new chapter, where you'll find out who the boss really is outside of PPTH ;)

And some pillow talk. because I see that some of you are wondering about something that indeed needs to be clarified...

** CHAPTER 24 **

House helped Cuddy hoist herself to her feet. She stood still in front of him just an inch away from his face and they stared at each other in silence. Then, without a word, he took her by the hand and guided her down the hallway, toward his bedroom.

By the bed, he cupped her face in his hands and gently leaned down to take her mouth. She parted her lips, and he claimed her, thrusting between her teeth, and softly brushing her palate with the tip of his tongue. She rose on her tiptoes and moaned languorously inside his mouth. Grabbing his shoulders for leverage she started kissing him more demandingly then, pressing her body harder against his.

House groaned his approval and cupped the back of her skull with his hand and the desire inexorably turned into something more carnal. Cuddy removed her hands from his shoulders and slid them down to his abdomen. She started fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, undoing the first two with a greedy haste. When she'd uncovered enough skin, she slipped her hands under the tails and made her way up to his chest, rubbing her palms against his midriff. But he seized her wrists and pulled her hands away. Drawing apart, he made her take a step back, and pushed her away from him. Cuddy looked at him, visibly puzzled, but he smiled reassuringly at her, and let go of her wrists.

"Oh no, no, no!" he said, with a quiet laugh. "You're not going to do anything. From now on, you're going to let me be in charge coz right here, right now, I'm the boss. Not you."

Cuddy's eyebrows arched in mock surprise, and she wrinkled her pert little nose, amused.

"Is this what it's all about? You want to play who's the boss with me?" she teased cockily.

House grabbed her by the waist and yanked her in his arms. He leaned in, as if he were about to kiss her, and she instantly stretched her neck to touch his lips but with one hand firmly placed on the small of her back, he held her down, preventing her from reaching his face. He stared at her, his face just an inch away from her lips, his eyes lit with a sparkle of mischief.

"And you're so going to lose," he whispered, smiling like the Cheshire cat as he gently, but firmly pushed her backward on the mattress.

Cuddy fell on her back, and he stood, towering over her, and peering intensely at her, wanting to imprint every image of this moment in his memory. Bending down, he seized one of her calves and gently stroked it from the back of her knee down to her ankle while he slowly brushed her skin with his fingertips, studying her reaction to his caress. Lying on the bed, Cuddy stared back at him, trying to play it cool and appearing as unfazed as she could, a little smile lightening her face.

Not taking his eyes off of her, House took her shoe and slowly slid it along her foot to take it off. He offhandedly dropped it to the floor where it landed with a thud. Then he grabbed her other leg and took her shoe off, fondling her calf from her ankle up to her knee, then higher, along her leg, brushing her skin with his fingers and tantalizingly coming closer to her inner thigh.

Cuddy sucked in a sharp breath, already betraying her losing control, and House smiled victoriously, watching her squirm in anticipation as he tantalizingly avoided touching her sex but let his hand trail down her thigh, instead. She closed her eyes and imperceptibly arched her back, her hips rocking to follow the movement of his caress.

The sensation was intoxicating but so frustrating at the same time she couldn't contain her lust any longer. She compellingly grabbed his hand to guide it toward her sex again. House tutted and promptly freed his hand from her grasp. Taking both her hands in his, he stretched her arms above her head and maintained them crossed at the wrists. Then he leaned to her face, his stubble grazing the side of her cheek.

"Shh," he said, breathing warm puffs of air against the shell of her ear. "You can't control everything. Not tonight."

He straightened up, enough to study her reaction. She was breathing fast. Her cheeks were pink and little beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. She opened her mouth to protest but decided against it and, instead, lifted up her head to steal him a kiss. He pulled on her arms to make her stand still and shook his head 'no'.

"Cuddy," he groaned, "just let yourself go… for me."

They stared at each other for some long-suspended seconds, and she finally laid her head back onto the pillow. Satisfied, he gradually released his grasp on her hands, and she kept her arms above her head, tilting her head back a little.

"Kiss me," she demanded in a sigh.

House cupped her face with his hands and willingly complied, taking her mouth. Their kiss became more impatient, and he slid a hand under the small of her back, lifting her body closer to his. She stretched her arms above her head and her entire body arched in a sensual curve betraying how much she was longing for his touch in that moment. They started kissing again, lasciviously, washing away all the confused feelings from the past hours within that raw, lustful connection.

House wrapped his arms around her shoulders and motioned her to sit up, enough for him to take her top off and slid it over her head. She lay back down when he finished peeling the sleeves off her arms. She wore a silk, ivory, lacy bra, and she looked absolutely gorgeous in it, oozing pure, absolute femininity. He froze and gaped exaggeratedly, making a show at staring at her with a boyish grin. He placed the palms of his hands atop the silky underwire cups, and cupped her breasts in his hands, giving them a playful squeeze.

"God, I love these!" he said unapologetically.

Cuddy let out a throaty laugh and wiggled her chest from left to right to rub her breasts against his palms. He looked at her, smiling, but removed his hands from her breasts, skirting around her waist to the small of her back. He undid her skirt's zipper next and slowly slid it down along her legs.

Standing up again in front of her, he took time to drink her in: She was lying on his bed, scantily clad, and she looked absolutely dazzling to him. He stared intensely at her body and felt overwhelmed by her beauty: her long, toned legs, her beautiful curves, her flat belly and her plump breasts, her delicate collarbone and her frail neck, her chin, her lips, and her eyes… She was perfect in every way.

He took a deep breath and, with his eyes still on her, he started unbuttoning his shirt slowly, one button after the other, almost deliberately making a show of it. Cuddy licked her bottom lip and he got rid of his shirt, before leaning down to kiss her belly, tickling her navel with the tip of his tongue. Then he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her panties and tugged them down.

She caressed his back with her fingernails and lifted her butt to help him free her of her underwear. A shiver rippled through her when he placed his hands on her inner thighs and delicately spread her legs open. As his tongue, still on her belly button, licked the mist of perspiration on her skin, he softly brushed her plush sex and parted her slit with his middle finger.

Her breath hitched and he slowly pushed his finger into her core, the pad of his thumb resting against her throbbing clit and rubbing it in circling motions. Her hips bucked instantly, her body responding to the intoxicating combination of his strokes. She held her breath, and her inner walls eagerly clenched around him while little jolts of pleasure started shaking her body. She was wet and warm under his touch, and he sighed lustfully against the skin of her abdomen.

"You're so damn ready," he breathed, rapt with wonder.

"Then don't make me wait," she pleaded.

House promptly stood up and took off his sneakers, toeing off one shoe after the other. Then he hastily got rid of his socks while she propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him impatiently.

"Please. I want you inside me," she pleaded lasciviously, holding out her hand to him.

"Not yet," he answered, and he motioned her to lie down again.

He stood bare-chested in front of her, just wearing his jeans, visibly enjoying every second of the sweet torture he was making her endure. She glowered at him, and he seized her legs at the bend of her knees, bringing her hips to the edge of the mattress in one swift tug. Then he kneeled down to the floor and sealed his lips over her sex, shamelessly parting her folds with his tongue.

Cuddy's frustration instantly dissolved, and she gasped loudly, as her hands clutched the sheets at her sides. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she arched up for him when he spread her legs wider and sucked her clit into his mouth, stroking the sensitive nub with the tip of his tongue and nibbling the tender flesh with his teeth. A low moan escaped her lips, and she slid her fingers through his hair, tugging at it. He loved beyond reason how every part of her body was so responsive to his touch, how she pressed his head demandingly onto her, how her hips jerked to match the rhythm of his tongue thrusts.

The heady rhythm of his strokes sent her to the brink of orgasm and her sex rippled around his mouth. He felt her thighs tremble against his shoulders, and she came loudly, spasms of pleasure running through her in long, shuddering waves. Before her body became lax and still again, House promptly got up and took his jeans off along with his boxers.

Lying down, he aligned his body with hers and she instantly wrapped her legs around his hips to pull him to her. He made no intentional move to penetrate her but slipped his hands under her back instead, and undid her bra, freeing her breasts. Teasingly, he took his time and covered one with his mouth, nipping her erect nipple and kneading the other with his hand.

His erection was rock-hard against her hipbone, and she groped around in the space between them to take his length in her hands and guide him inside her. Although he wanted this more than anything, too, House still found the strength to resist her a little longer and pushed her hand away. She dug her nails into the outer curves of his ass and groaned in protest. Propping himself up above her, he placed his hands flat astride her shoulders and locked eyes with her, a roguish smile flickering across his face.

"Say you want me!" he rasped.

"House," she beseeched.

"Say it!"

"I want you."

"Again," he growled into her neck, finally relaxing the muscles in his back, and leaning down to her.

"I want you," she repeated within a sigh.

The surrendering tone of her voice as she uttered her lustful command filled House with euphoria. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, brushing his lips along the thumping line of her pulse point and slowly eased himself inside her, pushing his hard length into her snug core. She moaned in rapture, and he flexed the muscles of his ass, grinding to a halt deep inside her warmth and relishing the unique sensation of her tightly wrapped around him. She enveloped his broad shoulders with her arms and voluptuously caressed him up and down his spine.

He kissed the shell of her ear, the line of her jaw and her lips, and then he began to move inside her, with a slow rhythm at first, leisurely pulling out of her and pushing his shaft deep inside her again, with deliberate thrusts that made her gape each time he reached the hilt. She was staring at him with her mouth agape, slightly panting, and squeezing her legs shut against his hips, arching her back to urge him to speed up his pace.

Gradually, his motions steady and conquering, House started rocking his hips faster, pushing harder into her. She bit her bottom lip to stifle a cry, and closed her eyes, undulating her body in sync with his thrusts. He griped her hips, pinning her to the mattress and propped himself up on his forearms, hovering over her. He took his time to relish the view and stared at her beautiful face, her breasts, and then, unashamed and enthralled by the vision, he watched the movement of his length pulling in and out of her in slick shoves.

Cuddy's breathing turned into wheezing pants, and he dived to her lips, capturing the lustful sounds of her pleasure into his mouth. Then he arched his back and focused on her breasts, sucking the rosy peak of her nipple with his tongue. She curved into his kiss and when he squeezed the tip of her erect nipple between his teeth, a low moan escaped her lips and she tugged at his hair to pull him away from her.

He tipped his head up to look at her and they locked eyes, staring at each other, in awe, their faces flushed with raw carnality. Cuddy stretched her neck to reach his face, claiming a kiss from his lips. He cupped her cheeks in his hands, and simultaneously thrust hard inside of her with one mighty sway of his hips. She squealed in delight and House sealed his lips over hers to muffle the sound and let it die in his throat.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him as they kissed, and his hip sways became more frantic then as he pumped relentlessly into her tight core until her body started quivering beneath him and her breathing became a series of short, loud puffs. Her head thrashed on the pillow as a violent orgasm took hold of her, and her muscles contracted and relaxed in waves under him. He didn't slow down his rhythm for all that and, at some point, she cupped his ass cheeks and forcefully pressed them down against her, trapping him in her grip to bring him to a halt.

"Stop, no more, I can't-" she panted, out of breath.

Blazing waves of pleasure were still rippling through her, and she genuinely thought her body couldn't take any more of his unrelenting demands. He smiled and laid a soft kiss on her lips, gradually pulling out of her, almost completely, and then, slowly but steadily, he pushed back just as deliberately and resumed his movements, languorously at first, then faster, and faster. She squeezed her eyes shut and moaned, fighting the prickle of delicious pain and overwhelming pleasure that pervaded her entire body all at once at the sensation.

"Oh God!" she gasped.

She relaxed her grasp on his ass and let him rock her with his thrusts again, and again, and soon, as he kept pushing himself deeper and harder into her, she was carried away by another wave of orgasm, more powerful and overwhelming than the first.

"You're not making the rules tonight," he said, with a hint of unadulterated male triumph in his voice.

"I don't care… I don't care," she panted, her face buried in his neck.

Her surrendering to him was his undoing and, within the next few thrusts, he found his own release. His body tensed up above her and he growled through clenched teeth as he came inside her in thick spurts. The sensation invaded his body, sending little electric shocks through his nerves and making his muscles twitch. He slid one hand under her ass and squeezed her tight against him, almost squashing her under his weight.

When the quaking waves of orgasm finally subsided, leaving only the blissful awareness of fulfillment and satisfaction, he pulled out of her and rolled on his back next to her. They stared at the ceiling in silence for a while, neither of them capable of uttering a single word as they were waiting for their breathing to return to normal.

"So, who's the boss, here?" House asked after a few minutes, barely able to hold back his laughter.

Cuddy didn't answer but, instead, whacked him playfully on the stomach.

"Ouch!" he said grinning when the back of her hand hit his midriff.

He turned to the side to face her and felt instantly struck by her beauty. She was literally glowing but didn't even seem to be aware of it. Her hair was a mess and a few of her curls were stuck to her forehead because of the sweat that covered her face. Her eyes glittered with that little sparkle he loved so much about her, and she was absolutely perfect. Her lips were wet, and swollen, and her cheeks flushed with the unique color of the afterglow...

House felt suddenly overwhelmed by an unfamiliar feeling of tenderness. He lifted his hand to her face and gently caressed her cheek with his fingertips.

"Cuddy…" he whispered but stopped and stared at her with his mouth slightly agape, as if waiting for the words to come out.

"What?" she said in a low voice, cuddling up closer to him.

She looked him in the eyes, but saw that he was struggling with his emotions, so she didn't insist. She knew he didn't need to be pushed and she didn't need to hear verbal proof of what he was feeling either. Not now. In that moment, she already felt fully contented and happy. She nestled her head in the hollow of his collarbone and ran her fingers through his chest hair. He sighed in delight and wrapped her in his arms, kissing her hair and squeezing her tight against him.

"You're a plague," he said between her curls.

She extricated herself from his embrace and glided backward on the mattress to look at him. A little smile flickered across her face.

"And this is a good thing because-?"

"It's hard to resist you."

"Why would you want to resist me, then?" she said mischievously.

"I'm not saying I want to, but maybe we need to be more careful."

"About what?"

"I mean we're completely riding bareback, here."

She straightened herself on her elbow and cupped her head with her hand.

"And what?" she asked him with fond eyes. "You're afraid I might get pregnant?"

"That's a legitimate question."

"Don't worry," she answered. "I'm taking the pill." She suddenly looked panicked and widened her eyes. "Unless… House, you didn't mess with my pills, did you?!"

He looked at her and chuckled, then he grabbed her by the waist and gently pulled her against him.

"Hah, who's frightened now?"

"That's not funny," she said, sulkily. "Did you?"

He leaned down to her face and kissed her on the tip of her nose.

"No, I didn't. Don't worry."

She stared at him and frowned warningly.

"I swear!" he exclaimed, holding out his hands in surrender.

She sighed and finally relaxed inside his arms.

"Well, then everything's fine," she said, taking a deep breath and nuzzling up against him, again.

"Yes, everything's fine," House whispered hoarsely.

A quiet silence filled the room, only disturbed by the peaceful sound of them breathing in and out. Cuddy closed her eyes, enjoying this timeless moment. House worrying about her getting pregnant was peculiarly touching but, at the same time, it was also mostly intriguing coming from him. House never really questioned himself about the consequences of his actions beforehand. He just acted. He was impulsive, not responsible, at least not in advance.

Cuddy opened her eyes and lifted her head, studying his face quizzically. House caught her gaze and questioned her with his eyes, amused by her sudden seriousness.

"House, who put that idea into your head?" she asked with a knowing smile.

House, understanding instantly what she was implying, pouted innocently at her.

"Gotta love our boy Wilson!" he exclaimed playfully. "He's like a possessive Jewish mother to me. He just warned me. I mean, as a friend, he just wanted…" he trailed, leaving the words hanging.

Cuddy looked at him fondly and shook her head.

"Wilson treats you like you're made out of porcelain or as if you were doomed to be miserable. I don't know, I think he's afraid that-"

She stopped herself mid-sentence, and a fleeting glimpse of sadness passed behind her eyes.

"I might get hurt?" House completed.

"Or that I might hurt you," she whispered a little self-consciously.

House took her chin in his hand and forced her to lift her face to look at him.

"Cuddy, c'mon! Don't beat yourself up over this. I know Wilson can be truly annoying sometimes, what with his irrepressible need to constantly meddle in my life, like a guardian angel or something, assigned with some kind of 'rescue the miserable doctor' mission… but, for some reason, he likes you." He shot her a look of mock surprise, as if saying, and really, where would he get that crazy idea from?

Cuddy tried to hide her smile but couldn't.

"That's a good thing for you, you know," he added, smiling back, "because Wilson would basically beat up anyone who'd do me harm. So, you're safe. For now... But you'd better be careful!"

He grinned and Cuddy melted when she saw that genuine smile light his face. She pushed him away from her, and playfully rolled her eyes at him.

"You're nuts. And Wilson is no better," she said, chuckling.

"Hey, that's what you like about me," House said, carried away by the enthusiasm of the moment. "You've been chasing me without respite because you so have the hots for me!"

His sentence had almost sounded like a question, and he stared at her with sudden gravity. She sustained his gaze, but her expression slightly changed from light banter to seriousness, and he instantly acknowledged her discomfort.

Maybe he'd gone too far, too fast. Cuddy was still staring at him, and she cracked a sheepish smile. He came closer and pulled her into his arms, guiding her face into the crook of his neck. She took a deep breath, which he read as a sigh of relief, and he held her tighter against him. He knew she didn't need to be pushed and he didn't need to hear verbal proof of what she was feeling either. Not now. In that moment, he already felt fully contented and happy.

Another quiet moment passed by, and Cuddy slightly straightened up in his arms.

"House?" she called in a low voice.

"What?"

"How scared did you really get?"

"Of what?" he asked a little confused.

"Of me getting pregnant?"

He smiled teasingly at her.

"I don't know. I'd say probably as much as the idea of me messing with your birth control pills-"

"I never said the idea of you messing with my birth control pills scared me," she answered with a serious tone.

House promptly straightened up in the bed and stared at her with a genuinely panicked look on his face.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. "Now you are definitely scaring me."

She burst into laughter then, seeing how he'd totally fallen for her wisecrack and how totally flabbergasted he looked. She came close to him, and he lied back next to her. Taking advantage of the situation, she hopped up on top of him and looked him straight in the eyes, resting her chin against his collarbone.

"Don't panic, we're not having a baby. Not now, not any time soon," she said teasingly, feeling that he was responding to the caress of her naked body along his. "Because I'll definitely go for any other sperm but yours if I wanted to get pregnant. You're too genetically damaged to qualify."

House puffed extravagantly, and, in one swift move, he seized her by the hips and rolled her under him.

"Maybe," he said, his eyes hooded with more lustful promises. "But you're happy to have me now."

Cuddy wrapped her arms around his waist and looked him straight in the eyes with the same look of unmistakable arousal.

"Yes, I am," she answered, "which is why I'm happy to have you just for the sex!"

"Ooh, naughty, naughty girl," he guffawed. "Good thing Wilson can't hear you!"

A/N

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR REVIEWS and thank you to everyone who's added me in their list of favorites, even if they stay anonymous. I'm really touched.

now, what awaits you in the next chapter? stay tuned and find out...

wish you all a wonderful day! ~ maya