Author's Note: This is the R-rated version of this story that had been
posted here previously. I figured that I hadn't
ventured into NC-17 territory yet, so I would repost
it. When the NC-17 chapter of this story does happen,
I will post an edited version here and the full version
at Naughty-seduction. Thanks to everyone who reads
and reviews.
Title: Corruptible
Author: T. C.
Rating: R
Pairing: Lex/Chloe
Summary: Chloe is on the trail of a hot and very dangerous story and
inadvertently takes Lex along for the ride, but exactly who
is corrupting whom? And in what way?
Disclaimer: The characters of Smallville belong to Alfred Gough & Miles
Millar who based them on the DC comics characters created
by Jerry Siegel & Joe Schuster. The series is produced
by the WB & Tollin/Robbins Productions.
Spoilers: It's best to keep current with the series because I tend to
use details from the show to add authenticity and background.
Distribution: Please ask first, I usually say yes.
***********************************************************************
Part One
The club was noisy and crowded with fake show-offs chattering inane
banter they mistook for wit. Not exactly Chloe Sullivan's favorite
things, but she was here anyway. The opening night of Bacchanalia,
the newest, hippest club in Metropolis was where she was going to find
her prize-winning headline story for The Torch. Chloe hated to admit
it, but Principal Kwan's crack about 'tabloid' journalism had hit her
hard. So, for the moment, she was turning her attention away from The
Wall of Weird and to hard-hitting investigative reporting. She was
going to win the Ryan Award for Journalistic Achievement.
Unfortunately, so far the best story she had was how pitifully easy it
had been to obtain a fake University of Metropolis student ID. All
she had needed was her cousin's student number and the claim that she
had lost her card. Then presto! She was now twenty-one year old
Gillian McKay. It would make a good introduction, but it was in no
way a headline story. Or award winning. Chloe was certain that she
could find something better here. There had been rumors surrounding
the construction of the club - permits mysteriously obtained and a
liquor licence that had been denied and then suddenly granted. It was
obvious that some sort of bribery had taken place, the owner of the
club was Nicholas Rothman who seemed to be giving Lex Luthor a run for
his money in the rich bad-boy competition. Like the fake ID, all of
the shady financial deals would make great lead-ins to her major
story about the body. Francesca Rothman, Nicholas Rothman's sister
and the attorney who had been handling the legalities of opening a
club, had been found dead in the club the week before. The Metropolis
police had ruled the death an accident, but the reporter in Chloe
wasn't so sure.
"So, what will you have, pretty lady?" The bartender flashed her a
grin. Without realizing it, Chloe had made her way to the bar. On her
way to Metropolis on the bus, she had briefly debated whether or not
to order anything alcoholic while at the club. She knew it would look
weird if she didn't, but she still wanted to keep all her faculties.
There was also the added dilemma that she had very little knowledge
about what cocktails were the 'in' drink at the moment - Smallville was
strictly beer country.
In a felicitous moment, fate saved her from answering. "Whatever she
wants, it's on the house, Vince." The smooth voice and perfect white
capped teeth that gleamed down at her belonged to a very handsome man.
He was as tall as Clark, but that was the only thing they would have
had in common. Chloe doubted that this man with his dark blonde hair
and biting green eyes had ever been as innocently sweet as her best
friend. "I'm Nicholas Rothman. Bacchanalia is mine."
"Wow." Chloe couldn't think of anything else to say to such an
arrogant introduction, so she put on what she hoped was an adoring
look on her face. It seemed to be enough, because Nicholas Rothman
sat down at the bar and gestured that she do the same. "Gillian
McKay. Well, Mr. Rothman, what do you recommend?"
"Call me Nick, Gilly." Nick turned to the bartender. "The lady will
have Love Potion #9." He glanced back at Chloe before continuing,
"Cherry." He lifted an eyebrow at Vince, who nodded and turned to
make her drink.
"What's in it?" Chloe hoped she hadn't asked a stupid question - one
that would instantly brand her as a sixteen year old highschool girl.
"Vodka, white rum, and Kool-aid. I reserve the cherry for special
customers."
"Sounds good. Thank you, Nick, cherry happens to be my favorite
flavor." Chloe smiled and ran her tongue over her lips nervously.
"Mine too." Nick stared at her in a way that made it clear he wasn't
talking about a fruit flavor. His eyes slowly ran up and down her
body. No one had ever looked at Chloe like that and she wasn't sure
she ever wanted someone to again - not even Clark.
With a shaky laugh, Chloe tried to casually adjust the navy blue mini
skirt and matching frosty silk camisole that she had also borrowed
from her cousin so they showed less skin. When her drink arrived, she
took a larger sip than she had intended because her mouth was so dry.
"Mmm, it's sweet." Chloe took a deep breath. She couldn't believe
that one man could make her so jumpy. She was a reporter and she had
Nicholas Rothman's undivided attention. She should use it to her
advantage instead of acting like he was stalking her in a dark alley.
"Is all this your dream? Have you always wanted to own a nightclub?"
First rule of the interview process - get the subject talking about
himself.
"It's more of a diversion, really. I have much bigger plans than
this." While Nick expounded on his 'bigger plans,' Chloe sipped at
her drink. She was listening, even though she wasn't remotely
interested in what he was actually saying. She was listening for an
opening to direct the conversation toward his sister and the problems
he had with opening the club. "Vince, get Gilly another drink. You're
finished that one," Nick pointed out to her.
Chloe looked down at the empty glass, she had finished her drink.
Oops. "You must be a fascinating man, Nick, I didn't even realize I
had finished it." She leaned forward, tilting her head slightly.
"You aren't trying to get me drunk, are you?"
"Gilly, you wound me." Nick clutched at his chest. He leaned in
until their faces were inches away. "Of course that's what I'm doing."
Instead of getting more nervous, Chloe relaxed. She laughed and sat
back to take a sip of her second drink. "Well, what should I expect
from a man who names his club after ancient Roman orgies." A small
part of her mind was wondering what the hell was going on. Nick's leer
had ceased to creep her out, she was actually quite comfortable. She
told that part of her mind to shut up, she was just getting a story
and there was no way she had gotten drunk on one drink. She was fine.
*****
Age must be getting to him. Lex Luthor sat at a table in the VIP
section of Bacchanalia and suppressed a yawn. It was either age or
Smallville that was effecting his enjoyment of the nightlife. He was
surrounded by beautiful women and he couldn't be bothered with them.
Lex was bored. He finished off his scotch and scanned the crowd for
his old boarding school friend, Nicholas Rothman. The least he could
do was say good-bye and congratulate him on his new club - he had used
a construction firm owned by LuthorCorp.
"Lex, leaving so soon?" A soft, warm body pressed into Lex's side,
preventing him from standing up. Courtney Thomas pouted prettily at
him. Her short black hair framed her face in soft wisps. Idly, Lex
wondered if, like Victoria, she had slept with this father too.
"I have business meetings." Lex spotted Rothman chatting up a blonde at
the bar. He turned to untangle himself from Courtney's restraining
embrace, but stopped and did a double take back to the bar. That
wasn't just any blonde, that was Chloe Sullivan - Clark Kent's best
friend and his plant manager's sixteen year old daughter. Lex settled
back into his seat and gestured to the waiter. "I'll have another
scotch."
"I knew you were up for some fun tonight." Courtney snuggled up closer
to him and started to nibble on his neck.
"We've already had fun, Courtney." Lex's gaze never left Chloe. He had
seen the bartender take away an empty glass and replace it with a full
one and he wondered how many she drank earlier. "And I don't care to
repeat the experience."
"Victoria was right, your father is the better man." Courtney withdrew
herself from Lex and flounced off in a huff.
The only indication Lex gave that he had heard the insult was a slight
frosting of his eyes. He took a drink and returned to his observations
of his old boarding school acquaintance and the schoolgirl. Rothman
was in full predator mode, taking every opportunity to touch Chloe. It
was true that Lex didn't know Chloe very well, but from the few times
they had interacted he had gotten the impression that she would find
Bacchanalia and its denizens ridiculous. He also would have figured
her as much too smart to be Rothman's type.
The more Lex dwelled on the situation, the more it galled him. Chloe
had intrigued him with her Wall of Weird, quicksilver mind, and
insatiable curiosity. All of that would be wasted on Nicholas Rothman
- he was only interested in how many women he could bed and virgins he
could deflower. Lex frowned as he tried to figure out the girl's
motives for being at the club. From Clark he knew that Chloe didn't
have very many friends - basically, just Clark and some guy named Pete -
and wasn't exactly Miss Party Girl. Besides her obsession with
meteor oddities, her only other interest was the school newspaper.
Lex's frown evolved into a knowing smirk. Of course, Chloe Sullivan
had her reporter fedora on and was pumping Rothman for information on
his sister's death. He couldn't help but admire her spunk, even though
it had been foolish of her to investigate alone. Lex relaxed,
wondering how far the intrepid reporter would go for her story. She
was putting up with Rothman's advances rather well.
Actually, Chloe's tolerance was beginning to bother Lex. Story or not,
he expected at least a few cutting remarks for the hand that traveled
from its resting spot on her knee to her waist, if not a slap across
the face. His suspicions intensified when Chloe allowed Rothman to
lead her from the bar to the back stairs that led up to his offices.
She couldn't be that stupid or that drunk and if she was...it really
was none of his business. She was a smart enough girl to have gotten
a hold of some fake ID to get into the club. She drank the alcohol,
it wasn't forced on her. He wasn't her babysitter or guardian angel.
Lex sighed and stood up. It was Smallville that was effecting him
because normally he wouldn't have cared about Rothman and another one
of his conquests and he certainly wouldn't have interfered. But Chloe
Sullivan was Clark's friend, as was he, and Clark would want her
protected. Besides, Nicholas Rothman wasn't exactly known for his
scrupulous seduction techniques. Lex made his way toward the stairs
that Chloe and Rothman had ascended.
*****
Her common sense was trying to tell her something. Chloe strained to
listen, but every time Nick touched her she was distracted. The silky
feeling of skin on skin felt so good even though the man touching her
bothered her. She didn't like him. Or did she? Chloe was confused.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. The thoughts wouldn't
stay in her head.
"Are you okay, Gilly?" Nick's hand moved up from her knee to squeeze
her waist. He moved into her personal space to whisper in her ear,
"Would you like to go up to my office? I have a very comfortable
couch." Without waiting for an affirmative reply, he took her hand
and helped Chloe stand up. He wrapped an arm around her waist and led
her to the back of the club.
"Where are we going?" Chloe shook her head to clear it. Why was this
man calling her Gilly? What was she doing? She stumbled on the steps
and the man - Nick, his name was Nick - caught her. Oh, God, she was
drunk. That had to be it. She was drunk and should go home. She
opened her mouth to tell Nick that, but nothing came out.
"This is my office." Nick used her open mouth in a plundering kiss.
The story. Chloe remembered now. She was here to get a story for the
Torch. She fumbled her way out of his arms and stumbled over to the
dark grey leather couch in the corner. She sat down heavily, enveloped
by its softness, and closed her eyes. The room was spinning. She felt
sick. She tried again to say something to Nick, but all that came out
was a soft moan when his lips touched the curve of her breast. The
strap of her camisole was off her shoulder. When had that happened?
"No." Chloe shook her head, but that only made her more dizzy.
"Shh, it's okay." Nick pulled her down so she was laying down on the
couch and he moved on top of her. His knee was planted between her
legs and it seemed like his hands were everywhere - her thigh, her
abdomen, her breasts.
This was wrong. She should do something. But the dense fog that
clouded her brain prevented Chloe from fighting, her muscles wouldn't
respond to the rising panic swirling in her mind. "I'm going to be
sick," she whispered and passed out.
"Personally, I don't consider that to be a turn on, but to each his
own." Lex's flinty glare fixed on the unconscious girl sprawled on
couch. He leaned casually in the doorway, but a fierce anger was
welling inside of him.
"Hello, Lex." Nick sat up a bit but didn't move away from Chloe. He
caressed her collarbone. "If you don't mind, I'm busy. We can discuss
LuthorCorp contracts later."
"She's sixteen." Lex strolled into the office, closing the door behind
him with a quiet click. "And if you don't want interruptions, you
should close and lock your door. My father taught me that one when I
walked into his office and caught him fucking his secretary." He
didn't mention that it had been on the day of his mother's funeral.
"Her ID says she's twenty-one." Nick removed his other hand from
beneath Chloe's skirt and moved to the end of the couch.
"Trust me, she's sixteen." Lex picked up a photograph of Rothman and
his family. His sister was smiling for the camera, but it didn't
reach her eyes. When he had been eighteen, he and Francesca Rothman
had a brief fling. He still remembered some of the things she had told
him about her family. He had to get Chloe out of there. "Her father
is an employee of mine."
"Yeah? Does Daddy know what his little girl is up to tonight?" Nick
leered at Chloe's sprawled legs and Lex resisted the urge to shove him
away from her.
"I doubt it, but once he finds out he'll go straight to your father."
Lex smirked at the fear that replaced Rothman's ardor. In some ways,
the senior Rothman made Lionel Luthor look like the father of the year.
"If your old man's anything like mine, he'll bail you out by settling
some cash on the girl and her father and then he'll close this place
down on you. Too bad, it's been fun and it might have made you some
money."
"Shit." Nick jumped up and started to pace. He never had been good at
staying cool under pressure. "He almost closed it after Frannie got
herself killed here."
Lex tilted his head. "I thought it was an accident."
"It was." But by the quick darting of his eyes, Lex knew Nick was
lying - he had never been any good at that either. "Nothing happened.
She can just sleep it off and then everything will be fine."
"Sure, it'll be fine. She'll wake up in a strange place, with a
strange man, and take your word that nothing happened. I doubt it."
Lex was starting to enjoy this - who knew saving damsels could be so
much fun. He stuck his hands in his pockets and casually headed for
the door. "Good luck."
"Wait." Nick blocked his way. "What do I do? People saw me come up
here with her. And Vince...."
"Shouldn't you have thought of this before?"
"Come on, Lex, you gotta help me. We're old friends. Remember our
Club Zero days?"
"Yes, I do. They almost got me killed and they did get me banished to
Smallville. Not a compelling incentive." As Lex pretended to mull
over other options, he side-stepped Rothman and walked over to Chloe.
He crouched down beside her and straightened her clothing so that less
skin was exposed. He already knew what he wanted from Rothman. While
he was indulging this inexplicable desire to play white knight, he
might as well take care of some business as well. "Get your valet to
pull my car around back and I'll take her home. I'll tell her father I
ran into her here and she was drunk."
"And what do I have to do for this act of generosity on your part?"
Nick whined petulantly, but he took the valet ticket that Lex held out
to him.
"Sign a contract with LuthorCorp. We'll provide your club with
everything it requires. At my price."
"Fine. Have your assistant fax the contracts in the morning." Nick
turned to leave the office.
"How much did she have to drink?" Lex turned back to Chloe and brushed
some hair off her neck. He could feel her pulse beating steadily
which was reassuring.
"Just a glass and a half of Love Potion #9...spiked with GHB."
Again Lex restrained the impulse to do Rothman serious bodily harm. He
gathered Chloe in his arms and turned to his 'old friend.' He couldn't
keep the disgust out of his voice and he didn't want to. "That stuff
is dangerous. She could be in a coma. She could die."
The insult brought out the bluster in Rothman. His jaw tightened.
"Only amateurs overdose, Lex. The little slut is fine." He turned
sharply and left the office to find the valets.
Lex made his way down the hall to a set of stairs that would lead down
to the alley behind the club. Chloe's breathing was deep and even, she
didn't seem to be in any physical distress. When it came to women,
Lex knew he could be a bastard - use them and lose them unless they
made a good trophy wife was the Luthor philosophy - but he didn't
understand men who found satisfaction in raping unconscious women. The
seduction games he and Victoria had played were a two-way street. They
had used and abused each other and both had known exactly what they
were getting into. Lex pushed open the door and stepped out into the
alley as his car pulled up.
The sudden coolness of the air made Chloe shiver and she snuggled
closer to the warmth that held her. She was floating. Floating in a
gauzy web she couldn't break free from. She didn't want to, she was
too tired. "Open the passenger door," a strong, commanding voice
ordered. The sound vibrated against her cheek and Chloe struggled to
open her eyes.
A man was holding her. A young, handsome, bald man. He was familiar,
but Chloe couldn't remember his name. As she struggled to make her
mind work, he looked down at her. Steely blue/green eyes mesmerized
her. "I know you," Chloe slurred softly.
"Yes, you do. I'm Lex Luthor, Clark's friend." Chloe nodded even
though the names meant nothing to her. It seemed to satisfy him
because he smiled slightly. Lex set her in the passenger seat of a
car and buckled her up the seatbelt. His hand reached up to cup her
cheek. "It's okay, Chloe, you're safe now."
"Yes," Chloe agreed and smiled. She was safe. She clumsily extended
her hand and tried to caress his cheek, but got his nose instead. "You
have pretty eyes." She wanted to look into his eyes forever. Her
head lolled back against the seat and her eyes drifted closed as she
lost consciousness, but Lex Luthor's eyes still burned through the
fuzzy darkness clouding her mind.
To be continued....
posted here previously. I figured that I hadn't
ventured into NC-17 territory yet, so I would repost
it. When the NC-17 chapter of this story does happen,
I will post an edited version here and the full version
at Naughty-seduction. Thanks to everyone who reads
and reviews.
Title: Corruptible
Author: T. C.
Rating: R
Pairing: Lex/Chloe
Summary: Chloe is on the trail of a hot and very dangerous story and
inadvertently takes Lex along for the ride, but exactly who
is corrupting whom? And in what way?
Disclaimer: The characters of Smallville belong to Alfred Gough & Miles
Millar who based them on the DC comics characters created
by Jerry Siegel & Joe Schuster. The series is produced
by the WB & Tollin/Robbins Productions.
Spoilers: It's best to keep current with the series because I tend to
use details from the show to add authenticity and background.
Distribution: Please ask first, I usually say yes.
***********************************************************************
Part One
The club was noisy and crowded with fake show-offs chattering inane
banter they mistook for wit. Not exactly Chloe Sullivan's favorite
things, but she was here anyway. The opening night of Bacchanalia,
the newest, hippest club in Metropolis was where she was going to find
her prize-winning headline story for The Torch. Chloe hated to admit
it, but Principal Kwan's crack about 'tabloid' journalism had hit her
hard. So, for the moment, she was turning her attention away from The
Wall of Weird and to hard-hitting investigative reporting. She was
going to win the Ryan Award for Journalistic Achievement.
Unfortunately, so far the best story she had was how pitifully easy it
had been to obtain a fake University of Metropolis student ID. All
she had needed was her cousin's student number and the claim that she
had lost her card. Then presto! She was now twenty-one year old
Gillian McKay. It would make a good introduction, but it was in no
way a headline story. Or award winning. Chloe was certain that she
could find something better here. There had been rumors surrounding
the construction of the club - permits mysteriously obtained and a
liquor licence that had been denied and then suddenly granted. It was
obvious that some sort of bribery had taken place, the owner of the
club was Nicholas Rothman who seemed to be giving Lex Luthor a run for
his money in the rich bad-boy competition. Like the fake ID, all of
the shady financial deals would make great lead-ins to her major
story about the body. Francesca Rothman, Nicholas Rothman's sister
and the attorney who had been handling the legalities of opening a
club, had been found dead in the club the week before. The Metropolis
police had ruled the death an accident, but the reporter in Chloe
wasn't so sure.
"So, what will you have, pretty lady?" The bartender flashed her a
grin. Without realizing it, Chloe had made her way to the bar. On her
way to Metropolis on the bus, she had briefly debated whether or not
to order anything alcoholic while at the club. She knew it would look
weird if she didn't, but she still wanted to keep all her faculties.
There was also the added dilemma that she had very little knowledge
about what cocktails were the 'in' drink at the moment - Smallville was
strictly beer country.
In a felicitous moment, fate saved her from answering. "Whatever she
wants, it's on the house, Vince." The smooth voice and perfect white
capped teeth that gleamed down at her belonged to a very handsome man.
He was as tall as Clark, but that was the only thing they would have
had in common. Chloe doubted that this man with his dark blonde hair
and biting green eyes had ever been as innocently sweet as her best
friend. "I'm Nicholas Rothman. Bacchanalia is mine."
"Wow." Chloe couldn't think of anything else to say to such an
arrogant introduction, so she put on what she hoped was an adoring
look on her face. It seemed to be enough, because Nicholas Rothman
sat down at the bar and gestured that she do the same. "Gillian
McKay. Well, Mr. Rothman, what do you recommend?"
"Call me Nick, Gilly." Nick turned to the bartender. "The lady will
have Love Potion #9." He glanced back at Chloe before continuing,
"Cherry." He lifted an eyebrow at Vince, who nodded and turned to
make her drink.
"What's in it?" Chloe hoped she hadn't asked a stupid question - one
that would instantly brand her as a sixteen year old highschool girl.
"Vodka, white rum, and Kool-aid. I reserve the cherry for special
customers."
"Sounds good. Thank you, Nick, cherry happens to be my favorite
flavor." Chloe smiled and ran her tongue over her lips nervously.
"Mine too." Nick stared at her in a way that made it clear he wasn't
talking about a fruit flavor. His eyes slowly ran up and down her
body. No one had ever looked at Chloe like that and she wasn't sure
she ever wanted someone to again - not even Clark.
With a shaky laugh, Chloe tried to casually adjust the navy blue mini
skirt and matching frosty silk camisole that she had also borrowed
from her cousin so they showed less skin. When her drink arrived, she
took a larger sip than she had intended because her mouth was so dry.
"Mmm, it's sweet." Chloe took a deep breath. She couldn't believe
that one man could make her so jumpy. She was a reporter and she had
Nicholas Rothman's undivided attention. She should use it to her
advantage instead of acting like he was stalking her in a dark alley.
"Is all this your dream? Have you always wanted to own a nightclub?"
First rule of the interview process - get the subject talking about
himself.
"It's more of a diversion, really. I have much bigger plans than
this." While Nick expounded on his 'bigger plans,' Chloe sipped at
her drink. She was listening, even though she wasn't remotely
interested in what he was actually saying. She was listening for an
opening to direct the conversation toward his sister and the problems
he had with opening the club. "Vince, get Gilly another drink. You're
finished that one," Nick pointed out to her.
Chloe looked down at the empty glass, she had finished her drink.
Oops. "You must be a fascinating man, Nick, I didn't even realize I
had finished it." She leaned forward, tilting her head slightly.
"You aren't trying to get me drunk, are you?"
"Gilly, you wound me." Nick clutched at his chest. He leaned in
until their faces were inches away. "Of course that's what I'm doing."
Instead of getting more nervous, Chloe relaxed. She laughed and sat
back to take a sip of her second drink. "Well, what should I expect
from a man who names his club after ancient Roman orgies." A small
part of her mind was wondering what the hell was going on. Nick's leer
had ceased to creep her out, she was actually quite comfortable. She
told that part of her mind to shut up, she was just getting a story
and there was no way she had gotten drunk on one drink. She was fine.
*****
Age must be getting to him. Lex Luthor sat at a table in the VIP
section of Bacchanalia and suppressed a yawn. It was either age or
Smallville that was effecting his enjoyment of the nightlife. He was
surrounded by beautiful women and he couldn't be bothered with them.
Lex was bored. He finished off his scotch and scanned the crowd for
his old boarding school friend, Nicholas Rothman. The least he could
do was say good-bye and congratulate him on his new club - he had used
a construction firm owned by LuthorCorp.
"Lex, leaving so soon?" A soft, warm body pressed into Lex's side,
preventing him from standing up. Courtney Thomas pouted prettily at
him. Her short black hair framed her face in soft wisps. Idly, Lex
wondered if, like Victoria, she had slept with this father too.
"I have business meetings." Lex spotted Rothman chatting up a blonde at
the bar. He turned to untangle himself from Courtney's restraining
embrace, but stopped and did a double take back to the bar. That
wasn't just any blonde, that was Chloe Sullivan - Clark Kent's best
friend and his plant manager's sixteen year old daughter. Lex settled
back into his seat and gestured to the waiter. "I'll have another
scotch."
"I knew you were up for some fun tonight." Courtney snuggled up closer
to him and started to nibble on his neck.
"We've already had fun, Courtney." Lex's gaze never left Chloe. He had
seen the bartender take away an empty glass and replace it with a full
one and he wondered how many she drank earlier. "And I don't care to
repeat the experience."
"Victoria was right, your father is the better man." Courtney withdrew
herself from Lex and flounced off in a huff.
The only indication Lex gave that he had heard the insult was a slight
frosting of his eyes. He took a drink and returned to his observations
of his old boarding school acquaintance and the schoolgirl. Rothman
was in full predator mode, taking every opportunity to touch Chloe. It
was true that Lex didn't know Chloe very well, but from the few times
they had interacted he had gotten the impression that she would find
Bacchanalia and its denizens ridiculous. He also would have figured
her as much too smart to be Rothman's type.
The more Lex dwelled on the situation, the more it galled him. Chloe
had intrigued him with her Wall of Weird, quicksilver mind, and
insatiable curiosity. All of that would be wasted on Nicholas Rothman
- he was only interested in how many women he could bed and virgins he
could deflower. Lex frowned as he tried to figure out the girl's
motives for being at the club. From Clark he knew that Chloe didn't
have very many friends - basically, just Clark and some guy named Pete -
and wasn't exactly Miss Party Girl. Besides her obsession with
meteor oddities, her only other interest was the school newspaper.
Lex's frown evolved into a knowing smirk. Of course, Chloe Sullivan
had her reporter fedora on and was pumping Rothman for information on
his sister's death. He couldn't help but admire her spunk, even though
it had been foolish of her to investigate alone. Lex relaxed,
wondering how far the intrepid reporter would go for her story. She
was putting up with Rothman's advances rather well.
Actually, Chloe's tolerance was beginning to bother Lex. Story or not,
he expected at least a few cutting remarks for the hand that traveled
from its resting spot on her knee to her waist, if not a slap across
the face. His suspicions intensified when Chloe allowed Rothman to
lead her from the bar to the back stairs that led up to his offices.
She couldn't be that stupid or that drunk and if she was...it really
was none of his business. She was a smart enough girl to have gotten
a hold of some fake ID to get into the club. She drank the alcohol,
it wasn't forced on her. He wasn't her babysitter or guardian angel.
Lex sighed and stood up. It was Smallville that was effecting him
because normally he wouldn't have cared about Rothman and another one
of his conquests and he certainly wouldn't have interfered. But Chloe
Sullivan was Clark's friend, as was he, and Clark would want her
protected. Besides, Nicholas Rothman wasn't exactly known for his
scrupulous seduction techniques. Lex made his way toward the stairs
that Chloe and Rothman had ascended.
*****
Her common sense was trying to tell her something. Chloe strained to
listen, but every time Nick touched her she was distracted. The silky
feeling of skin on skin felt so good even though the man touching her
bothered her. She didn't like him. Or did she? Chloe was confused.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. The thoughts wouldn't
stay in her head.
"Are you okay, Gilly?" Nick's hand moved up from her knee to squeeze
her waist. He moved into her personal space to whisper in her ear,
"Would you like to go up to my office? I have a very comfortable
couch." Without waiting for an affirmative reply, he took her hand
and helped Chloe stand up. He wrapped an arm around her waist and led
her to the back of the club.
"Where are we going?" Chloe shook her head to clear it. Why was this
man calling her Gilly? What was she doing? She stumbled on the steps
and the man - Nick, his name was Nick - caught her. Oh, God, she was
drunk. That had to be it. She was drunk and should go home. She
opened her mouth to tell Nick that, but nothing came out.
"This is my office." Nick used her open mouth in a plundering kiss.
The story. Chloe remembered now. She was here to get a story for the
Torch. She fumbled her way out of his arms and stumbled over to the
dark grey leather couch in the corner. She sat down heavily, enveloped
by its softness, and closed her eyes. The room was spinning. She felt
sick. She tried again to say something to Nick, but all that came out
was a soft moan when his lips touched the curve of her breast. The
strap of her camisole was off her shoulder. When had that happened?
"No." Chloe shook her head, but that only made her more dizzy.
"Shh, it's okay." Nick pulled her down so she was laying down on the
couch and he moved on top of her. His knee was planted between her
legs and it seemed like his hands were everywhere - her thigh, her
abdomen, her breasts.
This was wrong. She should do something. But the dense fog that
clouded her brain prevented Chloe from fighting, her muscles wouldn't
respond to the rising panic swirling in her mind. "I'm going to be
sick," she whispered and passed out.
"Personally, I don't consider that to be a turn on, but to each his
own." Lex's flinty glare fixed on the unconscious girl sprawled on
couch. He leaned casually in the doorway, but a fierce anger was
welling inside of him.
"Hello, Lex." Nick sat up a bit but didn't move away from Chloe. He
caressed her collarbone. "If you don't mind, I'm busy. We can discuss
LuthorCorp contracts later."
"She's sixteen." Lex strolled into the office, closing the door behind
him with a quiet click. "And if you don't want interruptions, you
should close and lock your door. My father taught me that one when I
walked into his office and caught him fucking his secretary." He
didn't mention that it had been on the day of his mother's funeral.
"Her ID says she's twenty-one." Nick removed his other hand from
beneath Chloe's skirt and moved to the end of the couch.
"Trust me, she's sixteen." Lex picked up a photograph of Rothman and
his family. His sister was smiling for the camera, but it didn't
reach her eyes. When he had been eighteen, he and Francesca Rothman
had a brief fling. He still remembered some of the things she had told
him about her family. He had to get Chloe out of there. "Her father
is an employee of mine."
"Yeah? Does Daddy know what his little girl is up to tonight?" Nick
leered at Chloe's sprawled legs and Lex resisted the urge to shove him
away from her.
"I doubt it, but once he finds out he'll go straight to your father."
Lex smirked at the fear that replaced Rothman's ardor. In some ways,
the senior Rothman made Lionel Luthor look like the father of the year.
"If your old man's anything like mine, he'll bail you out by settling
some cash on the girl and her father and then he'll close this place
down on you. Too bad, it's been fun and it might have made you some
money."
"Shit." Nick jumped up and started to pace. He never had been good at
staying cool under pressure. "He almost closed it after Frannie got
herself killed here."
Lex tilted his head. "I thought it was an accident."
"It was." But by the quick darting of his eyes, Lex knew Nick was
lying - he had never been any good at that either. "Nothing happened.
She can just sleep it off and then everything will be fine."
"Sure, it'll be fine. She'll wake up in a strange place, with a
strange man, and take your word that nothing happened. I doubt it."
Lex was starting to enjoy this - who knew saving damsels could be so
much fun. He stuck his hands in his pockets and casually headed for
the door. "Good luck."
"Wait." Nick blocked his way. "What do I do? People saw me come up
here with her. And Vince...."
"Shouldn't you have thought of this before?"
"Come on, Lex, you gotta help me. We're old friends. Remember our
Club Zero days?"
"Yes, I do. They almost got me killed and they did get me banished to
Smallville. Not a compelling incentive." As Lex pretended to mull
over other options, he side-stepped Rothman and walked over to Chloe.
He crouched down beside her and straightened her clothing so that less
skin was exposed. He already knew what he wanted from Rothman. While
he was indulging this inexplicable desire to play white knight, he
might as well take care of some business as well. "Get your valet to
pull my car around back and I'll take her home. I'll tell her father I
ran into her here and she was drunk."
"And what do I have to do for this act of generosity on your part?"
Nick whined petulantly, but he took the valet ticket that Lex held out
to him.
"Sign a contract with LuthorCorp. We'll provide your club with
everything it requires. At my price."
"Fine. Have your assistant fax the contracts in the morning." Nick
turned to leave the office.
"How much did she have to drink?" Lex turned back to Chloe and brushed
some hair off her neck. He could feel her pulse beating steadily
which was reassuring.
"Just a glass and a half of Love Potion #9...spiked with GHB."
Again Lex restrained the impulse to do Rothman serious bodily harm. He
gathered Chloe in his arms and turned to his 'old friend.' He couldn't
keep the disgust out of his voice and he didn't want to. "That stuff
is dangerous. She could be in a coma. She could die."
The insult brought out the bluster in Rothman. His jaw tightened.
"Only amateurs overdose, Lex. The little slut is fine." He turned
sharply and left the office to find the valets.
Lex made his way down the hall to a set of stairs that would lead down
to the alley behind the club. Chloe's breathing was deep and even, she
didn't seem to be in any physical distress. When it came to women,
Lex knew he could be a bastard - use them and lose them unless they
made a good trophy wife was the Luthor philosophy - but he didn't
understand men who found satisfaction in raping unconscious women. The
seduction games he and Victoria had played were a two-way street. They
had used and abused each other and both had known exactly what they
were getting into. Lex pushed open the door and stepped out into the
alley as his car pulled up.
The sudden coolness of the air made Chloe shiver and she snuggled
closer to the warmth that held her. She was floating. Floating in a
gauzy web she couldn't break free from. She didn't want to, she was
too tired. "Open the passenger door," a strong, commanding voice
ordered. The sound vibrated against her cheek and Chloe struggled to
open her eyes.
A man was holding her. A young, handsome, bald man. He was familiar,
but Chloe couldn't remember his name. As she struggled to make her
mind work, he looked down at her. Steely blue/green eyes mesmerized
her. "I know you," Chloe slurred softly.
"Yes, you do. I'm Lex Luthor, Clark's friend." Chloe nodded even
though the names meant nothing to her. It seemed to satisfy him
because he smiled slightly. Lex set her in the passenger seat of a
car and buckled her up the seatbelt. His hand reached up to cup her
cheek. "It's okay, Chloe, you're safe now."
"Yes," Chloe agreed and smiled. She was safe. She clumsily extended
her hand and tried to caress his cheek, but got his nose instead. "You
have pretty eyes." She wanted to look into his eyes forever. Her
head lolled back against the seat and her eyes drifted closed as she
lost consciousness, but Lex Luthor's eyes still burned through the
fuzzy darkness clouding her mind.
To be continued....