Chapter 3

Chloe woke up still nestled in his arms. He was warn and solid beneath her, and she reveled in the sound of his heartbeat under her ear. She squirmed, squeezed her eyes shut and tried to go back to sleep.

Felt his eyes boring a hole through her.

"Stop leering at me," she grumbled.

He chuckled, the vibrations rolling through her, "You're the one who snuck into my bed, so by all technicalities, I'm allowed to leer as much as I want."

She snorted, pressed her face against his side. Ignored him.

"So," he asked warmly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She peeked at him, squinted at him grumpily.

"I wanted to thank you," she said. "For my dad…and everything."

"You're welcome. Is he still here?"

She shook her head, "Your driver took him back to his hotel. We made plans to see each other next week."

"That's good to hear. I was hoping you wanted to make peace with your father. I know he certainly wanted to make peace with you."

She smiled softly, "So you've been manipulating and conniving with my father?"

"Only as much as necessary," he replied. "We thought you wanted to see him, but it was difficult to make the decision based on the hope of your father and the speculation of Lucas."

Chloe frowned, said, "What did Lucas have to do with it?"

"Everything and nothing."

"And what does that mean, exactly?"

Lex was quiet for a moment then rolled towards her, "Chloe," Lex said quietly. "I don't want to talk about Lucas right now. I'll tell you everything after we return to Metropolis, but for now, just let it be."

She didn't want to let anything go. She wanted to know everything at this very moment. Wanted all her questions to be answered and all his answers to be factual.

But there was something strange in his eyes, so she squinted at him, and said, "Promise?"

"Yes," he said forcefully. "May the heavens strike me dead if I lie to you."

She gave him a skeptical look, and he chuckled wryly, added, "Okay, if I ever lie to you again."

She snorted, said, "That sounds good in theory, but only time will tell."

He nodded, "I mean it, and I plan on proving it to you."

"We'll see."

He smirked at her, bent his head and kissed the sensitive spot just below her ear. She shivered, turned her head towards his and giggled. "Hey," she said. "Don't be getting any ideas. I didn't come here for that."

He laughed, pulled her closer until she was trapped in the circle of his arms. He sighed, said, "There is one thing we should talk about."

"What's that?"

"We didn't use any protection yesterday."

"I know," she muttered. "But I'm on the pill, so we should be okay."

"You're not worried I might have picked up some kind of disease during all my fornication?"

She shook her head, said, "Well, you don't fornicate nearly as often as some would like to believe. And, foolish or not, I don't believe you'd endanger me by being irresponsible. If you were worried about having a life-threatening STD, you wouldn't have allowed yourself to forego protection."

"Actually, if I thought I had a life-threatening disease, I wouldn't have fucked you at all."

She laughed, "Um…thanks…I think…"

He gave her a soft look, said almost hesitantly, "There's something else we should talk about."

"I wouldn't have an abortion, so no worries there."

He raised his brows at her in surprise, "Good to know, but that wasn't what I wanted to talk about."

She frowned, "What then?"

"I need to explain what happened."

Her frown deepened, "What happened when?"

"Back in Smallville," he said softly. "After my father's trial."

She shook her head, and tried to pull away from him, said, "No, Lex. There's no reason to talk about it now. It's done and over with, and I don't think rehashing it a decade later is going to matter at all. It's best to just forget about it."

Lex let her pull away, but kept his arms around her. He was watching her, his eyes seeming to burn with heat. He licked his lips, said firmly, "No, Chloe. I have to tell you. I know how it looked to you, and I've always regretted not setting the record straight."

She relaxed slightly, sighed tiredly, "If you must, but it won't matter. You can't take it back."

"I know," he said. "But at least this way you won't continue to believe I was using you."

"Weren't you?"

"No, I never used you. That was never my intention."

Lex," Chloe murmured. "You spent an entire year getting close to me, and then, once you were finished with me, you discarded me. How is that not using someone?"

"Discarding you was never my intention either."

"Intention or not, that's exactly what you did. You ran out on me and basically never spoke to me again. You pretended none of it ever happened, and even went out of your way to do and say hurtful things to me. You completely forgot about me, and the things I'd done for you, and instead you put all your energy into finding those God-forsaken stones and digging into Clark's secrets and manipulating Lana out of her fucking panties. It nearly killed me, but even then I stupidly thought that you might try to contact me once you'd fulfilled your hateful agendas. But I was wrong, and your agendas just kept getting bigger and more fucked up until finally you took what you wanted and then threw me away for good."

"That wasn't the way it was supposed to be. I didn't want it to end like that."

"How was it supposed to be, Lex?" Chloe blinked rapidly, tried to stop the tears threatening to flood her eyes. "Did you plan on confessing your undying love for me? Did you think I'd let you continue to fuck me even after I found out that you were still seeing Lana? What exactly did you expect to happen?"

"I hadn't planned on fucking you at all," Lex admitted. "I was going to tell you the entire sordid tale regarding my relationship with Lana, but by the time I caught up with you, it was too late. You wouldn't even look at me, and I had to accept that it was over."

"So it was my fault?!"

"No, I take all the blame," he said. "I should've left you alone, and I tried, but I just couldn't do it anymore. You challenged my virility, and you were obviously more than willing, and I just couldn't deny myself anymore. I had to have you, no matter the cost."

"You mean you didn't just fuck me as a means of entertainment and then regret the impulse and make a run for it?"

Lex laughed humorlessly, said, "Fuck no. I definitely wanted you, so don't ever doubt that. Hell, I'd wanted you for years, but I always kept my distance because I didn't want to taint you with my issues, and end up being the cause of your untimely ruin."

"That's stupid."

Lex shrugged, "Stupid or not, that's really how I felt. You were always so beautiful and vivacious and all I could think about was how I would drain the life from you, bit-by-bit. I couldn't bear the thought. But then, after all those years of holding you at arms length, I went and fucked it up anyway. I'd never felt that kind of guilt before and I just couldn't take the thought of damaging you any further. So, I just left it alone."

"God, you're stupidity is never-ending," Chloe muttered heatedly. "You're always making assumptions based on your own low opinion of yourself, even though you're totally biased to the extent of your character. You should've at least had enough respect for me to let me make my own decisions, and the fact you couldn't do so says a lot about how you perceive me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Chloe sneered. "That you regard me in the same light that you regard Lana. You consider me incapable of making serious decisions, and you have no respect for my judgment."

"That's not true at all. Lana is a conniving, manipulative child. She always has been and always will be. You're nothing like her, and I would never treat you like that."

"What's so different about they way you've treated us?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Chloe," Lex said. "At one point I had deluded myself into believing that Lana was the type of woman I wanted. But that was before I saw her for who she really was. I thought she was a sweet, naïve young woman, when in reality she was nothing more than a power-hungry, scheming bitch. I got what I deserved on that front."

"That's putting it mildly."

"I know. I'm sure I deserved even more of a punishment, but being stuck with her for so long should be punishment enough."

"If you dislike her so much, how are you stuck with her?"

Lex looked thoughtful for a moment then said, "At first, I felt responsible for her. She had no place to go, no relatives, no real friends, and no means to support herself. So I kept her around and took care of her as best I could. I know she always made it out like we were still an intimate couple, but that hasn't been true for years. And she's been with someone else for the last couple of years, so I have to believe he's the father of her baby."

"Dating someone else? If she's been dating someone else, why haven't I heard about it at all?"

"Because he's running for public office and neither of them want to deal with the little complication of explaining their relationship to the voting community."

Chloe frowned. This was all so bizarre. So many secrets; so little time. She was starting to get a headache.

"Who is it? I want to believe you, Lex, but you'll have to tell me who it is you're referring to."

Lex gave her a pained look, said quietly, "Pete Ross."

Chloe laughed, "Pete? She's been dating Pete? Ha! I never would've guessed that one! I suppose I can see why they decided to keep it a secret, but I don't see how you play into this. Pete's always hated you."

"Pete has never liked me, and he probably never will. But he holds some kind of gratitude that I took care of Lana for so long when I didn't have to. And the fact that I keep some of the heat off of him helps as well."

"What's he so worried about? Why does he think the public will care who he dates?"

"Partly her long-term association with me. But more than that, it's still not particularly acceptable for him to be romantically linked to a white woman. I know, that sounds stupid, but he would suffer in the polls because of it. Once he's in office, he can date whomever he chooses."

"That's crazy!"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. You can call him yourself and ask him."

She nodded, "Maybe I will. Just so I can tell him what a chicken shit politician he's become."

Lex laughed, "Happens to the best of them eventually."

"That's for sure," she replied.

This was all too much. Too much information. Too many details she didn't understand. She was supposed to be on vacation, not discussing painful moments from the past. She looked at Lex and sighed, "This has all been really informative, and I know there's still a lot we need to discuss, but do you think we can hold off until later. I'm sick of talking about the past. I just want to enjoy the right now for as long as I have it."

"Whatever you want, Chloe, I'll wait as long as you want."

She snorted, said, "We sure are fucked up, aren't we?"

He nodded, "Yes, we're definitely fucked up."

"I'm sure there's no hope for us now."

"If there's one thing you've taught me, Chloe, it's that there's always hope."

She smiled, rolled her eyes at him. Stopped her self from poking him in the stomach.

Things would be different now, but everything was still the same. She didn't feel that sickness in the pit of her stomach anymore, but it would take a lot of time before she'd be totally at ease around Lex. She couldn't just assume he was being sincere, and really wasn't sure if her doubts would ever leave her entirely.

But she wanted to try. If nothing else, she wanted to put the past behind her and move on – even if only as friends. She could deal with that. Mostly.

Chloe sighed, decided to worry about that when the time came. She looked down at her once pristine green dress, groaned, "I never should've fallen asleep in this dress. It's probably ruined."

"I'll buy you a new one."

"I don't want a new one, I happen to like this one."

"I did notice something last night," he said as he sat up on his elbow and reached for her. "Something that needs further investigation."

She giggled, swatted his hand away, "And what would that be?"

"Your obvious lack of panties."

Her eyes widened, and she giggled again, "I didn't think you noticed."

"Not notice?" he asked. "How could I not notice with you sticking your ass in my face like a cat in heat?"

"I most certainly did not!" she said defensively. "I was just inspecting the contents of the box!"

"And I think you protest too much, Ms. Sullivan."

She tried to keep a straight face. Managed to hold his gaze for longer than she thought possible.

Especially since his free hand was sliding up her bare leg.

He caressed the outside of her thigh, his fingers dancing up over her hip and around the curve of her ass. He smirked knowingly, said, "Just as I thought. No panties."

She managed to glare at him, sneered, "Take that!"

"I am," he drawled. "Quite seriously offended."

Her eyes widened, and she felt a familiar ache starting at her center. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, his hands now squeezing the flesh of her ass. "But I know this must not go unpunished."

She couldn't take it anymore. She laughed. Loudly. Until tears burned in her eyes.

And it felt good.

When she finally calmed down she noticed Lex was eyeing her cautiously. "Not buying it?" he asked dryly.

She smothered another burst of laughter with a hand over her mouth. Shook her head in denial.

He growled at her, moved over her fluidly, yanking the dress up and out of the way. He knelt between her splayed legs, his hands massaging her hips rhythmically, his eyes intent on her exposed pussy. His tongue snaked out, wetting his lips hungrily, and Chloe's stomach clenched instinctively.

He bent his head down, licked a path down her stomach and nuzzled her intimate flesh.

She gasped and her back arched, her eyes closing as his tongue worked her over. Pleasure pulsed through her entire body, her silk-covered breasts tingling with the need to be touched.

She clutched at his head, pulled him closer, rocked against him. Cried out as his tongue delved into her heat and his nose nudged her clit. She felt herself falling apart already. Didn't want it to ever stop.

He gripped her ass, lifted her higher, giving himself better access to her core. He brought a hand up, sunk two fingers into her body, and used his tongue to tease her clit firmly. He was panting against her, his frantic breath igniting her desire even further.

She moved her legs insistently, reached down and pulled on his shoulders. She wanted his cock inside her. Wanted him to fuck her senseless.

He moved up her body, kissing a path to her mouth, his lips and teeth working ravenously. He licked the line of her lips, teasing her mouth until she finally grasped his head and pulled him against her.

She opened for him, her breath catching at the taste of herself on his tongue. Her hips bucked against his pelvis, rubbing her stomach against his erection. She wrapped her legs around his, hooking her feet on his calves and urging him closer.

He got his hands beneath him, straightened his arms and forced her to loosen her legs. He sat back, his gaze hot on hers as he stroked his hands down her body. He gripped her dress by the deep neckline, gave a vicious yank and tore it down the front.

Chloe gasped, choked in outraged longing. Was so turned on she couldn't focus on anything but his hands and mouth on her breasts. She writhed beneath him, her hips pumping wildly, her fingers digging into the back of his head firmly.

She took a deep breath, took her mind off the overwhelming sensations by focusing on aligning her pussy with his thick substance. She squirmed and thrashed, choked back a whimper as she finally felt his cock sliding against her heat. She planted one foot, hooked the other over his hip and bucked her hips, a hiss of pleasure leaving her lips as the head of his cock penetrated her.

Lex tried to move away from her, but her hands and legs held him firmly in place. He groaned against her breasts, his tongue once again working her nipple. He put most of his weight on his arms, and let his pelvis ease forward and he slowly sunk into her.

She released his head, reached down and grasped his ass, pulling him into her. She moaned loudly, lifted her head higher and licked the top of his smooth scalp. Wished he was closer so she could kiss him properly.

He lifted his head sharply, his eyes burning into hers as he pulled out of her, paused then slid back in. He thrust smoothly, seemed relaxed and leisurely. His eyes never leaving her face.

She whimpered, released his ass and pushed against his chest. Wanted the relaxed leisurely pace forgotten. Wanted him to feel as wild and untamed as she felt at the very moment.

He gave her a questioning look, but did as she silently demanded and sat back on his heals, his hands moving to her hips. Then continued his relaxed, leisurely strokes, the look of contented pleasure enough to make her center pulse around him.

Chloe made a frustrated sound in her throat, her hands coming over her head and gripping the headboard tightly. She used the headboard as leverage and began to move beneath him, forcing the rhythm faster and harder. She brought one hand down, found her clit and rubbed the slick bundle of nerves firmly.

Lex grunted with effort, started pumping his hips faster, until he was pounding into her. He was using his hands to urge her faster, his fingers digging into her hips painfully. He was focused on her hands on her clit, and he bit his bottom lip, pushed into her harder.

She squirmed closer, putting her shoulders beneath her and placing her feet on the bed behind his legs. She lifted her hips, used her legs to force him closer. Felt the tension in her body begin to peak.

He gripped her hips tighter, straightened his arms and leaned back. Gave her exactly what she wanted and slammed into her hard and fast, his arms pulling her towards him as he pumped into her.

She moaned, choked as saliva pooled in her mouth, the pressure at her center quickly becoming overwhelming. Her thighs burned with exertion, her stomach quivering as her pleasure crested.

He shattered right before she did. She heard his helpless shout of release, felt his cock throb inside her. Felt the hot spurt of his come inside her.

And then she came apart too, her inner muscles milking him, her hand on her clit extending the vibrations of her orgasm until she thought it would never end.

He fell on top of her, his arms coming around her, his breath hot and wet against her neck.

They didn't say anything, just remained wrapped around each other as if nothing else mattered.

Each lost in their own thoughts, in the comfort of each other's arms.

And Chloe had to wonder what would happen from here.

She contemplated the reality of her current situation and had to wonder if things would ever turn out as she'd hoped. If she'd ever get what she really wanted.

Couldn't decide if she ever really wanted it in the first place.

Chloe and Lex were lounging in the library. She was working on her laptop, and he was pretending to do work on the other side of the room. But she could feel his eyes on her. Knew that he wasn't actually accomplishing anything.

They'd been lazing around all day, had barely made it out of bed before noon. They ended up sharing a shower, which surprisingly didn't end up being erotic at all, and by the time they made it into the kitchen, Chloe had been starving.

After eating, they made their way to the library, and that's where they'd been ever since. She'd spent that past few hours watching Lex pretending not to watch her, and she'd been scheming her plan of attack for most of that time.

They both jumped as a door slammed violently. They looked at each other, wide eyed and a little confused. "What was that?" Chloe asked in a hushed voice.

Lex shrugged, "I have no idea."

They both stood up, slowly crept nearer to the door. Lex opened it, peeked out into the hallway.

Then there was a voice, "Chlooooo—eeeee!!!!"

Chloe started again at the sound of her name being roared from the lower level. "Lucas!" she gasped. "Oh my God! He must've decided to come back and fight for my honor!"

Lex rolled his eyes, "You mean he got toasted and horny and decided to seek you out for his own selfish pleasure."

"Hmph, that sounds more like your kind of game," she retorted grumpily then glared at him, "Maybe he realized what an ass he's been and wants to apologize."

Lex scoffed, "And maybe he's delusional and considers you the next best thing to crack."

Lucas' drunken bellow interrupted them, "Think y'can – shack up wi' m' brotha – get 'way wi' it!" He coughed, took a loud wheezing breath, muttered loudly. "I kill ya…both ya…"

Chloe stepped out into the hallway, tiptoed to the stairway and peeped around the corner. Lucas was leaning heavily on rail, a flask and a lit cigarette in the same hand. He raised hos other hand, scratched his forehead with the muzzle of his – gun.

Chloe's eyes widened in horror, inhaled sharply, the sudden burst of sound catching Lucas' attention.

Chloe didn't waste any time, just turned tail and ran down the hallway back towards Lex. Panted, "He's right behind me! Run!"

Lex gave her an annoyed look, but let her push him back into the room and slam the door. He gave her an annoyed look, "What are you talking about? Why would we run from my brother?"

"Because he's piss drunk, he's threatening to kill us and he's armed!" Chloe grabbed him by his hand and pulled him to the middle of the room. "Is there another way out of here?"

"Yes and no"

Chloe eyed him suspiciously, "What do you mean, yes and no!? Either there's a way out or there isn't! Now which is it!?"

"Chloe!!" Lucas pounded on the door. "Op'n the door or I'll – I'll break it down!"

Chloe gazed up at Lex, muttered heatedly, "Damn it, Lex, we gotta go now!"

Lex frowned, walked towards the far inner wall, reached into the bookcase and flipped a book over. Punched in a series of numbers then stood back as the wall shifted over. He glanced at her over his shoulder, asked pleasantly, "Well, are you going to join me or would you rather wait around for your lover boy?"

Chloe glared at him, but remained quiet, hurried through the doorway into Lex's secret room. She stopped just inside the room, glanced around, her jaw dropping in awe at her surrounding. "What the hell is this place?"

"It's a panic room."

Chloe laughed, moving further into the room as the door slid shut behind her. "A panic room? You had a panic room installed because why? The last one worked out so well you thought you should have one in every house you own?"

Lex gave her a dirty look, "The other panic room was perfectly fine. It was the company that was the problem."

"For such lousy company, you sure spent a lot of time with her after-the-fact."

"I already explained that association with you."

She rolled her eyes, said, "I really couldn't care less anyway, so please don't mention it again."

"Fine."

"Good."

They sat back, watched the television screen as Lucas prowled around the room muttering to himself. He weebled drunkenly, stagger a few steps forward, fell to the side, wobbled backwards.

She should've known his drinking was getting out of hand. Should've done something to make him see how dangerous his behavior was. Wondered when his actions had become so erratic and violent. Couldn't believe she'd missed the transition so easily.

Then again, maybe she'd missed it intentionally. No one wanted to admit when those close to them had a serious problem. Because that person's problem immediately became their problem and most people had enough problems, without taking into consideration the problems of those around them. Or something.

"Damn it, Chloe," Lex grumbled. "He's drinking my scotch!"

She looked back at the screen, giggled at the image of Lucas drinking scotch from the obnoxiously expensive, crystal decanter. "And I care because…?"

"That's very expensive scotch! It's not meant to be swilled like common – tequila!"

"Well, for your information, Mr. Luthor, good tequila is not meant to be swilled, either!"

Lex didn't reply. He was too busy watching his brother swill his fine scotch, the look of dismay on Lex's face the same of that on Lucas'.

Lucas was obviously not enjoying the taste of Lex's fine scotch.

"Lex," Chloe said teasingly. "I think he's drinking it just to spite you."

"Of course, that's the only reason he ever does anything anymore."

"Come on, Lex. Not everything Lucas does is just to spite you."

"He went out with you, didn't he?"

Chloe gasped in outrage, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

Lex made a frustrated sound, shook his head dismissively then turned away from her, and began to pace, "Just forget about. We have more important things to worry about right now."

Chloe wanted to continue the conversation. Wanted to know what Lex had meant by that comment. Wanted to know the truth about everything.

But she wanted to get out of here more badly than wanting to know the answers. First they'd worry about getting out of this alive and then she'd make him tell her everything she wanted to know.

One way or another.

Lex stopped his pacing, eyed the screen skeptically, said, "I'll just go outside and talk to him."

"But Lex, he has a gun!"

Lex looked unimpressed, "It's probably not even loaded, Chloe, so just relax."

"Relax!?" Chloe seethed. "Relax!? A drunken maniac, wielding a loaded fucking gun, is turning this place upside down in search of us and you have nerve enough to tell me to relax!?"

Lex gave her a pinched look, "Well, don't you think you're overreacting just a little?"

"No, I don't think I'm overreacting! And you best shut your mouth before I make an easy target out of you!"

"You wouldn't?"

"Try me."

He opened his mouth to say something, but immediately shut it as Lucas' ranting drew nearer. He peered at her worriedly, leaned back against the wall and used his legs to brace himself there. Just in case she got any ideas and decided to hit the button that opened the hidden door.

Chloe turned her head away from him, allowed herself the tiniest of smiles before once again focusing on the whereabouts of Lucas. He sat slumped in a chair, his head lolling back against the cushion.

"Lex," Chloe whispered. "I think he's actually going to pass out in the chair."

Lex grunted, "I'm not surprised. He never was able to tolerate my kind of liquor."

Chloe rolled her eyes, ignored his grouchy comment, said, "Once he passes out, we can sneak out and take the gun away."

"That could take a while."

She nodded, "From the looks of his wobbling, I'd have to say at least an hour."

Lex frowned, "What the fuck are we supposed to do in here until then?"

"I'm sorry, Lex, but do you have somewhere to be?"

He gave her a dirty look, shook his head, "Not really."

"Then either come up with an alternative plan or shut the fuck up."

He scowled at her. Decided to shut the fuck up.

Minutes ticked by. Lucas remained awake. Continued to drink Lex's scotch. Continued to mutter to him self drunkenly. Continued to wave that fucking gun around like a damned flag.

After thirty minutes Chloe was starting to fidget. She turned to Lex, said, "Maybe we should call the police."

"He's my brother, Chloe," Lex said. "I can't have him arrested."

Chloe huffed, "I suppose not, even if he is threatening our lives."

"I still say the gun's not real."

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him. She knew that gun was real. Knew Lucas wouldn't compound foolishness by going into a potentially dangerous situation without proper weaponry. "Would you care to place a friendly wager on it?"

Lex eyed her suspiciously, finally nodded, "Sure."

"Terms?"

"Whoever wins gets something they want from the losing party."

"Fine," she agreed. "Want to shake on it?"

Lex smirked, "I can think of a better way to seal the deal."

Chloe snorted, said, "I'm not fucking you in your panic room, so just get that thought right out of your freaking head."

Lex looked disappointed, but he didn't press the issue. He rubbed his hands over his face, walked over and picked up the phone. Was about to dial when Chloe noticed Lucas slump in the chair.

"Lex, wait!"

He peered at her tiredly, asked, "Why?"

She smirked, "I'm pretty sure it's lights out for Lucas."

Lex dropped the phone, walked over to her and studied the television. He nodded, "Sure looks that way. I'll go out and see if I can get the gun away from him."

Chloe glared at him, said, "There's no way you're going out there without me!"

"I don't see why both of us should have to put ourselves in danger. There's only one gun."

"Then I'll go get it myself," she retorted.

Lex glared at her, walked to the doorway and hit a few buttons. The door slid open quietly and they crept out, each moving slowly towards Lucas.

She reached him first, bent down and scooped up the gun without incident. Lucas was dead to the world, a line of drool already running from the corner of his curved lips. He snored softly, his arms hugging himself in his sleep.

Chloe shook her head, muttered, "Stupid, drunken fool."

Lex nodded, "Lucas will be getting some help just as soon as he sobers up enough to be coerced into signing the paperwork."

"What should we do with him now?"

"I'll take care of it.

Chloe didn't argue, just turned and left the room.

She put the gun in a safe place then changed her clothes.

Made her way to Lex's bedroom and hid under the covers.

She'd had enough for one day.

And tomorrow was her birthday.