A/N – Thanks to all my lovely's who have reviewed thus far! This one's for you guys! Too all of you hit and runs (you know who you are) REVIEW! I mean please review, pretty please with a cherry on top!

WARNING: This one gets huddylicious with some brief smut. I'm building to the good stuff! If it's not your cup of tea then I suggest you either not read this or click really fast with the mouse over that part whilst squeezing your eyes shut!

ENJOY!

CHAPTER 3 – Touché

Greg house had to admit he was finding it hard to concentrate. The mental image of Lisa Cuddy in red lace against black silk was having what he was sure was her desired effect on him. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair fishing in the drawer to his desk for his pills. Upon finding the bottle he made little effort of retrieving what he sought for. He flipped the pill in the air and caught it in his mouth easily, swallowing it dry. His brilliant mind was busied with thoughts of a wicked plot. The Victoria's Secret magazine still lay splayed open on his desk and his eyes fell upon the page again. Victoria was going about this all the wrong way if she was trying to keep secrets. Apparently Cuddy had a few secrets of her own. He supposed he too was entitled to a few. "All is fair …" he mused. Grasping his cane he was on his feet and moved purposefully now out the doors of his office.

Cuddy, after a trip to the ladies room to ensure she was decent to present herself amongst civilized people - a list that usually excluded house, had returned to her busy workday. Board meetings, clinic, employee reviews, donors, and of course pending legal matters involving House and a four letter word he used in reference to a patients backside. Of course ass is really a three-letter word but that was just a practicality. And hers had been privy to many a topic of his conversation she recalled.

" About how big your ass has gotten lately? Not me, I defend it. You got back."

" You check out her breast, I'll get her ass"

Yes she had been the center of his tactless jokes abundantly more than necessary and she hadn't bitched and moaned about it. Sometimes patients really were just whiny, as much as she hated to admit house was partially right, on oaccasion,to avoid them. Not that she'd ever give him the satisfaction of such knowledge, but she could see his point at times. Letting loose an exasperated sigh she pushed through her office doors for the umpteenth time that day. Why did she bother having an office? She was hardly ever in it.

She flung a folder down onto the coffee table that sat in front of her office couch before noticing something in her peripheral vision. She rose again and made her way to her desk where a gift bag sat atop her day planner. The red and black tissue paper peeked out from the top and she was hesitant to even consider the notion of opening it. A small envelope was taped to the side of the solid black back with red rope handles. She pulled the envelope from the bag with delicate fingers and winced at the sound of the tape releasing from the slick side of the bag. It was the sound of foreboding danger and she knew better but her curiosity was insistent. She held her breath and opened the envelope to reveal a short message scribbled in a familiar handwriting.

"Touché. Try this on for size"

Now she was more than wary of pursuing the course of action her hands were already taking even as her mind screamed at her - don't do it! Don't do it! She imagined for a moment that if her life were a movie this would be the part where the audience was yelling for her to "put it down". A plea of course she would never sympathize with. She spun in her desk chair where she had now lowered herself to brace for whatever retaliation he had hidden in the bag. Spinning away from the door so no one would be able to see her, she reached into the bag. Cuddy was not sure what to expect but continued all the same. She could never have been prepared for what she pulled out. A red and black silk-lace teddy - the material (what of it was actually there and that wasn't much at all) was the most delicate and softest she ever felt. An involuntary shiver carried a blush to her cheeks as she pictured him buying it with her in mind. She shouldn't have allowed herself to dwell on it as she did and it frightened her the way her body was reacting to the idea. A tiny slip of paper fell out from the folded teddy and fell onto her lap. Upon further examination she found it to be another note reading 'p.s. Found this on pg. 23'. The thought of house loose in a lingerie store had to be something similar to a lion loose in a deli she imagined with an unhealty amount ofamusement.She looked at the tag…"even the right size" she scoffed.

"I was guessing that would be about right" a breathy whisper in her ear startled her and she jumped from the chair not quite clearing the bottom rung with her heel. With only an unintelligible yelp of surprise she was heading for the floor. House quickly moved to intervene. The force of the tumble knocking them both backwards landing with a loud plop onto her couch. She landed on top of his chest sprawled face down.

Cuddy felt his chest convulsing and came to the conclusion he was laughing. It was shaking her softly from where she lay atop him.

" Not a word" she warned him, staring at him now still from where she lay straddling him.

When she did move to get up he stopped her. " Leaving so soon? We just got here" he offered her a seductive leer that made her suddenly very aware of the fact that she was straddling him on her couch and she had to admit she didn't really want to move.

"Right" she donned sarcastically. " You get the blinds, I'll get the lock on the door". She rolled her eyes, as she attempted to untangle herself from his hold.

He wagged his eyebrows at her suggestively and pulled the lace teddy from her grasp. She had held on to it even as she fell. "Only if you promise to wear this"

"I most certainly will not" She huffed.

"Suit yourself naked works for me to." He didn't wait for her angry reply instead he pulled her face down to his and silenced her outrage with a forceful kiss, until he realized she was not offering any resistance, then his efforts softened.

When he pulled back she had her eyes closed but a smile was on her lips even as she sighed in resignation " Bastard."

" You know you could put up more of a fight if you really wanted to. I'm slightly disappointed." House had to crane his neck at an angle to look her in the eyes.

"Why because I didn't slap you, that can be arranged" House grabbed her wrists and tugged both arms around his neck ensuring she couldn't make good on her threat.

"Ohh I knew you were into that" he teased her, thankful for the firm grip he had on her. He was guessing she could slap pretty hard as riled up as she was.

"Shut up and get off of me" Cuddy demanded.

"Actually my dear you are on me."

"Fine. Then let me get off" she regretted the words even as they had left her mouth

"Oh believe me I'm trying! Just admit it – you're enjoying this."

"I am not!"

He planted another deep kiss onto her lips before moving on to her neck his three-day stubble scraping lightly against the sensitive skin there, not a completely unpleasant sensation. She tried to protest but found she had lost her voice. Only a soft moan escaped her, much to her dismay.

"Greg…please."

House stopped. He gave up. Assuming that was his cue to cease before she launched into a 'No means no.' speech, he loosened his grip on her.

"Please, don't stop." She murmured against his lips as her hands found the buttons of his shirt.

She didn't care what he thought, her selfish need to taste him on her lips and feel his hands on her body was ultimately the deciding factor. Rational thought be damned. This was years of sexual frustration. He reached up with one swift tug and made short work of ridding her of her top. The stunning view of her creamy torso against the red crimson lace was his reward. Fixedly admiring her breast he was unaware of her aggravation at the inconvenience of so many buttons. Or he was until she ripped his shirt open. Buttons flew aimlessly through the air landing where they may with angry clicks. She gave a possessed groan and it drowned any protest he may have had. He could get another shirt, it had never been his favorite. But a desperately sexy, nearly topless Lisa Cuddy who was so enthralled she had ripped his shirt open; that was irreplaceable. Who was he to critic?

Not to be outdone he had her beneath him in one fluent motion, he raised her skirt as his hands brushed teasingly slow against the inside of her thigh. "Greg" She moaned into his shoulder as he trailed kisses down her neck.

"Lisa." His voice sounded so distant…

"Lisa …wake up" Cuddy felt herself being shaken to as her eyes fluttered open and she realized, not without disappointment, that she was not on the couch with houses hands roaming her body. She was on the floor, her head was throbbing and house was looming over her with concerned countenance

"Don't stop what, what's that about?" House helped her to her feet as she mumbled brief thanks careful to not meet his stare. "You took a little header. I tried to catch you but you still managed to whack your head on the table." House nodded towards the cause of her misfortune. " Would have busted yourself up real good if I hadn't been here to at least stop the momentum of your fall."

Lisa attempted a snort and regretted it immediately as the pain shot through her head at the effort. "If I recall you are the reason I fell to begin with. What would I have done without you." Sarcasm oozed from her voice and she massaged the back of her tender head. "My hero." she patronized.

"You should really sit down" House guided her to the couch and began to examine her. A simple task he would have refused and thrown a tantrum over had the roles been reversed.

"I'm fine. How long was I out?" She tilted her head down so that he could check the spot where she had connected with the table.

"A few minutes, not long. Looks ok." He dropped his hands back down into his lap as she turned again to face him. "So what was that about don't stop…were you dreaming?"

Lisa scrambled for excuses, for anything to cover her indiscretion. "No, don't think so..I..I don't remember." She knew the denial had been too anxious and quick – a sure sign of a bad lie. He would see right through it. She moved away from him to her desk and began to focus on the folders. She knew there had to be something that needed signing right at that exact moment that she could exert herself with and avoid him.

"Not buying it…what's up?"

Lisa ignored him still. She picked up the bag that had set discarded on her desk and tossed it at him on the couch. It connected squarely with the center of his chest and fell into his lap.

" Take this and it's contents," she nodded at the garment that lay strewn across the arm of the couch, "and get out. Where you go is your business. Or if you want to stay here I'm sure there are clinic hours we could discuss."

"You're avoiding the question" the phrase melodically delivered in a monotone breath.

"I answered, you just didn't like the answer" Cuddy stood in front of him now holding out the teddy she had picked up herself from the arm of the couch, attempting to encourage him to leave.

"That's because you're lying." House pointedly retorted stepping into her personal space. He snatched the lace teddy from her clutches and tossed it. Leaving its ultimate destination for gravity to decide.

Cuddy blanched as arms once again assumed an agitated position on each hip. It was a patented Cuddy "don't fuck with me house" – move. House simply assumed it must run in her family. You don't get that good at being pist without years of practice. Lisa would have told him the years she'd known him were practice enough. He knew the look she was giving him meant to stand down. But she had to know him at least half as well – not a chance in hell he'd walk away now.

She avoided his prying eyes and focused on her shoes instead. House opened his mouth to speak as a knock on the door interrupted whatever stoic dialogue he was about to grace her with. She was simply grateful for the reprieve.

"It's open" she breezed past house to meet her savior half way.

A female nurse peeked in and upon seeing she had interrupted Cuddy and House made her way timidly in. What now, Cuddy wondered. At least it couldn't be about House he had been with her for at least the last 20 minutes. The Nurse turned her back to House as she spoke discretely to Dr. Cuddy. He assumed it was about whatever issue was important enough for her to dare muster the courage to disturb a closed door when she knew the two warring doctors were behind it. It was considered common knowledge if the door was shut to Cuddy's office and House had gone in, you were to hold your breath even in passing so as not to disturb them. Going in was a death wish. It was like walking into the lion's denso to speak. Could never tell if it was sunny skies or thunderstorms with those two. House noticed the nurse had rushed off and Cuddy was pulling on her suite jacket; preparing for something he was sure would bore him.

"Clinic, now" She ordered. "You're a doctor, act like one" Cuddy pleaded before sighing.

"Fine, but we're not through here." House sidled past her out the office door and disappeared into the elevator. Not before turning and yelling for the amusement of all within earshot, mostly himself, " Dr. Cuddy I will not sleep with you..AGAIN!"

"She's insatiable.", he announced to a random passer byre. Cuddy could only shake her head.

How could she have ever considered being with him? She had a sudden moment of clarity and panicked as she remembered the lingerie. Thank God it was well hidden behind the desk when he tossed it. Like she needed anymore whispered rumors of escapades between herself and House. She quickly stuffed it back into the bag from which it came and tossed it in her desk drawer. She would dispose of it later. After all, a lacy undergarment in her trash can after House's comments would not bode well for her. She had the board to deal with. Yes this was definitely going to require a strong drink come six o'clock.

I will try to post soon again! You guys are the best for all the wonderful reviews! It makes me giddy!