NS Advent Calendar 2010 - Married for Christmas

[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 [I]could have[//I], theoretically at least, have ordered Lionel shot right then and there and buried somewhere in the wilderness. What was Lionel 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!

“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

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.