“Who’s the sweetest boy? Who’s the most handsome? I could just hug आप all day…”
    “Talking to my picture again?” Hugh cracked, coming around the corner of the set to find Lisa playing with the feline guest तारा, स्टार of the अगला episode.
    “Who’s so handsome?” Lisa continued, as if she didn’t even notice him. “Who’s a handsome boy?”
    “I believe आप are now comparing me to a cat,” Hugh said, coming down hard on the ‘c’ in the word. “I believe I am insulted.”
    Lisa bent her head down slightly for the animal to nudge the चोटी, शीर्ष of its head against her chin, purring. “The cat,” she said, “is और cuddly than आप are. And warmer and softer and has these gorgeous green eyes…”
    Hugh knelt down on the floor अगला to her, reaching out to stroke the cat’s back. “And what, may I ask, is wrong with my eyes?”
    Lisa turned her head to gaze upon him, considering her choice of words. “’Gorgeous’ is not the word I would use for you.” Hugh’s faint smile faded when Lisa didn’t continue. Was she serious? Was she trying to tell him something? Lisa, always able to tell when his mind is racing, leaned into his shoulder reassuringly. “I meant, I can think of about twenty better words. Striking…” she lowered her lashes and spoke to the चोटी, शीर्ष of the cat’s head. “Handsome… kind… and evil, sometimes,” she said, glancing back up at him with a mischievous smile playing along her lips. Hugh narrowed his eyes at her and reached for the cat.
    “If I’m going to be a villain, I need a cat in my lap.”
    Lisa almost choked on the sudden flashback to her falling into Hugh’s lap in his रसोई, रसोईघर not so long ago. A flush quickly sprung to her cheeks, and she put a hand on his shoulder to brace herself as she got up from the floor. Hugh set the cat down and offered his other hand to her as she wobbled in her heels, then rose himself to stand अगला to her.
    “Thanks,” Lisa murmured, looking everywhere but at his face. Hugh squeezed her hand before letting it go.
    “No problem. Always happy to help a fan.”
    Lisa burst out laughing. “Oh my God, Hugh Laurie,” she gasped. “I’m like, totally your biggest fan…”
    “Yeah, and आप would be one of the ones wearing a Really Crazy hat, too, I bet,” he said, slinging an arm over her shoulder and accompanying her to Cuddy’s office set. “But for now, try to contain yourself so we can shoot a scene.” Hugh plucked a red lollipop from a jar off-set, ripped the cellophane off with his teeth, spit it into the garbage, and popped the sweet into his mouth, giving Lisa a rakish grin. “Control yourself, madam,” he drawled, “if आप can.”
    “Is the दिखाना going to pay for your dental work?” Lisa asked innocently. “After all the suckers you’ve chomped on I have a feeling you’re going to need it.”
    “Haven’t आप insulted me enough for one day?” He shot back, but removed the sugary confection slowly from his mouth. Lisa’s eyes fell upon his lips, wrapping briefly around the कैन्डी before releasing it, and realized she was forgetting to breathe.
    “Um—last one on the सोफ़ा, सोफे is a rotten egg!” She blurted out, and sprinted around the coffee table, flopping down on the cushions. Hugh watched as she wriggled herself down into a comfortable position and patted the सीट अगला to her. “Come on, Hugh, I promise—I don’t bite.”
    Hugh stuck the sucker into his cheek and strolled jauntily around the other side of the coffee table, his hands in his pockets. “Who’s worried about that? And also, आप lie.”
    “I do not!”
    “I can remember at least one instance where आप nearly took a piece of me with those pearly whites,” he said, lowering himself down onto the सोफ़ा, सोफे and leaning into her shoulder. Lisa looked around, saw that no one was watching them, and quickly turned her head and nipped at his right earlobe. Hugh’s breath caught, and he spun his head around to catch her gaze, his eyes dark. “Dangerous game you’re playing, ma’am,” he कहा roughly. “Very dangerous game.”
    “I have a tape for आप guys to watch,” Juan came up, holding a dvd in his hand.
    “Better not be a dirty video,” Lisa warned him, settling back into the सोफ़ा, सोफे against Hugh’s shoulder.
    “And if it is a dirty video it better not have me in it,” Hugh added around his snack. Lisa’s jaw dropped. “That was a joke.”
    “It was not a funny joke,” Lisa muttered to him while the प्रॉप्स department set and cued the dvd for their अगला scene.
    “That little stunt आप just pulled wasn’t funny either,” Hugh कहा without thinking, and Lisa turned to look at him, her eyes hurt. Hugh opened his mouth—to apologize? To explain? He wasn’t even sure. Lisa bit her lip and stared straight ahead, waiting for Juan to get the scene set for the first take.
    Lisa gripped her right forearm with her left hand, squeezing until she thought she would have permanent nail marks in her skin. She felt Hugh move, almost unnoticeably, away from her, leaving an inch या two of अंतरिक्ष between them, sinking further into the सोफ़ा, सोफे and rolling the lollipop around and around in his mouth.
    The man is married. His wife is half a world away, with his children. He is living in a world filled with beautiful, sexy, fabulous women, any of which would be willing to release some of that pent-up tension at the drop of a hat, and what do आप do? आप torture him with these little flirtations, आप fucking किस the man’s ear lobe and do आप know what that makes you?
    A complete and total bitch.
    Now stop it.
    Lisa’s eyes suddenly watered and she blinked quickly, reaching up as if to chase away an eyelash, and biting her tongue as hard as she dared, trying to distract herself. She’d gotten carried away again. If she kept this up… where was that invisible line she’d been determined not to cross? How far away had it vanished behind her?
    And would Hugh ever forgive her if she didn’t make it back?