meet you in the Jiffy John," he said in his most lascivious voice.

She shook her head at him, slightly amused. "I'm not having sex in a port-a-pot."

"Come on," he said. "We've got a whole box of condoms. Extra strong to block all forms of e-coli, flesh eating germs and tape worms."

She pushed him off her and stared at him, appalled. "We'd need body condoms! That's disgusting, House! You can't be serious!"

House started to laugh, really laugh. "You should see the look on your face!"

His laugh was an infectious sound, and so rare. She couldn't help but join.

"We've probably treated people with all kind of viruses and infections from sex in port-a-pots," she finally said. She turned to look at him lying beside her on the grass, still chuckling.

"We've probably treated people who've had sex WITH the port-a pot," he answered as he stood up. He not so subtly adjusted himself before he offered his hand. She laughed again.

House salvaged his helicopter, and returned it to his bag. "Are you going to play, Cuddy or just watch me from the cheap seats?"

"I like watching you," she answered shyly.

He paused and looked at her, obviously surprised. At her openness? Or that she'd even want to watch him?

"You like watching me?" he repeated.

"Yes." She responded honestly, if not shyly.

She was taken with how his eyes searched hers, clearly confused by her confession. Did he really not realize how beautiful he was? How much she delighted in him? A vulnerable look seemed to come over his face, but a spark of hope reached his eyes. It was that spark that left her curious and excited for their future.

"There's a small art and music festival on the other side of the park," he finally said. "Want to check it out."

Cuddy couldn't stop the smile that lit her face. Right now, she thought she'd go anywhere with him.

"Do I get to eat my Chunky bar on the way?"

His lightening fast reflexes grabbed the candy bar from the blanket before she could take the thought any further. "You don't get that Chunky until after we've had sex."

Cuddy laughed again. How often had they laughed together today? It felt as if they were catching up for lost time. "You're bribing me with chocolate."

"I don't need to bribe you, Cuddy," he shook his head at her, then turned to begin packing things back in his bag. "Look at this as a reward."

"House, the greater reward is a chunky of a different kind."

He pulled her up to stand with him. "Oh, Cuddy! The things you say!"

"Not near as much as I'd like to do."

His arms scooped around her and pulled her into him for a quick kiss. "You'll get your chance," he whispered against her lips.

Cuddy took the bag from him as he grabbed his cane then took his free hand as they walked along the path by the lake.

"Maybe they'll have one of those caricature artists," he suddenly said. "We can get one drawn of us together."

She smiled. They were still on a play date, and she was having fun. "That would be nice."

"We'll pose doggie style," he grinned.

"House!"