Part 4

"What do you want to do until the Pizza gets here?" They had unloaded the groceries but decided to order some real food before indulging into a sugar run. "We could start the movie, but I don't like interruption and we'd have to stop it when the food gets here."

"What movie did you get?" she suddenly realized that she had forgotten to ask. His small revelation in the store had dashed the question from her mind. She was still a little on edge knowing that he had looked at her like that, but to her credit she was hiding it well.

He grinned and retrieved the tape from it's plastic bag, "A classic." He stated pulling it out to present to her, "Die Hard."

She let out a squeak of a laughter, "Die Hard!"

He watched her amusement to his purchase with some confusion. "Well you didn't expect you to get some fluffy chick flick now did you?"

"No, I didn't. Die Hard it is then. So what do you want to do until the food gets here?" A shrug of his shoulders was the only response he gave her. "Hmm…" She glanced around the room in an attempt to come up with something and to get a better look at his home. For a bachelor pad the place was well furnished and very clean. Family pictures hung on the walls. Extensive CD collection displayed near his impressive home entertainment center. But for amusement it didn't look like he had very many guests over. "Got any cards?" They were in Vegas surly he did and knew how to play a game or to.

Settling into arm chair Claire began to shuffle the deck. He watched her while he got comfortable on the couch across from her and cleared the coffee table that was between them. "What do you want to play?"

She ran threw the various games she played in college, but most of them involved betting or striping and while one appealed to her at the moment it seemed very forward. "How about speed? I played it all the time when I was a kid with my brother. We were both very competitive and it's an easy game."

"Alrighty, teach me how to play then," he sat by patently and watched her deal while she went over the rules. He was still somewhat uneasy around her now that she knew that he checked her out, despite the fact the she made light of it. He had the feeling that she liked him too. Her voice would always get a little more breathy when she was talking to him as apposed to Greg or Warrick. But girls have had crushes on him before and he thought nothing of it, there was just something about her. She was making Ihim/I feel slightly off balance. His last attempt to have an relationship nearly got him arrested, so he promised himself to take a break from the dating scene. Then Claire has to come along and stir up all these buried emotions in him. There was no denying the fact that he felt a physical attraction towards her. What are you doing? You can't date her. She's an inter for crying out loud. But most of his rational thinking disappeared as he tried to force himself to focus on what she was saying and his eyes caught sight of her lips.

"So really all you have to do is get rid of your cards by building up and down. And you have to be the first one done," she finished her explanation and looked over at Nick to make sure she didn't lose him. She was surprised to find him starring at her very intently but his focus was on her mouth. "Nick?"

"What?" His name snapped him back, "Right, be the first one done. Got yah. Let give it a try."

The first few games Nick lost miserably even though he could tell the Claire was taking it easy on him. That only made him more completive. After a while he started winning and that's when they both started to go all out, but they kept the mood light. He'd win a game and start laughing, while she would playfully pout. Or she would win and flash him a triumphant smile and he would give her a mocking glare. "Yah, I'll get you on this one you'll see."

"Is that a threat Nicky?" she mused.

"No. It's a promise," he smirked.

He was determined to win this round, she won the last four times now that she wasn't going easy on him. This time he'd get her. But once they started the game, he realized he'd lose. She was just to good. In many different ways. Stop thinking that way! Why does my mind always go back to that? The game Nick. Just focus on the card game. She was going to win for sure but he could at least slow her down. So he placed one of his cards down but kept his hand in her way. Blocking her view.

"Hey!" she growled in mock anger. "Cheater."

"Yah, well what can you do about it?" he teased her back.

Her expression shifted to a serious tone, but there was a curve at the corners of her mouth. "You should know better than to say something like that. I could so take you." He grinned broadly at the 5 foot 4, hundred and nothing, little brunette and flattened his hand out on the cards even more so. Refusing to back down, she quickly rounded the coffee table and put both hands on his chest. She effective pushed him onto his back and sat on the upper half of his legs. Grabbing both wrists she pinned him to the couch. "Ha! See, don't mess with me."

Her victory was short lived, as Nick decided to finally defend himself once she thought she had him. He easily pulled he's hands from her grasp and grabbed her hips. In one swift movement she was under him. Her wrists were being tightly held above her head with one hand by Nick. She laughed and tried to free herself, but all her efforts were in vain, as most of his body was covering hers. He was chuckling the whole time, "Care to revise your statement?"

"Ok, you win." She sighed in defeat and stopped squirming. In that instant were she relaxed, they both became very aware of the position that they were now in, and how they're faces were merely inches apart. She turned her head to face Nick and their eyes locked. The amusement she saw there a moment ago was now replaced with one of heat and something darker. His eyes flickered from hers for a moment to catch sight of her lips. She felt slightly dizzy and there didn't seem to be enough oxygen in the room any more. He leaned a little closer and their breath began to mingle. Just as she began to feel his soft lips on hers, she closed her eyes.

"BANG! BANG! BANG! Pizza delivery!"

Her eyes flew open and Nick flew from the couch. "I… I…a…" he stuttered. "I'll go get the door."