CHAPTER 10: Up Close and Personal
A FORTNIGHT LATER
Inside 33.1- 11:30 a.m.
¨Give her half a dose, ¨ordered Lucas.
¨If Mr Luthor finds out we´ve cut down the dose, he´ll want my head on a platter, ¨said the orderly.
¨Think of your wife and son, Mr Geoffries. I need her drowsy if she´s too cooperate, ¨answered the younger Luthor, looking at Moira Sullivan through the one-way mirror. ¨Give her this, ¨he added, handing him a plastic bag. ¨I´ll phone you with instructions this evening. ¨
Ouside 33.1- 12 p.m.
Lucas got into his red sports car and, flashing a winning smile, speed dialled the number he had been in touch with for over six months now.
¨Any news? ¨asked an authoritative masculine voice.
¨Everything´s taken care of, ¨answered Lucas with a satisfied grin.
¨I hope there won´t be any surprises. ¨
¨Haven´t delivered so far? ¨he asked cockily.
¨You´ve proven to what extremes you´re capable of going when you´re driven. As long as you keep working for our common interest, everything´ll be fine. ¨
¨Tune in the six o´clock news tomorrow. ¨
¨We need those codes. We´re running out of time. ¨
¨As I said before, I´ve already taken care of everything. ¨
¨A pleasure to do business with you, Mr Luthor, ¨finished the older man.
LEX´S PENTHOUSE - 6 P.M.
Lex parked his silver Porsche in the underground garage and took the private elevator to the fortieth floor. It had been a trying day, filled with briefings, board meetings and a trip to Smallville to check on the project and Moira´s condition. Chloe would be visiting her again the following morning and he wanted to make sure everything was going smoothly.
That night a fortnight ago he´d gone to bed mulling over Chloe´s words. Maybe she was right. If Morpheus were to fall in the wrong hands, the potential harm would be immensurable. He had done business with the senator because he truly believed both the country and Lexcorp had a lot to gain from the deal, but a recent phone call from his associate had put him on the alert. Someone from the inner circles of power in DC had got word of the project and had plans of his own for the programme. Lex had had no way out but to start dismantling 33.1 in Smallville and relocating the subjects in overseas facilities.
¨Chloe, are you home? ¨he asked when he entered the half-lit living-room. ¨Chloe? ¨ he repeated, leaving his briefcase on the baby piano and walking towards the dining area.
¨Ah, there you are, Lex, ¨she said beaming, ¨Five more minutes and my casserole would have ended in the trash bin, ¨she added, holding a wooden spoon in one hand.
¨I´m sorry, Chloe. If I had known you were cooking tonight, I´d have cut my last meeting short, ¨he responded with a lopsided grin. ¨What´s the occasion? ¨he added, letting his eyes roam the luscious curves draped in a tight-fitting green dress which did marvels for her petite body.
¨Why are you looking at me like that? It´s the dress, right? You don´t approve of it, ¨ she mumbled.
¨Don´t get me wrong, Chloe, it´s not that I don´t approve, ¨he started, loosening his tie and undoing the first buttons of his shirt. ¨It´s just that... ¨
¨I can´t look well in a dress such as this because I´m not a brunette, is that it? ¨she asked bitterly.
¨What? No! ¨he exclaimed.
¨Come on, Lex! Victoria, Desirée, Helen and ... Lana. Don´t you see a pattern here? ¨
¨This has nothing to do with your colour hair, Chloe, ¨he explained. ¨I just thought that after the other night´s conversation... ¨
¨I would keep my word and stop making a fool of myself, ¨she butted in.
¨Are you going to let me finish a sentence, Chloe? ¨
¨What for? I know what you´re going to say, ¨she blurted, walking back into the kitchen and turning off the oven.
¨You were wrong, you know? ¨he said, coming through the kitchen door.
¨About what? ¨she mumbled turning around to see him standing at arm´s length.
¨About my feelings, ¨he answered, lowering his voice.
¨I don´t seem to recall you talking about feelings that night. ¨
¨That´s because you ran away to your room before hearing me out, ¨he responded, coming closer to her.
¨The food´ll get ruined, ¨she said nervously, brandishing the wooden spoon and reclining against the work top as Lex closed the distance between them. ¨Lex..., ¨she whispered, ¨what are you doing? ¨
¨What does it look like? ¨he responded, trapping her as he placed his hands on both sides of the counter.
¨If I were your employee, I´d denounce you for sexual harassment, ¨she quipped.
¨You should wear green more often, Chloe, it becomes you, ¨he murmured a breath away from her lips.
¨Why are you doing this, Lex? Why are you toying with me? ¨she asked with glassy eyes.
¨I´m not toying. ¨
¨Why this sudden change of heart, then? ¨
¨It´s not sudden and it isn´t a change of heart. You were right when you said I was blind. I know I don´t deserve to be loved, least of all by you, Chloe; but I need so much to believe that there´s still something in me that is worthy of someone like you, ¨he croaked.
¨You can be such a mummy´s boy sometimes, Lex, ¨she sighed, snaking her arms around his neck as he brought her closer and pressed a tentative kiss on her mouth.
Their first real kiss was just as she had dreamt and more. This time there was no intent on his part to hurt them both but to let himself believe, if only for a short while, that there was someone who could actually love him and accept all the sides of him.
¨Let me, ¨he chuckled, brushing her hand away from the buttons of her dress.
¨You have more experience undoing these infernal buttons than I do, ¨she responded exasperated.
¨Chloe, ¨he said warmly, tilting up her chin. ¨You´re nervous, I can tell. You know we don´t have to do this right now. ¨
¨Stop babbling, Lex, and finish undoing these damn buttons before I ruin my dress. ¨
¨My, Sullivan, you´re a real spitfire in the bedroom. ¨
¨Stop laughing at me, Lex, and hurry up, will you? ¨ she glared.
¨Why the rush? ¨he asked seductively, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and searing her mouth with a kiss that left them both panting.
¨I´ve waited too long for this, Lex, ¨she sighed, blushing, when she felt the evidence of his desire.
¨The more reason to take it slowly, ¨he smiled.
¨I haven´t told you but I´ve never... ¨ she stammered.
¨There´s nothing to worry about, Chloe. We´ll take things as far as you please and, if at any given time you don´t feel comfortable or have second thoughts, don´t hesitate to stop me, ¨he soothed her, locking his eyes with hers.
¨Lex... ¨
¨Mm? ¨he murmured, nuzzling her neck.
¨You should wear blue more often. It does wonders to your eyes. ¨
¨It does? ¨he smirked. ¨I´ll have to order a few dozens from the tailor´s then. ¨
¨The tailor´s? ¨
¨Don´t tell me you thought I bought my shirts off the shelf. ¨
¨Of course not, but it sounds old-fashioned. ¨
¨I´m not a K-Mart kind of guy, Chloe. ¨
¨That´s part of your charm, Luthor, and I´m not complaining. On the contrary, I´ve had enough flannel shirts to last me a lifetime. ¨
¨Do we have to talk about Clark now? ¨he asked nibbling her earlobe.
¨Not if you do that again, ¨she sighed contentedly.
¨I´m at your service, Miss Sullivan, ¨he kissed his way up the column of her neck and tugged at the other earlobe gently.
¨Lex? ¨
¨Yes? ¨
¨When was...? You know... ¨she shrugged.
¨When was ´what´? ¨he asked, looking into her beautiful green orbs.
¨Oh, forget it! ¨she changed her mind, averting her eyes.
¨Chloe, ¨he said, cupping her chin with one hand and turning her face towards him, ¨when was what´? ¨
¨Your first time. ¨
¨My first time? Do you really want to talk about that now? ¨he asked with a puzzled look.
¨I´m just making small talk. ¨
¨Right. Small talk, ¨he sighed.
¨Don´t blame me now. It was you who wanted to take things slowly. ¨
¨And I do. It´s just that I don´t feel like talking about my first time. It doesn´t feel right. ¨
¨OK, I understand. ¨
¨Thanks, ¨he smiled, brushing her lips with his, before claiming entrance to her mouth.
¨Lex, ¨she moaned.
¨Mm? ¨ he murmured, scattering kisses on her face.
¨Who was she? ¨
¨Who was ´who´? ¨
¨The first one. ¨
¨Haven´t we agreed we wouldn´t talk about it? ¨he snorted.
¨I´m just curious. ¨
¨Curiosity killed the cat, Miss Sullivan. ¨
¨Lex, you tell me who she was and I´ll stop asking you questions. ¨
¨Is that a promise? ¨ he cocked an eyebrow.
¨Cross my heart. You´ve got my word of Girl Scout. ¨
¨You´ve never been a Girl Scout in your life, Chloe. ¨
¨How do you know? ¨
¨I can´t picture you putting up a tent and living in the open at the mercy of wild animals and mosquito bites. ¨
¨You´ve got me confused with you, Lex. Now... don´t try to sidetrack me. ¨
¨OK. Her name and that´s it, ¨he stated brushing a strand of blond hair off her brow.
¨Yes, ¨she promised, resting her head on his chest.
¨Victoria. ¨
¨Victoria? As in Victoria Hardwicke, the snobbish slut? ¨ she screamed with a frown.
¨Beggars aren´t choosers, ¨he answered wryly.
¨You a beggar, Lex? Who are you kidding? I bet you had girls queuing up to spend the night with you. ¨
¨I´ve never spent the night with a woman. ¨
¨What´s that supposed to mean? ¨
¨Just what I´ve said. ¨
¨Was Victoria a transvestite? You won´t have me believe you´re gay, Lex. ¨
¨Victoria isn´t a transvestite and I´m certainly not gay. What I mean is I´ve never woken up in bed with a woman because I´ve always made sure it´s her bedroom and not mine. Just as I´ve never made love to one before. ¨
¨You´re confusing me, Lex. What about Lana? ¨
¨She wanted to wait until the wedding night and I respected her wishes. Ironic, isn´t it? Now I´m glad she insisted because I want my first time to be with someone I respect, someone who loves me for who I am and not for what I have. It isn´t a secret that I´ve lain with many women in my life, Chloe, but that was sex and this´ll be love. ¨
¨Oh. ¨
¨Yes, oh! ¨he smiled, picking her up and laying her gently on the bed.
¨Lex? ¨she asked, caressing his cheek.
¨What now? ¨he pressed a kiss on her palm.
¨I still meant what I said two weeks ago. You should have told me about my mum and you definitely need a compass in your life. ¨
¨I´ve already found a compass, ¨he said throatily, boring his eyes in hers.
¨Lex, aren´t you tired of taking things slowly? ¨she flashed him a Sullivan smile.