Thank you all, once again, for your kind concern and comments! My medication hasn't really kicked in yet, but I'm hopeful that I'll be feeling more like myself in a few weeks. Until then, I'm sorry that my writing speed has been significantly slowed! I hope everyone likes this chapter. I'll try to get the next one up a bit faster :)
Chapter 26
The lobby of the Taj Mahal hotel had so much highly polished marble, and so many crystal chandeliers, that House thought they could be in danger of going blind from the glare. Then he took off his cynical-colored glasses and grudgingly admitted that the place was amazing. Over the top, but still amazing.
Surprisingly, there weren't many other people in the lobby, and House chalked it up to the fact that it was still early in the season. The place was probably packed at the height of summer. Meanwhile, the sound of his wheeled suitcase rolling along the smooth marble floor bounced dully off the fresco-painted walls.
"We're actually a little early. It's only one o'clock. I'm not sure if they'll let us check in," Cameron said from beside him.
"Ah, but this is where being a cripple really pays off," House said, affecting a more severe limp and shooting one of his not-quite-crazy-but-close looks at her.
They reached the concierge's counter and Cameron pulled her reservation sheet out of her pocketbook and slid it across the green marble.
"We have a reservation for two nights, under the name Cameron," she said sweetly. "I know we're a little early…"
"Completely my fault," House continued where Cameron left off. "She said we shouldn't have left so early, but I was just so darn eager to get here, and now I really need to lie down and rest this poor, deformed leg of mine."
House was sounding so terribly apologetic and sincere that Cameron had to turn away quickly and pretend to cough.
The woman behind the counter was young, attractive, and sympathetic. "Of course sir," she said, peering over the counter and seeing how heavily House was leaning on his cane.
Fifteen minutes later and they were passing through the door of their room on the fifteenth floor. House left his suitcase by the door while Cameron dragged hers into the bedroom bed before spinning around and getting a good look at the place.
"Well, despite his poor taste in toupees, I've got to admit that Trump's got a way with hotels," House said, followed by an appreciative whistle as he surveyed their rooms.
"I think that's his real hair," Cameron replied.
That won her an incredulous look from House. Based on the undercurrent of pity she guessed that it was directed at her for believing in Trump's hair fortitude.
"I bet we have a great view," she said, ignoring the look and heading for the large glass doors that led from the living area to the balcony.
"For the price you must be paying, we should have a bridge from that balcony to the beach," House snarked.
Cameron tossed a cheery look over her shoulder as she looked outside. "It was worth every penny just to have you whistle when we came in the room." She was feeling inordinately pleased about being able to impress him, even though technically it was the hotel doing the actual impressing.
A short 'harumph' could be heard coming from House's general direction as walked through the bedroom and peeked into the bathroom. Yes, that sealed it. This was the best hotel room he'd ever stayed in. Of course it didn't take much, considering that he generally abhorred travelling, but still, this place took the cake. He caught himself wondering where he could take Cameron to top it, and stopped himself. Damn, he was more competitive than he thought if vacation planning had suddenly turned into a sport. No, that wasn't it. He didn't want to outdo her, he just wanted to be the one to put that shy-surprised-delighted look on her face. Yeah. That was another one of those things he wasn't going to tell Wilson about.
He spared another look at the Indian-inspired bathroom, with its sunken hot tub, double marble sinks, and six-head glass-enclosed steam shower. The colors were all tans and reds with accents of gold and faux vintage prints of elephants and tigers on the walls. He stepped back into the bedroom, which followed the stylized Indian theme. The bedspread was dark red with gold threads making a complicated design on the surface. The pictures seemed to be the PG rated pages from the Kama Sutra, and a massive mahogany armoire housed a flatscreen television and a built-in mini-fridge. House pressed one hand on the mattress as he passed the king-sized bed on his way into the living area. He was already looking forward to using that bed.
Cameron was still out on the balcony, and House joined her out there and looked out, across the Steel Pier, down the Boardwalk to the beach and the ocean beyond. It was hazy in the distance and he couldn't tell where the water ended and the pale blue sky began.
"Did I thank you for thinking of this?" House asked as he stepped closer to her and draped an arm around her shoulders.
"Nope," she replied, breathing in the hint of salt air that floated above the scent of the city.
"Then consider this my thanks." He ducked his head and caught her mouth as she turned her face towards him. The kiss was long and deep, his tongue conveying more with touch than it could with words.
Cameron had a grin plastered on her face when they pulled away to grab a snatch of air, and her eyes were sparkling again. "You're more than welcome."
House kissed her again, and sent her heart rate skyrocketing when he snaked a hand under her shirt to caress her bare skin.
"What about that sandwich you wanted," she said throatily when he left her mouth to press a series of love bites down her neck.
"I think food can wait," he told her.
She grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the doorway. "I agree."
They managed to keep the distracting touches to a minimum as they walked through the living room, but all bets were off once they crossed the threshold to the bedroom. House didn't long for the ability to sweep her up and toss her to the bed, but he did wish that he'd taken an extra couple of vicodin in the car. He heard the pills rattling in his jacket as Cameron tugged it off and was mildly surprised when she paused and reached into the pocket to get the small amber container. She thumbed off the lid, tumbled one into her palm and offered it to him. The look on her face started as one of acceptance and morphed into one of sultry seduction as she raised her hand to his mouth. His eyes widened, then grew heavy-lidded with lust. He flicked out his tongue to capture the white pill, swallowed hard, and placed a moist kiss on her palm. Her siren-like grin spread across her face just before he pressed his lips to hers again, murmuring her name in between kisses and moving his mouth down her jaw towards her ear.
"Allison."
"Mmm… what?" House muttered, lips brushing against her neck.
"Call me Allison." Her breath was a whisper touch along his cheek.
The taste of her skin was on his tongue, her sweet scent filling his lungs. He didn't want to stop what he was doing, but something in her tone made him. He needed to see her face.
"We're not at work. We're away from the world we're both used to. I want to be Allison here. I want to hear you say my name."
"Allison," her name sounded strange to his ears, too fine and delicate for his gravelly voice. He watched her eyes as they flickered slightly and then seemed to turn into fathomless pools. "It's a nice name," he said, wondering if she would successfully translate 'nice' into 'beautiful'.
His hands were still on her shoulders and he swept his thumbs over her prominent collarbones, eager to replace his fingers with his lips.
"Thank you… Greg," she replied, trying it out, letting it roll off her tongue.
A rumbling noise started in House's chest and he felt the unbidden reaction from another part of his body as well. Cameron felt that response as well and she smiled. Apparently he liked hearing it as much as she liked saying it. A second later and her smile was gone, forced from her lips by the insistent pressure of House's mouth against them.
Their clothing was shed quickly, bra following blouse, boxers following pants, until they were naked save for the sheet Cameron had pulled partially over them. It was one of her little quirks and House was happy to accommodate her. He even saw advantages to the light covering. The rustle of fine cotton against his lower back was a sensual caress that worked in tandem with Cameron's delicate fingers on his shoulder and neck, setting his skin on fire. How had he ever doubted his ability to keep up with her needs? He was burning for her and she'd barely touched him.
The expensive mattress knew better than to squeak as they shifted and maneuvered around each other, touching sensitive places and making adjustments as necessary. House only winced once when her knee dug into his thigh, and even in her state of spiraling need, Cameron noticed and soothed it with her hands, one against the damaged muscle and one running along aroused flesh to distract him from the pain.
She was more vocal than usual, repeating his name, and telling him how wonderful he was making her feel. Her words further enflamed him and suddenly his age was an advantage, giving him the control that allowed him to concentrate on her. Her body arched into his touch, her desire evident, and before long he gave in to her pleading words and eager hands.
Outside the windows, seagulls circled and cried out, the sound of the waves echoed above the traffic, and a strong breeze pushed salt air into the room. House didn't notice any of that. His mouth, his eyes, his hands, his ears, all his senses were tuned to the small woman straining with pleasure in his embrace. He looked down into her face and felt himself on the verge of coming undone.
"Allison," he ground out, "open your eyes."
Blue met blue and he felt her surge over the edge, shuddering and murmuring nonsense words as her body clutched at him. He held on just long enough to watch her fall and then joined her an instant later, her name a repeated mantra flowing from his mouth.
The two of them lay almost completely still as they enjoyed the afterglow and drifted in and out of wakefulness. The air conditioning in the room chilled their previously overheated skin and House groped for the sheet and pulled it up over their shoulders, leaving his hand resting on the back of Cameron's neck. He let out a sigh of pleasure and allowed himself to doze, feeling her pulse throb under his thumb. Gimpy leg, lousy attitude, a past full of heartache, only one man he could call a friend, but as he lay there, floating on endorphins and bliss, he couldn't think of anyone he wanted to switch places with.
It was sometime later when Cameron twisted her body sideways and propped herself up on her elbow so that she could look down at House's relaxed features. She moved a hand to cup his stubble-coated jaw and brushed her thumb over his lips. Slowly his eyes blinked open and she smiled.
"I think there's still time to get that sandwich you wanted," she said.
"Well I have worked up even more of an appetite."
She chuckled; an adorable sound coming from her chest. "Join me for a shower first?"
His eyebrows rose, and he tried to keep from outright leering at her. "You do realize the number of home accidents that occur in the shower, don't you?
A light kiss was planted on his lips before she pulled away and swung her legs out of bed. "Yes, but we're not at home. And I promise to hold you up," she countered suggestively as she passed into the bathroom.
House arrived at her side just as the steam started coating the shower doors.
Given his injured leg, House wasn't up for the sort of gymnastic sexual encounters that most frequently appeared on movie and television screens. That didn't stop them from turning a quick shower into a twenty-minute event. Soapy hands were given freedom to roam over silky skin and they had to stifle their moans to keep them from echoing off the glass walls. Just washing Cameron's long hair became almost more intimate than mere sex, his fingers strong yet gentle, massaging her scalp and spreading her hair over her shoulders like a shawl. She whimpered deep in her throat and let her head fall forward when he pushed the dark strands to the side and kissed the back of her neck. Then, when she ran a soapy cloth over his damaged thigh, and then his quickly expanding arousal, he groaned with as much satisfaction as he would have if she'd just taken him in her mouth.
Washing had eventually given way to purely erotic touches, but they had remained soft and tender. They built slowly towards release and then coasted over the edge on a gentle wave, with tongues intertwined, and hands continuing to stroke delicately as they floated back to earth.
They finally made it out of the room at quarter to three.
The Boardwalk was nearly six miles from end to end, and the Taj Mahal resort hotel was situated almost all the way to the northern end of it. As House and Cameron started walking they could see the almost gaudy edifices of the other casinos interspersed with buildings left over from another age. There were some souvenir and food stands set up along the walk, and smaller boardwalks leading down to the beach.
The two of them walked past the Steel Pier, with its assortment of amusement park rides, and headed further down the walk. House looked around with interest, noting signs and shops and staring at some of the newer casinos. Raucous noises filtered out from them despite the early hour, and an assortment of people walked by and around them, some young, some older, most looking like thinking about their next big score.
"Penny for your thoughts, Greg."
It took a second for House to realize that Cameron was talking to him, and when he looked down at her she was grinning.
"So that's how it's going to be, eh?"
"Humor me."
"Okay… Allison," he replied, still not quite used to the sound of her name on his tongue. "I was just thinking of how much this place has changed."
She looked at him inquisitively. "Since when?"
"Since I was a kid."
"You came here back then? I thought you grew up in New York." House hadn't shared many details of his past during their time together, but certain things had been mentioned.
"I did, but we had some cousins who had a house down here. We'd come for the summer."
"They've built it up a lot since then," Cameron agreed, remembering a few trips she'd made during her college years.
Even the ten years since then had brought a lot of change. The Boardwalk looked a lot more modern, with the new hotels towering over everything, and a lot of the smaller places gone. It was definitely cleaner, but some of the character had been swept away along with the trash.
"There used to be a guy who sold fried dough the size of your head, and another one who served up snowcones while puffing on the biggest cigar I've ever seen," House reminisced.
Cameron felt a little bit anxious hearing him talk like that. Sometimes it was better to let your childhood memories remain perfectly preserved, and she hoped he wasn't disappointed by what he saw now.
"Sorry I brought you here?" she asked, honest, as always, with her thoughts.
He only considered her words for a moment before reaching for her hand and giving it a short squeeze. "Nope." He looked at her profile, hair windswept from the ocean breeze, the beach and water beyond forming a backdrop to her features. "There's been a definite improvement in the view, Allison," he stated with that careless tone that actually held his feelings just below it. "Come on… I'll race you down to the beach." He let go of her hand and limp-sprinted down the walkway leaving Cameron smiling in his wake.
The tide had just gone out, leaving the sand hard-packed and relatively easy to walk on, even for House. He wasn't at all surprised when Cameron ran up from behind him and swung into step while grabbing his hand. She had kicked off her sandals and carried them in her other hand, leaving her feet to make fading indentations that filled with water as she walked along.
"I love the ocean," she declared, breathing in deeply and letting the salt air settle in her lungs.
"Guess you didn't see much of it in land-locked Wisconsin."
"No, not exactly," she replied. "Maybe that's why I can't get enough of it now."
"It's the exact same color as your eyes," he stated, causing her to do a quick double-take as a grin formed on her face.
"Why, Greg, how sentimental," she teased.
He rolled his eyes. "I get paid to be observant," he countered, by way of explanation.
"Somehow I don't think my eye color, in relation to the Atlantic Ocean, has ever been a factor in one of our cases."
He rolled his eyes again and decided to quit while he was ahead. They continued walking in silence for a few minutes before Cameron spoke again.
"Yours are the color of the sky in July."
They never did end up getting their sandwiches, but they did get pretzels, taffy and Italian ice when they walked up to the Boardwalk again and started heading back towards the Taj Mahal. They also ducked into The Sands casino, which was one of the oldest there. Cameron insisted that she needed to put ten dollars on her lucky number on the roulette wheel. House scoffed at her and was glad she only rubbed it in a little when she won fifty bucks.
Back in their room, they realized that neither of them was hungry for dinner, but it seemed a crime not to at least eat something. Their hotel alone had eleven restaurants to choose from, along with a mini mall food-court. They settled on Marc Anthony's and Cameron insisted on changing.
"Allison, the clock is ticking," House called impatiently from the living room. Once plans were decided upon he hated waiting. He had switched his khakis for dark trousers and a matching jacket, but that had only taken two minutes.
"Five more minutes! I thought you weren't even hungry!"
"Yeah, well…" he faded off, not having a good answer, and struck dumb by the site of Cameron in a slinky black silk dress.
The dress was silk brocade with a high mandarin collar but Cameron's hand was still protectively covering her chest. Her hair, untamable from their walk, was a riot of waves that fell past her shoulders. Any desire to leave the room quickly fled from House's mind as he stood up and walked to her side. He took hold of the hand that rested over her heart and tugged her into his body, feeling her heat through the material that separated them.
"I could just stay here and eat you," he growled into her ear.
Her smile started in her eyes and moved on from there. "You could, but then you'd miss out on this." She held up her other hand and revealed two tickets for a show in the hotel that started at eight.
'VH1 - Classics of Rock' was emblazoned on the front, along with a list of bands that included Cinderella, Ratt and Quiet Riot. House's eyes lit up and he looked from the tickets to Cameron's beaming face.
"When you do something, you really go all the way, don't you?"
"Pretty much, yeah," she answered, looking like a kid on Christmas morning who'd just opened a brand new bike.
House shook his head. This was a new side to her, but he guessed he shouldn't have been surprised. She'd been the one to give him a Christmas present even when he'd spent half his time tossing scathing remarks in her direction. It only stood to reason that she'd let the giving side of herself have free-rein now that she felt more secure that he wouldn't slap her down.
He leaned forward again and said huskily, "Allison, if you hadn't already spent all this money, I'd choose you and that dress over Cinderella, any day of the week." He felt, rather than saw, her blush against his cheek.
"We'd better hurry now," she said, tongue feeling slightly clumsy. Flattery had a way of doing that to her. "We'll probably want to change again before the concert."
"Oh no," House declared as he headed towards the door. "I think you'll look just fine."
Cameron laughed lightly. "I'm pretty sure we'll be overdressed, and I even smuggled a couple of your old t-shirts here so we'd fit right in."
House smirked. "Fine. Maybe I'll even buy you a t-shirt of your own."
"Right. Wouldn't want me getting any more cooties on yours," she joked.
He pulled her close for a heated kiss just before they reached the door. "I brought your clothes to my place so you'd feel more comfortable," he said as he pulled away, "but you in a worn black t-shirt is even sexier than you in this dress," he continued as he eyes raked up and down her body.
Cameron blushed again and smirked up at him. "And you think you don't have a way with words."
He grinned at her innocently and quickly led her from the room. He was already looking forward to their return and a repeat of the afternoon's performance.
