Though there was still a long way to go in the whole moving-in-together situation, Cuddy felt it was going well. House was taking it seriously, well, as serious as he could get in the early stages of planning. They spent the next night at her place so they could see what, if anything, needed to be moved, rearranged, packed away. No final decisions had been made. That was fine with Cuddy. She wasn't going to rush him. It wasn't like a few more weeks or months of taking turns at each other's humble homes would make that much of a difference. Besides, House was making that commitment. He was ready to make a change...for her. That meant so much more than figuring out where his piano was going to go.

That definitely called for a little something special. He certainly deserved it. So did she.

"Mmmm...I love surprises," House said, grinning salaciously while sitting on the corner of her desk. "But tell me, what have I done to deserve this?"

"You're taking my request to move in with me seriously," she answered, resting her chin on her hands. "You're taking us seriously. You're back here doing your job and driving everyone up the wall."

House tilted his head. "That deserves a reward? You usually threaten to move my parking space or torture me with more clinic hours."

"I could do that, too," she replied. "Everyone is coming to me and complaining about you. One of your clinic patients threatened to sue you and the hospital yesterday. That means everything is getting back to normal."

"Well, Lisa, whoever thought that the threat of lawsuit would be such a wonderful thing. Is this your roundabout way of telling me that I'm going to have to make up all the clinic hours I missed? It's not like I planned that little side trip to New York. Surely you're not going to hold that against me."

"I don't." Her expression suddenly serious. "Greg, when you were gone...in New York...I was afraid that I would never see you again." He didn't reply, so she went on. "When you didn't recognize me or anyone else, and when you kept calling Wilson by the wrong name, I was afraid you never get your memory back."

"You and James don't have to worry about that anymore."

"But having you back here with me, and back at the hospital doing what you do best...complaints and threats are worth it when I realize what I and this hospital could have lost."

He looked away, out the window. A rosy blush began at his temple and spread down his neck to his shirt collar. For once he didn't have a snappy comeback because he was too embarrassed by being caught off guard by her statement.

"Thank you," he muttered after finding his voice again.

"You're more than welcome," Cuddy said, gloating inwardly. It wasn't often that she rendered him speechless. "Did you call Bobby?"

"I left him a message this morning. He hasn't called back. I called Alex but she wasn't in either. I'm sure they'll let us know if something happens."

"Yes, they will," she agreed, then decided to get back to the subject of them. "Coming over tonight?"

"I might be able to clear some time in my terribly busy schedule. I don't do that for just anybody, being such a dedicated doctor and all."

"Can you handle sleeping in my too-small bed again tonight?"

"Can you handle me in your bed, boss?"

"I'm sure you'd like to find out, not that you already don't know or anything. If you want your surprise, you're going to have to come and get it."

"Is that a sexual proposition I hear coming from you, Lisa?"

"Yes."

"You're just itching for another lawsuit, aren't you?"

"You better believe it. See you in court, Dr. House."

"You're on, boss."

"This better be worth the wait!" House called from her bed, half naked.

When she walked in wearing a red satin babydoll with black lace that barely covered the matching panties, he decided it was worth every single second he had to lay there.

"Why, boss," he gaped, taking in the lovely sight in front of him. "You certainly have a unique way settling your lawsuits."

"I haven't settled anything," she declared, her lip curling into a satisfied smile. "I've won."

"Not yet."

"You like?" She spun around. The red satin burned itself into his corneas.

"Okay, you win," he laughed, all to be happy to be the loser this time. "You can have every penny to my name. Now come here."

"I don't want your money," Cuddy teased as she walked over and climbed up next to him, then let her fingers trail down his chest to the waistband of his boxers.

"No, boss, my money means nothing to you." House's voice became a low, throaty growl. "You dragged me over here because you couldn't wait to put this on so I could take it off."

"Oh, God, yes," she gasped as his callused hand stroked the equally satiny skin of her inner thigh. The flimsy babydoll suddenly felt like a heavy wool blanket; she crawled on top of him and ground her pelvis into his. "What the hell are you waiting for?"