NS Advent Calendar 2010 - Married for Christmas

[Julie]

This will be the thread for this year's Advent Calendar story, once it gets archived. Those wanting to leave longer reviews may do so here :)

You can find the prologue and the chapters on the NS Advent Calendar website (http://network.naughty-seduction.net/advent/). A new chapter will be posted each day from December 1st until December 25th!


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Married for Christmas

Author: Zannie
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Veers off from canon after Season 4
Category: Christmas romance
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Smallville or its characters. No infringement intended.
Summary: An unconventional plan for eluding Lionel’s trap.

Author’s note: This story is reminiscent of “Road Tripping” in a number of ways—although it’s not as young in mood and character as that story was. As you will quickly see, I had to go through a series of plot convolutions in order to get the narrative set-up I needed, so I’d suggest you not spend too much time assessing plausibility! This story is more about romance and character anyway. I had to resurrect Lionel, since I couldn’t think of a believable premise for this particular story that didn’t involve him. The prologue may seem rather intense with the Lionel stuff, but the story won’t be dark or angsty.

* * *

Prologue


Chloe had no idea how she’d gotten into this mess again.

She’d just been following a story—one she thought had nothing to do with either of the Luthors. The Kyring Foundation was a charitable organization in Metropolis that Chloe was assigned to profile for her web magazine. She never would have dug as deeply into their activities had she realized where the investigation would lead.

She remembered all too well how it felt to be Lionel Luthor’s prey.

“Are you threatening me?” he asked her now, in a silky, dangerous voice. “I’d be careful, Miss Sullivan. Very careful. Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?”

“Last time I was a teenager,” Chloe replied, stiffening her spine and trying not to convey the fear rising in her gut. “That was ten years ago. I’m an adult now. And I know what I’m doing.”

She didn’t. Not really. But she couldn’t think of anything else to do.

“Do you?” Lionel moved like a predator, circling her slowly, his hazel eyes as hard and cold as ice. “I don’t think you really do. Trying to blackmail me doesn’t show a great deal of foresight.”

Chloe wished she’d never come to his office. Wished she weren’t alone. Wished she’d never started down the path of this investigation that had led her to a certain truth about Lionel Luthor’s involvement with the Kyring Foundation, a truth that left her in danger. “I’m not blackmailing you. I’m protecting myself. Sure, you have the potential to hurt me. But I can hurt you back.”

“Is that what you think? You’re dealing from a position of fear, Miss Sullivan, and I’ll always be able to recognize that.”

Unfortunately, Chloe believed that was true.

“This time,” Lionel added, “You don’t even have my disappointment of a son to run to for help.”

The reference to Lex only served to heighten Chloe’s anxiety.

“Did you think I couldn’t predict this little parry of yours?” Lionel’s tone was patronizing, made her feel about five years old.

“How could you have predicted it?”

“You might be surprised by what I am capable of. Underestimating your adversary will always mean you put yourself in their power.” He approached closer now and leaned over slightly, so close his breath blew a strand of hair from her throat. “I could kill you right now.”

“Maybe,” she admitted, her voice steady despite the fact that she’d broken out in a cold sweat. “But I’ve taken precautions. And everything you want to keep hidden will come to light if I should happen to die.”

He chuckled. “How delightfully clichéd. I’m sure I could work around that. But you might also consider that there are other things I could do to you.”

Chloe was in way over her head, but she wasn’t about to admit it to Lionel. She’d hated him in high school, when he used her for his own purposes, and she hated him even more now. “Is that what you think?”

“That’s what I know. There are still a few people you love.”

She sucked in a hard breath, thinking of her father, of Lois.

Lionel smiled. “Florida isn’t that far away,” he murmured.

Gabe Sullivan was living in Florida now, and Chloe felt ill at the thought of her poor father paying the price for her foolishness. “If you even touch him, the entire world will know what I know about you.”

“Perhaps. But there’s more,” Lionel continued. “Jobs are tenuous things, you know. You could lose yours – just like your father did ten years ago.”

She swallowed, surprised by an entirely different pang in her heart over the way her father had been treated back in Smallville. “Nice try. I’ll be at my job only for the rest of the year. Just another month. If you use your connections to get me fired, it won’t be the end of the world.”

“That’s good. Because you’ve already lost it.”

Chloe gasped in genuine surprise. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Check your phone. There will be a message from your supervisor.”

Her hand shaking a little, she pulled out her phone and checked the screen. Saw her boss’s number on the caller ID. She’d already arranged to leave her job at the web magazine at the end of December in order to start a much more prestigious and lucrative job as associate editor at a Metropolis city magazine in January. But still . . . it was a blow.

And more so since it proved how far ahead of her Lionel actually was.

“Well, it will just give me a longer Christmas vacation,” she said gamely, doing her best to hide her reaction.

“That was a warning. Your new job—such a coup to earn such a position so young—is every bit as tenuous as the job you just lost.” He circled until he stood in front of her again. “Do you doubt me? Will you really risk it? You could be without any job at all. And, in this economy, that would be a shame.”

“Bastard,” she hissed, suddenly overcome by how infinitely trapped she’d somehow become.

She’d known things weren’t entirely under control, but she hadn’t thought they were as bad as this.

He tsked his tongue, “Now there’s no call for that kind of talk. I believe I’ve just proved that there’s no way you can touch me – without losing everything yourself. So the information you’ve found isn’t as helpful as you’d hoped.” He smiled, as dangerous as a viper. “You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you’ll figure out what to do. I’ll be in touch.”

It was a dismissal. Chloe understood that much. And, since her throat had closed up with panic, she turned and marched out of the sleek office with as much composure as she could muster.

She hadn’t set out to investigate Lionel Luthor. She’d wanted nothing to do with the man. But she followed leads, wherever they took her.

And somehow they’d taken her here. Knowing something she should never know about him. Something he would make sure she never shared with anyone else.

It wasn’t a position in which any sane person would want to be.

When she made it out of the LuthorCorp building, she stood on the Metropolis sidewalk, pale with fear and breathing too fast as she tried to decide what to do.

She felt naked, vulnerable, in her black trench coat and black leather boots, standing by herself on a gray day in the middle of the city. But she wasn’t helpless. She was clever and creative and brave. She would think of something to dig herself out of this hole.

A solution would appear.

A black chauffeured car pulled up to the curb directly in front of her. Before she could process who it might be, the back door opened. A voice she recognized said, “Chloe, get in.”

She stared at the open door. She couldn’t see the speaker, but of course she knew who it was. And she wasn’t about to get involved with another Luthor.

“Chloe, he might change his mind about keeping you alive. Is that a risk you’re willing to take? Get in!”

Chloe thought quickly. He was right. Lionel might change his mind, if he thought for even a moment that the other holds he had over Chloe wouldn’t keep her from becoming a danger to him.

Chloe didn’t like Lex anymore. And she didn’t really trust him.

But he didn’t want to kill her.

So she got into the car.

“Are you going to try to convince me that you just happened to be passing by?” she asked, settling herself in the plush backseat of the car.

She hadn’t seen Lex in such close proximity for more than six years. He was in his mid-thirties now – more character etched on his face and his lean body not quite so boyishly slim. But the sleek bald head, the deep blue-gray eyes, and the sophisticated authority with which he held himself were just the same as she remembered.

And she still felt the same unwilling attraction for the man she’d always felt, although tempered now by distance and experience.

The corner of Lex’s mouth twitched up in a look of ironic amusement she also well remembered. “No. Obviously I was expecting you.”

“It’s a little creepy that you know every little thing your father does.”

“Maybe. But surveillance is necessary. Ignorance is the most serious disadvantage in warfare.”

Chloe knew he wasn’t exaggerating in comparing his relationship with his father to a war. For the last eight years, LexCorp and LuthorCorp had been waging a sustained battle for control of the Metropolis business scene, both corporations swallowing up smaller companies in their strategic and sometimes ruthless expansions. Local politicians were forced into making alliances with one or the other, and the feud had implications even on the national level.

She made a face but didn’t reply. Her panic earlier had eased in intensity—thanks to Lex’s bullet-proof car and his smooth competence at everything he did. If he wanted to keep her safe, he would.

She hadn’t relaxed, though. Getting involved with Lex was just as dangerous as getting involved with Lionel.

It was just a danger of a different variety.

“I’ll admit I was surprised when I learned that you’d embroiled yourself with my father again. I thought you would have learned better last time.” He idly twisted a gold ring on his right hand.

The gesture struck Chloe suddenly as being out of character. Lex had been young in Smallville, and not fully in control of his emotions or responses. But he wasn’t young anymore. And he was always in control. She was surprised that he’d do something as revealing as fidget with the ring.

Since, however, there were more important issues at stake here, she moved the thought to the back of her mind and replied, “I didn’t pursue this intentionally. Sometimes things just . . . happen. One thing led to the next and suddenly I was . . .” She exhaled thickly and concluded, “Trapped.”

Lex arched his eyebrows. “And, once you found yourself trapped, you tried to handle it on your own rather than seeking help?”

“Help? From whom exactly? You think I should really trust the police? In Metropolis?”

Lionel had his fingers everywhere in the city. Obviously, not every law-enforcement professional was corrupt, but you just couldn’t assume they were all above reproach.

“I wasn’t referring to the police,” Lex murmured, his eyes never leaving her face.

A few years ago, Chloe would have sought help from the one person she’d always trusted. The person she knew was capable of protecting her. But she and Clark weren’t really friends anymore. He’d still help her. She knew that. He’d keep her alive. But her physical safety wasn’t the only thing she was worried about. “Exactly who do you think I should have turned to for help who would be powerful enough to stand against your father?”

Lex didn’t reply with words. He just kept gazing at her, his eyes steady and his mouth relaxed.

Chloe sucked in a breath. “What? You think I should have turned to you?”

“I’m capable of helping you. And I’m willing.”

She almost choked on her outrage. “Why the hell should that matter? You might be the lesser of two evils, Lex, but that still doesn’t leave me in very good hands.”

The words were harsher than she’d expected, harsher than she’d intended. And she saw a flicker of reaction on Lex’s face before he masked it.

Ridiculously, Chloe felt guilty for wounding him. She knew he wasn’t evil. She knew he wasn’t really like his father, even though for the last several years he seemed to have shaped his persona that way.

“You trusted me once,” Lex said mildly.

“That was years ago,” she bit out. “I don’t even know you anymore.”

Lex glanced away from her, staring out the window for a long moment. “You know that’s not true,” he said at last.

It wasn’t. She did know him. She’d always known him. And all the years and what had come between them back then hadn’t really change that.

“I kept you safe from my father then. I can do it now.” Lex’s face was utterly composed again, and his matter-of-fact voice seemed to echo in her memory. “I’m the only choice you’ve got.”

“It’s not just a matter of keeping me safe.”

“I know that. My people have already moved your father into a safe house in Florida.”

“What?” Chloe swallowed over the revealing word she kept repeating, wishing she could mask her emotions like the Luthors always did. But she just wasn’t built that way.

“All my father has done so far was get you fired from a job you were leaving in a month anyway. Do you really think that’s all he will do to try to keep you in line? Do you understand the potential you have to damage him? He’s not going to take it easy on you. I will certainly have my security personnel pull back from protecting your father, but I don’t think you really want me to do so.”

She didn’t. She would do anything to keep her father safe. But it just pulled her deeper into involvement—dependence—on Lex. And that wasn’t something she wanted. Not anymore.

“Thank you,” she managed to say. “Lois?”

“We tried. She refused. But she said she had another way to keep herself safe.”

Chloe knew what that was. Knew Lois would be safe too. Clearing her throat, she said, “But my dad can’t stay in the safe house forever.”

“Of course not. In January, the Kyring project will be complete, right? You will no longer be a threat to him.”

Chloe thought about this. She’d been so overwhelmed she hadn’t fully thought through the future. “Maybe. But you don’t think he’d try to . . . to . . .”

“To hurt you out of vengeance even after the threat is over? Only if you hurt him first. Did you want to reveal what you know about him just out of spite?”

“No. No!” She swallowed hard. “I just want him to leave me alone.”

“All right. Then we’ll keep you and your father safe until January. You won’t damage my father, so he won’t have any reason to damage you.”

She stared at Lex. Saw the confidence in his eyes. And she realized that he knew his father better than anyone on earth. If he was sure of this, then she could be sure of it too. Feeling a little better, she asked, “But my job? My new one. If he knows you’re keeping me safe, he’ll try to take that from me as well.”

Lex nodded. “Yes. He will.”

Chloe made a face, looking away, fighting to control her emotions. It was heart-breaking – the idea of losing the job she’d worked so hard to earn. But if that was the price she had to pay for her stubbornness and careless ambition, then she would do it without complaint.

“I have an idea about that too,” Lex said mildly.

She turned back to him, hope flaring up at his words. It struck her that there was a certain kind of illogic in believing Lex now—after all the distance that had grown between them—but she did.

“My father doesn’t care about morality. He doesn’t care about money for its own sake. He doesn’t care about family ties, loyalty, or human affection.” He said the words blandly, as if they meant nothing to him. “But I have learned over the years that there are certain things he does care about.”

Chloe thought about that. “Power.”

“Yes,” Lex agreed. “That’s his primary motivator. And part of the power he’s built up for himself is based on his reputation.”

“Reputation,” Chloe repeated, trying to make her mind work enough to follow the thought through to its logical conclusion. “Maybe.”

“He doesn’t seek the reputation of a good man. But he also can’t move forward with the reputation of a monster. Or a reputation for disloyalty.”

Chloe frowned, “How does that help me?”

“If you lose your new job right now and he gets associated with that fact, it won’t hurt him in any real sense.”

“Obviously, but—“

“But if you were linked to him more closely, taking your job away would significantly damage his reputation.”

Chloe felt like she was trying to watch a movie in fast-forward. “I don’t understand. How am I linked to him?”

“You aren’t right now. But, if you were, then he couldn’t maneuver you out of a job without damaging his reputation more than he’d be willing to allow.”

She pushed her hair back behind her ears with a huff of frustration. “Linked to him how?”

Lex glanced away, almost idly. “If you were his daughter-in-law, for instance.”

It took Chloe a full thirty seconds to process this. When she finally did, shock, anger, and disbelief washed over her in a hot wave. “What? What? Marry you?”

He met her eyes evenly. “Obviously, it’s rather unconventional. But it’s the only thing I can think of that would keep him from getting you fired.”

“But what . . . How . . .?”

“If you were his daughter-in-law, there’s no way my father would risk the damage to his reputation by threatening your job. I guarantee it.”

Chloe stared at him. She believed him. While it wasn’t something that would ever have crossed her mind, she knew he was speaking the truth.

But that didn’t mean it was a good idea.

“You think my job is so important to me that I’d actually marry you? Really, Lex!”

“You’re making the marriage more serious than it has to be. We would just need to be married for a month. Then we could get divorced, and you could go on with your life and your job. Remember, in January, the Kyring project will be complete—the most serious stakes for my father will be over—so you’ll no longer be in danger.”

“And he wouldn’t –“ She shook her head hard, trying to think. “He won’t do something afterwards, just out of spite for the way we tricked him?”

“How do you think his reputation would fare if it became known that he’d gotten the woman fired who just divorced his son? You think he’d let himself look so petty? I’ve thought this through, Chloe. It can work. I can keep you safe and you can keep your job. If you’re willing to go through with it.”

No one could solve puzzles and follow through on nuanced possibilities like Lex could. If he’d come to the conclusion that this was the only way to accomplish everything they needed accomplished, then it was.

But still . . .

“You think our marrying is really a good idea?” she asked, twisting her hands in her lap. “After . . . after what happened between us back then?”

Back then was back in Smallville. Ten years ago.

Lex gave a half-shrug. “That was a long time ago. And obviously this would be a marriage of convenience. I wouldn’t want or expect marital favors.”

Ridiculously, the neutral way he’d spoken the words made Chloe feel a little insulted. He’d been attracted to her once. And she was better-looking now than she’d been in high school.

At least, most people thought she was.

“Well, obviously,” she said. “But it still seems kind of weird.”

“It would be a business arrangement – one that happens to be convenient for both of us.”

“Why is it convenient for you?” she asked, the question coming to her suddenly – although it should have occurred to her several minutes ago. “Why are you helping me at all? What’s in this for you?”

He looked at her steadily, absolutely nothing revealed in his handsome features and slate blue eyes.

“Oh,” she said, the truth hitting her with a ridiculous flicker of disappointment. She should have known he wasn’t in this just to help her. “Of course. Quite a victory for you, getting ahead of your father like this. Taking his power away when it will matter to him. You want to use me to win this little battle with your father.”

He inclined his head. “So we use each other. For a month. After Christmas, we can go back to our own lives.”

However crazy the plan was, Chloe was taking it seriously. Despite what she said, she did trust Lex. Not to be a good man, or a safe one, or a soft one.

But to do what he said he would do.

“So I have to spend Christmas with you?” she asked, her tone different, lighter.

As soon as she said the words, she knew she’d made up her mind.

Lex’s mouth quirked up briefly. “Unpleasant, yes. But necessary.”

“I won’t spend another month in a safe house. You can’t just hide me away and throw away the key.”

“I didn’t think you’d be willing to do that, although obviously that’s the surest way of protecting you.”

Chloe shrugged. “Maybe. But I can’t live that way again. Especially over the holidays. Can you protect me still?”

“Of course.”

Chloe released a gusty sigh as she realized a smaller but inevitable consequence of this plan. “I was going out of town this Christmas – my first real vacation in years.”

“Where were you going?”

“Quebec with some friends.”

“So we’ll go. We can call it a honeymoon.”

Chloe’s lips parted. “Excuse me?”

He actually chuckled, a warm, rich sound that sent shudders of memory and feeling down her spine. “We covered that, remember? It’s a marriage of convenience. But the world will expect for us to go on a honeymoon. If you want to go to Quebec, we can.”

“If I’m going on a honeymoon, maybe I want to go somewhere better – like Fiji or something.” Her words were teasing, and she had no idea how she felt comfortable enough in this car, in this situation, to tease Lex.

But she did.

His lips quivered slightly, the only sign of a response. “So we’ll go to Fiji too. I can work from anywhere in the world, and we have a whole month. We can go wherever you want.”

Suddenly, Chloe realized that there would be certain advantages to being married to Lex Luthor, advantages she hadn’t considered before. He was a billionaire. And she could go places, experience things, she never would have otherwise.

It would just be a month. And then she would be free. Safe. And with her new job.

She studied his face carefully – the sculpted features, the faint lines next to his eyes and beside his mouth, the depth and steadiness of his beautiful eyes. The lips—softer now than they’d been when she first entered the car. Softer than she’d seen them for years, since Smallville.

And that brought back a memory – slamming into her so powerfully, so viscerally, it was like she was experiencing it again.


* * *

She was seventeen years old that summer, and Lex was protecting her from his father. She’d been clever and gutsy, but she’d also been innocent. And Lex had been her lifeline, her only link to the world.

He’d come to visit her in the safe house, probably more than he should have. At first, their relationship had been awkward. He’d been really sick—after having been poisoned and having his skin torn up by the glass table he’d fallen into. She’d tried her best to take care of him when he came by, and eventually he started to let her.

She’d warmed to him more quickly than she’d expected, maybe because he’d seemed so uncharacteristically helpless. Then he’d warmed up to her too. He was a guarded man, even then, and it was hard for him to lower his walls. But he had – with her. Eventually they’d become friends.

Closer friends as the summer went on.

One evening they were sitting on her little couch. He’d brought her a bar of the most delicious Swiss chocolate, but he’d been in a rare, teasing mood and was holding it away from her as she tried to claim it.

Chloe had been overwhelmed with warmth and giddiness. She knew they’d gotten closer, but their interaction had always been more brother-sisterly than romantic.

He was older than her—untouchable in so many ways—and he could have any woman he wanted.

But there seemed to be a new light in his eyes that evening. She couldn’t help but respond to it, even as she playfully denounced him for his cruelty.

She’d reached for the chocolate bar, grabbing his chest with one hand as the other stretched out toward where he was extending the candy.

His arm was longer than hers, and she couldn’t reach it.

His body was warm and lean and strong, and she was basically draped on top of him. Thrills of feeling and excitement spiraled through her, but she wasn’t overwhelmed enough to give up the challenge.

She tickled him, just on the side of his ribs.

He jerked, his arm bending enough for her to snatch the chocolate bar. But her victory was only short-lived. Before she could even draw a full breath, he had her on her back on the couch, and he was tickling her ruthlessly. She was squealing and laughing helplessly. The chocolate fell forgotten to the floor.

And all she could see was Lex’s compelling face, laughing, hovering above hers. His warm, deep eyes.

Something changed before either of them realized it, and his hands stilled on her body. Then his face sobered, his expression deepened and softened. And his face lowered toward hers.

When their lips met, sensations Chloe had never imagined swelled up inside her. She’d responded immediately, her mouth clinging to his, her arms twining eagerly around his neck.

The first kiss hadn’t lasted long, and they’d pulled back to stare at each other, panting and disoriented.

Then Chloe—acting on an impulse she couldn’t deny—had pulled his head down toward hers again, claiming his mouth with an entitlement that surprised her. Lex had responded. His mouth had opened to hers. He’d groaned softly against her lips, the sound sending vibrations through her body.

She was only seventeen. And he’d completely swept her off her feet.

It was a long time before he left that evening.


* * *

Even now, ten years later, that first kiss was the sweetest thing she’d ever experienced.

The memory of it hit her so hard she had to close her eyes in the back of Lex’s car, aching from the pure power of that kiss and from all of the complexities that had followed it.

When she opened her eyes, she looked at Lex, and she saw something matching in his eyes, even though his expression was as composed as ever.

If all she had known of Lex was his ambition, his control, his power, his sophistication, his intensity, his shattering intelligence, then she would have refused the unconventional marriage proposal.

But she knew more about him. The man who had kissed her so many years ago had been real, warm, tender. He’d felt things deeply, and he’d cared about her.

It hadn’t worked out – for so many reasons. He’d hurt her in so many ways. And he was so much more than that man now.

But he wasn’t a stranger. And she could trust him to keep his word.

She swallowed hard. Then she said with an amused lilt of her voice, “So I don’t even get a ring or anything?”

With a huff of laughter, he thought for a minute. Then pulled from his right hand the ring he’d been fidgeting with before. Handing it to her, he said with casual ease, “Here. You can wear that as an engagement ring.”

Surprised, Chloe stared down at the ring speechlessly. The ring was like nothing she’d ever seen. It was a man’s ring, but not as big and bulky as a class ring. It made of heavy, aged gold, without any gems or extra ornamentation. The octagon-shaped front was wider than the band and flat with intricate symbols engraved on it. “What is it?” she breathed.

“It’s a Renaissance merchant ring from the sixteenth-century,” Lex explained, nothing revealed in his voice but idle interest. “They were used like signet rings, to seal documents and verify identity. But they were used by merchants who didn’t have a family lineage. They created their own crest and put it on their merchant rings.”

Chloe was strangely affected by the beauty and history of the ring – and also by Lex’s diffident explanation.

She slipped the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand. It was too big, of course, but not so big that she couldn’t keep it on.

Breaking the odd mood—since there was no legitimate reason for her to feel such intimate tension—she said with a grin, “It doesn’t fit. How appropriate.”

Lex gave her an amused half-smile. “You’ll just have to wear it for a month.”

Chloe was going to wear Lex’s ring for the month of December. However absurd it all seemed, she was apparently going to do this.

Lex must have been able to see the decision on her face. His mouth twitched again. “What do you say, Chloe Sullivan? Do you want to marry me for Christmas?”

Despite everything—despite the danger she was in from Lionel and the high stakes to what they were doing—she couldn’t help but smile back.

And she said, “I do.”

Chapter One

December 1


Chloe and Lex got married at four o’clock the next afternoon in front of a justice of the peace.

Lex must have expedited the marriage license because everything was ready when they arrived at the courthouse. All Chloe had to do was sign the certificate and say “I do.”

The announcement of their marriage had made the morning papers. It had to be made public immediately, or Lionel might start to plot a response. Chloe’s phone had been ringing off the hook all morning, every one of her friends, acquaintances, and rivals calling her up to see what was going on.

After explaining a hundred times that a whirlwind romance with Lex had preceded this and that, yes, she knew it was really fast, she finally turned off her phone.

She had no idea what to wear to wed Lex Luthor in a fake marriage. She wasn’t about to wear white, and she didn’t have time to buy something new anyway. So she just wore her best suit, one she’d only worn once to the wedding of a college friend. It was made of a smoky lilac silk, with a knee-length pencil skirt and fitted jacket. She wore it with her best heels and pinned her hair up into a French twist.

When Lex’s security, who had camped out in her apartment since yesterday, escorted her down to Lex’s waiting limo, her stomach was twisting with nerves. She hadn’t slept at all that night, with questions and worries and the realization that this idea was absolutely insane crowding her mind without relief.

But in the morning she couldn’t think of any better plan, so she didn’t know what to do but go through with this one.

Lex wasn’t in the limo. It drove her to the courthouse, where she entered by a back door.

She saw Lex for the first time when she was led into a private room in the building. He was standing with his back to the door, reading something in a file folder.

His lean figure and broad shoulders in the beautifully tailored gray suit were so compelling that Chloe’s belly did a strange little flop.

Then he turned around, and they stared at each other.

After a moment, Chloe was able to process more than his steady blue eyes. And soon she realized that he’d paired his charcoal-colored suit with a lilac silk tie that almost matched her suit.

She blinked. And Lex, registering her outfit, had a similar expression of surprise.

It was like they’d dressed to match each other.

For no good reason, Chloe’s cheeks flushed at the idea. But she pushed the self-consciousness out of her mind. It didn’t matter. In fact, since photographers would be grouped outside to take pictures of them afterwards, their choice of clothes would probably end up helping, making it look like they were really a couple.

But it embarrassed her for some reason.

Trying to hide her reaction, she asked lightly, “You ready for this?”

“Of course. You?”

“Let’s get it over with.” She bit her lip and looked around. No one else was supposed to know this was fake, so she’d have to be careful.

He gave a little nod and reached out for her hand. His was warm, and hers was cold.

Then they got married in a ceremony that lasted about five minutes.

The next couple of hours passed in a dazed blur. They exited by the front doors of the courthouse, met by swarms of reporters who snapped pictures and tried to ask them intrusive questions as Lex’s security escorted them to the waiting limo.

Then they went to the Metropolis Grand Hotel, where they had an elegant reception—small but incredibly expensive—attended primarily by the closest of Lex’s business and political allies. She understood why he’d arranged the reception. They had to make it look like this marriage was real, or it wouldn’t be an obstacle to Lionel.

But Chloe didn’t know anyone and—although she tried to play the role of besotted bride—she soon got tired of making small talk and smiling fatuously up at Lex, who was in his element as he schmoozed with cool polish. She also got tired of being called “Mrs. Luthor.”

Eventually, they were able to go up to their suite on the top floor of the hotel.

As soon as she entered the main room, she was greeted to the sight of double doors leading into a bedroom with a huge, luxurious bed.

Chloe gulped.

“It’s not the honeymoon suite,” Lex said. He was standing beside her, and his expression was unreadable. “It’s the presidential suite. There are two bedrooms.”

Chloe flushed hotly and release a thick breath. “Of course.” Nervously, she twisted the merchant ring on her left hand. It stayed on her finger better now, since it was paired with the antique wedding band Lex had placed on her finger at the marriage ceremony earlier.

Lex was wearing one too – the matching ring she’d put on his left hand.

“Won’t it look strange tomorrow morning, when the staff cleans up the suite and sees both beds were slept in?”

Lex gave a half-shrug. “It won’t be strange. It’s always been my habit.”

“What?”

“I have always gotten a two-room suite—with all of my previous wives and girlfriends. Hotels in Metropolis and many around the world are familiar with my habit.”

Chloe had no idea how to respond to that piece of information. So, trying not to feel so self-conscious, she looked around the gorgeous suite, decorated in elegant shades of blue and silver. “I know we just came from the reception,” she said, “But I was too nervous there to eat much. So I’m kind of hungry.”

“Of course.” Lex nodded toward the intimate dining table near the large expanse of windows. On the table were several silver trays, and next to it a champagne bucket on a stand.

Chloe walked over to check out the goodies, lifting the covers to see lobster canapés, a cheese tray, smoked salmon and an assortment of fruit. “What do you mean ‘of course’?” she demanded, her mouth starting to water as she saw the food. “Are you implying I eat a lot?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he murmured, coming over to stand beside her and picking up one of the lobster canapés. After taking a bite, he said, “This is part of the hotel’s honeymoon treatment.”

Naturally. “Should we open the champagne?”

Lex glanced over at the graceful silver bucket. “I suppose. Or they’ll wonder why we didn’t.” He picked up the bottle and skillfully uncorked it with a delicious pop. He poured her a glass and handed it to her. Then poured himself a glass too.

Chloe loaded up a plate as she sipped the best champagne she’d ever had in her life. Maybe marrying Lex for a month wouldn’t be so bad.

“Well,” Lex said, balancing his plate in one hand and his champagne in the other, “I’m going to get some work done.”

She blinked at him. “You’re going to work? Now?”

Lex drew his brows together. “Why not?”

“It’s your wedding night!” She blushed a little when he lifted his eyebrows, but she continued gamely, “I wasn’t suggesting we do something else. I just meant won’t people think it’s strange if you email and call them on your wedding night.”

“Ah,” Lex murmured, as if enlightened, “There are other things I can do. And I’ve already lost the whole day with the preparations and the wedding.”

Chloe managed to bite back a snippy response about how she was sorry their marriage had gotten in the way of his work schedule. It might be official, but they weren’t really married. Not in the way that genuinely mattered.

“All right. Have fun. I’ll just take it easy – take a bath or whatever.”

“Let me know if you need anything. We’ll need to get up early. Our flight takes off at seven.”

“What?” Chloe demanded. “I thought it was a private plane. Why do we have to leave so early?”

Lex looked a little impatient. “It is a private jet. But I’ve had to go through a series of logistical convolutions to keep our location secret so my father can’t find you. I assume your desire to sleep in isn’t stronger than your desire to stay alive.”

She made a face at him – not because of what he said but because of the patronizing way in which he said it. But she just said, “Fine. Should I take this room?” She gestured toward the second bedroom – not the nicest one with the enormous bed.

“Take the other one.” Before she could object, Lex added, “It has the whirlpool tub.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Glancing over at the glass doors that led outside, she decided she might go and sit out on the large balcony. It was a fairly mild night for the first of December and the sun would be setting after not too much longer.

But before she could open the balcony door, she felt a strong hand on her arm. “What are you doing?” Lex asked, his voice slightly rough.

She stared at him in shock. “I was just going to sit outside for a while.”

“No, you’re not. I guarantee there are photographers staked out in nearby buildings with telephoto camera lenses, trying to get a picture of us on our wedding night. Not to mention the potential for my father having hired a sniper.”

Chloe hadn’t even thought of either thing, which struck her as incredibly stupid. So, both embarrassed and annoyed by Lex’s domineering tone, she jerked her arm away from his tight grip. “You don’t have to be so rude about it. We’re stuck together for a month, so we might as well try to get along.”

He pressed his lips together, obviously displeased with her. “And how would you suggest I get along better?”

“You could phrase things as questions rather than commands.”

He let out a breath. “Fine. Chloe, would it be too much trouble for you to not go out on the balcony right now and make yourself a target for tabloid photographers and snipers?” His tone was chilly and smug.

Despite her annoyance with his arrogance, she had to fight a snort of amusement at his ironic question. Trying to keep her lips from quivering, she said, “Fine. I won’t go out. Thanks for asking.”

His mouth twitched, almost imperceptibly. “No problem.”

Chloe took another sip of champagne and stared out the windows. It seemed so impossible to believe that her life was actually in danger, that she was actually married to Lex Luthor.

When she turned back, she saw that Lex was still standing near her, gazing at her face with an expression she didn’t quite understand. He looked handsome and professional in his suit and tie, but there was something about him that felt more accessible, less untouchable.

“Thank you,” she said spontaneously. “Seriously, Lex. I know you’re going to great lengths to keep me safe. Thank you.”

He glanced away. “It’s nothing. You know I have my own reasons for doing so.”

“I know that. I’m not saying there’s nothing in it for you. But you’re helping me and I appreciate it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said in what was almost a mumble. Then he took his plate and glass of champagne and went into the other room.

She stared in the direction in which he’d disappeared for a moment. Some wedding night she was having. Left alone while her husband went to work.

But she wasn’t a fool. She knew they weren’t close anymore. They weren’t even friends. They were partners in this, but that was all.

She stared down at her left hand, the aged merchant ring and the delicately engraved wedding band.

It wasn’t even seven in the evening yet. And she had most of a bottle of champagne she could drink – if she decided she wanted it. And she had canapés, cheese, fruit, and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

And she had a big jetted tub with what was likely to be an expensive assortment of scented bubbles or bath salts.

Tomorrow morning she was flying to Quebec. And from there she could go anywhere in the world.

Being married to Lex wasn’t really so bad.

Of course, they’d only been married one day.

 

Chapter Two

December 2


“Can I take your bag, Mrs. Luthor?”

Chloe had a weird moment of surrealism as the courteous hotel porter waited for her to hand him her leather satchel. Eventually, because she knew he was speaking to her—however bizarre it was to be called “Mrs. Luthor”—she handed him the bag.

She’d packed yesterday morning, before the wedding. While she was sure Lex would have been happy to outfit her with an entire new wardrobe—one suitable for honeymooning with a man as privileged as Lex Luthor—Chloe wasn’t at all comfortable with that. So she’d sorted through her own clothes, choosing anything that she thought might be remotely appropriate for the month-long trip. She ended up with two large suitcases and a couple of smaller bags. But since they would be taking a private jet, the amount of her luggage didn’t matter.

Lex hadn’t let her bring her laptop or cell phone, however, because of the potential for them to be traced through unsecured connections. While she understood the reasoning, she felt oddly naked without them.

“Ready, honey?” Lex asked, coming over to stand beside her and placing a warm hand on the small of her back. He looked sleek and urban in black trousers and a dress shirt in a beautiful shade of dark, slate blue.

Chloe blinked at him, her lips parting in surprise until she realized that the “honey” was for the benefit of the hotel staff, who could very likely talk to reporters later today about what they’d observed of the newly married Luthors.

“Yes, dear,” she said, with only a hint of irony in her tone.

Lex walked with her out of the suite and into the private elevator, and it was obvious to Chloe that he was hiding a smile.

There were more photographers as they left the hotel, but Chloe knew Lex had staged the departure on purpose. This was the last time they’d be seen on the radar as a married couple, and it was important that the public bought the marriage as genuine.

Lionel, of course, wouldn’t be deceived, but that hardly mattered.

Because she knew the photographers would be there, Chloe had gotten up early to shower and dress carefully. She wore a pair of black slacks that flattered her butt, just in case a camera caught her from an unattractive angle. And she’d paired them with her favorite green velvet jacket and a pair of chunky heeled loafers.

She thought she looked as good as she could for being before seven in the morning.

When she got in the back of the car, she sighed in pleasure as she was greeted to a large cup of hot coffee.

Lex was talking on the phone for most of the ride to the airport—several different conversations she couldn’t really follow—so she sipped her coffee and tried not to fall asleep.

Travel with Lex was remarkably easy and convenient. They didn’t have to wait in any lines. They were able to immediately board the private jet. And a pleasant man immediately refilled her coffee cup.

The interior of the jet was roomy and beautifully decorated. She’d taken the first cushy leather seat she’d come to, but as she looked around, she saw on the table across from her a pretty purple laptop with a silver bow on top of it.

Lex was talking to the pilot, so she looked around for some clue about its ownership, almost holding her breath as she tried not to jump to unfounded conclusions. After a minute, however, when no sign came down from heaven about whom the laptop belonged to, she got up and sat in the seat in front of it.

She checked under the bow, but there was no card or identifying tag. And it was the most beautiful laptop she’d ever seen – leaving her own moderately priced one in the dust.

Surely someone wouldn’t have left such a pretty laptop on the plane for Lex.

Which meant . . .

“It’s yours,” Lex said, walking toward her from the cockpit. He wasn’t smiling, so it was hard to tell how he was feeling. “I know you didn’t want to leave yours at home. This one has all of the necessary security features installed, so you won’t be traced when you go online.”

Chloe stared down at the laptop, almost caressing the smooth top. “Oh,” she breathed, rather stupidly. “Thank you.”

“Consider it a wedding present.” Lex sat down in the seat across the table from her and reached into his pocket to pull out a sleek smart phone in the same pretty purple shade. “This is for you too. You can talk to your dad securely, whenever you want. ”

She reached out for it, delighted and surprised and a little overwhelmed. “Thank you,” she said again, this time her voice was a little hoarse. “They’re beautiful. You didn’t have to—“

Lex shrugged off her thanks. “I didn’t let you bring yours. So it was my job to replace them. Excuse me.” He took out his own phone then and made another call, effectively ending the conversation.

Chloe felt a little rebuffed at the abrupt end of their talk, but she gave herself a firm lecture as she admired her beautiful gifts. Lex was a busy man with a lot to do. He’d gone way out of his way to help her and accommodate her needs. And he’d given her the incredible laptop and smart phone. He had absolutely no reason to coddle her or entertain her on top of that.

The jet was rolling onto the runway when Lex hung up on his call. “’You should make yourself comfortable,” Lex said, “It’s going to be a long flight.”

“Just to Quebec?”

“We’re having to take a roundabout route, in order to prevent anyone from tracking us.”

“I thought you had to submit a flight plan for any flight you take.”

“You do,” he said. He arched an eyebrow at her. “Keeping our location a secret is taking some doing.”

She felt a little shiver of fear at the thought that she was more vulnerable than she believed herself to be.

“Don’t worry about it,” Lex said. “I’m good at this. We’ll be fine.”

She smiled at him, and he smiled back. And, after a moment, Chloe felt strangely self-conscious so she looked out of the window as the plane took off.

When they’d reached a cruising altitude, Lex took off his seatbelt and moved over to a work station on the opposite side of the plane. “Do you want any breakfast?” he asked, turning around to look at her. “They can make you an omelet or a Belgian waffle or whatever you want.”

Chloe hadn’t realized it until now, but she was ravenous. “Thanks. Maybe I will.”

Lex reached over to press a buzzer. “Which do you want?”

She frowned at him. “You mean I have to choose just one?”

Lex laughed—a sound that made her stomach do a familiar flop—and when a server came out from the back, he requested two omelets, his with whole wheat toast and hers with a waffle.

Lex worked at his fancy computer station while he ate. But Chloe focused on the delicious food. Then she played with her new laptop for a while, checking out all its features. Then she moved over to the built-in sofa in the back of the plane and watched a movie on the large flat-screen. Then she picked out a recent bestseller from the collection of books she found in a closet. She read for a while. Then ate a light lunch of chicken salad on mixed greens. Then she tried to read some more.

But the food, the peaceful setting, and the comfort of the plush sofa combined to lull her into sleep.

When she woke up, she was curled up on her side, hugging a chenille cushion to her chest.

She blinked a few times, trying to orient herself. Her eyes instinctively landed on Lex at his workstation across the room. He’d been watching her. Even in her groggy state, she was somehow sure of it.

But when she could focus on details, his eyes were directed on the monitor in front of him.

A little embarrassed that he’d caught her sleeping that way, Chloe stretched out from her fetal position. But she was too sleepy and comfortable to actually sit up.

“Was I snoring?” she asked, making her voice light although the idea was not a pleasant one.

“No.” He turned away from his monitor and arched his eyebrows at her. “Nice nap?”

He wasn’t even smiling, but it seemed like he might be laughing at her. So she scowled in his direction. “You’re the one who made me get up at the crack of dawn.”

“Quite true.”

And that response left her no remaining objections. So, to change the subject, she asked, “Where are we staying in Quebec?”

“Where do you think?”

“Château Frontenac?” Her heart skipped a little in excitement.

He nodded. “It’s actually not the most luxurious of hotels we could have chosen. But I figured that would be your first choice.”

She started to hug herself in excitement before she realized that it might make her look a little silly. Then, thinking it through, she said, “Is it safe? I thought we were supposed to keep a low profile.”

“We are. Obviously, we won’t be registered under our real names. But we could be going anywhere in the world. It’s going to take my father at least several days to figure out where we are. By that time, we’ll be in a different city.”

She had to assume Lex knew what he was doing, so she didn’t argue. She adjusted on the sofa, propping her head up a little higher on a second pillow. “The last time you were protecting me from your father, you had to hide me away in a little safe house.”

She immediately wished she hadn’t said that, since it evoked certain memories that were better forgotten.

Nothing was revealed on Lex’s face. “I had fewer resources then. That was the only way I knew to keep you safe. Things are different now.”

They were different now. Lex had many more resources. He was much more powerful than he’d been ten years ago.

And there was no longer the potential for the closeness that had developed between them back then.

Chloe changed the subject again. “Did you check on the Metropolis news? Are they all talking about our wedding?”

“Yes. It’s in all the papers. Complete with pictures.”

“No one thinks it’s strange?”

“Why would they? Given my previous habits, a whirlwind courtship and marriage is only to be expected.”

This was undoubtedly true. But she was surprised that Lex would admit it so openly, as if his past marriages and love affairs hadn’t really affected him. “Did no one find it strange that I was blonde?”

Lex arched an eyebrow at her.

“What?” she demanded, “All your previous wives and girlfriends and one-night-stands have been brunette. It’s common knowledge.”

“If anyone has found it odd, no one has mentioned it. They did rehearse my past romantic failures, of course.” With a quirk of his mouth, he added, “Yours too.”

Chloe sat up suddenly with a huff. “What?”

“They dredged up all of it,” he said, “Your list, of course, was much shorter than mine.”

For some reason, she took that as an insult. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Her list of romantic entanglements was remarkably short. In high school, she’d been in love with Clark Kent, but that, of course, hadn’t gone anywhere. Then there was the short-lived thing with Lex. She hadn’t dated much in college. While she’d gone out on a lot of first and second dates, nothing had led anywhere.

Her only serious boyfriend had been a one-year relationship that had ended badly a few years ago.

Compared to Lex’s endless list of romantic conquests, her experience looked rather pitiful.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Lex replied, lowering his brow. “It just means your list is shorter than mine.”

“Well, it’s not because men aren’t interested in me,” she insisted, smoothing down her hair which was probably tangled around her face after her nap.

The truth was, she had never been as popular with men as girls like Lana and Lois. While she knew very well there was nothing wrong with her, she had never had men chasing her. She just wasn’t one of those girls.

“Of course, they’re interested in you. Why would you think I implied differently?” Lex looked annoyed, almost grumpy. “Why wouldn’t they be interested in you? You’re smart and beautiful and—“ He broke off his words, as if he hadn’t intended to say as much.

Chloe flushed in pleasure, taken aback by what he’d said. “And what?” While being smart and beautiful was very, very good, the last thing on Lex’s list was the one she really wanted to hear.

Lex gave his head a quick shake. “Nothing.”

“And what?” she demanded again.

“And blonde,” Lex said, an ironic lilt to his voice.

That wasn’t what he’d been going to say. But he was just as stubborn as her, so she wasn’t going to learn what he’d originally been about to say.

She wrinkled her nose and stretched back out on the couch. She idly twirled Lex’s merchant ring, trying to decipher the letters and symbols on its front.

Already, it seemed familiar on her finger, along with the wedding ring that matched the one on Lex’s hand.

“Being blonde isn’t really an advantage with a lot of men.”

“Maybe.” Lex seemed to have gotten wrapped up in his work again, since his voice was a little distracted.

“For you, for instance,” Chloe continued. “You’re not really into blondes.”

“Right,” he murmured. His eyes narrowed, focusing on something on his computer screen.

She was a little hurt by his agreeing so readily, but she kept her voice matter-of-fact as she went on. “I’m just saying. Being blonde is actually a negative for you.”

“The blondeness really isn’t a problem. It’s your being so bossy and demanding that’s really the problem for me.”

She gasped and sat up again, feeling like he’d just struck her. “What? You’re the bossiest and most demanding person I’ve ever met! And you’re saying . . .”

Her voice trailed off as she stared at him. Although his expression was bland and steady, she caught a glint of something in his eyes.

He was teasing her. The bastard was teasing her!

She sputtered for a minute, torn between slapping him and giggling.

She settled for an exaggerated huff and rolled over to her opposite side, mostly to hide her expression so he wouldn’t see he’d amused her with his poker-faced teasing.

So far, in the short time since she’d wedded Lex Luthor, he’d made her want to scream, laugh, cry, and strangle him.

It didn’t bode well for a stable, peaceful marriage.

And they’d only been married two days.


 
Chapter Three

December 3


They’d landed in Quebec in the early evening and they’d gone directly to the historic hotel.

The following morning, Chloe slept in late, had a leisurely breakfast alone—since Lex was already hard at work—and then had a private tour of the city in a secure car, surrounded by guards.

While she’d gotten to see most of the sites, she really hadn’t gotten a feel for the city. And while it was interesting, it wasn’t all that fun, since she was basically seeing everything by herself.

Lex was evidently too busy to spend any time with her.

She hadn’t complained, since she told herself he had absolutely no obligation to hang out with her or entertain her. He’d already done more than enough.

So, after she’d returned and rested some and Lex asked what she wanted to order for dinner from room-service, she was feeling quite gracious and generous and was determined to be nice to him over dinner.

But then he took his steak and red wine back into his bedroom to work some more.

Chloe grumbled to herself as she ate her shrimp and pasta, glaring at Lex’s closed door. When she finished, she decided to call her dad. And, after talking to him, she was in a better mood.

She was an intelligent adult. She was more than capable of exploring new cities on her own. It was a beautiful evening, so she put on her coat and walked out the front door of the suite.

She was stopped by a bodyguard, who told her she wasn’t allowed to go outside and walk around in the old town. She told him she’d be happy to be escorted by guards, but they told her she wasn’t allowed to leave at all.

Chloe stared, tempted to scream at Lex’s security personnel. But she managed to restrain the impulse, even as she practically shook with rising anger.

After a moment, she turned on her heel and stormed back into the suite. Then she stormed into Lex’s bedroom, so mad she didn’t even knock. She assumed he’d still be working, since he evidently never did anything else.

She jerked to a stop when she confronted Lex, who was walking out of the bathroom. Apparently, he hadn’t been working. He’d been taking a shower.

He wore nothing except a thick white towel, wrapped around his waist. Chloe’s eyes automatically scanned over his long legs, his toned chest, his fine shoulders, and his flat belly.

Lex had frozen when she entered, for once taken off-guard. “Is there something you wanted?” he asked at last, his eyebrows arching in that smug expression and his tone conveying cool skepticism.

His reaction caused the anger to rise hotly inside her again. “Yes,” she snapped, “I want to not be imprisoned in this suite!”

“You spent most of the day outside. Hardly a prison.”

“Why can’t I leave now? I just want to get out and walk around some.”

“It’s too dangerous,” he said, his voice losing the ironic edge. “There are too many people crowding the streets now. It will be too hard to keep you safe.”

He was starting to make sense, which annoyed her even more. “I thought there wasn’t much chance your father could find us here out of all of the cities in the world.”

“There’s a very slim chance of that. But there’s still a chance.” Lex stepped forward and put one hand on her shoulder. “You’ve entrusted me to keep you safe, Chloe. You have to allow me to do so.”

She let out a long breath, all of the anger and momentum rushing out of her with her exhale. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I guess you’re right. But . . .”

His hand on her shoulder shifted, so it was less of a grip and more of a caress. “But what?”

“But I don’t like to feel trapped. I don’t like to feel like I don’t get to choose what happens to me. And don’t like feeling like you’re secretly making all the decisions and leaving me in the dark.”

“Is that how you feel?”

It suddenly struck Chloe that Lex was barely dressed. He smelled clean and his body was gorgeous. And, for some reason, the sight of his bare belly above his low-slung towel made her want to grab his sides and squeeze hard.

“Yes,” she managed to say, raising her eyes back to his face. “I do. I get carted around in a car all day. You hole up at your desk and barely talk to me. And then a bodyguard tells me I can’t do what I wanted to do.”

“Are you bored?” Lex asked, his eyebrows drawing together in three little lines.

She shrugged. “Not that bad. But it defeats the purpose of visiting a cool city if I don’t get to leave the car and have to stay in the room for the rest of the day, staring at your closed door.”

Lex rubbed his forehead between his thumb and forefinger, as if he were trying to think.

Suddenly feeling guilty for complaining and a little embarrassed that she’d revealed that his ignoring her had bothered her, Chloe forced a smile. “I’m just being silly. Don’t worry about it. Things are just fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. I was a little restless this evening, but this is the most luxurious vacation I’ve ever had. I have no complaints.”

Lex kept studying her face, his scrutiny so intense it was frightening. She had no idea what he could read in her expression.

“Anyway, sorry I almost caught you naked. I’ll knock next time.” She smiled again, this time more genuine. “I’m going to take a bath and then watch some TV. Have a good night.”

Then she left, before she’d embarrassed herself any more.

She took her bath—it was a very good one—and then she put on a pair of white, man-style pajamas. She curled up on the sofa with a bottle of expensive sparkling water in the living area of the suite, turned on the gas fireplace, and then started flipping channels.

She was deep in a nature documentary about African wildlife when Lex startled her by handing her a little carton of chocolate-peanut-butter-cup ice cream. She hadn’t even seen him enter the room.

She grabbed the ice cream greedily before she looked over at Lex. To her surprise, he hadn’t gotten dressed in his normal clothes. Instead, he was wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of gray pants that she realized, after a moment, must be pajama pants.

She’d never seen him dressed so relaxed before. He sat down next to her and handed her a spoon. He had a carton of ice cream for himself as well.

“Thanks,” she said, opening hers and spooning out her first bite.

“What are you watching?” Lex asked, frowning at the flat-screen television, on which a lion was making an unsuccessful attempt to catch a gazelle.

“Documentary. I love these shows. The big cats are my favorite.”

Lex fortunately wasn’t an annoying TV companion. He didn’t talk or ask a bunch of obnoxious questions. He just watched the show with her without complaining.

It was one of the better ones. And Chloe found herself entirely absorbed with the natural drama unfolding on the screen before her – the lion pride suffering from the death of the alpha male, the cheetah cubs who almost got killed by mean old hyenas, the leopard—Chloe’s favorite—who moved so gracefully, with such power.

“Look at her,” she breathed, leaning forward as the leopard climbed a tree, dragging her kill with her to keep it from being claimed by the lions and hyenas. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

Lex didn’t respond. And, when she turned to look at him, she caught him looking at her instead of at the television.

She shifted uncomfortably. “I suppose you think I’m stupid for getting into this.”

“Why would I think that?”

For some reason, his bland response reassured her. And she gave him a quick smile and turned to watch the end of the show.

After it ended, Lex found an old movie to watch. Chloe enjoyed the first part of it, but she got more and more tired until she finally drifted off to sleep before she realized it was happening.

When she woke up, she was warm and cozy and comfortable. When she was able to process her position, she realized she was still curled up on the sofa, but her head was in Lex’s lap.

She jerked up into a sitting position, her cheeks burning as she realized what she’d done. “Oh! Sorry! Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Why would I?” Lex asked casually, giving her a slightly baffled look. “You were tired and the movie wasn’t over.”

“But . . . but I was sleeping on top of you.”

“I managed to muddle through the agony of it.”

Chloe giggled, despite her lingering embarrassment. “Agony, was it?” She was still sitting too close to Lex, and her hand had somehow ended up on his chest.

“Agony,” Lex repeated, something changing in his eyes as he gazed at her.

The look in his eyes reminded her so strongly of how he’d looked at her ten years ago, during that summer in the safe house, that she instinctively leaned forward, wanting to feel his mouth on hers, wanting to be as close to him as she could get.

Then she suddenly realized where she was, who she was, and everything that had happened between them.

She stumbled to her feet, avoiding Lex’s eyes and mumbling, “Well, I’m tired. I’ll go to bed.”

She managed to escape into her bedroom, and then leaned against the closed door.

Not good. Not good at all. She was remembering too much, dredging up memories and feelings that should have died ten years ago.

She remembered in painful detail what had happened last time she’d fallen under Lex’s spell, the last time she’d been overwhelmed by his charm and appeal.

She would have to do better. A lot better. She couldn’t let this marriage upend her world, more than it already had.

They’d only been married three days.

 
Chapter Four

December 4


Chloe was awakened the following morning by a hand gently shaking her shoulder.

“Huh,” she grunted, trying to pull away from the hand and roll over to a safer spot on the large bed.

“Chloe,” a familiar voice said, “Chloe, wake up.”

She mumbled out something that sounded vaguely like “Why should I?”

“You’re the one who wanted to explore the old city.”

“Huh?” she grunted again, this time in the form of a question. She managed to open her eyes and saw Lex, fully dressed in a black sweater and gray trousers, with a smugly amused look on his face.

“We have to go early if you want to go out, before it gets too crowded. So you’ll need to get up and get dressed.”

Torn between outrage and interest, Chloe managed to sit up in bed, pulling one of the straps of her tank top back up on her shoulder. “I can go out? Walk around?”

“Yes, you can. As long as you don’t dawdle. We’ll have to be back before the streets get too crowded.”

Chloe’s grogginess was fading and she was starting to get excited about the prospect of a morning in which she didn’t have to sit around the suite on her own. “You’re coming too?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No. I’m just surprised. I thought you worked all day long.”

“I don’t.” Lex seemed to be hiding a smile, an expression that warmed his eyes deliciously. “Can you get dressed in a half-hour? I’ll order some breakfast from room service.”

“Yeah. Okay.” She started to scoot off the bed, although since Lex was still sitting on the edge, she had a little trouble pulling her legs out from under the covers. But then her eyes happened to land on the bedside clock.

She gasped indignantly. “It’s only six-thirty! You woke me up at six-thirty!”

“I’ve been up for hours. You should be glad I waited as long as I did.”

She made a few choked sounds of outrage, but was distracted when Lex handed her a mug of coffee. After she took a sip, she glared at him, “You’ve had that the whole time and just now gave it to me?”

Lex chuckled and stood up. “You know me. A master strategist. I had to wait for the most opportune time.”

She threw a pillow at him as he started to leave the room and was delighted when it hit him square in the back and bounced from his body to the floor.

After half the cup of coffee, she decided it wouldn’t hurt her to get up, since she was already awake. So she went to her marble bathroom and turned on the high-end shower. As she washed her hair, she thought about Lex.

Things were little weird and awkward—and they argued about half of the time—but they were interacting with more familiarity than one would have expected in a situation like this.

Lex wasn’t an easy man. But he’d been surprisingly good-natured with her. He’d even laughed a lot.

She wasn’t fool enough to think that it was because of her feminine appeal. He hadn’t come on to her. Not once. Whatever attraction he’d once had for her had obviously faded with time.

But he knew her. As well as she knew him. So they were familiar, if nothing else.

And maybe—maybe—Lex was actually enjoying the chance to be himself with someone, rather than always having to put on the cold, controlled persona he showed the world.

Satisfied with her explanation, she got out of the shower, dried her hair, dressed in jeans and a red sweater, and put on a little make-up, feeling better than she had in a week. The better she and Lex could get along, the better the month would be.

And the little slip-up she’d had last night was natural, predictable. But it wasn’t important. Lex was an attractive man, but she was a grown-up. And she wasn’t led around by her hormones.

She ate a quick breakfast, patiently waiting as Lex finished working on email or something.

Then she picked up her purse and they went downstairs and walked outside onto the streets of Vieux-Québec.

The morning was chilly, and she was glad she’d brought her coat and gloves. They started on the Terrasse Dufferin, which was mostly empty of the street vendors and entertainers that normally filled it later in the day. But she had a great time gazing out over the river and down at Place Royale, admiring the distinct skyline of the city above them, including the unmistakable lines of Le Château Frontenac, and watching Lex try to smother his impatience every time she lingered too long looking at the scenery.

She started lingering a little longer than she normally would have, just to watch Lex restrain his natural responses.

Finally, she consented to walk down the long, incredibly steep stairs that led to the river, Place Royale, and the Vieux-Port. The stairs were actually more challenging than she expected, and she stayed near the rail, so she could hold on if she happened to trip.

When she made it down, she grinned with a ridiculous but irresistible feeling of accomplishment.

“Pretty exciting stuff, huh?” Lex asked, a small smile on his face. “Walking down some stairs?”

Chloe huffed, but without much heat, and walked toward the historic square of Place Royale. It was too early for there to be many tourists out, since most of the sights were still closed. But Lex had used his contacts to gain them access to some of the places early, including a charming seventeenth-century church and the Museum of Civilization.

Lex enjoyed the history more than the aimless gawking. And he recounted to her details of the history of the square and the historic battles fought in Quebec as they wandered around.

Chloe was tired and pleased with their sightseeing when they finally wandered over to the river. She gazed lustfully at a booth selling soft ice cream, which was just opening up for the day, but she didn’t have the nerve to ask Lex for an ice cream cone.

Not at ten o’clock in the morning.

“Did you want ice cream?” he asked dryly.

She frowned at him. “You don’t have to sound so snotty about it. It’s been hours since breakfast.”

“Why didn’t you ask?”

“I didn’t want to look greedy.”

He shook his head with a huff of laughter and walked over to buy her a cone.

She sat on a bench, gazing out on the river and eating her ice cream cone. The wind was actually quite cold here, but the sun was bright—and since she wasn’t likely to visit this city again, she wanted to experience as much of it as she could.

When she glanced over at Lex, she found him watching her.

“What?” she asked, “Am I dribbling ice cream?”

“A little.”

She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Thanks for taking me to see all this. I would have been sorry to come all the way here and only see the old part from a car.” She sighed in satisfaction. “I love to walk on cobblestones.”

“No problem.” Lex looked composed, almost mild.

He wasn’t a mild man.

And Chloe suddenly wondered what was going on beneath the mild good-humor he’d been showing her for the last few days. “Why are you doing this, Lex?” she demanded, without warning or preamble. She hadn’t even realized she was going to ask the blunt question.

“Because you said yesterday you felt trapped and that you were getting tired of staring at my closed door. So I thought—“

“I don’t mean why did you take me out this morning,” she interrupted, “Although I do appreciate it. I mean why are you doing this at all? Why are you helping me?”

“I told you that before. There are things I can accomplish through you that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish otherwise.”

“You want to come out ahead with your father?”

Lex inclined his head. “Yes.”

Chloe studied him, trying to scrutinize him as closely as he always scrutinized her. “That would explain the marriage. And your keeping me safe. But why are you being so nice to me?”

Something flickered in Lex’s eyes, and she wondered if she’d hurt him with the question. “You’d expect me to be otherwise?”

“Well, I knew you wouldn’t hurt me or be cruel toward me in any way. But you could accomplish what you want and still ignore me most of the time.”

Lex gave a half-shrug. “This plan will be more successful if we get along. If we’re . . . friendly.”

Exactly the same thoughts Chloe had in the shower that morning. And, because the reasoning matched hers so perfectly, she couldn’t help but believe him. “Oh. I guess that makes sense.” She gave him a sideways look. “So you’re . . . you’re all right with everything?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? We actually work well together when we’re pursuing the same goal.”

They did. Work well together. And Lex showed no signs of hiding any sort of deep emotion—no angst, anger or despair connected to his father. It had to be hard for him. In Smallville, any battle with his father would tear him up inside.

But he’d grown up. And maybe he’d come to terms with things.

“Well,” she said at last. “I appreciate your help with everything.”

“You’ve said that already,” Lex said, for the first time since they’d sat down sounding a little impatient. “I’m getting something out of this arrangement too. You don’t have to thank me again.”

“Then I won’t.” Searching for a new topic, she just followed the direction of her thoughts. “Do you think your father is really going to try to kill me?”

Lex’s mouth twisted briefly. “It’s hard to tell. He’s certainly moving heaven and earth trying to find us. But it may just be so he can feel like he still has choices.”

“I know he’s dangerous,” Chloe admitted. “But it’s hard to believe he’d really kill me. Just over the information I have.”

“It wouldn’t just be over the information. It would be an act of taking his power back, after you took it away from him. You should have realized that. You know him well enough. You should have known better.”

Chloe’s previous annoyance that morning had been light, half-ironic. But the flash of annoyance she felt now was real and deep. “I didn’t go out looking to blackmail him, Lex.”

“Maybe not. But the moment you started digging deep enough into Kyring to find his project, you might as well have been taunting a viper. He’ll always strike back.” Lex’s face was cold now. She assumed most of it was directed at his father, but there seemed to be a little left for her.

She didn’t appreciate it. She resented it. And she also felt a little hurt. “You’re right,” she said resignedly. “It just happened.”

“It didn’t just happen. It was the result of a series of choices. Some of them yours.”

“You’ve done your share of stupid things too, Lex. Shall we discuss them?”

“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you.”

“Well, I don’t want to talk about me. I know I screwed up. But the reasons aren’t really your business.”

Lex’s expression—which had been mild and even the whole time up to now—twisted into something she recognized as anger. “Aren’t they?” he asked, a little roughly.

For the strangest reason, his shadowed urgency suddenly made him feel more Lex-like – as if the mild stranger had transformed back into the Lex she’d always known.

“No, they aren’t. Helping me doesn’t give you the right to pry into my affairs. “

“If I don’t know why you let yourself get trapped like this, then I won’t be able to figure out how to keep it from happening again.”

“Let it go, Lex,” she snapped, angry and oddly mortified at how Lex clearly seemed to think she was a fool who got involved with dangerous men and couldn’t seem to fix things on her own. “I’m not talking about this with you.”

“What are you trying to hide from me?” he demanded, taking her forearm again but this time holding her more tightly. “How did you get involved with my father at all? It wasn’t . . . it wasn’t . . .” He trailed off, reluctant to say the word.

But Chloe suddenly knew what it was. “What? You think your dad and I were . . . were together?”

“Not like that. I would know if you’d been having an affair with him, since I always keep him under surveillance. But I just can’t believe you’d accidently run across something like this. You must have been searching into something connected to him intentionally.”

“Let it go, Lex,” Chloe said again, finishing her cone and crumpling the napkin between her twisting hands.

They sat in silence for a long time. And all the ease and good-nature with which they’d been interacting before were suddenly gone.

It wasn’t going to be easy to get along with Lex. Not when he was so deep, so complex, so unknowable. Not when neither one of them could let a secret alone. Not with the history they had together.

December was going to be a very long month.

And they’d only been married for four days.
 
Chapter Five

December 5


Despite her intentions to sleep in late the next morning, she found herself awake in bed before seven. She tossed and turned a few times and tried to go back to sleep. But eventually she gave up and got out of bed.

She put on the shirt to her dark blue pajamas, since she felt a bit too exposed in just the little tank top she normally slept in with the pajama pants. Then she shuffled into the main room of the suite.

It was empty. Lex’s bedroom door was open, but also empty.

Frowning, Chloe looked around. She saw a carafe of coffee that Lex must have ordered up earlier, so she poured herself a cup and scanned the room for any sign of Lex’s location.

He wasn’t in his bathroom. He wasn’t at the desk. He wasn’t on the balcony that overlooked the St. Lawrence River. He wasn’t in the suite at all.

There was also no note left for her, although she realized that was a silly thought even as it passed through her mind.

Lex was a grown man. He didn’t have to inform her if he wanted to leave the suite. For all she knew, he might have been gone all night. He’d been in a bad mood most of yesterday afternoon, the tension from their conversation by the river not really easing all day. He might have hooked up with someone last night—hooked up with a tall, willowy, exotic brunette.

The thought made her vaguely ill, but fortunately she was able to reason herself out of it. She didn’t really think Lex would duck out and have anonymous sex with a gorgeous woman. While their marriage wasn’t genuine, it felt like kind of a cheap thing to do. And Lex just wasn’t cheap.

She also couldn’t imagine where he would have met some random woman to have a sleazy one-night-stand with.

Whatever he was doing right now, it was almost certainly not waking up in some other woman’s bed.

Satisfied with this conclusion, she still felt a little flicker of annoyance that he hadn’t even told her where he was. Not that he had any obligation to, of course. But it was just basic courtesy to tell your wife where you were so she wouldn’t wake up in a huge empty suite and wonder.

Chloe had intended to have a leisurely morning, lying around and maybe going down to enjoy the hotel spa. But, after she finished her first cup of coffee, she discovered she was antsy and restless.

Deciding what she needed was a good dose of exercise, she went back into her bedroom and changed into workout clothes.

And, if Lex returned and didn’t find her in the suite, then he could just wonder as well.

Not that he would wonder long, of course. She had no doubt that the bodyguard who escorted her down to the workout room in the hotel would inform Lex of her location.

She was feeling better about the morning when she walked into the workout room and discovered that Lex was already there, running hard on a treadmill.

She waved at him casually, and he made a slight gesture of acknowledgement that might have passed for a wave. Trying not to be annoyed by his unfriendliness, Chloe ignored him and got onto an elliptical trainer.

For the first few minutes, she just warmed up and wasn’t working very hard. So she had time and energy to observe Lex, although she made sure to do so discreetly.

He wore shorts and a gray t-shirt that was soaked with sweat. He must have been working out for a while, and he was running full-out at the moment, pounding the treadmill with an intense concentration that seemed to characterize the man.

For some reason, Chloe found his intensity and physical effort mesmerizing. She was used to seeing him sleek, professional, urbane. But this was something else. His visceral physicality seemed so strong at the moment, like he was primal man as much as civilized man.

She felt a surge of attraction for him—so powerful it actually startled her. So she made herself look away and concentrate on her exercise.

Increasing her speed, Chloe was glad she’d decided against the baggy t-shirt she’d been planning to wear and had instead chosen the more flattering workout tank with her stretchy capris.

Not that Lex was looking at her, of course. He didn’t even seem to be conscious of her presence in the room. Chloe tried to follow his example and clear her mind of everything but the motion of her body.

Soon, she was perspiring and breathing fast, as she worked the trainer harder than she usually did. She was in pretty good shape as a whole, but she wasn’t a huge fitness buff. And her workouts were usually somewhat haphazard. After twenty-five minutes, she was ready to get off, but she didn’t because Lex was still running.

She was starting to wheeze after forty-five minutes, so she finally slowed down – mostly out of necessity. It would be more embarrassing, she decided, to fall off the elliptical in exhaustion than to stop before Lex did.

As she was doing a few cool-down minutes, she saw that Lex had finally slowed down as well. Sweat was dripping from his face, and his shirt was plastered to his chest and belly. It was absolutely ridiculous, but she still felt that primitive pull of magnetism toward him.

When she finally got off the elliptical and did a few stretches, Lex slowed to a walk. “I’ve finished my workout,” he said, finally acknowledging her presence, “But if you wanted to lift weights, I can stay to spot you.”

Chloe thought the offer was nice. But she was ready to take a shower and collapse on the couch. And she questioned the wisdom of being at such close quarters with Lex all hot and masculine when she was suffering from this animal attraction for him.

“Thanks. But I think I’ve had enough. I’m not much of a fitness buff.”

He gave her an odd look—one she couldn’t decipher. “You did great.”

Not terribly extravagant or romantic as far as compliments went. But it made her flush with pleasure just the same.


* * *


Chloe took it easy for the rest of the day after eating so much breakfast that Lex made a dry comment on it. She did go down the spa for a delicious facial and massage. Then she tried to do some writing – although she had trouble focusing on it.

Lex spent the day working, and he didn’t get any more talkative than he’d been that morning. Chloe was a little disappointed, since they’d seemed to get along better in the previous days. But Lex was a deep, complex man. And there was no way to predict what was going through his mind or what was motivating his behavior.

He wasn’t here to be her best friend. So she tried not to take it personally.

At dinnertime, she’d resigned herself to eating another meal from room service. There was a marathon of The West Wing episodes on a cable network, so she figured that wouldn’t be the worst way to spend the evening.

She was sprawled out on the sofa when Lex made an appearance.

She blinked when she saw him. He’d changed clothes since last she saw him and was now dressed all in black—dress shirt, trousers, and a sport coat that looked to be made of cashmere.

“Where are you going?” she asked, suppressing a stab of hurt that he would have an evening outing without her.

“Where are we going,” he corrected. “I thought we could go out to dinner. Go get changed.”

Chloe’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

“You can go in the pajamas if you want, but it might bring you unwanted attention.”

She was wearing a pair of plaid flannel pants and a Metropolis Sharks sweatshirt. She huffed. “They’re not pajamas. They’re lounge pants.”

Lex arched his eyebrows. “My mistake. However, the lounge pants will likely draw an equal amount of unwanted attention. So run get changed.”

Chloe sat up. She wasn’t about to miss out on a potential outing, and she was absurdly touched that Lex had even thought about her. But still . . . there was a tone issue that needed to be addressed. “Remember what we talked about regarding questions rather than commands?” she asked sweetly.

Rolling his eyes, Lex said, “Chloe, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble for you, would you please change into something appropriate for dinner and let me take you out, always assuming you haven’t changed your mind about not wanting to sit around the suite all day.”

“One day your snotty tone is going to get you a slap in the face,” she quipped, her voice a bit unsteady from the amusement she was trying to hide. She’d gotten off the couch.

“I assure you,” he murmured, his lip twitching a little. It was like the sight of an old friend. “It already has.”

Chloe hurried into her bedroom and stared blankly into her closet. She had nothing nice enough to really match Lex’s wardrobe. But he looked so handsome and sophisticated that she wanted to at least make an effort.

She decided, from lack of other options, on a low-cut top in a slinky, wine-colored fabric and a pair of silk slacks. They were flattering but a little too long, so she always had to wear them with her high-heeled ankle boots. Fortunately, she’d taken the time to blow-dry her hair well that morning. So she just had to brush it out and add a little powder, mascara, and lipstick.

Pleased with the result—especially since it had taken her ten minutes—she went to join Lex in the main room of the suite.

He scanned her from top to bottom, his eyes lingering a little too long at her cleavage.

When he frowned, she stiffened defensively, “What?”

“You look very nice,” he said, “But I hadn’t expected to have to put up with a bunch of other men ogling my wife.”

Chloe sucked in a breath, her eyes dipping to the crease and shadow of her cleavage. “It’s not that bad!”

“If the ogling gets too obnoxious,” Lex said blandly, gesturing toward the door in what was obviously a signal for her to get moving, “Then you can wear my jacket.”

She was trying to keep from giggling as they rode down the elevator to the waiting chauffeured car. But the tiniest, insecure part of her wondered if it was too much to hope that her husband—even if he was just that for a month—might express genuine appreciation for how she looked.

His saying she looked “very nice” wasn’t all that convincing.

They were driven to a cozy, historic restaurant in the old town with a rustic decor and a line out the door of people waiting for tables. She and Lex, of course, were taken right in and led to the private table—a u-shaped wooden banquette in the corner—near a huge fireplace. The walls were exposed brick and the savory scents of the room swallowed her up, making her stomach growl.

“Good?” Lex asked, evidently having seen her make the silent assessment.

“Great. It feels like real Quebec.”

“It specializes in Québécois cuisine,” he mentioned, “As you’ll see when you open the menu.”

Chloe knew what he meant when she looked at the menu and saw she could choose between bison, venison, pheasant, duck and wild meat pie.

She made sure to keep her expression mild when she saw that Lex was eyeing her covertly, no doubt looking for a reaction. “Yummy,” she said with a smile.

She ordered mulled wine, a warm goat-cheese salad with maple vinaigrette, and duck with truffle mashed potatoes and rustic vegetables. Lex got a bison steak.

The fire and the mulled wine quickly went to Chloe’s head. Lex was pleasant, almost charming. She felt warm and giddy and quite pleased with the fact that other patrons of the restaurant were looking over at her table in interest or admiration. While the marriage might be fake, she felt a ridiculous rush of pride over the fact that she was obviously with the most attractive man in the place.

“It’s starting to feel like Christmas,” she said, when the server came to take her salad plate. “For some reason, it feels more like it here.”

Lex arched his eyebrows. “That’s not what the restaurant makes me think of.”

“I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s just the rustic food and the fire and the kind of old-world feel of the place. It makes me think of Christmas.”

“It’s still pretty early for Christmas. Let’s try to hold off on the sentiment for as long as possible.” He paused. Gave her a slanting look. “Are you a Christmas-person?”

“Of course. Isn’t everyone?” Chloe had always loved Christmas. It had made her think of happy family memories and festive times with friends.

Lex didn’t reply. Just looked at her steadily.

“You’re not,” she breathed, her giddiness fading a little. “You don’t have good Christmas memories?”

He licked his lips and looked away from her, toward the roaring fireplace. Finally he said, “Not one.”

Chloe sipped her wine, fighting the ridiculous urge to scoot over and put her arms around him. It seemed so horrible that he didn’t have one good Christmas memory. She asked softly, “Not even with your mother?”

His expression twisted slightly and he still didn’t meet her eyes. “There were some good times, when I was young. But no memory is pure, without something . . .” He trailed off.

She understood what he meant. None of his good memories of his mother were without the taint of his father.

Unable to resist, she reached over and put her hand gently on his forearm. “I’m sorry.”

He nodded. Then the mood shifted quickly when he slanted her a dry look. “I suppose your Christmas memories are full of sap and sentiment.”

She grinned at him. “Of course.”

Their meals came then, and Chloe drank more wine. When she’d finished, she was overly warm and replete and her head was spinning a little. Somehow—she wasn’t conscious of doing so—she’d slid over in the banquette until she was very close to Lex.

Their thighs were pressing together.

She refused dessert, but when Lex’s maple syrup pie came, Chloe had to sneak a few bites. He complained at every bite she took, and—when she beat him to the last bite—he gave her an indignant look.

Giggling helplessly, she decided to be generous and give him the bite. So she fed it to him off of her fork.

Because she’d drunk a little too much, he ended up with whip cream on the corner of his lip.

She reached over to wipe it off for him, and something in his eyes as he gazed at her made her stop, her fingertips resting of his skin.

Before anything more could happen, a flashbulb broke the shadows of the candlelit room.

Both of them jerked apart and whirled around to see where the camera flash had come from.

Chloe saw the back of a man hurrying out of the restaurant.

A photographer, most likely. Either one of the patrons had recognized Lex and called the photographer. Or the photographer himself happened to be here, thrilled with accidentally catching sight of Lex Luthor in the midst of an intimate dinner with his new bride.

Chloe’s stomach dropped painfully.

Lex nudged her toward the end of the banquette. “We better go,” he said quietly, whatever teasing languor he’d been feeling that evening vanishing with the flash of the camera.

Chloe got up quickly, without objection. And she knew that—likely before dawn tomorrow morning—she and Lex would be leaving Quebec, before their presence here could hit the news.

They’d be winging their way in a private jet toward another place in the world, the second city in less than a week.

And they’d only been married five days.

Chapter Six

December 6


The jet took off before dawn the next morning. Chloe was groggy, since she hadn’t slept well the night before and she didn’t like getting up so early even under normal circumstances. So she didn’t ask any questions or raise any objections as the hotel staff loaded up her luggage and they headed to the chauffeured car and then to the airport.

She would have asked Lex where they were going—since he hadn’t bothered to tell her—but he was busy on the phone from the moment she was woken up so she hadn’t gotten the chance.

From his side of the conversation, Chloe could tell he was busy making plans for their trip. And she was amazed by how complicated it seemed to be for them to leave Quebec and travel somewhere else in the world without leaving an obvious trail.

Because she knew Lex was doing this for her, she didn’t interrupt and she didn’t complain – even though she was a little annoyed that he hadn’t even said “good morning” to her today.

She took one of the buckle-seats on the jet and accepted the coffee a polite server offered her. When she thanked him, he murmured, “My pleasure, Mrs. Luthor.”

Chloe wondered if she’d ever get used to being called that.

Glancing over to where Lex had taken his own seat, rubbing his bald scalp as he talked intently in a phone conversation that had evidently gotten more frustrating, Chloe felt an odd little pang of possessiveness. He looked so handsome and focused and exasperated.

Then she reminded herself that she wouldn’t need to get used to being called “Mrs. Luthor” because a month from now she would no longer be his wife.

She dozed off shortly after the jet took off, and she woke up stiff and disoriented.

Realizing where she was, she glanced over and saw that Lex was still talking on the phone.

Groaning in frustration, she stood up and stretched, trying to work out the kinks from her back and shoulders. She was kind of sore from too much exercise the previous morning.

She happened to look over and noticed that Lex’s eyes were on her. Something about his expression made her glance down, and she noticed that her red tank top—which she was wearing under a hoodie sweater—had lifted as she stretched so that a wide strip of skin was exposed above her jeans.

She yanked it down self-consciously, although she was secretly a little pleased that Lex had been looking at her. He didn’t seem to be suffering from any undue attraction to her body, but at least he seemed to notice that she had one.

Since she was starving, she walked back and found the polite server, and she asked for an omelet. When he asked if Mr. Luthor would like one too, she asked, “He hasn’t eaten yet?”

“No, ma’am. Nothing but coffee.”

“Bring him an omelet—whatever he normally gets—with whole wheat toast.” She frowned, thinking that Lex’s diet was sadly short on fruit. “Do you have any juice or anything?”

“Yes, ma’am. Fresh squeezed orange juice.”

“Bring him some of that too.”

When she returned, Lex was finally hanging up on his call. She opened her mouth to say hello and ask where they were heading, but he raised his hand in a silencing gesture and dialed his phone again.

Chloe rolled her eyes and gave up on him.

She looked for a movie to watch, but hadn’t yet found one when their breakfast arrived. She thanked the server and then watched as he brought the other tray over to the workstation where Lex had ensconced himself.

Lex stared at the omelet, toast, and juice blankly. Then he covered his phone with one hand and asked the server, “What’s this?”

“Your wife ordered it for you, sir.” The server, well-trained, kept his eyes down and left without further comment.

Lex aimed a narrow-eyed look in her direction, but she noticed that, after a minute, he started to eat his breakfast.

She’d found an old romantic comedy to watch and was enjoying her breakfast, so she didn’t immediately notice when Lex finally ended his conversation.

He had finished eating and was halfway through his juice when she looked over.

“The orange juice is good, isn’t it?” she asked, grinning at him.

He quirked up one side of his mouth. “Did you think I needed extra vitamin C?”

“Probably.” She gestured vaguely toward his phone. “Is everything all right?”

He nodded. “Yes. I’ve got things under control. We won’t be tracked.”

“It seems kind of strange—that your father would still be out there looking for me. Metropolis seems so far away.”

“It’s not, though. And I guarantee he hasn’t given up.”

“I know. Thanks for everything.”

“I thought we covered that there’s no need for you to thank me every other minute.” He actually sounded grumpy, even as he swallowed down the last of his juice.

Chloe scowled at him. “Why shouldn’t I thank you? You’re doing a lot to help me.”

“I’ve told you now multiple times that I’m getting something—“

“I know you’re getting something out of it,” she interrupted sharply. “But I still want to thank you.”

“Well, you have now. So let it go.”

She sat and glowered at him, mentally rehearsing all of his obnoxious and annoying traits. Why the hell shouldn’t she thank him for all he was doing to keep her safe?

“The photo hit the papers,” Lex said, his tone shifting to something casual and natural. If she had to guess, she thought maybe he was trying to ease the tension between them.

“Did it?” she asked. “I guess that’s just what we figured.”

He turned the computer monitor in her direction, and she got up to get close enough to see it.

The picture she saw on the screen wasn’t perfectly clear, but it revealed a man who was obviously Lex Luthor, looking relaxed and attractive as he sat at a rustic table in a Quebec restaurant. And Chloe, his new bride, was gazing up at him with what seemed to Chloe to be an embarrassingly besotted expression. Her hand was on his face, and they appeared to be moments from a kiss.

Her cheeks burned, and she mumbled, “I’d clearly drunk too much wine.”

Lex chuckled. “You were exceptionally friendly last night. And there wasn’t a trace of nagging. You should get a little tipsy more often.”

“Nagging,” she gasped. “I don’t nag!”

Then she noticed the twitch of Lex’s lips.

“’Oh,” she choked, “You asshole. You’re mocking me again.”

“Not mocking,” Lex corrected. “But it’s just so fun to see how outraged you look when you think you’ve been insulted.”

She gave him an icy glare—just for good measure, since she wasn’t feeling all that unhappy with him. “Are you done on the phone?”

“For now. Why?”

“No reason. It’s just not all that exciting for me to watch endless one-sided phone conversations, so I wanted to be prepared.”

Lex studied her face closely. “I wasn’t planning for us to leave this morning, so I had to quickly redo a lot of plans.”

“I know,” she acknowledged, sinking down onto the sofa, which was more comfortable than the seats. “I didn’t mean to sound like I was whining. But you could at least say good morning, you know.”

“Didn’t I say good morning?”

She stared, wondering if he was being genuine or if he was teasing her again. “You didn’t,” she said carefully.

When he drew his eyebrows together, as if he were thinking over the events of the morning, she decided he honestly hadn’t realized his rudeness.

“So I’m just saying,” she said, “Phrasing requests as questions rather than commands, saying good morning when you see your wife first thing, these are some basic courtesies you might consider.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

She sat up suddenly, remembering something else. “Oh, and where the hell are we going?”

“Excuse me?”

“Today. You’ve never told me where we’re going. You just shuffled me along like a piece of the luggage. If I’m part of this enterprise, I’d like some say in where we’re going.”

“If you had your choice, where would you go?”

“I have no idea. I’d have to think about it.”

Lex nodded, as if she’d proven his point. “Exactly. We didn’t have time to think about it. We just had to go. You can choose the next spot.”

She was getting annoyed again at his obtuseness. He seemed to be going out of his way not to tell her what she wanted to know. “So where are we going now?” When he hesitated before responding, she snapped, “You’ve got to work on these control-freak tendencies. Really. I know we’re doing this on your resources, but I’m not a child or a fool, you know. And I don’t like being treated like one.”

His voice was quieter than it had been when he asked, “You think that’s how I’m treating you?”

“Well, not always.” She felt kind of bad about her outburst, even though it was a real frustration. So she tempered it by saying, “I’m sorry to bite your head off. But I really would appreciate it if you could try a little harder to treat me like a partner rather than an underling.”

Lex didn’t answer for a long time. Too long. Then finally he said, “I’m not used to having partners.”

She let out a gusty sigh. “I know that. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be whining. You’ve been . . . you’ve been great.”

He hadn’t been great in every way, but he’d been better than she could have expected. And building their relationship didn’t really matter that much since it would be over in less than a month.

She cleared her throat when he hadn’t replied—just stared blankly at his computer screen. “So where are we going?”

“Oh. Right. Sorry. We’re going to South Africa.”

Chloe’s jaw dropped open. “What?”

“South Africa. To a game reserve. You enjoyed that African wildlife documentary so much I thought you might want to see the real thing.” He looked a little diffident as he explained, perhaps because of her dumbfounded look.

Chloe clasped her hands together. “A game reserve? Like a wildlife safari thing?”

“Yes. We’ll be staying at a luxury resort, of course. We won’t be roughing it.”

“Oh.” Chloe tried to process what he’d just told her, as spirals of excitement and anticipation rose inside her. “Oh.”

Lex frowned. “Is that all right?”

“All right?” Chloe realized she wasn’t expressing herself well, so she tried to do a little better.

But all that came out was a silly little squeal.

Then she got up and ran over to hug him hard—so excited about the prospect of the new trip that such a gesture seemed not only appropriate but natural.

Lex laughed—low and husky—as she squeezed him with her arms. “I guess you approve,” he murmured as she pulled away.

Chloe was flushed again, and she tried to pull herself together again by quipping, “This doesn’t cancel out what I said before about the partnership thing. Just because you make good decisions some of the time doesn’t mean you should make all of them.”

Lex’s mouth twitched. “Understood.”

Chloe went back to watching her movie, and Lex went back to working. And they were in flight for most of the day, since not only was it a very long flight but they also once more took a roundabout way to get there.

But it wasn’t that bad a day. And Lex wasn’t really too annoying.

And, despite his shortcomings, he wasn’t really that bad a man to have as a fake husband.

Of course, they’d only been married six days.

Chapter Seven

December 7


The luxury resort on the South African game reserve was like nothing Chloe had ever experienced before.

She and Lex had a private, detached suite furnished in an elegant, exotic mix of Colonial and African styles with foldaway glass walls on two sides of their suite that opened to expose the entire place to the outdoors. There was a plunge infinity pool on their private deck, an expansive view of the African bush, and the marble bathroom of her dreams.

They arrived late the night before, but the view even at night was breathtaking, and she spent a full half-hour just gushing over the accommodations and the setting. And that morning she woke up before dawn without any trouble.

Lex had arranged a private game ride for her—rather than going out in groups of five or six as guests at the resort usually went—but it was still scheduled to leave at six in the morning in order to take advantage of the best time for viewing the wildlife.

Lex was awake—drinking coffee and working on his computer—when she emerged from her room dressed in khakis and a fitted white t-shirt. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Chloe asked.

“Not this morning,” Lex said. He looked over at her, his expression softening. “You have a good time.”

Chloe had her own private game ranger—a tall, rugged man with thick dark hair, a five-o’clock shadow, amazing shoulders, and an easy grin. He introduced himself as Michael in a charming South African accent.

As they started off in the open-air jeep, Chloe quickly discovered that Michael really knew what he was talking about. He told her about plants, geological formations, and animals with equal expertise. And he quickly spotted birds and small animals that she otherwise would have missed.

When she asked him a few questions, based on what she’d understood from documentaries on cable, he didn’t patronize her or treat her like she was silly. And an hour of the ride passed so quickly she couldn’t believe it when she glanced at her watch.

It was then that she saw the first of the big animals, a herd of buffalo shuffling along in the distance. They drove to a popular watering hole and found a huge group of elephants—including several babies that made Chloe’s heart melt—and a couple of white rhinos.

Chloe was thrilled with all of it—almost hugging herself every time she spotted another African animal. And she couldn’t believe that Lex was missing out on such an experience.

Maybe he’d already done something like this before.

As they stopped for coffee, which was evidently a normal part of the ride, Michael asked with easy interest, “So your husband didn’t want to come out this morning?”

“No,” she answered, feeling a weird little pang in her chest. “He didn’t.”

“Shame to miss out on this.” Michael gave a broad wave toward the lush African bush to indicate what he meant by “this.”

“Yeah,” Chloe agreed. “I know. But I’m sure he’ll come out this afternoon or tomorrow morning.” Then, feeling a little awkward, as if she had to justify Lex’s choices since he was supposed to be her husband, she added with a sheepish smile, “This trip was mostly for me.”

“Then as long as you enjoy yourself, I guess he’ll be happy.”

“Right.”

She thought Michael had the most gorgeous dark eyes she’d ever seen. He was big and masculine and attractive. And she liked his voice and his smile. In another situation, she would have been really interested in him and would have gotten a thrill out of the slightly flirtatious glint in his eyes.

Of course, he probably cultivated that non-intrusive flirtatiousness with female guests as a matter of routine. Another way to make sure he was popular with the resort’s clientele. She probably shouldn’t take it personally.

But she liked him, and she was glad he was her guide.

At the very end of the ride, after three amazing hours, Michael silently gestured to some long grass to the right where Chloe saw a cheetah.

She had to cover her mouth to suppress her squeal of delight.

“We’ll be able to see some lions this afternoon, almost certainly. We’re almost at peak season now, and I know their favorite spots.”

“Oh, I can’t wait. Do you think we’ll be able to see any leopards? They’re my favorite.”

Michael grinned. “Then I’ll make sure we do.”

Lex was still working when she returned to the suite, breathless and excited. But he did pause to ask her questions and hear her account of all she’d seen, and he seemed pleased that she’d enjoyed it.

Since she was starving, she went down to the main patio of their exclusive section of the resort where the staff was serving a hot breakfast buffet. She chatted with some of the other guests. They were all rich and mostly stuffy, but she found them all highly entertaining.

Lex was still working when she came back up to the suite, so she took a plunge in the infinity pool and then lay out on a chaise on their private deck, enjoying the sun and the scent of nature and the gorgeous landscape.

She actually dozed off and woke up just in time for lunch.

They ordered room service—just sandwiches and salads—and, since Lex went right back to work afterwards, Chloe decided to visit the spa, where she greatly enjoyed an aroma essence massage.

She returned to the suite near the time for the afternoon game ride.

“You aren’t going to come on this ride either?” she asked Lex, feeling ridiculously disappointed.

“No. I’m good. You have a good time and try to spot a leopard.”

She left with a sigh. There was no sense in her nagging Lex. If he didn’t want to go, then he didn’t want to go. She was having a grand time, and it didn’t really matter that she was having it alone.

Michael was just as charming, rugged, and informed as he’d been that morning. And, to Chloe’s great joy, in addition to more rhinos, buffaloes, and elephants, they also spotted a good-sized pride of lions—that they were able to watch for almost a half-hour.

She was happy and exhausted when she returned. And she wasn’t at all surprised when Lex said he didn’t want to come down for dinner.

“Why the hell not?” she demanded, getting fed up with his reticence. She hadn’t realized she’d married a workaholic hermit.

“I’ve gotten behind on some projects,” he said mildly, “And this kind of social setting isn’t really my thing.”

She wasn’t sure what he was talking about. They seemed like affluent but basically interesting fellow guests. Yes, they were thrown together by the dining style and forced to interact, but that just livened things up.

As if he noticed her displeasure, he added, “I’ll move out to the deck, where I’ll be able to see you.”

It was true. One side of their deck looked out toward the boma, the outdoor dining enclosure surrounding a large bonfire. But Chloe just scowled, “Much good that will do.”

Lex didn’t reply, so she went to shower and change clothes before she went out to dinner. It was almost dark—eight o’clock—and she mingled with some other guests over drinks before they sat down to eat.

It was a very good meal, and she laughed a lot as the couple she sat near regaled her with tales of their eventful travels. But she privately stewed over the fact that Lex hadn’t left their suite all day.

What the hell was wrong with the man? Was he completely unable to enjoy himself? He had gone out at least a little in Quebec – couldn’t he step out of his room here?

Suddenly, it occurred to her what might be happening. The last time he’d ventured out in Quebec he’d been recognized and photographed.

Maybe—maybe—he was afraid he’d be recognized here too and they’d have to leave prematurely.

Chloe sipped the last of her wine and gazed up at the bright stars as she reflected on that possibility. And, as she realized that must be exactly what he was thinking, she was overwhelmed with gratitude, fondness, and annoyance—all mingling in her chest together.

It was so Lex-like that he’d think of that. And so Lex-like that he wouldn’t bother to tell her that’s why he wasn’t venturing out.

She shook her head, said goodbye to her new friends, and started back toward the suite.

“Chloe,” a familiar voice called from down the path.

She stopped, recognizing Michael approaching. “Hey,” she said with a grin. “What are you up to?”

“I was eating dinner at another lodge. They try to spread us out—so guests can talk to rangers as much as possible.”

“Ah – how fun for you.”

“I could think of worse jobs.” His mouth quirked up. “Although tonight I was called on to dance, which is not my favorite activity.”

“Dance?” Chloe asked, intrigued. She wouldn’t have pegged Michael as a dancer.
“One of the other lodges requested a dance, and I got roped into being a partner.”

“It wasn’t a tribal dance, was it?” Her voice was teasing.

He laughed. “Oh no. Ballroom dance.”

“You can do ballroom dance? I never would have guessed it – you’re so rugged and outdoorsy.”

“Shall I prove it?” Then, as proof, he slipped an arm around her and swung her into a dance—something resembling a waltz.

There wasn’t any music, of course, and they were by themselves on the patio off the gardens, but Chloe laughed and did the best she could to match his steps.

In another situation, she would have been totally swept off her feet by him—handsome, manly, engaging, intelligent, and paying special attention to her.

For some reason, however, she wasn’t. And even if she had been, she naturally wouldn’t do anything while she was married to Lex. Even if it wasn’t a genuine marriage, she just wasn’t that kind of a person.

But she was having fun when a cool voice broke into their laughter. “It would be more effective with some music.”

Chloe jerked to a stop and whirled around to see Lex standing and surveying them with cool disinterest. “Oh, hi! I thought you weren’t coming out.”

Lex arched his eyebrows. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said, stepping forward and extending a hand to Michael. “I’m Chloe’s husband.”

Michael grinned and introduced himself. “It’s nice to meet you. I was beginning to think your existence was fictitious.”

“It’s not.”

Lex’s tone and attitude struck Chloe as rather rude. “Michael was my ranger on the game rides today. He’s been great.”

“And what exactly was he guiding you through just now?”

Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise. Lex was acting like . . . well, he was acting like a jealous husband.

Michael laughed agreeably. “I was just showing her how we dance here.”

Lex’s blue eyes were like granite as he looked at the other man steadily. “Is that right?”

Chloe rolled her eyes and took his arm. “Thanks, Michael. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Sure thing. Have a great night.” He strolled off with a wave and didn’t look back.

As they started back to their suite, Chloe glared up at Lex. “That was exceptionally rude. He’s been nothing but super-nice to me.”

“I saw how nice he was being to you.” Lex was tense and just as cool with her as he’d been with Michael.

“You’re being ridiculous. It was perfectly innocent. And it’s not like there’s anything real between us anyway.” Even though there wasn’t anything between them, she wouldn’t have dreamed of having an affair while she was married to Lex. But she didn’t like his high-handed manner, and she didn’t like that he was so rude to Michael.

“So that means I should simply accept without complaint my wife sneaking off in the dark to embrace another man.”

Chloe choked in outrage. “Damn you, Lex. I don’t have to put up with this.” Since they’d reached the suite by then, she stormed into the main room. Then stormed into her bedroom and closed the door.

She was careful not to slam it, since she didn’t want to look petty.

She drew a hot bath in the huge jetted and dumped some ginger-scented bath salts in it. Then she took off her clothes and stepped in, trying to relax and empty her mind from her annoyance with Lex.

How dare he think she would be so cheap and crass as to sneak off and kiss another man? How dare he think she was so sleazy that she’d jump into bed with a virtual stranger while she was married to him?

While it had crossed her mind a couple of mornings ago when she hadn’t found him in the suite in the morning, she’d come to the conclusion that Lex wouldn’t do such a thing. The least he could do is come to the same conclusion about her.

Other than his obnoxious behavior, she’d had a very nice day.

She’d never thought she’d get to come to Africa and visit a luxury game reserve resort.

She wondered what else she would get to experience in the month she was married to Lex—except for his infuriating behavior, of course.

They’d only been married seven days.
 

Chapter Eight

December 8


The next morning, Chloe woke up early again, a little more tired than she’d been the morning before, and stumbled out of bed to shower before her early game ride.

She dressed in jeans, a moss green camp shirt that flattered her figure, and her hiking boots. Then she went out to the main room of the suite and was shocked to see Lex standing in front of the window wall looking outside, wearing khakis and a black t-shirt.

“What’s going on?” Chloe asked, rather foolishly. But his behavior was so atypical that she was rather disoriented.

Lex turned around with a lift of his eyebrows. “I’m going on the game ride with you.”

“Oh.” She stared at him silently for a moment, trying to figure it out. She was ridiculously pleased with the decision, but she was afraid she knew the reason. “I’m not going to sneak off in the bush and screw the game ranger, you know.”

“I know you aren’t. I’m sorry I implied otherwise last night.” The words were mild but sounded genuine.

“Oh. Thank you. I guess.” Then she added, “So why are you going? I thought you were trying to keep a low profile.”

He gave her a slant-wise look. “Figured that out, did you? Yes, I was trying to keep from being recognized. But, since the game ride is private, the only person to see me will be your macho admirer.”

Chloe huffed. “Michael was just being nice. He isn’t my admirer.”

“We’ll have to disagree on that.”

“You don’t have to sacrifice your precious work time just to play escort. I’ve already told you I’m not going to sleep with him.”

“I know you’re not. But I’d rather he not have the opportunity to hit on you at all.” Before she could object to this assessment, he added with a twitch of his mouth, “Besides, since I’m here, I’d like to see a little wildlife.”

His last dry comment made Chloe feel a lot better. Like she was on familiar ground, and Lex wasn’t coming along on the ride bad-temperedly. “Well, I should certainly think so.” Glancing at her watch, she said, “We better hurry. It’s almost six.”

Michael appeared surprised to see that Lex was joining them, but he didn’t appear disappointed in the slightest. He began by casually pointing out spots of interest—highlighting the African flora and fauna—and he drove them out to the best spots to find the big game.

“Our goal this morning is to spot a leopard,” Michael said.

“Those are my favorite,” Chloe explained, looking up at Lex, who was riding in the seat beside her.

“I know that. You told me, remember?”

She had told him—when they were watching the documentary. For no good reason, she flushed a little. “Oh. Right.”

They found more elephants at the watering spot—the same group Chloe had seen yesterday, Michael told her. She loved watching the baby elephants play around in the water and the mother elephants try to keep them in line.

Lex watched with interest as well, but his absolute composure made her a little self-conscious about her own enthusiasm. She didn’t want him to think she was silly for getting so excited about baby elephants.

They drove some more and saw a black rhino, which was evidently more rare than the white rhino and therefore a great sighting. They also saw another cheetah and a pack of wild dogs, which was pretty amazing as well.

But no leopard.

“Maybe we’ll catch sight of one on the way back,” Michael said, as they stopped for coffee. “And, if not, we’ll try again this afternoon.”

Chloe nodded. “It’s all right if we don’t. I know there are no guarantees.”

Lex had been listening, she assumed, but he was now gazing off beyond Michael’s shoulder. “What’s that?” he asked in a low voice, pointing toward something in the direction he’d been looking.

They all looked.

“Serval,” Michael said, after taking a measure of the solitary animal lurking in the low grass quite a ways away. He pulled up his binoculars and looked more closely. “They’re really shy, so we don’t always see them.”

He gestured toward Chloe. “Come see.”

She moved next to him and looked through his binoculars. He helped direct them for her and then casually kept a hand on her shoulder.

She was delighted by the sight of the odd-looking, spotted cat and after a few minutes, she said, “Lex, come see!”

While Lex obviously could see without the binoculars, he would see much better with them. So she handed them to him, and he took a look—edging Michael away from Chloe as he did.

Once the serval disappeared, they started back in the jeep. To Chloe’s surprise, Lex scooted farther over in the seat and put his arm around her.

She looked up at him in confusion. He nodded toward Michael in a wordless explanation, and she rolled her eyes in response. Evidently, he still thought Michael was coming on to her.

But she was happy and tired, satisfied in all they’d seen this morning, even if they hadn’t seen a leopard. So she didn’t pull away from him. In fact, she leaned against him a little more, occasionally responding to Michael’s friendly running commentary.

After a while, she felt Lex shift against her. Then felt his breath against her head. He was really close and seemed to have been nuzzling her hair.

She arched her neck and whispered in his ear, “He’s not coming on to me.”

“He wants to,” Lex whispered back.

“He does not. He’s just friendly.”

“Not to me, he isn’t. Besides, we’re supposed to be newlyweds. If we act too unusual, he’ll start to wonder and maybe raise questions about us.”

That actually made a little sense. And it disappointed Chloe a little. If this was just for an act, then Lex’s warm, strong body and familiar scent didn’t feel quite as good.

She saw Michael glancing into the rearview mirror at them, and she realized Lex might be right. They hadn’t really been acting like newlyweds, and that might raise some obvious questions. Questions they’d do well to avoid.

So she smiled up at Lex. And she didn’t jerk away when he leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips.

And she couldn’t help but wonder how she would feel—how much better it would be—if she was experiencing this with a husband who was real.

She glanced down at her rings—the too-big Renaissance merchant ring and the antique wedding band. And she felt a sharp pang in her chest.

But she remembered all too well what had happened the last time she had let herself believe that Lex’s fond eyes and warm touch were real and lasting.

She wasn’t going to be a fool again.

After all, they’d only been married eight days.


Chapter Nine

December 9


The following morning, Lex came along on the game ride again. It was a cool, beautiful morning and they saw a remarkable range of wildlife. Still no leopards, but Chloe had a really good time.

When they came back, they ordered a late breakfast from room service and ate on their private deck. Since she was planning to relax in the sun for the rest of the morning, Chloe had showered and changed into a new dark red tankini and a matching, flimsy cover-up. Because her own wardrobe was sadly limited, she’d finally surrendered to Lex’s suggestion and had gone to buy a few new things from the resort’s exclusive boutique.

“Very nice,” Lex said, scanning her from head to foot as she emerged on to the deck to find trays of fruit, pastries, yogurt, juice and coffee.

Ridiculously pleased by the obvious admiration in his eyes and even more pleased that the cover-up hid her butt and the back of her thighs, she gave him a dry look. “You’re just trying to encourage me to relent and go on a shopping spree.”

Lex chuckled. “Why would I do that? Most husbands would be thrilled if their wives were as thrifty as you.”

“I’m not really thrifty.” Chloe settled herself on her seat and started to dish out a plate of food. “But I’m not at all comfortable letting you outfit me.”

“Whatever you would spend would barely register on my accounts.”

“I know that. But still. It’s the principle of the thing. If we were married for real, it would be different.”

Something odd reflected in Lex’s eyes, but she couldn’t quite understand it. “We are married for real. We have the certificate and the rings to prove it.”

Chloe glanced down at the rings on her left hand. “Well, yeah. But it’s not for long. So I’d feel weird about letting you buy me a whole new wardrobe since we’re just going to get divorced in a few weeks.”

Lex gave a half-shrug. “All right. The offer stands, if you change your mind.”

“Thanks, though,” she added, afraid he felt rebuffed. While it might seem like a trivial thing to feel rebuffed about, Lex was much more sensitive than most people realized. And, since he was cut off from many of the more natural ways of expressing good will, he was probably accustomed to using material things. “I appreciate it.”

They ate in generally pleasant leisure and then Lex went in to get some work done while Chloe took off her cover-up, but on some sun screen, and stretched out in the sun.

It was so nice, she thought, that it was summer here when it was winter in her part of the world.

She’d almost dozed off when she became conscious of a tickling feel on her shoulder. She slapped out at it groggily and was startled awake by the fact that she had slapped at someone else’s hand.

Her eyes flew open to land on Lex, who was leaning over her and reaching out toward her shoulder for some reason.

“What?” she gasped, sitting up in surprise and knocking Lex in the forehead in the process.

They both grunted at the impact, and Lex sat down on the edge of her chaise, rubbing his forehead.

“Sorry,” Chloe mumbled, rubbing her own head and trying to catch her breath. “What were you doing?”

“I came out for another cup of coffee and noticed there was a spider crawling up your arm.”

Chloe twitched in reaction and slapped at her arm.

“I got him,” Lex said with a smile. There was a warm look in his eyes that surprised her and caused her breath to hitch.

“Oh. Thanks.” She glanced down at her hands, feeling warm and shivery. “Sorry about your head. Is it okay?”

“Just a minor concussion.”

Since he was still rubbing his head, despite his dry words, Chloe leaned over to peer at his forehead. There was a red spot where their skulls had impacted. “Oh,” she murmured, reaching over to brush her fingers over the spot. “I hope it doesn’t bruise.”

“It’s fine. What about yours?” Lex gently removed her hand from his head and then reached over to stroke her hair away from her forehead.

Their eyes met and Chloe was overwhelmed by attraction, by emotion, by need. It suddenly felt like she was seventeen-years-old again and Lex was visiting her in the safe house.

She wanted to embrace him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to give herself to him completely.

But that hadn’t worked out very well for her last time. And she’d been through too much, she’d grown up too much, to let herself fall for these feelings again.

She turned her head away from him and said, “My head is fine. Thanks for getting rid of the spider.”

Lex stood up. “You’re welcome. Have a good time laying out.”

When he went back inside, Chloe reclined back on the chaise. The sun still felt good, but she wasn’t as relaxed as she’d been before.

And she couldn’t help but remember.


* * *

The day after Lionel’s conviction, Lex came to see Chloe for the last time.

As far as Chloe had understood, they’d been together that summer. Lex had been out of town a lot—including at least one trip to Egypt—and his health was still not up to par, with the blood purifications he still had to undergo. But he’d come to see her often, and his visits were the only bright spots in her entire isolated summer.

Things had changed, however, after she was kidnapped by Trent and then rescued by Clark. The day after that, she’d testified against Lionel. And shortly after that Lionel was convicted.

Chloe had to now somehow return to her regular life. And Lex seemed to be a different person.

She’d originally hoped his distance and coolness was just a result of the awkwardness of shifting their relationship into a more public context, coupled with the difficulty of his father’s trial.

So, when Lex paid her a visit at her father’s apartment the day after Lionel’s conviction, Chloe hugged him, whispering, “Are you all right?”

Lex hugged her back, his arms clutching at her urgently in a way that soothed her torn feelings. “Yeah,” he murmured thickly. He brushed a few kisses into her hair. “What about you?”

“I’m fine.”

She pulled back just enough to look up into his face. His features were tense, and his eyes were deep and conflicted. She stretched up to kiss him, her lips brushing against his gently at first, then clinging to them more hungrily.

He returned the kiss with a low groan in his throat, and his fingers tangled in her hair to curl around the back of her skull. But he pulled away, much sooner than normal.

They went to sit down, and she sat next to him on the couch, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

“I’m sorry . . .” Lex had to pause to clear his throat. “I’m sorry you got hurt.”

Chloe knew he was talking about her being kidnapped, when he was supposed to be protecting her. “I’m fine. I wasn’t really hurt.” She reached up to stroke his face, troubled that it was so tense. It had taken so long for her to get him to let down his guard with her this summer, get him to relax. And now it had all disappeared.

He didn’t respond. He just stared blankly at the wall across from him. And Chloe’s heart started to pound as she realized something significant had changed.

“So,” she asked, a little hesitantly, “What happens now?”

Lex turned to look at her, his eyes closed down in a way she hadn’t seen since before Lex had hidden her away. “You know things can’t continue as they’ve been, don’t you?”

She hadn’t really known that. “Yeah,” she said, her voice cracking as an ache seemed to tear her chest apart, “I figured.”

“I’ve had a good time this summer. You’ve been . . . great.” His voice wasn’t exactly cold, but there was no trace of real feeling in it—at least, no feeling except vague reluctance.

As if he was taking care of an unpleasant duty.

“Thanks,” she managed to say. “I’ve had a good time.” She had to look away from him, since it was starting to hurt so bad.

He must have picked up on something she was feeling, because he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder—like he used to do, before they’d gotten together.

Only they were never really together.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. I should have done better by you. It just happened, before I realized it. And I . . . I really enjoyed what we’ve had this summer.”

Chloe cleared her throat. “Me too.”

“But you’re only seventeen. And there’s too much going on in my life to . . .” His voice trailed off, but he didn’t really need to finish.

Chloe knew what he meant. He hadn’t set out to take advantage of her. He hadn’t really led her on. He’d needed something this summer, and she’d been able to offer it to him. But, now that the summer was over, they both had to return to their real lives.

“I know.” She tried for a fake smile, and was somewhat successful. “It would be silly to expect for us to be serious. We’re in completely different places.”

His face twisted, as if he were torn by guilt. Evidently, her words hadn’t convinced him.

She gave her head a firm shake. “I’m kind of disappointed,” she admitted. “But I’m a big girl. And I’ve never had unrealistic romantic dreams about us. It’s fine, Lex.”

She’d had unrealistic romantic dreams about Lex. At least a few. But those were private, and—even if she had a broken heart—she was going to keep what she could of her dignity.

Lex inclined his head. “I am sorry.”

“I know.” She reached over to cup his face with her palm, for the very last time. “Take care of yourself.”

Lex leaned over and kissed her once more on the mouth—softly, almost wistfully. “You too.”


* * *


Chloe sat up on her chaise, her heart aching so much she felt like crying. She breathed deeply, trying to control herself, trying not to feel torn up about the memory.

It had been ten years ago. She was long over the disappointment.

Lex came back out onto the deck with his empty cup of coffee, but he put it down when his eyes landed on Chloe.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, coming over to sit beside her again on the chaise.

Chloe shook her head a few times, trying to jar the lingering pain out of her mind. “Nothing.”

“I don’t think it’s nothing.” He reached up a hand to cup her cheek with his palm. His eyes were soft and worried—so similar to the way they’d been that summer. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

It would be so easy to let things happen as they had before. They’d sort of melt together—enjoying the closeness and the humor and the mutual support. It wasn’t like he was setting out to use her or take advantage of her – but she didn’t mean as much to him as he would mean to her. He liked her. And he was a man—he wouldn’t turn down a willing woman he generally liked.

And, when it was over, she’d be wrenched apart from him again.

Her heart would be broken again.

“It’s nothing,” she said again, standing up and pulling away from his warm hand. She was really about to cry now, and she had to get away from him. “I just got overly hot. I’m going to take another shower.”

She cried a little bit in the shower, but she felt better by the time she got out and dried off.

She was an adult. She wasn’t a silly little girl. And she wouldn’t let herself dream of things that could never be.

She’d just have to be a little more careful. But she could do it. This marriage would only last for a few more weeks.

They’d already been married nine days.
 
Chapter Ten

December 10


Chloe successfully avoided Lex for the rest of that day, and she was relieved the next day when he said he had to make some calls and couldn’t come on the morning game ride.

The ride didn’t seem nearly as fun as it had when Lex had come along.

When she returned, she didn’t see Lex in the suite, although the foldaway glass walls were both open. She glanced into his bedroom and his bathroom, but he wasn’t there either.

She was wondering if he’d left to go somewhere when she finally spotted him outside. He was standing facing the lush expanse of African bush, just in front of the infinity pool. He obviously hadn’t heard her arrive.

He was wearing dark gray shorts and an expensive white camp shirt. She almost never saw him dressed so casually. In fact, he wasn’t even wearing shoes.

Something about him struck her as she stood inside and watched him. One of his hands was in his pocket, and the other was idly rubbing his opposite arm. There was nothing obvious in his stance or position, but she somehow felt he wasn’t happy. Something wistful, or poignant, or lonely about the way he was standing hit her hard.

It was irrational, of course. There was absolutely no reason why she would have interpreted his stance in that way. But she did.

He looked lonely somehow.

Last night, she’d come to a mental resolution to distance herself from him emotionally as much as possible—in order to protect her heart. But she felt a powerful compulsion as she watched him now, and there was no way she could resist it.

If he was sad, then she wanted to comfort him.

She was used to acting on instinct. That was what had gotten her into this situation with Lionel to begin with. But she followed her instincts now and quietly walked outside onto their deck to where Lex was standing.

“Hey,” she said softly, coming up beside him. “You all right?”

He gave a little jerk—evidence that he’d been so caught up in his brooding thoughts that he hadn’t heard her approach. But all he said was, “Sure. How was your ride?”

“Good. Still no leopard.”

“Maybe tonight.”

“Maybe.”

Chloe studied his face, trying to read his expression. But it showed nothing but stoic composure. “You all right?” she asked again.

His brow lowered. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know,” she replied with a shrug. “It just seemed like . . . I don’t know. You don’t normally stand out here and admire the scenery.”

“It’s beautiful,” he said, his eyes focused on a mountain in the distance.

“I know. I love it. Thank you so much for taking me here. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.”

When he didn’t reply, she followed up, “Do you think so too?”

His forehead creased the way it did when he was thinking something over. “It’s up there. Not the most beautiful, though.”

“What’s the most beautiful?” She was genuinely curious, and she also wanted to continue the conversation, since it seemed to be successfully pulling Lex out of whatever slump he’d been suffering from.

“Probably Provence.”

“In France?” Chloe asked, vaguely surprised. She’d thought Lex would choose some sort of majestic, sublime mountain landscape. “I’ve never been. Why is it so beautiful?”

“Something about the sunlight there.”

He sounded a little distracted, and Chloe was worried he was falling back into his mood. “Anything happen this morning?” she asked, wondering if he’d heard something of Lionel and if that’s what had brought him down. “Any sign of your dad?”

“No. Nothing. It’s been a quiet morning.”

Somehow, he seemed to be drifting away from her—but she couldn’t quite define how it was she sensed it. It would have been wisest, probably, to just let him do so.

But Chloe just didn’t want to.

She reached out and put a hand on his arm. “You’re freaking me out a little, Lex. Are you sure everything is all right?”

Finally, he turned toward her completely. He tilted his head to study her face, his eyes so penetrating they were almost scary. Then finally he twitched his mouth and said, “I’d hate to freak you out. Why all the concern? I thought you were giving me the cold shoulder.”

Chloe’s breath hitched and her cheeks warmed a little. “Sorry if I was standoffish yesterday.” She thought for a moment to figure out a way to answer him honestly without giving too much away. Finally, she said, “It’s a little awkward sometimes. This marriage, I mean.”

“I know it is. But I thought we were doing all right.”

“We were. I mean, we mostly are.”

“What specifically feels awkward to you?”

This was getting far too close to the secrets of her heart, but she managed to muddle through a somewhat sensible answer. “I guess it’s just keeping that balance between being good partners and not being . . . not being . . . intimate.”

Lex’s eyebrows shot up.

Chloe flushed. “Not like that. I just mean that being married throws us into situations that require a certain amount of intimacy. And our relationship isn’t like that. It isn’t intimate like that.”

He nodded. “I know. But I believe we can work through that.”

He sounded so confident that it actually gave her confidence. “I think we can too. But that’s where the awkwardness comes. For me, at least. Especially with our history . . .” She trailed off.

“That complicates things,” he murmured, “I realize that.”

Chloe was silent. There was nothing they could say. They both knew what had happened between them and none of it could be taken back.
After a long moment, Lex asked, almost hesitantly, “Is there anything you need to change about our arrangement?”

Chloe took the question seriously. And, despite her panic the day before, she realized that she could do this. She could like Lex. Work with him. Appreciate him for what he was. Even enjoy his company. But just protect her heart and not take anything between them too seriously.

It would make things so much easier if she didn’t keep doing the emotional hokey-pokey. She didn’t have to keep pulling back from Lex. She just needed to keep things in proper perspective.

And that was something she could do.

“No,” she said at last. “I think we’re doing fine.” She saw something change in his eyes—a flicker of something she couldn’t recognize.

But, feeling comfortable again, she quirked her mouth into a smile. “Except, of course, the need to change your obnoxious, domineering habits.”

Lex smiled appreciatively. “Understood.”

“What about you?” Chloe asked, remembering his weird poignancy earlier. “Is there anything you’d like to change about the way we’re together?”

“Well . . .”

When he trailed off, Chloe sucked in a breath. And all of a sudden she was afraid that Lex was going to drop a bombshell on her—something he was deeply unhappy about regarding their pseudo-marriage.

“I’ve tried to hint about this before,” Lex began, his mouth sobering into a serious look. “And I don’t want to hurt your feelings. But do you think there’s anything you can do about your nagging?”

Chloe blinked, processing his words.

Realized he was teasing.

Gasping indignantly, she hissed, “Asshole!” Although she really kind of wanted to laugh.

Then she was slammed with an irresistible impulse. She never would have given into it if Lex hadn’t been barefoot and dressed so casually. And she never would have given into it if they hadn’t just come to comfortable terms with their relationship.

But both were true.

And he was far too smug with his teasing. Even now, at her reaction, his mouth was quivering irrepressibly.

So she did it.

She pushed him into the plunge pool.

He gave an exclamation of shock as he fell awkwardly into the water with a huge splash. Then he sputtered in outrage, denouncing her malicious ways in terms that would have been more effective if he hadn’t been soaked and choking on water.

Chloe nearly doubled over with laughter, her hilarity only increasing as Lex’s outrage took on force.

“Serves you right,” she told him, gasping for breath. “You’re far too full of yourself.”

“Is that what you think?” Lex asked. His voice transformed without warning, grew silky, almost predatory.

Chloe straightened up, studying his drenched form in the pool to identify his mood. He wasn’t serious, she ascertained. Ironic amusement was glittering in his eyes. “Yes,” she said, trying to nod gravely but not succeeding because she couldn’t stop giggling. “I’m afraid so.”

“If you know me so well,” Lex replied, moving toward the edge of the pool and planting his hands on the side to heave himself up, “Then you know I’ll retaliate.”

It only took Chloe a moment to figure out what he was talking about. But it was a moment she should have been using to flee.

As soon as he started to pull himself out of the water, she twirled around and ran, squealing in both laughter and excitement.

She raced to her room, where she was planning to lock the door against Lex’s assault. But he must have pulled himself out of the pool with super-human strength because he was right on her heels.

Screaming something wordless, the only breathless expression she could make of her hilarity and her resistance to Lex’s pursuit, she slammed her bedroom door, just as he was about to enter.

She hadn’t quite gotten in locked when he threw it opened.

She stumbled from the force of the suddenly opened door. Gasping, laughing, and calling him every dirty name she could think of, she tried to scramble up so she could escape to the bathroom.

But escape didn’t come.

Lex reached down and hauled her up, his eyes blazing with something so rare for him—laughter, exhilaration, victory. There was nothing soft or fond about him at the moment. He was soaking wet, water dripping from his fine body, his clothes pasted to his skin. And there was something almost fierce, even about his amusement.

Chloe tried futilely to fight him off, although her resistance was hampered by her laughter. And so he succeeded in swinging her over his shoulder to carry her back out to the deck.

She squealed and pounded his back—her heart racing, her blood pounding, and something vibrantly alive in her heart despite her helpless position.

And she knew what to expect when he reached the pool. She clung resiliently to his shirt as he dropped her into the pool, so she was able to offset his balance and pull him into the pool with her.

They ended in a clumsy, wet tumble. They wrestled around for a few more minutes until Chloe finally gasped, “Fine, fine. We’ll call it a draw.”

Water dripping down his face, Lex still managed an arrogant arch of his eyebrows. “Is that what you’d call it?”

“Well, yes. Admit it. I got you good.”

With a laugh she loved but hardly ever heard, Lex climbed out of the pool and reached down to help her out too. “All right.”

She accepted his hand, since they were both obviously ready to get dried off and out of the wet clothes. He pulled her up so she was standing in front of him, and then their eyes met with a warm kind of understanding.

To her absolute astonishment, Lex pulled her into a hard hug. And he murmured against her ear, “I admit it. You got me good.”

After the brief hug, they went into their separate rooms to dry off and change clothes. And Chloe was ridiculously pleased with the way the morning had gone.

This could work. They could be friends. They could be partners. They could get through this and still come out unscathed.

They didn’t have to be anything else to each other.

And they’d only been married ten days.

[Julie]

Chapter Eleven

December 11


Lionel showed up the next day.

But the morning started with Chloe almost oversleeping.

She would have overslept, but Lex came into her room at five-forty to shake her awake. “Hey,” he murmured gently, when she opened bleary eyes, “Did you want to sleep in? I didn’t want you to miss the game ride.”

“Oh,” she mumbled. “Yeah. I forgot to set my alarm. Thanks.”

When he handed her a fresh cup of coffee, she grabbed it with both hands and said, “Bless you.”

Lex chuckled. “I’ve learned a few things since we’ve been married.”

She got dressed quickly and was ready to go at a few minutes before six. Lex, she discovered, was going to come with her today, and she was feeling pleased and sleepy as they walked out together to find Michael waiting by their jeep.

“Ah, a full contingent,” he said, with easy good-nature. He reached a hand out to Lex. “Good to see you again.”

Lex shook his hand. And, while Lex didn’t look particularly warm or open, he didn’t appear as hostile as he had on the previous occasions.

They started off. And, after a little while, the sun began to pull up from the horizon in blended shades of pink, orange, and gold. Chloe was absolutely blown away by the splendor of it, and she made Michael stop the jeep so she could admire it for a while.

Finally, she turned to Lex with a grin, feeling kind of silly but unable to resist the need to share the beauty with someone.

He smiled at her—with perhaps a little amusement but also with enough warmth for her to feel like he wasn’t really mocking her.

“Shall we try for the leopard again this morning?” Michael asked, looking at her over his shoulder with a grin.

“Yes, please.” When she glanced over at Lex and saw that he was suppressing a smile, she couldn’t help but chuckle.

For the first two hours, they saw most of the usual suspects—the lions, the elephants, the buffalo, two white rhinos, and a surprise of a couple of hippos.

They’d stopped for coffee and were on their way back when Michael suddenly stopped the jeep, gesturing toward the long grass to their left.

Chloe raised her hand to her mouth as she caught a glimpse of a big cat. She reached over to clutch at Lex’s arm instinctively as, in the distance, she could see the shape gradually emerge as a leopard.

Michael adjusted the binoculars and then reached back to hand them to Chloe.

Chloe looked through and saw the face of the leopard in vivid detail.

They sat almost motionless as she watched the leopard stalk gracefully through the grass for several minutes toward a forested area. Then, with a startling pounce, she leaped into a tree and climbed up to one of the higher branches, her grace and power taking Chloe’s breath away.

Then Michael gestured toward the ground beneath the tree. Chloe lowered the binoculars and was shocked by a close-up of another feline face.

She gave a little squeak as she realized it was cub.

She was able to watch the little leopard cub frolic around the base of the tree and then clumsily ascend the tree after its mother. She kept clutching at Lex every time the cub did something else funny or adorable. Pretty soon, Chloe was almost in tears, overwhelmed by the delight of seeing what she’d hoped to see—only so much better than she’d hoped.

When the leopard and cub finally disappeared, completely out of sight, Chloe finally handed the binoculars back to Michael. Feeling like an absolute fool, she wiped a couple of tears off her face.

Michael said, “Excellent. We can head back.”

“Thank you,” Chloe said, leaning back in her seat.

Lex hadn’t said anything, but Chloe briefly wondered if he thought she was an idiot. But then he reached over and draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against her.

She gave a little sob and leaned against him for a moment. “You can laugh if you want.”

“I don’t want to laugh,” he murmured, his voice low and warm.

“I’m just . . . happy.”

He squeezed her with his arm. “I’m glad.” After a pause he added in a soft voice Michael couldn’t hear, “We should probably leave here tomorrow.”

“Yeah. I thought maybe it was getting to that time. Any sign of your dad?”

“No. But, if you don’t mind, it would probably be smart to not stick around too long and press our luck. Where would you like to go next?”

Chloe didn’t answer immediately. She already knew what she was going to say, but for some reason she felt a little sheepish about it. “What about Provence?”

Lex’s eyes reflected something that looked a little like awe. “Provence? Really?”

Chloe glanced away. “Yeah. I mean, we don’t have to. But you seemed to like it. And if it’s so beautiful, I’d like to go too.”

“Provence it is,” he murmured simply, squeezing her shoulders again.

She leaned against him for the remainder of the ride back to their lodge. And she felt content and protected—and incredibly relaxed.

Which is why it was such a horrible shock when Michael parked the jeep and she and Lex walked back to their suite to be met with Lionel Luthor standing in front of their door.

He was smiling his smug smile and his hands were behind his back.

Chloe’s heart dropped into her gut and she instinctively grabbed at Lex’s arm.

Lex had moved in front of her at the first glimpse of Lionel. But when they stepped beyond the sight of the bushes lining the path, they saw that Lionel wasn’t alone.

One of Lex’s bodyguards had a gun extended toward Lionel’s head. Another was standing on the other side of Lionel, his gun unholstered but held pointed toward the ground.

“Lex,” Lionel said, before anyone else had the opportunity to speak. “Not a very warm familial greeting.”

“He arrived just a few minutes ago, Mr. Luthor,” the man with the extended gun said. “He was alone and wasn’t armed. So we handcuffed him and waited for you to arrive.”

Only then did Chloe see that Lionel’s hands were handcuffed behind his back. She let out the breath she’d been holding, realizing that the situation—at least for the moment—wasn’t really life and death.

She’d been clutching Lex’s arm, so she loosened her grip, although she kept her fingers wrapped around his forearm.

He could have easily pulled out her grip, but he didn’t. And he didn’t step away from her. In a voice harder than anything she’d heard from him in ten days, he demanded, “What did you think this little visit would accomplish?”

“You seem to have the wrong impression about my agenda,” Lionel said smoothly, sounding almost genial—which meant, of course, it was fake.

“I doubt it.”

“I came unarmed and without any backup. Do you really think I’m going to make an attempt on her life in such a way?”

“Then tell us the purpose of your visit.”

“Miss Sullivan,” Lionel said, shifting his eyes toward her in a gesture that was an obvious slight to his son, who he’d completely ignored, “You left town rather abruptly, before we could settle our negotiations.”

“Negotiations?” Chloe managed to say, pleased that her voice was mostly level. “Is that what you call them?”

“When I couldn’t find you, I looked up your cousin. She was able to provide me some help in that regard.”

Chloe understood the implications of Lionel’s words and they made her throat close in fear. “Lex,” she choked, clutching at him again.

Lex looked down at her face, his eyes softening a little. “Lois is fine. He’s bluffing.”

“You know that?” she asked.

“Yes, son, you know that?” Lionel asked.

“I know that,” Lex confirmed, to her and not to his father.

“Miss Sullivan, why don’t you—“

“Her name is Mrs. Luthor,” Lex interrupted, his voice rough and ice cold. “And you have nothing left to say to my wife.”

“Ah, yes,” Lionel replied with another predatory smile. “Your nuptials were rather sudden, weren’t they? One might think there was an underlying motive.”

“We are married for real. And married in the eyes of the world,” Lex said, “You should make your plans with that in mind.”

Before Lionel could respond, Lex nodded toward his guards. “What can we do with him?”

“Not much, I’m afraid, without running the risk of his suing us.” The one with the extended gun made a face. “But we can hold him for a little longer before we let him go.”

Lex inclined his head and took Chloe’s hand. “Do that.” Then he pulled her into their suite.

Chloe was shaking and breathing fast when they closed the door on the other men. “Lex, what should we do?”

“He wouldn’t have come alone,” Lex murmured thickly, “He has back-up somewhere. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“Okay.” Chloe nodded her head, moving into a crisis-mode that allowed her to keep from thinking too deeply over the significance of all of this. “But Lois?”

“I’ll make some calls to confirm. But I’m sure he was bluffing.” Lex rubbed a hand over his eyes, as if he were clearing his head. “Pack as quickly as you can. Put anything you can’t do without in one bag in case we’re in the position where we can’t take all our luggage. We’ll leave within the hour.”

Chloe ran to pack up in a haphazard rush, putting her laptop, toiletries, favorite jeans, Sharks t-shirt, cotton pajamas and an extra pair of underwear in her satchel and throwing all of her other clothes in her suitcases. Then the resort staff came to pack up a Land Rover, which Lex had evidently requisitioned from the resort.

Once they were loaded up, one of Lex’s security drove them out of the resort and onto the main road that led to Port Elizabeth.

The rest of the guards stayed to deal with Lionel.

Lex was on the phone as soon as they started off, and to Chloe’s relief the first call he made was to someone in Metropolis, who confirmed that Lois Lane was just fine.

Then he made a dozen or so other calls, working on a plan to get them out of the area before Lionel could close in on them with whatever web he’d set up to trap or trace them.

Chloe hugged her arms to her chest and tried not to be a distraction or get in the way. There wasn’t anything she could do to help in this situation.

She could do some things. But she wasn’t any sort of a mastermind.

Lex would have to provide that.

It was all right. He was good at this. And he was her husband – at least for now.

They’d been married for eleven days.

Chapter Twelve

December 12


The sound of Lex’s phone ringing woke Chloe.

She was stiff and uncomfortable in the passenger seat of a strange car, and all she saw when she looked out the car windows was the dark, unfamiliar landscape of rural South Africa.

A glance at her watch told her it was just after two in the morning.

Her mind felt fuzzy, but she straightened up in her seat, trying to make her brain work and listen to Lex’s side of the phone conversation.

The last twelve hours had been frightening and chaotic and so disorienting Chloe was having trouble wrapping her mind around what was going on.

On the way from the resort to Port Elizabeth, they’d discovered that they were being followed. As Lex had warned, Lionel hadn’t arrived alone or unprepared. Lex had laid some groundwork for eluding any tails once they got into Port Elizabeth. But it involved some frightening driving by the bodyguard. Then a fast change of car. Chloe had thought they’d gotten away after that, but Lex discovered another tail.

So there was more scary driving. Then another change of car—this time, with the bodyguard dumping Chloe and Lex off in the deck of a parking garage and continuing to drive off, hoping to take their tail with them. Lex had practically dragged Chloe at a run across the parking deck to another waiting car—a nondescript two-door that seemed to be made out of plastic.

The second maneuver seemed to have worked since they were able to leave Port Elizabeth without anyone following them, and now they were entirely alone on a two-lane highway.

Exhausted from the fear, tension, and endless activity, Chloe had finally dozed off a little while ago.

As she listened to Lex now, she thought maybe he had some good news.

He confirmed it when he hung up. “Evidently, the decoy worked. My father’s men trapped Simon just outside of Port Elizabeth.”

Chloe gasped, thinking about the stoic bodyguard with a face like a block of wood. “Is he all right?”

“Sure. They didn’t want him, after all, and there was nothing they could do with him. They just let him go.”

“So we’re all right?”

Lex looked away from the road stretching into the dark in front of him and over at her face. “For now. I think so. They don’t know where we are.”

“It’s too bad we lost all our security.”

“It won’t be for long. I’ve already got a couple more guards en route, and a couple of the others will eventually catch up with us.” Lex reached over and tilted her chin so he could see her face fully. “Are you all right?”

“Sure,” Chloe said, smiling gamely, “Nothing like some midnight car chases and narrow escapes to get the blood pumping.”

Lex moved his hand back to the steering wheel with a chuckle. “Sorry about the close call. I guess we should have left a day earlier.”

“How could you have known?”

“I should have planned better,” he muttered with a shake of his head.

Chloe gave him a light punch in the shoulder. “Don’t be stupid. You can’t blame yourself for everything. And, if we had left a day early, then I wouldn’t have gotten to see the leopard.”

To her satisfaction, Lex shook off his brooding and smiled again. “Yeah. That’s why we stayed.”

“So where are we heading now?”

“Immediately, we’re heading to a very primitive airstrip.”

Chloe gulped. “Uh-oh. I guess it’s too much to hope that a private jet happens to be waiting for us there.”

Lex turned his head again to check her expression. “I’m afraid not. I think we’re all right now, but I’d rather not take any chances. If you don’t mind roughing it for one leg of our trip, we’ll be safely out of my father’s net.”

“I’m used to roughing it,” she told him, her voice warming as she saw that he genuinely felt bad about it, when she hadn’t even been serious. “I don’t think I’ve grown accustomed to five-star traveling yet. Whatever kind of plane you’ve got for us there will be fine.”

Lex’s mouth twitched. “Hmm. We’ll see if you say that once you see the plane.”

Chloe wasn’t worried. But that was because, in her middle-class American world, she really didn’t understand how bad primitive travel could be.

What was waiting at the airstrip was a decades-old cargo plane.

It wasn’t pretty. And Chloe was decidedly nervous about the way some of the men loading the plane looked at her. So she kept close to Lex, who made her feel better by putting his arm around her. And she tried not to think about how dirty and rickety the plane looked.

They were given jump seats behind the cock-pit area, and Chloe was pleased that the seats actually had buckles. Chloe buckled her belt, held her satchel in her lap—the rest of their luggage was still in the car that Lionel had caught up with—and tried not to have a panic attack.

Lex was speaking to the pilot in language she didn’t know. So she just closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

“Sorry about this,” Lex said, his voice closer to her than she expected. When she opened her eyes, she saw he was handing her a Coke in a glass bottle. “It looks a little worse than I expected, but the pilot knows what he’s doing. We’ll be all right.”

“I know,” Chloe said, doing her best to sound cheerful as she took the bottle of Coke gratefully. “It will certainly be an adventure.”

“You don’t get airsick, do you?” Lex asked.

Chloe swallowed hard, thinking that didn’t sound very promising. “I never have before.”

“Do you want a couple of Dramamine?”

“Yes, please.”

Lex pulled a little container out of the leather bag he’d brought with him and handed her two of the motion-sickness pills.

As she swallowed the pills with a swig of Coke, she was ridiculously pleased to see that Lex took a pill himself.

It was nice to know he wasn’t some super-man.

To say the flight was bad would be an understatement. Chloe couldn’t remember being more miserable in her life. It was incredibly loud. And cold. And frightening, as she could see exactly what the pilots did out the front of the plane and the motion of the flying seemed far more exaggerated than normal.

Even with taking the Dramamine, she felt a little nauseous. She hated to think what would have happened if she hadn’t taken the pills.

She didn’t have the energy or focus to talk. She just sat stiffly and hugged her bag to her chest. And, after a while, she decided that watching everything was making it worse, so she made herself close her eyes.

She tried to think about nice things. Seeing the leopard yesterday morning. Watching the baby elephants play. The sunset over the African bush. The sunset over the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Private jets with polite servers who brought them coffee and breakfast. Kissing Lex for the first time that summer ten years ago. Being in Lex’s arms. Listening to Lex’s laugh. That soft look she sometimes caught in Lex’s eyes . . .

One of the side effects of the Dramamine was that it made one sleepy. Coupled with the fact that it had been almost twenty-four hours since she’d last slept any length of time, Chloe eventually faded off into a stiff, restless sleep.

“Chloe.” The voice seemed to come from far away. “Chloe, honey, can you wake up?”

Chloe blinked groggily—every part of her body aching. “Huh?” She was finally able to focus her eyes on Lex, who was for some reason leaning over her.

“We’ve landed. Can you wake up?”

“We survived?” she asked stupidly. Since it felt like there was a coil sticking up into her butt and she could now see the cockpit controls over Lex’s shoulder, she was hit with the knowledge of where they were.

Lex laughed. “Yes, we survived. It’s a private jet from here on out.”

“Oh good.” She took Lex’s hand and let him pull her to her feet. She must have been tenser than she thought because her knees buckled slightly as she tried to stand up.

Lex supported her with an arm and helped her on the awkward descent from the plane onto an airstrip that seemed to be as equally in the middle of nowhere as the other one had been.

But on this one she saw a beautiful sight. A lovely, graceful, shining private jet that would take them somewhere where she wouldn’t have to ride jump seat on cargo planes anymore.

“Are you all right?” Lex asked, swinging her around and peering into her face.

“Yeah. Sure. The Dramamine just made me sleepy.”

“You can catch up on your sleep more comfortably now.” With a hand on her back, Lex walked with her to the jet.

They were greeted there by two men in suits. She’d never seen them before, but she recognized them immediately as security personnel of the type that had been guarding them before.

“Are we going to Provence?” Chloe asked, after they’d climbed in and taken their seats—comfy gray seats in a leather as soft as butter that reclined fully. This wasn’t the same jet they’d used before—it didn’t have the same bench sofa that she’d slept on in previous flights. But Chloe wasn’t about to complain.

“Yes. It will be a long flight.”

“We’ll do the roundabout thing again?”

Lex’s mouth twitched. “’Of course.”

Chloe accepted a ginger ale from a nice young woman but refused anything to eat. It had been a long time since she’d eaten but she wasn’t remotely hungry.

After they reached a cruising altitude, Chloe reclined her seat. She was asleep in less than five minutes.

The sky was light outside the windows when she woke up. She shifted a little and looked over in the direction of the seat where Lex had been earlier.

He was still there. And to her surprise, he was actually asleep.

Chloe repositioned her seat as quietly as she could and rubbed her face to wake herself up some more. Then she watched Lex in silence.

He wasn’t a loud sleeper or an active one. His chest rose and fell with his slow breathing, and his face looked unusually relaxed and at ease—almost innocent, if that word could ever be applied to a man as deep and complex as Lex Luthor.

She’d never seen him sleep before. Not once in all these years. Not in that summer when they’d been so close. Not in the twelve days they’d been married. Not ever.

It gave her a little thrill of delight. Evidence that he was indeed human.

To her disappointment, he woke up after just a couple of minutes, as if he could feel her watching him in his sleep.

His eyes narrowed when he realized she was staring at him.

“Did you have a nice nap?” she asked, in an exaggeratedly cheerful and patronizing voice.

He gave a wordless grumble—very close to a growl.

Chloe giggled. Then, now that getting up wasn’t likely to wake him, she decided she’d better run to the bathroom. She washed her hands and face while she was there and felt a little more like herself.

“Well, you seem to be feeling better,” Lex said, straightening up his seat as she returned to hers. He pushed a buzzer on the wall next to him.

“I am. Now all I need is—“

“Coffee, sir?” the young woman asked, emerging from the front with a pot of coffee and two mugs.

Chloe accepted her coffee greedily and decided it was the best coffee she’d ever had. She was so hungry she just asked for anything they had that could be ready quickly. With a chuckle, Lex asked for the same.

“Where in Provence are we going?” Chloe asked, thinking that, after she ate, all she’d need was a shower to feel perfectly good.

“Aix.”

Chloe heard “X” so she paused, trying to decipher what he might mean.

“Aix-en-Provence,” Lex clarified, a smile in his voice.

Chloe scowled at him—mostly for show. “I knew that.”

“Of course, you did.”

Just then, in what was a remarkably short amount of time, the young woman returned with their breakfast—bagels, cereal, chocolate croissants, and yummy-looking smoothies.

After the food had been passed out and Chloe had taken a few bites, she asked, “One of those impressionist painters lived in Aix, didn’t he? He painted a bunch of paintings of that mountain.”

“Cezanne,” Lex said, “He painted Mont Sainte-Victoire. Although he was a post-impressionist.”

Chloe tried to scowl again, although she was having trouble not smiling. “I knew that.”

Lex gave a huff of laughter over the lip of his smoothie glass. “Of course, you did.”

“Smart aleck,” Chloe muttered, taking a bite of her chocolate croissant and dripping melted chocolate down her chin.

“What did you call me?”

She gave him an innocent glance as she wiped at her chin with her napkin. “Not a thing.”

They finished eating in pleasant silence. Chloe felt sleepy again after she’d eaten, so she stood up to stretch and loosen the kinks in her legs and back.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” she said at last. “And I don’t really think your father was trying to kill me.”

Lex looked up from his computer monitor, where she could see he’d been reading the latest news headlines. “What now?”

“Your father. I don’t think he was trying to kill me. If he was, he wouldn’t have shown up like he did. He would have just sent a hit man or whatever.”

Lex inclined his head. “Maybe.”

“No maybe. He would have. If killing me had been his only agenda. He must have wanted something else—to show up that way.”

“It was a power play. He wanted us to know how vulnerable we really are.” Lex had looked away from her, out to the blue sky beyond the window.

“Yeah. I can buy that. But to what purpose? What exactly does he want?”

Lex didn’t answer for a long time. And finally he admitted, “I honestly don’t know.”

“It makes me feel a little better,” she told him. “Obviously, we still need to stay away from him. But it makes me a feel a little better that he just doesn’t want to kill me.”

“I can see why that would be. But he may change his mind. Or he may have an equally dangerous purpose. We’ll have to be very careful.”

She wondered how hard this was for him, talking about his father this way. She walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, wanting to comfort him however she could.

Then, a little embarrassed by the gesture, she reached down and stole the uneaten half of his chocolate croissant and took a bite.

When he looked up at her indignantly, she said with wide eyes, “What? You weren’t still eating that, were you? Husbands are supposed to share with their wives.”

They were in flight for most of the day. But it was comfortable and secure. And Chloe felt like she and Lex were on good terms and had handled the crisis situation very well.

Things were going as well as they possibly could, given the bizarre circumstances of their marriage.

Their marriage was already halfway through.

They’d now been married twelve days.
 
Chapter Thirteen

December 13


They arrived at the luxury villa Lex had rented in Aix-en-Provence after dark, so Chloe only got the vaguest idea of the setting or exterior. The interior, of course, was absolutely gorgeous – with both historic character and modern luxuries.

He had explained that he thought a private rental might be worth a try—as there would be fewer people involved who would have be discreet. The only disadvantage would be the lack of staff and room service.

Chloe had snorted at the idea that this would be a problem for her.

Her room was absolutely gorgeous in shades of white and rose, with a big four-poster bed, an antique chest of drawers, a braided rug, and a lovely chaise beneath the huge window. There were also French doors that led out onto a private balcony.

The night before, she’d had enough energy to make use of the steam shower in her bathroom, and then she’d crawled into the wonderful bed under the thick down comforter.

She slept until ten the next morning.

As she woke up, she stretched under the covers, feeling cozy, well-rested and irrationally happy. When she managed to get out of bed, she slipped on the new slippers that must have been complimentary with the rental and walked to the French doors to open them up.

The morning was chilly—but not nearly as cold as she would have expected for December. And she breathed in the cool air as she walked out onto the balcony, delighted by the green sloping hills, the vineyards in the distance, and the perfectly sunny sky.

She buttoned a couple of the buttons on her man-style pajamas that had come undone during the night. Then shuffled back inside and then out of the room in her new slippers.

She explored the house a bit—finding a room that was obviously Lex’s, since some of his stuff was on the dresser. His room had darker furniture and no jetted tub.

Then she found two more guest rooms and a study on the top floor. Downstairs, she found a quaint parlor, a big dining room with a lovely rustic table, a library, and the kitchen.

She didn’t find Lex though.

She noticed that someone had been working in the kitchen, so she checked the backdoor and was pleased to find Lex on the terrace near the pool.

The pool was covered, of course, since it was December, but the terrace and garden were absolutely lovely, even with almost nothing in bloom.

Lex was sitting at one of the outdoor tables in the sun, working on his laptop. He was fully dressed in black trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, but he looked as unusually relaxed.

“Hi,” Chloe said, coming over when she saw the other table was covered by a carafe of coffee, an assortment of pastries, butter, jam, and yogurt.

“Hi,” Lex said, smiling as he looked over at her. His eyes took in her messy hair, rumpled pajamas, and slippers.

“I didn’t get dressed yet,” she said, by way of explanation. She poured herself a cup of coffee, and then took a plate and filled it with goodies.

He chuckled. “So I see.”

She scowled at his teasing, more out of habit than anything else, as she liberally applied butter and apricot jam to a croissant. “I don’t have any clothes anymore. Your father commandeered them. ”

“I know,” Lex said, his tone more serious. “I don’t have much either. I’m afraid we’ll have to do some shopping today.”

Chloe managed to chew up her bite before she answered. “You don’t have to go if you’ve got a lot of work to do. If you tell me what you want, I can get them for you.”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head, “I’ll have to go.”

She frowned, displeased both by his evident reluctance to go shopping and by his distrust in her shopping abilities. “I could pick out decent stuff for you. I wouldn’t bring you back jeans and flannel.”

“I appreciate the sentiment,” he said with a quirk of his mouth. “But I’m not worried about your picking out clothes for me. If I don’t go, you’ll come back with only two outfits for yourself.”

She made an outraged sound. “I would—“

“I know you, Chloe. You wouldn’t get nearly enough.”

“Well,” she said, “I’m not about to go on a shopping spree on your account. I’ll just get what I need, and that only because I won’t have anything to wear otherwise and I can’t use any of my credit cards.”

“You certainly can’t. My father would find us in less than an hour if you did. But there’s no sense in just buying a couple of things. We have two more weeks. You’ll need to buy enough for the entire time.”

She stuck out her chin. “You’re not planning to pick out my clothes are you?”

He arched his eyebrows. “Only if you’re too stubborn.”


* * *


They ended up going to a high-end boutique with men and women’s clothes from a variety of well-known designers. Lex had managed to get the owner to close it to all other customers while they were there, so it was quite a new experience for Chloe.

One beautiful, snotty brunette helped Lex, while a slightly less snotty but equally beautiful brunette helped Chloe with her purchases.

Chloe felt weird and awkward as she picked out a couple of pairs of jeans, a few pairs of nicer pants, five tops in a variety of styles and colors, several tanks and t-shirts, one pair of comfortable shoes, a few workout clothes, another pair of pajamas, a pea coat, and enough underwear for five days.

That was enough, she decided. She could always send her clothes out to be laundered, and she cringed at the thought of how much even all this would cost. She’d tried on what she needed to and had made her final decisions when Lex strolled over to the dressing room, peering down at the clothes the attendant had neatly stacked and hung for her.

“I’m all done,” she announced, slipping her sneakers back on. “What about you?”

“I’m done.” With what she considered shameless entitlement, he browsed her purchases, even lifting items to see what was underneath.

She gave an indignant gasp when he shook his head as he was peering down at her new bra and panties.

“What?” she demanded. “I’ve got plenty.”

“You don’t have plenty. You have enough for maybe five days.”

“That’s fine. I can get them washed when I need to.”

“It would be easier to—“

“Lex,” she interrupted, walking over to him and speaking in a rough murmur so their argument wouldn’t be overheard by the attendants across the store. “I don’t want you to buy me a whole new wardrobe.”

His eyes were angry now, and his face was compelling in its intensity. “Chloe, it’s my fault you lost your old wardrobe.”

“It’s not your fault. I was the one who got in trouble with Lionel. You can’t blame yourself.”

“I do blame myself.” He had reached out to grip her by her upper arms, and his fingers were so hard they almost hurt.

Chloe didn’t mind the feel of his hands on her. But she did mind what he was saying. “Don’t. You can’t blame yourself for everything.”

He dropped her arms so abruptly she almost stumbled. And he looked away from her as he murmured, “You were under my protection. And I was barely able to protect you.”

She hadn’t known for sure, but she wondered if that was why he’d been so obstinate about this clothes thing. She stepped closer to him and put her hand on the middle of his back. She knew he wouldn’t thank her for sounding like she was pitying him, so she kept her voice matter-of-fact. “Well, you were able to protect me. That’s all that counts. And we’re here. And I’m really excited about being here. And you’re buying me a ton of clothes as it is to assuage your wounded conscience.”

Lex gave a huff of laughter and shook his head at her. “How quickly we forget the cargo flight from hell last night.”

She grinned at him. “It will be a story. I’m not complaining.”

With a long sigh, Lex said, “All right. Can you at least buy a week’s worth of clothes though? I’m honestly not sure whether or not we’ll always have laundry facilities available.”

Chloe doubted this, unless he planned for them to spend their last week in a hut on a beach. But, in order to keep the peace, she relented, “Fine. I’ll pick out a few more things.”

Lex seemed to think this was an invitation for him to join her on the search for more. And he looked on in interest as she bought a couple of casual skirts, more underwear, and two more tops.

But then he walked around the store again, and he kept picking up things that Chloe had already seen and absolutely loved—but hadn’t chosen because they were way too expensive. The vintage silk blouse, the gorgeous velvet jacket, the Hermes scarf, the two-tone pumps with the cutest little strap, the wrap dress in a beautiful shade of mulberry that she would have absolutely no use for.

“We’ll find somewhere you can wear it to,” Lex said blandly, handing the last item to the attendant before Chloe could object

“Lex, it’s all too much,” Chloe said hoarsely, watching as all the things she’d wanted got piled up and ready to be purchased.

Lex met her eyes. “You’re my wife, Chloe. Surely I can buy you a few clothes.”

It was true. Whether or not their marriage was a farce, she was indeed his wife. And the truth was even the huge amount of money these clothes would cost from her perspective was almost nothing for him.

So she finally nodded her head. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

So she somehow came away with nicer clothes than she’d ever had in her life. And she privately resolved that, when their marriage ended, she would leave the clothes as well.

Perhaps it was silly and irrational. But that was what allowed her to resign herself to the situation enough to look forward to wearing all of her pretty things.

It was one thing to let your husband buy you nice clothes. It was another thing to let a man with whom you had no real relationship.

And maybe, after all this was over, Lex could get her regular clothes back from Lionel.

Surely Lionel wouldn’t insist on keeping them out of spite.

Things were fine. They were safe. And they were in Provence. And tomorrow maybe they could do some exploring.

Chloe was determined to enjoy every day as much as she could. There wouldn’t be very many days left of their marriage.

They’d already been married thirteen days.
 
Chapter Fourteen

December 14


“Come on, Lex,” Chloe urged, tugging on his arm as he was standing as motionless as a statue. “You said we could explore Aix and look around.”

“I meant the historic area or the Cezanne sites. Or they have the most remarkable cathedral here. I didn’t mean looking at trinkets.”

“But I thought Provence was famous for them. Satoms or something?”

“Santon,” Lex corrected, naturally pronouncing the word correctly. “It means ‘little saints’. And, yes, you’re right that Provence is well known for them, but I don’t want to waste an hour looking at them.”

Chloe gave him an exasperated look.

In a more appeasing tone, Lex said, “This is the time for the oil and truffle fair. If you’ll just come with me this way, we can check that out.”

She gaped at him. “Oil and truffles?”

“Olive oil,” Lex explained with a smile. “It’s the festival of new oil – when the olives are first pressed. It coincides with the best time for truffles.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “As fascinating as that sounds, I want to look at the santons. I want to buy some Christmas presents.”

“You can buy olive oil or truffles for presents.”

“Not all of my friends will like truffles and olive oil,” she said with another eye roll.

In a slightly snide voice, Lex said, “No doubt some of them won’t even know that truffles aren’t even chocolate.”

“Don’t be a snob,” Chloe said with a huff. “It’s perfectly reasonable than some people would prefer chocolate to fungus.”

“That’s their loss,” Lex said with a smug look, which was impressive since he’d put on a hat before they left their villa earlier so his bald scalp wouldn’t be so distinct. While it was a very nice hat—a wool fedora that actually suited his gray casual trousers and black jacket—it still made Chloe giggle.

“We can check out your fungus later,” she replied, tugging him harder by the arm. His jacket felt like a wool and cashmere blend and it was very soft under her fingers.

Lex relented, grumbling under his breath, but Chloe ignored him as she hurried over to the vendors and crafts-people set up along a downtown Aix street. They were selling little clay figurines dressed in traditional Provençal costumes as well as more typical nativity figures.

Chloe found them charming, and she ooh’d and ah’d her way through the booths and tables, having stilted conversations with the vendors, who all wanted to speak English with her.

After several minutes, Chloe had gravitated toward one vendor whose santons she liked the best. The detail was exquisite, and the personality on the little faces was remarkable. “Look at this one,” she told Lex, who had been at her side the whole time but who had obviously not been enjoying himself.

She showed him a little figure of a young man with a sheep draped over his shoulders.

“Lovely,” Lex said, giving the figure a cursory glance. “You know, you’re supposed to be putting together an entire nativity scene and not just randomly choosing the figures you like the best.”

“Who the hell cares what I’m supposed to be doing? I just want to buy a few.” She saw another santon of what looked like a farmer with a scythe in one hand and a bunch of hay under the other arm. “Ooh, my dad would love this one.”

“I’m sure he would.”

Chloe looked at Lex suspiciously and decided he was just humoring her. So she gave an unimpressed sniff and looked back at the figurines.

After a few more minutes, she’d narrowed down her choices to two for Lois. “Which of these two do you think Lois would like the best?” She held up a “Lavender Lady”—a charming figurine about eight inches tall with a lovely crisp dress, broad-brimmed hat, and lavender in her arms—and a Cheese Maker.

“The Lavender Lady,” Lex said, glancing at his watch. “You done now?”

“No! Don’t be so impatient.” She looked down at her two choices and decided she’d get both. She handed them over to Lex, who was holding about six other figurines she’d picked up.

“I suppose I should get something for my new boss,” Chloe said, mostly just thinking to herself. “I wonder what she would like.”

Lex gave a long groan. “Just kill me now.”

Chloe snorted, eyeing with interest an old lady figurine with cute little glasses who seemed to be grinding coffee. “You must be in bad shape if you’re resorting to such clichés.”

Lex reached out for the coffee-grinding lady. “Sadly true. You seem to have annihilated my verbal acumen.” For the first time in almost an hour, his lip twitched a little. “How do you feel about that?”

Chloe grinned, resisting a ludicrous urge to give Lex a hard squeeze. “Pretty good.”

She picked out a couple more figurines and then finally declared she was finished. But before they could get the vendor’s attention to pay for them, Chloe noticed another section from the same craftsman that she hadn’t noticed before.

“Oh!” she said, her face brightening.

Lex groaned again, his hands full of her figurines. “I’m going to stand here and pray for rescue,” he said.

Chloe giggled. Then hurried over to the other section, where an elderly lady was already browsing.

The woman glanced up with a smile for Chloe, then looked over at Lex a distance away. “Driving your husband crazy, I see,” she said in a pleasant voice.

Chloe laughed, blushing a little for no good reason. “Yeah. He’s not really into the santons.” She looked down at her left hand and fiddled with Lex’s rings on her finger.

“Well, that’s not unusual.” The lady put down the figurine she’d been studying. “Your ring is just beautiful. It’s nice to not always have a diamond for the engagement ring. It looks like it used to be his.”

Chloe twirled the ring one more time on her finger and then made herself let it go. “It was.”

“Are you newlyweds?”

“Yeah. How did you know?” She was genuinely curious, since she and Lex had been mostly arguing. And they certainly hadn’t engaged in any typical newlywed public displays of affection or anything.

“I can always tell.”

Chloe felt a little self-conscious, since her marriage to Lex wasn’t at all what this woman was assuming. And she had no idea why she would have assumed they were newlyweds.

The older lady looked carefully at Chloe. Then over at Lex, who was waiting to get the attention of the vendor, no doubt in hopes of getting a head-start on paying for the santons. Then the lady looked back at Chloe. “You’ll make it,” she said at last with a satisfied nod.

“Excuse me?” Chloe asked.

“You’ll be in it for the long haul. Some marriages are hopeless from the very beginning, but you two will make it.”

Chloe blinked, having no idea what to say to such a statement.

“I’m sure you think I’m eccentric, but experience teaches you a lot, you know.” The lady was still speaking pleasantly, as if they were discussing the quality of the crafts in front of them. “It’s the way he watches you—like you’re the only light in his darkness.”

Chloe gasped, looking over at Lex, who didn’t even seem to be aware of her existence at the moment. She started to object.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” the lady said with a little laugh. “It’s so refreshing. I don’t often see that kind of love anymore.”

Chloe ended the conversation soon afterwards, strangely rattled by the brief interlude and the kind lady’s massive misinterpretation of her relationship with Lex.

She wasn’t actually sure why it had bothered her so much. Maybe because it was so far from the truth. So far from the way things would ever be.

She was quiet when she rejoined Lex and waited for the vendor, who was still occupied with someone else.

“You all right?” Lex asked, looking at her carefully.

“Yeah,” Chloe said with a quick smile.

Lex appeared unconvinced. “Was that lady bothering you?”

“No, no. She was really nice.” To keep him from pursuing this line of questioning, she said, “Now get receipts for these, since I’m going to pay you back once I have access to my bank account again.”

“You don’t have to—“

“Lex,” Chloe interrupted, “These are my Christmas presents. I’m not going to let you pay for them.”

He started to say something. Then seemed to rethink his words. After a pause, he composed his grumpy expression and said in a moderated tone, “You know, we’ll be married through Christmas. It’s perfectly reasonable that I would pay for your gifts.”

“Don’t even start that crap again. You don’t owe me anything, and I’d prefer to pay for the gifts I give. We’re keeping the receipts.”

Lex didn’t argue. He just paid for her figurines and handed her the hand-written receipt.

His mood appeared to improve when they left the craft areas and walked through some of the old streets until they’d reached the olive oil and truffle market—a series of shops, booths and tables set up to sell their produce.

With what Chloe considered impressive insight, she asked Lex a couple of questions about how they pressed olives and found truffles. So Lex had a great time telling her more than she’d ever wanted to know about techniques and also about how to distinguish quality in olive oil and truffles.

Chloe listened happily, enjoying his endless knowledge and his enthusiasm more than she’d ever cared about the topics.

After they looked around a bit, Lex spoke in French to one of the vendors selling olive oil—a nice old man who kept grinning at Chloe.

“He’s going to let us taste some samples,” Lex said, gesturing toward the man who was starting to pour samples of four different bottles of oil into small bowls.

The man tore off a chunk of bread and then set the bowls up on the table in front of them, speaking to Lex in French again.

Lex broke off a small piece of the bread and dipped it into the first bowl. “Okay, here’s the first.”

Chloe had expected him to taste the sample he’d prepared, but instead he popped it into her mouth.

She chewed it, surprised. And she watched as Lex took his own bite.

“Good?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It’s really sweet. I like it.”

Lex broke off another small piece of bread and dipped it into the second bowl. Chloe was prepared this time, so she waited for Lex to put the bite into her mouth.

He did the same thing for all four samples, and Chloe found herself strangely affected by the small gestures. There was something oddly intimate about it. And she had to fight off a swell of feeling every time his fingers brushed her lips, her tongue was hit with the rich sweetness of the oil, and Lex’s warm eyes focused on her mouth.

“That’s my favorite,” Chloe said after the last taste. “The fourth one.”

Lex nodded, swallowing his last taste. “Mine too.”

He finally looked away from Chloe and gestured toward their choice of olive oil, saying something that Chloe assumed was a request to purchase a bottle.

Lex actually ended up buying two bottles. But the conversation with the vendor lasted longer than it should have. Chloe really wished she understood French, especially since the old man kept grinning at her almost creepily.

“What was that all about?” Chloe asked as they finally left.

“Nothing.”

“Lex, what did he say?”

“He was talking about the olive oil. He was pleased we’d picked the best.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “He was saying something about me. I know that much.”

“He said we made a lovely couple,” Lex said, looking in front of him rather than over at her. “And that he hopes our marriage is blessed.”

After a long pause, Chloe made herself speak lightly, trying hard to keep the clear perspective on things that she’d resolved herself to. “Well, I’m all for that.”

Lex gave her a quick look.

She snickered. “Don’t look so scared. I’m not getting ideas about us. I just meant that, for us, a blessed marriage means both of us come out of it alive next month.”

“Ah,” Lex breathed, his eyes on an historic building directly in front of them. “Quite right.”

It was right. Chloe knew it. Christmas would be here before she knew it, and then they’d both go on their separate ways—just as they’d done ten years ago.

These would be good memories. Wonderful memories. But they weren’t intended to last.

They had, however, a little more time to make memories. So she wasn’t going to waste any of it moping.

They’d already been married fourteen days.

[Julie]

Chapter Fifteen

December 15


The next day, Chloe and Lex climbed Mont Sainte-Victoire.

They first explored a charming medieval village at the base of the mountain. Then one of Lex’s guards drove them farther up, to the beginning of one of the trails up the slope.

It was an unseasonably warm day for the winter, so Chloe was comfortable in her jeans, fitted t-shirt and fuzzy-soft hoodie. The first part of the climb was through forested areas and it wasn’t a difficult hike, so Chloe and Lex chatted pleasantly about the history of the region—particularly, since it was Lex’s area of interest, the battles that had been waged at the foot of the mountain.

There weren’t many other hikers out that morning, so Chloe felt like they were alone. Although she knew Lex’s security was trailing them at a distance, they were good at their jobs and she wasn’t even aware of their presence.

After forty-five minutes or so, they started to break out of the forests and they could see the summit of Sainte-Victoire looming above them.

“You doing all right?” Lex asked, looking handsome and manly in khakis, hiking boots, and a long-sleeved black shirt. He’d left his jacket in the car. A month ago, she would have thought he looked unusually casual. But she realized that she’d gotten to see him casual any number of times in the last two weeks—something most people never got to see.

“Sure,” she said, just a little out of breath. She’d been working out semi-regularly during their trip, but she’d also been eating a lot of very good food. “You don’t think I’m going to give up now, do you? It’s just getting exciting.”

Lex smiled and helped her up a rough patch. “No. I didn’t think you’d give up.”

Now that they’d cleared the forest, Chloe had a much better view of the surrounding countryside. She assumed it would have been even more beautiful in the summer—when everything was in bloom—but she had no complaints. They sky was a vivid blue—without any clouds—and the sunlight was warm and pure.

The mountain started to get steeper soon, and Chloe discovered that she really wasn’t used to such intense hikes. She didn’t say anything, of course, but she got more and more out of breath, and was pleased when Lex suggested they stop for a break.

They sat on a rock conveniently jutting out near their trail and drank some of the bottled water they brought.

“You could have just said if you wanted to stop,” Lex murmured with a slanted look at her.

Chloe made a face. “I was fine.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Don’t be all superior,” she replied, a little tartly, “How often do you tell me what you’re thinking?”

It was an excellent question. And there wasn’t any way Lex could honestly respond without admitting the reality. He told her almost nothing about what he was thinking and feeling—about anything, really. She understood why that was. It was the way he protected himself after years of trying to opening up to people and only getting hurt as a result.

But knowing why didn’t make it any easier to live with. And it certainly didn’t excuse his complaining about her not speaking up when he never spoke up about anything.

“I don’t think you really want to know what I’m thinking most of the time,” Lex said at last, with an ironic half-smile but something deeper reflected in his eyes. He stood up and reached for Chloe’s bottle, to put it back in the pack he was carrying.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Chloe demanded. She heaved herself up and fell in step with Lex as they started back up the trail. “You think I’ll be scared away because you’re too deep, dark, and complex for regular people?”

He met her eyes. “You don’t think so?” His voice was still conversational, but she thought he really wanted to know the answer.

“Well,” she acknowledged, “You might be a little deep, dark and complex.”

Lex chuckled, his mood lightening.

“But I don’t think I’d be scared away by that.”

“Hmm.” He arched an eyebrow at her.

For some reason, his tone made her feel a little huffy. “Don’t be so full of yourself. Has it never occurred to you that other people might be deep, dark and complex too? Why would you assume that you’re so different from everyone else?”

Lex didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be thinking about her question, as he focused on the trail winding before him through large rocks and scrubby plants. Finally, he said, “I see what you mean. But, seriously, Chloe, most people aren’t put in the positions I’ve been put in. And those who are would probably make different choices.”

“Maybe.” Her heart pounding strangely, she tried desperately to think of something appropriate to say. Lex hardly ever opened up even this much, and she didn’t want to say something wrong. “I know you’ve had different pressures and . . . and battles than most people have. But I still don’t think you’re all that different at heart.”

He didn’t answer right away. So they just hiked in silence for a few minutes. After the time stretched on, Chloe realized he wasn’t going to answer at all.

She wondered if she’d hurt his feelings or something, thinking back over her words and trying to work out how he might have taken them.

She was feeling weird and upset when he reached a hand down toward her to help her up a couple of feet of unstable dirt. She peered at his face and was reassured when she saw him give her a little smile.

Smiling back brightly, she changed the subject to something trivial—since talking any more about this would obviously make him uncomfortable.

The last part of the hike was physically difficult for Chloe. Lex didn’t tease her—which she’d half-expected—but he must have noticed, since he was always there with a hand up or—in the really tough parts—falling behind her and keeping a hand on her back.

His support was wordless and invariable, and in the last bit of the climb, Chloe realized that she trusted him.

She trusted Lex. The way she had ten years ago when he was protecting her. She knew he would keep her alive if it was in his power to do so. He would do what he said he would do. He wouldn’t let her down. He would be there if she needed him.

He was deep, dark, and complex—just as she’d said he was—but he was so much more than that. And he must care about her.

That meant something to Chloe.

She wasn’t fool enough to assume that would mean he could fall in love with her. She knew what had happened before. A lasting romance with Lex Luthor just wasn’t in the cards for her. And her poor heart couldn’t take another temporary romance with him.

But still. She liked him. And he liked her.

And maybe they could trust each other.

“What is it?” Lex asked, peering down at her face as they paused before the final ascent to the cross at the pinnacle of the mountain. There was a slight sheen of perspiration on his forehead, which made Chloe feel better about being as winded and red-faced as she was.

She shook her head and started to say “Nothing.” But then she changed her mind. She told him at least part of the truth. “I was just thinking you’re a good person to go hiking with.”

Lex’s expression was both surprised and pleased. “You too,” he murmured, glancing away.

They made it to the top shortly afterwards. Chloe, feeling a thrill of victory, nearly collapsed against the side of a large rock, stretching her legs out so she could more comfortably admire the view.

They ate the baguette, cheese, olives, and cookies they’d brought with them mostly in silence.

After a while, Chloe said, “This is perfect.”

The broad expanse of Provençal landscape stretched out before them—fragrant hills, sunny valleys, and forested slopes fading off into a blue-gray blur Chloe thought might be the Mediterranean.

“I’m glad you like it,” Lex replied. “You should come in summer though. It’s even more beautiful.”

“Well, this seems pretty good to me.”

After a while of sipping her water and thinking it was nice not to always have to talk, Chloe ended up breaking the silence by saying randomly, “It’s not really Christmassy though. You know?”

Lex looked over at her. “Is it supposed to be?”

“Oh, no. This is just great. But sunny skies and pastoral views aren’t really Christmas landscapes. The next place we go should have some snow.”

Lex gave a slight scowl.

“I’m not slamming your favorite place,” Chloe went on, noticing his expression. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. I’m just saying that, as we get closer to Christmas, it might be fun to have some snow and festive weather.”

Lex just curled his lip.

“Don’t be a spoil-sport,” Chloe said, reading his expression as easily as if he’d spoken. “You might like Christmas if you’d give it a chance. We should do some Christmas traditions or something to see if you can have any fun with them.”

“Like what exactly?”

“I don’t know. Eggnog. Roaring fires. Christmas trees. Stockings on the mantles. Just the normal things.”

Lex gave a sigh that was almost a groan.

Chloe wrinkled her nose. “Stop your huffing. You’re not as jaded and distant as you like to pretend.”

“Is that right?” Lex asked with an arch of his eyebrows.

Chloe gave a firm nod. “That’s right.”

A flicker of a shadow crossed Lex’s eyes before he looked away. “I think maybe I am.”

With a twist of her belly, she reached out to put her hand on his forearm. “You don’t have to be.”

Lex looked down at her hand on his arm, at his rings on her finger. Then he looked back up to meet her eyes. “Do you think so?” he asked, his voice barely a breath.

Chloe’s heart was pounding again—this time for an entirely different reason. And she felt a wave of feeling and need sweep over her, flushing in her skin and pounding in her blood.

She recognized exactly what was shuddering in the air between them—knowledge, understanding, intense attraction.

It would be so easy for her to lean into a kiss. He would respond. She could see the hunger and desire now in his eyes. They could fall into a romantic relationship—just like they had ten years ago. They could be close. So close . . .

Lex’s hand came up to her face. His blue eyes were so deep and soft she could drown in them. “Chloe,” he murmured thickly.

It took all the strength she had—and some she hadn’t known she possessed—to gently turn her head away from him. “I can’t.” Her voice broke on the second word. It hurt more than she expected. “I know, Lex. I feel it too. But I can’t.”

Lex’s face didn’t seem to move, but it transformed just the same. His eyes shuttered just before he dropped them. But his voice was mild as he said, “I understand.”

Chloe felt a little like crying over the change she saw in Lex, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

Lex just couldn’t offer her everything. And she didn’t want anything else.

The mood was different as they descended the mountain. Lex was more reserved, more distant—although just as polite and pleasant as he’d been before.

He was going down an unstable section of loose dirt and rocks in front of her when he slipped.

He twisted his ankle.

Naturally, he insisted that he was fine, and he kept walking—pretending he wasn’t hurt.

But Chloe knew better. And, after watching him for a few minutes as he tried to work through a limp and hide the discomfort on his face, she’d had enough. She fell in step beside him and wrapped an arm around his waist.

Of course, he pulled away. “I’m fine, Chloe. Don’t be silly.” His voice was rough, but she didn’t let it concern her.

“If you don’t let me help you, I’ll scream my head off. Then one of your bodyguards can carry you back down.”

He hesitated still, but then he seemed to realize she was serious. So he relented to lean on Chloe a little.

But he obviously didn’t like it. It obviously went against everything he thought he was. And, having to do it made him withdraw from her emotionally even more.

It was only to be expected, Chloe reflected. He was Lex Luthor. And she had rejected him. It didn’t matter whether his feelings were deeply involved or not—he had wanted something from her and she had refused him.

But she was confident she’d made the right decision. A few days ago, he’d started to withdraw from her as well, and they’d managed to get through it. They would again.

They would get through this marriage. It wasn’t all that long now.

They’d already been married fifteen days.

Chapter Sixteen

December 16


When Chloe woke the next morning, she had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. It took her a moment to figure out what was causing it.

Then she remembered. Lex. He’d holed up in his room the whole evening before, avoiding her as much as he could.

When she’d showered and changed after the hike, she’d gone to look for him. He was in his bedroom, propped up on some pillows on his bed with his laptop on his lap.

She’d taken one look at his ankle and had gone to get an icepack from the kitchen.

But, other than that, she’d left him alone yesterday.

This morning she would try to do something to ease the tension between them.

With this resolution in mind, she managed to get out of her cozy bed. She slid on her slippers and grabbed the little cardigan that went with her ruby-red cashmere pajama pants and tank. Then she went downstairs.

She found Lex in the sunroom, reading a French newspaper and drinking coffee.

“Hi,” she said cheerfully, sitting down at the table with him. She poured herself some coffee and chose a big, flaky croissant. “Too cold outside this morning to eat on the terrace?”

Lex glanced up, a little distractedly. “Yeah. It’s colder today.” He focused on his newspaper again.

Chloe slathered butter and jam on her croissant, eyeing Lex with discreet annoyance. “How’s the ankle?”

“It’s fine.”

“Maybe you should keep it elevated.”

“It’s fine.”

Chloe made a face at his coldness, since she was trying her best to be friendly. Then she looked under the table and saw that he wasn’t wearing any shoes or socks.

She leaned down, edging her head under the table so she could see his ankle better.

“Chloe,” Lex began in a chilly voice.

“For God’s sake, Lex!” Chloe exclaimed in outrage, managing to get her head back up without bumping it on the table. “Your ankle looks terrible!”

“It’s fine.”

“It is not fine. You need to keep it elevated.” She put down her untouched croissant and got up from her chair. “I’m going to get some ice.”

“You don’t have to—“

He might have continued his statement, but Chloe didn’t hear it. She went back into the kitchen to make up another icepack. Then she returned to the sunroom where Lex was still sitting in the same position, glowering at her.

“Put your leg up on this chair,” Chloe said, moving another chair into position beside him.

Lex rolled his eyes.

“Stop being a baby. Do it or I’ll do it for you.” She was getting heartily impatient with him and she wasn’t above grabbing his leg and lifting it up onto the chair for him.

Lex reluctantly repositioned himself to stretch his leg out onto the other chair. Then Chloe positioned the icepack over his injured ankle.

“Haven’t you done anything for it?” Chloe asked, hating how bruised and swollen his ankle looked.

“I took ibuprofen,” Lex said curtly, “And I sent someone out for an ankle wrap.”

“Good. Hopefully, if you stay off of it for day or two, it will get better.” She frowned, worrying as she went through possibilities in her mind. “You don’t think you broke it or anything, do you?”

“It’s a mild sprain.” Despite his undignified position, there was nothing soft about Lex this morning. He was cold and haughty and distant. “Stop fussing.”

“I’ll fuss as long as you don’t take care of yourself. What was your plan for today?”

“You can go out if you want to do more sightseeing,” he said, “But I need to catch up on work.”

“That’s fine, as long as you keep your ankle elevated. But I don’t really need to go out. I’m kind of tired, so I’ll probably just hang around here and relax.” What she meant was she’d hang around the house so she could help Lex if he needed it, but she was pretty sure he wouldn’t respond well to such a statement.

She’d never seen a man so stubborn and outrageously proud, so unwilling to accept help.

She’d finished her breakfast by the time one of the bodyguards returned with the wrap for Lex’s ankle. Chloe took charge of it, despite Lex’s resistance, and wrapped up his ankle tightly.

“Now,” she said, patting his ankle in satisfaction over her wrapping, “Where did you want to work?”

“I can manage to find my way around the house on my own.”

Chloe ignored his snide words. “You could go back to your bed. Or there’s that chaise in the library that would probably be comfortable. Or maybe the couch in here, if you want more sun.” When he just looked at her in annoyance, she gave him a bright smile, “Well, which one would you prefer?”

“In here will be fine,” he said at last.

She helped him move to the couch, and then she set him up with his phone, laptop, stack of files, coffee and a big glass of orange juice she brought him.

When she’d cleared the breakfast table and generally made the room pleasant, Lex arched his eyebrows. “I assume you’re not going to hover about here and pounce every time I need anything.”

“Of course not,” she said, smiling again. It was getting a little hard to keep up her cheerfulness when he was being so grumpy, but so far she was managing. “But let me know if you need anything.”

He was muttering under his breath when she left the sunroom. She really didn’t have anything to do, so she went to work out on the exercise equipment in one of the upstairs rooms, and then she showered and dressed.

After a midmorning snack, she set herself up with her own laptop and a stack of paperbacks in the living room, where she would be able to hear if Lex needed something.

At lunch time, she went to fix them a salad to have with a baguette, cheese and deli meat. She carried it into the sunroom, so Lex wouldn’t have far to go.

She saw he’d finished his coffee and orange juice and was busily typing away on his laptop. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?” she asked.

He glanced up but seemed to look right through her. “I’m sure I can manage that on my own.”

With a snicker, she replied, “I wasn’t planning to help with that. But you might need some help getting there.”

As Chloe suspected, he did need to go. And, since she was right there beside him, he couldn’t really refuse the support she offered him. They had a quiet lunch afterwards and Lex got set back up on the couch to work some more.

Chloe got a little bored in the afternoon. She liked to relax, but she wasn’t really used to doing nothing. She asked one of the guards to take her out to a store so she could buy some Christmas wrapping paper. Then she wrapped the presents she’d bought a couple of days earlier.

Then she went to check on Lex, who just gave her a dirty look.

He was really in a bad mood today. Chloe was torn between leaving him alone and nagging him until he snapped out of it.

Late in the afternoon, Chloe puttered around in the kitchen, finding enough ingredients in the cupboards to make some chocolate cookies. When they came out, she made some hot tea and brought them into Lex.

“Look what I made,” Chloe announced, feeling rather proud of her domestic endeavor.

Lex glanced up briefly. Then his eyes returned to his computer. “Yeah. I smelled them.”

Not particularly appreciative, but Chloe didn’t let it bother her. “Here—I made some tea too. Do you want some?”

He just gave a shrug. “Just leave it. I’ll get some if I want.”

Chloe frowned. “Well, don’t let the cookies get cold.”

Lex gave a wordless grunt that wasn’t really a response.

Complete fed up with him, Chloe said, “I’m just trying to be nice. There’s no reason to treat me so rudely.”

With an exasperated sigh, Lex looked up from his laptop. “I’ve made it perfectly evident that I don’t want your help. If you insist on pursuing your ill-founded mission of mercy, you can hardly complain about the response.”

“Well, someone has to help you! You act all cold and invulnerable, but you’re not. You have a sprained ankle, and you can’t do everything on your own.”

“If I need help, I have paid staff who can assist me.”

“Your bodyguards?” Chloe asked, her frustration and emotions rising inside her as Lex grew colder and colder.

“Certainly.”

“I thought we were partners in this. Isn’t that what we said? We could help each other?” Her voice broke on the last word. She hadn’t realized that she was so upset by what had happened yesterday, but evidently she was. If they could have smoothed it over, it wouldn’t have bothered her. But with Lex acting like this it felt like their whole relationship had just fallen apart.

And she had no idea how to fix it.

“We are partners by necessity,” Lex said in a clipped voice, his eyes steel gray now and icy. “Because we both need something out of this arrangement. That has nothing to do with my accepting help from you when it is neither wanted nor required.”

His words felt like a slap in the face. He couldn’t have better expressed his distaste for their marriage and his desire to get out of it—not if he’d come out and said it. “Oh,” she said, looking away from him. She put the cookies on the breakfast table. “All right. I won’t bother you again.”

Only a slight wobble in her voice betrayed how much he’d hurt her, and she managed to leave before she broke down completely.

She went up to her bedroom. Locked the door behind her. Kicked off her shoes and flopped on the bed.

Then, to her absolutely mortification, she started to cry.

It was ridiculous to get so upset about it. She’d known there could be nothing serious between them. She’d known that there were parts of Lex’s nature that he would absolutely refuse to open up to her. That was why whatever happened between them could only be temporary.

But it still hurt. To be so completely rejected by him. When all she’d wanted to do was help.

After about five minutes, there was a hard knock on the door. Then Lex’s voice, “Chloe?”

She didn’t answer. If she spoke, he would know she was crying. And that would be just too humiliating.

“Chloe, let me in.” His voice was louder, rougher. And his knocks had turned into pounds.

“I’m fine, Lex. You shouldn’t be standing on your ankle.” Her voice was supposed to have sounded bored and controlled, but it didn’t.

“I’m sorry, Chloe,” Lex said, rattling the doorknob, sounding more urgent now—perhaps because of the tears in her voice. “Please, let me in.”

“Just go away!” She was doing her best to suppress the sobs, but she wasn’t very successful. And the fact that he was pounding on her door just seemed to make it worse.

“Damn it, Chloe! If you don’t let me in, I’m going to break the door down!” He sounded serious. He wasn’t going to go away. And he really shouldn’t be standing on his sprained ankle.

So Chloe rolled off the bed and went to unlock the door. She had just turned the lock when Lex pushed the door open. The sudden impact made her stumble backwards a little.

“Damn it, Chloe,” Lex rasped, grabbing her by the shoulders and keeping her from falling. “Why wouldn’t you let me in?”

“Maybe I wanted some privacy,” she began—outraged by his hypocrisy over keeping her out all day and now complaining that she wanted to keep him out. “How dare you—“

Lex had been peering at her face. “You’ve been crying,” he said, his eyes strangely intense and his expression so tight it looked painful.

“No, I haven’t,” she lied, although she knew her lie wasn’t convincing, since there were still tears streaming down her face. “You need to get off your ankle.”

“Screw my ankle,” Lex said hoarsely, “Chloe—“

Chloe jerked out of his grip and went to sit on the bed, mostly to get him to sit as well.

He came and sat beside her. Then he grabbed her face in one hard hand and made her meet his eyes. “Chloe, I’m sorry.”

She sniffed, feeling stupid and kind of relieved at the same time. “Sorry for what?”

“For what I said. I know this situation isn’t what we would have chosen if we’d been completely free, but I shouldn’t have implied I don’t appreciate you.”

“Well,” she said, pulling her head away from his hand, “It’s all right to imply it if you mean it.”

“I don’t mean it.” His voice was gentler now. “I don’t . . . I don’t accept help well. But I do appreciate you.”

She nodded.

“And I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“That’s okay,” she said. “I cry a lot. It’s not a big deal.”

There was a short pause before Lex murmured, “It’s a big deal to me.”

Something warmed in her heart then. In response, she reached out and put a hand on his knee. “I’m sorry about yesterday,” she said, “I hope I didn’t make it seem like . . . like . . .” There was absolutely no way to finish her sentence without bringing up things they’d both left unsaid.

She darted a quick look up at his face—which seemed an odd mixture of composure and intensity. “I do like you a lot.”

He nodded. “I understand.”

“But, after what happened between us before, I just don’t think it’s a good idea to . . . to go down that road again.”

“I understand that too.” His voice was mild now, but at least his eyes didn’t look so horribly shuttered.

“It’s not that I’m holding a grudge or anything,” she continued, her voice stretching as the words got very hard to say, “It’s just that I really don’t see anything changing.” After a little pause, she added, “Do you?”

She’d invested the slightest bit of hope in the question. Not much—since she knew Lex and she knew what the world was like. But there was a little hope, which is why it hurt when Lex crushed it.

“No,” he said quietly, “Probably not.”

But she hid her response and gave a firm nod. “So, can we still be . . . be partners?” She reached a hand out to him, praying he would take it.

Lex extended his slowly, but he eventually grasped her hand in his. “Yes.”

“All right then,” she said, her tone changing, “Not let’s get some ice on your ankle.”

The day ended better than it had started, and Chloe decided that having that little hope crushed was probably a good thing.

She was going to be fine. She just needed to make it through a little more than a week.

They’d now been married sixteen days.
 
Chapter Seventeen

December 17


Chloe’s awakening the next morning was a painful one.

She’d stayed up too long the evening before and then hadn’t gotten to sleep for a long time, even after she’d gone to bed.

It had been a lovely, peaceful evening after the emotional uproar in the afternoon.

She and Lex had fixed dinner together—or rather, she had fixed it while he had supervised from a chair in the kitchen. But they made pasta and roasted vegetables, and then took their dinner out onto the terrace.

They ate their meals and drank a good bottle of red wine.

And, as the sun set over the garden, Chloe saw for the first time why Provence sunshine was so famous.

It seemed to gild everything she saw with gold—the wall around the garden, the pool cover, the shrubbery, the grass, the stonework, and Lex sitting beside her. As the setting sunlight got richer and richer, Chloe grew breathless and soon stopped eating entirely.

She just stared around in awe.

“It’s golden,” she breathed at last.

Lex nodded, like a golden statue with his chiseled features and sculpted bare scalp. “It’s like this all the time in the summer.”

Chloe had been mesmerized. And, although she’d eventually started to eat again, she couldn’t do anything but gaze around her.

They stayed outside until the sun set completely, sipping wine and occasionally saying something innocuous.

It had been a lovely evening. But Chloe hadn’t been able to sleep for a long time afterwards.

And when she finally fell asleep she dreamed. Her dream was a rambling mingling of feelings and images, but they all seemed to circle on a memory from ten years ago.

From that summer with Lex

* * *

One evening, he came over with a bag of fresh produce. Since she mostly lived on the boxed and canned products that her pantry was stocked with, she was delighted with the lovely zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and portabella mushrooms.

She’d begged Lex to stay for supper, since he’d be leaving the next morning to search for something he wouldn’t tell her about but he said was important.

He’d relented. He’d stayed. And Chloe had a lovely time, laughing and fixing pasta and roasted vegetables with Lex.

He’d been relaxed, as he usually was with her now, and he’d kissed her a lot, wrapping his arm around her from behind as she tossed the pasta and leaning down to mouth the side of her neck.

Chloe had tilted her head to the side, giving him better access, her heart so full of feeling for him she thought it would just overflow.

They ate on her little couch, talking and laughing and teasing. When they were done, their plates forgotten on the side table, Lex’s mood seemed to change. He sat beside her, sipping the last of his water—expensive bottled water he’d kept her stocked with all summer. And he seemed unusually quiet, reflective, almost poignant.

“Are you all right?” Chloe asked at last, touching him gently on the arm.

He smiled at her, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah. Of course.”

She scooted closer to him, pleased when he put his arm around her and pulled her against him. “Was there anything new about your father?” she asked, trying to get some more information about his mood without being too intrusive.

“No. Nothing new.”

“Do you . . .” She cleared her throat, trying to phrase her question carefully, “Do you still feel all right going through with everything?”

He tensed up against her briefly, but didn’t pull away. “Yes. Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know. I just thought maybe it might hurt . . . a little. He’s your dad after all.” She stroked his chest, feeling the hardness of his body beneath the softness of his shirt.

“Not in any way that matters anymore.”

He said that, but she didn’t believe it. And, risking a lot, she pursued the topic. Her heart was pounding painfully as she asked, keeping her voice light, “If it was me, it would still matter. I think maybe it does for you too.”

After a long edgy moment, Lex finally released his breath. It was thick and seemed to release a lot of the tension in his body. All he said was, “Yeah.”

But it was so much. The admission. His opening up to her.

She wanted to comfort him. Wanted to make him feel better. Wanted him to know how much she cared about him. Wanted to somehow crawl into his body—get as close as that.

She turned to give him a soft hug. Then she nudged him until he’d readjusted so he was leaning against the arm of the couch, his arms all the way around her, and she could lean back against his chest.

She hugged his forearm against her, feeling like she was completely surrounded by him.

“Comfortable now?” Lex asked, amused irony in his tone.

She knew the irony helped him feel more like himself, helped him get past the vulnerability of the moment before.

She pulled his arm up and pressed a kiss into his palm. “Yes, thank you.”

His other arm tightened around her.

“Did you want to talk or anything?” she asked, a little hesitantly.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss into her hair. Then she turned her face back toward him and he pressed kisses along her temple and cheekbone. “You are the sweetest thing,” he murmured huskily.

She flushed with pleasure and turned farther back toward him so he could reach her lips. After a long kiss, she whispered, “Being sweet is very nice. But I’d like to be able to help you—when you need it.”

He tangled his fingers in her hair and pressed her toward him for another kiss. “You do help me, honey. You do.”

She closed her eyes, giving herself up to the incomparable feel of being in his arms, being surrounded by him, caressed by him, cherished by him.

When they finally parted, she was flushed and breathless, and she cuddled against him, hearing his heartbeat beneath her ear.

“I don’t think I would have made it through this summer without you,” Lex murmured, his voice so low she barely heard it.

But she did hear it. Her heart bloomed like a flower. “Me either,” she breathed. “Me either.”

She felt so much for him, too much for her heart to contain. And she wanted to tell him. Wanted to tell him what he meant to her. How deeply she loved him.

But she couldn’t. Not yet. Not when he’d never mentioned such a thing to her.

So, in the only way she knew to express everything she was feeling, she stretched up to kiss him again.

Lex didn’t leave until morning.


* * *


She was deep in the dream—completely swallowed up by Lex—when she was shook awake in a gentle gesture that still felt brutal.

“Chloe, you need to wake up!”

The voice was right at her ear, and it was so soft Chloe couldn’t identify it. Her mind was too fuzzy to make sense of it, so she tried to climb back into her dream.

The shaking got more intense. “Chloe, I’m sorry, honey, but you need to wake up!” The voice wasn’t any louder. And she could feel the breath against her ear.

It was so bizarre that she was finally able to pry her eyes open.

The first thing she saw was Lex’s face, hovering just above hers.

She gasped and started to make a surprised exclamation.

Lex covered her mouth with his hand.

Chloe’s first instinct was indignation, but she froze when Lex leaned down again to whisper in her ear. “Please don’t speak. We need to get out of here now.”

She’d been woken out of a dead sleep and hadn’t had any time to orient herself. But she understood the urgency in his words, and she knew immediately what was happening.

She nodded and, when he stood up, she climbed out of the bed too, slipping her feet into the shoes he’d brought over for her and pulling her jacket on over her red cashmere pajamas.

Her heart was pounding painfully now, and chills of fear shuddered down her spine. She saw one of Lex’s guards standing at the door, a gun poised in his hand.

He gestured with the gun toward the balcony—then turned to keep watch down the dark hallway.

One hand in Chloe’s, Lex silently opened the French doors and pulled her out onto the balcony. The garden below seemed empty, but the deep shadows from the night could be hiding any number of intruders.

“Do you think you can climb down the trellis?” Lex breathed into her ear.

She nodded, eyeing the solid wood construction against the stone wall of the house. It wouldn’t be very hard, as long as it was sturdy. “But your ankle?”

“It’s fine. Go first. I’m right behind you.”

She wanted to argue, but wasn’t so foolish as to do that. So she climbed over the rail of the balcony. Had a nervous moment as she first tried her weight on the trellis. But it was stable, and she quickly climbed down.

As soon as she reached the ground, Lex came after her. She hated to think how much it would have hurt his sprained ankle.

But he just took her hand again when he reached the grass—as the bodyguard came down after him—and they silently ran through the garden to the old gate at the back.

Chloe had no idea what was going on, but she had to assume someone was in the house who shouldn’t be there. But evidently it wasn’t a full attack, since the house wasn’t surrounded.

She was just thinking about that when a gunshot broke through the quiet of the night. She jumped, covering her mouth to stifle her squeal of fright.

“It’s from the house. Come on,” Lex urged, pushing her through the gate and out of the garden.

There was nothing but forested area outside the garden. Chloe stared at the trees and wondered if they were going to have to trek through the forest with Lex on a sprained ankle.

The bodyguard had pulled the gate shut behind them and he silently walked into the trees.

Lex just stood and waited, so Chloe stood as well.

She understood when the guard appeared with a motorbike that must have been hidden there for this very purpose.

The guard and Lex shared a series of looks that seemed to be a wordless conversation.

Then the guard swung his leg over the bike.

Lex pushed her forward. “Go on with him. Get out of here.”

Chloe gaped at him. “What? No! What about you?”

“I’ll be fine. I can’t ride that thing with my ankle. He’s going to get you to safety and then I’m going to catch up with you later.” Lex looked over and met the bodyguard’s gaze. “She’s my wife, and you’re responsible for her. You know what that means.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll keep her safe.”

Instinctively, irrationally, Chloe tried to resist when Lex moved her over and arranged her on the motorbike behind the guard. “Lex, no,” she gurgled, feeling like the world was coming apart beneath her feet.

She clung to his arm, but he shook her loose. “No arguments. I need you to be safe.” After a look at her face, contorted with emotion, he leaned over to give her a hard kiss. “I’ll be fine, honey. Go with him now.”

Chloe didn’t have a choice, since the guard turned on the bike and started off, taking them along a dirt path until they reached the road.

Chloe held tightly to the man in front of her, terrified and occasionally shaking with repressed sobs.

They’d left Lex behind with a sprained ankle and an unknown number of bad guys who’d invaded their house.

They’d left him all alone.

Chloe had just started feeling close to Lex again, like he was really back in her life after so many years of distance.

Now it felt like she’d already lost him.

And they’d only been married seventeen days.
 
Chapter Eighteen

December 18


They ended up in Fiji on the island of Vanua Levu.

But it was a very long trip before they got there.

The bodyguard had driven Chloe toward Aix and then into downtown to an out of the way little hostel. They waited there for two long hours before Lex had finally arrived.

After the long, agonized waiting, Chloe was a little overwrought. She gave him a cold look, trying to stop herself from shaking, and told him it was about time he showed up and that he shouldn’t have stayed behind.

Lex looked pale and exhausted, wearing rumpled clothes and limping heavily. His face was oddly tight as he’d said, “I’m sorry. But you were the one potentially in danger.”

“There was a gunshot in the house,” Chloe snapped, her voice oddly shrill. “You don’t think you could have gotten caught in the crossfire?”

He gave a half-shrug. “Maybe. But you were more important.”

He looked as though he meant it. As if his life to him was something he could give or take. And, for some reason, it totally broke her control.

She’d burst into sobs.

With a rough groan, Lex had limped over and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Please don’t cry.”

She grabbed his shirt in her fists and glared up at him fiercely through her tears. “If you ever do that to me again, I’ll wring your stubborn neck.”

He made a noise that might have been a laugh, but it was almost broken. “I’ll remember that. I am sorry, honey. I know you were scared.”

Her emotional storm died down blessedly soon, and Chloe was able to pull herself into a semblance of sanity – enough to participate in the plan to get out of Aix without Lionel following them.

When she got the time to ask about it, she learned that two of Lionel’s men had broken into their villa—knocking out two of Lex’s guards with some sort of fast-acting drug. They’d both been armed, but Lex was pretty sure they weren’t trying to kill Chloe.

Which left Lionel’s motives as much in the dark as they’d been before.

They left Aix on a tourist bus that was heading to a local vineyard. Then a couple more of the guards met up with them in a car—thankfully with the luggage from the villa, including her beautiful laptop and all the Christmas presents she’d bought—and they drove into Marseille where they took a private jet.

After another long, roundabout flight, they ended up in Fiji.

Once they were there, Chloe decided she was crazy to ever want to go to a place with snow—although Lex assured her that the next place they went would be more Christmassy.

They had a private villa at a luxury resort, and their accommodations were even more stunning than in Africa. The villa was big and airy, with two bedrooms, foldaway walls, a deck with an infinity pool and a hot tub that overlooked the beach and sea, and gorgeous exotic wood floors and furniture.

Lex had spent the morning following up on loose ends—including doubling their security detail—and making sure Lionel didn’t know where they were.

Chloe had spent the morning shopping for warm weather clothes and then snorkeling.

After showering in the outdoor shower, surrounded by gorgeous stonework and tropical plants, she’d dressed in a green sundress and then ate a late gourmet lunch with Lex on their deck.

When Lex went in to work, Chloe decided she needed a nap after the excitement of the last two days. She could lie on her huge four-poster bed with the walls folded away to let in the tropical breezes. Or she could lie on the hammock extended on the upper deck. But instead she chose the outdoor, canopied daybed that was a step up from the infinity pool and had expansive views of the sea.

Comfortable, relaxed, and secure that they were safe—at least for a day or two—Chloe fell asleep.

She woke up a couple of hours later. She stretched and debating dozing off again, but decided she was well enough rested. And she didn’t want to waste any more time on the island, since she may not be able to stay here long.

She sat up, straightening her little dress. She was in the shade, so she hadn’t gotten sunburned.

She reached over to grab the bottle of sparkling water she’d been drinking before her nap. As she sipped it, she gazed out over the stunning blue-green water of the ocean and the pure white beach.

She blinked when she saw Lex, walking on the beach a good distance away. He was heading back toward their villa.

He’d been working for most of the day, so maybe he’d just wanted a walk.

His ankle must finally be feeling better.

She smiled as she watched him. He was wearing the shorts and t-shirt she’d picked out for him from the resort boutique. The t-shirt was charcoal gray—just Lex’s color—but it had “I heart Fiji” printed on the middle of the chest.

Lex had given her a dirty look when she’d presented it to him, but she’d taunted him into wearing it. She was surprised and pleased that he still had it on.

As she watched, a dark-haired woman approached him, dressed only in a tiny bikini. Chloe at first assumed the woman was simply asking for directions or information.

But the woman didn’t continue on her way. She stayed there chatting with Lex for what Chloe thought was an inordinately long time.

Then she started to touch him.

Chloe couldn’t see as well as she wanted, since they were farther down the beach than their villa. But Chloe could clearly observe the little touches the brunette was giving Lex on his arm and chest, ostensibly casual and impersonal.

But Chloe knew better. That bitch was coming on to Lex.

A wave of hot outrage washed over Chloe, and she jumped to her feet, sliding on her flip-flops and muttering to herself about shameless women who came onto married men.

Then Chloe flopped across the grass from their villa and out onto the sand of the beach. Her hair was tousled from her nap, and her cheeks were still rosy from sleep. Her dress was a little bit wrinkled, and she’d lost the light tan she’d started to get in Africa.

She wasn’t at her best to confront a svelte, willowy, tanned, gorgeous brunette in a bikini. But she’d be damned if she let the woman throw herself at Chloe’s husband.

Chloe managed to control her huffiness as she approached them. Lex hadn’t seemed to respond much to the woman, but he was still standing there talking to her—when he really should have ignored her and walked on.

“Hey,” she said, pitching her voice warmly as she greeted Lex. “There you are. I woke up and you were gone.” She stepped over and slid her arm around Lex’s waist, stretching up to give him a kiss.

Lex blinked with what looked like surprise. “Just taking a walk. Did you have a good nap?”

“Yeah.” Chloe gave him an intimate smile, then finally turned to the brazen hussy. “Hi. I’m Chloe. I’m his wife.”

It might have just been Chloe’s imagination, but she thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in the other woman’s eyes. “Nice to meet you. Your husband was just telling me about some of the history of the island.”

Leave it to Lex to take advantage of any opportunity to discourse about history.

“Yeah,” Chloe said, rubbing Lex’s chest possessively, “He’s great at history.”

Lex chuckled, and to Chloe’s experienced ears his laugh sounded a little unsettled. “We better get back,” he said with a gentle stroke of Chloe’s hair. “Nice talking to you.”

Chloe took his hand as they walked back to the villa, but once they were out of sight of the woman, Chloe pulled her hand away and placed both of hers firmly on her hips. “That bitch,” she hissed. “What the hell did she think she was doing?”

“What are you talking about?” Lex asked with a faintly dumbfounded expression.

“I saw what she was doing. Coming on to you, when you are clearly unavailable.” She gave an angry gesture toward his left hand, where he wore his wedding ring.

Lex shook his head with a smile that was both baffled and fond. “She was just being nice.”

Chloe gasped indignantly. “She was not. I know her type.”

He reached out and pulled her into a quick, soft hug. “Well, she didn’t get very far, so what are you so upset about.”

Chloe smothered her lingering anger against Lex’s t-shirt. He smelled delicious, clean and expensive and like the sunshine. “Nothing,” she said at last, pulling away reluctantly. “She just annoyed me.”

“Clearly.” He arched his eyebrows. “I remember a certain game ranger who similarly annoyed me.”

“What? Michael wasn’t anything like that . . . that woman.”

“Yes. I think he was.”

Chloe scowled at him. She smoothed down her sundress a little self-consciously. Then she looked at her left hand, fiddled with Lex’s ring there.

It was a very unsettling thought. That Lex might have felt about Michael the same way she’d felt about that brunette.

And it didn’t make a lot of sense. She felt that way because—despite all of her attempts at being reasonable—it still felt like Lex was hers. Like he was her husband for real.

She had never imagined that he might feel the same. It had always been so clear that, whatever interest he had in her, it would only be temporary. That’s what had happened before. So it was likely to happen again.

The world was what it was, after all.

But maybe it didn’t have to be that way.

Chloe stared up at Lex’s warm, intelligent face, his expression now turning quizzical as he watched her. He was her friend. Her partner. Her husband.

And she wanted him to be even more.

Maybe it could happen. They still had some time.

They’d only been married eighteen days.
 
Chapter 19

December 19


Chloe woke up the next morning with a giddy feeling in her chest and belly. It didn’t take her long to remember why.

Lex. And the sudden opening up of possibilities she’d never considered possible before.

She got out of bed and, after going to the bathroom, she glanced in her mirror. She actually looked pretty good. Her hair was messy from sleeping, of course, but there was a flattering color in her face and her eyes looked unusually bright. A smile seemed to be lurking at the edges of her mouth, so she let it go, grinning at herself in the mirror. There were no crease marks on her face and she was wearing a pajama set of matching purple shorts and tank in a soft material.

She decided she looked all right to see Lex, so she wandered into the main room of the villa. The louvered walls were open, letting the warm morning breeze into the house. She noticed a few guards standing around the perimeter. They’d always been around, but they were more obvious now—caring less about discretion and more about being a deterrent to any potential intruder.

But Lex wasn’t anywhere in sight. Not on the deck. Not in the sitting room. Not in the dining area. Not in the little kitchenette.

When she made her way over to the coffee pot, however, she saw that a fresh pot had been brewed, smelling absolutely delicious. And there she noticed a little slip of paper, folded in half and a corner tucked under the coffee pot.

She snatched it up and read it.

“Be back soon. L.”

Chloe smiled and shook her head. Typical. He left her a note that told her absolutely nothing. But it was sweet that he’d left her a note at all.

The giddiness fluttered a little more inside her as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat out on the deck to drink it. She watched the morning sun sparkle on the vast expanse of sea and felt incredibly lucky to be there—despite being potentially threatened by Lionel Luthor.

After a while, she walked around some—trailed by a bodyguard. But finally she decided it was silly to just sit around and wait for Lex to return, as if she was incapable of amusing herself without him.

The morning was already very warm—since it was the summer season here—so she went back to her room and changed into the swimsuit she’d bought the day before.

It was a dark purple bikini, and it was a little more provocative than the suits she normally wore.

Grabbing a towel, she went back to the deck and jumped into their private pool. She swam for a while. Then she got out to get herself another cup of coffee and drank it as she soaked in the hot tub on the deck.

When she finally decided she was ready for a shower, she heaved herself out of the hot tub.

She was dripping and flopping her hair out of her eyes when she noticed Lex had returned. He was standing inside watching her through the opened wall. “Hi!” she called brightly, happy to see him looking so compelling and casual in gray trousers and a white camp shirt.

“Hi.” His voice sounded a little odd. When she reached down for a towel to dry off her face, she noticed a look in eyes that was rather heated.

Chloe blushed a little—although she’d never considered herself the kind of woman who would blush over such a thing—and dropped her eyes as she wrapped her towel around her shoulders.

She was pleased though. It was nice—very nice—that Lex might appreciate her body.

“Where were you?” she asked, coming over to join him.

“Working out some things with the manager.”

“An escape route?” Chloe quipped with a grin.

Lex’s mouth twitched irrepressibly. “Something like that.”

“It’s a gorgeous day. What were you thinking about doing?” Chloe tried not to place too much significance in her tone.

“Well, that depends.” After a pause, he continued, “What would you like to do?”

Chloe felt a ripple of pleasure run through her as she realized that Lex was planning to do whatever she was going to do.

That was exactly what she’d been hoping.


* * *


They ended up taking a hike through the rainforest with a biologist guide. It was fascinating and beautiful and educational. Lex was dry and amusing, and there seemed to be a new kind of closeness between them.

Or maybe the closeness had always been there, and Chloe hadn’t acknowledged it before.

When they came back, Chloe was tired and dirty, so she showered and then took another dip in the hot tub, this time with a fruity tropical drink that the staff brought for her.

Then she took a nap while Lex caught up on some work.

The sun was starting to set when Chloe decided to take a walk so she could enjoy the beautiful setting while she could. She went over to where Lex was camped out at the desk and said, “I’m just going to take a walk on the beach. I assume that’s all right, if a bodyguard comes along.”

“Sure,” Lex said, putting down the piece of paper he’d been reading. “But, if you don’t mind, maybe I’ll come with you.”

Chloe perked up. “Yeah.” When she decided she sounded a little overly excited, she tempered her tone by saying ironically, “I would have asked, but I didn’t know if you’d be able to tear yourself away from your computer.”

“It’s a sacrifice,” Lex said, his eyes and voice teasing, “But I suppose I’ll muddle through.”

The sunset was stunning—rose-orange streaks above the blue horizon. Chloe and Lex didn’t talk much as they walked. They didn’t need to.

They’d started back toward the villa when Chloe said, somewhat randomly, “Less than a week now until Christmas.”

Lex gave her a curl of his lip that made her giggle.

“Don’t be such a Grinch,” she chided. Then, as she thought about it some more, she added in a different tone, “It’s really sad that you’ve never had a good Christmas.”

Slanting her a suspicious look, Lex muttered, “You better not be feeling sorry for me.”

She laughed fondly and took his arm, tucking her hand under his elbow. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

There was another long pause as they walked, both of them wrapped up in their own thoughts.

Then Chloe murmured, almost to herself, “We’ll need to make sure you have a good Christmas this year.”

“I’m afraid it’s going to take more than eggnog and stockings.”

“I know.” She squeezed his arm. “What do you think it would take for you to have a good Christmas?”

Lex stopped walking and turned to look at her, something awakened in his eyes. His lips parted, as if he were about to say something.

Chloe waited, almost breathless with anticipation. Her question had been almost idle, as she never expected him to give her a genuine answer. Lex just never opened himself up that much.

But he seemed about to now. He was about to tell her something important.

Which is why she was disappointed when his expression changed and he said in a teasing voice, “It will take some caroling at least. You’ll have to serenade me with Christmas songs.” His eyes were warm, laughing. But his words were a cover for something else. “And maybe you can dress up as Mrs. Claus.”

Chloe shook off the disappointment in just a moment. Lex was here, with her now. He’d sought out her company. She really didn’t have anything to complain about. So she grinned up at him.”Is that all? Then I can start now.”

Then she cleared her throat and began to sing in an exaggeratedly low voice, “God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay…”

Lex laughed and grabbed for her playfully, swinging her around to face him. She kept singing, enjoying his reaction.

She didn’t know. She didn’t realize. And so she didn’t stop singing until he kissed her.

He’d wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her against him with it as he lowered his mouth to hers. Her breath hitched in her throat as she immediately responded, her arms twining around his neck eagerly and her lips opening for his tongue.

When she heard him make a deep sound in his throat—of pleasure, of response—her whole body shuddered with sensation, and she shamelessly tried to drag him even closer to her. Felt like she could swallow him whole.

They were both panting when their lips finally parted. But Lex didn’t let her go. He held her close, leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes closing briefly.

“Lex,” Chloe breathed, one of her hands sliding up to caress his smooth scalp.

He groaned again and sank into another kiss.

This one was hungrier, more urgent. And Chloe’s head was spinning and her body alive with sensation when she finally tore her mouth away. “Lex,” she gasped again. “Lex.” She wasn’t quite sure of what she wanted to express—just wanted to say his name.

“Chloe, honey,” Lex rasped, pressing little kisses along her temple and cheek bone, “Are you all right with this?”

She’d told him she couldn’t do this. But now things seemed to have changed. She huffed out a laugh, her fingernails digging into the back of his neck when he found a sensitive spot on the side of her throat. “Doesn’t it seem like I’m all right with this?”

Lex choked on what sounded like surprised laughter. And he gathered into her a hard hug. He murmured in a hoarse voice, “What would I do without you?”

She felt exactly the same way. And she was starting to wonder if she would have to do without him after all. If they both felt this way, then maybe their marriage wouldn’t have to end.

She didn’t want it to. It hadn’t been nearly long enough.

They’d only been married nineteen days.

[Julie]

Chapter Twenty

December 20


The next morning, Chloe felt unusually shy as she left her bedroom to get her coffee and breakfast.

There was no real reason for her to feel that way. But the evening before had been so incredible—she’d felt so close to Lex, so hopeful of the future—that the part of her that always expected the worst to happen kept wondering if it was all going to be snatched away from her.

Lex hadn’t told her he loved her. He hadn’t spoken of the future. He hadn’t even mentioned that their marriage might not be just a sham. But she was sure he wasn’t just playing around with her. It didn’t feel like that to her. It felt real.

And that gave her hope she’d never let herself entertain before—not for ten years, anyway.

She found Lex sitting on a chaise on the deck, drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.

“Hi,” she said, feeling silly for some reason and also feeling a little nervous as she waited for his response.

He looked up with a smile—a smile that was amused, fond, and warm all at once. “Hi.”

“How long have you been up?” she asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee and feeling better at the softness in his gaze.

“A few hours. You slept in.”

“Yeah.” Chloe looked around at the stretch of beach, the waves hitting the sand, the vivid, bright sky. “Well, I’m on vacation.”

Lex chuckled. “Did I question your sleeping habits?”

“Well, it sounded like you might have been casting smug aspersions on us mere mortals who can’t rise at the crack of dawn every morning.” Her voice was light, and she thought Lex was looking particularly delicious, relaxed and rumpled in his “I heart Fiji” t-shirt.

“As if I would be fool enough to do such a thing.” He put his coffee mug on the table beside him and extended an arm toward her. “Come here, honey.”

Chloe came over to his chaise. She thought maybe he was going to kiss her, so she gave a little squeal of surprise when he pulled her down onto the chaise with him.

“You almost made me spill my coffee!” Chloe exclaimed, laughing and adjusting herself more comfortably on his lap.

“Sacrilege,” Lex murmured, pulling her down into a slow kiss, one of his hands brushing her bare thigh to the hem of her pajama shorts. “You shouldn’t show up looking so irresistibly like you just rolled out of bed. It’s been driving me crazy all month.”

“Well, I did just get out of bed.” She was hampered in her kissing ability since she still held her cup of coffee. And she wasn’t quite ready to give it up. But she did her best. Then she pushed him over a little so she could sit beside him on the chaise, curled up at his side and better able to drink her coffee.

Lex seemed perfectly satisfied with this arrangement. He put an arm around her and picked up the newspaper again. He read and she scanned the headlines, but she mostly just enjoyed being close to him and not having to get moving too soon.

She got up once to refill their coffee cups. And when she was finished her second cup and Lex was finished with the newspaper, he dropped it to the deck and pulled her into another kiss.

Chloe responded, tasting the coffee on his lips. Her heart fluttered wildly and her blood seemed to be pulsing in her veins. And she felt so much for him that she wanted nothing more than to express it.

But things were still unspoken between them. Things still needed to be clarified.

After a minute, she pulled away. “Lex,” she began, working up the courage to bring the subject up. They didn’t have to declare eternal devotion. But she really wanted to know what he was thinking about them.

“Hmm,” he murmured, edging her down so he could reach her neck, where he pressed a line of soft kisses.

Chloe shivered, arching her head back in response. “Lex,” she tried again, her hand lingering on his smooth scalp, loving the texture of the tight skin and the ripples of his skull. “Can we—“ She broke off with a gasp when he nipped at her pulse.

“Can we what?” Lex asked, finding her lips again.

Her lips instinctively clung to his, but she managed to push away enough to try once more. “I’m just a little worried and I wanted to—“ She shifted on his lap, feeling his hand slide up to her—“Lex!”

Laughing warmly, Lex leaned back on the chaise. “Sorry,” he said, “I’ll exert my iron control and manage to resist you. What were you worried about?”

He was waiting. Listening. But she thought she saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. He seemed so warm and relaxed—happy—this morning that she hated to force him into a hard conversation. She knew very well how difficult it was for him to open himself up.

It was still early. And she knew enough about his feelings for her. She wasn’t so needy that she required everything perfectly defined, not after they’d been really together for less than 24 hours.

“I was worried that you’d hole up at your computer all morning,” she teased, leaning down to kiss the corner of his mouth. “And I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen.”

Lex turned his head slightly and said against her lips, “It won’t.”

It didn’t.


* * *


Lex couldn’t play with Chloe all day, but she didn’t mind. They had a wonderful morning and, after a nap, Chloe decided to do some more snorkeling while Lex got some work done.

Two of the bodyguards took her to the part of the resort beach with the best access to the coral reef. The resort was in such an enviable position that guests didn’t even need to take a boat out to snorkel. They could just walk into the water from the beach.

Chloe had a wonderful hour of snorkeling and marveling over the colorful fish and exotic coral formations in the crystal clear water.

When she headed back to where she’d left her stuff on the beach, carrying her snorkel, mask and fins, she was vaguely surprised not to see the bodyguards where she’d last noticed them.

But she was wet and tired and just dropped her snorkeling gear on the sand and picked up her towel to dry off.

When she heard someone approaching behind her, she assumed it was one of the guards. So she had a smile on her face when she turned around.

The smile froze and then disappeared.

Lionel Luthor stood in front of her, looking woefully uncharacteristic in sandals, beach shorts and a t-shirt, the tropical breeze blowing his wild, graying hair.

“Wha—“ she choked, looking around in a panic but seeing no one except some fellow snorkelers in the distance.

“You look surprised, Miss Sullivan,” Lionel said. “I apologize if I startled you, but I’ve been having some trouble catching you without any number of unwanted hangers-on.”

Chloe’s throat felt like it was closing up. “What do you want?” she managed to ask.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I know you believe I do, but that has never been my intention.”

She gave an ironic snort, finally able to summon some of her courage and control. “And that’s why you’ve been chasing me all over the world? Because you don’t want to hurt me?”

He lifted his bushy eyebrows. “I’ve been tracing you because we need to have a conversation, and my tunnel-visioned son has consistently made that impossible.”

She thought about her options. She could knee him in the groin and try to run. It might work. But it might not. And it might be better not to anger him. Lionel out of control was not a man she wanted to confront.

She’d use that strategy if it became necessary. But it wouldn’t hurt her to humor him now and have a conversation. “All right. Let’s talk. What did you want to say to me?”

“I appreciate the opportunity.”

Chloe snarled, hating the silky civility that masked his empty soul. “If you hadn’t already figured it out, I’m not going to rat you out. Your secret is safe with me.”

“I realize that,” he said.

“Then why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“My concern at the beginning of the month was that the privileged information you became aware of might fall into the wrong hands because of your foolishness.” He managed to make the whole thing sound natural and above board, rather than a series of threats and blackmail. “But I now realize that’s not the case. I do, however, now have another concern.”

“And what’s that?” Chloe wished she was wearing something more than her swimsuit. While it wasn’t a bikini or particularly revealing, she felt underdressed and vulnerable.

“Your relationship with my son.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’ve never been a real father to him. Now you’re going to say you don’t think I’m worthy of him?”

“No, no, Miss Sullivan. You misunderstand. It’s your well-being I’m concerned about. Not his.”

“This is ridiculous. Why are you wasting my time with this crap?”

“You don’t believe me? I’ve always been brutally honest with myself about my son’s weaknesses. Women are one of them. You know his history with women?”

“Of course,” Chloe said, a hard edge in her voice. “What’s your point?”

“He uses them. He always has. And I’m surprised you’re so willing to let him use you now.”

Chloe’s heart had been pounding painfully with fear. Now it was pounding with something else. “What are you talking about?”

“I do understand that you felt trapped—I was angry after our last conversation and I may have overreacted. Perhaps I can even understand why you turned to Lex. But I would have expected you to be careful in your dealings with him, particularly after what happened last time. I thought you would have protected your heart better.”

Chilly ripples ran through her spine, but she didn’t show any reaction in her expression. “My heart is not in danger. Would it really be a surprise if you were to learn that our marriage isn’t exactly what it seems?”

“I know it started that way. But it isn’t so now.” He stepped forward, tilted his head down as he spoke so his breath blew over her skin. “You were on the beach yesterday evening. Not a private location. Did you really think no one would see?”

Chloe jerked her head away from him, nausea churning in her belly as she felt exposed to Lionel in the most intimate of ways.

“So my concern remains,” Lionel said, “He used you once. Will you really let him use you again?”

“He’s not using me,” she insisted, sure of that at least.

“Isn’t he?”

“And it wasn’t like he set out to use me before either. It just . . . it just happened.” She closed her eyes, still hurting over what had happened in Smallville, how her poor heart had been battered.

“Did it?”

She was so angry now her teeth practically snapped as she hissed, “What the hell does that mean?”

“You seem set on always painting me in a negative light and always painting my son in a positive one. But life is far more complicated than that.”

Chloe just stared at him blankly. There wasn’t anything he could say that could convince her that Lex wasn’t the man she knew. And she wondered why he was wasting his time trying to do so.

“I’m sure you won’t believe me—not based purely on my testimony. Fortunately, I have proof.” Lionel held up a small digital recorder.

“You can take your fortunate evidence and stick it up your—“

“Miss Sullivan,” Lionel broke in with a dangerous laugh. “I won’t force it on you.” He leaned down and placed the little device on the sand at her feet. “If you’d like to hear it, if you’d like to know the truth, then you can listen to it.”

Two of Lex’s guards fell in on Lionel then, one of them grabbing him by the arms and twisting them behind his back.

Lionel barely reacted—as if he’d expected as much. And he spoke to Chloe as if the men weren’t even there. “But perhaps you’ll keep in mind after this that I don’t always have monstrous intentions. I might not be the man you think I am.” He glanced over in the direction of the villa, although they were too far away to see it. “And my son might not be as well.”

Chloe stood frozen as the guards dragged him away. She didn’t know where they were taking him, and she didn’t care.

She stared down at the little device at her feet. She could just leave it, ignore it, knowing Lionel was full of lies and nothing he told her could be believed.

But she’d never been able to resist learning answers—even when the answers would only hurt. It wasn’t in her nature to walk away from an unsolved puzzle.

So Chloe leaned down to pick up the digital recorder after all.

She pressed play. Heard two voices she recognized. One of them Lionel’s. One of them Lex’s.

The recording started with some tense greetings and vague, confrontational gambits. It was obvious to Chloe that it was a conversation recorded on one of Lex’s visits to his father in prison.

Soon, their discussion became more pointed.

“I suppose it makes you feel accomplished, hiding Chloe Sullivan the way you have.” Lionel had spoken and, when Lex didn’t answer, he continued, “No hiding place is invulnerable, you know.”

“What makes you think I know where Chloe is?”

“Let’s put aside the facades, shall we? Of course, you know where she is. But you should start to wonder whether she’ll be as easy to manipulate as you think. You may need to question your confidence in her loyalty to you.”

“She’ll be loyal.”

Lionel laughed. “I hope you haven’t developed any foolish feelings for her. She’s rather young and rough around the edges for your taste—but I guess I could see the appeal.”

“There are no foolish feelings involved,” Lex said, his voice cool, almost ruthless. “But she’ll be loyal to me. She’ll testify against you. I’ve made sure of it.”

“Ah,” Lionel said, with a tone of enlightenment. “What have you done to the poor child?”

Lex didn’t answer, and Chloe could vividly imagine what his expression would have been.

“I see,” Lionel went on in evident amusement. “Have you seduced her then to ensure her loyalty? I hadn’t expected you to be so . . . enterprising.”

“I use whatever means are available.”

“Very jaded of you. I’m almost impressed. But now I pity the child when she finds out.”

“There’s no need for her to find out. I can let her down gently. Unlike you, I don’t hurt people merely for the joy of doing so.”

“Hmm,” Lionel murmured. “Interesting. I hope it hasn’t been an unpleasant duty for you. She’s very young and inexperienced.”

“Yes, she is. But at least she’s . . . enthusiastic.”

The sound of Lionel’s laughter broke out until the recorder clicked to a stop.

Chloe just stood on the beach, wet and bedraggled and absolutely devastated, and stared at the little device in her hand.

She wasn’t crying. Wasn’t shaking. She was just numb.

As her mind started to process everything, a wave of pain slammed into her. But she didn’t give in to it. Not yet.

This recording came from Lionel. And it might not be trustworthy. Yes, she clearly recognized both voices. She could even imagine their expressions and postures as it took place. It felt absolutely real to her.

But she couldn’t be sure. Not until she talked to Lex.

She had started to turn back toward the villa when four more of Lex’s security staff suddenly surrounded her, urgent with guns drawn. “Mrs. Luthor,” one of them said, “You need to come with us.”

Chloe went without argument. She didn’t ask questions. She didn’t speak at all. She didn’t really notice what was going on around her. And all she could hear were the voices on that recording.

She was numb.

But she’d trusted Lex. And that didn’t go away after overhearing one dubious conversation—no matter how heartbreaking it was.

She would talk to Lex first. She would discover how true the conversation was.

She’d thought she knew him. Surely she hadn’t been so incredibly wrong.

They’d already been married twenty days.
 
Chapter Twenty-One

December 21


The rest of the day had gone in a fog. The guards had taken her on a boat—off the island completely. She’d talked to Lex briefly on the phone, but it had been purely practical, his giving her instructions and letting her know he was all right.

The guards took her to another island of Fiji to a house that was more like a fortress—surrounded by walls, cameras, and armed personnel.

If they’d wanted to keep Lionel out completely, they should have spent the entire month in a place like that. But Chloe had said she didn’t want to live like that. And Lex had managed to keep her safe anyway.

It was after midnight before Lex finally rejoined her. She didn’t know where he’d been. She hadn’t been terribly worried. Lionel wasn’t going to hurt Lex. Or her. Lionel had already done what he’d come here to do.

So Chloe just sat on a leather chair in an unfamiliar house. She was shivering a little bit, since she was still wearing her swimsuit, although it was dry now and she had a sweat shirt and shorts over it. But she felt like she was in a thick haze, and she was barely aware of the shivering.

Or anything really.

She’d refused food and refused drink. She’d refused to go to bed or change clothes.

She still held the digital recorder in both of her hands.

And she waited.

Lex burst into the room, without any warning. “Chloe,” he said thickly, taking three long strides over and pulling her up into his arms. “Honey, are you all right?”

He was warm and hard and utterly safe. And he smelled just as wonderfully Lex-like as always. His arms were tight and needy, and she didn’t pull away.

But she didn’t really hug him back.

She was too numb to do anything.

“I’m so sorry,” Lex said, his face buried in her tangled hair, “I should have done better. I should have kept you hidden away where he could never find you.”

She didn’t like the agonized guilt in his voice. It had somehow penetrated through the fog. She tried to speak but all that came out was a croak. So she cleared her voice and tried again. “He didn’t hurt me. And I told you not to hide me away. I wouldn’t have let you.” Her voice sounded strange, kind of shrill.

Lex must have heard something in her voice because he drew away and peered down at her face. “Chloe, what’s the matter? What did he do to you?”

“Nothing.” She pulled out of his arms. Instinctively, she wanted to burrow into him—hide from everything and never come out. But she couldn’t find out what she needed to know unless she pulled away. “He just talked.”

Lex knew now that something was wrong. He must have seen it on her face, in her glazed expression. He moved into crisis-mode – every sense attuned and his mind working at lightning speed. Very carefully, very gently, he asked, “What did he say, Chloe?”

“A lot. I didn’t believe him.”

“Good. You know you can’t believe anything he says.”

“I didn’t.” She felt like she was deep in a dark tunnel, only a glimmer of light in the distance. She extended her hand with the digital recorder. “He gave me this.”

Lex reached out and took it. His eyes darted from the device to Chloe’s face. “What’s on it?”

Chloe gave a vague shrug. There was no way she could possible describe the horrible things she’d heard on that recording.

Lex hit play. Chloe mentally blocked out the conversation as best she could. She really didn’t want to hear it again. Instead she watched Lex’s face.

There was anger and indignation in his expression at first. But as the discussion progressed, something changed. His face took on that perfectly composed control that she recognized very well. And the thing she had been praying not to see flickered in his eyes.

A guilty acknowledgment.

When the recording finally clicked off, Chloe said stiltedly, “I didn’t believe . . . I mean, I couldn’t believe that would be you. That you would say such a thing. About me.” She made herself meet his eyes. “Did you?”

Lex opened his mouth and then closed it again. He rubbed his forehead between his fingers and thumb. “Chloe, it’s not what you think.”

That told her absolutely nothing. “Did you say it?”

“I did,” Lex admitted, his voice cracking slightly, “But, honey, but it’s not the way it sounds.”

She felt a ridiculous flutter of hope. “It’s not? Is the conversation altered somehow? Is there more to it? Or did he . . . did he change things?” All of those things had been at the back of her mind for hours, any sort of explanation she could live with.

There was a long painful pause before Lex said, “No. The conversation happened as you hear it.”

“Oh.” Her mouth was dry. She felt a chill come over her, the only protection she had against a well of emotions she couldn’t possibly handle. “I see.”

Lex leaned down a little, peering into her face with a scrutiny that terrified her.

She couldn’t let him see how this devastated her, how much he had hurt her. She wouldn’t lose her pride, on top of everything else. She gave him a hard little smile. “Kind of crass, don’t you think?”

Lex blinked, as if she’d surprised him. He peered at her some more. “Chloe, I know it sounds terrible, but it’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it?” she asked, lifting her eyebrows in a remarkably controlled expression, considering.

“I had to—“ He broke off his words, glancing away from her as if he couldn’t say what needed to be said.

“You had to use me?” Chloe asked with a little laugh. “I understood as much. I can see why you would think so.”

“Chloe, don’t do this. That was ten years ago and it’s all twisted.” Lex took her face in his hands so urgently it almost hurt. “Don’t let that come between us now.”

She’d been praying—desperately praying—that he’d have an explanation. She’d been waiting for one. Asked for one.

But there didn’t seem to be one.

It just was what it was.

The chill went deeper, allowing her to say with an ironic lilt in her voice. “I know it’s been a while, but it kind of matters to me. I knew we weren’t serious, but I hadn’t known it was like that.”

“It wasn’t like that, Chloe. It wasn’t.” He’d dropped his hands, and his fingers were clenched at his sides.

“Then what was it?”

He opened his mouth again, something twisting on his face. Then he closed it once more, his eyes boring holes into her, as if he were trying to see into her soul.

She couldn’t understand it at all. But she knew what she needed to know.

“We’ve had a good time,” she said, with as much disinterest as she could muster given that it felt like her chest had been pried open, “But we can’t go on like we have. Not now. It’s been fun. But I can’t be with you, knowing that you were like that back then.”

“Chloe, honey, don’t do this.” She’d never heard Lex sound so desperate, so out of control. “It doesn’t have to change what we have now. It wasn’t like that.”

Chloe wanted this not to be so much that she gave him one more chance to explain. “Then what was it? Just tell me what it was, if it wasn’t that.”

She waited, her heart pounding, a splinter of ice down her spine, her fingers trembling so badly she twisted them together in front of her. Felt her ring—Lex’s merchant ring. Wrapped her right hand around it.

Something seemed to be tearing Lex apart, but she couldn’t possibly understand what it was.

It seemed so simple to her. If he had an explanation, he could tell her. He could make it all go away. They could stay together.

He seemed to want them to stay together.

Which meant he must not have an explanation.

If he admitted it, explained the context, apologized, and told her he still wanted to pursue a relationship, she thought she could have forgiven him. It would have hurt—terribly—that he’d taken advantage of her innocence, her affection, her soft and so young heart, merely to ensure her loyalty to him—but it was ten years ago and he was different now.

But he hadn’t apologized. Hadn’t said anything.

And she just couldn’t do this.

She pulled off her rings—the merchant ring and her wedding ring—and she put them down carefully on a side table.

She loved both of the rings so much, and it hurt so much to give them back.

“Thank you,” she managed to say, “For helping me. For protecting me. I do appreciate it. But I’d like to please go home now.”

Then she turned around and left the room. Asked the first guard she saw where her bedroom was.

Then she locked the door, showered and crawled under the covers. Cried for a really long time.

But she cried quietly, since she wasn’t about to let Lex hear how much he’d hurt her.

It would be a little while before they could officially get divorced, but as far as she was concerned, this was the last day of their marriage.

They’d only been married twenty-one days.

 
Chapter Twenty-Two

December 22


Lex ended up taking her to the Smallville mansion.

Chloe had wanted him to just take her home—to her apartment, without any security and away from Lex completely. But Lex had refused. He said stiffly that he understood she didn’t want anything to do with him, but he had given his word that he’d keep her safe, and he was going to do so.

Chloe had told him that Lionel didn’t want to kill her, but Lex said they had no real way of knowing that.

So they’d compromised on the Smallville mansion. It already had a massive security system in place, and Smallville felt kind of like home to Chloe too.

It wasn’t like her own apartment in Metropolis. But at least it wasn’t an unfamiliar, luxurious suite in another country with Lex.

They arrived late the previous night, and Chloe had gone right to bed. The flight had been hard—being at such close quarters with Lex but trying desperately not to let him see how much she was hurting.

She responded every time Lex said something, but it was obvious to both of them that casual conversation was impossible. Chloe had pretended to sleep a lot and the rest of the time she pretended to watch movies.

Most of the time she was replaying in her head the terrible words she’d heard Lex say. Lex, whom she’d seen be so gentle and tender, had heartlessly told his father, “There are no foolish feelings involved. But she’ll be loyal to me. She’ll testify against you. I’ve made sure of it.”

He seduced her to ensure her loyalty. And he’d talked about her crassly to his father, agreeing that she was young and inexperienced but adding that she was at least “enthusiastic.” Chloe cringed every time she heard the words again in her head, and she berated herself for being such a fool.

Perhaps it could be justified when she was seventeen. How was she supposed to know that Lex’s passionate touch wasn’t sincere? How was she supposed to know that his soft eyes were the mask of a secret agenda?

But she was twenty-seven now. An adult. And she’d fallen in love with him again.

The next morning, she woke up early, but she didn’t come out of her room until late. Lex was working in the library, but she didn’t go to find him there. The library had too many memories—so many evenings they’d spent there in front of the fire, laying the groundwork for his father’s arrest and conviction.

She was resolved not to mope all day, though. It was only a couple more days until Christmas, and things weren’t poised now for a very good one.

But she was going to do something. For herself, if no one else. So she asked one of the guards if someone could go out and get some Christmas decorations for her.

Chloe never knew exactly who had gone to buy them, but a couple of hours later she was sitting in front of a pile of lights, garland, ribbon, stockings, wreathes, and miscellaneous ornaments.

She didn’t have a tree, but she would do what she could without one.

She managed to find some Christmas music on the radio, and she turned it up, hoping it would push her into some semblance of Christmas spirit. Then she went to the kitchen and found some cider, which she heated up on the stove and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.

She took her hot cider into the parlor, which she’d decided was the room she would make her Christmas room. It was the natural room for Christmas decorations. Not only did it have a huge fireplace and mantle, but it also had traditional windows rather than the weird stained glass of the library and it had a big space in one corner that would be the perfect place for a Christmas tree. Not that she had a tree.

She strung the garland up on the mantle, weaving white lights into it and pinning two gorgeous red and gold bows on either side. Then she hung up the four stockings they’d brought her. And she placed two bronze-colored sculpted snowflakes on the mantle and hung a wreath above them.

Pleased with the effect, she went over to the windows. Using a ladder, she was able to string the windows with more white lights and pull back the curtains with thick gold ribbons.

She placed some more bronze decorations—shaped as Christmas trees and Santas—on various end tables. And she made a very pretty display of candles and holly on the middle of the coffee table. And she hung some more wreathes up on the walls.

Once she’d used up all of her decorations, she looked around the room and nodded in satisfaction. It looked really good.

When she still felt a heavy feeling in her gut, she decided she needed more Christmas spirit. So, after several false starts, she managed to build a fire in the fireplace. And then she went to the kitchen to find some marshmallows and metal skewers.

Her first marshmallow fell into the fire.

She stared at the burnt sweet in the flames. For some reason, she remembered sitting in front of a fire with Lex—in this same house, ten years ago.

She started to cry.

She tried to get herself under control, but the more she cried, the more things came back to her. All of the laughing and teasing. The sweet, hot kisses. The rings that looked so right on her hand. The way he called her “honey”—not in a silly way but as if he really meant it. How hard she’d tried not to take him seriously. And then the beach on Fiji when she’d finally let herself believe that they might have a future.

She was sobbing now, kneeling on the floor in front of the fire with a ridiculous metal skewer in her hand. She tried to stop. Tried to be quiet. Lex wasn’t that far away, and she’d be mortified if he heard her.

She hadn’t had any success in pulling herself together when she became aware of someone else in the room.

Before she could even turn to see who it was, a strong arm pulled her around, pulled her against a familiar chest.

“Chloe, honey, don’t. Please don’t cry.” Lex had knelt on the floor beside her and pulled her into his arms.

Chloe sobbed even harder—his presence, his comfort, making it hurt so much more.

“Chloe, I’m so sorry,” Lex said roughly, his arms holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it had hurt you so much. I’m so sorry. Please don’t cry. You’re killing me.”

When his words managed to process in her head, she jerked away from him with an outraged gasp. “Not hurt? You bastard. You broke my heart. Of course, it hurt!” For a moment, she had the almost irresistible impulse to pound him on the chest like every romance heroine she’d ever read, but she managed to resist the silly urge.

Instead, she tried to get up. Lex had frozen strangely when she spoke, but now he grabbed her again, keeping her on the floor with him by the tight grip on her upper arms. “What did you say?”

“I said, of course, it hurt!” Her anger had actually helped her get control of her emotions. “You treated me like trash. Like I was nothing to you. How could it not hurt?” She rubbed at her cheeks impatiently, trying to wipe away the tears. “I was hoping it wasn’t true. That it wasn’t like it seemed. I trusted you! I thought . . . But it was exactly what it sounded like.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Lex objected hoarsely, his expression tight and urgent and his eyes burning with a fire she didn’t understand. “It wasn’t what it sounded like.”

“Then what was it?” Chloe demanded, almost in tears again. “You said it, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I said it. But I didn’t mean it. It was all a lie.”

Chloe blinked, his urgent face blurring in front of her. “Lex, I don’t understand,” she whispered.

“I know you don’t, honey,” Lex rasped, pulling her into another hug. “I should have told you yesterday, but I was . . . I was scared.”

She pulled away again, but this time just so she could look up into his face. “Scared of what?”

“To tell you the truth.” Lex groaned a little and rubbed his face. “Chloe, listen to me. This is the truth. I couldn’t let my father know how I felt about you back then. I couldn’t. It would reveal a weakness to him that he would never have stopped exploiting.”

She felt foggy again. But not the numb fogginess of before. It seemed like the entire world was shuddering in anticipation. “A weakness?”

“You.” Lex looked away, into the fire. His face twisted, evidence of how hard this was for him to say. “My feelings for you were a weakness. If he knew, he would be more of a threat to both of us. So I had to lie—I had to make him believe something that wasn’t true.”

Chloe’s hand went up to cover her mouth. “So . . . so . . .”

Lex grabbed her hand and held it in both of his. “So I didn’t mean any of it. I never used you like that.”

The ice was cracking around her heart, and tears were streaming down her face again. “But why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

“Because . . .” He trailed off, looking away from her again. But then he made himself continue. “Because it’s so ludicrously hard for me to admit how I feel. Because you didn’t seem to care that much about what you had learned. And, if you didn’t care, I couldn’t risk admitting that I was in love with you back then.”

“You were?” Chloe felt like she was beaming beneath her tears.

Lex looked sheepish and uncomfortable. “Yes. I was. It never should have happened. I didn’t mean for it to happen. But then I kept falling deeper and deeper, until I was hopelessly tangled up with you.”

“But why . . . If you loved me, why did you dump me?”

Lex made a sound like a groan and stroked her hand with both of his thumbs. “I didn’t know what else to do. We couldn’t have gone on like we were. You were only seventeen. And I was so much older. We couldn’t have taken it public. Can you imagine your father? Your friends?”

It made sense to Chloe now. It wouldn’t have made sense to her back then—she would have been outraged at the idea of breaking up because of the age difference—but she was older now. She knew how awkward it would have been. “But we could have kept it secret until I was older.”

“I know. I thought about that. I thought about everything that would have possibly let me keep you. But I couldn’t think of any way it would work. With my father. And all the danger. And I was involved in things back then that would have made it . . . I wasn’t ready for a real relationship—no matter how much I wanted one.”

“Oh, Lex,” Chloe breathed, her hands lifting up to cup his face. “I wish you had told me. I was in love with you too.”

For just a moment, his eyes transformed. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. But then he said, “I wish I’d known too, although even now I’m not sure how we would have worked it out.”

“Maybe we wouldn’t have been able to. But at least I would have known that you cared about me.”

“I assumed you already knew that.” His brows drew together, as if he was genuinely confused.

Chloe huffed. “How would I ever know that? You’re the most close-mouthed person I’ve ever known. Even yesterday, you weren’t going to say anything.”

“I know,” Lex admitted, leaning down to press kisses on her mouth, “I have a real problem with that.”

“Yes, you do,” Chloe agreed, her arms twining up to kiss him back.

His kisses were hot and hard and sweet all at once, and Chloe’s body reacted eagerly. Her heart felt like it was going to spill over as she responded to the touch of his lips, his hands. As they kissed, she stroked his bald head until he groaned. The heat from the fireplace seemed to radiate into their urgency until Chloe felt like a flame herself.

She’d never seen Lex like this—hungry, needy, possessive and vulnerable. And, as their embrace intensified, Chloe realized he was sharing himself with her in a way he never had before. Not once in all these years.

It meant something to Chloe. Something really important. She knew the change in Lex was significant. And she made sure to show him how much she valued it.

After a long interval, they ended up on the bearskin rug in front of the fire. Finally, Chloe rested her head on his chest and felt a moment of pure contentment. “Did you see how pretty I decorated the room?” she asked.

“I was a little distracted before. But it does look very nice.”

“But you don’t even like Christmas.”

“Maybe it will grow on me.”

“What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?” Chloe asked teasingly, propping herself up on her arm to look down at him.

He was lying on his back, a smile hovering on his lips. His eyes took on a significant look.

Chloe swatted him playfully. “Be serious.”

“I have no idea, Chloe. Seriously.” He reached up to stroke her flushed cheek. “What do you want?”

She snorted, knowing that anything she said Lex would get for her. So she quipped, “I’ll be happy if Santa comes at all.”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“I thought maybe your Grinch-like attitude might scare him away.”

Lex laughed and pulled her back down beside him. “I’m sure I can negotiate something reasonable with him. I’m good at negotiations.”

Chloe smiled fondly. “I know you are.”

She was exhausted and comfortable and happy. And her relationship, her marriage, her world hadn’t fallen apart after all.

Lex had loved her ten years ago. As much as she’d loved him.

He hadn’t said anything about his feelings now, but she knew it was more than casual. He’d opened up to her at last. He’d told her how he used to feel.

And then he’d showed her how he felt.

So she was sure that, eventually, when he was certain of his own feelings and he was comfortable, he would speak them out loud.

It was clear he cared about her. He wanted this to continue. At this point, that was more than enough for Chloe.

It hadn’t really been that long as relationships went.

After all, they’d only been married twenty-two days.
 
Chapter Twenty-Three

December 23


Chloe woke up happy the following morning. It wasn’t exactly the giddiness of a couple of days ago. She’d experienced too much in the last two days to feel unabashedly giddy.

But she was happy. And she was hopeful. And it was almost Christmas.

All very good things.

She glanced out the window of her bedroom as she headed to the bathroom and noticed that the sky was gray and overcast. With the little flutter of excitement, she wondered if it would maybe snow.

She’d greatly enjoyed the sun they’d had over the last few weeks. But it was only two days until Christmas now, and she would love some snow.

When she’d showered and dressed, she headed downstairs and had to look in several rooms before she found Lex in the library. Predictably, he was working.

“You’ve got to stop that soon,” Chloe said tartly, “It’s almost Christmas and it’s time for a vacation.”

Lex leaned back in his chair, smiling as he watched her approach. “I’ve been on vacation for twenty-two days.”

“That didn’t count, since you worked half the time then anyway.”

He reached an arm out toward her and drew her into a kiss. “Did you have something else in mind for today?” he asked, a husky edge to his voice.

Chloe straightened up and grinned down at him. “I did. We need to get a Christmas tree!”

Lex groaned. “Please don’t tell me you’re expecting me to go out and chop one down.”

Laughing delightedly, Chloe assured him that wasn’t required. “But we need to get one and decorate it at least.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” Lex smiled at her, something soft and intimate in his eyes. “I do have to catch up a little today, but we’ll do the Christmas tree thing this evening.”

Chloe decided this was a reasonable plan.

The day actually went rather quickly. She followed through on a few plans of her own—aided by a couple of the security staff who found at least one of the errands she sent them on absolutely hilarious. She also helped to arrange for the Christmas tree to be brought to the mansion. She gave directions for size and dimensions and what was appropriate and inappropriate in terms of color and fullness.

Then she wrote out a shopping list and asked if it was all right if she went out to the grocery store if she were escorted by a full contingent of bodyguards. Lex reluctantly agreed, although Chloe was absolutely positive that Lionel had no plans to kill her.

She was quite convinced now that Lionel had never wanted to kill her.

It was a conceivable response from Lionel—something that was in his character when he was placed in such a situation. But it wasn’t the route he chose this time.

He must have realized early on that Chloe wasn’t going to reveal the information she knew about the Kyring project. But he’d been angry that Lex had outmaneuvered him. Angry that Lex had forced his hand. So he’d responded by making it clear that Chloe and Lex were still within Lionel’s net.

He’d given Chloe that recorded conversation in order to rip her away from Lex. In a twisted way, Lionel was probably convinced it was the only appropriate response to Lex’s ripping Chloe out of Lionel’s grip.

To someone else, it might seem ludicrous that Lionel had invested so much of his time and resources on tracking Chloe down merely to prove a point to his son.

But, as far as Chloe was concerned, that was exactly what he’d done.

Chloe enjoyed her trip to the grocery store, and she had a lovely afternoon fixing some festive snacks for their tree trimming that evening.

She was delighted when she went into the parlor and found a sixteen-foot balsam fir in a perfect pyramid shape, filling the room with a delicious piney fragrance.

She clapped her hands and went to find Lex, who was just coming out of the library.

“Did you see it?” she asked, going over to grab his arm.

“The tree? No. Not yet.”

“It’s perfect! I can’t wait to decorate it.”

“What are we going to put on it?”

Chloe blinked, suddenly taken aback by something she really should have thought about before. “You mean you don’t have any ornaments?”

Lex looked a little sheepish and gave a half-shrug. “Maybe. There’s tons of stuff in storage. We could look.”

She frowned thoughtfully, trying to figure out the best way to solve this problem. “Yeah. If not, we can make do. I’m sure you have plenty of stuff around here we can string together for garland and such.” Perking up, she added, “It will be fun!”

Lex gave her a skeptical look, but they went up to the attic to scrounge around. They didn’t find any legitimate Christmas decorations, but they found plenty of things that could be turned into makeshift tree trimming options.

She and Lex lugged their loot down to the parlor.

Chloe wiped her forehead. “Ugh. Now I’m all hot and dusty. Maybe I should take a shower.”

“Good plan. I could use one too.” Lex’s lips twitched. “And I suppose you want to make a big event of this so you’ll expect me to wear something festive.”

Chloe smothered a giggle and gave a sober nod. “Yes. A Christmas sweater, if you have one. If you don’t, I can give you one of your presents early. It’s a Rudolph sweater with a nose that really glows.”

Lex’s eyes widened slightly before he realized she was teasing. Then he laughed and said, “I’m quite sure you have too soft a heart to do such a thing to me.”

“When did you get to be such an optimist?”

They went to their respective rooms to shower and dress. Chloe, getting a sudden impulse, decided to put on the mulberry wrap dress Lex had bought her at the boutique in Aix.

It was obviously a little dressy for a simple evening at home, but she hadn’t gotten the chance to wear it yet, and the color felt festive without being too obviously Christmassy.

She felt a little self-conscious as she went down to find Lex lighting a fire in the fireplace, but when she saw his expression as he saw her in the dress, she decided it had been a very good decision.

They spent a couple of hours trimming the tree. It was actually quite a production, since they had to make nearly all of their decorations. They had colored lights, thanks to Lex’s resourceful security staff, so they did those first. Lex had ironically suggested popcorn garlands, but Chloe had given that suggestion the dirty look it deserved. They did string fresh cranberries into garlands, since Chloe had always thought they were pretty. And Lex spent an inordinately long time punching holes into old wine corks so he could string them together with ribbon—which he’d thought would make an excellent decoration. While he was doing that, Chloe tied pretty bows with gold and silver ribbon that she placed throughout the tree, and she managed to hang some of the other things they’d found in the attic: fancy buttons, old coins, small panes of stained glass, and an odd collection of miniature teapots.

She assumed it wasn’t Lionel who had collected the teapots.

Lex was as focused on his tree trimming tasks as he was at everything else. Chloe had a marvelous time watching him mull through possibilities, sort out the best plan of attack, overcome obstacles like a very tall tree and a shortage of string, and observe his successes with a satisfied air of accomplishment.

As they worked, they had the eggnog, brie with cherry chutney and bread, pesto torte, and Christmas cookies she’d made that afternoon.

They’d almost finished when Chloe realized they had nothing for the top of the tree. She sighed as she gazed up at it. “I suppose we can just put one of the teapots up there instead of a star.”

Lex gave her a faintly indignant look. “I’ve resigned myself to having teapots on my tree. But I’ll be damned if I have one at the very top.”

“What would you suggest then?”

“I don’t know.” Lex’s brows drew together, the way they always did when he was thinking hard. Then something seemed to occur to him. “I’ll be right back.”

He returned in a few minutes with something that looked like a big gold star with a hole in the middle of it.

“Oh! Perfect!” Chloe asked, coming over and looking at the trinket in awe. It was absolutely ideal for the top of the tree. “What is it?”

Lex glanced away. Didn’t answer.

“Lex,” she demanded, “What is it? It is some sort of instrument of torture or something?”

He cleared his throat. “Well, honestly, it’s an ornamental mace head. It’s Vicus. That’s a pre-Columbian culture in Peru.” He turned the mace head around in his hand. “See, they would have put it on a staff like this.” He gestured toward the hole in the middle of the star shape.

Chloe gasped. “And then it would have been used to bash people’s heads open?”

“This one is probably just for ceremony. It’s gold-plated. And maybe three-thousand years old.” His lips quivered. “I’m sure this one didn’t bloody too many heads.”

“And you happen to have it in the mansion?” Chloe stared at Lex in wonder. “You’re kind of weird, you know?”

“I’ve long suspected that.”

Chloe laughed and gave Lex a kiss. Then she climbed up the ladder they’d been using and perched the gold-plated Vicus mace head on the top of their Christmas tree.

She decided the evening had been a success.

After they finished, she brought some of their uneaten snacks back into the kitchen, and when she returned she found Lex talking on the phone.

Her first instinct was annoyance, but she managed to smother it. Lex probably was genuinely behind with his work, and it was fine if he needed to take a call at the end of an otherwise wonderful evening.

In order to not look like she was sitting impatiently waiting for him to get off the phone, Chloe straightened up the room a little – picking up stray cranberries and ribbon, rearranging the red throw they’d put around the tree stand, and wiping off the table where the food had been.

But as she worked, she couldn’t help but hear Lex’s side of the conversation.

“I realize that,” Lex said, staring at the fire and sounding rather put upon. “But I am recently married and we are planning to spend the holiday at home.”

There was a pause while the other person talked. Then Lex responded, “Even so, I don’t think I can go. We are technically still on our honeymoon, and attending a social event for business purposes isn’t high on my list of priorities.”

Chloe smiled to herself, wondering if Lex was just using their marriage as an excuse to get out of something he didn’t want to do or if he was really trying to take their relationship seriously and not bail on her for a work event.

The conversation continued, but mostly with Lex saying, “I realize that” and “We’ll manage.” When he hung up, he shook his head and looked annoyed.

“What are you missing that you should be going to?”

“Nothing,” Lex said, curling up his lip.

Chloe frowned. “It was something.”

“Nothing I should be going to, I mean,” Lex clarified. “There’s just the big Christmas Eve ball tomorrow that they want me to attend—because it offers good publicity for LexCorp. But it’s nothing I can’t miss.”

“Oh. Well, you can go if you need to.” She really didn’t want him to leave her on Christmas Eve to attend some fancy ball, but she also didn’t want to hold him back from things he needed to do.

Lex rolled his eyes. “Did you really think I would leave you by yourself? Obviously, if I went, you’d come with me.” He gave her a familiar look a close scrutiny. “You’re my wife, after all.”

Chloe felt her cheeks warm with pleasure over the reminder. “Oh. Right.” She grinned at him. “In that case, I wouldn’t mind going. It might be fun.”

“I thought you’d want to stay here and have a Norman Rockwell type Christmas Eve.” There was a warm edge of irony in his tone.

She made a face at him. “I’m not that sentimental. Give me a little credit. I just want you to have a good Christmas. If going to that ball is a good thing for you, then I’m fine with it.” She shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind dressing up pretty and going along.”

Lex smiled and reached an arm out toward her. “Come here,” he murmured from the leather chair on which he was sitting.

Chloe went over willingly, but she said as he pulled her into his lap. “You know, I’m starting to think you’re kind of lazy—always making me come over to where you’re sitting.”

He pulled her down into a kiss. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

After a long, tender kiss, she leaned against him, her arms around his neck and her lips skimming over the side of his head—pressing wet little kisses on his smooth scalp. “Seriously, Lex. We can go.”

His hand rested on her hip and he tilted his head so he could look at her face. “My father will be there.”

Chloe’s heart quickened momentarily, but then she mulled things over. And she thought of some of the plans she’d made today. It might work well for her to confront Lionel tomorrow anyway. “That will be fine. Let’s just get it over with and see him then. I assume he’s not going to try to mow me down with bullets in the middle of gathered Metropolis high society.”

Lex acknowledged that this wasn’t a strong possibility. Then he added, almost diffidently, “I have another favor to ask of you, Chloe.”

She looked down at him with surprise and pressed another kiss on his head, this one nearer to the forehead. “What is it?”

He drew back a little and then edged one of his hands into his pocket. As he pulled it out, he murmured, “Do you think you might wear your rings again?”

He offered on the palm of his hand her wedding ring and the Renaissance merchant ring that had been his.

Chloe’s heart quickened again, and this time it didn’t ease up. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she stared down at her beloved rings with a little ache in her heart.

After taking a long, slow breath, she said, “Lex, I really don’t want to wear them . . .” At her first words, she saw something fall in his eyes. But she continued, “. . . unless I can wear them forever.”

Lex froze, and she was horribly afraid she’d gone too far, pushed too hard, made him draw back into his shell. She knew he cared about her. Knew he was attracted to her and wanted to pursue a relationship. But to assume that after just a month he was ready to commit to her in a genuine marriage was just too, too much.

“I know it’s too soon,” she hurried on, trying to take back the edge of what she said. “I’m not expecting you to be there yet. It’s fine. It really is. I’m really happy we’re together the way we are. But I don’t want to wear the rings unless they mean something for real. Forever.”

Something had changed on Lex’s face as she spoke. He wasn’t frozen anymore. “Chloe,” he said hoarsely, “Chloe, what are you talking about?”

Her cheeks burned. “I just was saying—“

“Do you think I’m not serious about you?” he asked, reaching up to take her face in his hands. “Chloe, I told you how I felt. What do you think this is about?”

“I didn’t mean I thought it was a fling or something. I know it’s not. But just because you loved me before doesn’t mean you’ll immediately love me again now. And we’ve only been together for less than a month so—“

Lex made a choking sound. “I thought you understood. I loved you then. I love you now. I’ve never stopped loving you, Chloe.”

Chloe’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

“You didn’t know?”

“How was I supposed to know?” she demanded, breathless and ecstatic and feeling like her head was going to fly off her body. “You never tell me anything, you big idiot!”

Lex gave a huff of laughter and wrapped his arms around her. “I told you before. I have a real problem about opening up.” His eyes changed then. “But I do love you.”

“I love you too,” she said, with a silly broken edge in her voice. It seemed absolutely too much to believe that the world would be offering her this. All she’d been really hoping for was a happy Christmas with Lex.

“So you’ll wear my rings?” Lex asked, opening again the hand in which he’d been gripping the rings.

Chloe nodded, suddenly so overcome with emotion that she couldn’t even speak.

Lex slipped the rings on her finger.

Chloe gasped and yanked her hand up as she realized the merchant ring suddenly fit her finger perfectly. “What happened?” she asked, peering at the aged gold.

“I had it resized for you,” he explained, glancing away from her briefly. “If you were going to wear it all the time, I thought it should fit.”

“Oh.” Chloe peered down, still loving the look of the rings on her hand and feeling a thrill of delight that she wouldn’t have to give them back. “Thank you.”

“I can give you a traditional diamond, if you want.”

“No!” she exclaimed, snatching her hand back as if he were going to take away her precious ring. “I want this one.”

Lex smiled. “Good. It’s yours.”

Chloe leaned down to kiss him, and neither pulled away for a long time.

For the first time all month, Chloe felt like she was really married to Lex, like she was really his wife, like he was really her husband. Like it was real and not just a sham.

They’d been married twenty-three days.

Chapter Twenty-Four

December 24


“You have nothing to be smug about,” Chloe huffed as she let Lex help her out of the limo. “It doesn’t mean you love me more than I love you.”

Lex smiled vaguely toward a group of photographers who were waiting to snap pictures of arriving guests. “Smile for the cameras,” he murmured.

Chloe changed her frown to a wide smile, and she took Lex’s arm as they walked into the Metropolis Grand Hotel, the same hotel they’d had their wedding reception and spent their wedding night. She said through her smile, “So don’t be smug.”

“I’m not smug,” Lex said, still smiling as he gazed down on her. The smile wasn’t terribly genuine—just for the benefit of the photographers and arriving guests. But he had a familiar glint of amusement in his eyes that was real. “I’m just entitled to some appreciation.”

Chloe’s smile vanished and she looked up him indignantly. “You happen to be moody and broody, and so it’s perfectly natural for you to dwell on having to break up with me for the last ten years. But I’m a happy person. I couldn’t brood that long. It doesn’t mean I completely got over you or I wouldn’t have been able to fall back in love with you so quickly.”

“Well, that’s true anyway.” Lex’s mouth was twitching now in her favorite way.

He was looking particularly devastating in traditional black-tie. Chloe, who was feeling uncharacteristically elegant in her emerald green evening gown, felt a silly girlish thrill at being escorted to one of the biggest social events in Metropolis by the most attractive and powerful man in the city.

Her husband.

“So you don’t get to be smug just because you happen to have brooding tendencies,” Chloe said, an ironic lilt to her voice.

Lex startled her then by swinging her around so that her back was to the wall of the hallway. In front of the other arriving guests, he leaned down to say into her ear. “It wasn’t just my brooding tendencies. I was in love with you all those years.”

Chloe stared up at him when he raised his head, and she forgot everyone else heading into the sparkling ballroom. She forgot everyone else in Metropolis. Everyone else in the world.

She was absolutely mesmerized by the shattering depth in Lex’s eyes. It was easy to forget—when so often Lex was the charming companion, the ultra-competent businessman, the natural politician—that he was also something else. He was also a man who felt things very deeply, whose passions ran so deep they could be frightening.

“But you married . . . you slept around . . . you . . .”

Lex released a thick breath. “I did. I kept looking for something to replace you. And I couldn’t find it.”

She stood on tiptoes so she could kiss him softly on the corner of his mouth. “Thank you for telling me,” she whispered.

She doubted it would ever be easy for him to express his feelings—even to her—so she was grateful for every time he did.

And his telling her that now meant everything.

They started back toward the ballroom, but Chloe could see he was a little unsettled, as if opening up, making himself vulnerable, so close to the waiting eyes of the city was almost more than he could handle.

He could handle it, of course. And Chloe poked him in the side. Hard.

He jerked his head over to glare down at her. “Smile for the fancy people,” she murmured, her eyes sparkling in a way she knew he’d respond to.

Lex chuckled, his brief mood vanishing.

Chloe’s gown was slinky, with a modest neckline but an almost non-existent back. She wore sparkly heels and diamonds at her neck and in her ears—gifts Lex had given her that morning with a grumpy preamble about how they were gifts from her husband so she couldn’t refuse to wear them.

She did have a weird reluctant moment as she put them on. It still felt a little unnatural for her to wear such expensive jewelry and to be part of such an expensive world.

But it was Lex’s world. And he’d given her the jewelry. It was beautiful. And she loved him. So she wore it.

The ball was actually kind of fun. People swarmed them to meet her, congratulate Lex, and ask overly-personal questions. But Chloe figured it was inevitable so she didn’t let it bother her. Some of the people she met were nice. And some of them were unintentionally hilarious.

The food was delicious, and she discreetly went back to fill her little plate more than once. Lex noticed, of course, but he didn’t do anything more than arch an eyebrow at her.

Then there was dancing.

It wasn’t any surprise to Chloe that Lex was an excellent ballroom dancer. She wasn’t too bad a dancer herself, and she thought they did pretty well.

The evening felt romantic, and festive, and like it was out of previous century. Chloe was caught up in the fairy-tale feel of the setting—and was teasing Lex about teaching him some of the dance steps Michael had taught her in Africa—when she felt Lex’s whole body transform.

He’d tightened, tensed, like every nerve in his body was poised to act.

She knew why, even before the dance step turned them so she could see the opposite side of the ballroom.

Lionel Luthor stood—elegant and predatory in his black tuxedo and too-long hair—watching the dancers with an expression of profound superiority.

He’d attracted attention. Almost as much as Lex had.

And the fact that both men were in the same room now—their rivalry a fundamental reality of Metropolis business and politics—provoked an even greater flurry of interest.

Chloe adjusted her hands so that both her arms wrapped around Lex’s neck. It wasn’t correct dancing stance, but she didn’t care. It forced their bodies closer, and she stretched up to kiss him.

Lex didn’t respond the way he normally did. She knew he was too uptight by his father’s presence. But she wanted to make sure he knew, and Lionel knew, and everyone knew that Lex had someone at his side.

The dance ended shortly afterwards, and Chloe and Lex wandered over to get flutes of champagne.

“Should we go talk to him?” Chloe asked. “Just as a gesture or something.”

Lex shook his head. “He’ll come talk to us eventually. I’d rather not be the one to make the first move.”

The moves mattered in their game—Chloe had always known that.

She took his arm and leaned against him, staying there when an older couple came over to chat for a while.

Eventually, Chloe had to go to the bathroom, after having drunk too much punch and champagne. So she squeezed Lex’s arm and then made her way over to the back of the ballroom, where she thought there was a hallway that led to the restrooms.

She’d found the restrooms—ridiculously fancy ones with gilt, velvet, and marble—and was starting to return when she was confronted with Lionel Luthor in the empty hallway.

She jerked to a stop and stared at him.

His craggy face and hazel eyes were exactly as she remembered—as was the look of smooth arrogance and almost savage intelligence that had always characterized him.

“Miss Sullivan,” he said.

She rolled her eyes. “You know better than that.”

“Ah,” he breathed with an empty smile, “Old habits die hard. Will you take the Luthor name then?”

“I’m his wife.”

“So you’ve committed to it, have you? No concerns about the past?”

She supposed Lionel was baffled and annoyed that his gambit with the recorded conversation hadn’t worked. He wouldn’t know that Lex hadn’t meant what he said, and he wouldn’t understand why Chloe would forgive him if Lex had actually used her as heartlessly as he’d said.

“Lex loves me, and I love him.”

“How predictably romantic.” Lionel’s voice was edged with irony. “Love blooming out of the ashes of deception.”

Chloe rolled her eyes again. And she unsnapped the clasp on her little velvet purse. “You can like it or not. I don’t really care. But I’m your son’s wife now, and that’s not going to change.”

Changing the subject, Lionel asked, “Do you truly expect me to forget the threat you pose to me and embrace you as a member of the family?”

“In January, your precious project will be over. I’ll no longer be a threat to you in that regard.”

The previous day, Chloe had a brainstorm—one that might offer both her and Lex a certain measure of protection when it came to Lionel. Acting on it now, she pulled out the pretty purple smart phone Lex had given her the day after their wedding and sent the document she’d prepared yesterday to Lionel.

Lionel’s phone chirped from his pocket. While he probably shouldn’t be carrying a phone in the pocket of his tux, she’d been pretty sure he, like Lex, wouldn’t want to be without it.

“Check it,” she said, feeling both nervous and excited, now that it was finally happening.

Lionel appeared genuinely confused. He gave her a quizzical look, but reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. He pressed a button and checked the display.

It took him a few minutes to read. As he read, his brow started to lower and she knew he wasn’t happy.

“What is this?” he asked, when he’d finally lowered his phone. “Is this simply an act of vengeance?”

“It’s not an act of any kind yet,” Chloe said, pleased that her voice was mostly level. “I haven’t sent that story to any paper yet. But I will. If you ever threaten me again or try to intrude on my life. I understand that you have a professional feud going on with Lex, and there’s nothing I can do about that. But if you ever attack him personally, if you ever do anything intended only to hurt him, then I’ll make sure that story is read in every paper in the country.”

Lionel curled up his lip. “You genuinely think that threat will stop me?”

Chloe would have been too scared to risk it a month ago. Too unsure of her knowledge of Lionel and her ability to stand up to the force of his will. But Lex had told her that Lionel would invariably be in bondage to his reputation. And she’d already found out she could stand up to Lionel and survive.

So she was able to reply, “Yes. I do. How do you think the world will respond if they find out that you’ve threatened, victimized, and attempted to kidnap your new daughter-in-law, after pursuing her and your son around the world? Do you think your reputation will survive as you want it to survive?”

“I still have ways I could hurt you, Chloe. Don’t forget how unwise it is to threaten me.”

“You can hurt me. I accept that. But I can hurt you too. I’m no longer dealing from a position of fear. And you can’t trap me anymore.”

She met his eyes evenly and—just for a moment—she saw a flicker of something that looked like admiration or respect.

It disappeared quickly, of course. But the icy rage she’d seen in his expression on previous encounters never materialized.

“A truce then?” Lionel asked with a half-smile. “We will agree to sustain this tenuous balance, and neither of us will lose more than we’re willing to lose.”

He actually extended a hand to her.

She stared at it for a moment. Then she reached out to take it. “A truce.”

Lionel was a dangerous man. And he would do anything he could to gain power when we wanted it. And no soft feelings would ever keep him from hurting other people, including his own son.

But he wasn’t an idiot. And he’d learned through long experience that negotiations were necessary for successful operations.

So Chloe was almost positive that this truce had the potential of lasting.

Lex came up behind her then and slipped an arm around her waist. “What’s going on?” he asked her, although his eyes were narrowed at his father.

“We were coming to workable terms,” Chloe said with a smile.

Lex blinked. “What kind of terms are those?”

“I’m not trapped by him again. We both have the potential to hurt each other, but we choose not to.”

“And you think you can trust him?”

Lionel laughed, evidently unconcerned that they’d been having the conversation as if he weren’t present. “Son, how jaded you’ve become. I keep my word when it’s in my best interest. In this case, it is.”

Lex stared at his father a long time. Then he looked down to Chloe. Finally, he nodded.

“Maybe I should find a wife,” Lionel said, smiling in his darkly ironic way at his son, “Yours seems to have done you good.”

Both Lex and Chloe stared at him as he turned and walked down the hall, away from the ballroom, away from the ball.

The man was almost impossible to read. Lex could do it better than anyone else on earth. And Chloe could tell, by looking up at Lex’s face, that even he couldn’t figure out whether Lionel’s final words were sincere.


* * *


“I don’t need a present, Chloe,” Lex said from the bedroom, talking through the bathroom door.

“Well, you’re getting the present anyway. I have more to give you tomorrow—on Christmas. But this is a special one for Christmas Eve.”

“And I’m a little concerned that you hid the present in the bathroom.”

Chloe chuckled, straightening her dress, hair, and glasses one last time. “Isn’t it great that it snowed?”

“Now that we’re back from Metropolis, sure. But I could have done without the icy roads.”

“But it’s a white Christmas! I hope we have like a foot of snow when we get up tomorrow morning.”

“Are you ever coming out of that bathroom?”

“Yep. You ready?”

“For God’s sake, Chloe. You’ve been in there for ages.”

Chloe opened the door and walked out.

Lex froze, staring at her in total astonishment.

She couldn’t help but giggle at his dumbfounded look. Adjusting her extra padding, she explained, “You said—you said it straight to my face on the beach at Fiji—that it would take me dressing up as Mrs. Claus for you to have a good Christmas. So I did.”

Lex just stood and stared.

Trying not to laugh, she did a full turn, showing him the red dress, wide fur trim, apron, wig, mob cap, glasses, and black boots. “Isn’t it good? One of your handy bodyguards helped me get it yesterday.”

Finally, some of Lex’s astonishment started to crack. And he suddenly leaned his head back and laughed—a warm, rich, uninhibited laugh she hardly ever heard from him.

“Well, you don’t have to laugh,” she said with a frown, although her heart was so full it was aching. “I worked very hard to get the look just right.”

Still laughing, Lex reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s perfect.”

“Good,” she said against his shoulder, hugging him just as hard as he was her. “So do you think you can have a happy Christmas this year?”

Lex pulled back. Met her eyes with something deep in his gaze. “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

She leaned up to kiss him, but the kiss was hampered by her glasses and her scratchy wig and by the fact that her cap fell off entirely.

She grumbled at the disruption of her costume.

“You weren’t going to keep that on very long anyway, were you?” Lex asked, picking up her cap and settling it back on her head.

“I hope not. It’s very uncomfortable. This should be concrete proof of how incredibly much I love you.”

That earned her another kiss, and her mob cap fell off again.

“Urgh,” she muttered, throwing the cap, the wig, and the glasses onto the chair in the bedroom. “That’s about it for that costume.” Then she slanted Lex a look. “Now, if you really want to prove how much you love me, you’ll dress up as Santa Claus.”

Lex gave her a blank look.

She giggled. “That’s what I thought. You claim to love me but refuse to dress up as Santa to prove it. Some husband you are. Not very convincing.”

Lex grabbed her face and kissed her hard. “Then let me convince you,” he murmured thickly when he pulled his mouth away, only to plant more kisses on her mouth, her cheeks, her eyes, her throat.

It wasn’t very long before Chloe was convinced.

And they’d only been married twenty-four days.
 
Epilogue

Christmas Day


“Come on, Lex!” Chloe called, sitting cross-legged on their big bed in the master suite of the Metropolis penthouse. “It’s Christmas morning and I want my presents!”

“Give me a minute,” he grumbled from the closet. “I’ve never seen such a bossy, demanding wife.”

“Well, you’re stuck with her,” Chloe said, adjusting the fur trim on the little red velvet chemise she’d put on for Lex. She wasn’t about to wear that Mrs. Claus costume again, but she wanted to remind Lex about it a little.

“Okay,” Lex said, still out of sight in the closet. “Now this is the best Christmas present you’re ever going to get in your life, and don’t expect it to ever be repeated. You better enjoy it this time.”

Chloe had been fiddling with her rings, a habit she’d never gotten over. Even the knowledge of the merchant ring’s value hadn’t kept her from playing with it on her finger. Lex had sheepishly admitted a few months ago that a similar ring of lesser quality had sold at auction recently for $15,000. That was when he’d also admitted to her that he’d been wearing the ring in the limo last year for the sole purpose of giving it to her as their engagement ring.

He had wanted to help her escape his father’s net. But he’d also desperately wanted to marry her.

The knowledge that he’d deeply loved her for the entire span of their marriage never failed to touch Chloe deeply. But, at the moment, her eyes widened at Lex’s dramatic words from the closet. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Then Lex walked out of the closet. And she saw what he was talking about.

He was dressed in a fuzzy red suit with white fur trim, a padded belly, black boots, a big white beard and wig, and a red cap.

Chloe completely lost her breath—frozen cross-legged on their bed in her little Christmas chemise.

Lex shifted from foot to foot. “Okay?”

She wasn’t okay. She felt like she’d been slammed with emotion she wasn’t remotely capable of handling.

“You know what this is about, right?” he asked, coming over with a slightly concerned expression barely visible beneath the thick white beard. “I know I’m not very good about telling you how I feel. But, last year, you told me that you’d know I really loved you if I dressed up—“

“I know,” she choked, her hand going up to cover her mouth. “I just never thought you’d do it.”

“Well, I did,” he mumbled, looking adorably self-conscious and also rather ludicrous.

She was finally able to move. She jumped up off the bed and hurled herself at Lex, nearly knocking him off his feet in his enthusiasm. “I love you, I love you, I love you, Lex,” she gasped.

He regained his balance and wrapped her in a fuzzy Santa hug. “I love you too,” he murmured. “That’s kind of the point of this idiocy.”

“It’s not idiocy,” she said, almost in tears over what Lex had been willing to do for her. “It’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for me.”

He tried to kiss her but the Santa beard was in the way, so he gave up. “Can I take this off now?”

“Yes,” she sniffed. “You’re the best husband in the world.”

Lex pulled off the wig, beard, and cap in one swift motion, taking a deep breath as if he could finally breathe freely. “Well, it’s not hard when you’re hopelessly in love with your wife.”

It had taken Lex more than a year to be comfortable enough opening up to her to do something like this. But she knew he’d be even more uncomfortable if she made an even bigger deal about it than she already had, so she didn’t say anything more.

Now that he was free of the beard, he could kiss better. And Chloe took advantage of that fact by grabbing his head and pulling his mouth down to hers.

“Now,” Lex said in a different voice, his mouth brushing over her jaw and toward her ear, “Let’s talk a little bit about your costume, which is much more to my taste.”

Chloe laughed and started to stroke his smooth head. And it was a long time before they opened any more Christmas presents.

But it was an even better Christmas than last year’s had been. And Chloe thought next year’s might be even better than this.

They’d been married for two Christmases now. Three-hundred and eighty days.

But they had many more days, months, years, and Christmases to come.


THE END

[Julie]

Reserved 4

[lexie]

There's nothing like a Christmas fic by Zannie to start the Holiday Season. It was, in fact, your first NS Advent Calendar fic that made me fall in love with your work and prompted me to leave my NC-17less reading habits aside and delve into the amazing world of your writing.

This first chapter looks really promising and I'm predicting I'll like "Married for Christmas" just as much as I did "Serving Christmas" when I read it on your website several years ago. I'm a sucker for arranged-marriage fics; we all know they'll have happy ending but who cares, right? This is a time of merriment and I want my Lex to have a Season and a life full of happiness for a change.

Lionel is his usual bastard self- unless he's designed a convoluted plan to get Chloe and Lex together again and marry his son off to someone who's worthy of him.*pensive* Well, anyway, if that isn't the case, he's the perfect Grinch and I love that Lex has decided to play Chloe's knight once again.

I don't know why but something tells me Lex isn't planning on asking for a divorce once the month is over. I believe he's already got a plan to use the month they have to win her over and get "the girl who got away in time for Christmas. " The signet ring was a nice touch and so very Lex. The fact that he had it on him proves he's given very careful thought to the whole thing.

I can't wait for the update. :)

[becky]

oh.my.god.

Can someone please explain to me how I managed to live my life without Zannie's chlex fics for the last few years?! Oh, I've got all the warm fuzzies and the excited pangs in my chest that bring back memories of reading the first chapter of Untouchable... I LOVE IT!!

Consider me hooked back on chlex, hook line and sinker.

I can't WAIT for December 1st!!!!!! I'm really interested to know what kind of secret Chloe has on Lionel... the lengths he'll go to get at her, and how Lex will protect her... gah!!! I can't wait!!!!!

x

[Raelis]

That's a fascinating premise! I love it when Lionel is shown to be the bastard that he always was, and I hope that both Chloe and Lex will get his ass thoroughly kicked by the end of the fic. I'm really intrigued by that affair Lex and Chloe had ten years ago. Did Lex leave her (assuming he was the one to have broken the relationship) because she was too young? Or because of some misplaced sense of nobility, as he was too dangerous for her? I got the impression he still harbors some feelings for Chloe, which doesn't surprise me in the least - Lex is the type who falls in love so utterly and completely that it's easier for him to just avoid such feelings altogether. I'm glad you said this fic will not contain a lot of angst. It's not like I'm opposed to angst on principle - all my favorite stories have angst as a major component. But I really need something optimistic and fun right now to get back in the Chlexy mood (and in fanfiction-reading mood in general)! :) Looking forward to the next chapter!

[JosiCuervo]

So glad to have another great Christmas fic from you, Zannie. I know you'll deliver the Chlexy goods; now I just have to see if I can keep up! Looking forward to the next chapter. :)

[lj715]

Only one month... I don't think so CHloe. Great prologue, can't wait to read the rest.

[dayamiracle]

Just wanted to say that I am very excited for this years Advent Calendar fic! The prolouge is awesome and I cant wait to see what happens next.

[Esther25jm]

Love, love, love it!! :D Once again, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to create some art for your beautiful story. I had a blast!! *hugs*

[ChloeLovesLex]

Oh this is already such fun!
Ok, that's mean to say that Chloe facing Lionel's wrath is fun...but, you know what I mean.
She's right. There will be all kinds of perks. And confusion. And feelings. And happily wedded after???

[Rachet]

you have me hooked. i think a month is the perfict amount of time for lex to work his magic. ;)

[MASCH]

How great!!! a new Christmas fic by Zannie!
The prologue was incredible; you went from Lionel threatening to Lex teasing in a single chapter.
I can't wait for more.

[somethingeasy]

New Zannie fic! I was ecstatic to see that Zannie was handling the December countdown story this year. I think it’s a great tradition, and it’s always wonderful that, consistently, year after year, we always get the most talented authors at the forum take on the December fic.

I was particularly pleased by Zannie’s mention that this fic’s tone ran somewhere along the lines of Road Tripping. RT has always been one of my favourite fics, and I LOVE the idea of this story resonating with the same tone.

And this fic was particularly awesome because I can already tell that it’s going to be dramatic and hilarious. In fact the drama started quite early with the confrontation between Chloe and Lionel. I didn’t think it was possible, but Lionel has apparently gotten even scarier and more intimidating over the years. So much for the possibility of being ‘mellowed out’ by age, eh? It’s definitely unnerving and even terrifying contemplating the entirety of the situation. A person accidentally finds out some sensitive information about Lionel… and such a person’s best hope for survival is to confront Lionel head on in order to stop him from launching a pre-emptive strike.

I wonder just how many people ended up getting destroyed or outright killed because THEY also found ‘sensitive information’ about Lionel, and believed that just ‘not doing anything’ with the information would be enough to keep them safe. Indeed, Chloe’s conversation with Lionel suggested that even a sincere promise not to ever, EVER use the information would not have saved her. On the contrary, Lionel would have seen it as a mark of weakness, and would have taken particular glee in destroying and culling out the weakness in society as he perceives it.

Chloe actually did the very best thing she could… which was to present a strong, confident front; confront Lionel, and threaten that if he did anything to her, or to her family, then she would release the information she had on hand. Blackmailing Lionel into leaving her alone seemed like her very best bet. Even though it was clear to everyone that Chloe’s tactic was a delaying measure at best, and was only going to buy her some short-term safety time. Sooner or later, Lionel was going to get her… not only because he knows Chloe is a strong, formidable opponent with a strong weapon on hand right now… but also because (I believe) he’s always resented the fact that this young woman got the best of him when she was sixteen years old, and never got adequately punished for it.

Nope… Lionel is going to leap onto this excuse to destroy Chloe Sullivan… simple for the pleasure of seeing her ruined, humiliated and broken.

I felt like shrieking with outrage and shivering with fear when Lionel silkily mentioned that Chloe’s father lived in Florida... AND that Chloe’s new job existed in the form of a fragile new offer right now. He knew exactly where to aim in order to hurt Chloe. The worst thing was seeing how much Lionel relished and enjoyed telling Chloe just how damned fragile and delicate her life was. It sent a shudder through me imagining the visual he painted for her... that a few phonecalls from Lionel can have Chloe starving in the gutter; bereft of and grieving for friends and family.

Lionel ‘small’ demonstration, when he pointed out the exact moment when Chloe received a message informing her that she had been fired was particularly scary because he was demonstrating it as a simple ‘party trick’. Something accomplished from a few minutes of effort on his part.


When she made it out of the LuthorCorp building, she stood on the Metropolis sidewalk, pale with fear and breathing too fast as she tried to decide what to do.

She felt naked, vulnerable, in her black trench coat and black leather boots, standing by herself on a gray day in the middle of the city. But she wasn’t helpless. She was clever and creative and brave. She would think of something to dig herself out of this hole.

A solution would appear.

I think it was this moment where I felt angriest at Lionel, as well as most sympathy for Chloe. Not the minutes that she spent confronting Lionel, although those minutes were creepy, scary and outrageous as heck, but the minutes after the confrontation that she spent recovering from her encounter. It was so clear that the confrontation had been quite traumatic and emotionally wrenching... and that the confrontation had not gone well for Chloe. She came out of the meeting feeling vulnerable, weak, small and helpless in so many ways.

And yet, she still managed to pull herself together, getting ready for battle. Even with the odds hopelessly against her, Chloe is NOT going to just roll over and submit to Lionel’s proclamation of her imminent failure. heh... although, it was interesting to see that a part of Chloe seemed desperate enough to be almost praying for a miracle to occur... and some kind of ‘magical solution’ to present itself. And the solution arrived in the form of a sleek limo. How timely! Lex could NOT have made his entrance any better than that. You have to wonder whether he has any mind reading powers... or whether he can just sense the best moment to enter Chloe’s life from body language alone ;)


She hadn’t seen Lex in such close proximity for more than six years. He was in his mid-thirties now – more character etched on his face and his lean body not quite so boyishly slim. But the sleek bald head, the deep blue-gray eyes, and the sophisticated authority with which he held himself were just the same as she remembered.

And she still felt the same unwilling attraction for the man she’d always felt, although tempered now by distance and experience.

I appreciated the quick rundown you provided about the current status of the (non existent) relationship between Chloe and Lex, Zannie. I think this is an excellent place to start off this fic of a ‘forced marriage’... where Chloe feels a certain amount of grudging physical attraction towards Lex, but not much trust or even affection and/or liking right now. It’s also clear that a bond of basic understanding exists between the two, but Chloe doesn’t have any desire to explore that bond AT ALL, because she doesn’t trust him not to hurt or betray her somehow. Perfection!

I also appreciated the explanation as to Lionel’s and Lex’s relationship... and how it clear that father and son are now polarized and firmly established adversaries. At least Chloe doesn’t have to worry about Lex secretly working with his father in order to coerce her into keeping quiet about the ‘sensitive information’ that she’s stumbled upon.

On the contrary, I think Chloe might be wary about Lex himself trying to use Chloe to release the information using her as a pawn. Lex himself cannot release the information to press because, even as publically acknowledged adversaries, it would just look like bad form for Lex to turn against his father in that manner. However, getting a pretty, blonde reporter to spill the information (accidentally or otherwise)... that would be perfect for Lex.

I’m not saying this is Lex’s plan... but I’m sure that the thought WILL cross Chloe’s mind. She’s very wary about being treated as a Luthor pawn again... whether by Lex or Lionel... or by Lex against Lionel.

BUT, I will admit that Lex has done a lot to show how helpful he can be to Chloe right now. It was incredible finding out that he has already moved Gabe Sullivan to a safehouse, and even asked Lois about making security arrangements for her as well. That kind of efficiency is pretty damned impressive... especially considering in light of how weak, helpless and vulnerable Chloe felt just a few minutes before meeting Lex.


“I’ll admit I was surprised when I learned that you’d embroiled yourself with my father again. I thought you would have learned better last time.” He idly twisted a gold ring on his right hand.

The gesture struck Chloe suddenly as being out of character. Lex had been young in Smallville, and not fully in control of his emotions or responses. But he wasn’t young anymore. And he was always in control. She was surprised that he’d do something as revealing as fidget with the ring.

heeee! I loved, LOVED this gesture, and I loved that Chloe noted it as ‘peculiar’ as well. From this moment on, I’m going to be completely biased, and base ALL of my judgements about Lex based on my interpretation of that gesture of him nervously playing with the run on his finger :D

First of all, I’m absolutely certain that Lex always meant that ring to be a wedding and/or engagement ring to symbolize the union between himself and Chloe. The only question is exactly how long he’s had it on his finger. A few days since he thought up of this scheme... or several months while he tried to figure out the best way to bring Chloe back into his life again?!?

Therefore, he couldn’t help but fidget with the wedding ring when he knew that the moment for his ‘proposal’ to Chloe was at hand. It’s the pivotal moment... and he’s just like any other man, hopelessly in love, waiting to present a ring to his lady, desperately hoping that she’ll like the idea of matching up with him.

And speaking of matching up... I know that Lex gave her his ring... which was obviously a man’s ring. BUT, I’m absolutely certain that there’s a female mate to that ring somewhere in his possession... and he’s just waiting for the chance to exchange rings with her, matching them up later. He just didn’t want to scare Chloe off by appearing over-eager and/or over-confident that she would accept his proposal... hence the reason why he didn’t have the female match of his ring on him right then.


Chloe thought about that. “Power.”

“Yes,” Lex agreed. “That’s his primary motivator. And part of the power he’s built up for himself is based on his reputation.”

“Reputation,” Chloe repeated, trying to make her mind work enough to follow the thought through to its logical conclusion. “Maybe.”

“He doesn’t seek the reputation of a good man. But he also can’t move forward with the reputation of a monster. Or a reputation for disloyalty.”

wow! I think this was a brilliant assessment of Lionel’s priorities, tactics and goals. I’ve never considered it, but it’s true, isn’t it? Lionel might have the reputation for being cunning, ruthless, merciless and a friggen animal in the business world. But even Lionel cannot continue to succeed when people consider him to be a real and actual monster. He must draw the line somewhere... and that line is his public perception. I loved Lex’s assessment that Lionel doesn’t have the reputation of being ‘nice’... but he’s not known for being the sociopathic, megalomaniacal sadist that he actually is.

It scares me a little to imagine what kind of lessons and experiences shaped Lex’s understanding of his father’s psyche to such an in-depth and insightful level. How intimately close Lex really IS to his father, to be able to analyze Lionel’s character so accurately and insightfully. *shudder*


Lex glanced away, almost idly. “If you were his daughter-in-law, for instance.”

It took Chloe a full thirty seconds to process this. When she finally did, shock, anger, and disbelief washed over her in a hot wave. “What? What? Marry you?”

ROTFLMAO! Oh dear me! This has got to be the most awesome marriage proposal I’ve ever heard Lex make! ROTFLMAO! And, I find it intensely interesting that Lex had to ‘look away’ while he made the actual proposal to Chloe... as if he was slightly afraid of seeing her reaction to the idea of marriage with him of all people, and under these particular circumstances. These ridiculous, ludicrous, surreal circumstances. I’m actually impressed that Chloe didn’t burst out laughing thinking Lex was playing some kind of absurd practical joke on her.

BUT, once Lex started on his explanation, the idea not only sounded plausible and do-able... but even the best option possible. I noted that the first thing Lex did was assure Chloe that the marriage would be ‘in name only’... which was exactly what Chloe needed to hear... even if she was absurdly offended that Lex didn’t want to demand his ‘marital rights’ with her, LOL! Oh dear me... she really believed that Lex didn’t want her?!? ROTFLAMO! Oh well, she’ll have a month to find out differently.

But, all in all, Lex’s plan sounded quite brilliant. All of his reasoning was sound, his psychological analysis of the situation was insightful, and it appeared that he had prepared for every contingency with this idea of a marriage proposal. I can see why Chloe found his argument so convincing, and managed to overlook the absurdity of the larger picture... such as the fact that friggen Lex Luthor is proposing a marriage in order to protect someone’s job!!! ROTFL! Does Lex go about proposing marriage to every person who appears threatened by unfair termination by Lionel? LOL!


“Oh,” she said, the truth hitting her with a ridiculous flicker of disappointment. She should have known he wasn’t in this just to help her. “Of course. Quite a victory for you, getting ahead of your father like this. Taking his power away when it will matter to him. You want to use me to win this little battle with your father.”

He inclined his head. “So we use each other. For a month. After Christmas, we can go back to our own lives.”

heee. I can see that Chloe did realize the absurd craziness of the situation enough to ask ‘why’ he was proposing to her in order to save her job. And he smoothly led her to believe her reasoning was true... that he was using this whole ‘farce’ as a way to get to Lionel. Chloe has figured that the marriage proposal is some kind of means to an end for Lex, not realizing that it’s the actual end goal in itself!! That all of Lex’s scheming and machinations right now are JUST to secure Chloe as his lawfully wedded wife, and that the marriage itself is not simple a part of the scheming.

I don’t blame Chloe for not realizing this... even though it appears obvious to me. She simply wouldn’t believe that she’s SO desirable, that Lex would hatch a scheme as absurd and complicated as this, JUST so he can be married to her. Chloe simply does not imagine herself to be so treasured a prize as all that. heh... oh well, Lex will have a month to set her straight on that too.

heh... perhaps he can start during the honeymoon? lol! I loved the way that Chloe suddenly realized that, as Mrs. Luthor, she’s going to have Lex Luthor’s resources at her disposal... and be able to live as one of the filthy rich. It’s going to be the best month long vacation EVER!!! lol!


The first kiss hadn’t lasted long, and they’d pulled back to stare at each other, panting and disoriented.

Then Chloe—acting on an impulse she couldn’t deny—had pulled his head down toward hers again, claiming his mouth with an entitlement that surprised her. Lex had responded. His mouth had opened to hers. He’d groaned softly against her lips, the sound sending vibrations through her body.

She was only seventeen. And he’d completely swept her off her feet.

wow! That was just... WOW! It was sweet, beautiful, romantic, sexy and everything that is wonderful about Chlex. Thank you SO much, Zannie, for providing the details of Lex’s and Chloe’s first kiss in this story. I especially loved the tragedy and the ecstasy of that final line... Chloe was seventeen when she fell in love with Lex... falling in love for the first time, where everything seems wonderful, new and amazing. And she was probably the same age when Lex broke her heart too. So young and emotionally vulnerable. I think that last line sums up everything we need to know about the relationship that was between Lex and Chloe, and why they haven’t spoken to each other in six years since their break-up.


The memory of it hit her so hard she had to close her eyes in the back of Lex’s car, aching from the pure power of that kiss and from all of the complexities that had followed it.

When she opened her eyes, she looked at Lex, and she saw something matching in his eyes, even though his expression was as composed as ever.

If all she had known of Lex was his ambition, his control, his power, his sophistication, his intensity, his shattering intelligence, then she would have refused the unconventional marriage proposal.

But she knew more about him. The man who had kissed her so many years ago had been real, warm, tender. He’d felt things deeply, and he’d cared about her.

It hadn’t worked out – for so many reasons. He’d hurt her in so many ways. And he was so much more than that man now.

wow! I just got to experience Chloe’s emotions when she was seventeen years old, and falling in love with Lex Luthor. When everything was simple, pure, easy and wonderful. And now I can compare that against Chloe’s complex, contradictory and bitter-sweet feelings towards Lex. She trusts him, but doesn’t trust him at the same time. She feels this amazing, incredible, intense bond resonating with him, but has NO desire to explore it further, or deepen it further. She’s accepting Lex’s marriage proposal because she knows that it’s only a ‘business arrangement’, but she’s also only accepting it because she’s had an intimate past with this man. I LOVE it, Zannie!

lol! Lex has his work really cut out for him if his ultimate plan is to win Chloe over. First thing we’re going to find out more about is exactly why they broke up in the first place, and find ways to fix those problems. Seriously, I cannot wait to see how this story develops.


“It’s a Renaissance merchant ring from the sixteenth-century,” Lex explained, nothing revealed in his voice but idle interest. “They were used like signet rings, to seal documents and verify identity. But they were used by merchants who didn’t have a family lineage. They created their own crest and put it on their merchant rings.”

Chloe was strangely affected by the beauty and history of the ring – and also by Lex’s diffident explanation.

heh... I know that it sounds very much like Lex bought this ring because he admired the history and beauty of the piece. That he didn’t buy it with the intention of using it as a marriage band. BUT, I’m a stubborn romantic who hates to let go of pet theories, and I’m going to insist that Lex’s fidgeting with the ring proves that he strongly associated the marriage proposal to Chloe WITH the ring somehow. That’s all the proof I require to show that Lex bought this ring as a marriage band, and has a female mate of the ring somewhere in his apartment (if not in his pocket right there in the car).


Lex must have been able to see the decision on her face. His mouth twitched again. “What do you say, Chloe Sullivan? Do you want to marry me for Christmas?”

Despite everything—despite the danger she was in from Lionel and the high stakes to what they were doing—she couldn’t help but smile back.
And she said, “I do.”

LOL! It’s absurd, ridiculous, hilarious, sweet, smart, funny and dramatic all at the same time. I WANT MORE!! Please write more quickly, Zannie!

[Julie]

I WANT MORE!! Please write more quickly, Zannie!

The entire story is already finished SE ;) A new chapter is going to be posted every day from December 1st until December 24th ;) So you just make sure you stop by the Advent Calendar website (http://network.naughty-seduction.net/advent/) at least once a day and you'll have something new to read ;)

[Historianic]

Lex and Chloe are two of the dumbest smart people in the world if they think they'll be able to simply walk away, unchanged, after a month of marriage to each other lol! A fantastic beginning! I look forward to seeing what happens when they are forced to confront both themselves and each other.

[jcassy]

Thank you Zannie for the prologue and the already finished story. i like the way you will give each day of december a chapter. so the story will be 24 chapters long, isn'it ? I can't wait for more. I wonder what happened between clark and chloe because from your words their frendship doesn't look as strong as when they were teenagers. Is it clark's fault or chloe fault?

[lilinny]

It's exciting already! I can't wait for the upcoming adventure. I loved Road Tripping and I have no doubt this will be even better.

[Zannie]

I'm a sucker for arranged-marriage fics; we all know they'll have happy ending but who cares, right? This is a time of merriment and I want my Lex to have a Season and a life full of happiness for a change.

I love arranged or forced marriage stories too. I was thinking a couple of months ago about how I'd never written a Chlex one, so--when Julie asked me to write the Advent Calendar fic--I decided it was a perfect opportunity!


Can someone please explain to me how I managed to live my life without Zannie's chlex fics for the last few years?!

Probably about like I have managed to live the last few years without any of your amazing Chlex videos!


I can't WAIT for December 1st!!!!!! I'm really interested to know what kind of secret Chloe has on Lionel... the lengths he'll go to get at her, and how Lex will protect her... gah!!! I can't wait!!!!!

I thought this might be a good opportunity to mention that there's not going to be a huge amount of development of the details of Chloe's knowledge on Lionel and what he's hiding. The plot was really just a means to an end in the story--the forced marriage. Lionel, of course, will be a significant aspect of the story, but I don't want folks to be disappointed when the end comes and they don't know much more about all of the details of Lionel's project and exactly what Chloe discovered about it.


I'm glad you said this fic will not contain a lot of angst. It's not like I'm opposed to angst on principle - all my favorite stories have angst as a major component. But I really need something optimistic and fun right now to get back in the Chlexy mood (and in fanfiction-reading mood in general)!

There will be the relationship tensions, of course, throughout the story as the Chlex relationship has ups and downs, but not very much real angst. And, when it comes at the climax, it's fairly short lived. I really think this story follows a similar pattern as Road Tripping--a lot of fun in different settings, a lot of developing romance, and a little bit of angst and emotional lows to keep the characters human.


Sooner or later, Lionel was going to get her… not only because he knows Chloe is a strong, formidable opponent with a strong weapon on hand right now… but also because (I believe) he’s always resented the fact that this young woman got the best of him when she was sixteen years old, and never got adequately punished for it.

I'm totally with you on this reading of Lionel. I don't know how, given his nature, he could really get over something like that.


And she was probably the same age when Lex broke her heart too. So young and emotionally vulnerable. I think that last line sums up everything we need to know about the relationship that was between Lex and Chloe, and why they haven’t spoken to each other in six years since their break-up.

Just to clarify, because the timeline might have been confusing. You're right that Lex and Chloe did break up when she was still seventeen, and it's been six years since she's seen and talked to him. But it's been more than six years since they broke up, so you can assume they ran into each other in Smallville or elsewhere for a while after their breakup. The story takes place ten years after that summer - so Chloe is twenty-seven.


i like the way you will give each day of december a chapter. so the story will be 24 chapters long, isn'it ? I can't wait for more. I wonder what happened between clark and chloe because from your words their frendship doesn't look as strong as when they were teenagers. Is it clark's fault or chloe fault?

Yes, that's right - the story will be twenty-four chapters, in addition to the prologue and an epilogue.

Regarding Chloe and Clark's friendship, I won't go into much in the future chapters, so I thought I'd answer you here. You're right that their friendship isn't as close as it used to be. Chloe knows that Clark would definitely protect her still, but they don't have the kind of close relationship where she'd naturally lean on him for help. I wasn't envisioning any big blow-out between them, but rather a gradual, natural distancing as they both grew up and had less in common than they used to.

Honestly, I'm so far removed from Smallville now that I really don't have much interest in Clark anymore, so he's not likely to be a major feature of any other story I write.

Thanks for the great feedback, everyone! As some of you know, I tend to answer questions and address issues from feedback in subsequent chapters of my stories. Since I can't do this in this story (as it's already completed), I will respond to this thread and try to clarify things that come up.

[hfce]

Great start! I want more please. Chloe sweety one month right! LOL!

[becky]

Whoop whoop! First to review chapter 1!

I'm officially working at home due to the snow here, but when I saw the Advent update I just couldn't stop myself. Court bundles be damned.

Aaanyway, I loved it!!! Of course! I love that Chloe has to keep reminding herself that this is all fake and that, of course, Lex would carry on with normal things like work. Of course, we all know that Lex doesn't really want to work and Chloe doesn't really want it to be fake! I'm sure they'll realise soon enough :-p

Well, since I'm sure that reading chlex fanfiction doesn't go any way towards fulfulling my duties to my clients, I'd best scoot back to my laptop... at least until 5.30pm!!

x

[lj715]

Love the first chapter, can't wait to read more.

[ChloeLovesLex]

Loved chapter two! Lex was awesome for getting her the laptop and phone. Of course they were purple :)
His teasing was adorable and poor Chloe is uncertain how to take it.
Too bad she couldn't get him to finish his sentence.

[lj715]

Day 2 was great, can't wait to read more.

[Esther25jm]

I love arranged or forced marriage stories too. I was thinking a couple of months ago about how I'd never written a Chlex one, so--when Julie asked me to write the Advent Calendar fic--I decided it was a perfect opportunity!

I love those stories, too! I usually get them a bit more in the HP fandom (ah, Draco/Hermione), so when I see it with Chlex, I'm all kinds of giddy. I'm so glad that you love them and have written the Advent Calendar fic around it. Truly a wonderful chapter and can't wait for more! :D

[ChloeLovesLex]

Fabulous update today. I love getting a new dose of Chlex each day. Such fun!
Whoa! Lex in a towel. *drool* I don't know how Chloe stayed as composed as she did. I would have stammered and then collapsed.
Things are getting uncomfortable in a good way. Yippie!!!

[JosiCuervo]

Still loving your Christmas story! Never too tired for some Chexy goodness!

[lj715]

Great update today. Love that Chloe didn't tell Lex how she was involved with Lionel. Can't wait for more!

[Zannie]

Chapter Five is now posted. I think a lot of you will be pleased with the developments in that chapter!

Thanks so much for all of you who are leaving comments either here or on the Advent Calendar posts. I really appreciate it!


I love those stories, too! I usually get them a bit more in the HP fandom (ah, Draco/Hermione), so when I see it with Chlex, I'm all kinds of giddy. I'm so glad that you love them and have written the Advent Calendar fic around it. Truly a wonderful chapter and can't wait for more! :D

I definitely think Draco/Hermione might lend itself more to arranged/forced marriage fics than Chlex. Although surely there aren't stories of Draco's parents arranging a marriage with Hermione, are there?

[JosiCuervo]

Still loving the Christmas fic, Zannie. And now I'm super excited that you'll be writing a Chlex forced married fic! That's awesome! :D

[Zannie]

Still loving the Christmas fic, Zannie. And now I'm super excited that you'll be writing a Chlex forced married fic! That's awesome! :D

Huh? Is that a joke? Or are you trying to trick me into writing yet another fic. I think Married for Christmas will be the only "forced" marriage fic I'll be writing any time soon!

[JosiCuervo]

Huh? Is that a joke? Or are you trying to trick me into writing yet another fic. I think Married for Christmas will be the only "forced" marriage fic I'll be writing any time soon!
B-but...you know you want to do a real one!! Yunno, all angty and horrified and the like. With lots of sex. *nods*

[Zannie]

B-but...you know you want to do a real one!! Yunno, all angty and horrified and the like. With lots of sex. *nods*

Heheh. Leave it to you to believe the only "real" forced marriage fics involve lots of sex.

I actually would love to write one where the rating could be higher. I had smut scenes appear in my mind fully formed for Married for Christmas but just couldn't use them!

[Esther25jm]

Chapter Five is now posted. I think a lot of you will be pleased with the developments in that chapter!

Thanks so much for all of you who are leaving comments either here or on the Advent Calendar posts. I really appreciate it!

I definitely think Draco/Hermione might lend itself more to arranged/forced marriage fics than Chlex. Although surely there aren't stories of Draco's parents arranging a marriage with Hermione, are there?

Freaking LOVE ch 5!!! That workout was HOT!! No other words can describe it for me right now because, well, it was sexy! And the dinner...love them!! Great update!

Yep, they totally do. Actually, I've read one or two where the Malfoys have forced Hermione to marry Draco. One is stil a WIP, but the other is complete. Both are very good, but the WIP is darker and angstier than the completed story.

The finished story has Draco having to marry a Muggleborn before a certain age because of a will/curse that one of his relatives created before he died. Lucius manipulates Hermione into marrying Draco, while he's trying to find ways to destroy the will. I wish I could remember the name of the story because it's very good.

The WIP is a Veela!Draco story, another genre I love, which has the Malfoys kidnapping and forcing Hermione to mate/marry Draco in order to save his life. It's much darker than I expected, but very good. Definitely in character, and so far, doesn't look to be changing towards a lighter mood.

[Zannie]

Freaking LOVE ch 5!!! That workout was HOT!! No other words can describe it for me right now because, well, it was sexy! And the dinner...love them!! Great update!

Yep, they totally do. Actually, I've read one or two where the Malfoys have forced Hermione to marry Draco. One is stil a WIP, but the other is complete. Both are very good, but the WIP is darker and angstier than the completed story.

The finished story has Draco having to marry a Muggleborn before a certain age because of a will/curse that one of his relatives created before he died. Lucius manipulates Hermione into marrying Draco, while he's trying to find ways to destroy the will. I wish I could remember the name of the story because it's very good.

The WIP is a Veela!Draco story, another genre I love, which has the Malfoys kidnapping and forcing Hermione to mate/marry Draco in order to save his life. It's much darker than I expected, but very good. Definitely in character, and so far, doesn't look to be changing towards a lighter mood.

Oh, I see how the stories would work. I was wondering why the Malfoys would want Draco to marry Hermione. But if there was a curse, will, etc., forcing him to marry a Muggle, then it would make sense.

There's a built in tension to that relationship that might make those storylines compelling - what with the obvious reasons Draco and Hermione would have to hate each other. I can definitely see why they would be good stories to write, and potentially very dark.

Thanks so much for your feedback!

[Esther25jm]

Oh, I see how the stories would work. I was wondering why the Malfoys would want Draco to marry Hermione. But if there was a curse, will, etc., forcing him to marry a Muggle, then it would make sense.

There's a built in tension to that relationship that might make those storylines compelling - what with the obvious reasons Draco and Hermione would have to hate each other. I can definitely see why they would be good stories to write, and potentially very dark.

Thanks so much for your feedback!

Mmm, that's what makes me love these characters, and others, together. I love conflict, obstacles, and the good girl(boy)/bad boy(girl) dynamic. It's what makes Chlex so fascinating to me, along with Draco/Hermione & Spike/Buffy.

You're welcome!! I'm really looking forward to their next destination, which is going to be fun!! :D

[lj715]

I am totally stuck on this fic. Love it! Can't wait to read the next update.

[somethingeasy]

It appears that I’m going to be trying to play catch-up with all the chapters written so far. *rolls up sleeves* ok, let’s get started. It’s all going to have to be short reviews…

Chapter One

The marriage itself was awesome. I loved the ironic twist that Chloe and Lex managed to wear matching clothes to the wedding. LOL! Of course, it’s all too possible that Chloe might have chosen Lex’s favourite colour subconsciously on purpose? In any case, it was definitely funny seeing them both seeing each other for the first time, and realizing that they were matching, lol!

hmmm, I know that Chloe was slightly embarrassed. But I wonder whether Lex felt embarrassed, amused… or perhaps gratified at what he thought was a sign on how perfect they were for each other?

It was pretty depressing to find out that Lex has established a habit[I] for himself to sleep in a bedroom separate from his wife in all his previous marriages? All I can say is that it’s no wonder that all of Lex’s previous marriages have been such abysmal failures if he cannot open himself enough, even to his [I]lawfully wedded wife[I] to share the same bedroom space as her. I can see why Chloe was so shocked by the news. [I]She’s definitely NOT going to tolerate separate bedrooms once she and Lex decide that this is a marriage for real ;)

*I* know that the marriage wasn’t real, and Chloe knew that the marriage wasn’t real… but it was still unnerving (for both myself and Chloe) seeing how coolly and casually Lex was treating it… like a professional business arrangement only. Yes, I know that he was sticking to the terms of their agreement and arrangement. But it was still unnerving, and I was glad to see that Chloe felt the same, when Lex said that he was going to spend his wedding night working on his business reports and such… rather than ‘bonding’ with his wife… or at least relaxing.

I think it was unsettling for Chloe because, even if it was fake, the marriage was still an intense and disorientating experience for her. Seeing Lex adjusting so smoothly and coolly to his new marital status, without seeming the slightest bit disturbed or ruffled, must have been slightly maddening for her.


“You could phrase things as questions rather than commands.”

He let out a breath. “Fine. Chloe, would it be too much trouble for you to not go out on the balcony right now and make yourself a target for tabloid photographers and snipers?” His tone was chilly and smug.

Despite her annoyance with his arrogance, she had to fight a snort of amusement at his ironic question. Trying to keep her lips from quivering, she said, “Fine. I won’t go out. Thanks for asking.”

His mouth twitched, almost imperceptibly. “No problem.”

ROTFL! Despite Lex’s cool and professional attitude towards this marriage, it was still good and somehow soothing to see him rearing up in protectiveness for Chloe’s sake. He might be acting like she’s not all too important to him as a person, but it’s moments like these that would reassure Chloe that he DOES care about what happens to her. At the very least, he cares about whether she lives or dies. He’s willing to show that level of care and concern for her at least.

LOL! And I loved the way that they’re sense of humour match up and speak so eloquently to each other… so easily and smoothly. Beautiful!


“Thank you,” she said spontaneously. “Seriously, Lex. I know you’re going to great lengths to keep me safe. Thank you.”

He glanced away. “It’s nothing. You know I have my own reasons for doing so.”

“I know that. I’m not saying there’s nothing in it for you. But you’re helping me and I appreciate it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said in what was almost a mumble. Then he took his plate and glass of champagne and went into the other room.

heeee! Like I mentioned, I’m absolutely certain that Lex is desperately in love with Chloe, and came up with this whole fake marriage scheme in order to… well, perhaps just to protect her for a short while before divorcing her… but perhaps to use this time of marriage to woo her and win her affections…?

In any case, I LOVED the way that Lex was so obviously embarrassed about Chloe’s assumption that Lex is only using her as a pawn in his schemes. That SHE is not his top priority in this marriage scheme. He’s also embarrassed because Chloe is expressing gratitude to Lex for protecting her for motivations other than his true ones. He probably feels a little like a rat for lying to her like this, and making himself out to be more noble than he really feels.


Chapter Two

heee! Chapter two was fascinating, because we got to see Chloe adjust to becoming ‘Mrs. Luthor’. I wonder whether she felt a little anxiety ridden about losing her identity, and being known purely as Lex Luthor’s wife from here on in? But, I guess she hasn’t really thought that far ahead as yet.

Not only was Chloe getting used to the new name, but she was also getting used to the Luthor lifestyle… with all its pros and cons. The perks of being a Luthor were pretty immense, such as private jets and vacations to wonderful destinations in expensive hotels. heeee, not to mention the beautiful, stunning and amazing present of a lovely new laptop and smartphone as a (fake)wedding present. Awesome!!

BUT, the reporters, photographer and the ‘benefit’ of having Lionel Luthor as a friggen father in law can be considered massive deal-breakers in of themselves. Let’s not forget the annoyance of being constantly on guard from being followed or tracked. Or having your equipment hacked into at any given moment by any interested party. Where the heck are you supposed to keep you porn if you’re constantly scared of having your personal laptop hacked into by some random, curious and adventurous teen?

Still… it IS a mighty pretty laptop. lol! Perhaps it offsets having Lionel Luthor as a father in law after all.


She blinked a few times, trying to orient herself. Her eyes instinctively landed on Lex at his workstation across the room. He’d been watching her. Even in her groggy state, she was somehow sure of it.

But when she could focus on details, his eyes were directed on the monitor in front of him.

heh… I wonder just how long, and how intently and intensely Lex was watching Chloe as she was sleeping. I wonder whether it’s going to happen again… perhaps every night during their marriage…? Lex is nothing if not an obsessive creature of habit after all, lol!


“Well, it’s not because men aren’t interested in me,” she insisted, smoothing down her hair which was probably tangled around her face after her nap.

The truth was, she had never been as popular with men as girls like Lana and Lois. While she knew very well there was nothing wrong with her, she had never had men chasing her. She just wasn’t one of those girls.

“Of course, they’re interested in you. Why would you think I implied differently?” Lex looked annoyed, almost grumpy. “Why wouldn’t they be interested in you? You’re smart and beautiful and—“ He broke off his words, as if he hadn’t intended to say as much.

heeee! What was that last word?!? Oh, are we EVER going to find out?!? Amazing? Sexy? Perfect?! What was on the top of Lex’s tongue there?!?

heh… but I did love how Lex was actually grumpy when hearing Chloe getting so defensive about how she IS a desirable person, who could be considered attractive to men. Lex was actually slightly angry that Chloe would think she was anything less that the perfect picture of ultimate desire and beauty for any man.

heh… and I also liked how Lex ‘narrowed his eyes’, becoming even more quietly outraged when Chloe described herself as not Lex’s type since he ‘wasn’t into blondes’. LOL! I’ll bet Lex was just barely restraining himself from marching over to Chloe, grabbing her, and showing her just exactly how into blondes he really is!


Chapter Three

I think on the third day Lex decided that it would be safer to distance himself from Chloe. Obviously Lex found himself revealing far too much of his real feelings to Chloe… almost letting slip how much he admired and wanted her. So he probably decided that maintaining his physical distance from Chloe was the best way to protect himself, and keep his secrets to himself.

This chapter also made me realize that perhaps Lex didn’t marry Chloe in order to secretly and deviously woo her after all. Perhaps he DID marry Chloe purely to protect her from Lionel.


“But I don’t like to feel trapped. I don’t like to feel like I don’t get to choose what happens to me. And don’t like feeling like you’re secretly making all the decisions and leaving me in the dark.”

“Is that how you feel?”

It suddenly struck Chloe that Lex was barely dressed. He smelled clean and his body was gorgeous. And, for some reason, the sight of his bare belly above his low-slung towel made her want to grab his sides and squeeze hard.

“Yes,” she managed to say, raising her eyes back to his face. “I do. I get carted around in a car all day. You hole up at your desk and barely talk to me. And then a bodyguard tells me I can’t do what I wanted to do.”

I think Lex would have stuck to his plan to keep a physical (if not emotional) distance from Chloe indefinitely if she had not complained about how he was ignoring and neglecting her. Lex might not be willing to let Chloe know how deep his care and regard for her actually runs… but that doesn’t mean he can shut off his regard for her well-being. If Chloe’s upset, feeling trapped and bored… then Lex has to try and fix the problem. Even if it means risking his sanity and secrets by spending some extra time with her.

I was beyond delighted to see Lex actually join Chloe during the evening to watch television with her. It really wasn’t necessary, and it goes strictly against his presumed rule to minimize the time he spends with her… but he HAS to make sure that Chloe doesn’t feel alone and isolated while she’s supposed to be in his care.


“Look at her,” she breathed, leaning forward as the leopard climbed a tree, dragging her kill with her to keep it from being claimed by the lions and hyenas. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

Lex didn’t respond. And, when she turned to look at him, she caught him looking at her instead of at the television.

heeee! I loved this. I loved the idea that Lex couldn’t help himself from staring at Chloe while she was so mesmerized and enthused from the images on the television screen. Heee, and I’ll bet Lex knew that he was only making the situation worse for himself by torturing himself with Chloe’s presence and close proximity this way. But he still couldn’t’ help himself! Awesome!

And more than that. Lex actually experienced a near kiss from Chloe, when she woke up groggy, enticingly tousled and half-asleep with a dreamy smile on her face in his arms. ROTFL! Can you imagine how he must have berated himself later for being a masochist who placed himself in such a position? ROTFL!

*sigh* a near kiss… and on the third day no less. LOL! Lex and Chloe don’t stand a chance in resisting each other much longer, LOL!

heee! And I almost forgot to comment on how delicious it was to see Chloe walk in on Lex while he was freshly clean and glistening from the shower. *drooool* Yummy!!!


Chapter Four

I was so grateful and happy to see that Lex had NOT decided to, once again, separate and distance himself from Chloe after the ‘near kiss’ from the previous evening. Perhaps I was right in my first assumption that Lex is hoping to use this month in order to subtly woo Chloe and win her affections after all…?


She gasped indignantly. “It’s only six-thirty! You woke me up at six-thirty!”

“I’ve been up for hours. You should be glad I waited as long as I did.”

She made a few choked sounds of outrage, but was distracted when Lex handed her a mug of coffee. After she took a sip, she glared at him, “You’ve had that the whole time and just now gave it to me?”

Lex chuckled and stood up. “You know me. A master strategist. I had to wait for the most opportune time.”

Lex’s plans to accompany Chloe on a roam around the city was a sweet, lovely gesture. BUT, dammit, six friggen thirty in the morning?!?? Are you kidding me?!? And more than that, Lex actually claims that Chloe is lucky that he didn’t wake her up at five-thirty or something. I’m impressed that Chloe restrained herself to only throwing a pillow after him, rather than a show… or a bedside table lamp.

heh… I guess the coffee offer mollified her… a little bit, lol!


Things were little weird and awkward—and they argued about half of the time—but they were interacting with more familiarity than one would have expected in a situation like this.

Lex wasn’t an easy man. But he’d been surprisingly good-natured with her. He’d even laughed a lot.

She wasn’t fool enough to think that it was because of her feminine appeal. He hadn’t come on to her. Not once. Whatever attraction he’d once had for her had obviously faded with time.

I had already gathered that this was the status of Chloe’s feelings and assumptions concerning Lex. But it’s still very helpful and satisfying to get a quick summary of her attitude towards Lex over here. LOL! I wonder just how much Lex would gape in disbelief knowing that Chloe believes that he is no longer the slightest bit attracted to her. Would he be appalled knowing that Chloe is THAT unobservant and/or insecure. Or would he be relieved knowing that he’s managed to hide away his desperate desire for her so efficiently and completely?

In any case, it’s good to know that Chloe at least considers them both to be on friendly terms, even if there’s no romance or intimacy in their marriage. She doesn’t trust him completely, but she does trust him to a much deeper extent than she would have thought possible, and that’s a great build-up to the inevitable ‘real marriage’.

It was great to hear that both Chloe and Lex had fun exploring the city. LOL! I noticed a couple of lines (about Chloe walking down a set of stairs, and feeling great accomplishment at her achievement) that I remembered from another story. Perhaps from Irrevocable? I enjoyed it then, and I enjoyed it now :D

LOL! It was fun seeing how Chloe was deriving such delight from teasing Lex, by pretending to linger longer at sights while he tried to hide away his impatience at her slowness, LOL! I firmly believe it’s good for Lex to be forced to wait on someone.

heee, and it sounds darned useful to have a billionaire as a holiday partner. I cannot imagine how useful and amazing it would be to vacation with someone who can have the museums and various tourist spots opened up for him alone during odd times of the day. Not only do you get the convenience of viewing the sights within on your schedule… but you also get the perk of enjoying a vast, empty and quiet museum, all to yourself. WOW!


Chloe studied him, trying to scrutinize him as closely as he always scrutinized her. “That would explain the marriage. And your keeping me safe. But why are you being so nice to me?”

Something flickered in Lex’s eyes, and she wondered if she’d hurt him with the question. “You’d expect me to be otherwise?”

“Well, I knew you wouldn’t hurt me or be cruel toward me in any way. But you could accomplish what you want and still ignore me most of the time.”

Lex gave a half-shrug. “This plan will be more successful if we get along. If we’re . . . friendly.”

That has got to be the most ridiculous explanation I’ve ever heard. Lex is seriously trying to explain and rationalize his friendliness by claiming it’s all a part of his long-term scheme to use Chloe as his pawn?! ROTFL! And the remarkable thing is that Chloe is actually falling for that explanation. I really think if she was thinking more clearly, and not allowing her own insecurities shade her judgement, she would be able to tell that Lex being nice to her doesn’t accomplish anything except allow Lex to lingeringly enjoy her presence and company.

But I was glad to see that Chloe asked about Lex’s inexplicable ‘niceness’ in the first place. She did note the strangeness of him displaying these outward trappings of affection and companionship when he, strictly speaking, really doesn’t need to.


Lex’s expression—which had been mild and even the whole time up to now—twisted into something she recognized as anger. “Aren’t they?” he asked, a little roughly.

For the strangest reason, his shadowed urgency suddenly made him feel more Lex-like – as if the mild stranger had transformed back into the Lex she’d always known.

“No, they aren’t. Helping me doesn’t give you the right to pry into my affairs. “

“If I don’t know why you let yourself get trapped like this, then I won’t be able to figure out how to keep it from happening again.”

“Let it go, Lex,” she snapped, angry and oddly mortified at how Lex clearly seemed to think she was a fool who got involved with dangerous men and couldn’t seem to fix things on her own. “I’m not talking about this with you.”

“What are you trying to hide from me?” he demanded, taking her forearm again but this time holding her more tightly. “How did you get involved with my father at all? It wasn’t . . . it wasn’t . . .” He trailed off, reluctant to say the word.

wow! Until Lex started this line of questioning I always believed that Chloe had only accidentally stumbled across the sensitive information that she had picked up about Lionel. I really thought that she was investigating some random line of inquiry, and then surprisingly and shockingly came across Lionel’s involvement in whatever sordid affair she was looking into.

But now, after Lex’s interrogation, I find myself wondering whether Chloe somehow went looking into something that she knew was connected to Lionel…? His suspicions and certainty that Chloe was looking deliberately into Lionel’s dealings now makes me wonder whether Chloe was targeting Lionel’s dirty dealings on purpose… but found a little more than she bargained for…?

Chloe’s reluctance to get into the specifics about her investigations only makes me (and Lex) more suspicious about the circumstances that led to Chloe needing help hiding from Lionel. Why is she being so secretive and elusive and vague. And WHY does she actually seem frightened by the prospect of Lex digging deeper, and interrogating her a little harder for answers. Curiouser and curiouser!

heee! And I loved the way that Lex suddenly changed from the civil, polite veneer that he’s been presenting to Chloe for all this time to someone a lot more familiar to Chloe and to the readers. He’s showing himself to be intense, domineering, obsessively needy and intent to find out the truth behind Chloe’s actions. I love it! I even love his semi-obnoxious claim that he’s entitled to Chloe’s secrets because all of her secrets are his personal concern somehow… at least the secrets relating to the Luthor family.

That being said, I was so proud of Chlow, not allowing herself to be bullied by Lex when he was being domineering, needy and intense in his interrogation. This was, all in all, a fantastic and intense scene, and I loved the new tone that it brought to the fic! heh… even it if did destroy the light-hearted interaction that they were enjoying earlier today.


Chapter Five

I didn’t know what to expect from Day five. After all, Lex and Chloe spent a very companionable and engaging day together the previous day… ending in a rather intense argument at the end of that day. So I really didn’t know what to expect the next morning. But it appears that Lex decided that the morning required some time and space away from Chloe in order to regain equilibrium and perspective… not to mention work off some of that angry tension and sexual energy with a heavy work-out session.

And I really enjoyed the irony that Chloe woke up feeling just a tad needy, needing to meet up with Lex to find out exactly where they stood with each other. LOL! This is usually always the tone of all Chlex relationships, isn’t it? When they argue, Lex wants to get away to lick his wounds, while Chloe want to come in closer and fight to the bloody end to ‘clear the air’ between them.

It appears that reaction is the same, even when they’re not[I] involved in a defined relationship with each other, lol!

I also liked how Chle considered and felt ‘vaguely ill’ at the idea that Lex wanted to work off his tension with a beautiful, shapely brunette. But I was so, SO pleased to see that she reconsidered that decided that Lex was [I]not going to be cheap and crass enough to slip off to a one-night stand with another woman… not while he’s married to Chloe. It might be a fake marriage, but Lex would not consider it worth the risk to indulge in a cheap one-night stand during this month long marriage. Plenty of time to indulge in such things after he becomes a fresh divorcee again.

LOL! I loved that, in the end, Chloe herself ALSO decided independently to work out her own aggressions, restlessness and frustrated energies with a good, intense work-out session. Isn’t it fantastic to see how their mind work alike, LOL!

heee! And I loved when Chloe entered the gym room, and spent a good couple of minutes admiring the tone of her husband’s fine-tuned body. The description was just yummy! And I ALSO loved the idea of Lex discreetly spying on Chloe as she stared working up a sweat during her own work-out. heeee!! Yummy times two!

I can even see that Lex gave her a discreet and subtle compliment as to how fine she looked during her workout session :D Chloe might not have picked up on the compliment… but I KNOW it was there!!

I was glad to see that Lex managed to work out a good number of his issues in the morning, and was able to go back to civil and polite behaviour with Chloe during the evening. Taking her out to dinner was a GREAT way to reconnect and carry on the light-hearted and companionable interaction that they had started the day before.


“If the ogling gets too obnoxious,” Lex said blandly, gesturing toward the door in what was obviously a signal for her to get moving, “Then you can wear my jacket.”

squeee and also LOL! Lex might be acting like he’s only dryly teasing Chloe… but I firmly believe that he DOES indeed feel a sense of jealous possessiveness about the ‘display’ that Chloe is putting on for the lechers in the restaurant. *wistful sigh* it’s too bad that Chloe doesn’t believe that Lex was serious about how irresistibly hot she looked. She only thought he was teasing (or mocking). Oh well, she’ll eventually and inevitably find out different.


“You’re not,” she breathed, her giddiness fading a little. “You don’t have good Christmas memories?”

He licked his lips and looked away from her, toward the roaring fireplace. Finally he said, “Not one.”

Chloe sipped her wine, fighting the ridiculous urge to scoot over and put her arms around him. It seemed so horrible that he didn’t have one good Christmas memory. She asked softly, “Not even with your mother?”

His expression twisted slightly and he still didn’t meet her eyes. “There were some good times, when I was young. But no memory is pure, without something . . .” He trailed off.

She understood what he meant. None of his good memories of his mother were without the taint of his father.

heeee! I can already tell this is a set-up for an awesome moment that’s going to come later in this story. Chloe is SURE to set up some kind of amazing, sentimental and beautiful Christmas celebration with and for Lex… determined to create ONE pure, beautiful Christmas memory for him. Even if Chloe and Lex are not ‘together’ by Christmas, she’s STILL sure to do it! I can’t wait to see his reaction to her efforts.


Chloe got up quickly, without objection. And she knew that—likely before dawn tomorrow morning—she and Lex would be leaving Quebec, before their presence here could hit the news.

They’d be winging their way in a private jet toward another place in the world, the second city in less than a week.

*sigh* oh dear… that damned reporter!!! He’s essentially destroyed Quebec for Chloe and Lex!!! Just when they were settling in for a lovely trip too. Oh well, perhaps they can go vacationing somewhere warmer? Or some place more exotic or older? There’s a whole world of vacation spots to choose from, and a private jet gives them full access to everywhere! Actually, it’s not all that bad… just requires a small adjustment in location, that’s all… right?

I look forward to reading the next chapter… and all new chapters for the upcoming month!!!! squeee!!

[somethingeasy]

Chapter Six

heh… and we have another plane ride to yet another wonderful, amazing destination. I did predict, in my last review, that it might actually be pretty awesome being ‘forced’ to travel from place to place in order to keep one step ahead of Lionel the whole time. Yes, it’s decidedly inconvenient that Lex and Chloe are rushed at unexpected times, BUT the private jet giving you access to any destination you want is pretty darned awesome!

That being said, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lex. The poor man was obviously harried, rushed and stressed out… and probably has been in such a state ever since that encounter with the photographer the previous evening. I did like how Chloe couldn’t help but feel concerned and protective of Lex as she saw how stressed and frustrated he’s been all morning.

I loved how she arranged for a full, hearty and healthy breakfast for Lex, after discovering that the silly, obsessive man had not eaten anything at ALL for the whole day. Coffee does not count as sustenance!

And although Lex didn’t thank Chloe, or really show his appreciation in any overt manner… I’m absolutely certain that he was touched by her concern and efforts for him. Lex is just the type of person who responds to the smallest signs of kindness and concern with extraordinary gratitude and surprise. This doesn’t speak well of the company he’s generally kept throughout his life, but at least it does mean that he appreciates basic kindness and decency whenever he comes into contact with it.

Oh, by the way, I LOVED that small moment where Lex’s attention was actually taken away from his phone conversation because a small portion of Chloe’s abdomen (of all body parts) suddenly showed itself. ROTFL! Lex really had it bad if he’s distracted by an innocuous piece of flesh like that, ROTFLMAO!

And even THEN, Chloe didn’t acknowledge the full extent of Lex’s attraction towards her. Does Chloe really think that Lex gets distracted and ogles every woman’s random abdomen whenever they happen to stretch up?


“I know. Thanks for everything.”

“I thought we covered that there’s no need for you to thank me every other minute.” He actually sounded grumpy, even as he swallowed down the last of his juice.

Chloe scowled at him. “Why shouldn’t I thank you? You’re doing a lot to help me.”

“I’ve told you now multiple times that I’m getting something—“

“I know you’re getting something out of it,” she interrupted sharply. “But I still want to thank you.”

“Well, you have now. So let it go.”

heh… Lex is showing himself to be inordinately touchy whenever Chloe tries to thank him. I believe this kind of touchiness is a sign of guilt of some sort. I’ve mentioned before that Lex feels guilty because he’s not being completely honest with Chloe, and believes that she’s making him out to be a lot more selfless and noble than he knows himself to be.

Or perhaps some other reason…? Perhaps he doesn’t like the idea that Chloe thinks kindness is so alien a concept to him that she feels the urge to thank him EVERY time he does something nice[I] for her.

heh… I guess I’ll have to wait and see to find out the true reason, eh? I look forward to it!


The picture she saw on the screen wasn’t perfectly clear, but it revealed a man who was obviously Lex Luthor, looking relaxed and attractive as he sat at a rustic table in a Quebec restaurant. And Chloe, his new bride, was gazing up at him with what seemed to Chloe to be an embarrassingly besotted expression. Her hand was on his face, and they appeared to be moments from a kiss.

Her cheeks burned, and she mumbled, “I’d clearly drunk too much wine.”

squeee! What an awesome picture. How much do you want to bet that it’s going to end up as Lex’s computer wallpaper and screensaver… and possibly the background on his smartphone as well, LOL!


“Didn’t I say good morning?”

She stared, wondering if he was being genuine or if he was teasing her again. “You didn’t,” she said carefully.

When he drew his eyebrows together, as if he were thinking over the events of the morning, she decided he honestly hadn’t realized his rudeness.

I was quite impressed that Lex has acknowledged that neglecting to say ‘good morning’ to Chloe this morning was a rude move on his part. I actually suspected that he would have defended his rudeness, proclaiming that he was a little [I]busy this morning, and couldn’t spend any time making polite small talk with Chloe.

Instead, it turns out that Lex is well aware that his neglect of Chloe throughout this whole morning was a trifle rude. This is a great sign, because it means that Lex will put some serous effort into NOT doing it again. Say what you will about Lex, but he DOES learn from his mistakes, and puts serious effort into not repeating them.
erm… his multiple divorces notwithstanding :P


She was getting annoyed again at his obtuseness. He seemed to be going out of his way not to tell her what she wanted to know. “So where are we going now?” When he hesitated before responding, she snapped, “You’ve got to work on these control-freak tendencies. Really. I know we’re doing this on your resources, but I’m not a child or a fool, you know. And I don’t like being treated like one.”

His voice was quieter than it had been when he asked, “You think that’s how I’m treating you?”

“Well, not always.” She felt kind of bad about her outburst, even though it was a real frustration. So she tempered it by saying, “I’m sorry to bite your head off. But I really would appreciate it if you could try a little harder to treat me like a partner rather than an underling.”

Lex didn’t answer for a long time. Too long. Then finally he said, “I’m not used to having partners.”

squeee! Excellent! More progress! Lex’s complete surprise and shock about how to treat his WIFE like a partner rather than a subordinate makes me wonder how the heck did he treat all of his previous wives. He set up separate bedrooms from them during travelling (even during honeymoons), and now it turns out that he never really discussed long-term (or even short-term) plans with them.

All I can say is that no wonder all of Lex’s previous marriages turned out as abysmal failures. Granted, quite a bit of the blame goes onto the wives for being homicidal, greedy, deceitful gold-diggers… but still, I’m now wondering how much did Lex contribute to the problem of his disintegrated marriages.

I’m actually surprised that Chloe is not having a discussion with Lex about his previous marriages, and what he expected from them… when he believes they were genuine. At least Chloe is now helping Lex by providing him with some basic tips as to how to best treat a wife… as a partner and trusted companion above all things.

In her own way, Chloe is providing training and therapy to Lex for his next[I] marriage. At least, that might be Chloe’s perspective as she comes to acknowledge that their own marriage is a temporary thing only. It still hasn’t seemed to have hit her fully that she and Lex will be separating after a month. She’s treating this alliance almost like a long-term investment.

Anyhow, I [I]also squealed with delight right alongside Chloe when I discovered that Lex was taking her to South Africa. How awesome and WONDERFUL!!! And I loved how it was Chloe’s avid interest in the documentary some nights before that inspired this decision. Lex truly has the most wonderful mind, doesn’t he?

heee! And I was so, SO pleased to see that Chloe hugged Lex tightly and enthusiastically after hearing this news. I’m sure Lex relished that!

squeee! South Africa in future chapters! I can’t wait!!!!

[Zannie]

heee! Chapter two was fascinating, because we got to see Chloe adjust to becoming ‘Mrs. Luthor’. I wonder whether she felt a little anxiety ridden about losing her identity, and being known purely as Lex Luthor’s wife from here on in? But, I guess she hasn’t really thought that far ahead as yet

I actually hadn't even thought about that in this story for some reason. I'm not sure why because it's certainly come up in other of my stories. I guess maybe it didn't feel like something Chloe would be mulling over quite yet, since she's only expecting the marriage to be temporary (however silly such an expectation might be!).


heeee! What was that last word?!? Oh, are we EVER going to find out?!? Amazing? Sexy? Perfect?! What was on the top of Lex’s tongue there?!?

I'm sorry to say that I never actually answer that question. At least not directly. But you'll definitely get the spirit of the answer later in the story.


Lex’s plans to accompany Chloe on a roam around the city was a sweet, lovely gesture. BUT, dammit, six friggen thirty in the morning?!?? Are you kidding me?!? And more than that, Lex actually claims that Chloe is lucky that he didn’t wake her up at five-thirty or something. I’m impressed that Chloe restrained herself to only throwing a pillow after him, rather than a show… or a bedside table lamp.

Heh. I think Lex's standards in reasonable wake-up times might be different from the general population. But his main purpose in getting her up so early is so they could go explore the city before the streets got too crowded, since it would be too difficult to keep Chloe safe in too many crowds.


I noticed a couple of lines (about Chloe walking down a set of stairs, and feeling great accomplishment at her achievement) that I remembered from another story. Perhaps from Irrevocable? I enjoyed it then, and I enjoyed it now

Yes, there are a few from Irrevocable and a few from In Experience. And a couple I used in both of those stories.


wow! Until Lex started this line of questioning I always believed that Chloe had only accidentally stumbled across the sensitive information that she had picked up about Lionel. I really thought that she was investigating some random line of inquiry, and then surprisingly and shockingly came across Lionel’s involvement in whatever sordid affair she was looking into.

But now, after Lex’s interrogation, I find myself wondering whether Chloe somehow went looking into something that she knew was connected to Lionel…? His suspicions and certainty that Chloe was looking deliberately into Lionel’s dealings now makes me wonder whether Chloe was targeting Lionel’s dirty dealings on purpose… but found a little more than she bargained for…?

Your first instinct was correct. Chloe did only accidentally stumble on the information. Lex's insistence that there's more to it is based on his own emotional investment in the issue and his paranoid perspective. I'm only explaining this now because I actually considered going back and rewriting that whole scene next to the river in Quebec because I was afraid it hinted at a whole complex backstory that never gets followed through. But I left it as it was because I think the behavior is realistic for Lex, given his nature and this part of the story. But the whole thing is in Lex's mind - not based on a reality of the plot. And, as you mentioned later in your review, Chloe's response is based on her refusal to be bullied by Lex. She's not actually trying to hide anything significant from Lex.

Thanks for the great reviews!

[becky]

Hey Zannie!

Just wanted to apologise for not being diligent with my feedback lately - England has basically been crippled by snow (which is a bit pathetic, really) and I've spent most of the week either on train platforms or desperately trying to work from home to catch up... I managed to get up to date with everything last night and wrote all the feedback for you on my laptop, so I'll upload it as soon as I get it online!!

For now, let me say that I'm absolutely loving the fic so far - it's so cute and funny with just a little twinge of angst for them to work through in time for Christmas!

x

[cbrunberg]

can't wait to see what happens next.great story so far

[ChloeLovesLex]

Got home from my Disney vacation and got to enjoy 2 updates. It really doesn't get much better than that!!

Loved the interaction at dinner before the photographer showed up.

Can't wait to see how it goes in South Africa!

[lj715]

Great update!

[somethingeasy]

Chapter Seven


She and Lex had a private, detached suite furnished in an elegant, exotic mix of Colonial and African styles with foldaway glass walls on two sides of their suite that opened to expose the entire place to the outdoors. There was a plunge infinity pool on their private deck, an expansive view of the African bush, and the marble bathroom of her dreams.

oh wow! Lex’s and Chloe’s villa seemed just… amazing! It has just about everything that a beautiful, luxuriantly expensive villa in South Africa can offer. I was HUGELY impressed, and I shared in Chloe’s delight.

LOL! Actually, spoiled brat that I am, I have spent time in luxurious villas similar to this one. So the description of Chloe’s and Lex’s living space brought back a lot of memories of different vacations and trips for me :D Just like Chloe, I ALSO spend about half an hour during each trip, just relishing the size and luxuries that the hotel room and/or villa has to offer. What an excellent vacation holiday Chloe is getting for herself.

And Chloe’s tour was similarly amazing, fantastic and luxuriantly arranged. It’s obvious that Lex arranged for her to get the most competent and experienced of all the rangers at the resort. The fact that Michael was easy on the eyes was a happy, unexpected bonus on top of his competency, lol!

In any case, I LOVED getting all the details of Chloe’s morning tour, looking at South Africa through her eyes, and enjoying the lecture that she received from her ranger guide about the plants, animals and various sights during the tour. And I squealed with delight watching Chloe enjoying her first sight of rhinos and elephants and lions in the wild! AWESOME!


“Shame to miss out on this.” Michael gave a broad wave toward the lush African bush to indicate what he meant by “this.”

“Yeah,” Chloe agreed. “I know. But I’m sure he’ll come out this afternoon or tomorrow morning.” Then, feeling a little awkward, as if she had to justify Lex’s choices since he was supposed to be her husband, she added with a sheepish smile, “This trip was mostly for me.”

“Then as long as you enjoy yourself, I guess he’ll be happy.”

I’m sure Lex WILL be pleased to hear that Chloe had a good time. But it still made me feel sorry for Lex thinking about everything that he’s missing out on today. Granted, he’s seen all of this before (perhaps? maybe? probably?)… But you can’t tell me that looking at wild animals in South Africa is a ‘been there, done that’ kind of experience. You can keep enjoying it multiple times, every time you go to South Africa. You never get tired of such a thing!!!

And Lex has never experienced South Africa, travelling with a person that he liked and trusted (and loved) like Chloe Sullivan. It would have been amazing for him, I’m sure, to have enjoyed HER first sight of the South African wildlife reserves. He would have loved seeing her first look at the animals, and enjoying all the delights of the sights through her eyes.

Overall, I felt HUGELY sorry for Lex… and I found myself wondering why, Why, WHY wasn’t he accompanying Chloe on these tours!


She thought Michael had the most gorgeous dark eyes she’d ever seen. He was big and masculine and attractive. And she liked his voice and his smile. In another situation, she would have been really interested in him and would have gotten a thrill out of the slightly flirtatious glint in his eyes.

Of course, he probably cultivated that non-intrusive flirtatiousness with female guests as a matter of routine. Another way to make sure he was popular with the resort’s clientele. She probably shouldn’t take it personally.

But she liked him, and she was glad he was her guide.

ROTFLMAO! Right after this description of Michael, I knew immediately that his handsome looks and flirtatious attitude was going to make him the trigger for a HUGE jealousy attack from Lex. I was just waiting for the inevitable attack at this point, wondering how and when it was going to happen, lol!


Since she was starving, she went down to the main patio of their exclusive section of the resort where the staff was serving a hot breakfast buffet. She chatted with some of the other guests. They were all rich and mostly stuffy, but she found them all highly entertaining.

Lex was still working when she came back up to the suite, so she took a plunge in the infinity pool and then lay out on a chaise on their private deck, enjoying the sun and the scent of nature and the gorgeous landscape.

She actually dozed off and woke up just in time for lunch.

They ordered room service—just sandwiches and salads—and, since Lex went right back to work afterwards, Chloe decided to visit the spa, where she greatly enjoyed an aroma essence massage.

She returned to the suite near the time for the afternoon game ride.

“You aren’t going to come on this ride either?” she asked Lex, feeling ridiculously disappointed.

At this point, I was just gaping at the screen and going WTF over Lex’s anti-social, workaholic regiment. He’s in a friggen luxury resort, surrounded by wild beauty… and the only thing he’s looking at is work on his laptop?!? WTF?!???

I was not only annoyed and exasperated, but also completely bewildered by Lex’s behaviour. He’s not even leaving the villa in order to enjoy the lunch or breakfast buffets. Or even to get himself a lovely massage? He’s completely holed himself up in his room like a hermit. It just didn’t make any sense.

It especially didn’t make any sense in the light of their time in Quebec, when Lex seemed to have a genuine good time roaming the city with Chloe. He liked exploring the city with her, visiting the museums and galleries and the older parts of the city. So why wasn’t he enjoying the sights of South Africa with her as well?

I was really glad to see Chloe actually yelling at Lex a little about his hermit like behaviour. I was glad to see that she made her displeasure clear, because I was hoping that he would see exactly how ridiculous he was acting once he saw how mad he was making Chloe. But he STILL didn’t catch the hint, and only agreed to move to the patio of the villa in acquiesce of Chloe’s outrage.


Suddenly, it occurred to her what might be happening. The last time he’d ventured out in Quebec he’d been recognized and photographed.

Maybe—maybe—he was afraid he’d be recognized here too and they’d have to leave prematurely.

Chloe sipped the last of her wine and gazed up at the bright stars as she reflected on that possibility. And, as she realized that must be exactly what he was thinking, she was overwhelmed with gratitude, fondness, and annoyance—all mingling in her chest together.

It was so Lex-like that he’d think of that. And so Lex-like that he wouldn’t bother to tell her that’s why he wasn’t venturing out.

It was here where the pieces finally clicked together and made sense. I was so darned grateful to Chloe for putting the pieces together, and deducing the real reason behind Lex’s self-imposed isolation and exile. The dear, sweet man is sacrificing all the fun, pleasure and delight in exploring South Africa with Chloe because he wants to make sure that Chloe manages to FULLY enjoy her time in the country.

What a beautiful, selfless, amazing man! And the worst/best of it is that I’m sure Lex knows what he’s missing out on. I’m sure he desperately wanted to experience, first hand, Chloe’s thrills and delights in seeing Africa for the first time. He knows he’s missing out on something amazing… but he’s willing to make that sacrifice for Chloe’s sake. What a beautiful, WONDERFUL man!


In another situation, she would have been totally swept off her feet by him—handsome, manly, engaging, intelligent, and paying special attention to her.

For some reason, however, she wasn’t. And even if she had been, she naturally wouldn’t do anything while she was married to Lex. Even if it wasn’t a genuine marriage, she just wasn’t that kind of a person.

I really liked this quick summation of Chloe’s thoughts about Michael. She enjoys his competency and knowledge, and she appreciates that he’s a very attractive and desirable man… BUT it’s made clear that she doesn’t feel any personal, irresistible attraction for him.
heh…. gee, I wonder why… LOL!

And it’s also good to see that Chloe prides herself on being a little more classy than hopping into bed with random men when she’s on a honeymoon with her new husband. Even if it’s a pretend honeymoon for a fake marriage, Chloe still respects Lex enough not to cuckold and humiliate him… just like she knows that HE wouldn’t embarrass her by having a quickie with some random brunette.


Lex arched his eyebrows. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said, stepping forward and extending a hand to Michael. “I’m Chloe’s husband.”

Michael grinned and introduced himself. “It’s nice to meet you. I was beginning to think your existence was fictitious.”

“It’s not.”

squeee, and also LOL! Just look at Lex obtrusively, overtly and even obnoxiously staking out his claim over Chloe. ROTFL! I can practically see Lex bristling with jealousy and possessive anger over here. Not that I blame him. He’s juts discovered that the ranger that Chloe has been raving about all day is actually a VERY handsome young man… who has just been caught dancing with Lex’s wife. LOL! Brilliant!

LOL! I loved how even Chloe noted, with quite a bit of unnerved shock, that Lex was acting like a jealous husband. I liked how she was quite bewildered by the display, because of course Lex wouldn’t be jealous about other men paying attention to her. He just wouldn’t care, since Chloe is ‘obviously’ not his type. LOL! Oh, Chloe, you poor, oblivious fool! ROTFL!


“You’re being ridiculous. It was perfectly innocent. And it’s not like there’s anything real between us anyway.” Even though there wasn’t anything between them, she wouldn’t have dreamed of having an affair while she was married to Lex. But she didn’t like his high-handed manner, and she didn’t like that he was so rude to Michael.

“So that means I should simply accept without complaint my wife sneaking off in the dark to embrace another man.”

How dare he think she would be so cheap and crass as to sneak off and kiss another man? How dare he think she was so sleazy that she’d jump into bed with a virtual stranger while she was married to him?

It makes sense that Chloe would think this harsh and ugly assessment to be the truth behind Lex’s behaviour. She ‘knows’ that Lex doesn’t actually find her desirable or attractive, and therefore wouldn’t actually be jealous of other men paying attention to her. This can only lead her to the conclusion that Lex was only being jealous and protective of his own reputation and image. That he was angry because he thought that Chloe was weak and sleazy enough to tarnish his precious reputation, and put the horns of a cuckold on his head.

His over-reaction and rudeness to Michael was nothing about Chloe herself, but only the damage that she could bring to his image. Poor Chloe has no idea that Lex’s over-reaction was all about her alone… that the thought of her in another man’s arms just drove him INSANE with jealousy. It’s not a judgement of her will and integrity, but actually an acknowledgement that she’s so amazingly desirable, that every man in her vicinity would wish to woo and seduce her.

Not knowing the truth, I can see that Chloe’s feeling were quite hurt. I think she might be slightly snippy at Lex tomorrow morning. But, hopefully she’ll be able to forgive him… because I still remember his sweetness from this morning, and he serves some leeway for that display of selflessness.

Thanks for the excellent chapter, Zannie. I look forward to the next one.

And I’ve happily caught up on all my Chlex reviews. Which leaves me to focus on the ten-thousand other fics from other canon shows and stories that require my attention :P Wish me luck with the pile!

[JosiCuervo]

Anther great update, Zannie!! Keep 'em comin'!

(That sounds silly, but *shrug*)

[lj715]

Love the newest update. Nothing like a little jealousy to get the blood pumping. (lol)

[Zannie]

All I can say is that no wonder all of Lex’s previous marriages turned out as abysmal failures. Granted, quite a bit of the blame goes onto the wives for being homicidal, greedy, deceitful gold-diggers… but still, I’m now wondering how much did Lex contribute to the problem of his disintegrated marriages.

I’m actually surprised that Chloe is not having a discussion with Lex about his previous marriages, and what he expected from them… when he believes they were genuine. At least Chloe is now helping Lex by providing him with some basic tips as to how to best treat a wife… as a partner and trusted companion above all things.

As much as we love him, I can't help but thing Lex's learned behavior would make for a terrible husband. While he may naturally be committed, loving, and almost chivalrous, he's learned to be cold, isolated, and insensitive. So I completely agree that he would have contributed to his past failed relationships!

And, in regard to your second comment there, perhaps it hasn't occurred to Chloe to talk to Lex about his past marriages because she's not acknowledging that their current marriage is anything but temporary!


And I’ve happily caught up on all my Chlex reviews. Which leaves me to focus on the ten-thousand other fics from other canon shows and stories that require my attention Wish me luck with the pile!

Congratulations, excellent work, and good luck!


Just wanted to apologise for not being diligent with my feedback lately - England has basically been crippled by snow (which is a bit pathetic, really) and I've spent most of the week either on train platforms or desperately trying to work from home to catch up... I managed to get up to date with everything last night and wrote all the feedback for you on my laptop, so I'll upload it as soon as I get it online!!

Thanks, Becky! I've heard other grumbles about the snow in the UK recently. Hope things get back to normal soon!

[somethingeasy]

heee! This was a excellent chapter. First of all, I was so pleased that Lex was finally getting out of his villa to enjoy the sights. It might be a beautiful, luxurious villa that breathtaking to behold… but it’s not much fun if you’re treating it like a prison.

And it was really fun and funny to imagine that one of the main reasons why Lex decided to come along was because he was paranoid about the too handsome ranger putting the moves on Chloe, LOL! I’m sure Lex was ‘slightly’ embarrassed about the display he put on last night, but that doesn’t stop him from feeling mighty suspicious of the ranger’s intentions towards Chloe. I was pleased to see that he apologised to Chloe for implying that she would be unfaithful. He even made a point of mentioning that it was the ranger he didn’t trust, and not her.


“Oh.” She stared at him silently for a moment, trying to figure it out. She was ridiculously pleased with the decision, but she was afraid she knew the reason. “I’m not going to sneak off in the bush and screw the game ranger, you know.”

“I know you aren’t. I’m sorry I implied otherwise last night.” The words were mild but sounded genuine.

“Oh. Thank you. I guess.” Then she added, “So why are you going? I thought you were trying to keep a low profile.”

I mentioned earlier that Chloe needed to scold Lex about his behaviour… so I was delighted to see that she did. However, I also remember mentioning that the scolding shouldn’t be too[I] severe, considering how lovely and self-sacrificing he had been throughout the morning… so I was glad to see that she forgave him relatively quickly. It probably helped that Lex looked truly sorry and chagrined about his behaviour last night.

Now they’ve cleared the air, and can enjoy a lovely day out together :D Excellent!


“Our goal this morning is to spot a leopard,” Michael said.

“Those are my favorite,” Chloe explained, looking up at Lex, who was riding in the seat beside her.

“I know that. You told me, remember?”

She had told him—when they were watching the documentary. For no good reason, she flushed a little. “Oh. Right.”

heh.. I’m sure Chloe probably told herself that it doesn’t mean anything. Lex has an extraordinary mind with an [I]incredible memory (possible photographic memory no less). So it’s no big deal that he remembered a comment he heard her making several days ago.

Except that Chloe doesn’t appreciate how Lex hoards and cherishes everything she’s ever said, either to him, or in general. I’m absolutely certain that there’s a special category in Lex’s mind labelled ‘Chloe’, and every minute detail about her goes right into the mind-vault there.


Lex watched with interest as well, but his absolute composure made her a little self-conscious about her own enthusiasm. She didn’t want him to think she was silly for getting so excited about baby elephants.

This was a bit of a shame. I’m sure Lex would have LOVED to have seen the full extent of Chloe’s exuberance and excitement for the African outdoors. It’s one of the main reason he came on this tour after all. Not to look so much at the animals, but to see Chloe’s reaction to the animals. Well, that and be the hero and find Chloe’s leopard for her, lol!


She moved next to him and looked through his binoculars. He helped direct them for her and then casually kept a hand on her shoulder.

She was delighted by the sight of the odd-looking, spotted cat and after a few minutes, she said, “Lex, come see!”

While Lex obviously could see without the binoculars, he would see much better with them. So she handed them to him, and he took a look—edging Michael away from Chloe as he did.

LOL! When Michael put his arm around Chloe’s shoulders (in a move that might or might not have been completely innocent), I KNEW that Lex was silently snarling behind them, just barely restraining himself from knocking Michael’s arm off from HIS wife’s shoulder. LOL! Lex could not resist, however, marking his territory when given the opportunity; nudging Chloe away from Michael when he had the chance. LOL! Nicely done Lex. Smooth move… although not smooth enough since I’m sure that Chloe noticed, lol!

By the way, I looked up pictures for a serval. It’s such a delightful looking cat! Very similar to a cheetah (which is MY favourite big cat) but with the most adorable huge pointy ears anyone can imagine!! Squeee! So cute!!


After a while, she felt Lex shift against her. Then felt his breath against her head. He was really close and seemed to have been nuzzling her hair.

omigosh! WOW! I wanted to leap with joy and swoon at this image of Lex indulging in some PDA with Chloe. He’s usually so guarded about showing affection in public, even when in fics where he’s actually openly in love with Chloe.


She arched her neck and whispered in his ear, “He’s not coming on to me.”

“He wants to,” Lex whispered back.

“He does not. He’s just friendly.”

“Not to me, he isn’t. Besides, we’re supposed to be newlyweds. If we act too unusual, he’ll start to wonder and maybe raise questions about us.”

That actually made a little sense. And it disappointed Chloe a little. If this was just for an act, then Lex’s warm, strong body and familiar scent didn’t feel quite as good.

Dammit! It made me grit my teeth and nearly curse in frustration that Chloe wans’t able to appreciate Lex’s demonstrations of affection as genuine[I] like I was. She thought it was all a big show he was putting on… and it only made her a feel sick rather than happy and warmed. That’s so very, VERY wrong *cries a little*

heh… but, at the very least, I was glad to see Lex realized that he can actually [I]use his ‘fake’ marriage to start initiating some intimate touches with Chloe, at least when they’re out in public and he can claim that they’re putting on a show for others. Perhaps he’ll be able to up the ante on his demonstrations and start openly and brazenly groping Chloe while kissing and dancing with her… all the while claiming that it’s for ‘verisimilitude’, LOL!


She glanced down at her rings—the too-big Renaissance merchant ring and the antique wedding band. And she felt a sharp pang in her chest.

But she remembered all too well what had happened the last time she had let herself believe that Lex’s fond eyes and warm touch were real and lasting.

She wasn’t going to be a fool again.

ouch! At least now I have an idea on what went wrong and broke up the Chlex relationship when Chloe was seventeen. Lex was an idiot, and probably dumped her in some abrupt, callous manner… leading her to believe that he was only enjoying a bit of physical fun and pleasure between the two of them.

This revelation that Lex broke Chloe’s heart once made me realize that he’s going to have to put some serious work into winning her trust and love again. He really has his work cut out for him. And, quite honestly, I don’t know whether he’s doing a good job wooing Chloe right now. He’s set an amazing stage to woo her, marrying her and taking her on whirlwind, breathtaking trips… but he’s NOT being honest with her at all… and actually spending as much time neglecting and ignoring her as seeing to her needs.

heh… Like I said, the stage is set. But perhaps Lex just needs to change his tactics a bit. This is assuming that Lex’s main plan all along was to woo Chloe into a permanent marriage and not just [I]protect her[I] from Lionel with a fake, temporary marriage…?

Great chapter, Zannie. Thanks for the update. I look forward to tomorrow! :D

[Zannie]

By the way, I looked up pictures for a serval. It’s such a delightful looking cat! Very similar to a cheetah (which is MY favourite big cat) but with the most adorable huge pointy ears anyone can imagine!! Squeee! So cute!!

Yes, the servals make me laugh! Those ears are hilarious! I just had to work them into one of Chloe and Lex's game rides.


ouch! At least now I have an idea on what went wrong and broke up the Chlex relationship when Chloe was seventeen. Lex was an idiot, and probably dumped her in some abrupt, callous manner… leading her to believe that he was only enjoying a bit of physical fun and pleasure between the two of them.

Very good guess as to what happened in their previous relationship! We'll get a flashback of the dumping scene coming up in one of the next chapters - either tomorrow's or the next day's (can't remember off the top of my head).


This revelation that Lex broke Chloe’s heart once made me realize that he’s going to have to put some serious work into winning her trust and love again. He really has his work cut out for him. And, quite honestly, I don’t know whether he’s doing a good job wooing Chloe right now. He’s set an amazing stage to woo her, marrying her and taking her on whirlwind, breathtaking trips… but he’s NOT being honest with her at all… and actually spending as much time neglecting and ignoring her as seeing to her needs.

Yes, I don't think he's doing a great job wooing her either. He might want to (maybe!) but he's not equipped in the basics of relationship building and there's a lot still holding him back at this point. But he has a whole month to get it together!

Thanks for the great reviews, Sabrina!

[lj715]

I love this fic, another great chapter!

[somethingeasy]

This was an excellent chapter which answered a LOT of questions I had about the Chlex relationship in the past, specifically, how that relationship ended. Actually, it wasn’t nearly as traumatic as I feared it would be. The break-up can be considered as much a simple, silly misunderstanding between the couple as much as a tragic, heartbreaking divide between the two.

But more on that in a but, onto the review first…

I was really pleased to see that Chloe was relaxing a little bit about her hang-up over spending Lex’s money on new clothes for herself. I can understand her reasoning, since it obviously wouldn’t make Chloe comfortable to be taking advantage of Lex’s amazing resources to protect her; receiving luxury vacation trips from him, AND start spending his money too. It would make her feel like she was getting more than she was giving in this ‘alliance’ between the two of them. She’d end up feeling like a leech or something.

But, Lex is right that he really wouldn’t miss or even notice the money that Chloe spent on herself in order to clothe and feed herself. That’s only a drop in the ocean compared to the millions he’s probably spending on keeping them both hidden from Lionel’s gaze.


“Whatever you would spend would barely register on my accounts.”

“I know that. But still. It’s the principle of the thing. If we were married for real, it would be different.”

Something odd reflected in Lex’s eyes, but she couldn’t quite understand it. “We are married for real. We have the certificate and the rings to prove it.”

I really liked how Chloe made a point of telling Lex how it ‘would have been different’ if they had been ‘married for real’, and then Chloe would have felt a lot more comfortable using her husband’s money for shopping and such. Because he’s her husband, therefore, as his life partner, she would feel a lot more comfortably entitled to a share of his resources and possessions.

But Chloe doesn’t really feel married to Lex, and therefore feels like she owes him more than she’s giving whenever she takes money from him. I really appreciated this explanation into her mind-set, Zannie.

But, more than that, I LOVED the ‘odd look’ that Lex gave to her when she told him that she’s not ‘really married’ to him. I imagine that Lex was hiding away a slight ache in himself at the thought that Chloe didn’t consider their marriage even the tiniest bit real or genuine. I imagine that Lex has been losing himself into the fantasy of their ‘marriage’, just a little bit… and he was probably rather devastated to realize how Chloe has not been thinking of this marriage as even the slightest bit genuine.


Since he was still rubbing his head, despite his dry words, Chloe leaned over to peer at his forehead. There was a red spot where their skulls had impacted. “Oh,” she murmured, reaching over to brush her fingers over the spot. “I hope it doesn’t bruise.”

“It’s fine. What about yours?” Lex gently removed her hand from his head and then reached over to stroke her hair away from her forehead.

Their eyes met and Chloe was overwhelmed by attraction, by emotion, by need. It suddenly felt like she was seventeen-years-old again and Lex was visiting her in the safe house.

She wanted to embrace him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to give herself to him completely.

squeee! That was amazing writing, Zannie. I loved how an innocuous, cute, silly and random action between Chloe and Lex led to such an intense, hot and overwhelming moment… for both of them! I love the idea that it truly doesn’t take much to trigger off their memories and intense emotional connection for each other. They’re honestly on a hair-trigger when it comes to their feelings for one another… and now it’s only a matter of time before some kind of hot and heavy smut action ensues :D


She pulled back just enough to look up into his face. His features were tense, and his eyes were deep and conflicted. She stretched up to kiss him, her lips brushing against his gently at first, then clinging to them more hungrily.

He returned the kiss with a low groan in his throat, and his fingers tangled in her hair to curl around the back of her skull. But he pulled away, much sooner than normal.

I think I’m getting quite a clear picture of what’s going on over here. Lex obviously cares for Chloe deeply. In fact, he might even be consciously aware of being madly in love with her. Chloe returns at least some of that love. BUT, the two of them are in the dark as to the depth of each other’s feelings.

And now we have Lex, obviously demonstrating intense attraction and desire for Chloe… but also confusing Chloe because he’s acting cool, aloof and distanced from her. I can see why the emotionally insecure teenager that Chloe is right now would ignore the emotional conflict and intensity of desire and Lex is exhibiting, and only focus on the fact that he’s pulling away from her… and assume that Lex has has his fill of her. It’s painfully obvious to anyone and everyone that Lex is crazy about her… but Chloe doesn’t see that.


“I’ve had a good time this summer. You’ve been . . . great.” His voice wasn’t exactly cold, but there was no trace of real feeling in it—at least, no feeling except vague reluctance.

As if he was taking care of an unpleasant duty.

“Thanks,” she managed to say. “I’ve had a good time.” She had to look away from him, since it was starting to hurt so bad.

ouch! This was a awful, hurtful, heartbreaking and devastating moment for both Chloe and Lex. It’s so obvious! Chloe’s heartbreak is very overt and obvious to the reader, who is getting her POV. But I’d say that even Lex’s heartbreak is apparent to the reader.

Yes, Chloe is devastated because Lex is acting as if this break-up is some kind of ‘unpleasant duty’ that he needs to get out of the way before going onto focusing on more important things in his life. I can see why she would feel disposable and dismissed.

BUT, Chloe is also maintaining a pretence that she doesn’t care either about this relationship. She’s calling it a good time and thanking Lex… as if he gave her a scenic route ride in his flashy car or something. I have no doubt that Lex ALSO feel hurt about being dismissed and disregarded as something ‘fun’ that Chloe did to pass the time. He probably feels just like Chloe does… forgettable and superfluous! Something unnecessary[I] to the other’s life.

I’ll call it a misunderstanding between the two… although I will say it’s a bit more Lex’s fault than Chloe’s fault. After all, Lex was the one who initiated the distancing and the break-up… all for stupid pseudo-noble reasons no doubt. The idiot! He deserves to be yelled at for being a stupid, foolish MORON later when Chleo discovers the truth… that he was madly in love with her all along, but that he dumped her to ‘protect her’. *snort* moron!


It would be so easy to let things happen as they had before. They’d sort of melt together—enjoying the closeness and the humor and the mutual support. It wasn’t like he was setting out to use her or take advantage of her – but she didn’t mean as much to him as he would mean to her. He liked her. And he was a man—he wouldn’t turn down a willing woman he generally liked.

And, when it was over, she’d be wrenched apart from him again.

Her heart would be broken again.

I discovered that the break-up wasn’t as harsh and cruel as it might have been. For example, the break-up between Lex and Chloe in [I]Irrevocable as pretty cruel from Lex’s end. Chloe was nearly broken by that! But, in this case, the break-up was a lot easier and less traumatic.

I’m not trivializing Chloe’s pain here, but I am saying that she wasn’t as hurt or damaged as Irrevocable-Chloe was. She should be able to recover a little quicker… provided that Lex truly exerts himself in winning over her trust… and apologising most profusely for being a short-sighted idiot!

Fantastic chapter, Zannie. Thanks for the excellent update. heee! New chapter tomorrow. I can’t wait!

[Zannie]

I’ll call it a misunderstanding between the two… although I will say it’s a bit more Lex’s fault than Chloe’s fault. After all, Lex was the one who initiated the distancing and the break-up… all for stupid pseudo-noble reasons no doubt. The idiot! He deserves to be yelled at for being a stupid, foolish MORON later when Chleo discovers the truth… that he was madly in love with her all along, but that he dumped her to ‘protect her’. *snort* moron!

I don't know if I'd call it just a misunderstanding - because Lex weighed options and came to an intentional decision to break up with Chloe (regardless of how she might have felt for him). I think more of this will become clear as the story progresses. But I think you're exactly right about how neither necessarily realizes the depth of the other's feelings. This will definitely be explored more later in the story.


I’m not trivializing Chloe’s pain here, but I am saying that she wasn’t as hurt or damaged as Irrevocable-Chloe was. She should be able to recover a little quicker… provided that Lex truly exerts himself in winning over her trust… and apologising most profusely for being a short-sighted idiot!

Yes! This is a really good insight. Irrevocable-Chlex was damaged well before the "break-up," so the actually dumping was far more painful and difficult to overcome for Chloe. And, of course, both had to heal in other ways as they were coming together again. Fortunately for those wary of angst, Married-Chlex don't have the psychological damage to overcome as they get back together. It's mostly realization and understanding of the other's feelings, ability to express those feelings, and rebuilding of trust that those feelings are real. It will be much easier for that to happen with this version of Chlex, so this story won't have nearly as much angst.

There will be some angst - and one major angsty blow-up. But the angst will be overcome relatively quickly because the foundation isn't so cracked to begin with.

[Rachet]

The emotions in chapter nine really got to me Zannie. If I had to use one word to describe your writing it would be moving, this chapter just proves why. Thanks. :)

[Flyingwoman]

I don't know if I'd call it just a misunderstanding - because Lex weighed options and came to an intentional decision to break up with Chloe (regardless of how she might have felt for him). I think more of this will become clear as the story progresses. But I think you're exactly right about how neither necessarily realizes the depth of the other's feelings. This will definitely be explored more later in the story.

Hm. I'm glad you mentioned it will be clearer -- I've been killing myself all day wondering what was going through Lex's head both before and now. I can think of several good reasons why Lex might break up with her before: 17 is awfully young, he has a complicated life, etc., What I'm struggling with is if he broke up with her for some "for the greater good" reason like that, what is he doing now? It seems to me that he is making some sort of attempt to re-create the circumstances of that summer without realizing how emotionally wrenching that might be for her.

Of course, it might be emotionally wrenching for him, too, but because we're not getting his pov we don't know that.

[lj715]

This chapter was so sad. I hope they can overcome past heartaches & start a better relationship.

[mama_kat]

Hi! Loving your story, as always :)

The last chapter was so sad, but it went a long way in letting us know why things are the way are with Chloe and Lex. I thought that both of them are a bit 'broken'? Chloe is insecure and Lex is so darned 'cerebral' about things - it's no wonder they get their lines crossed.

Can't wait for the next installment!

[Satori]

I was on the verge of screaming "where's the proactive Chloe I know, and who's this mopey woman," but then the pool scene...

Forgive me for doubting you. This is fantastic.

[lj715]

Love it, just love it. Can't wait unti they realize theyhave deeper feelings for one another.

[somethingeasy]

Chapter Ten


Something about him struck her as she stood inside and watched him. One of his hands was in his pocket, and the other was idly rubbing his opposite arm. There was nothing obvious in his stance or position, but she somehow felt he wasn’t happy. Something wistful, or poignant, or lonely about the way he was standing hit her hard.

It was irrational, of course. There was absolutely no reason why she would have interpreted his stance in that way. But she did.

He looked lonely somehow.

I was half-expecting that Chloe would be pulling away from Lex after her revelations at the end of the last chapter. Most usually, it’s Lex who goes into self-protective mode where he distances himself from anything (or anyone) who makes him feel too much, and makes him feel unsafe about the intensity of his reaction to them.

But, Chloe also adopts that approach, from time to time. Although I’ve often noted, with some amusement, that she never manages to maintain that emotional distance for long. She HAS to go back in and confront her issues properly… no matter how scary it might be.

So, I was pleased to see that Chloe’s distancing technique didn’t hold up for too long before she was approaching Lex again. And I LOVED that she came to him out of a sense of empathy, care and concern more than anything else. Chloe has always been such a generous, big-hearted person, who can’t stand to just stand by and do nothing when she senses others to be in pain. One of the many reasons why we all adore her!


His forehead creased the way it did when he was thinking something over. “It’s up there. Not the most beautiful, though.”

“What’s the most beautiful?” She was genuinely curious, and she also wanted to continue the conversation, since it seemed to be successfully pulling Lex out of whatever slump he’d been suffering from.

“Probably Provence.”

“In France?” Chloe asked, vaguely surprised. She’d thought Lex would choose some sort of majestic, sublime mountain landscape. “I’ve never been. Why is it so beautiful?”

“Something about the sunlight there.”

heee! I loved these clues about their possible next destination. But, more than that, it was amazing getting these little glimpses into what it near and dear to Lex’s heart. This would be considered quite a significant emotional confession from him after all.


Finally, he turned toward her completely. He tilted his head to study her face, his eyes so penetrating they were almost scary. Then finally he twitched his mouth and said, “I’d hate to freak you out. Why all the concern? I thought you were giving me the cold shoulder.”

Chloe’s breath hitched and her cheeks warmed a little. “Sorry if I was standoffish yesterday.” She thought for a moment to figure out a way to answer him honestly without giving too much away. Finally, she said, “It’s a little awkward sometimes. This marriage, I mean.”

“I know it is. But I thought we were doing all right.”

squeee! And also ROTFL! I loved the irony that Lex is the one initiating an uncomfortable emotional discussion. Usually it’s Chloe’s role to confront Lex when he’s being stand-offish and distanced from her. So it’s lovely to see Lex demonstrating some of that initiative and directly asking Chloe what’s wrong and… more importantly, what can be done to fix it!


He sounded so confident that it actually gave her confidence. “I think we can too. But that’s where the awkwardness comes. For me, at least. Especially with our history . . .” She trailed off.

“That complicates things,” he murmured, “I realize that.”

Chloe was silent. There was nothing they could say. They both knew what had happened between them and none of it could be taken back.

heh… I noticed that there was open acknowledgment of the sensitivity and awkwardness of their history (finally), but still no explanation or apology. I guess I’ll have to wait quite a while longer, probably for a REALLY big argument, before they finally have an out and out discussion about the pain of their break-up. But, for now, I’m happy with this acknowledgment alone.


“What about you?” Chloe asked, remembering his weird poignancy earlier. “Is there anything you’d like to change about the way we’re together?”

“Well . . .”

When he trailed off, Chloe sucked in a breath. And all of a sudden she was afraid that Lex was going to drop a bombshell on her—something he was deeply unhappy about regarding their pseudo-marriage.

“I’ve tried to hint about this before,” Lex began, his mouth sobering into a serious look. “And I don’t want to hurt your feelings. But do you think there’s anything you can do about your nagging?”

ROTFLMAO! Oh that… that jerk!! ROTFLMAO! But it’s so cute to see him making a dry joke like this, LOL! It’s almost a prank by Lex’s standards, ROTFL!


And he was far too smug with his teasing. Even now, at her reaction, his mouth was quivering irrepressibly.

So she did it.

She pushed him into the plunge pool.

He gave an exclamation of shock as he fell awkwardly into the water with a huge splash. Then he sputtered in outrage, denouncing her malicious ways in terms that would have been more effective if he hadn’t been soaked and choking on water.

Chloe nearly doubled over with laughter, her hilarity only increasing as Lex’s outrage took on force.

“Serves you right,” she told him, gasping for breath. “You’re far too full of yourself.”

ROTFLMAO!!! Oh I thought I was going to bust a gut laughing at the visuals in this scene, ROTFL! How very satisfying and gratifying an image this was!!!

And it got even better when the chase scene ensued… and both Lex and Chloe ended up in the pool together… laughing like a pair of loony teenagers.

heh… surprisingly, there was no moment of hot sexual tension. But I guess the cold poor water doused them both good, eh? lol!


To her absolute astonishment, Lex pulled her into a hard hug. And he murmured against her ear, “I admit it. You got me good.”

After the brief hug, they went into their separate rooms to dry off and change clothes. And Chloe was ridiculously pleased with the way the morning had gone.

This could work. They could be friends. They could be partners. They could get through this and still come out unscathed.

heh… no sexual tension… but there was still a lovely, warm, delightful moment. I loved it! It provided a beautiful, heart-warming and hopeful end to chapter ten!

[Zannie]

heee! I loved these clues about their possible next destination. But, more than that, it was amazing getting these little glimpses into what it near and dear to Lex’s heart. This would be considered quite a significant emotional confession from him after all.

Heh. Clue? What makes you think it was a clue? :)

And I think you're right about how even a confession like this can be hard for Lex because making himself emotionally vulnerable in any way can be so difficult.


heh… I noticed that there was open acknowledgment of the sensitivity and awkwardness of their history (finally), but still no explanation or apology. I guess I’ll have to wait quite a while longer, probably for a REALLY big argument, before they finally have an out and out discussion about the pain of their break-up. But, for now, I’m happy with this acknowledgment alone.

Yes, it's going to take a pretty big blow-up before everything comes out about that summer! But we're just halfway there yet!

Thanks, everyone, for the great feedback!

[carebear30]

Reading a new chapter just makes my day! Love to see how they are becoming closer and can't wait for Lex to make his move!

[lj715]

Love the new chapter.

[somethingeasy]

Lionel showed up the next day.

heeee! Best. Start. EVER! to a chapter for Married for Christmas!! I was on the edge of my seat, gleeful with anticipation right from the start!


When he handed her a fresh cup of coffee, she grabbed it with both hands and said, “Bless you.”

Lex chuckled. “I’ve learned a few things since we’ve been married.”

This was a wonderful line, and it evoked a really heartwarming feel to the scene. I’ve often heard it said that a true relationship is something that’s built on intimacy… not in the sexual sense, but in the familiar sense. Where both partner start learning all the intimate details about each other, but keep delighting in new surprises all the time. That is what true love is all about in a committed relationship.

Which is why it made me so gleeful to see Lex commenting on how much he’s learned about all of Chloe’s little habits and routines… the little elements and points in her schedule that get her going in the morning and keep her going for the day. I’ll bet HE loves the intimacy and familiarity that comes with their ‘fake relationship’ as well… even if he does (perhaps?) thinks it’s a temporary thing only.


They started off. And, after a little while, the sun began to pull up from the horizon in blended shades of pink, orange, and gold. Chloe was absolutely blown away by the splendor of it, and she made Michael stop the jeep so she could admire it for a while.

Finally, she turned to Lex with a grin, feeling kind of silly but unable to resist the need to share the beauty with someone.

He smiled at her—with perhaps a little amusement but also with enough warmth for her to feel like he wasn’t really mocking her.

*happy sigh* now that was beautiful. See, it’s exactly this kind of thing that I knew Lex would cherish most about visiting all these exotic locations with Chloe. Not seeing them himself all over again, but seeing them anew through Chloe’s enthusiasm and delight. Not to mention seeing Chloe herself revealing all new aspects of her personality and preferences as she delights in the sights of Africa.


She was able to watch the little leopard cub frolic around the base of the tree and then clumsily ascend the tree after its mother. She kept clutching at Lex every time the cub did something else funny or adorable. Pretty soon, Chloe was almost in tears, overwhelmed by the delight of seeing what she’d hoped to see—only so much better than she’d hoped.

When the leopard and cub finally disappeared, completely out of sight, Chloe finally handed the binoculars back to Michael. Feeling like an absolute fool, she wiped a couple of tears off her face.

Lex hadn’t said anything, but Chloe briefly wondered if he thought she was an idiot. But then he reached over and draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against her.

She gave a little sob and leaned against him for a moment. “You can laugh if you want.”

“I don’t want to laugh,” he murmured, his voice low and warm.

Oh wow! oh... WOW!!! That was an amazing, beautiful moment. it was so sweet and beautiful that it was nearly painful and heart-rending! The description of the leopard mother and cub was breathtaking beyond all measure. Seriously, I was literally holding my breath while reading about Chloe watching the scene that she had hoped to catch in Africa. Her joy and delight was nearly a tangible force that I could feel leaping off the screen at me!

And, even better than that, was me imaging the look on Lex’s face as he saw his beloved in silent rapture over the leopard. I imagine that even Michael must have been struck dumb by the awed worship coming off from Chloe. But Lex in particular must have treasured and cherished this moment... and must have been thanking his great, wonderful luck that he chose to accompany Chloe on the safari today. Best. Decision. Ever!


Chloe didn’t answer immediately. She already knew what she was going to say, but for some reason she felt a little sheepish about it. “What about Provence?”

Lex’s eyes reflected something that looked a little like awe. “Provence? Really?”

Chloe glanced away. “Yeah. I mean, we don’t have to. But you seemed to like it. And if it’s so beautiful, I’d like to go too.”

“Provence it is,” he murmured simply, squeezing her shoulders again.

It always amazes and saddens me to see how Lex always responds with such awed surprise whenever anyone pays him the smallest bit of kindness. It’s truly no trouble for Chloe to make a decision to visit Lex’s favourite city next, and yet he’s reacting as if she climbed a mountain for him just now. No wonder the poor man is such an easy mark for women, considering how easily overblown and overwhelmed he gets by small acts of kindness and basic decency.


She leaned against him for the remainder of the ride back to their lodge. And she felt content and protected—and incredibly relaxed.

Which is why it was such a horrible shock when Michael parked the jeep and she and Lex walked back to their suite to be met with Lionel Luthor standing in front of their door.

He was smiling his smug smile and his hands were behind his back.

Squeee! The contrast was just awesome!! They’ve just come back from a swoon-worthy and awe-inspiring and heart-warming journey... expecting to return home and chat in a relaxed manner about the amazing day that they’ve just had... and they come home greeted by Lionel Luthor. LOL! The old bastard has a supernatural sense of perfect timing, doesn’t he?


“He arrived just a few minutes ago, Mr. Luthor,” the man with the extended gun said. “He was alone and wasn’t armed. So we handcuffed him and waited for you to arrive.”

Only then did Chloe see that Lionel’s hands were handcuffed behind his back. She let out the breath she’d been holding, realizing that the situation—at least for the moment—wasn’t really life and death.

I was shocked to see Lionel here... and slightly anxiety-ridden (and this was even after I has been warned he would be making an appearance... weird, eh?). Anyhow, I was anxiety-ridden, until I heard that the old bastard has been handcuffed... in which case, I started giggling at the incongruency of the scene. Lionel is standing there like a king awaiting supplicants to his palace... and all the while he’s handcuffed with guns pointed at his head. You gotta LOVE and admit the old bastard’s nerves of steel and ghastly audacity. Not to mention his sense of humour, LOL!


He could have easily pulled out her grip, but he didn’t. And he didn’t step away from her. In a voice harder than anything she’d heard from him in ten days, he demanded, “What did you think this little visit would accomplish?”

“You seem to have the wrong impression about my agenda,” Lionel said smoothly, sounding almost genial—which meant, of course, it was fake.

“I doubt it.”

“I came unarmed and without any backup. Do you really think I’m going to make an attempt on her life in such a way?”

“Then tell us the purpose of your visit.”

Underneath his angry, interrogative tone, I can sense Lex’s honest bewilderment at his father’s illogical tactics. Obviously the old bastard is pleased and smug about tracking them down, and wanted them to know that he found them. BUT, he came to this villa without any back-up or goons of his own? Surely he knew that Lex’s security team wasn’t going to treat him very ‘respectfully’? So why did he come all alone to the villa, rendering himself practically helpless and at Lex’s mercy? Lex could have[//I], theoretically at least, have ordered Lionel shot right then and there and buried somewhere in the wilderness. What was Lionel [I]thinking?!?

Can it be possible that Lionel came here hoping for an open, honest, friendly chat? Or, perhaps he just wanted to take a look at the dynamics between Lex and Chloe personally, without bringing in his own guards and goons to further alarm the couple and throw off the natural dynamics of the interaction...? Perhaps Lionel just wanted to see whether he could discern Lex’s true feelings towards Chloe?

heh... once again, I’m going to have to wait for answers, aren’t I? lol! I’ll try to be patient! :P


“When I couldn’t find you, I looked up your cousin. She was able to provide me some help in that regard.”

Chloe understood the implications of Lionel’s words and they made her throat close in fear. “Lex,” she choked, clutching at him again.

Lex looked down at her face, his eyes softening a little. “Lois is fine. He’s bluffing.”

“You know that?” she asked.

“Yes, son, you know that?” Lionel asked.

ooooh, that smooth, amazing, frightening and thrilling evil bastard! He has got to be one of the best characters created for television EVER!


Chloe hugged her arms to her chest and tried not to be a distraction or get in the way. There wasn’t anything she could do to help in this situation.

She could do some things. But she wasn’t any sort of a mastermind.

Lex would have to provide that.

It was all right. He was good at this. And he was her husband – at least for now.

heee! The crises and the increasing sense of dependency is working to help Chloe feel a deepening sense of trust for Lex. It seems like Lionel actually helped their relationship... a little bit at least! Awesome!

[lj715]

Another great chapter!

[somethingeasy]

Chapter Twelve


So there was more scary driving. Then another change of car—this time, with the bodyguard dumping Chloe and Lex off in the deck of a parking garage and continuing to drive off, hoping to take their tail with them. Lex had practically dragged Chloe at a run across the parking deck to another waiting car—a nondescript two-door that seemed to be made out of plastic.

The second maneuver seemed to have worked since they were able to leave Port Elizabeth without anyone following them, and now they were entirely alone on a two-lane highway.

Exhausted from the fear, tension, and endless activity, Chloe had finally dozed off a little while ago.

Holy crow, this chapter was thrilling and exciting. I loved how you managed to capture the true essence of adventure in this chapter, Zannie. Contrary to most people’s beliefs, ‘adventures’ (true adventures involving dangers and heroics and risks) are not all that much fun while they’re happening. At best, they’re uncomfortable; at worst, you keep praying for it all to be over soon, Soon, SOON!

LOL! But it does leave you with some mighty interesting stories afterwards!

So I loved how the chapter’s opening captured and conveyed the excitement that Chloe was going through, while also making it clear that she wasn’t enjoying even a second of her ‘adventure’. But, at least it’s good to know that the ‘good guys’ were winning in this particular adventure… thanks in no small part to Lex’s tireless and amazing efforts.

WOW! Lex was truly awe-inspiring in his energy and efficiency! And it’s also kind of scary contemplating how he’s become so proficient at adventuring and risk-management out of sheer experience in this kind of stuff.


Lex moved his hand back to the steering wheel with a chuckle. “Sorry about the close call. I guess we should have left a day earlier.”

“How could you have known?”

“I should have planned better,” he muttered with a shake of his head.
Chloe gave him a light punch in the shoulder. “Don’t be stupid. You can’t blame yourself for everything. And, if we had left a day early, then I wouldn’t have gotten to see the leopard.”

To her satisfaction, Lex shook off his brooding and smiled again. “Yeah. That’s why we stayed.”

I had to shake my head with exasperated affection at this typical and predictable response from Lex. Of course, it’s only typical that he wouldn’t give himself credit for his fast, amazing and efficient response to the new threats that have come their way. He would only spend his time beating himself up for not predicting the unpredictable, and not preparing for Lionel’s shocking arrival at their secret location.

I was very glad to see Chloe first reassure Lex that he’s NOT to blame for ‘not preparing’. Not only that, but Chloe also let him know that there was a definite bright side to them not disappearing from Africa at a more fortuitous time. I can see that Lex definitely felt better after Chloe’s word and tacit ‘forgiveness’ at his ‘ineptitude’ in protecting her.


“I’m used to roughing it,” she told him, her voice warming as she saw that he genuinely felt bad about it, when she hadn’t even been serious. “I don’t think I’ve grown accustomed to five-star traveling yet. Whatever kind of plane you’ve got for us there will be fine.”

Lex’s mouth twitched. “Hmm. We’ll see if you say that once you see the plane.”

I was as amused as Chloe at imagining what was Lex’s idea of ‘roughing it’ while traveling. Would it mean traveling first class on a commercial airline? Or perhaps it means that he has to borrow a friend’s private jet instead? lol!

But then Lex himself seemed amused at Chloe’s naiveté, and I started wondering whether Lex’s description of ‘roughing it’ was a lot more genuine than I initially believed.

And that’s when the cargo plane was revealed, and I didn’t know whether to be ROTFLOL or horror-struck. Perhaps a bit of both. LOL *horror*


What was waiting at the airstrip was a decades-old cargo plane.

It wasn’t pretty. And Chloe was decidedly nervous about the way some of the men loading the plane looked at her. So she kept close to Lex, who made her feel better by putting his arm around her. And she tried not to think about how dirty and rickety the plane looked.

I’m still both amused and horror-struck. The plane sounds genuinely scary… but I still find Chloe’s reaction to the plane quite funny, lol! My horror and amusement only deepened when Lex carefully asked whether Chloe has ever experienced air-sickness before, and had the pills on hand for her. Scarier still was seeing Lex taking a pill too. You KNOW it’s going to be a bumpy, scary ride when Lex also decides to dope himself in order to cope better.


Chloe blinked groggily—every part of her body aching. “Huh?” She was finally able to focus her eyes on Lex, who was for some reason leaning over her.

“We’ve landed. Can you wake up?”

“We survived?” she asked stupidly.

ROTFLMAO! I’ll bet Chloe will not be turning her nose up at the extravagance of Lex’s private jet planes from now on. And, perhaps she’ll take him a little more seriously when he used the phrase ‘roughing it’, LOL!


He wasn’t a loud sleeper or an active one. His chest rose and fell with his slow breathing, and his face looked unusually relaxed and at ease—almost innocent, if that word could ever be applied to a man as deep and complex as Lex Luthor.

She’d never seen him sleep before. Not once in all these years. Not in that summer when they’d been so close. Not in the twelve days they’d been married. Not ever.

It gave her a little thrill of delight. Evidence that he was indeed human.

LOL! It’s about time that Chloe had her turn to watch Lex sleep. I think he’s been staring at her sleeping and napping at every given opportunity, so it’s good to see Chloe enjoy the same privilege. And I liked how watching Lex sleep felt like an intimate moment to Chloe, where she got to appreciate the softer and more vulnerable side to Lex. Here’s another tiny barrier that’s disappeared between them. Excellent!


“Your father. I don’t think he was trying to kill me. If he was, he wouldn’t have shown up like he did. He would have just sent a hit man or whatever.”

Lex inclined his head. “Maybe.”

“No maybe. He would have. If killing me had been his only agenda. He must have wanted something else—to show up that way.”

“It was a power play. He wanted us to know how vulnerable we really are.” Lex had looked away from her, out to the blue sky beyond the window.

“Yeah. I can buy that. But to what purpose? What exactly does he want?”

Lex didn’t answer for a long time. And finally he admitted, “I honestly don’t know.”

HA! I knew it! I knew that Lionel’s appearance at the villa didn’t really make any strategic sense… except in the way that I have already theorized… because he just wanted to see, for himself, how Chloe and Lex interacted with each other, and to discern as much of Lex’s true feelings towards the lovely blonde as possible.

I’d LOVE to know what kind of observations Lionel might have made during his time with them. The bastard might be scary, dangerous and unwelcome; but he’s also amazingly insightful and sharp… especially about matters concerning Lex Luthor. I’m sure that Lionel made some VERY interesting observations about Lex’s feelings towards Chloe during the short time in their presence.


They were in flight for most of the day. But it was comfortable and secure. And Chloe felt like she and Lex were on good terms and had handled the crisis situation very well.

Things were going as well as they possibly could, given the bizarre circumstances of their marriage.

Their marriage was already halfway through.

Actually, I think circumstances are going significantly better than expected. It came as quite a shock to realize that their marriage was already ‘half over’. Damn… that was fast! And yet, so MUCH progress in so little time too! I love it!


Chapter Thirteen


He had explained that he thought a private rental might be worth a try—as there would be fewer people involved who would have be discreet. The only disadvantage would be the lack of staff and room service.

Chloe had snorted at the idea that this would be a problem for her.

ROTFLMAO! And, just like that, Lex has lost all credibility when it comes to his judgement as to what constitutes ‘roughing it’, LOL! You spoiled, entitled snob, Lex. You’re lucky that you make such qualities so damned charming, otherwise you’d be out of luck!

Seriously speaking though, the villa was absolutely gorgeous, with it’s soft, comfortable bedrooms, study, personal library, guestrooms and everything. It was a HUGE villa, filled with all the amenities and then some. And there was even a pool on the terrace!!!! Awesome!

I can see that Chloe is enjoying five-star treatment in the most luxurious surroundings possible ALL the way during this trip. Actually, all the details and intricacies about these luxuries are exactly what make THIS fic so interesting and unique, Zannie. I LOVE getting a glimpse into the lifestyle that is so new, rich and amazing to Chloe… but that Lex takes completely for granted. And it’s also interesting to see the special situations that Lex has to guard against… not the least of being his own father, but also including paparazzi reporters, possibly disloyal security forces, etc.


Chloe managed to chew up her bite before she answered. “You don’t have to go if you’ve got a lot of work to do. If you tell me what you want, I can get them for you.”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head, “I’ll have to go.”

She frowned, displeased both by his evident reluctance to go shopping and by his distrust in her shopping abilities. “I could pick out decent stuff for you. I wouldn’t bring you back jeans and flannel.”

“I appreciate the sentiment,” he said with a quirk of his mouth. “But I’m not worried about your picking out clothes for me. If I don’t go, you’ll come back with only two outfits for yourself.”

She made an outraged sound. “I would—“

“I know you, Chloe. You wouldn’t get nearly enough.”

I laughed during this whole sequence. First I had to laugh at how offended Chloe got when she thought that Lex didn’t trust her to buy clothes for him. Whatever his reasons, I knew that Lex’s insistence on going shopping with her wasn’t about him not trusting her taste and style. I know that Lex practically worships the whole of Chloe’s intellectual, which includes her taste in clothes, as well as her fundamental understanding of HIS taste.

And then I was ROTFLOL when Lex revealed his true reason for accompanying Chloe. Apparently he’s become so exasperated with Chloe’s stinginess with his money, that he actually feels forced to accompany her in order to make sure she spends enough! ROTFLMAO! This has truly GOT to be the most unique problem Lex has ever faced with a woman, LOL! Or ANY person for that matter, lol!

And it was even funnier seeing Lex actually threatening that HE was going to start picking clothes for her, unless he felt that she indulged herself enough, LOL! Oh yeah… now that’s a truly terrifying Luthor threat, LOL!


Chloe felt weird and awkward as she picked out a couple of pairs of jeans, a few pairs of nicer pants, five tops in a variety of styles and colors, several tanks and t-shirts, one pair of comfortable shoes, a few workout clothes, another pair of pajamas, a pea coat, and enough underwear for five days.

That was enough, she decided. She could always send her clothes out to be laundered, and she cringed at the thought of how much even all this would cost. She’d tried on what she needed to and had made her final decisions when Lex strolled over to the dressing room, peering down at the clothes the attendant had neatly stacked and hung for her.

heh… it appears that Lex made a god judgement call in insisting that he accompany Chloe during her shopping trip. Even with all of Lex’s dry comments about her stinginess, and his threat to force her to shop, Chloe STILL only manages to get enough clothes for less than a week. That is a ridiculous under-estimation of her needs! It’s painfully obvious that Chloe actually DOES need Lex to prod her into buying and re-fitting herself purely for practical purposes.


“I’m all done,” she announced, slipping her sneakers back on. “What about you?”

“I’m done.” With what she considered shameless entitlement, he browsed her purchases, even lifting items to see what was underneath.

LOL! After all the noise and threats that Lex made this morning, Chloe is really surprised that Lex is checking through her loot? I thought he made it quite obvious that he’s with her on this trip to check on the quantity of her purchases. One or two bags just isn’t going to cut it, LOL!


His eyes were angry now, and his face was compelling in its intensity. “Chloe, it’s my fault you lost your old wardrobe.”

“It’s not your fault. I was the one who got in trouble with Lionel. You can’t blame yourself.”

“I do blame myself.” He had reached out to grip her by her upper arms, and his fingers were so hard they almost hurt.

Chloe didn’t mind the feel of his hands on her. But she did mind what he was saying. “Don’t. You can’t blame yourself for everything.”

He dropped her arms so abruptly she almost stumbled. And he looked away from her as he murmured, “You were under my protection. And I was barely able to protect you.”

Now this was VERY interesting. I had guessed that Lex was being stubborn purely for practical reasons with his insistence that Chloe should ‘buy enough clothes’. Well, that and I guessed that he liked the idea of being able to spoil and indulge her every whim with the one thing that he’s good for… money!

But it was very interesting (but also quite logical in retrospect) that Lex would be trying to flush out his guilt and clear his conscience for not ‘protecting Chloe adequately’ by providing her with the shopping trip that dreams are made of. I just LOVE this man’s complexity and sweetness!! Even when he’s being obnoxious, he’s still so lovely!

I was glad to see Chloe understood the root cause behind Lex’s insistence of a more thorough shopping trip. She not only understood, but ALSO put some effort into soothing Lex’s guilt, and reassuring him that she was perfectly happy with the way he’s been taking care of her so far. He’s been a wonderful protector so far, and he should credit himself accordingly.


So she somehow came away with nicer clothes than she’d ever had in her life. And she privately resolved that, when their marriage ended, she would leave the clothes as well.

Perhaps it was silly and irrational. But that was what allowed her to resign herself to the situation enough to look forward to wearing all of her pretty things.

ouch! I can understand Chloe’s reasoning. She just doesn’t feel comfortable being even MORE in Lex’s debt than she already is. BUT, I have to agree that the decision to return her clothes back to Lex after their marriage is silly and irrational. Actually, it’s worse than that… it’s also slightly cruel! I can only imagine how sharply and deeply hurt Lex would be once Chloe leaves him, leaving behind even the gifts that he gave her. It would be the most thorough way possible to make him feel completely rejected through and through. It would make him feel as if Chloe didn’t even want to taint her closet with the clothes that he bought her during their fake marriage.

heee! Now I find myself actually hoping that such a scene WILL take place… eventually :D

Fantastic couple of chapters, Zannie. I can’t wait to see what the next half of the marriage brings!

[lj715]

Excellent update!

[lj715]

ANother great chapter. Can't wait for more.

[Flyingwoman]

So the escape from South Africa and the trip to Provence have been eventful. First off - Lionel! Did someone at the resort tip him off? And is he going to find them again?!?

Second, the trip up the mountain and the day after answered a few of my questions from earlier -- or at least I think it did. Lex wanted to be the person who protected her and it seems as if he think she thinks he failed, both back then and in SA, and can't be trusted. This is just a guess on my part, but it seems to me that he's still trying to prove himself.

They really, really need to talk. But hopefully not before Lionel makes another appearance.

[lj715]

Great chapter. Wonder when Lionel is gonna show up again (lol)

[JosiCuervo]

More great chapters! So nice to still have a few bits of Chlexy goodness for me to feast my eyes on. How refreshing! Please don't eve quit on me!

P.S. ;)

[lkedino]

great story so far

[lj715]

Great chapter today!

[superag]

enjoying the new advent story. love to wake up in the morning and have a new piece of the puzzle and romance to read. Thanks for all your hard work!

[somethingeasy]

I’m afraid it’s going to be a series of shorter reviews today, while I’m playing catch-up! So let’s get started…

Chapter Fourteen

I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Provence, but now I desperately want to go. And I want to go for the attractions that both Chloe and Lex enjoyed… even if Lex thought that Chloe’s interest in Santons was unbelievably kitschy, clichéd and plebeian… and even if Chloe was more amused than truly interested by Lex’s extreme enthusiasm over fungus, LOL!

erm… slightly embarrassed to admit that I actually believed that truffles were a word for sweet desserts only… I didn’t know the word, in it’s proper usage, refers to some kind of edible fungus?!!! Yikes! I’ll never look at truffle chocolates the same way again! LOL!

I highly approved of the mocking and teasing in this chapter. I loved how Lex and Chloe snarked at each other about their separate interests, but they STILL enjoyed spending time together… even if it meant spending time amongst the kitschy and the mouldy. It’s one of the signs of a stable and longstanding couple, isn’t it? Being able to enjoy each other’s interests… if for nothing else, then just for the other’s enthusiasm and enjoyment in the spectacle and/or activity.

LOL! But Lex was especially adorable, cute and hilarious with all of his long-suffering groans while Chloe was busy shopping for the perfect presents… for pretty much everyone Chloe knows, it seemed like, LOL! I honestly think Lex was hamming it up (just a little) because he could see it was amusing Chloe. But mostly, he just wanted it to be made clear that he was suffering! lol!


“You’ll be in it for the long haul. Some marriages are hopeless from the very beginning, but you two will make it.”

Chloe blinked, having no idea what to say to such a statement.

“I’m sure you think I’m eccentric, but experience teaches you a lot, you know.” The lady was still speaking pleasantly, as if they were discussing the quality of the crafts in front of them. “It’s the way he watches you—like you’re the only light in his darkness.”

The second half of the chapter was awesome. I loved how the first lady set the tone, where we see how Lex and Chloe appear as a couple to random strangers. heh… it’s good to know that they’ve been putting on such a convincing ‘act’, eh? LOL!

Seriously though, I was so, SO pleased, gratified and satisfied to see someone finally, FINALLY pointing out to Chloe that there’s nothing casual or ‘business-like’ in the way that Lex looks at Chloe. I think this lady’s words are exactly what Chloe needs to start thinking of Lex as possibly having deeper feelings for her… and perhaps trusting what her gut has been screaming at her ever since this marriage first started… that she and Lex are meant to marry and STAY married!

But I did appreciate that, right here and right now, Chloe only took the lady’s words as a cruel, taunting joke on her. That Lex would be able to somehow convey the feeling of seeing her as ‘special’, when Chloe knows that he only sees her as an ally and pawn in this game with his father.


Lex broke off another small piece of bread and dipped it into the second bowl. Chloe was prepared this time, so she waited for Lex to put the bite into her mouth.

He did the same thing for all four samples, and Chloe found herself strangely affected by the small gestures. There was something oddly intimate about it. And she had to fight off a swell of feeling every time his fingers brushed her lips, her tongue was hit with the rich sweetness of the oil, and Lex’s warm eyes focused on her mouth.

heee! I’d LOVE to know what Lex was thinking when he put the first bite in Chloe’s mouth. Did he even choose to feed Chloe with his own fingers… or did he find his fingers unconsciously at Chloe’s lips, feeding her the sample before he knew what was happening? At the very least, I’m absolutely CERTAIN that the sensation of her lips against the tips of his fingers must have effected him quite strongly… even if he did manage to hide his reaction masterfully.


“He said we made a lovely couple,” Lex said, looking in front of him rather than over at her. “And that he hopes our marriage is blessed.”

After a long pause, Chloe made herself speak lightly, trying hard to keep the clear perspective on things that she’d resolved herself to. “Well, I’m all for that.”

Lex gave her a quick look.

She snickered. “Don’t look so scared. I’m not getting ideas about us. I just meant that, for us, a blessed marriage means both of us come out of it alive next month.”

“Ah,” Lex breathed, his eyes on an historic building directly in front of them. “Quite right.”

omigosh! Did I just see a bit of hope suddenly rise in Lex only to be killed off in the next moment?!? I think I did!!! Intense! I love the myriad of ways that both Chloe and Lex are being mocked, taunted and tempted by all these little signs of bonding and closeness and rightness between the two of them. I can almost see the frustration and denial sizzling off them. Fun!


Chapter Fifteen

LOL! I’ll remember this primarily as the chapter where Lex almost kissed Chloe… and then sprained his ankle, and had to be carried down by her. ROTFL!

The hike itself sounded amazing and breathtaking (literally as well as figuratively, lol!). I found myself shaking my head fondly at Chloe, as she hid away her need to huff and puff, and brace her hands on her knees while panting for breath from the climb. Chloe just wouldn’t admit that she can’t keep up with Lex’s longer legs and Mutant-enhanced stamina, would she?


“Don’t be all superior,” she replied, a little tartly, “How often do you tell me what you’re thinking?”
…

“I don’t think you really want to know what I’m thinking most of the time,” Lex said at last, with an ironic half-smile but something deeper reflected in his eyes. He stood up and reached for Chloe’s bottle, to put it back in the pack he was carrying.

ouch! I was glad to see that Chloe acknowledges some of the reasons why Lex doesn’t tend to open up to her… because of his self-protective instincts, warning him that opening up emotionally will ALWAYS result in inevitable pain. But it’s pretty interesting (as well as terrible) seeing that Lex believes that Chloe just doesn’t want to know about what’s happening inside of him. Does he really think that she’s NOT always on the verge of clawing him open to find out what he’s thinking?! He truly believes that Chloe prefers it if he keeps all his ‘creepy darkness’ repressed and hidden away inside where she wouldn’t have to look at it?! That’s a horrible, sad, depressing insight into Lex’s beliefs.

I was so glad to see Chloe pretty much scolding him for thinking that she would be scared off by his dark complexities. I also LOVED how she told him off about being so self-centred and self-involved… where he ends up believing that he’s the ONLY person in the world with dark, nasty thoughts like these. Sadly everyone has a dark side… although Lex’s might indeed be a little more dangerous than others, purely because he’s always so competent, effective, powerful and amazing at everything he does… which includes ‘dark deeds by moonlight’.


“I’m not slamming your favorite place,” Chloe went on, noticing his expression. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. I’m just saying that, as we get closer to Christmas, it might be fun to have some snow and festive weather.”

LOL! Another Clue about an upcoming destination. Possibly their final destination in this fic…?


“I don’t know. Eggnog. Roaring fires. Christmas trees. Stockings on the mantles. Just the normal things.”

Lex gave a sigh that was almost a groan.

Chloe wrinkled her nose. “Stop your huffing. You’re not as jaded and distant as you like to pretend.”

LOL! Lex might be groaning at the kitschy cliché of it all… but I agree with Chloe that he secretly relishes the image of all the trappings of Christmas… even with clichés and sap! LOL!


Lex’s hand came up to her face. His blue eyes were so deep and soft she could drown in them. “Chloe,” he murmured thickly.

It took all the strength she had—and some she hadn’t known she possessed—to gently turn her head away from him. “I can’t.” Her voice broke on the second word. It hurt more than she expected. “I know, Lex. I feel it too. But I can’t.”

Lex’s face didn’t seem to move, but it transformed just the same. His eyes shuttered just before he dropped them. But his voice was mild as he said, “I understand.”

This was the most intense moment in the chapter… perhaps in the entire fic. I LOVED how emotionally charged these tiny little couple of moments were. I wonder what Lex was thinking, or even whether he was even thinking at all when he leaned in towards Chloe’s lips. Perhaps he saw this as the prime moment to finally up the ante on the complicated courtship he’s been conducting… or perhaps he was drawn irresistible towards Chloe’s lips, despite his resolve NOT to involve himself with her during their fake marriage.

In either case… ouch… rejection hurts, doesn’t it? Most remarkable was seeing how both Chloe and Lex were hurt from the rejection of the kiss. Chloe thought she was saving herself from being rejected for all the important things that make up a relationship… something more than smut, lust and fantastic fun between the sheets. And Lex thought everything he was ‘implicitly offering’ to Chloe (his devotion, love and the promise for a commitment) was being rejected when she turned away from the kiss.

heh… poor confused kids with their ridiculous mixed signals, LOL!

It actually came as no surprise that a hiking accident ensued in the aftermath of this disorientating, devastating confusion. Actually, I can’t help but wonder whether Lex has now firmly associated his sprained ankle with Chloe’s rejection of his ‘genuine’ proposal…?

Even before I read chapter sixteen, I had already guessed that Lex would engage in an extreme form of emotional withdrawal from Chloe. And I was pleased to see that Chloe herself seemed aware of this possibility, and therefore was able to prepare herself beforehand.


Chapter Sixteen

heeee! I loved the way that this chapter dealt with the aftermath of the ‘traumatic’ events from the previous chapter. Lex spraining his ankle would have been bad enough… but I suspect that most of his misery and suffering through this chapter probably came from re-running that horrible moment of rejection in his mind… over and over again.

So I knew that Lex would be engaging in major self-protective withdeawal from Chloe… which is why I was so pleased to see Chloe wake up with a sense of determination to make sure that she and Lex ‘got along’ on this day… whether he wanted it or not.

I wasn’t truly surprised by Lex’s cold, abrupt and curt rudeness to Chloe throughout the morning. Perhaps disappointed, but truly NOT surprised. It’s all a part of his modus operandi after all, isn’t it? I was glad to see that Chloe was still determined to be ‘friendly’, even if he was being an ass.

LOL! And this chapter brought back memories of the time when I sprained my OWN ankle. You never really appreciate how maddeningly fragile a human body is, until you twist a thrice damned ankle! It takes on a silly turn of the foot in one careless moment… and you find yourself swelled up and immobile for weeks afterwards! Nothing more frustrating!!

So I was pleased to see Chloe making sure that Lex was actually taking CARE of his ankle, and therefore speeding up his recovery. His recovery is probably faster than normal because of his meteor-enhanced healing abilities, but he obviously STILL needs to take care of that damned ankle to make sure it heals properly and quickly. I have no doubt that his doctors absolutely hate taking care of him… because he obviously doesn’t bother to take any of their advice with regards to proper rest and recuperation tactics.

Good thing Chloe’s here… to stubbornly fuss over him, and MAKE him take care of his ankle… even if she has to tackle him and tie him down on the bed to do so. hmmm, and doesn’t that bring up some ‘interesting’ visuals, eh? LOL!


“I thought we were partners in this. Isn’t that what we said? We could help each other?” Her voice broke on the last word. She hadn’t realized that she was so upset by what had happened yesterday, but evidently she was. If they could have smoothed it over, it wouldn’t have bothered her. But with Lex acting like this it felt like their whole relationship had just fallen apart.

And she had no idea how to fix it.

“We are partners by necessity,” Lex said in a clipped voice, his eyes steel gray now and icy. “Because we both need something out of this arrangement. That has nothing to do with my accepting help from you when it is neither wanted nor required.”

oh ouch! Even *I* winced and flinched from Lex’s glacier-cold, hard and harsh choice of words. It felt like a slap in the face to me, and I can’t even imagine how Chloe must have felt hearing Lex talking about her as if… as if they were both nothing to each other. Actually, worse than nothing… Lex was nearly describing Chloe as a parasite that was sucking off his resources. This would have hit Chloe quite hard since I suspect that she’s been fighting against this self-image ever since she first accepted Lex’s offer of a ‘convenient and helpful marriage’.

I knew that Lex was only desperate, and trying to drive Chloe away from him. He obviously couldn’t stand the thought of Chloe fussing over him and caring for him… all the while feeling like a deceitful, secretive rat who is taking advantage of her generosity and loyalty. He probably felt all of her actions were being motivated by pity, generosity… but most of all gratitude.

I’ve commented before that Lex appears to feel a nasty sharp flash of guilt every time Chloe thanks him for helping her out of a sense of nobility, generosity, etc. Lex KNOWS that his primary motivation for protecting Chloe is NOT noble at all, but a purely selfish desire to keep her safe… while also enjoying her presence in his life.

So it makes sense that Lex would feel self-loathing and guilt and anger from all of Chloe’s demonstrated compassion… and would take out his mood on her!

I know all of this… and I’m still angry at him for being such a cruel ass… and taking his cruel comments too far while trying to drive her away. Bastard!


“Chloe, let me in.” His voice was louder, rougher. And his knocks had turned into pounds.

“I’m fine, Lex. You shouldn’t be standing on your ankle.” Her voice was supposed to have sounded bored and controlled, but it didn’t.

“I’m sorry, Chloe,” Lex said, rattling the doorknob, sounding more urgent now—perhaps because of the tears in her voice. “Please, let me in.”


“For what I said. I know this situation isn’t what we would have chosen if we’d been completely free, but I shouldn’t have implied I don’t appreciate you.”

“Well,” she said, pulling her head away from his hand, “It’s all right to imply it if you mean it.”

“I don’t mean it.” His voice was gentler now. “I don’t . . . I don’t accept help well. But I do appreciate you.”

She nodded.

“And I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“That’s okay,” she said. “I cry a lot. It’s not a big deal.”

There was a short pause before Lex murmured, “It’s a big deal to me.”

I loved, appreciated and felt so happily gratified by the whole scene where Lex chased Chloe into her room in order to apologise to her. I was so glad to see that Lex (nearly instantly) realized himself that everything he said to Chloe was too harsh and cruel to be tolerable. He set out immediately to fix his mess and apologise for it too.

I was so, SO pleased to see Lex actually being open and honest with Chloe. More honest than he’s been since the beginning of their marriage probably! He’s not only apologised for the cruelty of his words, but he’s ALSO made it clear that he didn’t mean a word that he said. On the contrary, he made it clear that he actually feels the exact opposite of everything that he nastily implied.


“But, after what happened between us before, I just don’t think it’s a good idea to . . . to go down that road again.”

“I understand that too.” His voice was mild now, but at least his eyes didn’t look so horribly shuttered.

“It’s not that I’m holding a grudge or anything,” she continued, her voice stretching as the words got very hard to say, “It’s just that I really don’t see anything changing.” After a little pause, she added, “Do you?”

She’d invested the slightest bit of hope in the question. Not much—since she knew Lex and she knew what the world was like. But there was a little hope, which is why it hurt when Lex crushed it.

“No,” he said quietly, “Probably not.”

Aaaaargh! Lex took her words at definitive face value, and didn’t sense the questioning air?! aaargh! That dumbass!!!! I was glad to see that Chloe directly addressed the issue of her rejection from yesterday… but I do wish that she had been a little more direct about the ‘changes’ that she would have liked. Lex probably assumed that Chloe meant that HE was the one who required too massive a change from the kind of person that he was… rather than simply his behaviour and feelings towards Chloe.

We all know that Chloe loves the person that he is… she fell in love with him a long time ago. She just wishes that he could change the way that he feels about her… but very little else besides that. aaargh! It’s such a damned pity that Lex didn’t catch that!

heh… oh well, I remember Zannie promised us a major blow-up in some later chapter that will make the situation clearer to both of them.


Chapter Seventeen

This chapter was wonderful as well as extremely helpful because it answered a lot of questions I had about Lex’s and Chloe’s past relationship. I was wondering whether the Chlex relationship had manifested itself as something purely physical between the two… or whether Chloe and Lex had a chance to enjoy some of the delightful emotional bonding and companionship that is more important in a strong, stable relationship.

So I was delighted by the dinner scene between the two… where it was clear that Lex and Chloe were wonderfully comfortable, relaxed and happy in each other’s presence. They both talked to each other… in that deep, trusted way couples are SUPPOSED to talk to each other. It was painfully obvious that they were both in love with each other… or if not in love, then well on their way to being madly in love.


“I don’t know. I just thought maybe it might hurt . . . a little. He’s your dad after all.” She stroked his chest, feeling the hardness of his body beneath the softness of his shirt.

“Not in any way that matters anymore.”

He said that, but she didn’t believe it. And, risking a lot, she pursued the topic. Her heart was pounding painfully as she asked, keeping her voice light, “If it was me, it would still matter. I think maybe it does for you too.”

After a long edgy moment, Lex finally released his breath. It was thick and seemed to release a lot of the tension in his body. All he said was, “Yeah.”

heh… it might not seem like much in terms of heavy emotional confessions… but it actually IS a huge confession by Lex’s standards. I was glad to see that Chloe appreciated his opening up to her, and knew it was a moment of great important and significance between the two of them. Chloe recognizes trust when she sees it, and she appreciates the value of it.


“I don’t think I would have made it through this summer without you,” Lex murmured, his voice so low she barely heard it.

But she did hear it. Her heart bloomed like a flower. “Me either,” she breathed. “Me either.”

She felt so much for him, too much for her heart to contain. And she wanted to tell him. Wanted to tell him what he meant to her. How deeply she loved him.

But she couldn’t. Not yet. Not when he’d never mentioned such a thing to her.

*sigh* it was a beautiful, wonderful moment between the two… and yet still has a tone of nostalgic regret and sadness to it. It’s so painfully obvious that Lex WAS (and still is) madly in love with Chloe, AND that Chloe returned his feelings… and yet neither was ready to admit it to the other. Neither of them admitted it right up to the day they broke up with each other. What a damned, friggen tragedy and waste!

But at least I’m ‘pretty’ sure that they’ll do better this second time around. They’d BETTER!!! lol!

squeee! The chapter ended on an amazing tense cliffhanger! It was filled, not only with emotional tension and anticipation, but ALSO with a touch of violence and action. I loved it!

Granted, it makes me wince to imagine how much abuse Lex must have put his suffering ankle through. But the thought of even Lex’s ankle being forced into abrupt action made the scene all the more exciting and thrilling.

LOL! And it’s just to darned typical that Lex would send Chloe racing on ahead to safety, while HE stayed behind and drew fire to himself. That thrice damned, sweet, brave, idiotic JERK!! I don’t want to imagine how devastated Chloe would have been if something had happened to him after he sent her off.

But, let’s not forget that Lex appears to have no idea about the depth of Chloe’s feelings for him. He probably knows that she would feel sorry for what happened to him, but would ‘easily’ recover. … Idiot!

[lj715]

Love it!!! Can't wait to read Chapter 20.

[Zannie]

Aaaaargh! Lex took her words at definitive face value, and didn’t sense the questioning air?! aaargh! That dumbass!!!! I was glad to see that Chloe directly addressed the issue of her rejection from yesterday… but I do wish that she had been a little more direct about the ‘changes’ that she would have liked. Lex probably assumed that Chloe meant that HE was the one who required too massive a change from the kind of person that he was… rather than simply his behaviour and feelings towards Chloe.

Yes, that's exactly what I had in mind for this scene. Poor Lex missed the nuance because he was reading it through his own (negative) expectations. It's amazing how certain insecurities can taint one's entire perspective - even the most brilliant and insightful!


But, let’s not forget that Lex appears to have no idea about the depth of Chloe’s feelings for him. He probably knows that she would feel sorry for what happened to him, but would ‘easily’ recover. … Idiot!

Yes, exactly. It's not really as heartless as it feels to Chloe because Lex can't let himself believe that she actually loves him enough to be heartbroken were he to die. Not that the knowledge would do much to Chloe appreciate the gesture more!

Thanks for the great reviews, Sabrina! Even your short reviews are well worth getting! :)

[somethingeasy]

Chapter Eighteen

heeee! A trip to Fiji! I was ecstatic about this. I haven’t been to Fiji, so I don’t have a personal connection to the place itself… but I WAS hoping that Chloe and Lex would go somewhere near a beach to enjoy sun, sand and ocean. And here they are… in Fiji! Awesome!

Not that Chloe got a chance to revel in her arrival to Fiji, considering that she was still recovering from Lex playing the part of a stupid hero who nearly gets himself senselessly killed… for absolutely no good reason!! I was glad to see Chloe yelling at Lex for his decision and action… and I really DO hope that next time he tries to pull a stunt like this, she knocks him unconscious and drags him to safety with her.

*sigh* but Lex did manage to soften my exasperated anger considerably with his sweet statement that Chloe’s safety was more important than his. *happy sigh* just keep talking like that, Lex, and perhaps the readers will forgive you for your silly, martyr actions.


When she got the time to ask about it, she learned that two of Lionel’s men had broken into their villa—knocking out two of Lex’s guards with some sort of fast-acting drug. They’d both been armed, but Lex was pretty sure they weren’t trying to kill Chloe.

Which left Lionel’s motives as much in the dark as they’d been before.

Lionel’s strategy has me completely bewildered. What the heck is the old bastard after?! What does he hope to gain from this kind of useless assault? It appears that all he wants is just to annoy and harass Chloe and Lex… just keep driving them forward from one continent to another.

Is it possible that Lionel is hoping that the stress alone will break the alliance between the Chlex couple. Or is Lionel actually a lot more deviously savvy than that, and he knows perfectly well that keeping an edge of danger to their journey will drive Lex and Chloe closer to each other? Perhaps Lionel wants a happy Chlex ending too? lol!

The old bastard is so cagey and unpredictable, that it’s damned hard to guess his motivations most of the time.


Once they were there, Chloe decided she was crazy to ever want to go to a place with snow—although Lex assured her that the next place they went would be more Christmassy.

LOL! Chloe’s dream vacation ends with the two of them visiting a place that’s cold, wet, uncomfortable and impossible with regards to outdoor activities. Oh yeah… sounds perfect, lol!


They had a private villa at a luxury resort, and their accommodations were even more stunning than in Africa. The villa was big and airy, with two bedrooms, foldaway walls, a deck with an infinity pool and a hot tub that overlooked the beach and sea, and gorgeous exotic wood floors and furniture.

*happy envious sigh*

The villa was gorgeous… as usual. I’m glad to see that Chloe hasn’t become so jaded and spoiled where she starts taking such luxuries for granted. It’s wonderful to be able to enjoy and revel properly in such aurroudings, and not just take them as ‘your basic due’.

Besides which, I was also pleased to see that Chloe was enjoying ALL of her surroundings… such as the sun, the beach and the hammock on the sea-shore. Perfection!


But Chloe knew better. That bitch was coming on to Lex.

A wave of hot outrage washed over Chloe, and she jumped to her feet, sliding on her flip-flops and muttering to herself about shameless women who came onto married men.

Then Chloe flopped across the grass from their villa and out onto the sand of the beach. Her hair was tousled from her nap, and her cheeks were still rosy from sleep. Her dress was a little bit wrinkled, and she’d lost the light tan she’d started to get in Africa.

She wasn’t at her best to confront a svelte, willowy, tanned, gorgeous brunette in a bikini. But she’d be damned if she let the woman throw herself at Chloe’s husband.

squeee! This was unexpected, but delightful! We’ve already had the wonderful thrill of seeing Lex in the throes of irrational, possessive jealousy… so it’s darned FUN to see Chloe also going through those same emotions. I loved how those feelings of jealousy came up so hard and fast in Chloe, almost as if she was possessed by them. I loved it! And I loved imagining Lex ALSO experiencing the same quickness of intense emotions in Africa that Chloe is right now.


“Yeah.” Chloe gave him an intimate smile, then finally turned to the brazen hussy. “Hi. I’m Chloe. I’m his wife.”

ROTFLMO! I can see Chloe really enjoyed that. Even if it is a fake marriage, she still obviously exudes such entitled smugness at calling Lex her husband. Not to mention being able to wrap her arms around his waist and place a possessive, branding kiss on him too. I can tell that she took GREAT satisfaction in all of that! Undoubtedly the same kind of satisfaction that Lex felt when HE wrapped himself around Chloe in front of their guide in Africa.

LOL! It was also so funny seeing Lex not only surprised by Chloe’s display of possessive jealousy… but even baffled[I] by it. [I]First, because he was completely oblivious to that woman flirting with him… something that I find highly suspect since Lex should be finely tuned to ANY flirtations taking place in his general vicinity.

Second, because he couldn’t imagine Chloe feeling possessive and jealous about him at all. He knows that she’s not the controlling type who would insist on marking him as her husband unless she actually cared about him in some way. I think seeing Chloe jealous of the other woman would have been a revelation and eye-opener for Lex, and allowed him to see the possibility of Chloe learning to care for him as deeply as he cares for her.

LOL! And I loved the way Lex’s mind worked, drawing the parallels between how HE felt about Michael the ranger to how Chloe feels about this pretty, flirtatious brunette. Yep, I definitely think Lex is drawing hope from the parallels he’s observing right now.


She had never imagined that he might feel the same. It had always been so clear that, whatever interest he had in her, it would only be temporary. That’s what had happened before. So it was likely to happen again.

The world was what it was, after all.

But maybe it didn’t have to be that way.

squeee! And it wasn’t just Lex who was adding two and two together to finally arrive as a semi-correct answer! Chloe was ALSO seeing the parallels, and realizing the potential and possibilities between the two of them.

ROTFLAMO! This was brilliant, Zannie! I loved, LOVED how both Lex and Chloe arrived at the same conclusion at exactly the same moment. That there’s a possibility of a real relationship and marriage between the two of them. AND they BOTH also reached the same decision, at the same time, that they both are going to be actively pursuing that relationship with each other. LOL! Oh, the irony. They both are going to start wooing each other… at the same time, ROTFLMAO!


Chapter 19

This chapter was fantastic, fun and damned funny because I could clearly see that Lex and Chloe were following through on their decision to pursue and woo each other. The funniest thing was seeing how pleased, happy and satisfied Chloe was about how ‘well’ the wooing was going… not realizing that the reason it was going so smoothly was because Lex was wooing HER from his end as well. LOL! No wonder Lex seemed to be ‘cooperating’ so nicely with her ‘subtle’ strategy to win him over, LOL! Hilarious!

I liked how Chloe woke up feeling so cheerful, optimistic and beautiful in the morning. She was filled with confidence that she WOULD be able to woo and win Lex, and I loved that! I do find myself wondering just where the heck was Lex that morning. That sweet, but cryptic, note that he left her didn’t give a clue as to what he was up to that morning.

I really, REALLY want to know because I’m certain that Lex arrived at his own epiphany last night, and woke up this morning also determined to conduct his own wooing and seduction campaign on his wife. Lex is an obsessively, single-minded fellow… so I’m certain whatever he was doing this morning was somehow tied to Chloe and his plan to win over her love.

aaargh! But no matter how many times I read it, his darned note doesn’t give a single clue!! And even the clue that he gave to Chloe ‘a discussion with the manager about something like an escape route’ wasn’t all too clear either! *sigh* I’ll have to be patient on this, won’t I? Darnnit!

Anyhow, Lex was decidedly less frustrating once he actually arrived on the scene. Actually he was the exact opposite of frustrating, since he was obviously going out of his way to be as sweet, cooperative and accommodating to Chloe as possible. All a basic part of his campaign to win her over of course.

LOL! Lex was undoubtedly in ecstasy, just like Chloe, at how well the wooing was going, LOL!


“I know.” She squeezed his arm. “What do you think it would take for you to have a good Christmas?”

Lex stopped walking and turned to look at her, something awakened in his eyes. His lips parted, as if he were about to say something.

Chloe waited, almost breathless with anticipation. Her question had been almost idle, as she never expected him to give her a genuine answer. Lex just never opened himself up that much.

But he seemed about to now. He was about to tell her something important.

Which is why she was disappointed when his expression changed and he said in a teasing voice, “It will take some caroling at least. You’ll have to serenade me with Christmas songs.” His eyes were warm, laughing. But his words were a cover for something else. “And maybe you can dress up as Mrs. Claus.”

aaaargh! I just KNOW what were the true thoughts going on in Lex’s mind at that moment. He was undoubtedly thinking that he wants Chloe by his side, loving him as much as he loves her, in order to have the perfect Christmas… heck, in order to have the perfect life[I]!

But he chickened out at the last minute, and hid away his true thoughts with silly flippancy. I don’t care how sweet, considerate and accommodating Lex behaves throughout his whole romantic pursuit of Chloe. Unless he can find it in himself to be HONEST and up-front about his emotions, he’s doomed to fail! He can’t win over her love with sweetness and jokes. Her affection yes, but NOT her love and deep trust.

Actually, the same advice applies to Chloe as well. SHE also needs to be a little more honest with Lex about what she really wants from him, and what she’s hoping for from this marriage. Yet somehow, I find myself a lot more sympathetic towards Chloe’s hesitation to confess as compared to Lex’s silence. Probably because I remember that Chloe was the dumpee rather than the dumper during their last time around as a ‘couple’? That’s a pretty good reason for Chloe to be so skittish about making herself so vulnerable again.

*happy sigh* but despite my frustration and outrage over the lack of directness from Lex, I DID appreciate how he took the initiative to finally [I]kiss her! I’ve been waiting for this kind of a kiss since the beginning of this story, and it was oh SO satisfying in this chapter!

Although, I should add that I sensed that Lex is trying to use pure physical attraction, desire and seduction to win over Chloe. It might be effective as a short-term thing, but it’s NOT the nest way to build a long-term relationship. At this rate, Chloe is going to end up assuming that he only wants to use her as a temporary companion and a fun fuck-buddy again… and then dump her as soon as the period of their marriage contract is finished.

The kiss was darned hot and intense! But it can still be interpreted by Chloe in a myriad of ways. Even while Lex seems to be asking her whether she’s ‘sure and alright about this’ and suggesting that he ‘cannot be without her’, she might STILL interpret that as pure physical want… again!

For now though, it was good to see Chloe enjoying the kiss. Even if I’m sure there’s going to be doubts and questions later.


Chapter Twenty

heh… just like I (half)expected, this chapter brought on all the inevitable doubts, uncertainty, confusion and distrust that I’ve been waiting for. And I LOVED that it was Lionel’s intrusion into Chloe’s idyllic paradise getaway that brought in all the doubt and mistrust. Perfection!!!

I especially loved the contrast between the sweet, happy, trusting interaction in the morning compared to the miserable lack of confidence that Lionel brought with him in the evening.

The morning started out so well… with Chloe acknowledging that Lex hadn’t actually said that he had feelings for her… but she still somehow sensed that he wasn’t just leading her on… like last time. Her trust, faith and confidence in him was so endearing… and also so sad because you could see how darned fragile it was!

All of Lex’s demonstrations of affection and sweetness were purely physical demonstrations only. He never once mentioned how he felt about her. It was only Chloe’s gut instinct telling her that there was ‘something more’ that kept Chloe buoyed and happy, despite the inherent uncertainty of the situation.


Her lips instinctively clung to his, but she managed to push away enough to try once more. “I’m just a little worried and I wanted to—“ She shifted on his lap, feeling his hand slide up to her—“Lex!”

Laughing warmly, Lex leaned back on the chaise. “Sorry,” he said, “I’ll exert my iron control and manage to resist you. What were you worried about?”

He was waiting. Listening. But she thought she saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. He seemed so warm and relaxed—happy—this morning that she hated to force him into a hard conversation. She knew very well how difficult it was for him to open himself up.

It was still early. And she knew enough about his feelings for her. She wasn’t so needy that she required everything perfectly defined, not after they’d been really together for less than 24 hours.

aaargh! I’m sure Lex himself is well aware that this is a conversation that NEEDS to happen. He’s not an idiot, and I’m absolutely certain that he knew what Chloe really wanted to talk about over here. In fact, I’m certain that he was trying to distract Chloe from that line of inquiry because he was terrified of getting into it, and revealing the full depth of his feelings for her.

His cowardice made Chloe herself hesitate, because she could plainly see how uncomfortable he was, so she spared him the conversation in order to make life a little easier for him. The only problem is that Lex’s hesitation to have an open, honest discussion about their relationship now leaves Chloe open to all those self-doubts, suspicions and misgivings that are just waiting a little beyond the horizon for her. Lionel might have been a catalyst for those doubts and mistrust… but all those feelings were just inevitable.

Chloe has experienced what she thought was a genuine and mutually loving relationship with Lex before… only to be informed that it was ‘fun and casual’ and be dumped when it was no longer convenient. It only makes sense that she would start questioning her ‘gut instincts’, senses and confidence with regards to what she ‘feels’ to be ‘true and genuine feeling’ between herself and Lex.

Did I mention how much I LOVED Lionel’s entrance? I loved, LOVED how he smoothly walked into the scene as if it was HIS private beach and Chloe was the intruder here. LOL! You’ve gotta LOVE his entitled sense of arrogance… and how it genuinely works to make everything in his vicinity actually seem to belong to him.

I loved the way that Lionel smoothly assured Chloe that of course he didn’t mean her any harm, and that she over-reacted over nothing. She only misinterpreted his words and intentions, and ran off without letting him explain himself properly. ROTFLMAO! Don’t you just LOVE the way that Lionel can make himself seem like a civilized, urbane gentleman whenever it suits him. I especially loved how he suggested that his interest was in protecting Chloe from her own irrational foolishness. LOL! That smooth, slimy bastard!

Even though I know better, I still have to actively force myself not to be convinced by his smooth persuasive statements.
Damn, I LOVE the way you write Lionel, Zannie!! He should get more screentime in your fics!!


“And what’s that?” Chloe wished she was wearing something more than her swimsuit. While it wasn’t a bikini or particularly revealing, she felt underdressed and vulnerable.

“Your relationship with my son.”

And that has to be the most honest thing Lionel has said since the beginning of this meeting. His admission that his primary interest during this meeting IS indeed about Chloe’s relationship with Lex. Unfortunately, it’s the last honest thing that Lionel says, because he starts twisting the truth from this point onwards.

But I DID appreciate finally, FINALLY getting an inkling about the heart of Lionel’s strategies, during the whole time he’s been stalking and harassing Chloe and Lex during their ‘marriage’. So it was indeed all about the Chlex relationship. It appears that that time in Africa was indeed a reconnaissance mission to find out how Chloe and Lex were getting along. And since then, he’s probably being trying to put stress on the two of them, to prime them both for an argument and a break-up. And now[I], he’s getting ready to deliver the death-blow to the relationship… by planting some doubts in Chloe’s mind.

Damn… I LOVE that magnificent bastard!!! Lionel’s suggestions about Lex being a ‘user of women’ has just enough truth in it to be convincing. Add that on to the way that Lex ‘appeared’ to have used Chloe for fun and pleasure ten years ago… I can see it’s only inevitable that Chloe would end up convinced that [I]this current ‘relationship’ with Lex is only a repeat of their last interlude together, when she was a naïve seventeen year old girl in love with a jaded playboy.

Despite the utter ridiculousness of the idea that Lionel would be ‘concerned’ about Chloe, I can see how his words would be very convincing. Lionel knows exactly what kind of poisonous statements to use that will prey on Chloe’s specific weakness. She’ll stop asking why he’s being so ‘helpful’ to her, and only focus on the twisted truth that he’s revealing to her.

The recording was a stunning touch. I really don’t know how long Lionel has held onto that recording, but I really, REALLY admire his sense of timing. He could have used that recording anytime during the ten years he’s kept it. He could have hurt Chloe quite badly, waaay back when she was fresh from her break-up with Lex for example. Instead, he held on, patiently and fastidiously, to the recording, waiting for JUST the right moment!


“I see,” Lionel went on in evident amusement. “Have you seduced her then to ensure her loyalty? I hadn’t expected you to be so . . . enterprising.”

“I use whatever means are available.”

“Very jaded of you. I’m almost impressed. But now I pity the child when she finds out.”

“There’s no need for her to find out. I can let her down gently. Unlike you, I don’t hurt people merely for the joy of doing so.”

“Hmm,” Lionel murmured. “Interesting. I hope it hasn’t been an unpleasant duty for you. She’s very young and inexperienced.”

“Yes, she is. But at least she’s . . . enthusiastic.”

The sound of Lionel’s laughter broke out until the recorder clicked to a stop.

oh that was just… awful! I felt devastated for Chloe. I can’t even imagine how terrible, awful and heartbroken she must have felt. It’s bad enough to think that Lex had been ‘enjoying her’ for purely fun and physical pleasure… but it’s quite another thing to find out that Lex had coldly (and contemptuously?) decided to seduce her in order to secure her loyalty.

Not only that, but the recording even suggested that bedding her had been considered a bit of a ‘chore’ by Lex. Not without it’s satisfactions and pleasures or course… but still a chore nonetheless.

Heartbreak!


She was numb.

But she’d trusted Lex. And that didn’t go away after overhearing one dubious conversation—no matter how heartbreaking it was.

She would talk to Lex first. She would discover how true the conversation was.

She’d thought she knew him. Surely she hadn’t been so incredibly wrong.

There are so many ways that this upcoming conversation can go so WRONG… but there are also so many ways that this conversation can go so RIGHT as well. It now all depends on Lex’s ability and willingness to be forthright and honest about his feelings, both in the present day and in the past during the time of the recording.

Chloe is approaching Lex with a willingness to trust and accept whatever explanation he gives for the recording. Now it’s up to Lex to actually STOP being a self-destructive closed-mouthed bastard, and FIX this situation!

What a cliffhanger to leave us at, Zannie. But at least I know I can expect a new update tomorrow :D
aaargh, I can’t wait… I need a resolution to this cliffhanger NOW!!

[Zannie]

The old bastard is so cagey and unpredictable, that it’s damned hard to guess his motivations most of the time.

So true. But that's what makes him so fun to write!


aaargh! But no matter how many times I read it, his darned note doesn’t give a single clue!! And even the clue that he gave to Chloe ‘a discussion with the manager about something like an escape route’ wasn’t all too clear either! *sigh* I’ll have to be patient on this, won’t I? Darnnit!

I hope this wasn't misleading. There really wasn't any other significant purpose in his absence. I mostly just wanted to get him out of the way so Chloe could wake up alone and this morning could be contrasted to that morning in Quebec to highlight the difference (in both of them). I did want to show that Lex is getting a little paranoid about Lionel's catching up to them so often and trying to take a lot of extra steps in preparation. Since the topic won't come up again for the rest of the story, I wanted to explain - and hope you aren't disappointed about there not being a cool, mysterious reason behind it!


Actually, the same advice applies to Chloe as well. SHE also needs to be a little more honest with Lex about what she really wants from him, and what she’s hoping for from this marriage. Yet somehow, I find myself a lot more sympathetic towards Chloe’s hesitation to confess as compared to Lex’s silence. Probably because I remember that Chloe was the dumpee rather than the dumper during their last time around as a ‘couple’? That’s a pretty good reason for Chloe to be so skittish about making herself so vulnerable again.

Yes, you're exactly right. They're both insecure and unwilling to make themselves vulnerable in their relationship, but I do think Lex is a little more to blame - given how things went down last time. Lex has his own reasons, of course, but this story is really driven by Lex's absolute inability to open up about his feelings (based on his past experiences) and that is the thing that is propelling most of the conflict. Chloe's own insecurities lead her to protect herself too, but she's not nearly as paralyzed as Lex has been. Her insecurities end up feeding Lex's - as we'll see in tomorrow's chapter. But I agree with your making Lex a little more responsible for this limbo they're in.


Even though I know better, I still have to actively force myself not to be convinced by his smooth persuasive statements.
Damn, I LOVE the way you write Lionel, Zannie!! He should get more screentime in your fics!!

Heh. I've actually really gotten into writing him this year. He's been in most of my recent stories. But I honestly think "terza rima" gave him as much screentime as he's going to get from me!


There are so many ways that this upcoming conversation can go so WRONG… but there are also so many ways that this conversation can go so RIGHT as well. It now all depends on Lex’s ability and willingness to be forthright and honest about his feelings, both in the present day and in the past during the time of the recording.

Well, we've seen already how willing he is to open up and be emotionally vulnerable in this story. How do you think the conversation is likely to go? :)

But the one thing about this story is that the angst isn't very long-lived. So that should be encouraging!

Thanks for making the effort to catch up so amazingly on the reviews for this story, Sabrina!

[somethingeasy]

Well, we've seen already how willing he is to open up and be emotionally vulnerable in this story. How do you think the conversation is likely to go? :)
But the one thing about this story is that the angst isn't very long-lived. So that should be encouraging!

Thanks for making the effort to catch up so amazingly on the reviews for this story, Sabrina!

What are you talking about, Zannie. He's been practically like a leaking bucket about his feelings and emotions so far. *I* personally don't forsee ANY problems at all ;)

LOL! Seriously though, were you really reassuring me that the angst is going to be 'short-lived'. If anything, you should be comforting me over the fact that the torture is NOT going to be long and drawn out :(

heh... and it's easy to catch up with chapters, even daily ones, when a fic is so darned awesome!

[missylou47]

Love the story!! Just spent WAY too long reading it and its amazing, haven't read Chlex in ages but I'm glad you talked me into it! love the different places they've visited and the local details but especially their deep and emotional relationship. I came in right at the tense part, now I can't wait till tomorrow!!! :) :)

[lj715]

I know Lex is gonna fix this.....right? Great update.

[somethingeasy]

Chapter Twenty-One

This was an awesome chapter, Zannie. All the trauma, angst, heartbreak, despair and grief just made me shudder with thrilled delight sympathy. Oh you knew I would LOVE this chapter, and I suspect that there’s a lot of people who found themselves re-reading this particular chapter over and over again… for the sheer emotional intensity of it all.

I loved how it started with Chloe in a state of frozen numbness. In fact, I especially loved how she was described as feeling ‘cold’ and shivering from her shock. Part of it might have been because she was dressed in slightly skimpy, light clothing, but the sensation of feeling frozen seemed to be emanating from the shock within rather than the coolness in the atmosphere around her.


Lex burst into the room, without any warning. “Chloe,” he said thickly, taking three long strides over and pulling her up into his arms. “Honey, are you all right?”

He was warm and hard and utterly safe. And he smelled just as wonderfully Lex-like as always. His arms were tight and needy, and she didn’t pull away.

squeee! I loved, LOVED seeing Lex so panicked as he RAN over to Chloe to check over her. I suspect that he rushed straight over, partially to offer Chloe help, support and comfort... but mostly to reassure himself that she was alright! At least she was physically unharmed.


“I’m so sorry,” Lex said, his face buried in her tangled hair, “I should have done better. I should have kept you hidden away where he could never find you.”

She didn’t like the agonized guilt in his voice. It had somehow penetrated through the fog. She tried to speak but all that came out was a croak. So she cleared her voice and tried again. “He didn’t hurt me. And I told you not to hide me away. I wouldn’t have let you.” Her voice sounded strange, kind of shrill.

heee! It figures that Lex would immediately start blaming himself for whatever catastrophe might have fallen. Lex is unfortunately cursed with both a martye complex as well as an arrogant belief that he can control everything. Therefore, when anything goes wrong, he finds it impossible to admit that the circumstances were genuinely beyond his control. He ends up blaming himself for everything! lol! Poor silly martyr. I was so pleased to see that Lex’s guilt and despair broke through Chloe’s numbness, and she told him (gently) that the situation is not THAT much under Lex’s control, and he can’t guarantee absolute security everywhere and anywhere. Only sometimes and in certain places :P


There was anger and indignation in his expression at first. But as the discussion progressed, something changed. His face took on that perfectly composed control that she recognized very well. And the thing she had been praying not to see flickered in his eyes.

A guilty acknowledgment.

I think this was the moment where Chloe’s started breaking. The moment she realized that there might have been some truth to the recording that Lionel had given her. I loved how Chloe gave the recording to Lex, telling him that she didn’t believe any of it. She was giving him every reassurance that she still trusted him, and whatever he said to explain this recording, she would believe it, wholeheartedly.

Even after she saw Lex’s expression betray guilt, she STILL begged, literally begged Lex to provide some kind of ‘reasonable explanation’ behind those horrible, awful, ugly words. I liked how she actually felt hope and the stirrings of real joy when Lex told her that ‘it’s not what it sounds like’, because that opened the possibility that the whole thing was another one of Lionel’s ugly lies. But then Lex goes onto admitting that the conversation had NOT been tampered with in any way... that what Chloe heard was the truth of what had happened.


Lex leaned down a little, peering into her face with a scrutiny that terrified her.

She couldn’t let him see how this devastated her, how much he had hurt her. She wouldn’t lose her pride, on top of everything else. She gave him a hard little smile. “Kind of crass, don’t you think?”

Lex blinked, as if she’d surprised him. He peered at her some more. “Chloe, I know it sounds terrible, but it’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it?” she asked, lifting her eyebrows in a remarkably controlled expression, considering.

Oh that cowardly JERK! I now remember where I’ve seen something like this before. Lex is staying silent and letting Chloe think the worst as a god-awful TEST, isn’t he? I remember he conducted a similar test in Nameless, where he forced Chloe through a few moments of torture, believing that he had slept with another woman. He did that in order to force her to admit that the her feelings for him were actually deeper than she had previously admitted.

Yes, I know there were extenuating circumstances then, as there are extenuating circumstances now... but that doesn’t change the fact that Lex is pulling an asshole trick on poor Chloe. He’s torturing her, and trying to trick her into admitting to any deep feelings that might exist for him. THAT’S why the bastard is staying so silent, still... while scrutinizing her so carefully... and looking ‘surprised’ because he didn’t see what he was expecting hoping for from Chloe’s expression and reaction.

I’m actually GLAD that Chloe is keeping this magnificent, superhuman control over herself. It serves Lex right to be tortured, thinking that Chloe is mostly indifferent to what she heard from the recording. As if it doesn’t really matter one way or another... but it DOES mean that she doesn’t trust him as much as she did this morning.


“Chloe, don’t do this. That was ten years ago and it’s all twisted.” Lex took her face in his hands so urgently it almost hurt. “Don’t let that come between us now.”

I still think it serves Lex right to be tortured like this... and I know that this IS torture for him. He’s suddenly seeing his last and final chance with Chloe slip away between his fingers. And all this is barely a day after he committed himself to winning her love and pursuing a genuine relationship/marriage with her. Barely a day after she seemed to be responding so sweetly and cooperatively to his wooing and seduction. He must be devastated at this loss.

But still... he’s not admitting the truth!


The chill went deeper, allowing her to say with an ironic lilt in her voice. “I know it’s been a while, but it kind of matters to me. I knew we weren’t serious, but I hadn’t known it was like that.”

“It wasn’t like that, Chloe. It wasn’t.” He’d dropped his hands, and his fingers were clenched at his sides.

“Then what was it?”

He opened his mouth again, something twisting on his face. Then he closed it once more, his eyes boring holes into her, as if he were trying to see into her soul.

Aaaargh! All he needs to do is admit that he LOVED her then... madly, deeply, desperately loved her! And that the LIES he told to Lionel were only to cover up the intensity of his feelings, because he was deathly afraid that Lionel would make a target out of Chloe in order to control and/or punish Lex.

But he can’t do it. The silly coward cannot confess! I can see he’s still desperately searching Chloe’s features, looking for some kind of sign that she returns his feelings, even a little bit, so he would feel safer confessing his true emotions to her. But he can’t see any sign, therefore he keep silent. The stupid, closed-mouthed, secretive, cowardly IDIOT!


“We’ve had a good time,” she said, with as much disinterest as she could muster given that it felt like her chest had been pried open, “But we can’t go on like we have. Not now. It’s been fun. But I can’t be with you, knowing that you were like that back then.”

“Chloe, honey, don’t do this.” She’d never heard Lex sound so desperate, so out of control. “It doesn’t have to change what we have now. It wasn’t like that.”

Chloe wanted this not to be so much that she gave him one more chance to explain. “Then what was it? Just tell me what it was, if it wasn’t that.”

She waited, her heart pounding, a splinter of ice down her spine, her fingers trembling so badly she twisted them together in front of her. Felt her ring—Lex’s merchant ring. Wrapped her right hand around it.

Something seemed to be tearing Lex apart, but she couldn’t possibly understand what it was.
It seemed so simple to her. If he had an explanation, he could tell her. He could make it all go away. They could stay together.

I feel horrible for poor Chloe. I’m watching her break right in front of me. The worst thing is that Chloe is not allowing herself to break outwardly, but keeping tight control over her feelings, and letting herself break within only. That actually sounds a lot more painful than allowing herself to break down, cry and SCREAM at Lex for being a secretive asshole.

Ironically, Lex is the one who is allowing himself to break outwardly. Or perhaps he just can’t help himself from letting his torn emotions from seeping out. Either way, I cannot find it within myself to feel sorry for him. I firmly believe he’s brought all of this grief, despair all on himself because of his own cowardly idiocy! The bastard DESERVES to hurt and suffer and scream and cry! Let’s see him utterly miserable for a few days, please?


If he admitted it, explained the context, apologized, and told her he still wanted to pursue a relationship, she thought she could have forgiven him. It would have hurt—terribly—that he’d taken advantage of her innocence, her affection, her soft and so young heart, merely to ensure her loyalty to him—but it was ten years ago and he was different now.

But he hadn’t apologized. Hadn’t said anything.

I loved this. I loved how it was made clear that Chloe WILL forgive Lex, if he provides even the smallest semblance of an explanation. Or even if he apologises for what he did. I loved Chloe for her generous, huge-hearted capacity for forgiveness... and I loved her for giving Lex every opportunity possible to explain, making it clear that all she wanted was simple clarification on what really happened, and what really motivated those words on the recording. She was incredibly brave in baring herself open, and letting him know that she would trust whatever explanation he had for her.

And he repays her trust and bravery like this?! Make. Him. Suffer, Zannie!!!

aaargh! I want the next chapter NOW! hmmm, actually, I think it might actually be up right now, so I’ll go check :)

[somethingeasy]

Chapter Twenty-Two


Chloe had wanted him to just take her home—to her apartment, without any security and away from Lex completely. But Lex had refused. He said stiffly that he understood she didn’t want anything to do with him, but he had given his word that he’d keep her safe, and he was going to do so.

I still mostly feel angry at Lex, but now I feel some grudging sympathy seeping in. I can’t help but imagine how hurt he’s feeling, now that Chloe has effectively told him that she considers their marriage to be over. It must be devastating! And yet he’s still insisting on keeping her close to him in order to keep her safe. I have no doubt that Lex wants nothing more than to distance himself from Chloe in order to lick his wounds in private. Yet, despite how uncomfortable and hurtful it is, he’s still forcing himself to stay in close proximity to Chloe.

I can just imagine how the plane ride itself was hell for Lex as well as for Chloe. He probably tried to start up a conversation with her, trying to find the right words to bring her back to him, but she politely dismissed all his attempts to engage her, and just pretended to sleep. And I have no doubt that Lex knew that Chloe was only pretending to sleep the whole time.


Most of the time she was replaying in her head the terrible words she’d heard Lex say. Lex, whom she’d seen be so gentle and tender, had heartlessly told his father, “There are no foolish feelings involved. But she’ll be loyal to me. She’ll testify against you. I’ve made sure of it.”

He seduced her to ensure her loyalty. And he’d talked about her crassly to his father, agreeing that she was young and inexperienced but adding that she was at least “enthusiastic.” Chloe cringed every time she heard the words again in her head, and she berated herself for being such a fool.

ouch! It makes me cringe anew to hear such ugly, hateful words again. Poor Chloe is torturing herself by replaying them in her head. And yet, she can’t stop herself from examining those words again and again, dissecting them in order to make some SENSE out of them. How could she have been fooled so very badly? How could her instincts have been so wrong about him. It must shake Chloe’s confidence to the core to know that she can be fooled so easily and completely... at the age of seventeen AND now.


She took her hot cider into the parlor, which she’d decided was the room she would make her Christmas room. It was the natural room for Christmas decorations. Not only did it have a huge fireplace and mantle, but it also had traditional windows rather than the weird stained glass of the library and it had a big space in one corner that would be the perfect place for a Christmas tree. Not that she had a tree.

She strung the garland up on the mantle, weaving white lights into it and pinning two gorgeous red and gold bows on either side. Then she hung up the four stockings they’d brought her. And she placed two bronze-colored sculpted snowflakes on the mantle and hung a wreath above them.

Pleased with the effect, she went over to the windows. Using a ladder, she was able to string the windows with more white lights and pull back the curtains with thick gold ribbons.

It surprised me to see Chloe ordering some Christmas decorations, and then proceeding to put such heavy effort into putting the whole scene together. You’d think that she was putting real joy and love into her decorating, considering all the creativity and attention to detail that’s going into this work. So I loved the slanted, ironic tone to this Christmas decorating scene, where the overtone is not love, joy and cheer; but actually despair, bitterness, confusion, anger, etc. She’s using Christmas decorating to escape from her feelings, rather than expressing and accentuating them. I loved that!

And she managed to do a pretty good job hiding away from her feelings and numbing herself down… for a little while. I loved how it was something so small; a burnt marshmallow; that finally burst the dam open, and made Chloe finally, FINALLY break down and cry her feelings out.


She tried to get herself under control, but the more she cried, the more things came back to her. All of the laughing and teasing. The sweet, hot kisses. The rings that looked so right on her hand. The way he called her “honey”—not in a silly way but as if he really meant it. How hard she’d tried not to take him seriously. And then the beach on Fiji when she’d finally let herself believe that they might have a future.

Poor Chloe. I can see real and genuine grief in her. She might not have been ‘officially’ involved in a real relationship with Lex... but she still feels the loss sharply. It’s devastating! But at least it set the stage perfectly for Lex to finally witness the true depth of her hurt and grief, and finally come in to comfort her properly!


“Chloe, I’m so sorry,” Lex said roughly, his arms holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it had hurt you so much. I’m so sorry. Please don’t cry. You’re killing me.”

When his words managed to process in her head, she jerked away from him with an outraged gasp. “Not hurt? You bastard. You broke my heart. Of course, it hurt!” For a moment, she had the almost irresistible impulse to pound him on the chest like every romance heroine she’d ever read, but she managed to resist the silly urge.

Instead, she tried to get up. Lex had frozen strangely when she spoke, but now he grabbed her again, keeping her on the floor with him by the tight grip on her upper arms. “What did you say?”

LOL! To tell the truth, Zannie. I was hoping for this miscommunication and angst to carry on for another chapter or so (or perhaps five?)… but I will say that it was VERY satisfying to finally, FINALLY have Lex catch a clue and figure out what was really going in front of his eyes. Very, VERY satisfying moment. My favourite part of the chapter!


“You.” Lex looked away, into the fire. His face twisted, evidence of how hard this was for him to say. “My feelings for you were a weakness. If he knew, he would be more of a threat to both of us. So I had to lie—I had to make him believe something that wasn’t true.”

Chloe’s hand went up to cover her mouth. “So . . . so . . .”

Lex grabbed her hand and held it in both of his. “So I didn’t mean any of it. I never used you like that.”

The ice was cracking around her heart, and tears were streaming down her face again. “But why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

“Because . . .” He trailed off, looking away from her again. But then he made himself continue. “Because it’s so ludicrously hard for me to admit how I feel. Because you didn’t seem to care that much about what you had learned. And, if you didn’t care, I couldn’t risk admitting that I was in love with you back then.”

oh wow! WOW! So he’s finally come clean about everything… or almost everything at least. None of this was a revelation for me, since I had guessed at this truth a long time ago… but it was still so satisfying to see Lex finally confess, putting the truth into his own words and everything. It’s about time too!! More than anything, it was wonderful to see Chloe knitting back together and healing as she listened to Lex’s confession. It’s so wonderful to see Chloe finally understanding that she wasn’t mistaken about Lex after all. He DID care about her; even more than she had ever imagined. He loved her then, and he continued to love her right up to the present day!

Granted, Lex didn’t admit that he never stopped loving Chloe, but I think she inferred that truth for herself, lol!


It made sense to Chloe now. It wouldn’t have made sense to her back then—she would have been outraged at the idea of breaking up because of the age difference—but she was older now. She knew how awkward it would have been. “But we could have kept it secret until I was older.”

“I know. I thought about that. I thought about everything that would have possibly let me keep you. But I couldn’t think of any way it would work. With my father. And all the danger. And I was involved in things back then that would have made it . . . I wasn’t ready for a real relationship—no matter how much I wanted one.”

Dammit! I was determined to be outraged on Chloe’s behalf, that Lex took it upon himself to break off from Chloe in order to ‘protect her’, and spend YEARS afterwards letting her think it was only a casual thing between them. But everything that Lex said just now DOES make sense… dammit! I can see it was actually a mature and perhaps even wise decision for Lex to choose to break up with the seventeen year old teenager he had fallen in love with. It just wouldn’t have looked good. And Lionel would have somehow ensured that the couple would have suffered some way or another, even if they had tried to keep this ‘scandalous relationship’ a secret from everyone.

BUT… I still say that Lex was an ass for keeping this secret for so darned long. What about two years after the break-up? How about five? Did he have to wait a friggen ten years before finally making a move for Chloe. And heck, if it hadn’t been for Lionel, then Lex would never have made a move at all, would he? Idiot!


“Oh, Lex,” Chloe breathed, her hands lifting up to cup his face. “I wish you had told me. I was in love with you too.”

For just a moment, his eyes transformed. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. But then he said, “I wish I’d known too, although even now I’m not sure how we would have worked it out.”

pffft! Well, if you been just a little honest about your feelings, Lex, you might have discovered this wonderful truth a LONG time ago. You made both yourself and Chloe miserable for nothing… Moron!


“Maybe we wouldn’t have been able to. But at least I would have known that you cared about me.”

“I assumed you already knew that.” His brows drew together, as if he was genuinely confused.

This helped shift my perspective a little. During that summer with Chloe, and all those years in between, he just assumed that Chloe always knew that he cared deeply for her? I don’t know whether to scream at him for being a blatant liar, or a ridiculous moron. Lex was right there when he broke up with Chloe, and surely he remembers using very casual and light-hearted phrasing, doesn’t he? He remembers choosing words to give Chloe the impression that it was a ‘fun, casual fling’ that was coming to an end, and nothing more than that.

But perhaps he thought, all along, that it was only casual from Chloe’s end only... and that she knew that all along. He thought that pretending to go along with her attitude would make the break-up easier for her? He thought she knew that he was only pretending at light-hearted casualness the whole time? This would certainly explain a lot about why he’s kept away for ten years. AND also why he even kept an emotional distance into the earlier days of their marriage, thinking that he wouldn’t stand a chance of winning over Chloe now, since it didn’t happen even when she was seventeen.


His kisses were hot and hard and sweet all at once, and Chloe’s body reacted eagerly. Her heart felt like it was going to spill over as she responded to the touch of his lips, his hands. As they kissed, she stroked his bald head until he groaned. The heat from the fireplace seemed to radiate into their urgency until Chloe felt like a flame herself.

She’d never seen Lex like this—hungry, needy, possessive and vulnerable. And, as their embrace intensified, Chloe realized he was sharing himself with her in a way he never had before. Not once in all these years.

*happy sigh* hot, intense, passionate… amazing!! WOW! But I’m seriously beginning to HATE the PG rating on this story. You’re teasing us with all of these hot, intense kisses that seem to go nowhere, Zannie!


“What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?” Chloe asked teasingly, propping herself up on her arm to look down at him.

He was lying on his back, a smile hovering on his lips. His eyes took on a significant look.

Chloe swatted him playfully. “Be serious.”

“I have no idea, Chloe. Seriously.” He reached up to stroke her flushed cheek. “What do you want?”

She snorted, knowing that anything she said Lex would get for her. So she quipped, “I’ll be happy if Santa comes at all.”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“I thought maybe your Grinch-like attitude might scare him away.”

Lex laughed and pulled her back down beside him. “I’m sure I can negotiate something reasonable with him. I’m good at negotiations.”

LOL! The banter is just adorable! And now I’m wondering whether Lex really is going to take Chloe’s request for Santa to make an appearance seriously. Are we going to get the treat of seeing Lex abusing his pride by donning a Santa outfit? ROTFLMAO!


He hadn’t said anything about his feelings now, but she knew it was more than casual. He’d opened up to her at last. He’d told her how he used to feel.

And then he’d showed her how he felt.

So she was sure that, eventually, when he was certain of his own feelings and he was comfortable, he would speak them out loud.

It was clear he cared about her. He wanted this to continue. At this point, that was more than enough for Chloe.

It hadn’t really been that long as relationships went.

After all, they’d only been married twenty-two days.

LOL! Perfect ending to this chapter, Zannie. Funny, sweet, sappy and romantic! The perfect Christmas fic! And I really liked how Lex doesn’t have to say that he loves Chloe right now, because Chloe is secure enough in this relationship to not need the words anymore. Ten years ago, she needed the words before she could admit that she loved Lex, but now she’s happy enough to tell him she loves him without needing to hear it back.

That being said, I really hope Lex gets over this complex and finally TELLS her how he feels, rather than just depending that a ‘significant look’ in his eyes will be enough to convey everything. She’s been waiting a long time, and she deserves to be rewarded for her patience.

[missylou47]

Oh I just caught up on the last two chapters and I love them!!! I was so sad I almost cried on the last one but then everything was fixed! Im glad Lex finally said how he felt, can't wait for them to have a beautiful Christmas together!!! :) :)

[carebear30]

Just wanted to say that I love this fic. Look forward every day to read a new chapter. So sad that it's gonne end soon but excited to know how it ends!

[somethingeasy]

Chapter Twenty-Three

awww, this was a really sweet, lovely chapter. Which is precisely what people needed after all the trauma over the past month, eh? lol! Seriously though, Chloe deserved a really happy day, even one that was verging on mushy and sappy. Although I did like, Zannie, how you kept it within the realistic boundaries of Chlex sappiness, where Lex doesn’t spend all day doting over Chloe and smiling giddily at her while saying ‘I love you’ in a dreamy tone of voice.

Instead, we see Lex spending most of the morning working, and only joining up with Chloe during the later part of the day once his responsibilities have been taken care of. And I liked that he complained about going tree shopping with Chloe. There’s only a certain amount of sap that Lex will indulge in… even during the early, giddy days of a new Chlex relationship.

LOL! But I was delighted to see that Chloe DID manage to rope him into decorating the Christmas tree, ROTFL!


He must have realized early on that Chloe wasn’t going to reveal the information she knew about the Kyring project. But he’d been angry that Lex had outmaneuvered him. Angry that Lex had forced his hand. So he’d responded by making it clear that Chloe and Lex were still within Lionel’s net.

He’d given Chloe that recorded conversation in order to rip her away from Lex. In a twisted way, Lionel was probably convinced it was the only appropriate response to Lex’s ripping Chloe out of Lionel’s grip.

To someone else, it might seem ludicrous that Lionel had invested so much of his time and resources on tracking Chloe down merely to prove a point to his son.

But, as far as Chloe was concerned, that was exactly what he’d done.

I really appreciated this assessment from Chloe. It filled in the few holes that remained about what Lionel was trying to accomplish through his stalking and harassment campaign. I agree with Chloe that it makes logical sense (Lionel’s version of logical sense anyway) that Lionel would become fixated on punishing Lex and Chloe somehow, not because they represented a threat, but purely because they had thwarted him. AND, I think Lionel was also fearful of the thought of Chloe and Lex coming together. Lionel knows full well what a formidable team Chloe and Lex make together, and he ALSO knows that Chloe is a mitigating force against the influence that Lionel has on his son. If Chloe and Lex got together, then Lionel would lose a lot of the power that he holds over Lex.

Chloe assumes that Lionel was resentful of Lex for depriving him of his ‘rightful prey’, Chloe. But I think Chloe is underestimating herself. I think Lionel was also outraged at the neat and accidental way that Chloe ripped away Lex from his father.


They went to their respective rooms to shower and dress. Chloe, getting a sudden impulse, decided to put on the mulberry wrap dress Lex had bought her at the boutique in Aix.
It was obviously a little dressy for a simple evening at home, but she hadn’t gotten the chance to wear it yet, and the color felt festive without being too obviously Christmassy.

She felt a little self-conscious as she went down to find Lex lighting a fire in the fireplace, but when she saw his expression as he saw her in the dress, she decided it had been a very good decision.

I can imagine how pretty Chloe must look in that dress. And it’s probably for the best that it’s formal and dressy, considering that Chloe and Lex might be going out this evening for a Christmas ball? She doesn’t have to change :)


They spent a couple of hours trimming the tree. It was actually quite a production, since they had to make nearly all of their decorations. They had colored lights, thanks to Lex’s resourceful security staff, so they did those first. Lex had ironically suggested popcorn garlands, but Chloe had given that suggestion the dirty look it deserved. They did string fresh cranberries into garlands, since Chloe had always thought they were pretty. And Lex spent an inordinately long time punching holes into old wine corks so he could string them together with ribbon—which he’d thought would make an excellent decoration. While he was doing that, Chloe tied pretty bows with gold and silver ribbon that she placed throughout the tree, and she managed to hang some of the other things they’d found in the attic: fancy buttons, old coins, small panes of stained glass, and an odd collection of miniature teapots.

She assumed it wasn’t Lionel who had collected the teapots.

Lex was as focused on his tree trimming tasks as he was at everything else. Chloe had a marvelous time watching him mull through possibilities, sort out the best plan of attack, overcome obstacles like a very tall tree and a shortage of string, and observe his successes with a satisfied air of accomplishment.

ROTFLMAO! Oh this was delicious, hilarious and so darned sweet!! I loved it! I loved the idea of Lex and Chloe decorating a tree together. But more than that, I loved the details on how the two of them were creating custom home-made decorations from ‘scraps and pieces’ lying around the manor. Granted, these are Luthor version of ‘scrap and pieces’, which means they’re going to be darned expensive ornaments, even if they are home-made, LOL!

I really, REALLU enjoyed Lex indulging in his inner artist. I think he had a really fantastic time creating his own masterpieces and setting them up on the tree. I think Lex has just revealed a repressed desire to become an artist... especially with his utter indignation at the thought of putting a teapot at the top of his tree. After all the work he put into making it special and breathtaking, Chloe wants to put a TEAPOT on the top?!? ROTFL!

LOL! I did notice a hint of guilt when he admitted that the ‘star’ on top was actually a medieval weapon, LOL! Oh yeah... captures the spirit of Christmas perfectly, ROTFLMAO!


After a long, tender kiss, she leaned against him, her arms around his neck and her lips skimming over the side of his head—pressing wet little kisses on his smooth scalp. “Seriously, Lex. We can go.”

His hand rested on her hip and he tilted his head so he could look at her face. “My father will be there.”

Chloe’s heart quickened momentarily, but then she mulled things over. And she thought of some of the plans she’d made today. It might work well for her to confront Lionel tomorrow anyway. “That will be fine. Let’s just get it over with and see him then. I assume he’s not going to try to mow me down with bullets in the middle of gathered Metropolis high society.”

squeee! Omigosh! Is this a promise that we’re going to see Lionel in the upcoming chapter tomorrow, Zannie?!? Squeeeee! Wonderful! I can’t wait!!!!


Lex acknowledged that this wasn’t a strong possibility. Then he added, almost diffidently, “I have another favor to ask of you, Chloe.”

She looked down at him with surprise and pressed another kiss on his head, this one nearer to the forehead. “What is it?”

He drew back a little and then edged one of his hands into his pocket. As he pulled it out, he murmured, “Do you think you might wear your rings again?”

awww! So for all this time, Lex has been dying to ask Chloe to put on her wedding rings again, hasn’t he? But he was too scared to ask, for fear of her saying ‘no’? LOL! He really has no clue about how she feels about him, does he? Actually, I found this part very gratifying, because it was made clear that Lex is as much in the dark about the depth and intensity of Chloe’s emotions as she is about is. Excellent! Poetic justice and all that!


After taking a long, slow breath, she said, “Lex, I really don’t want to wear them . . .” At her first words, she saw something fall in his eyes. But she continued, “. . . unless I can wear them forever.”

LOL! I wonder whether it was just me who was squealing in thrilled delight, imagining the horror and PAIN in Lex right now. Probably just me, right? :P


“Do you think I’m not serious about you?” he asked, reaching up to take her face in his hands. “Chloe, I told you how I felt. What do you think this is about?”

“I didn’t mean I thought it was a fling or something. I know it’s not. But just because you loved me before doesn’t mean you’ll immediately love me again now. And we’ve only been together for less than a month so—“

Lex made a choking sound. “I thought you understood. I loved you then. I love you now. I’ve never stopped loving you, Chloe.”

Chloe’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

“You didn’t know?”

ROTFLMAO! Lex’s incredulity is just hilarious and delicious! I love it! I loved the way that Lex was genuinely shocked and amazed that Chloe doesn’t know how madly and deeply he is in love with her. I think Lex has so firmly accepted that Chloe is his entire world, that he can’t imagine anyone NOT realizing it... much less Chloe herself not knowing it. It would be like defying gravity or calling the sun cold or something. You just don’t say or even think such blatant false facts like these.

squeee! And Lex had the rings re-sized for Chloe. I guess that suggests that he partially believed that Chloe would want to wear them again? Or perhaps just hoping...?

*sigh* This was a beautiful, sweet chapter, Zannie. I look forward to seeing what tomorrow brings. I eagerly anticipate that one last confrontation with Lionel… especially the livid look on his face when he realizes that his plot to break up the Chlex couple didn’t work. Heeee!

[Zannie]

LOL! The banter is just adorable! And now I’m wondering whether Lex really is going to take Chloe’s request for Santa to make an appearance seriously. Are we going to get the treat of seeing Lex abusing his pride by donning a Santa outfit? ROTFLMAO!

LOL. Have I ever written a Chlex Christmas story without putting Lex in a Santa-suit?


I can imagine how pretty Chloe must look in that dress. And it’s probably for the best that it’s formal and dressy, considering that Chloe and Lex might be going out this evening for a Christmas ball? She doesn’t have to change

The ball is actually the following evening - Christmas Eve. So she'll probably want to change before then! Particularly if she and Lex decide to have a little fun tonight!

And, yes, Lionel will make an appearance tomorrow!

Thanks for the great reviews!

[somethingeasy]

I really liked the beginning of this chapter, showcasing Chloe’s entry into Lex’s world, where she has to keep careful control over herself and keep smiling for the public eye. But all things considered, it was a very gentle foray into the public eye; granted with about a million cameras going off in her face, but no intrusive, interrogative and offensive questions from scandal sheet reporters.

Actually, now that I think about it, I wouldn’t mind seeing a story that explores Chloe trying to enter Lex’s world, and finding it very difficult to adjust to the blur between her private and public life. I’d like to see her dealing with the more aggressive and vicious sort of reporters, who turn into a near-constant stalking presence in her life, never allowing her a moment’s peace when she’s out in public.

Obviously that’s not going to happen in this fic… but perhaps in some future story…?

Anyhow, back to the review of this[I] chapter ;)


Chloe’s smile vanished and she looked up him indignantly. “You happen to be moody and broody, and so it’s perfectly natural for you to dwell on having to break up with me for the last ten years. But I’m a happy person. I couldn’t brood that long. It doesn’t mean I completely got over you or I wouldn’t have been able to fall back in love with you so quickly.”

squeee! I was hoping that there would be a quick discussion about the different between Lex and Chloe in how they both handled the break-up. Both Chloe and Lex were devastated, but Chloe [I]did manage to move on and fall considerably out of love with Lex during their separation. But it appears that Lex was never actually out of love with Chloe, EVER, since their separation.

I liked the idea of Lex suffering more, because the break-up was HIS idea after all… and I was greatly amused to see Lex actually smug about the fact that he remained obsessed and hung-up over Chloe during the years apart from each other, while she was able to healthily move on.


He was looking particularly devastating in traditional black-tie. Chloe, who was feeling uncharacteristically elegant in her emerald green evening gown, felt a silly girlish thrill at being escorted to one of the biggest social events in Metropolis by the most attractive and powerful man in the city.

Her husband.

I couldn’t help but feel thrilled in proxy for Chloe. It must be darned exciting and satisfying, knowing that you’ve captured the world’s more eligible bachelor… and that you’re showing him off at a major social event in beautiful, expensive settings.


“But you married . . . you slept around . . . you . . .”

Lex released a thick breath. “I did. I kept looking for something to replace you. And I couldn’t find it.”

She stood on tiptoes so she could kiss him softly on the corner of his mouth. “Thank you for telling me,” she whispered.

She doubted it would ever be easy for him to express his feelings—even to her—so she was grateful for every time he did.

And his telling her that now meant everything.

It does mean a lot because this confessions shows how much Lex is improving (by leaps and bounds) with regards to his tendency to keep closed mouthed and secretive about everything that is too personal. This confession would have made Lex feel embarrassed as well as quite vulnerable. But he was willing to bare himself open this way… for Chloe’s sake… in a public setting no less. It’s a wonderful move forward for Lex! Good for him!


Chloe’s gown was slinky, with a modest neckline but an almost non-existent back. She wore sparkly heels and diamonds at her neck and in her ears—gifts Lex had given her that morning with a grumpy preamble about how they were gifts from her husband so she couldn’t refuse to wear them.

ROTFLMAO! He really was indignant about Chloe insisting that she was going to ‘pay Lex back’ for everything that he bought her during their ‘fake marriage’, wasn’t he? I can see he’s taking a very vicious and savage satisfaction in telling her that now she HAS to accept everything he buys her, without complaint… because he’s really her husband now, dammit! LOL! That sweet, funny, ridiculous, complex man!


“Should we go talk to him?” Chloe asked. “Just as a gesture or something.”

Lex shook his head. “He’ll come talk to us eventually. I’d rather not be the one to make the first move.”

The moves mattered in their game—Chloe had always known that.

squeee! Lionel’s late, but prominent entrance into the ball was fantastic! I loved imagining the immediate murmur of voices when everyone saw Lionel enter the room… not to mention Lionel’s own expression of pleased, self-satisfied, superior arrogance when he saw what a stir he had created, merely by his added presence to the room.

I thought Chloe was wonderful in pressing herself against Lex in a reassuring embrace… letting both Lex and Lionel know that she was there on Lex’s side. Nicely done, Chloe!

heh… but it appears that the battle between the Luthors is still quite a drain on Lex, even with Chloe by his side. I can practically see him going straight into high-stressed crises mode right here and now… and already starting to view the situation like another one of those damned life-size chess matches between himself and Lionel. He’s just never going to get a moment to properly relax and enjoy full happiness until the old bastard is dead, is he?


“How predictably romantic.” Lionel’s voice was edged with irony. “Love blooming out of the ashes of deception.”

Chloe rolled her eyes again. And she unsnapped the clasp on her little velvet purse. “You can like it or not. I don’t really care. But I’m your son’s wife now, and that’s not going to change.”

Changing the subject, Lionel asked, “Do you truly expect me to forget the threat you pose to me and embrace you as a member of the family?”

squeee! I absolutely love, LOVE how you manage to capture all these different aspects of Lionel’s personality, Zannie. During thei first encounter, Lionel was rather subtle, in a superior and self-satisfied way, in his threats towards Chloe. During their second encounter, Lionel was being rather charming and persuasive and smooth while giving Chloe the tape-recording.

And now I can see that he’s losing some of his urbane, sophisticated air, and being considerably more blatant and aggressive and hostile towards her. In fact, I’d say he’s coming close to snarling at her right now. Probably because he knows that he has to push a lot more to get past her considerably stronger defences. AND probably because he’s furious and livid about Chloe thwarting his plans to separate her from his son. I LOVE it! I love all of your depictions of Lionel’s chameleon techniques, Zannie!


Chloe would have been too scared to risk it a month ago. Too unsure of her knowledge of Lionel and her ability to stand up to the force of his will. But Lex had told her that Lionel would invariably be in bondage to his reputation. And she’d already found out she could stand up to Lionel and survive.

So she was able to reply, “Yes. I do. How do you think the world will respond if they find out that you’ve threatened, victimized, and attempted to kidnap your new daughter-in-law, after pursuing her and your son around the world? Do you think your reputation will survive as you want it to survive?”

“I still have ways I could hurt you, Chloe. Don’t forget how unwise it is to threaten me.”

“You can hurt me. I accept that. But I can hurt you too. I’m no longer dealing from a position of fear. And you can’t trap me anymore.”

She met his eyes evenly and—just for a moment—she saw a flicker of something that looked like admiration or respect.

I was surprised, and then absolutely delighted to see Chloe asserting herself in this manner. I was gleefully cheering her on as she sent Lionel the text message, and dared him to read it right in front of her. That was magnificently done, Chloe!!

I really loved the way that Chloe’s attitude and dealings and interactions with Lionel have changed so dramatically since the first chapter. I liked how Chloe’s new sense of assertiveness doesn’t come from the bravado of knowing that she has a ‘big, strong billionaire’ to hide behind. Chloe has regained confidence in her abilities to fight Lionel, thanks to her trust that she has Lex’s unflinching and loyal support at her back. She’s handling Lionel on her own, but she gained the confidence for this confrontation because she knows Lex loves her. I think that’s fantastic!!!

heee! And I also liked how Lionel himself felt a strong measure of respect for Chloe… now that she’s re-discovered her backbone and confidence again. Chloe showed a lot of bravado in the first chapter too, but she also betrayed a lot of signs of her fearful nervousness as well, showing that her bravado mostly ran skin deep only. She has really impressed Lionel now, because she’s discovered strength and courage right at the core of herself. Magnificent!

And I think Chloe is right that this truce is going to hold between the two of them. At least for as long as the equilibrium remains the same between them. The moment the dynamics or power-play between them changes in some way, then a whole new battle will start again… so let’s just hope for a maintenance of the status-quo between them…?


“Maybe I should find a wife,” Lionel said, smiling in his darkly ironic way at his son, “Yours seems to have done you good.”

I’m usually quite cynical about all of Lionel’s words and actions. But this time I actually believe he was being sincere and genuine in his compliment. I think he was quite impressed with Chloe… and is probably pleased at the idea of her superior genes being added to the Luthor chain, lol!


Trying not to laugh, she did a full turn, showing him the red dress, wide fur trim, apron, wig, mob cap, glasses, and black boots. “Isn’t it good? One of your handy bodyguards helped me get it yesterday.”

Finally, some of Lex’s astonishment started to crack. And he suddenly leaned his head back and laughed—a warm, rich, uninhibited laugh she hardly ever heard from him.

“Well, you don’t have to laugh,” she said with a frown, although her heart was so full it was aching. “I worked very hard to get the look just right.”

ROTFLMAO! Oh dear me! I thought I was going to choke with laughter. ROTFL! I was expecting Lex to be somehow finagled into a Santa suit… but it was such an amazing, delightful surprise to find Chloe donning the costume… complete with padding and wig!!! ROTFL! No beard, eh?

And the visual became even more hilarious when I imagined Lex grabbing Chloe in her ridiculous Mrs. Santa suit and proceeding to seduce her. LOL! I really hope that is NOT one of his kinky fantasies coming to life… seducing Mrs. Claus, ROTFL!


She giggled. “That’s what I thought. You claim to love me but refuse to dress up as Santa to prove it. Some husband you are. Not very convincing.”

LOL! Are you setting the scene to coerce Lex into his traditional Santa suit, Zannie? You always seem to get a perverse delight out of writing a Lex in a Santa suit during every Christmas themes story, LOL! I do look forward to it… it’s always such a hilarious and sweet sight!!

*sigh* only epilogue left… and then it’s the end of the story. No more daily updates. I think I’m going to cry tonight! Or perhaps tomorrow night after the epilogue!

[lj715]

It was wonderful! Really enjoyed reading it.

[Julie]

The entire story is now archived here at NS, in the first posts in this thread :)

[lj715]

Thanks Zannie, it was a great story.

[somethingeasy]

Epilogue

The epilogue was fantastic! I really appreciated the final wrap-up and closing. I especially liked getting confirmation on my theory that Lex had always meant for that merchant ring to become Chloe’s engagement band.


Chloe had been fiddling with her rings, a habit she’d never gotten over. Even the knowledge of the merchant ring’s value hadn’t kept her from playing with it on her finger. Lex had sheepishly admitted a few months ago that a similar ring of lesser quality had sold at auction recently for $15,000. That was when he’d also admitted to her that he’d been wearing the ring in the limo last year for the sole purpose of giving it to her as their engagement ring.

He had wanted to help her escape his father’s net. But he’d also desperately wanted to marry her.

I wanted to swoon. Not so much at the news that Chloe’s merchant ring was worth a heck of a lot more than a standard diamond ring (although that was pretty cool!), but upon hearing that Lex finally broke down and confessed how desperately he wanted to marry Chloe. LOL! Of course I already knew that considering how quickly Lex came up with the ‘solution’ of a marriage as a solve-all answer to Chloe’s problem, but I loved that Lex finally admitted it to Chloe.

And if that wasn’t confirmation of his love enough... then there’s also the Santa suit!!! ROTFLMAO! It was hilarious, ridiculous... and so utterly sweet! I loved it! I loved how Chloe was nearly levelled by the joy that she felt seeing the ridiculous indignities that Lex is willing to go through for her sake. And I loved how Lex himself knew how foolish and ludicrous he looked, but he still went through with the dress-up, merely to make Chloe happy for the holidays!

*sigh* it was a beautiful epilogue to a lovely, funny, beautiful fic, Zannie. Thanks for the story! You made the entire month of December a great event for all your fans!

[pezgirl]

I've never actually read a Advent Calender story before, just wanted to say that the whole thing was fantastic and seamless, you couldn't even tell one author to thenext. It was a amazing cohesive story and congratulations to all that contributed.

[Julie]

I've never actually read a Advent Calender story before, just wanted to say that the whole thing was fantastic and seamless, you couldn't even tell one author to thenext. It was a amazing cohesive story and congratulations to all that contributed.

It was only one author, Zannie. She wrote the whole story :)

[hfce]

Sorry for the late reply. But I was on vacation when you finished this story. I just want to say I have really enjoyed this awesome story. I loved it from beginning to end. I will truly miss this. ;)

[BlueFunk]

I've been remiss in giving feedback for this year's Advent Calendar story, so I'd like to remedy that.

First of all: Thank you Zannie for your wonderful holiday story! I am constantly amazed by your ability to produce one amazing story after the other. I don't know how you do it!

My second thanks go to Esther. Your artwork is truly amazing! I've been tinkering around with Photoshop myself so I know the amount of time and effort it takes to get a picture just right.

[stampiej]

I love the wild life for Chloe. Although I wish they would get together a little bit quicker. *impatient* :)

[ladyfayerie]

this is really AMAZING! I LOVE IT! :D i can't believe that i've only read it just now. whew. but it did give me inspiration, lots and lots! chloe is really lucky to have lex in her life, but lex is luckier to have chloe. :) great job with this baby! it's now one of my favorites! keep on keepin on! ^_^

[Emch]

Just one word: WONDERFUL

[skatiefan]

Aww....I love this story Zannie. I totally loved how Lex from your chapters showed in small ways that he loved Chloe the whole time and then it was reinforced by the Epilogue. This was wonderful!

[reyeslu]

Paradise hopping Chlex fic. What's not to love? Although Lionel was a bad guy in this one, he wasn't heinous and didn't get in the way of the fun too much. The old people looking at them knowingly was cute foreshadowing when I was still convinced that they wouldn't kiss until Christmas.

[Jehye]

Loved it! Now I wish I'd checked in last Christmas. What a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit!

~jehye

[Julie]

Loved it! Now I wish I'd checked in last Christmas. What a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit!

~jehye

We do this Advent Calendar every year, so stay tuned for this year's Advent Calendar ;)

[Ami Rose]

I just found this and Wow! I mean wow! That was awsome! I love Zannies work. And this story doesn't change my mind! Still love her work!

[darkangel]

It was sweet. That isn't a word I usually assoiate with a Zannie fic but it fits this one. I'm impressed with the range of your writing skills. As for the story, I loved how Chloe was able to take back control of her life, stop hiding behind Lex and deal with Lionel herself.

[starmoon]

It was sweet. That isn't a word I usually assoiate with a Zannie fic but it fits this one. I'm impressed with the range of your writing skills. As for the story, I loved how Chloe was able to take back control of her life, stop hiding behind Lex and deal with Lionel herself.

wow darkangel took the works right out of my mouth.

[ladyfayerie]

This is still one of my favorites by Zannie. Really good! I loved how Lex and Chloe developed their love. Wonderful story. :) I seriously love reading Zannie's stories. Oh, well. Thank you for this one! :D

[cuttie_blossom]

ahh! I love it! Makes me want my own Lex.

[micah_luther]

This was a fun holiday fic with some good Luthor rivalry. I could tell Lex's feelings for Chloe early on. He's such an idiot for not being able to open up! But, happy endings are sooo much my style. Love it.

[Nox]

Because there seem to be no advent calendar this year I had to go re-read this one. I still love it.