"No," she mumbled.

"Peyton, you have to get up," he said for the third time after nudging her gently again.

"No."

"What do I have to do to get you out of bed?" he murmured, leaning towards her a little bit more and smirking at her. Her eyes were still closed and she'd swat his hand any time he touched her.

"Go away."

Drastic times called for drastic measures. He tugged back the sheets and laughed when she whined, and he dipped his hand below the waistband of the pajama pants she was wearing.

"Mmm."

"You should get up," he said as his fingers danced closer to where they both knew she wanted them.

"Not now," she purred.

"Really? You give?" He was smirking when she opened her eyes, then she was swatting his hand and jumping up from the bed.

"Jackass!"

"I had to get you up somehow," he said, shrugging his shoulder.

"Oh, you are so going to pay for that," she mumbled as she glared at him.

"We have to go to work," he reminded her. He was finding it very hard not to laugh at her.

"Fine. I'm going to shower," she said, walking to the bathroom.

"If you're not out in 10 minutes, I'm coming in to make sure you're not doing anything obscene with the shower head!"

"I locked it!" she said through the door. He heard him groan, and she laughed as she turned the water on. She loved that he thought he could tease her, and she could turn it right around on him.

She took a few extra minutes, just to make him sweat a little bit, and she knew damn well that he would be sitting in her kitchen, his mind racing as he wondered what exactly she was doing in there.

When she emerged from the bedroom, all dressed and put together in a charcoal grey suit and black shirt, she saw him sitting at the table, wearing a remarkably similar ensemble.

"Go change!" she insisted. He hadn't even looked up from his paper yet.

OK, so he was definitely faking that he was reading it - he wasn't, he just wanted to make it look like he hadn't spent the entire time thinking about her naked in the shower and... Yeah.

"Why?" he asked, finally lowering the page to look at her. "Seriously?"

"Why are you wearing that?" she asked incredulously.

"I didn't think going to work naked was a good idea."

"Lucas!"

"Why do I have to change?" he asked. "You're the one with the full closet."

"This is the only suit I have that fits me the way I want it to, and it's comfortable. And if I have to change, not only will it take an hour to find something, but I'll probably cry when my pants don't zip. Are you trying to make me cry, Lucas? Is that what you want?"

He could only stare at her and blink. He really wasn't sure if she was serious or not. He didn't want to find out.

"All I have here is a black suit," he told her as he stood from the table.

"Black on black," she murmured, grabbing his black silk tie. "Sexy."

Damn mood swings.

"Careful."

"I don't want to go to work." She slipped her arms beneath his jacket and wrapped them around his torso, and he took a breath when he felt her all pressed up against him.

"Even if we stay here, we can't do that."

"Do what?" she asked, pulling away from him.

"What we always do when you start acting like this," he said, raising his brow. "You get that look and I'm helpless."

"Helpless?" she asked with a smirk. "Oh, really?"

"Don't."

"Go change."

"Let go of me," he demanded.

"You don't want me to," she said. She was right, of course.

"No. But if you don't let me go, we'll be late for work."

"How close are you to caving right now?"

"Not close at all," he said with a smirk. "I just can't drive us anywhere with you attached to me."

"Fine," she mumbled, moving away from him to grab a yogurt and some fruit for breakfast.

She heard him laughing as he walked back down the hall, and she mumbled a curse. Truthfully, she would have been just fine with calling in sick that day and staying in bed with him, their stupid bet be damned. She was starting to think that it was stupid to give up sex just on principle alone, and she didn't want to resent Lucas for agreeing to it. She did, however, think that she could probably pull a few tricks from her sleeve to get him to cave.

She was going to start having fun.

----

She called Brooke that morning, and each of them miraculously had breaks in their schedules that afternoon, so they decided to have a 'meeting' about 'wardrobe' for one of Peyton's 'artists'.

What that really meant was that they were going to sip lattés and walk around their favourite stores and gossip and laugh. Peyton didn't ever really feel bad about that at all.

"Mia, I'm out for the afternoon," Peyton announced, stepping out of her office.

"Peyton!" Lucas' voice came. "Can I see you for a second?"

She rolled her eyes and checked the clock, and none of it was dramatics. She was meeting Brooke in 15 minutes, and of course, that was the moment Lucas chose to pay attention to her. Something he hadn't done all day. She didn't want to be annoyed by that, and she wasn't really. They had both been busy. She missed him, though.

"Yes?" she asked from the doorway with her arms crossed.

"Close the door please," he said without looking up from his papers.

She loved and hated that he did this to her. On one hand, she thought that authoritative, don't-fuck-with-me business-like attitude was sexy as hell. On the other hand, she was his girlfriend and he didn't need to use it with her.

But she did as he asked.

"Where are you going with my child?" he asked, dropping his pen and looking up at her.

"None of your business," she stated, kinking her brow.

"The hell it's not," he said, very seriously.

"I'm meeting with a designer regarding some...future projects." She managed to say it with a straight face, somehow. Only she knew what those future projects were.

"A designer. Is this personal, or work-related?" he asked with a smirk. He knew who the designer was. He wanted to know what kind of clothing she was talking about.

"None of your business," she repeated, putting her hand on her hip. He chuckled over her non-answer, knowing that it gave him his answer. "You're not my boss. If you'll excuse me."

"Hey, wait," he said before she could leave. "Speaking of bosses, I'm going to tell Steve about...everything."

"What?" she asked quickly. "Lucas, wait. What?"

"I have a meeting with him later this afternoon. Since you're out cavorting with designers..."

"But...It's my news."

"It's our news," he said with a furrowed brow.

"Well, yeah, but...it's...my body," she reminded him needlessly. She wanted to ignore the little bit of hurt that showed on his face.

"Peyton, it's not a big deal. I guess if you want me to wait, I'll wait. I just thought that since I'd be in there anyway, I'd get it out of the way."

She didn't know why she was upset. Maybe she wasn't, really. It was his baby, too, and Steve wasn't an easy guy to get face-to-face. It made sense for Lucas to share their news when he had the opportunity.

"No," she sighed. "I'm sorry. You're right. Tell him."

"Are you sure? Because..."

"Yes. I'm sure. I'm sorry I keep freaking out on you." She smiled at him and he shook his head gently. "Now I have to go or I'm going to be late to meet this designer, and I've heard she can be a bit of a diva."

"That right?" he asked as she walked towards him. She reached for his tie and straightened it for him, and he didn't kiss her, but he for damn sure wanted to.

"Mmm."

"What?"

"Black on black," she said softly. "Seriously...so sexy."

"Hmm. Maybe you should wear it sometime. I can see if I like it as much as you do," he suggested.

"Maybe," she said, pulling away from him. "Your place later?"

"Sure. Time?"

"Whenever I get there," she said, raising her brow again, almost begging him to try to argue.

"Perfect," he said instead.

She was out the door and he was left there, shaking his head as he went back to his work. They were almost through the week. Three days left. Well, three and a half. Surely he could go three and a half days.

But his mind still raced, long after she'd left, wondering what she and Brooke were up to.

----

"OK, so what am I looking for?" Brooke asked.

"Black."

"Black? That's all?" Brooke asked incredulously.

"Classy. But sexy. And...nice. Not slutty. I can't do slutty when I'm carrying a child," Peyton explained, making both of them laugh.

They were standing in La Perla, a store Peyton very rarely ever went in, but one where Brooke was a frequent shopper. They were walking around, eyeing mannequins and delicate little things and looking for something perfect for Peyton's plan.

"I've gotta tell you, Peyton, I love that Lucas brings out this side of you."

"I'm blaming it on hormones," Peyton insisted.

"Explains why it's been going on basically since you met him!" Brooke laughed. "Before you let him ravish you in the back of the club at your own party."

"Brooke!"

"We're in a lingerie store," Brooke said, looking around. "There are no secrets here. Everyone here's equally as slutty."

"You're something else," Peyton said, shaking her head.

"So you think this plan is going to work?" Brooke asked, returning to their original subject.

"Yes. Definitely."

"You're confident."

"That's because I'm seriously considering buying this," Peyton said.

She held up a black lace slip with a full push up bra and intricate lace detail. It was short, cut to barely cover the bottom, and Brooke eyed it appreciatively. Then she found the matching thong, and Peyton got a devious glint in her eye that had Brooke squealing in delight.

Brooke couldn't help but notice that - sex-deprivation aside - Peyton looked amazingly happy and somehow at peace with all the changes that were going on. Her best friend was having a baby with the man she loved, and Brooke knew there was nothing more beautiful than that. She did know, however, having spoken to Nathan about it in great detail, that Lucas was itching for something to move forward on some level. From the sounds of it, he did want to get engaged. Brooke knew that it wouldn't be simply because of the baby. She knew he just loved Peyton. It wasn't (yet) her place to say anything to her best friend about it, but she knew that if Peyton needed some sense knocked into her, Brooke might just have to be the one to do it.

"I cannot believe I just spent almost a thousand dollars on lingerie," Peyton said as they walked out of the store. "And for a man who probably won't even care!"

"Oh, honey. He'll care," Brooke insisted. "He'll care."

"You don't know how stubborn he is."

"Um...Nathan could definitely give him a run for his money." She started laughing, and Peyton looked at her questioningly. "He's just not crazy enough to offer to give up sex."

"Honestly? What was I thinking?"

"OK wait," Brooke said, stopping in her tracks. "You don't just want him to give in. You want him to give it to you."

"Basically."

"So he loses and he still gets to see you in the hottest lingerie you've ever worn," Brooke stated before she started laughing. "This is the stupidest bet ever!"

"I know! Like, if he just gives in, he gets to have sex. He's all about his pride or something. It's stupid."

"And you're horny."

"I'm hormonal!"

"Horny."

"I'm pregnant. And my body is..."

"Peyton?" Brooke said, placing her hand on the blonde's forearm. "You're horny. It's fine. It's natural. Just wear the hell out of what you just bought, and Lucas will scratch the itch for you. There's no way he turns you down in this."

Peyton let out a dramatic breath as they kept walking, and when they came to a high end baby store, Brooke insisted they go in. Peyton pretended like she didn't want to, but she found herself falling in love with pale coloured onesies and cute little hats and dresses. If nothing else, it took her mind off what was going to (or not going to) happen in the next couple hours.

Her mind was put at ease a little bit when Lucas left her a message saying that Steve was happy for them and hadn't seemed upset at all. That was just one less thing to worry about.

All that was left was...everything else.

----

She showed up at his apartment just after 7:00. She had wanted to get there sooner, but she had a craving for pizza from the place she loved, and she was 'forced' to order in. She ate alone, quickly, then got her things together, tidied herself up a little bit, and headed to Lucas' house.

She knocked at the door when she got there, and he looked utterly confused when he answered. He had no idea why she wasn't using her key.

But then he took in the sight of her a little bit. Black patent leather pumps, legs for days, and a black thigh-length trench. Her hair was curled a little bit in a way that they both knew damn well he loved, and her makeup was a little smoky. Her lips were just a little pink, and she was smiling, and he didn't know what to say.

"Hi," she said, moving her hands to the belt of her jacket.

"Hi," he managed.

She undid the buttons, and he was so entranced by her that he hadn't even invited her in - not that she ever needed an invitation.

And then she opened her jacket and revealed what she was wearing underneath, and he was staring so hard that he missed the devious (and possibly victorious) smirk on her face.

She placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back into his apartment, and she could feel the rapid beating of his heart beneath her palm. Poor guy, she thought momentarily. She clicked the lock on the door and set down her bag, and then his hands were on her waist and he was still looking at her body. He had to take a breath when he saw the amount of cleavage on display. For him. All of it was for him.

"What? What's...Wow."

He couldn't decide if he was overdressed or underdressed in his jeans and Knicks tee shirt. All he knew was that he wanted them both naked. And fast. In that little ensemble, she was definitely ahead of him.

"You asked for black on black," she said, locking eyes with him when he finally tore his gaze from her ensemble.

"Fucking hell, woman." He shook his head and pulled her a little closer, slipping his hands beneath her jacket a little more. "You're playing dirty."

"You wanna play with me?" she asked seductively, her index finger tracing the line of his jaw.

He didn't say anything, but he began pushing the fabric of her coat over her shoulders and he let it fall to the floor, and he took another breath when he saw all that skin, all that Peyton, standing before him and practically begging him to kiss every fucking inch of her.

"You know I can't say no to this," he stated.

"I know." She pressed her lips to his just gently, and he whined a little bit when she moved away. "Say that I win."

She ran her hand through his hair while the other toyed with the front of his tee shirt at his stomach, and his breathing sped up, and his eyes darkened even more. She wasn't sure if it was lust or anger or both, but no matter what, she knew she'd enjoy it.

"You fucking win."

His lips were on hers before she could laugh or even smile smugly.

His hands were everywhere as they walked, lip-locked, towards his bedroom. She backed him against the wall at one point, knocking one of his paintings askew. He really didn't care in the slightest. He could tend to that later. He was going to tend to her first. Or let her tend to him. Or whatever was about to happen. Sex. That was really the only thing in his mind.

She had his shirt pulled over his head before they were even down the hall, and she was working the button of his jeans as they stumbled through the door. He mumbled something against her skin that sounded a little bit like 'so worth it,' but she had blocked out pretty much anything that wasn't his lips and his hands and his jeans pooling at his feet when they stepped closer to the bed.

He took a step back when he was left in just his boxers, holding her at arms length and letting himself look at her hungrily. That was the best descriptor. She felt like he was about to lose it any second and turn into some kind of animal. It wouldn't be the first time.

She didn't want it to happen just yet. When his hands reached for the bottom of the lace she wore, she pulled away from him a little more.

"No," she commanded, pushing him back onto the bed.

He honestly and truly thought he might cry. If she was just teasing him and about to tell him that he wasn't getting it, he thought he might lose it. He needed her, and she was amazing, but if she turned it all around at that point, he may have hated her a little bit.

"Babe..."

"This is expensive."

"I don't care."

"I do," she said, swatting at his hands when he tried to grab her hips. "I don't need you getting all passion-crazed now."

"Too late," he mumbled. "Peyton, don't...Don't tease me."

"I'm not." She smirked at him and toyed with the lace at the bottom of the garment. "I'm just going to take this off myself. Slowly. And you're going to sit there and watch." One strap of the negligé fell down on its own, stealing his attention. "Is that a problem?"

"I'll do whatever you want right now."

She didn't say anything more. She just leaned down and kissed him, but she moved away from him again when he tried to touch her.

He was annoyed at first. He really was. But then he smirked to himself. She'd get what was coming to her.

He lay back on his bed against his pillows, placing one hand behind his head, and he tried to look a hell of a lot more in control than he was actually feeling. He watched her undo the two delicate little buttons at the side of the...whatever the hell it was she was wearing. He couldn't be bothered of think of the right word. He honestly didn't care, as long as she didn't take too long getting out of it.

She lifted the hem and made it look like she was just going to pull it up over her head, but when he took a sharp breath and let out a noise, she raised her brow and stopped moving. The look on his face was almost pathetic, but was actually adorable, and she really didn't want to tease him too much. She knew that if she did, she'd pay for it later. And she already had days of toying with him that he was no doubt going to get her back for.

She carefully pulled the thin, sheer material up over her head and walked it over to the chair in the corner of the room, and Lucas ended up sitting up again, watching her walk around in just her heels and that tiny little thong that (as much as he was enjoying it) she probably didn't need to be wearing. It wasn't like it was really leaving much to the imagination anyway.

He fucking loved that his girl could rock some dirty lingerie like that and still somehow be so damn sweet at the same time.

"Can I please, please do the rest," he pleaded boyishly when she stood in front of him again. They both knew she couldn't say no to those eyes.

"Carefully," she warned him, taking a step closer.

He kind of ignored her. He kind of grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the bed, then he was the one standing and she was on her back. He leaned down and kissed her hard, just because he was in control now, and he wanted her to know exactly how things would be from then on out.

She kicked off her own shoes and he glared at her, but he realized very quickly that he could be getting nothing, so he didn't say a word. He just slipped his fingers beneath the very, very minimal fabric that was (barely) covering her, and he pulled the little item down her legs, kissing her skin the entire time, because it felt like forever since he had done it.

She fully expected him to just sink into her and get what they both wanted. She shouldn't have been surprised when he kissed her and he quickly placed his hand between her legs. She breathed out his name in that way that actually gave him chills, and he kissed her gently. He spoke softly and he reminded her that he'd told her what he could do with his baby finger and that he intended to prove it.

She was falling apart within minutes, calling his name and saying she loved him when she was laying there with her eyes closed afterward. She told him she wanted him inside her already, and he smirked at her impatience. He let out an almost sinister laugh as he made his way down her body, and then her hands were in his hair as he kissed the inside of her thighs.

She really had no idea how he was able to control himself. It almost reminded her (during a rare moment of conscious, legible thought) of that first time they were together, when he wanted her so badly, but wanted even more to make her feel amazing.

He was succeeding. He always did.

She'd just come down from her third orgasm of the night when he slid into her without preamble. Well, their entire night and, hell, every moment since the last time they did this had been 'preamble'.

"I forgot," she said, though she was breathless and sweating and barely able to speak. He hadn't started moving yet, and she was almost thankful for that. This time.

"Forgot what?" he asked, kissing her neck as he somehow pulled himself even closer to her.

"How good you feel," she admitted.

If they were anywhere else, doing anything else, he would have reminded her that it was almost entirely her fault for challenging him in the first place. But it wasn't the time or place to start making accusations. He just started making love instead.

He was almost startled by a very real, very vivid, very intense thought, though he wasn't sure how he was thinking rationally at all.

He wanted to marry this woman.

He was going to marry this woman.

He knew it. She had to know it, too.

He wondered why she wasn't just agreeing to wear his ring already.

Then, her hands were holding him tightly, and she was arching her back beneath him and calling out his name. He hadn't even really realized how close he was until then, and her movement against him had him falling faster and harder than ever. If he'd been in any frame of mind to think it, he'd have wondered if the idea of her being his wife had helped him along.

"God," he said breathlessly as he moved to lay beside her. "If losing was always like that? To hell with winning."

She couldn't even manage proper words. She let out a strange sound, one born from passion and satisfaction and exhaustion, and he thought that was probably the best combination ever.

"Wanna know the best part?" he asked, placing random kisses to her bare shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"This was basically my fantasy anyway," he said with a smirk.

"What?" she asked quickly, turning to look at him. "It was not."

"Was too," he insisted seriously. "Except in my fantasy, you would have come to the library door and you'd be wearing nothing under the jacket. And you'd keep your shoes on."

She really couldn't tell if he was joking. She wasn't sure it mattered.

"Oh. Well. Maybe another time," she said softly.

He just let out a noise from low in his throat, and when he pulled her so she was on top of him, she was biting her lip in anticipation.

She learned a few things from their little experiment. One, that was what you'd call a win-win situation. Two, there was no way in hell she was ever going to question his resolve again. And three, she just could not be without that contact from him.

The passionate 'I haven't had you in days' reunion had been pretty fucking hot, though.