And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
Chloe had never known herself to be afraid of heights. Of course, that was before she had the chance to fly high over landscape and city lights with only Clark's arms keeping her in the air. Over all, the experience of flying through the warm, night sky was a pleasant one, as Clark took her over hills through Smallville she had only seen from the ground before now. She enjoyed the feeling of the wind brushing her face, loved the elegant and up-close view of the stars above their heads. No ride in any airplane had ever given her such an intimate touch with nature, with the earth and sky as flying with Clark, going at his speed and pace.
Yet despite her previous experience in those man-made airplanes, she couldn't help herself from clutching at Clark with all of her might. Taking a ticket in Clark's personal form of transportation, both by ground and sky, was safer than any airplane or car.
But her instincts had a difficulty believing it.
"You really don't have to hold on so tight," Clark whispered into her ear, as if he could read her thoughts.
Chloe tried to lessen her bear hug around his neck, but could only manage a slight reduction in the pressure. And anyway, did it really matter how hard she was hanging on?
"The last time I checked your super hero instruction manual, one of your powers was impenetrability. I hardly think my grip around your neck is denting your steel exterior," she spat defensively.
Clark laughed lightly as he swooped them a little higher in the sky. Stars surrounded them like fireflies, each one less or more brighter than the other. He took his time as he flew them away from Smallville, allowing her the chance to see his newest vantage point. She would become accustomed to the heights eventually, just as he had to when he first learned of his new power. Lord knew he planned on taking her up into the sky more often, after tonight.
"You can relax," he insisted gently, pulling her closer. He gazed away from the sky ahead of them to look at her. "I've been flying for awhile now. And my strength hasn't dwindled at all since the last time we saw each other. I can still hold you in my arms with barely any effort."
The tension in her muscles eased off some because of his words, though not all of it. Dangling from a high perch, no matter how tightly bound to her safety net, was always going to make her heart race.
"An arrogant pilot is a good pilot, I hear," she chided, smiling softly into his eyes.
"I always thought you enjoyed flying."
"I do," she insisted. "I love flying in the arms of my hero just as much as the next damsel. But I guess I haven't quite come to terms with the 'falling to my death' risk of the whole experience."
After a moment, he breathed softly against her neck, "I can fix that."
Before Chloe could ask him what he meant, he suddenly released her from the safety of his arms. Ignoring her insistent protests as he repositioned her, he guided her small form to fly next to him, stretched along his right side and parallel to the ground. He only held onto her hand as they flew ahead, but kept her body merely a breath away from his own to quiet her fears. He could hear her heart racing wildly because of this new, seemingly unstable formation, though not nearly for the same reasons as when they began. Regardless of his close proximity, the sensation of flying with hardly any support at all was not lost on her. Chloe's eyes were wide in awe; amazed by the feeling of utter weightlessness, by the freedom Clark could give her with just a touch of his hand, with just an ounce of his overabundant strength.
Clark smiled when her grip on his hand loosened a little. He knew she would love this new power once she let go ... once she trusted him again. Her fears were dwindling more and more every second they soared through the sky, over the world below. By the delight he saw in her eyes, by the way she stared endlessly at the beautiful Kansas landscape they flew over, he knew she was finally hooked.
Above all, she was growing into him again, into the feeling of being with him and near him. He wanted her to remember what it felt like when their souls touched, when nothing else in the world mattered except for them.
"It's not so bad, is it?" he asked, his voice fighting the wind gently whistling by them.
Chloe giggled. She was slightly ashamed for having ever doubted Clark's abilities. Of course he was going to catch her if she fell. She had no reason to believe otherwise. Moreover, his new power was no different from any of his others - all came with risk, a risk he had sufficiently overcome with practice. He never would have taken her up if he had not been sure of himself, and of his ability to control his new powers.
From this new angle, she could see everything below them incredibly well. They passed small patches of forest, houses alight with nightly activity, and rundown buildings on the outskirts of Smallville she remembered sneaking into when she was only a teenager. Clark and Pete often came with her on those rebellious occasions, and she couldn't count the number of hours they spent playing hide and seek on properties that were not their own. She also noticed the outline of the Luthor mansion, almost entirely forgotten save for a few guards and personal aides that used the house per Mr. Luthor's permission. He had long ago moved to the city for good, leaving the mansion mostly vacant.
Up ahead a little further, she began to see the lights of the city she knew all too well.
"Metropolis," she whispered curiously, turning to him. "You know I've been there," she remarked dryly.
Clark smirked. "You haven't been where I'm taking you."
They both remained pleasantly silent as they flew closer to Metropolis. The vast flat lands of Kansas began to disappear under the shadow of the city, soon diminishing completely into outskirt suburbia Chloe had visited all too often. In her work at the Planet, she had investigated more than a handful of murders, robberies, and even domestic abuse. Disturbingly, many of her investigations led to these little neighborhoods overflowing with the middle and upper class. Though the city certainly housed more than it's fair share of crime, the suburbs had never been an exception.
Rather than concentrate on the content in each group of houses and lights, she decided to observe only the aesthetic beauty inherent in such beautiful homes and residents. In the night sky, with only illumination from streetlights and houses, the neighborhoods almost looked romantic, exceptional in their modern taste. Regardless of the dangerous secrets in these residential outcroppings, they were still the best place to live in the city's vicinity. Against her better judgment, she began to imagine herself living in one of those homes, with children running around in the yard and a husband kissing her neck while she cooked dinner.
Chloe gazed to Clark, happy to see his attention drawn to their journey. It gave her the uninhibited chance to imagine him as she once did, as the man she longed to have in her life. She tried not to indulge in the fantasies, but flying next to him, holding onto him so tightly, she struggled to imagine much else. He had come back into her life so suddenly, conjuring up her feelings for him in his wake. No matter how often she tried to believe otherwise, she had made little effort to move on without him. The very course of her own life, living in an apartment alone with only her job to keep her company, testified to that.
Even so ... loving him again, allowing herself to love him again ... was a dangerous game. Too often did he burn her, and too often did she come back to him like a helpless puppy. It took her months to get over his betrayal with Lana, her heart fully scathed by the hollow promises he had made to her and those she was ignorant enough to believe. And still, a year after she caught him making out with Lana on his couch, she tried to relight their passion while taking shelter with him underneath an old oak tree. The knowledge of his forthcoming departure didn't matter to her, nor did the presence of another man in her life. She knew he had to go back to his biological father, and she knew she had no right to ask to him to stay ... and she knew the world needed him to fulfill his destiny.
... but she hoped, prayed their love for each other would be enough, despite how long they neglected it.
She hoped their love would be enough to give her hope, to give her his heart, if not in body, then in spirit.
Yet in the end, once again she was left standing alone with no framework to lean their love on. Through the years he was gone, the love between them began to diminish, turn into a memory, a legend. She started to question whether it was real at all, and over time she found reason to categorize it merely as an infatuation between good friends taken far past the line.
Only at night, with the lights off, during thunderstorms and sitting alone in a Grecian cabin, did she believe the seven days of their short love affair was something extraordinary, longing for them to return. These moments of weakness were often short lived, and vanished once the sun broke through the foggy clouds of a Metropolis morning. The pain of loving Clark Kent was never too far-gone from her heart. The clarity she gained from her pain made it impossible for her to forget how futile her affair with Clark had become. It always ended badly when they tried to alter the state of their friendship, and almost always she was the one left trying to pick up the pieces. Declaring Clark Kent as bad boyfriend/lover material was easy, especially when his love for another woman was so prominent in his mind.
However, at the moment, the clarity she had earned in their five years apart began to falter. Flying next to him, their bodies so close, she felt flush as old feelings driven by wild, erotic passion came flooding back. If nothing else, she could hardly deny how good the sex had been with him.
Metropolis engulfed them completely now. Chloe looked down upon the city, captured by its radiant glow in the dark night. Streets were still bustling with activity, just as busy as when she left here this afternoon. But more than that, seeing the skyline forced her to appreciate the natural beauty inherent in the infrastructure of the city itself. Though crime infested, smoggy, and loud, from thousands of feet in the air the city actually looked incredible. Skyscrapers perforated a magical presence, sounds of the city invaded her ears like a pleasant midnight song, and the beauty she had never noticed before had suddenly dissolved the ugliness of her home. It was no wonder why Clark wanted to take her through here, to show her the charm she was too blinded by evil to see.
After more than a minute of flying over the city, Chloe finally began to feel them slow, descend. Clark pulled her tightly against him as they drew closer to the skyscrapers. She tried to guess where he was taking her, figuring a bench in the park so they could talk, or possibly a cafe somewhere on the east side where only the best coffee shop poets and vocalists could be found. Much to her surprise, however, he shifted them vertically and landed them feet first on a skyscraper rooftop.
She looked down around them as they landed softly, gently on the hard surface, with the rest of the Metropolis lights circling them like a ring of fire. Even without his explanation, Chloe could tell immediately why he had chosen this spot above the rest. Not only did this spot give them the best views of the city, but she also realized, with a quick inspection of their surroundings, that they were indeed on the tallest building in Metropolis.
Even taller than LuthorCorp.
"It's beautiful," she declared softly, surprised.
She slipped out of his arms and walked to the edge, where a four-foot tall steel fence kept her from falling off the edge. The building they were standing on supplied office space to numerous businesses, and it was owned by a man named Lawrence Wellington, one of a handful of millionaires located in the area. She recounted many of the numerous instances she had stepped into the lobby of this building, having no idea such a beautiful, exuberant view was only stories above her.
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you
But while she was staring out onto the city, Clark was only staring at her. "Yes," he agreed, smiling sheepishly, "it is."
"With the stack of crime files on my desk, it's hard to remember evil really is the other end of a spectrum."
Clark walked up beside her. "After I came home, I spent a lot of time up here, thinking about my responsibility to this area, to the world. I fell in love with Metropolis because of this view. I knew then there was something here to fight for, even if it was sometimes difficult to see."
Chloe noticed slight enchantment in his words, causing her to smile. Clark was always able to follow the strain of good in everything and everyone who entered his life. Frankly, in the last few years she struggled to see her home as anything but a magnet for criminals. Too many investigations within the Metropolis Police Department helped her see the corruption imbedded into every facet of the government here. Trying to clean up the streets of this city was a formidable task, especially with so much bureaucracy standing in the way. She had heard enough stories from older citizens, as well as through her own research, pertaining to long gone, glory days of the city. When Daily Planet newspapers could be found on every corner, reporting news, making a difference. When heroism could be found in brave gumshoes and intrepid reporters, both trying to make their home a better place to live.
Gazing over at Clark as he stood next to her, she realized if anyone could make this city glorious again, it would be him. The younger years she spent with him gave her an extraordinary glimpse of his capabilities, and she could only imagine how strong his talents had become because of his training. Enough miraculous rescues were sure to eventually lift the citizens' spirits.
Naturally, from her perspective as his friend, the thought of him staying in town for a while comforted her. She had her personal super hero back, even if she had to share him with everyone else.
Sighing softly, she placed her hands on the fence railing. "You've changed so much, Clark."
Clark drew closer to her, curious. "How so?"
"Just everything, really. Your new, pro-destiny attitude, your five year attendance to Krypton's best work-out program, your Shakespearian view of an otherwise corrupted city," she listed carefully, eyes drawn to the skyscrapers ahead of them. "I wish everyone could take a drink from your river of optimism."
He didn't say anything for a while. He knew she was right. The kid who left Smallville five years ago felt like a stranger to him, a version of himself he could only revisit in old photographs on a gloomy day. Actually, he sensed he didn't want to revisit that version of himself anytime soon. He wasn't sure if he liked the man he had become quite yet, but it was certainly a step up from where he began, from who he once was. He didn't need an old friend to tell him how full of himself he had been when he was a teenager. Certainly he had his good days back then, especially when he helped save people's lives.
But the regrets ... well, those were too many to count.
Clark pursed his lips, then moved forward and grasped the railing tightly with both hands.
Smiling sweetly, he replied, "You're different, too, you know. I thought it was just the hair, but I finally realize it's only part of it. You've done so much, accomplished so much. I see so much life behind your eyes now, tragedy and triumph. You're all grown up - a successful woman rather than that innocent girl I remember in high school. And I can tell your experiences, both good and bad, have blessed you."
Chloe felt her cheeks flush a little. She knew he meant well with his words of praise, yet she heard something familiar in his voice, something that shouldn't have been there during a friendly exchange of conversation. Nevertheless, the pulse of the familiar signaled her core like nothing else, bringing to the forefront even more of those erotic feelings she had been trying to ignore.
His closeness, his careless breath across her shoulder, his intoxicating smell ...
She finally closed her eyes and bit down on her bottom lip to help draw her attention away from him. He was always so hard to ignore, no matter how long she tried to think of others, pretend he didn't exist. Even when she was alone in that Grecian cabin, with only her thoughts of him to keep her company, her attempts to will him from her mind completely had always been unsuccessful. Just as she suspected during their short love affair, Clark Kent would never be too far from her heart.
Her words from the past began to trickle back into her thoughts ...
We made love, and it's a connection not so easily forgotten.
"I never told you this," he began softly, his voice giving no indication that he had any idea of the war raging inside of her. Nevertheless, he didn't help her forget any less. "But I thought about you a lot while I was away."
Chloe sighed deeply. She couldn't hear this now ... no, not now. She wasn't ready.
"Really?" she asked, trepidation drumming rhythmically inside her chest.
"You don't have to say the same thing," he replied leisurely, as if sensing she might not be feeling the same things. He shrugged sheepishly. "I know our past was often a mess, especially in the last year. But, you know, I always thought we were good friends. And I missed your friendship, I missed talking to you." He smiled and shook his head. "I missed your sarcasm the most."
She turned to look at him, her heart racing. No, this was definitely not what she needed to hear. "I never thought I would see you again," she answered briskly, much sharper and colder than she intended.
"I know," he conceded, slightly ashamed.
Deciding to live without him, without hope she would ever see again, had been a difficult decision for her to make. One he forced her to make due to his unexpected exit. Considering their track record, she knew she should have expected him to burn her during their moment underneath the oak tree, regardless of passionate kisses. He had told her point blank how much he had enjoyed their time together, then in the next breath he made it perfectly clear that his destiny was more important than anything, or anyone else in his life. More than that, he had insisted she not look for him, because he had no intention of returning home.
At that time, home and her love had sounded one in the same. And looking back, she loathed her gullibility. She had practically fallen in love with him again while underneath that dreaded oak tree; between their unforgettable kiss and the moment he said he loved her. Then a year removed from his incident with Lana, she had almost believed him. She had almost given in, had almost trusted him again ... until he kissed her on the cheek, and whispered in her ear that she should forget him.
Was this time really any different? Could she give in again, only to be burned for the hundredth time?
He traced his left hand along the railing, and drew his touch closer to her arm. Eyes to the ground, he then added quietly, "But everything is different now. You're different, I'm different ... "
Chloe glanced to him as he trailed off. "And?" she pressed insistently.
And it's been awhile
Since I've gone and fucked things up just like I always do
And it's been awhile
But all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you
Clark shifted closer to her, forcing her to turn around and face him directly. He lifted a hand to her cheek, and then caressed it gently when she didn't try to pull away from his touch. Already he could feel her heart beating rapidly, drawing extra energy for it's erratic rhythm from the electricity his presence was generating inside of her. No doubt the desire, the need he had been feeling seen their reunion was mutual. He was sure of that now. She ignored him and the sensations between them the entire evening, but the glossiness in her eyes as he cupped her cheek, now with both hands, gave him encouragement to continue.
Because now he knew ... she wanted this, too.
Pulling her gently towards him, he finally responded, his voice a whisper, "And maybe I didn't come back just to save the world."
He didn't give her a chance to refute him, or to fight him, before he made his point clear. Chloe felt herself shudder when he leaned into her, and felt her skin tingle the moment he pressed his lips against hers. It had been so long, five years to be exact, since they had done this. Her surprise at his boldness immobilized her muscles, told her this was wrong, this was a disaster in the making. But the longer he kissed her, the longer his warmth drew her out of the cold, lonely waters of her soul, the more overwhelming their passion became. It consumed her ... the drive, the need for him ... and suddenly only her fears were immobilized.
The leisurely acceptance of his lips wasn't enough now. Her body came alive, moved with him, fell into the motion of a routine she knew all too well. She started to kiss him in return with the same tenderness, softness laced delicately in his lips. Her arms circled his waist loosely, lazily, drawing him in. Blushing deeply, Chloe realized her breasts were brushing up against his chest, causing an intense flair of pleasure to rush through her. Despite the clothing preventing skin-to-skin contact, her nipples were hard and erect because of the intimate touch, waiting and anticipating the lovemaking sure to come.
His thumbs circled her cheekbones, just as softly and tenderly as the kiss itself. She leaned into him a little more, felt his tongue dart across her lips ...
Felt the world fall away ...
Felt her heart jump, felt the blood thunder through her ears ...
Felt her skin flush, felt her lips and tongue turn to fire...
Felt the moment skating, slipping away from the cusp of control ...
Then he drifted from her kiss slowly, caressed her face once more, and slipped out of her arms completely.
Chloe blinked with confusion before she looked over to him curiously, surprised he had stopped them. Surprised even further with her actions. She could hardly believe she let the kiss happen. Worse yet, he suddenly looked way over-dressed, and their current location felt all- wrong for what she wanted to do to him.
Of course, we could make it work if we wanted to ... we've had sex in worse places ...
But with the desire came a warning. Here she was again, about to give in to the very man who made her life miserable for so long: the very man who couldn't decide between two women, or his destiny. The same man she often considered throwing into a lake of green lava just to make herself feel better. There was no difficulty in recalling the reasons why she should back away and ask him to take her home. The failure of their past love affair acted like a cloud in her mind, successfully fogging her desire, dampening her spirit to continue on this path that would find her recklessly falling back into his bed. Then from his bed, she was sure she would find herself lying in the curb, the place he would quickly throw her when he was finished using her.
No ... all of this was happening too soon, and if she wanted to save any face here, she needed to end this now.
"Clark," she said weakly, shaking her head. She stepped away from him further. "We ... I don't think ..."
However, Clark had heard these pleas before. He smiled, closed the distance between them before she could finish, and placed his forefinger gently against her lips to quiet her. Then when he was sure she wouldn't say anything further, he scooped her up in his arms once more. After she wrapped her arms around his neck for balance, he leaned in and rubbed his nose affectionately against hers. She seemed hesitant and uncertain if she should let him take the lead, as her response to him was minimal, fearful and apprehensive.
But the war he was sensing inside of her must have come to an end by the time he lifted off the rooftop, into the sky. Because suddenly she nuzzled him in return, and let her body melt into his own. Her right hand caressed the side of his neck, held him in place as they exchanged touch, then a gentle kiss. He could feel her losing her will, relinquishing the barrier on her heart to the power, to the passion of the love neither could ever deny.
Clark knew where he wanted to go. He made their journey a short one; talking little time to speed across the sky, back to Smallville. Chloe buried her head in his neck when he sped up, then snuck a kiss to his shoulder while she clutched him tightly. He smiled wide, because he was certain now she understood what he wanted. He dreamt of her constantly throughout his training, and he would be the first to admit she rarely had clothes on during his fantasies. He knew he never should have let her go, or given her the chance to love another man. Point was, he wanted to be the only man in her life. It sickened him every time she snuggled up with someone else, and the only reason he didn't say anything was because he believed she didn't want him.
Only under the oak tree did he realize how wrong he had been. Unfortunately, at the time his main concern was to spare her any additional heartache, as he had no idea how long he was going to be gone. The last thing he ever wanted was to make her wait for him, especially when she could be just as happy with someone else. His needs and desires were of no concern, and even though he sensed she loved him just as much as he loved her, there was no guarantee. He was certain time would change how they felt.
But surprising to both, the six years apart from one another, the six years spent wondering if their passion was real, only increased the desire between them. If anything, their love had been empowered by the pain of being apart for so long. Now they wanted each other more than ever, and Clark could hardly fathom the explosion at the end of the long, excruciating fuse.
Finally the outline of the farmhouse came into view. Clark slowed his momentum enough to help them land safely and softly on the porch steps, letting Chloe drop from his arms, and onto her feet once they were secure on the ground. The rain clouds were now covering Smallville in an intense, threatening darkness. He didn't pay much attention to the rain, however, or to the howling winds circling them like a mini tornado. Nor did he have the time to reflect on how much had changed since their evening began only a little while ago.
All he cared for now was Chloe, and the way she urgently tugged him in for a heart-pounding, passionate kiss.
Very little made him dizzy, but Chloe's kisses were one. He hardly had a chance to gain his composure before he felt them moving towards the screen door. Clark pushed her up against it a little roughly when they finally reached it, and he smiled when he heard her moan against him.
She was loving this. They never failed to turn their lovemaking into a chaotic, uncontrollable flight of needy desire. Almost all of their physical intimacy in the past had happened under the same circumstances, with the same flavor of hastiness threading through them. He could never characterize the sex well, but always found the words "I want you right here, right now," bouncing around in his head whenever he thought of it.
Somehow he managed to open the screen door behind them, and they slipped inside, arms and bodies still entangled while they exchanged desperate, sequential kisses. Chloe's hands were everywhere, on his sides, back, and chest. He hummed in delight when their kisses deepened considerably, each exploring the other with renewed, hungry fervor. Little by little they moved backwards as they searched quickly for the perfect spot. She was already preparing their way by unbuttoning his collar, then his shirt; her touch warm and electric against his skin.
Her lips dropped to his neck, his shoulder, and he sucked in a breath when she flattened her palms on his bare chest. Clark could hardly think straight now, her touch and their moment consuming him. When Chloe grunted quietly into his shoulder, only then did he realize their backward movement had landed them against a kitchen counter, stopping their advances to the living room, to the stairs ... to whatever spot would be more comfortable.
Not that we couldn't christen the kitchen if we really wanted to, Clark mused.
Clark had Chloe's backside pressed up against the kitchen counter, and the latter thought was almost exactly what he wanted to do. The two of them had made other, usually uncomfortable spots comfortable because of their insatiable need for sex. Making love to her with her beautiful body strewn across a cold counter top, or even a tile floor, sounded wonderfully exotic right now. They were known for turning stock rooms, living room floors, and couches into the most comfortable places on the planet.
No further had he thought of it, did his hands, a second later, answer his fantasy. His right hand was up inside her blouse, and the other was at the small of her back, pressing her into him urgently. He kissed her lips, her chin, then eased down along her neck. He worried and nibbled her throat relentlessly, making her squirm and sigh against him. She circled her arms back around his neck to help keep her on her feet while he teased her, her fingernails desperately scrapping his shoulders. Clark smiled into her skin, and then smiled wider when his hand finally found and squeezed the bottom swell of her left breast. She hissed into his ear, then countered his aggressiveness with a little of her own by gently slipping his dress shirt off of his shoulders.
And it's been awhile
Since I've seen the way the candles light your face
And it's been awhile
But I can still remember just the way you taste
Clark shuddered a little more when her lips found his collarbone, and her fingertips glided down his arm. Every nerve in his body began to scream with pleasure, reminded of how beautiful their lovemaking had always been. She must have read his mind, because she slowed their passion a little with a flare of tenderness. She grazed his ear seductively with her lips, kissed his jaw line, and then slid the tip of her tongue through his stubble. Her right hand slipped down around his neck, gripped him their urgently, and threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape.
One minute longer and he would be gone, lost to her love.
Drizzling rain covered the windows now. Lightning flashed through the sky.
Thunder bellowed, low and moaning.
Chloe drew her tongue across his mouth, engaged him in a deep kiss, her lips warm, wet and intoxicating. Her hands came back to life, drifting easily along his shoulders and chest. Down to his stomach. Close to the clasp of his shorts.
His blue shirt suddenly slipped down his back, leaving his upper torso now exposed. Only his arms around Chloe prevented his shirt from falling from him completely. Distantly he wished for a mirror so he could see how sexy they looked together. Clark softly gripped her breast in his hand, and the nipple slowly hardened against his palm the longer he massaged it. She broke the kiss and let her head fall back, overwhelmed with pleasure, whimpers escaping her mouth the more he rubbed, the further he lingered his lips down her throat.
Lighting again, brighter, more electric.
The past came with it, flashing through his mind.
Thunder. Louder this time.
And then ...
Then he remembered ...
With a jolt, Clark backed up and pulled himself away from Chloe's arms. Put distance between them, enough to make her expression fall. She was out of breath, something he didn't realize until now. He, too, was trying to suck extra oxygen into his lungs, his heart racing harder than ever. Through the darkness, through the flashes of lightning and thunder, and over the beat of their own desire, their eyes met. Something here had gone amiss.
And It's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I said I'm sorry
Chloe looked curious, frustrated, and a little taken by his retreat. But Clark felt something quite different ... a desire to know the truth.
Surprisingly, however, she broke their silence first.
"Clark ...," she pleaded, breathless. "What's going on? Why did you ... ?"
Clark slipped his shirt back over his shoulders, but left it unbuttoned. Staring at her hard, he ran a hand over the small beard on his chin. He debated whether he should say anything at all. But his own curiosity could not be abated simply by a night in the sack with his greatest lover. No, he needed something a bit more concrete.
He needed an explanation.
"I can't keep going on with this until I know," he said finally, his voice soft.
Chloe stepped closer to him. "What? Know what?"
She looked beautiful, her body cast in the shimmering light from the moon through the rain soaked windows. Her brunette hair was mussed; her blouse was still riding up slightly, exposing the smoothness of her stomach. And he hated to even mention this now, to break the spell.
Regardless of his feelings, however, he knew he had to.
Taking a deep breath, he finally asked her. He finally sought the truth.
"Why didn't you come to me that night?"
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