Hi everyone,
I hope you're still enjoying the ride... here's the new chapter. fasten your seat belt! :)

** CHAPTER 44 **

House gently removed the chopstick that was holding her hair up in a bun and it came cascading down on her shoulders. He tossed the stick away and enveloped her nape with his long fingers, placing both his thumbs on her cheekbones. Cuddy stretched her neck and closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her nose. He cradled her face in his hands, and the wondrous beauty of her delicate features felt almost hurtful for him to look at.

An overwhelming desire took hold of him, and he dived in to kiss her. His mouth met her mouth and instantly she parted her lips, grazing the pulp of his lips with her teeth. House groaned and she tilted her head back to give him access to the crook of her neck. He gently rubbed his nose against her windpipe and nibbled her pulse point. She shuddered and he put his hands behind her back to hold her against him.

Placing her palms on his torso, she motioned him to sit back against the couch's backrest. He followed her lead and slouched into the sofa, waiting. She gripped his arms for leverage and positioned herself on top of him, straddling his lap. House slid his hands under her sweater and caressed the bare skin of her hips while she arched her back and rousingly rubbed her pelvis against his groin. A sudden rush of blood gathered in his groin, and he moaned throatily as his yearning rose up a notch and became increasingly uncontainable.

Cuddy cupped his face and leaned down to capture his moans inside her mouth. He let her suck his tongue and nip his lips suggestively. Her taste was intoxicating and each time he drank a sip of her, his erection became harder and pressed against the front of his pants almost painfully. Feverishly, he moved his hands higher under her sweater to explore the curves of her enthralling body. His fingers met her bra's hook but, when they did, Cuddy started to wriggle to extricate herself from his embrace.

Puzzled and short of breath, House shot her a quizzical look. She smiled reassuringly and moved away from his lap. Her eyes still locked with his, she kneeled down on the floor and positioned herself between his legs. She promptly unzipped his jeans and freed his erection out of his boxers. The relieving sensation gave him a thrill, but it was nothing compared to the electrifying shiver that shook his spine when Cuddy leaned toward his groin and took his length inside her mouth. House's breath hitch and he grabbed her shoulders with a white-knuckled grip as if he needed to hold on to a solid anchor to prevent him from thrusting his hips and losing it too fast.

The sensation of her lips, her tongue, and her throat sucking him in and out without restraint felt almost too intense, too fast. So intense, House thought he would climax right there and then and come into her mouth. It wasn't what he had in mind, though, so he pulled her away from his hips and gently lifted her up to bring her back to his level. Cupping her jaw in his palms, he stared into her glittering eyes with a confused mix of wonderment, gratitude, and angst.

"What are you doing to me?" his eyes seemed to say.

"What?" she asked, sustaining his stare with an ingenuous gaze.

But he couldn't explain what.

Neither could he express how incredibly alive she made him feel, or how painful the fear of losing her made his stomach churn. That fear made him want to stop time, and just keep her enclosed in his arms forever. It was irrational and frightening, even for him.

"What is it?" she insisted sulkily.

He couldn't give her a rational answer. So, he pulled her face toward his and kissed her with all the energy that was contained in his unspoken words. His passionate outburst set off a wild response in her and they devoured each other's face greedily, smothering each other's skin with kisses as if they could never get enough of it.

House broke away first, and he studied her with awe. She was panting and glowing with lust. Her face was a touching breathtaking, sensual mess and he couldn't resist its beauty. She was overwhelming and he felt the sudden urge to make her moan in pleasure. He wanted her to lose control, forget about that fucking mass growing inside her and just give herself to his caresses. And he needed that as much as she did.

"Lie down," he instructed with a gaze full of pleasuring promises.

Cuddy complied unhesitatingly and stretched her body on the couch, allowing House to kneel at her feet. He untied the lace of her yoga pants and slid it off her legs. Then he hooked his fingers to the waistband of her panties and took them off as well. She didn't move. She just stared lustfully into his eyes, waiting.

House gently pressed on her kneecaps and spread her legs open. Cuddy slightly shivered and he grabbed hold of her thighs, compellingly placing them atop his shoulders. When he put his hand under her butt to hoist her hips up, she reached out her hands and touched the side of his face with her fingertips. He flashed a tender smile at her and leaned down to her sex, parting her folds with his tongue.

She exhaled a thready cry and arched up her curves higher and he sucked her clit between his lips. It instantly triggered a violent jolt in the small of her back that almost threw them both off balance. House firmly grabbed her thighs and securely steadied them. She combed his hair with her fingers, scratching his skull more forcefully each time she felt another wave of pleasure crash into her core. Insensitive to the pain, almost relishing it instead, House kept his focus on her, feeling aroused by her arousal, hypnotized by the sounds of her moans, and ready to drown himself in the lust of the moment.

He kept sucking her nub and her pleading cries became louder and hoarser. Sliding one hand under her sweater, he started fondling her midriff, but when his hands climbed higher and reached the hem of her bra's cup, Cuddy promptly seized them and guided them lower to her ass. House hummed appreciatively against her pelvis and resumed his tongue strokes. In a matter of seconds, she climaxed, her sex throbbing against his mouth. All her body tensed and jerked, and he held her tight in his arms until her thighs gradually relaxed and he carefully laid her down on the couch as she removed her legs from his shoulders.

"How did that feel?" he boasted with unapologetic male pride.

"Incredible," she panted, hooking her arm around the armrest behind her and looking up at him with hooded eyes.

He smiled and seized her left leg to place her foot on the top of the sofa's backrest. She didn't need to be aroused more but he couldn't get enough of her moans. He placed his right hand on her warm sex. It was wet and still sensitive, but she didn't protest when he delved two fingers inside her and began pumping in and out of her juicy core leisurely. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip to muffle her cries.

"And this? Do you like this?" he asked breathless, carried away by the enthralling image of her body shamelessly responding to his caresses.

"Yes!" she gasped, and she clutched her hands tighter onto the armrest, as her hips thrust onto his hand in shameless abandon.

This vision in itself was an absolute turn-on and it sent House to the limits of his own self-control. But he needed to have her, be inside her, and he couldn't wait any longer. He slid his fingers out of her, and Cuddy instantly protested with a raspy groan. She opened her eyes and pouted disapprovingly when she saw him step out of the couch. But her pout instantly turned into a smile when she noticed him taking his pants and boxers off.

"Oh yes, fuck me," she said lustfully when he joined her on the couch again.

"No," he replied sassily.

Before she could protest again, he grabbed her by the wrists and made her sit up straight, compellingly pulling her to him as he sat on the couch.

"You, fuck me. You do that so well."

In a matter of seconds, Cuddy was straddling him and, eagerly, she eased herself down, taking his length inside her. The warm and glistening contact of her inner walls made him gasp and his fingers clutched her waist tightly. She rocked her hips back and forth and started unbuttoning his shirt impatiently. House seized the hem of her sweater and tried to lift it up. Cuddy's fingers on his shirt started trembling and got muddled up with his buttonhole. He gently took her hands in his and pulled them away.

"Let me take care of this," he said.

As he did, Cuddy placed her hands on the round shape of his shoulders and resumed her hip sways, at a torturously slow pace. House clenched his jaw trying to keep his focus on his shirt. Up and down, in and out, back, and forth. God, it felt so good. He undid the last button and spread the shirt open. She instantly placed her hands on his chest and began stroking his skin sensually.

House grunted appreciatively and got hold of her sweater again. When he finally took it off, she imperceptibly stiffened in his embrace. His arms wrapped around her back next, his hands searching for her bra hook, but again, when he grabbed hold of it, she jumped, and he swiftly moved his hands away from her.

"What?" he asked, intrigued

Cuddy nosedived in his neck and diverted his attention with a kiss.

"Nothing," she blew in his ear. "You didn't take your shirt off."

House straightened up and started wiggling to get rid of his shirt. She leaned down and helped him peel the sleeves off his arms. Then she grabbed his biceps tightly and immobilized him against the backrest, speeding up her pace and rocking her hips faster. Soon, she started puffing and panting and, carried away by her pleasure, she let go of his arms and planted her nails onto his chest. As she was scraping his skin, House dug his fingers into her hips and compellingly made her slow down her movements.

"Slower!" he said, out of breath. "You're making this too good to last."

"And?" she said, batting her eyelashes coyly.

"And I want this to last!" he replied huskily. "You feel so fucking good and I don't want it to stop."

She blushed and a shiver made her slightly tremble in his arms.

"Cuddy, your body drives me crazy. You're so incredibly beautiful."

She stared at him in silence for a second and then, buried her face in his neck, snuggling in his arms. House unhooked her bra and pushed the straps down to slide them off her arms, but she hunched up against his chest and the straps got caught in the bend of her arms. He delicately seized her shoulders and drew her away from him to study her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked her worriedly.

"Nothing," she said, forcing a smile.

House frowned, dubious, and she finished taking off her bra, cupping his face in her hands and leaning down to kiss his mouth. He placed his hands on her hips, and pulled her to him, motioning her to move again. She began rocking again and he thrust upward, pushing his erection deep inside her and leaning toward her chest, nipping at her collarbone. She stretched her neck, and he kissed the round shape of her shoulder and, as their desire irrepressibly intensified, the slow, languorous undulations of her hip sways became more intense and feverish.

"Yes, fuck me. Just like that!" House groaned.

Caught in the heat of the moment, he buried his face in her breasts and covered one with his mouth, grazing her erect nipple with his teeth, as he rubbed her other breast lustfully with the palm of his hand. He was about to move his mouth to her other nipple when Cuddy cupped his face and tried to turn his head away from her chest.

"No," she murmured almost inaudibly.

House didn't hear her and, at first, didn't notice she had stopped moving either: His brain was on autopilot, only guided by his desire for her, and it was nothing other than an unadulterated, albeit lustful, expression of tenderness and every other passionate feeling she was inspiring him in that intimate moment. Unaware of her reaction, he kept rubbing his face against her breasts, nibbling, and pinching her areolas when she suddenly and abruptly grabbed him by the upper arms and pushed him away from her. House froze instantly, and looked up at her, frowning suspiciously as he finally registered that something was wrong.

"What?"

Cuddy stared at him with a guilty look, but unable to sustain his interrogative gaze, she turned her head away from him.

"What?" he insisted. "Tell me, did I hurt you?"

"No, you didn't… it's just-"

"Just what?"

"I don't know," she whimpered with a wobbly voice.

And, without a warning, she suddenly burst into tears.

House's eyes widened in shock, and he froze, utterly bewildered and taken aback by her unexpected reaction. He didn't have time to do or say anything because, in one swift move, Cuddy pulled out of him and curled up into a ball in a corner of the couch. He watched her, speechless for a short while, feeling completely helpless as uncontrollable sobs started shaking her body.

"I can't, I can't," she hiccupped.

Lost and confused, House cautiously approached her and gently seized one of her arms to force her body to unwind. She resisted at first, but he pulled harder, and she finally let go. He cautiously guided her into his arms and held her close to his chest, gently rubbing her back to calm her down. She was stiff and tense, but he squeezed her tighter against him as he whispered soothing words into her hair.

"Don't cry. Cuddy, please, don't cry!"

The sobs continued to shake her and, as time passed, he could feel his chest hair become wet with the streaming flow of her tears. So, he waited, and caressed her hair, just holding her safely in his arms. He waited, rocking her against him, until her sobs finally subsided, and her breathing found its normal rhythm again. Silence filled the room, occasionally broken by the sound of her sniffing against his skin as she kept her face buried in his chest.

House didn't ask for an explanation. There was no need for that: He could easily guess what kind of fucking fear was gnawing at her and he hated the fact that he could do nothing to make it go away or reassure her. So, he just waited patiently until at some point, at least he hoped, she would say something.

He never got the chance to know if she would, as the sound of his cell phone coming from his jeans pocket suddenly echoed into the room, making Cuddy slightly jump in his arms.

"Go to Hell!" he shouted, recognizing his team's ringtone, and cursing them for calling him at such an inappropriate moment.

Most unexpectedly, Cuddy straightened up and looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes.

"No, answer it," she said evenly.

House clenched his jaw and puffed in annoyance. The cell phone kept ringing a while longer, then finally went silent. She took a deep breath and stared at him, looking strangely calm.

"They'll call back," she said quietly. "They certainly wouldn't disturb you for any reason in the middle of the night."

And, indeed, House's cell phone rang again after a few minutes. House sighed heavily and Cuddy moved away from him to let him stand up. He bent down awkwardly to pick up his jeans on the floor and fished his cell out of his back pocket.

"What?" he barked into the receiver. "Dammit, are you that incapable, you can't handle anything on your own?"

From the couch where she was still seated, Cuddy shot him a disapproving look. House turned his back to her and walked a few steps away. As he focused on what Foreman was telling him about their patient, his voice became less aggressive, and he hung up with a concern look on his face. He turned around to face her again but before he could open his mouth, Cuddy nodded and smiled comprehensively at him.

"You need to go."

"No. I'm staying here with you."

"I'm ok. You don't need to stay. Go take care of your patient."

House stiffened to hide his frustration and briefly averted his eyes.

"Fine."

He gathered his clothes on the floor and got dressed. As he did, Cuddy grabbed the blanket on the backrest and wrapped herself with it.

"What time is your appointment with Gruber tomorrow?" House asked, checking his watch before putting the phone back into his pocket.

"You wanna come?" she asked, bemused by his suggestion.

"I don't know. Do you want me to come?" he said, feeling suddenly powerless.

"House, don't be ridiculous!" Cuddy exclaimed, shaking her head. "You, in a gynecologist's waiting room? It wouldn't take more than five minutes before you'd start insulting pregnant women for their misuse of birth control pills."

"Yeah, you're probably right," he muttered, sighing resignedly.

He took a small step in her direction to kiss her goodbye, but she unconsciously tightened her grip around the blanket and looked down to avoid his gaze. House sucked in a sharp breath and decided it was best to let her alone, so he limped out of the living room, his right hand rubbing his injured thigh mechanically. Before exiting the room, he turned around and peered at her one last time.

"You sure you're ok?" he said, unable to hide the concern in his voice.

Cuddy smiled sheepishly at him and nodded as much convincingly as she could. House nodded, too, hating himself for giving credit to something he knew was a lie. And then he left the room.

In the entrance, he found his cane and leather jacket. He put his jacket on and grabbed the doorknob. Before opening the door to leave, he pricked up his ears and listened attentively to the sounds coming from her living room.

But there was no sound at all, just heavy, deafening silence…

A/N

I just wanted to say (as you may already have noticed it) that as we're irrepressibly coming closer to whereat this story also is in Fox Forum, I will continue to post but I will be slowing down my posting rhythm a little so that I still can stay ahead and have time to write more.

my life is incredibly busy right now, but it should be quieter next week so I'll focus on my writing as soon as possible!

thank you to Blerg for the amazingly nice review. Thank you to all of you for being here and reading this story :)

~ maya