Previously posted at Chemistry Takes place during Season 2
Disclaimer: Smallville and all related elements, characters and indicia © Tollin-Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television, 2002. All Rights Reserved. All characters and situations—save those created by the authors for use solely on this website—are copyright Tollin-Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster.
The Wish
by Zelda
The day had started out bad and become progressively worse. Lex Luthor was sitting at his desk in his office when his assistant buzzed him.
"Yes." He said tersely. Everyone at the plant had caught his bad mood and a general distance had been kept from his door all day. This interruption was the first since ten AM and it was now nearing noon.
"Mr. Luthor, there is a Chloe Sullivan here to see you." Jane’s voice was tentative and nervous.
"Send her in." He said, leaning back in his chair. This was a new kind of trouble. The kind that brought guilt. He steepled his fingers and rested his chin on their tips. The door to his office opened and he watched with fascination as the petite blonde swept into the room with an imperious wrath. The kind that made her vibrate with an energy that filled his office. Though Lex was used to being on the receiving end of feminine anger and scorn, it never ceased to amaze him when he was presented with the fury of the righteous. As he’d been taught, he rose to his feet as she approached. Though her jaw was set, and her eyes were heated, she retained her manners as well.
"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Chloe ground out. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a pink t-shirt. Not the normal attire for a business meeting, but Lex had guessed that her motives were personal.
"I like to make time for friends." He said casually. He gestured to a chair that sat across from him and she lowered herself into it cautiously, as if it might bite. She looked at him sideways.
"Are we friends, Lex?" She asked. "I don’t think we know each other very well." Her voice was controlled, but she had not bothered to hide her anger.
"Is that why you came?" He asked. Considering recent events, she was not the person he’d expected to see walking through his door. "To get to know me better?" She looked startled at his question, but recovered and started talking.
"I want you to get your father to stop trying to unseat Pete Ross’ mother as Judge." She cut right to the chase. His father was upset over a ruling she had made in favor of a former employee wanting workers compensation. He had requested an inquiry alleging partiality on behalf of the employee. The inquiry was going to mean big trouble for the Ross family. Lex admired Chloe’s spirit in coming to him as well as the intelligence he’d seen in her so far. A plan began to hatch in his mind as he regarded the lovely young woman across from him. She’d be perfect. He smiled. Game on.
"What my father does is not for me to correct or reprimand." He said, sitting down again. He kept his features even and expressionless.
"You stood up to him before," she said, passionately, then reigned in her emotions, "when you fought to keep the plant open, you saved my dad’s job and lots of others."
"And you think that I can help change the judicial system now?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I can’t make my father drop the inquiry just like that." He said, snapping his fingers for emphasis. "And more importantly," he said, leaning forward, "Why should I?"
"Because it’s the right thing-" Chloe began, but Lex cut her off with a shake of his head.
"I hear that from Clark all the time, but in case you missed the memo, I don’t have a lot of influence over what my father does. In fact," he added, "my trying to save Judge Ross might just make my father even more inclined to unseat her." This was true, but why he was telling this to a high school reporter was still a mystery to him.
"You’re Clark’s friend." Chloe said. "You must have some redeeming qualities." The comment hit home, it was closely followed by a rebound shot. "Or does this mean you are totally helpless against dear-old-Dad?"
Lex was beginning to enjoy himself now. Clark always pulled his punches just short of his mark, but young Miss Sullivan was willing to go toe-to-toe with him.
"Clark’s not here right now talking to me." Lex said, looking her straight in the eye. "You are."
"Clark and Pete don’t know I’m here." She said, glancing away briefly. "It hasn’t gotten around yet about the problems with your Dad and the Judge."
"You are a very resourceful young woman." He said, nodding in admiration. "And you came straight to me, hoping the son will undermine the Father and conquer for the good of all Smallville citizens, is that it?"
"You pulled it off before." She said. "I was hoping that lightning could strike twice."
"Now you go from challenging my power as a business man, to flattery." He gave her a charming smile. "I should offer you a job."
"I’d turn you down." She said, then added, "To be completely honest."
"I’ll bet you would turn me down." He said quietly. He regarded her for a few moments. Chloe began to feel uncomfortable under his gaze but stopped herself from fidgeting.
"It’s nothing personal." She said.
"It’s business."
"Yeah, business." The desk seemed to shrink, and Chloe felt like she was far to close to Lex for comfort. Then he spoke.
"Suppose for a moment that I’d be able to change my father’s mind about Judge Ross." He saw her expression turn to one of hope. "What would I get in return?" She looked surprised and a little confused.
"I’d be happy to do some positive articles on the good things that Lexcorp has done for-"
"Not enough." He interrupted; his voice had a slight edge to it. "You have no idea, Miss Sullivan, what something like this will cost me."
"What do you want then?" She asked. "I thought you were joking about the job thing."
"I was, at least for now." He said. "Right now I need your word that nothing we discuss here today or do in connection with this problem your friend is having will be repeated to another person." Chloe narrowed her eyes and thought about it.
"Agreed, but it goes both ways."
Lex nodded, and then he regarded her shrewdly. She had no purse with her, and she wasn’t carrying a jacket, but he wanted to be certain she wasn’t trying to trap him.
"Stand up." He ordered, getting up from his own seat and walking around to the desk. She automatically obeyed. Most people did when he told them to do things. He reached her and ran his hands over her back, sides and belly. Chloe jumped back in surprise.
"Watch the hands pal." She said indignantly. Lex didn’t return to his chair but leaned against the edge of his desk in front of her.
"People have worn wires to meetings with me before." He said. "I was just making sure."
"That’s a line I’ve never heard." She said with a raised eyebrow. "But I wasn’t expecting you to cop a feel."
"Then you probably won’t be expecting my asking price for saving Pete’s mother’s job." His tone was all business, and his expression was dead serious.
"My first born child?" She asked. "Do you want me to kill someone? I do have ample trunk space and a shovel, but I'm hardly a professional."
Lex hid his smile.
"If I am able," he began, "to convince my father to drop any and all attempts to unseat Judge Ross," he tilted his head and inclined it slightly, "you come to my bed."
Chloe couldn’t have been more surprised if he actually had asked for her firstborn child. Even when he’d frisked her, he hadn’t been suggestive about it. Her lips parted as they tried to form words but failed.
"You can’t be serious." When she was finally able to speak, the words came out in a whisper.
"I’d never joke about something like that." Lex said. His expression remained calm, and he made no move to touch her. "I change my Father’s mind, and you come to me, in the privacy of my home." The fact that he could be so unemotional about the whole situation was what made her feel like she was in the Twilight Zone.
"I’m not in the habit of selling myself-" Chloe couldn’t finish her sentence.
"No one will know but us." Lex said, quietly.
"Why me?" She asked. "I don’t imagine you have a lot of trouble finding…." She searched for the word.
"Lovers? No I don’t." He said. "But I want you." He smiled a little then. "It’s just one night, and you can pretend we're still barely acquaintances. I’ll go along with it." She would probably hate and fear him. But he knew what her answer would be. She was a loyal friend and would sacrifice herself because she wouldn’t be able to face having the chance to help a friend and turning it down.
"I don’t know if I can." Chloe whispered.
"I’ll give you some time to think about it." Lex said. And he walked to the other side of the room and opened a door leading to a narrow hallway. Chloe sat in stunned silence as he left her alone. Pete hadn’t trusted Lex; it was probably why he hadn’t thought of him as a possible solution. But Pete was her friend, and she loved him, Lionel Luthor wasn’t just starting a campaign to go after his mother’s job, he was trying to run the Ross family out of town.
Chloe knew what went on in the bedroom. She had often thought of what it would be like to make love, but it was usually Clark whom she pictured as her first time. She tried to imagine what it would be like to have Lex touching her intimately, the feel of his hands, the weight of him between her thighs. She shook her head. That she was actually considering the offer proved to her that she was indeed going insane.
Chloe’s thoughts were interrupted when the door to the reception area opened.
"Lex." The voice belonged to Lionel Luthor. He entered the office tapping his cane in front of him. "Are you in here?"
"He’s not here right now." Chloe said, keeping a civil tone despite her dislike of him. She was angry with this him for causing a situation that brought her to this moment.
"To whom am I speaking?" Lionel said, politely but with an imperious edge.
"Chloe Sullivan."
"Oh." He said, nodding his head. "You’re the little girl of one of the foremen here, right?" She affirmed his statement but was thinking that if his son had anything to do with it, she wouldn’t be a little girl anymore. "What may I ask are you doing here in my son’s office." Though the man’s tone was light, there was a malicious curiosity in his expression.
"Chloe is here to conduct some business with me." Lex said, stepping back through the side door. "You’re early for lunch."
"I’ll be in my office." Lionel said, backing out. "Nice to meet you Miss Sullivan."
"Likewise." Chloe gritted out. She didn’t miss the smile on the man’s face before he closed the door.
"Have you thought about my offer?" Lex asked. Chloe was still looking at the door through which the Lionel had left. She hated the thought of Mr. Luthor taking anything else from people she cared about. She could hate herself later, but now was the time for action.
"I have." She said, "And I will accept under certain conditions." She turned back to face him; her face was impassive.
"What conditions?" Lex asked, leaning casually against the doorway.
"First, it has to be done today." Chloe said. "The longer this is drawn out, the more irreparable damage is done to Judge Ross." Lex didn’t answer, so she went on. "Next, you agree that your father will not be letting one person off the hook just to go and close down the Talon or something. I don’t want there to be any revenge taken on anyone because of this." Lex gave a slight nod. "And my family and friends never hear about this. I don’t want any leering or suggestive comments in public either." She shook her head at him. "Like it never happened." Lex didn’t hesitate.
"If your request is granted by six PM tonight, I will call you and make certain that the information is verified. Then you will come to my house at ten where you will deliver your part of the bargain." He held out his hand, "Are we agreed?" Feeling the blood drain from her face, Chloe reached forward and shook his hand. "Then if you’ll excuse me I have work to do. And be prepared to spend the night." Chloe needed no other urging. She practically flew from the office and out of the building. She didn’t notice Lionel Luthor sitting in the reception area.
"How did that young lady look?" He asked Lex’s assistant.
"A little upset." Jane answered. "She was angry when she came in." Lex emerged a moment later. He was not surprised to see his father waiting for him.
"Ready?" he asked.
"I wouldn’t miss lunch with my son on his birthday." He said, standing and reaching for his son’s arm. "Have you though of what you want for your birthday wish this year?"
"As a matter of fact, I have." Lex said, leading the way to the elevators. Since he’d been ten years old. His father had granted him one birthday wish each year. If it was in Lionel Luthor’s power to do, he did it. There were no parties, no brightly wrapped presents, no balloons, and certainly no cakes; just the wish. This year, Lex knew exactly what he wanted.
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Chloe drove back to the school in silence; she had left during her lunch break and would now be missing her study hall. She walked in late, but offered no excuse. She glanced around her at the other students and the desks that suddenly seemed so small. She felt numb, as if everything had changed; she no longer felt like one of them. She felt like a whore, she was giving up her body to rescue her friend’s mother. And no one would ever know what she’d sacrificed. She shook her head. He probably couldn’t do it. There was little anyone could do to change Lionel Luthor’s mind once he’d decided to do something.
After her classes finished for the day, she went up to the newspaper office and tried to do some work. She sat in front of her computer and stared at the empty screen.
"Hey." A voice startled Chloe out of her trance. It was Clark. His perfect lips curved into a smile automatically. He never thought about his expressions, or put on a poker face, there was no great mystery to Clark Kent; for all of his secrets, he wore his heart on his sleeve, it shined out of him for everyone to see. But right now not even that light could warm her. And he could tell. "Chloe what’s wrong?" He asked, concern darkening his features. She wanted to tell him about what his best friend had asked her to do, but she wouldn’t be able to stand the look in his eyes when she told him that she’d agreed. And besides, she gave her word. And she still had her ethics…. somewhere.
"It’s nothing." She said. I guess I’m tired." She stood and picked up her jacket. "I’m not feeling very well, I think I’ll go home and go to sleep." Clark looked worried.
"You do look a little pale." He said, brushing the back of his fingers across her forehead. "Maybe rest is the best thing." Chloe nodded and picked up her purse. "I’ll call you tonight and check in if that’s okay."
"Actually I think I’ll be down for the count so I’ll just see you tomorrow if I’m feeling better." She reached the doorway and was nearly knocked over by Pete as the young man bounded into the office.
"You’ll never guess what just happened." He said excitedly. Chloe’s heart both rose and sank as she anticipated his news.
"What?" Clark asked.
"Mr. Luthor dropped the inquiry and his lawyers informed my mother that she is no longer being investigated by the legal board." He grabbed Chloe by the waist and swung her around before planting a kiss on her cheek.
"That’s great." Clark said, slapping Pete on the shoulder. Chloe smiled and nodded but couldn’t speak. She looked at her watch, it was only four twenty. She hugged Pete and stepped back when he put her down. She brushed away a tear that slipped out of her eye. She cared so much about him, and he would never know how much. She slipped away and headed home. When she arrived, she walked in through her kitchen and greeted her dad.
"Hi sweetheart." Her father said, "You’re home early."
"I have some studying to do tonight so I wanted to get some rest now, I may be up late at the office." The lie slipped out so easily, it surprised even her. "I’ll need some of the resources there and I’ll probably go to Lana’s afterward if that’s okay."
"Sure." He said, he was used to his daughter working hard to meet deadlines. Just keep your cell with you and leave a note when you leave." Chloe Sullivan was probably the only girl her age in Smallville who was choosing to work on a Friday night. She went upstairs to her room and immediately started packing away some of her stuffed animals. They were kids’ toys. She was feeling very old all of a sudden. They looked out of place in her room.
Chloe took a shower after bringing a few boxes of old things up to the attic and was just toweling off her hair when her cell phone rang. She stared at it till it rang a third time; then she answered.
"Do you have verification yet?" Lex’s voice was not smug, but it held a note of confidence."
"Yes." She answered, "Pete told me."
"Do I need to send a car for you?" he asked. The implied threat was there. Her dad would have a lot of questions about a limo arriving for his daughter.
"No, I’ll be there at ten."
"Good, I’ll expect you then." He paused, "And Chloe,"
"Yes?"
"Wear something white." Lex broke the connection and left Chloe holding the phone stupidly in her hand.
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The drive to Lex’s mansion was the longest of Chloe’s life. When she pulled into the driveway, she looked at the stately home and wondered how Lex didn’t feel lost there. She turned off the ignition and glanced at herself in the mirror. She had no idea why she’d taken the time to doll herself up. It probably wouldn't matter since guys usually needed only a warm body. As long as he knew he could have her, he probably didn’t care how good she looked. The truth was, she didn’t want to give him anything to criticize. Wishing herself luck, she stepped out of the car and tossed her cell phone, with the power off, onto the front seat. Her dad would assume she was on the phone and leave a message. She would call home as soon as she was finished.
Chloe caught herself. Finished. When Lex was finished with her. She wouldn’t stay the night; she would only stay till she…delivered her part of the bargain. She hated feeling like an indentured servant. Here she was driving to a man’s house for little more than a "booty call". Lex had been with plenty of women. She’d heard Lana’s story about him skinny-dipping with some woman when he was a teenager. She doubted that he would feel as awkward as she did. He probably blackmailed women into having sex all the time. In fact, she told herself, he probably deflowered virgins as a hobby. She knew she was trying to make herself angry. It would combat the fear and trepidation she felt as she walked up the front steps.
The front door was open just a crack, Chloe pushed it open slowly. There was a note on the floor with a single white rose on top of it. She ignored the lovely flower and read the note. It was short: "Walk up the main staircase and to the left. Last room." She took a deep breath and moved into the foyer. Her little heels made a guilty clicking sound on the marble floor as she approached the staircase. It was broad and beautiful like everything in the house. Though there were plenty of chandeliers and lamps around, Chloe doubted that there were enough light bulbs in the world capable of dispelling the dark gloominess that the Luthor mansion held. She held the handrail and used it for support, feeling her knees go slightly weak. She paused a moment and garnered her courage before she reached the top of the stairs.
To Chloe’s right was a study, she could see a pair of legs sitting in a chair through the half-open door. There was muffled music coming from inside. She turned left quickly, not needing to guess who was sitting there. She walked down the long hallway; at the end there were large, oak double doors that nearly reached the high ceilings. One stood ajar; as she approached she could see into the master bedroom. There was music playing here too. It was the same song from the study, but clearer, she didn’t recognize it.
"What’s happening?" Lionel asked his butler, Jacob. "What is Miss Sullivan wearing?"
"Right now she is wearing a long coat." The man replied. " She did not take the rose that young Mr. Luthor left for her."
"Maybe she isn’t charmed by my son." Lionel said, his face an expression of greedy curiosity. Jacob turned back to the monitor from which they could both hear the music that Lex was playing in his room at the far end of the wing. They could also see, from the security camera in the hallway, into his bedroom. "How much can you see of the room?"
"I can see over to the fireplace and I can see part of the bed reflected in the mirror." He stopped and leaned closer. "Miss Sullivan has just arrived."
Chloe reached out a hand and knocked softly on the partially open door. She was unaware that her movements were being observed and reported.
"Come in." Lex’s voice came from somewhere off to the left. She walked in and looked around. She wasn’t surprised to see that most of the décor was black or dark gray. The room had a dark stone floor covered in places by large rugs. The dominant fixture was the giant four poster bed that rested in the middle of the room near a tall set of windows. The covers and sheets, black of course, were already turned down. She was startled to hear Lex’s voice again by her elbow. "You didn’t like the rose?" He asked.
Chloe whipped around, she’d been so busy looking at the room that she had forgotten about the occupant. He was wearing his traditional black in the form of silk pajama pants and a snug t-shirt. His feet were bare, which was probably why he had been able to sneak up on her. She raised her eyes to his and stared at him before answering.
"I'm quite fond of roses, but I won’t be accepting any gifts or gestures from you, Lex." He raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn’t want you to get any ideas about what happens after tonight."
"And what, may I ask, do you think will be happening after tonight?" His voice was smooth and quiet, but Chloe didn't miss the slight edge to it.
"Absolutely nothing." She raised her chin. "After tonight, when you see me with Clark, walk the other way."
"A little late for terms and demands." He said, turning away from her and walking to a small table on which was sitting a bottle of champagne and a pair of crystal flutes.
"A little late for wine and roses." She snapped back. Lex paused, but didn’t turn around to face her.
"Perhaps you're right, nevertheless, we do things my way in here." The statement was made in the same quiet voice that carried for leagues. There was finality in it, no room for argument. Chloe believed that he was probably a whiz around the business table; which brought another question to her lips.
"How did you do it?" She asked. "How did you get your father to change his mind in a few hours?"
"Actually." Lex said, pouring two glasses of champagne, "it only took two minutes to change his mind. The rest of the time was spent with the lawyers."
"Two minutes?" She gasped. "Then why do you need something this big in return?"
"I don’t need you, Chloe." He said turning toward her, glasses in hand. "I want you." He walked toward her with the fluid grace of a feline. "And you have no idea what I sacrificed in order to get you." His eyes were dark and serious.
"Tell me." She said, her voice shaking a little. She was nervous and more than a little afraid of what lay ahead of her.
"It’s my birthday." He said, "And your request was put forth as my present." Then he explained to a very shocked Chloe about the birthday wishes he’d been granted since he was young. He didn’t tell her what some of them had been though. He’d save that for later. Right now, she needed to be afraid; the best way to accomplish that was to let her wonder. He offered her a glass of champagne.
"I’m underage." She said simply. He shrugged and stepped away from her. Then he drained his glass before hurling it against the wall. Chloe let out a yelp and jumped back in surprise. She wondered if her sounds of distress would bring help from anyone. She doubted it since Lex was making little effort to be quiet. He drained the glass he’d offered her and then it too was shattered with its brother. He walked toward her.
"Take off your coat." He demanded. "I want to see you." With trembling fingers, Chloe unfastened the belt to her jacket and let it slide to the floor. She wasn’t used to deliberately displaying herself to anyone in quite this fashion. She could feel the heat of his gaze. Lex admired the flowing, knee-length dress she wore. "I like you in white." He said, taking the coat from the floor; he walked away to hang it up. Then he returned to where she was standing near the door. She glanced behind her at the hallway. As if reading her thoughts, he said, "Don’t even think about running." He smiled a humorless smile. "I’d be on you before you reached the stairs."
"And then what?" Chloe whispered before she could stop herself. Lex leaned in close to her ear.
"I’d drag you back to the bed." She felt his breath on her skin. "Kicking and screaming if necessary." Icy fear crept up Chloe’s spine as he walked around her, inspecting her carefully. "You came to me willingly by all accounts; no one would believe you if you told them anything else." He leaned close, and dropped his voice to a whisper. "It will be so much easier if you don’t make me take." He brushed his lips against the back of her neck and then her other ear. "I can make it highly enjoyable if you... give."
"He is whispering to her." Jacob said, his eyes were glued to the screen. "He is kissing her neck and she looks distressed."
"Funny," Lionel said, "He didn’t seem the type."
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"It’s cold in here." Chloe said, trying to think of a way to distract him. It worked temporarily as he walked to the fireplace and flipped a switch. A cheery fire immediately roared to life and began crackling away. "I take it that kindling and matches are a bit tedious for you?" She said, dryly, trying to bolster her courage with a mild barb.
"Not when I’m camping, but when they have to be cleaned out of a gas burner they tend to become annoying." He replied, taking some of the wind out of her sails. "But not as tedious as this banter." He walked across what looked like a polar bear rug with a gleam in his eye. "Normally I would enjoy trading insults with an intelligent woman such as yourself." He said. "But right now I can think of a better use for your pretty mouth."
Lex had no sooner spoken the words than he had grasped her roughly by the shoulders and pulled her forward for a bruising kiss. Gone was the calm, controlled businessman. In his place was now a stranger. Chloe instinctively pushed away from him. His fingers were caught on the strap to her dress, which snapped as he jerked her forward again. His lips moved over hers with a hunger that was very different from the shy awkwardness that she had been kissed with in the past. This was no highschool boy. His tongue swept inside her mouth and stroked against hers. Then his mouth moved down her neck where he placed kisses and bites, some gentle, some not so gentle. It was too fast. Her mind was whirling to keep up with all of the things she was feeling. Fear was foremost. She tried to push him away, she needed more time, but his arms were tight around her.
"Lex, stop." Chloe pleaded, her voice edged with panic. His only answer was to scoop her up off her feet and carry her to the side of the bed where he dropped her into the center of the mattress. She bounced and tried to scramble backward but he grabbed her ankle and hauled her back. He straddled her hips and pinned her arms above her head. He smiled at her, his expression looked almost regretful, then leaned down to give her neck and collarbone a few leisurely kisses.
"We had an agreement." He said, his lips moving along her tender flesh. "You can’t say no."
"Doesn’t mean I can’t criticize your methods." She said, struggling to free her arms. "I didn’t come here to be…" She couldn’t bring herself to say what she was afraid of.
"Ravished by the monster?" He asked, casually. "I thought that’s exactly what you came here for." He grasped both her tiny wrists in one hand and stroked his other over her breast. She thrashed harder. He pushed one of his knees between her thighs and rubbed his erection against her belly. Chloe froze. Lex knew from her expression that this was completely new territory for her. And she was terrified. He paused, looking into her face; then he reared up and stripped off his t-shirt revealing a lean muscular chest.
Chloe took the opportunity and shoved him backwards. Deal or no deal; her feet did the deciding and her instinct to flee outweighed anything else. She shot across the room and had barely made it to the door when an iron arm snaked around her waist and a hand clamped over her mouth. Lex lifted her and spun in one quick movement kicking the door shut. He turned completely around and pressed her against the door. His chest,against her back, sandwiched her there. Her cheek was flat against the heavy oak, the only sounds she could hear were the patter made by her own heart, and the heavy breathing of Lex behind her. She closed her eyes in defeat and waited for the swift and doubtless brutal violation that was surely about to come. Then seconds passed and he didn’t move. She could still feel his erection prodding her in the backside, but he made no move at all. She tried to turn her head.
"Shh, don’t move yet." He said. He was listening through the door. He could hear someone walking down the hallway. "When I take away my hand," he whispered, backing up toward the center of the room, Chloe’s feet dangling a few inches above the floor, "say ‘stop’ like you did before. Do you understand?" She didn’t really understand but she nodded. He fell sideways with her on the bed, and took his hand away as they hit the mattress.
"Stop, Lex," she cried, "please." her adrenaline making her voice shrill. He covered her mouth again with his hand and rolled with her, grunting loudly as he struck the mattress with his elbow. Anyone listening from outside, Chloe realized would think that he was forcing himself on her. She stopped trying to pull away from him and he released her, standing up. He flung the comforter to the floor and tossed a few pillows as well. Then he used a remote near the bed to turn the music up. He reached for her again. She flinched slightly.
"Give me your shoe." Chloe automatically obeyed, holding up her leg. Lex removed the dainty sandal and snapped off the heel, tossing it over near the door and the broken glass. Then he gently replaced it on her foot. He was slightly out of breath.
"What just happened?" She asked, her throat dry. Lex didn’t look her in the eye.
"We’ll wait a bit then you can go home." He said, casually knocking a lamp off the nightstand onto the floor. He glanced at her stunned incredulous expression. "Unless you’d like to stay and finish what we started?" Still wide eyed, Chloe shook her head.
"What is going on, Lex?"
"You gave your word that what happened here tonight would remain between us." He said, sitting down beside her. "My father had someone watching us on the security cameras in the hallway. I had to let him see the earlier stuff before I shut the door."
"You wanted your father to think you’re…a criminal?"
"I already am for making the deal." He shrugged, "My father would think me weak for using my wish just to save Judge Ross, you know how the Ross’s hate him."
"That’s putting it mildly."
"If he thought I had a dark ulterior motive for doing it, he would understand it. If this was my motive," he said, gesturing to the bed and Chloe, "he’d understand. Hell, if he thinks I’m blackmailing virgins into performing humiliating sexual acts for the sheer enjoyment, he’d respect it."
"So why make it look like you were going to…" she paused again, "force me?" She was still shaky from the adrenaline rush of fighting Lex’s "advances". Lex laughed harshly.
"He wouldn’t see it that way, he’d see it as me collecting a debt owed." He shook his head. "As long as you don’t press charges he has no problem."
"Why didn’t you tell me?" She asked. "I might have gone along with it."
"You haven’t had as much experience in deception as I have." He replied. "If he detected the least amount of trust between us, he’d have been suspicious."
"But he’s blind."
"Doesn’t matter."
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"Could you hear anything?" Lionel asked as Jacob returned to the study.
"No sir, he turned up the music."
"He’d better know what he’s doing."
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"When should I go?" Chloe asked. Lex chuckled a little. He was reclining next to her on the bed.
"Wait a little longer." He said, "Make me look good." Chloe nodded, blushing slightly when she caught his meaning. Then a thought occurred to her.
"About our bargain." She said, chewing her lower lip nervously.
"If you listened carefully," Lex said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, "you fulfilled it." When she looked confused, he explained. "I asked you to come to my bed, you did, technically." He patted the space between them on the mattress. Chloe covered her face with her hands and groaned in dismay.
"I can’t believe I didn’t catch that."
"You were probably too horrified at the thought of sleeping with a stranger to think of anything else."
"You’re not really a stranger." She said automatically. "And now, oddly enough, I think I know you better." Lex leaned back on the bed and wiggled his eyebrows lasciviously.
"In that case…"
"I didn’t mean-" He was laughing at her.
"You are too amusing Chloe." He said with a grin. "You’re so paranoid." She frowned at him. Then he tilted his head and looked at her thoughtfully. "You are also an incredibly loyal friend to make a sacrifice for someone you care about." He reached out a finger and gently traced the line of her jaw. "I wonder what kind of man Pete is to deserve that kind of devotion." She caught his implication.
"Pete’s just a friend." She said, "Believe it or not I’d do a lot to help the people who are important to me."
"How many?" He teased, giving her a devilish grin. She gave him one of her own.
"You’d need to buy stock in Viagra." Lex laughed heartily at this. He was still smiling when he got up and went to the coat rack, he fetched her trenchcoat and walked back toward the bed. He had a thoughtful expression on his face as he looked down at her.
"I wonder if I’ll ever be the kind of man who would deserve that kind of loyalty from you." held her jacket out to her. "You’re free to go."
Chloe took her coat. She decided to wait and put it on in the hallway so that she could be seen by anyone who might be watching, with torn dress and bruised neck where he’d bitten her. As she turned to walk to the door, he put out a hand to stop her. "One thing." He said, and rubbed his thumb across her lips, still swollen from his harsh kisses, he smudged her lipstick off the corner of her mouth and ruffled her hair. His face was expressionless again. Impassive. Chloe took a step back before asking the question that had been plaguing her.
"What would you have asked for if I hadn’t come to you today?"
"I’d have asked him to leave Smallville and never come back." Lex didn’t hesitate with his answer. Chloe wondered if she had done the right thing. Lex hadn’t been lying about the sacrifice he’d made. On an impulse, she closed the distance between them and put a hand behind his neck, then he drew his head down and kissed him softly on the lips.
"Happy birthday." She whispered before turning and rushing out the door.
Lex was startled and pleased by her gesture. He walked to his own set of monitors behind a discreet curtain. He watched as she beautifully executed a hurried, stumbling exit from his house. On her way out the door. She even appeared to be wiping away a few tears. She was quite a woman wrapped in the body of a petite girl. After he watched her headlights retreat down his driveway from his window, he walked to his desk and picked up a small phone. There was still a matter to attend to. He dialed a house extension. After a few rings, a husky voice answered.
"Oui?"
"Be in my chamber in a half-hour, Marie." He said. When she affirmed, he hung up and went into the bathroom. He took a brief shower, Chloe’s smell was still on him and he knew Marie wouldn’t like that. She was very picky about those things. He also needed to give Jacob time to look over the damage he had so carefully arranged, he figured the broken champagne flutes, the heel to Chloe’s sandal and the wreck he’d made of the bed should be convincing. When he got out, he took a few moments to re-arrange the bed and sweep up the broken glass and lamp. A discreet knock sounded off to his left. He opened a panel of the wall hidden by a bookshelf. A slender, dark-haired woman emerged; she wore a red satin kimono.
"Am I on time?" She asked, her French accent soft and alluring. He needed her tonight, needed her to make him stop wanting someone else. He needed to forget about the envy he felt for Pete Ross, Clark, Lana, and all of the people for whom Chloe Sullivan would have come to his bed. But not for herself, she’d told him earlier that she would turn him down. He wasted no words, he untied the belt that closed Marie’s robe and parted the material that separated his itching fingers from her soft flesh. He kissed her and let the robe drop to the floor. She had a beautiful body. All lush curves and a tiny waist, he slid his hands over her, trying to erase the memory of the feel of someone else. He moved his lips to her neck and breasts; she always tasted spicy to him.
Marie arched her back, giving him better access. He devoured her with his lips, clenching his fingers tightly on her shoulders, he pushed her to her knees and shivered when she pressed light kisses to his belly. Lex shut his eyes as her warm mouth closed over him. He ached from the inside and needed release. She licked him expertly, she always knew what he liked, and he hissed as she began to suck. He buried his fingers in her silky hair and guided her head forward and back. He knew she didn’t like it when he did that, but tonight he felt a little bit inconsiderate. He drew her to her feet with a sudden urgency.
Marie let out a little gasp as Lex pushed her forward roughly and she fell on the mattress, sprawled on her belly. He pulled her ankles toward him and slid a hand under her, elevating her buttocks. He covered her with his weight and slid into her hot sheath. She moaned at the invasion. He began to pump himself into her; she matched the rhythm of his thrusts, hard as they were. Reigning in his control, Lex slowed down and slid a finger around to the spot where their bodies joined, Marie gave a small spasm of pleasure and panted heavily. He made sure to bring her to her peak with expert fingers. The spasms within her made him climax. He gritted his teeth and held back the shout that threatened to tear from his throat.
Even in the throes of intense pleasure, so acute it was painful, Lex didn’t forget the moment when he almost didn’t let Chloe go. The moment he considered taking her sweet body in exchange for a birthday wish. He hadn’t, he told himself firmly, as the shudders began to subside and he withdrew from the warm recesses of Marie’s body. He hadn’t done it; a second after the thought occurred to him, he’d made his decision and released her wrists to take off his shirt, giving her a chance to escape. He went back into the bathroom and turned the shower on again, he adjusted the temperature to nearly scalding hot, then stepped beneath the needle-sharp spray. He allowed it to punish his flesh, a kind of penance for what he’d wanted to do. A line from an old movie ran through is head and he repeated it over and over to himself.
"I am not an animal" And he knew it was a lie.
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