Chapter 17 - Hearts, diamonds and flowers

...

It was late. More than he thought. He turned the key in the lock and opened the door, smiling to himself at the view of the TV on. The volume so low that it was just a buzz in the background. He looked at the cup resting on the coffee table. Next to the book he had given her. The tea bag still in the cup immersed in what was left of that now cold drink. He brought it to his lips and smiled. How long didn't he take a sip of chamomile? Certainly she hadn't found it in his kitchen. And again he smiled at the thought of how her stuff were already slowly mixing with his in that apartment.

He sat down beside her on the couch moving a lock of hair from her face and bending down to brush her cheek with his lips.

She moved to that contact, lazily opening her eyes and smiling slightly.

"I'm not going to carry you to bed" he said smiling on her lips.

She replied just with a hhhmmm, clinging to him and burying her face in the crook of his neck.

God! He would have wanted to make love to her right now and then, on that couch! He had no doubt he could wake her up! Where had she got that unhealthy idea of waiting! Waiting for... what?

"Come on," he said, smiling, standing up and reaching for her.

He took her hand, leading her to the bedroom. He wasn't completely convinced she really was awake! He slipped under the covers with her pulling her closer until her back leaned on his chest.

"Thank you... for the book" she whispered wrapping more his arm around her own body.

House smiled, just kissing her hair.

"Is..." she slightly turned her head back to look into his eyes "is it better than making love?" She whispered smiling with a sleepy but definitely mischievous look brushing his lips.

"It says somehow, Cuddy!" He replied smiling on her lips with a mischievous look, caressing her lips with his while his arm held her tighter to himself.

She stared back, lightly running her tongue on her lips, then looking again for his lips.

"Right!" She replied , still smiling on his lips "Somehow..."

Definitely! When she least expected it, that man really knew how leaving her speechless! Literally! And not always in a positive way!

...

"Dr. Cuddy?"

Cuddy looked up from the paper on her desk, meeting her assistant's eyes, standing in the doorframe.

"A supplier..." she said, looking at Cuddy as she gestured her to come in "He says he has an appointment for a delivery, but his name isn't on my agenda..."

"Um... ok... let him in" she said, standing up and slightly shaking her head.

She looked at that guy as he entered her office pushing a hand-cart with five styrofoam boxes stacked on each other, and shook his hand as he handed her the delivery note for a signature.

"50 pieces, Ma'am," He said handing her even his pen "as ordered"

Cuddy looked at him, looking down at that paper sheet and then up at him again.

"Fifty?" She asked with a quizzical look as her gaze lingered on the writing on his T-shirt.

It had been a very difficult and busy week, but... for sure she hadn't signed for any order for... something... from "There's something about... pork." And she had confirmation of that as soon as she looked at the signature on that order. An unmistakable incline of those L and Y. And she sighed, looking at that man again.

"Fresh. Arrived this morning! With us only the best stuff, Ma'am," he said with a satisfied look, opening one of the boxes to show her the content.

Cuddy closed her eyes for a split second, deeply breathing in, more to conceal her anger than because she was disgusted by that.

Ice and those which, by the size, were clearly beef hearts. Fifty beef hearts!

"Um... thanks," she said, scribbling her signature at the bottom of that paper, and then handing it again to that guy.

He smiled, shaking her hand again and greeting her with a nod.

Well... at least they weren't pork hearts... she thought shaking her head, looking at those styrofoam boxes again and then at the logo on the back of that man's T-shirt as he move toward the door.

"Oh... wait a minute" he said, suddenly stopping and turning back towards her, taking an envelope from his pocket.

He looked at her and handed her a crumpled note. Luckily he hadn't forgotten it! That guy would have split his cane on his head if he forgot! Not only he had paid the bill in advance, but had also given him $ 20 to deliver even that note!

Cuddy looked at him as this time he walked out of her office, closing the door and looking at those styrofoam boxes, running a hand on her forehead.

She opened the envelope and... she couldn't help but smile.

How on earth could he do that? She was furious! Yeah... she was. Past tense.

She shook her head

Again. Every time she thought she couldn't be more furious he did something that left her literally speechless. How did he do that? Dispelling her anger with a few words scrawled on a yellow note, turning it into a smile?

She looked again at those words, shaking her head.

* Hearts. Can I have that yes now? *

"Still mad at me?" He asked, walking into her office and watching her as she looked up from her desk.

"Yes," she replied looking him straight in the eye.

House shook his head, unable to hold back a smile.

"Well," he said, shaking his head "not the kind of yes I wanted to hear from your mouth" he added, looking into her eyes, running his tongue on his lips.

Cuddy couldn't help but smile in turn, biting her lip to not give in, and then running her tongue on her lips in turn.

"I can't marry you if I kill you with my bare hands first" she said glaring at him.

House placed both hands on her desk, bending over to look straight into her eyes.

"Why am I having the impression that your hands would like to do something else now than killing me?" He mischievously asked, just an inch from her mouth.

Cuddy held his gaze then unable to hold back a laugh. God, how the hell could he do that? The warmth of his breath was enough to turn her on...

"Because... it's true" she replied, laughing, looking at him in the eyes and then looking at his lips.

God... she just wanted those lips on hers... that tongue on hers...

She breathed in, biting her lip more as House moved in turn his gaze on her mouth.

"You're not angry" he said, still just one inch from her lips. Not a question. A statement.

"No," she answered smiling, slightly touching his lips in a little kiss, then suddenly parting from him and leaning her back on her armchair, glancing behind House, to the French-door of her office.

Her assistant knocked on the same door just a second later, approaching her desk and glancing at House as Cuddy signed the document she had brought her. The Dr. House in that office was nothing new. And it wasn't nothing new even that he was often responsible for the mood of her boss and... well... at least this time he didn't seem to have got into some trouble.

House looked at her as she walked out, closing the door again, and then again at Cuddy.

"So may I not sleep alone tonight?" He asked, bending over on her desk again and lightly brushing her lips.

"Come over for dinner?" She asked him the hint of a smile.

"Are you going to cook? I thought you weren't mad at me" he replied looking at her with a raised eyebrow as she gave him a dirty look.

...

He had tried to lift the lid and peer into the pan, but Cuddy had been faster and had lightly slapped his hand with the wooden spoon, forcing him to pull back.

"Well... it looks good." He said as she put a plate in front of him and sat down on the other side of the table.

"I hope so... because I have another 49 in the freezer." She said seriously staring at him.

House stared back, slightly opening his mouth, looking at his dish again and then at her eyes.

"You're kidding" He said with the hint of a smile as a smile appeared on her lips too.

"Yes, silly" She replied, laughing. "It's filet"

House smiled and nodded, looking again at his plate.

"What happened to...?" He said, waving his hand and then sinking the knife in that fillet with green pepper sauce.

Cuddy laughed.

"Dr. Thompson's tomorrow anatomy practice class. You made him the happiest man in the world. So happy that he almost kissed me!" He said, laughing.

House glared at her.

"Better for him he didn't," He said looking into her eyes "or tomorrow his students would have make practice directly on his dead body"

Cuddy smiled and leaned over the table, touching his lips.

"I like when you're jealous," she said, still touching his lips.

He didn't answer but lightly bit her lip touching her tongue.

...

"It was really delicious, Cuddy," he said resting his fork on the plate and taking a sip of red wine "Did you really make that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't see anyone else here" She said glaring at him.

"My mother would have said that you're a woman to get married to" he said looking up from his plate, meeting her gaze. "Oh, wait!" He said, "I've already proposed and you said no" he said as she rolled her eyes again, in turn placing her fork on the plate.

"I didn't say no, House" She said, staring at him.

"But you didn't say yes either" he replied, staring back at her.

Cuddy stood up and just bent over, lightly kissing him on the lips before taking his empty plate to put it in the sink. She just took a step back before his arm wrapped her waist drawing her to himself again, making her sit down on his knee and forcing her to place back the plate on the table, then looking for her mouth.

Another long day.

Cuddy parked the car in the driveway in front of her house. She hadn't hurried to come back home. Not tonight. She wasn't really in the mood for spending the night alone, but she obviously couldn't prevent him from spending the night with Wilson. If he skipped the usual poker night at his apartment, Wilson would certainly get suspicious. Poker. That was synonymous with cards and beer and whiskey. She couldn't go there. And certainly the last thing she wanted was him taking his bike to reach her in her bed in the middle of the night after having drunken.

"Then ...are you striking me out tonight?" she had said with a smile, looking around in his office to be sure none was there, before putting her arms around his neck.

"The only one still striking me out is you" he replied encircling her waist with both hands and pulling her gently to him looking into her eyes with a mischievous look.

He had looked at her as she lightly bit her lip and smiled.

"Well ... I don't know what they say in these cases." She had said, still smiling and slightly brushing his lips, "I wish you a good hand tonight"

He couldn't hold back a laugh. Not for what she had just said. But for the way in which she had said that. For the look with which she had gave him on those words. Because something told him that she didn't meant only 'a good hand' in poker.

He had run his tongue on his lips and had bitten her lip slightly.

"I'll pretend it's yours" he whispered mischievously on her lips looking at her straight in the eye.

She hadn't replied.

She shook her head smiling as she thought back to those words, turning the key in the lock.

She hadn't replied. Not out loud. But she smiled at the thought of the '... me too' ... that she had held back as his tongue looked for hers.

"What the hell...?"

Cuddy put both hands on her eyes as soon as she opened the door. Again failing to suppress a half smile as she picked up one of the many poker cards scattered on the floor along the hallway.

"God..." she whispered, shaking her head, turning the card in her hands and glancing at all the other ones on the floor.

Poker cards. Hearts and Diamonds... In a long trail up to her bedroom.

She turned that card in her hands again, biting her lip. A 'say yes' was handwritten on that card. And on all the other ones.

"God... you're really crazy" she whispered smiling as she picked them up from the ground one by one, then stopping on her bedroom door.

Again cards. Everywhere. Where the hell did he take all those cards! No Hearts and Diamonds this time. Clubs. Clubs scattered everywhere on the floor. And one resting on her pillow.

She smiled more, biting her lip, at the writing on the back of that card. A ten of clubs.

* They looks a bit like flowers, right? *

"Yes," she whispered, shaking her head as she looked at that card, unable not to smile even more...

...

# You're a stolker #

House bit his lip in order to hold back a smile as he read her message, then looking at Wilson, sitting in front of him, and taking another sip of his beer straight from the bottle.

# Rings. Hearts. Diamonds. Flowers. At least you have no more excuses # he texted back quickly, glancing at Wilson and again at the display of his cell phone as it lit up again.

# Anyway, yes #

# That yes? # He texted quickly, oblivious about Wilson, who was looking at that texting with a very curious look.

# No. Yes, they looks like flowers # she replied, making him roll his eyes and lightly smile, while another message from Cuddy anticipated his reply.

# And you're crazy #

He glanced at Wilson again, then looking at the phone, resisting the temptation to reply with a 'of you' and instead just taking another sip of beer before texting back.

# That's something you already knew #

# Yes #

# That yes? # He quickly texted again just to continue to tease her.

# No # she replied, as the corners of his lips curled in another half smile.

He ran his tongue on his lips as the phone screen lit up again.

# But I love you, stolker. Good night #

He hadn't text back. She had double-checked her phone several times, but he hadn't text back. Probably not to get Wilson too much suspicious.

She had just turned off the light when the phone beeps made her reach for it on her bedside table, without turning the light on.

# Lisa... #

Lisa? Since when did he call her Lisa?

# Good night and... pretend it's mine #

She couldn't help but smile at those words, biting her lip, whispering in the dark a 'goodnight House'.