Chapter 4 ~ London Rain
Chloe sat at the windowsill in her living room, gazing out on the streets below her apartment. She watched the busy bustling of people, hurrying in all directions through the rain that was pouring down in heavy gushes. It reminded her once again that the world around her hadn't stopped moving, that life was moving on whether she wanted it to or not.
Four months had gone by, since she had left Lex and Metropolis. She had arranged everything beforehand so that all she had to do on that dreadful day had been to actually make it out of the house and into the taxi, which had proved to be almost too much.
After their last fight, she had emptied all her bank accounts, had her clothes and other stuff moved and deposited in a rental depot downtown and, with the help of an old friend, had acquired a fake ID and passport that could pass all official muster.
It had been brought to use first to buy a one-way ticket to London. Once she'd arrived it had taken Chloe less than a week to find accommodation, deal with the officials about the residence permit and find a job at one of the lower quality 'yellow press' papers. All she had had to do was pull a few strings with old acquaintances and business partners.
Now Chloe Sullivan was living and working in Southwark, London, under the name of Charlize Lance. First thing to do had been to ship over her stuff and then ensure there was no evidence left behind to trace her. She was sure that once he got over his initial shock, his first action would be to track her down and try to force her to come back. Alexander.
She had avoided thinking of him as best she could, but the memories would assault her from the back of her mind, along with the emotions that were tied to him.
She would find herself shell-shocked, the first few weeks, whenever she saw a bald man in the crowd in the streets, or when someone said the name Alexander in her vicinity. At night she would lie awake in her bed, remembering the way he had held her in his arms, his body enveloping her, making her feel save and warm, being lulled to sleep by his scent and steady breathing against her neck, his face nuzzled into her hair.
Over the course of months it had become easier to sleep with the help of some sedatives, of course. Still, the memories of better days would come back to haunt her every once in a while, when she had too much time to think, like now.
She had been forced to take a week of vacation, her boss reminding her that she couldn't work almost sixteen hours a day for an infinite amount of time, and that she would be no use for him if she kept 'burning the candle from both ends'. So she was forced to spend one week alone with herself and her thoughts.
Still gazing out the window, Chloe found herself thrown back into memories of a time when she would have relished so much free time and would have known exactly how to use it most pleasantly.
/ / / / / /
"Lex, no, I dare you, no…Aahhh!" Chloe's scream was cut off as she landed in the azure blue water of the pool with a loud splash.
Sputtering and treading the water around her heavily she sent a death glare up to her husband who was currently watching her from the side of the pool, clothed in black Bermudas and his usual purple silk shirt, shaking with laughter.
"You are so going to pay for this mister!" Her voice dripped with malice and her eyes held a mischievous glint as she fixed them on Lex, who swiftly regained his control, gave her his best smirk and raised one eyebrow in interest.
"Oh, really? And what exactly do you have in mind?" He had to stifle another chuckle as he watched his wife swiping her hair out of her face and looking for all the world like a drowned rat. An incredibly beautiful drowned rat, though.
"Oh, you will see. Just get me out of here first. Please?" She looked up at him, both arms raised and thus exposing a wide open view down her swimsuit which was now clinging tightly to her curves.
"Mhm." With his smirk still in place, and slightly distracted by the sexiness that was a wet Chloe, he bent down to take her outstretched arms.
That was all it took for her to grab his forearms in a vice-like grip and yank him down into the pool with her. When Lex made it back to the surface, the first thing he saw was his wife, laughing like a lunatic and pointing at his now ruined silk shirt that clung to his heaving chest.
"I can't … can't believe you... actually fell for this one! Come on! It's the oldest trick ever!" She hardly got the sentence out between fits of snorts and giggles.
The laughter died in her throat, though, when she finally caught the look Lex was giving her. With a shriek she pulled backwards and turned around to swim for her life, a second before he pounced on her. Too late.
With one large push he was on her, holding her around the waist from behind, efficiently keeping her from getting away. She struggled for a second though, flailing around with her arms and legs, before giving in with a small sigh.
Lex pulled her flush against him, tightening his hold around her waist and leaned in close, brushing his lips against her ear.
"You little minx. You knew exactly how to stop my mind from working properly." His low husky voice and his breath tickling her ear made Chloe shiver in his arms.
"Feeling's mutual," was all she could say on a shaky breath.
She was about to turn in his embrace when his arms were suddenly gone from her waist and a second later his hands were on her shoulders, pushing her under the surface in one swift movement. Turning around under water, she came back up with a yelp only inches from his face.
"Oh you, you..." Chloe was at a loss for words as she glared daggers at him.
"What about me?" Lex looked down at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
She couldn't hold back any longer. In a flash she threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed up against him, her lips catching his in a fiery kiss. Overcoming the initial shock of her sudden assault, Lex wrapped his arms around her waist again, pressing Chloe even closer to him, and reciprocated the kiss with equal passion.
He let his tongue delve between her parted lips, running it along the back of her teeth and over her palate. Her answer was immediate and eager. Their tongues met and engaged in a battle of passion until both had to break away to catch a much needed breath.
When Chloe opened her eyes to meet Lex's gaze she was once again struck with awe that the color of his eyes could change so much when his emotions took control. The usually pale gray blue irises seemed to have become several shades darker reflecting his passion and need.
Still, underneath his raging desire, she could see the love that shone through. When their lips met again, it was softer and Chloe tried to pour all of her emotions into this kiss. Love, desire, and the raw need she already felt throbbing in her core.
Breaking away again she gave him an impish little smile and let her hands wander over his shoulders, down his chest, all the time holding his gaze.
"Thank God this is a private pool." Her smile turned into a moan when she felt Lex's hands moving down from her waist, cupping her buttocks, pulling her closer and pressing her against his already hard shaft.
"You're welcome," he murmured while he nuzzled her neck and placed a soft kiss right above her jugular.
Chloe giggled as her arms moved up his chest and around his shoulders again, one hand reaching up to cup the back of his neck to pull him closer. She felt his lips trail over her collarbone, scraping the flesh lightly with his teeth, and her giggle turned into a moan.
In a daze, Chloe pulled at the collar of his shirt, ripping off the first few buttons. Grinning wildly she slowly ran a hand over his exposed chest, before she ripped open the rest of the shirt and pushed it down over his shoulders.
Her legs encircled his waist of their own volition, lifting her up enough to place her breasts enticingly close to his face. Holding her up with one arm, Lex let his left hand travel up her body to gently cup one breast through the fabric of her swimsuit.
Chloe's head fell back in response as she lightly scraped her nails down his scalp to the back of his neck.
A low growl left his throat at the teasing sensation. His hand reached up further to pull down the thin strap from her right shoulder before he gently sunk his teeth into the exposed flesh.
Making a pleased little mewling sound, Chloe let her hands run over his shoulders down his back, feeling his strong muscles move beneath the smooth, wet skin. She felt his fingers trace the line of her collarbone over to her other shoulder and pull down the other strap of her suit, nibbling a path from her shoulder up to her neck.
When he pushed his tongue lightly into the soft spot behind her ear, she raked her nails across his back shaking in his arms. She didn't know how Lex had managed to pull down the suit to her waist without her realizing it, but when he let her sink back into the water she was all too aware of him dipping beneath the surface and drawing the fabric down over her hips agonizingly slowly.
'God, how can he hold his breath so long?' The thought was gone along with all other coherent thinking, when she felt his tongue laving a trail up from her hipbone still under water over her navel and further up between her ribs and along the valley between her breasts. When she felt him lift her up again she locked her legs around his waist in the same movement.
As she pulled him closer, she could feel his hard length press against her entrance through the fabric of his shorts. Placing her hands on both sides of his face, she guided his lips to hers, catching his lower lip and nibbling gently, before she let go, removing her arms and legs completely and diving under water.
With a grin he couldn't see, she shoved down the annoying fabric that kept her away from his skin and gave the underside of his shaft a long lick from base to tip. She paused for a quick squeeze to his firm butt, making him jump, before she came up again. Pressing against him with her whole body, she pushed her lips against his in another passionate kiss.
With both arms wrapped around his shoulders she jumped up on his hips, startling the water around them, before she slowly lowered herself down all the while holding his gaze through hooded lids.
Letting her head fall back she lifted herself up and pushed down in agonizing slow motion, making both of them moan and causing the water around them to splash in subtle waves.
/ / / / / /
The persistent ringing of her phone startled her out of her trip down memory lane and she absentmindedly wiped away a tear that had trailed down her cheek, heading to the small glass table next to the cream colored couch that took up the center space of her living room.
Picking up the phone and pressing the call button she flopped down on the soft leather.
"Yeah." She had trained herself on answering every call in this way, since she had nearly slipped the first few times almost answering with 'Luthor'.
"Charlie, it's Dan, just wanted to make sure you're really following the chief's orders and not running around snooping for a story." The cheerful voice with the deep British accent on the other end of the line belonged to Dan Simmons, one of her closer colleagues at the tabloid.
"Sure, Dan. I'm staying put, bored beyond belief. I promised, didn't I?" The fauxness of her cheery tone wasn't lost on either of them. She hoped he would let it slide. He didn't.
"Are you sure you're ok? You seem a bit, I don't know... off?"
Chloe answered with an exasperated sigh. "No Dan, I'm fine, really I'm just a bit on the moody side what with all the rain and me being forced to sit on my butt, doing nothing, you know?"
He seemed to buy it this time. After a second of silence Chloe swore she could see him shrug with one shoulder like he always did before he let her off the hook.
"Ok, if you say so. Listen I hafta go, I have an interview with that bird from the town hall. So be sein' you 'round then?"
"Sure. And, Dannyboy, try to be decent ok?" Again she could see his reaction clearly in her mind; that cheeky smile he gave when he was clearly not intending to do as ordered.
"Of course! I'm a man with manners after all, aren't I?"
"Mhm, and since when is that?" She gave him one of her own little smiles, although he couldn't see it.
"You really are one extraordinary bird, Lance. You know that right?" Amusement was clear in his tone.
"Always. So, hurry up now and move your skinny little ass to the lady of the hour."
"Ok, see you 'round." His voice was tinged warm with true affection.
"Ok, bye." Chloe pressed the call button again and put the phone back in the receiver.
Sighing deeply she stood up and went to the bathroom on the other end of the spacious living room. On her way past the kitchen area, she cast a look at the clock above the fridge acknowledging that it was already past six. Shaking her head slightly she recited her plans for the rest of the day aloud.
"Shower, Pills, Bed! Welcome to your vacation Chloe."