**********Part 11, The End
Lana counted the boxes of red plastic stirrers again, and tried to pay attention this time. She had already counted this box three times, and didn't want to have to do it a fourth. When she realized she had counted 30 at least twice, she stopped and threw down the clipboard.
"You could just go home and do this another time," she said to the empty room. She was still angry about this afternoon, but grateful that Clark had called and said something had come up last minute and he was really sorry he couldn't help her tonight.
She had told him it was fine because she really had been sorry later on that she had used him to annoy Lex. That hadn't been fair and she felt guilty about doing it. Of course Lex had retaliated much better, just bringing up that club had brought an instant image of herself standing pressed against him with his hand rubbing circles on her bare stomach.
"Go away." she hissed out loud to the erotic images that flashed so easily across her mind.
"But I just got here." Lex stepped the last few feet into the back storeroom. He figured that Lana might just decide to not be the conscientious manager and leave her inventory unfinished, so he figured his time of watching from the shadows was over.
"Lex" she jumped and whirled around, surprised that he had snuck up on her.
"Not having much fun are you? Although I doubt this would be fun under the nicest of circumstances." He glanced around the slightly dusty backroom and knew instantly why he had never bothered to see what was behind door number three before.
Lana watched him slid into the room, his long black coat swirling around his legs when he walked. She brushed a stray piece of hair that had come loose from her ponytail away while she watched him. He looked like he had a definite mission for coming to see her and Lana started to get worried.
"What are you doing here?" she asked instantly not caring if she maintained a friendly air or not.
"I came to talk to you actually." Lex still had a hard time seeing this nervous girl as the woman who had so thoroughly seduced him just a week ago. She stood in the dim light of the storeroom in jeans and a pink sweater, a far cry from that little black dress; but her appeal to him was just as strong.
"Oh, well Clark..." she started hoping that she could get him to leave if he thought Clark was around too. She didn't want to have a conversation with him, since she had a good idea what it would be about.
"Clark isn't here Lana. I had to place an order for some last minute produce I need tomorrow, so Mrs. Kent needed his help." Lex cocked an eyebrow at her as realization dawned in her hazel eyes.
"You did that on purpose. So he couldn't come and help me tonight." She accused, suddenly angrier that he had manipulated her than afraid of what he wanted to talk about.
"Yes I did. He didn't stand a chance with you fluttering those big brown eyes and whispering in that syrupy voice." Lex smirked not allowing her to hide behind accusatory protestations.
"My what.I did not do that." She hissed at him even as she admitted she had just been thinking the same thing about manipulating Clark. "Besides I am sure he was happy not to be here after you told him."
"That was an accident." Lex started to respond, straining to keep his voice even.
"Yea sure, I bet. I don't know why I even trusted you." She threw back at him, angry that he looked so calm about this situation. Lana's life had always been something for public speculation and she had always hated it. And here she was again about to be part of the gossip wheel.
"Trusted me? Please Lana you thought I drugged your drink. You were expecting me to tell Clark, you even came to the house and begged me not to." He raised his voice before he could stop himself.
Lana tried to get her temper under control and realized that Lex was right; her first reaction to waking up with him was to think it was his fault somehow and she had been wrong about that.
"Ok, so I sort of jumped to conclusions about some things, but you did tell Clark." She spit out.
"I told you that was an accident, I was just mad and I didn't mean to say anything about it." Lex lowered his voice, knowing that this argument wasn't going to get them anywhere. He wanted to get the discussion back to the path he had laid out earlier in his head, "I'm sorry about that. But I came here to talk about your using poor Clark."
Lana shook her head at Lex's words, still upset about his so called slip, and not sure if she believed him or not. "What are you talking about? I didn't use poor Clark." What Lex had said about her syrupy voice and big brown eyes came back to her, making her feel guilty all over again.
"Really, well whatever you call it, but I wasn't about to let it happen Lana. You should have known that." He stalked closer to her, glad that she had stopped being so nervous. He would take her anger over that any day.
"Let what happen Lex? Look Clark and I are friends and if I want his help." She couldn't back down now and let Lex know he was right, especially after he had almost spilled everything to Clark. Plus if she admitted she had done just that then she would have to explain why she had done it.
"His help? You didn't want his help. You wanted to use him. If you don't think that's what it was think again." He had almost not called the Kent farm tonight and asked for the produce, he had almost let tonight go. Even though he knew she had only flirted with Clark to annoy him, and he told himself that he wasn't going to be annoyed about it, he was annoyed.
Lana started to say something about how wrong he was, but her uneasy conscience wouldn't let her. Every word Lex said was true, she had been using Clark and she had flirted with him on purpose and they both knew it.
"Besides, I thought this was between you and me, and not anyone else. I kept my end, you were the one that dragged Clark into it Lana." He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his crepe wool jacket and waited for her to argue with him again.
"You were the one that mentioned the club, not me Lex." She answered hastily not letting him off the hook so easily.
"Only because of how you were acting Lana. You started this little battle with Clark in the middle not me." He answered back just as quickly.
Lana suddenly saw how her behavior might have looked from both Lex and Clark's point of view and knew that Lex might be right about her putting Clark in the middle. She had known it would be guaranteed to make Lex mad, and that Clark wouldn't use anything she did against her later on. So I did start this and put Clark in the middle, she admitted to herself, feeling even worse than earlier.
"I know. You're right, I know." She finally whispered in a small voice, as unwanted tears coated her lashes.
Whatever he had expected her to say, the words that he was right weren't it. He wanted to gloat and use that to twist her around to what he wanted, when he could use her own actions against her. Plus he knew he could do it, he had learned from Lionel that there were always moments that were turning points. The man that came out on top was the one that was able to see those moments and exploit them.
"Then why Lana? Why?" He asked instead, hearing his father admonish him for letting the upper hand slip away, pushing the into a little corner as he usually did.
Lana didn't know what to say, what to tell him. Why had she done something so intentionally mean to Clark, the last person who deserved it?
"I don't know. You were standing there and you looked so smug and you were talking about that club on purpose and I.don't know.it just happened." She tried to explain wiping at her eyes, "I knew it would make you angry." She finally concluded quietly.
Lex took a deep breath as the conversation took off in a direction he hadn't planned on and went onto a totally different path. Secretly he wasn't sure this one would be any better, but he was curious where it would lead.
"I was talking about the club after you decided to drag Clark into this." He clarified as she turned away and tried to stop crying.
"OK, I know. Stop saying it that way." She furiously shouted, wiping away the final tears and finally turning back towards him.
"I apologize. I'm sorry. I'll tell Clark I was sorry, just stop saying that." She continued to yell, moving closer to him as she enunciated each word. Lex didn't seem to be too upset by her yelling and was only staring at her strangely.
"Lana why are you yelling, I can hear you fine." Lex smiled and rocked back on his heels while she continued to swipe at her now red-rimmed eyes.
Lana really wanted to scream now, not yell, but scream at the top of her lungs. He was so infuriating and everything he said seemed to be on purpose to upset her, and it was. "I don't know Lex, I don't. Why don't you tell me why I did it, you seem to know so tell me?" She chocked out the last few words, willing her self not to scream.
See dad sometimes you have to just let the situation work itself around to what you want, he thought as he hid his smile and waited until she had stopped yelling to answer.
"Maybe because you're upset about what happened and not because you can't figure out why, maybe because after all it wasn't so horrible." He reached out and cupped her chin in one hand and lifted her face to his.
Lana let his hand brush against her chin and lift her eyes to meet his. She might not have wanted it to, but her body seemed almost to lean into that touch. She tried to steel herself and tell her self she didn't want to talk about this anymore, but her brain was too tired from trying to remember lie after lie and excuse after excuse. "No it wasn't horrible, it just wasn't a big deal right."
He listened to her petulant almost pouty response and shook off a desire to kiss her. "Well at least that's one thing. Who said it wasn't a big deal?"
Lana felt like a child standing there like that and shook off his hand, "You did. You said it wasn't a big deal, but.it was.to me." She admitted hesitantly.
Now this was a definite turn he hadn't foreseen and he admitted he should have. The Metropolis Lana had seemed very mature and experienced, but she was only a girl and not experienced at all.
"Well I probably didn't mean it quite that way. I mean are you sure I said that?" he couldn't remember those words, but then he had tried to only remember the night of and not the day after.
Lana wasn't sure if she still wanted to scream or hit him now. Was she sure he said that, like she would forget something that important. He had a quizzical look in his wary eyes and she figured he was trying to remember when exactly he had uttered such an obvious slander.
"Yes you said it, when you dropped me at home, and when you were trying to explain to Clark." She blurted out and watched the quizzical glint disappear followed by a slight blush.
Lex wasn't sure how to answer her accusation, but he didn't think that being completely honest about how he had been decidedly disappointed that day was the best answer. Still he realized watching her intently, arms folded across her chest staring daggers at him, a version of the truth might just help him out.
"Lana. look, first Clark doesn't count. Second I don't want to say that what you were, or how you acted was well.out of character, but it was unusual for you and I didn't quite realize it until...well too late apparently. So Saturday I wasn't exactly.understanding." Lex watched to see her reaction but realized he missed the mark, when Lana just continued to stare at him, her head cocked slightly to one side.
Lex decided the truth might not be so bad after all. "Uh, well I sort of thought you wanted to be in Metropolis with me.understand?" he waited until he saw a slight frown crease her brow before continuing, "and Saturday I was a little.disappointed that I was.wrong. Ok."
Lana listened to his extracted confession and her first reaction was to laugh. Lex Luthor rich, sexy and one of the most sought after young bachelors in the world was disappointed that she didn't like him. She was glad as she watched him though that she suppressed that laugh, because she could tell he was serious. A sudden flash of his eyes as he stood above her, asking her if she was sure, flashed into her mind. She had known then that he had expected her to reject him, and in a way that was what she had done.
She felt guilty that he had admitted to any feelings for her, after how she had acted to such a confession last time. She had obviously taken advantage of a side of Lex she hadn't know about and then been awful to him. She knew what she would feel like if it had been the other way around and felt ashamed that she had thought Lex wouldn't be hurt.
"Well Clark does count, you slipped and you said it didn't matter." She answered, as she unconsciously leaned toward him a little, "and Lex I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of it.the way it turned out, honestly. I didn't even think of that, I only thought about myself and." she trailed off and lowered her gaze to the floor unable to meet his soulful eyes.
Lex couldn't believe that she was actually apologizing to him and meaning it. Well he did deserve it, he admitted, since she had been pretty insensitive about teasing him. Still he figured that since it was sort of his fault to begin with, only by default of course, he shouldn't let her feel to bad about it.
"Lana, please don't, you're going to make me feel guilty and I hate that. It's ok that you were upset, whatever happened, I guess it wasn't the most romantic way to spend your first time." He took a few steps toward her, figuring it might be safe now.
Lana knew she should be embarrassed to be standing here talking to him about this, but she wasn't. She wondered if he was though, as she listened to his strangled words as he tried to comfort her. She watched him take a few more hesitant steps toward her, all joking instantly gone from his lean face. She realized she was getting better at reading Lex, because she knew by the way he offered the words, they were a sort of apology.
"Oh no it wasn't that, actually the night couldn't have been more perfect. I mean the penthouse and restaurant and the club too." she trailed off because despite herself she knew she was blushing.
Now she stared to feel she really should feel foolish and embarrassed talking about what had happened, but still she didn't. It was strange though because anytime Whitney had even wanted to joke about anything passionate between them, she would tell him to stop and quickly change the subject. Maybe because of what had happened she felt differently talking to Lex about it.
Lex was smiling at her, the amused gleam back in his eyes. "Oh well at least I get points for that part." He joked as he watched her color prettily and right on cue. All he needed to do was lead her down to him a little more and Lex thought things would work out the way he had planned last week, only a little late.
"Well I guess so, I mean I guess you usually don't have to worry about that." She joked back watching him veer away from her and walk around absently running long firm fingers over some of the boxes. It brought back memories and made her blush even deeper.
"No not usually, but then usually I don't really care." He answered casually as he continued to wander around the room, circling closer to Lana without her being aware of it.
"Usually? What do you mean?" Lana bent to pick up the clipboard she had thrown earlier as she absently digested his words. When she stood up she could sense Lex standing close behind her. She could feel the weight of his coat against the back of her legs and his breathing close. She parted her lips to say something light and joking but all that came out was a sigh.
"I care about you Lana, I wanted to be with you, and I know you wanted that too." Lex reached out and stroked the back of her neck, brushing aside her ponytail with the edges of his fingers. He traced up and down rubbing with the pad of his thumb and continued in a lowered voice.
"I know you didn't expect this, neither did I, but it happened for a reason. I know my reason," he leaned down and whispered the rest in her ear, his breath inviting her, "do you know yours?"
Lana shivered as his words invaded her, and his hands stroked her. She waited for him to say something more or to move fully against her. Her body was stretched tight and she was afraid that if she breathed out she would break apart.
Part of her suddenly understood that whatever the reason for how strangely she had acted the week before, the why was easy; because she wanted to be with Lex, was overwhelmingly attracted to him, physically and emotionally. But now was different; then she had felt free and almost out of control. Now the warnings screamed in her head and her heart was pounding against her chest while her breath came in long unsteady pauses.
When he didn't continue she knew that he was waiting for her, for what she had to say. Only she wasn't sure what that was. Being here with him like this made her want to turn to him and bury herself against him, let him take her home and to his bed. It was what she had dreamed about all week, what she secretly wanted. But after that would come guilt and fear over what she had done and what that meant.
"L L L ex, I don't know what you want." she stammered out, still afraid to move.
"Not the question Lana. What do you want?" Lex cut her off still whispering seductively in her ear, "or don't you know anymore?"
His voice pulling at her mixed with his closeness overwhelmed her until Lana let her eyes drift shut and her body relax and fold back against him. His arms enveloped her and held her tight to him. She could feel his breath falling evenly in and out and her heart change rhythms to match his.
"Lana." Lex whispered again as his lips nuzzled at the delicate skin just behind her ear.
Lana heard the desire in Lex's call and responded to it, turning fully in his arms and lifting her lips as he stroked one large hand up to her neck and cradled her face. Lana ran hesitant hands up the front of Lex's midnight blue shirt, gasping softly as his tongue stroked hers, coaxing her to sink deeper into him.
Lex heard Lana's gasp of pleasure and deepened the kiss, but only for a few brief, wonderful, minutes. Then he slowly ended it, stroking silken strands of hair that had fallen loose. Lana let her head fall into the crook of his neck, running her hand along the V above the top buttons of the shirt and stroking the exposed expanse of skin.
Lex was glad he had stopped when he had, as it was it took all his control not to push his advantage, but her ragged breathing and fingers stroking his collarbone were pushing at him, begging him to touch her.
"Lana, I think we need to take you home NOW." He slowly pushed her away enough so he could look into her eyes. What he saw there made him want to groan, her eyes were cloudy and unfocused and her lips were red and stung. Unplanned Lex ran a soft caress over her lips and he sighed out loud when her lips parted slightly to his touch.
Lex jerked away from her like he had been burned and took a few steps backward as Lana focused on him. "Lex what.?" she asked hesitantly, starting to feel embarrassed over her behavior.
"Nothing, it's nothing." He breathed out slowly, realizing too late that Lana would take his pulling away the wrong way. "No." He reached out and jerked her against him when she started to turn away, looking into her face as he continued. "that isn't what I meant. I need to take you home.now.before this gets.out of hand."
Lana started to struggle against his arms around her, pining her against his chest, but stopped when he spoke, "oh, I guess so.it's just." Lana wasn't sure what else to say. She wanted to say that she didn't want to go home, that she wanted Lex to make love to her again, but she couldn't say that yet.
Lex shook his head slightly as he realized what Lana was trying not to say and say at the same time. He had come here tonight to make sure she knew he wasn't going to be manipulated by her, or to let her use Clark to make him mad. But things had gone off in a direction he hadn't even begun to imagine, and one that worked out better than he hoped. He smiled slightly as he realized again that Lana seemed to be the one person that could always surprise him.
"Lana, please don't. I swear I can't take it." He joked and watched her blush a deep red. "I could have an attack right here." He continued just to watch her embarrassment deepen. Instead she only smiled a slow smile and leaned her head against his chest.
"What ever you say Lex." She murmured, her breath warm through the silk of his shirt.
"Tease." He joked as he let her go and watched as she shook herself and finally picked up the fallen clipboard.
Lana sat the clipboard on one of the metal shelves on the sidewall and retrieved her suede jacket from the hook beside it. She took her time, glad for the few minutes to herself. She knew that something had happened tonight, some kind of decision on her part, but it was still confusing and scary. There would be so many repercussions, but she would have to deal with them tomorrow. Tonight she didn't wan to think about them.
She watched Lex out of the corner of her eye, move a few boxes she had stacked in the floor to the side and pull his keys out of his pocket.
"Ready." He knew she was watching him, and Lex wondered what she was thinking. He didn't want to give her too much time to think about what had happened, or he knew she might let her doubts change her mind.
"Yes." Lana turned and stared for a minute at the hand that Lex motioned to her with. Smiling a slow easy smile, Lana took a few steps toward him and fit her smaller hand in his. "Ready."
Lex glanced confused as Lana took his hand and held it. He certainly knew that people did things like this, but he had never thought of himself as the hand holding type before. Still he tightened his grip, figuring it couldn't hurt to play along. He admitted that even though he felt a little foolish it did feel nice to feel Lana's warmth.
"So I was thinking that maybe we can go to the city, just for the day of course," he hastily amended at her confused glance, "and see one of those other groups, I know one of them is playing an afternoon concert next weekend."
A brief glimpse of Clark's face when she told him flashed in her head, but she dismissed it and smiled as Lex amended his comments, and drifted closer to him as they walked out of the Talon. "That sounds nice actually." She responded to his suggestion of a picnic and concert in the Metropolis Botanical Gardens.
"You know Lana I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Lex joked, the line from one of his favorite old moves springing to mind. He stumbled as Lana stopped suddenly and tugged on his arm.
"That's one of those old movie again isn't it?" she continued before he could answer, "We are definitely going to have to rent some newer movies, and no Godfather either."
Lex was grateful that she hadn't brought up Clark and what he would say to a relationship between he and Lana. He wasn't sure exactly what he was going to tell his friend yet. Although Clark and Lana had never dated, Lex knew that his friend's not so secret crush was pretty intense. Plus Lex figured he had told Clark enough times not to wait too long, or someone else was bound to grab someone as beautiful as Lana. Of course he hadn't been referring to himself at the time.
He held the door to the silver Jaguar open and watched Lana slide into the passenger seat before answering, putting the problem of Clark out of his mind until tomorrow, "whatever you say Ms. Lang, except renting isn't really my thing. We can just have the movie set up and screen it on the big screen."
He heard Lana's laughter echoing as he walked around and slid behind the wheel.
"What it's not that funny." He scowled as she continued to laugh.
"Oh Lex, it is. Really. I mean what are you going to do call up the theater and tell them you want them to show a certain movie and they'll do it?" As soon as she said the words, she knew that was exactly what Lex meant to do. She realized she might have to be careful about telling him things she wanted, he might just take them too far.
"Of course. Why not?" Lex pulled out onto the street and swung the silver car around toward Lana's.
"And they'll just do it?" Lana stopped laughing and leaned forward to watch Lex's face in the streetlights.
"Of course they will." Lex answered as he reached across and took Lana's hand in his, suddenly missing the intimate contact.
"Oh. So do you always get what you want then?" Lana asked an uneasy feeling coming over her, that she already knew the answer.
Lex swung the car left through the red light, and lifted Lana's suddenly cold hand to his lips. "Of course, always." He answered as a satisfied smile slowly played around his lips. Lana pushed down the worrisome thought that somehow she had been manipulated tonight, twisted around to what Lex wanted and smiled instead as he turned to her. "And from now on Lana, so will you. Anything you want."
Lana kept her smile, but hid a small shudder as she wondered exactly what Lex meant by that. A small voice in her head intoned that she needed to be very careful, but being with Lex and feeling him softly stroke her hand made her tune it out. It said just before it was pushed away that it hoped she didn't regret her decision one day.
Lana counted the boxes of red plastic stirrers again, and tried to pay attention this time. She had already counted this box three times, and didn't want to have to do it a fourth. When she realized she had counted 30 at least twice, she stopped and threw down the clipboard.
"You could just go home and do this another time," she said to the empty room. She was still angry about this afternoon, but grateful that Clark had called and said something had come up last minute and he was really sorry he couldn't help her tonight.
She had told him it was fine because she really had been sorry later on that she had used him to annoy Lex. That hadn't been fair and she felt guilty about doing it. Of course Lex had retaliated much better, just bringing up that club had brought an instant image of herself standing pressed against him with his hand rubbing circles on her bare stomach.
"Go away." she hissed out loud to the erotic images that flashed so easily across her mind.
"But I just got here." Lex stepped the last few feet into the back storeroom. He figured that Lana might just decide to not be the conscientious manager and leave her inventory unfinished, so he figured his time of watching from the shadows was over.
"Lex" she jumped and whirled around, surprised that he had snuck up on her.
"Not having much fun are you? Although I doubt this would be fun under the nicest of circumstances." He glanced around the slightly dusty backroom and knew instantly why he had never bothered to see what was behind door number three before.
Lana watched him slid into the room, his long black coat swirling around his legs when he walked. She brushed a stray piece of hair that had come loose from her ponytail away while she watched him. He looked like he had a definite mission for coming to see her and Lana started to get worried.
"What are you doing here?" she asked instantly not caring if she maintained a friendly air or not.
"I came to talk to you actually." Lex still had a hard time seeing this nervous girl as the woman who had so thoroughly seduced him just a week ago. She stood in the dim light of the storeroom in jeans and a pink sweater, a far cry from that little black dress; but her appeal to him was just as strong.
"Oh, well Clark..." she started hoping that she could get him to leave if he thought Clark was around too. She didn't want to have a conversation with him, since she had a good idea what it would be about.
"Clark isn't here Lana. I had to place an order for some last minute produce I need tomorrow, so Mrs. Kent needed his help." Lex cocked an eyebrow at her as realization dawned in her hazel eyes.
"You did that on purpose. So he couldn't come and help me tonight." She accused, suddenly angrier that he had manipulated her than afraid of what he wanted to talk about.
"Yes I did. He didn't stand a chance with you fluttering those big brown eyes and whispering in that syrupy voice." Lex smirked not allowing her to hide behind accusatory protestations.
"My what.I did not do that." She hissed at him even as she admitted she had just been thinking the same thing about manipulating Clark. "Besides I am sure he was happy not to be here after you told him."
"That was an accident." Lex started to respond, straining to keep his voice even.
"Yea sure, I bet. I don't know why I even trusted you." She threw back at him, angry that he looked so calm about this situation. Lana's life had always been something for public speculation and she had always hated it. And here she was again about to be part of the gossip wheel.
"Trusted me? Please Lana you thought I drugged your drink. You were expecting me to tell Clark, you even came to the house and begged me not to." He raised his voice before he could stop himself.
Lana tried to get her temper under control and realized that Lex was right; her first reaction to waking up with him was to think it was his fault somehow and she had been wrong about that.
"Ok, so I sort of jumped to conclusions about some things, but you did tell Clark." She spit out.
"I told you that was an accident, I was just mad and I didn't mean to say anything about it." Lex lowered his voice, knowing that this argument wasn't going to get them anywhere. He wanted to get the discussion back to the path he had laid out earlier in his head, "I'm sorry about that. But I came here to talk about your using poor Clark."
Lana shook her head at Lex's words, still upset about his so called slip, and not sure if she believed him or not. "What are you talking about? I didn't use poor Clark." What Lex had said about her syrupy voice and big brown eyes came back to her, making her feel guilty all over again.
"Really, well whatever you call it, but I wasn't about to let it happen Lana. You should have known that." He stalked closer to her, glad that she had stopped being so nervous. He would take her anger over that any day.
"Let what happen Lex? Look Clark and I are friends and if I want his help." She couldn't back down now and let Lex know he was right, especially after he had almost spilled everything to Clark. Plus if she admitted she had done just that then she would have to explain why she had done it.
"His help? You didn't want his help. You wanted to use him. If you don't think that's what it was think again." He had almost not called the Kent farm tonight and asked for the produce, he had almost let tonight go. Even though he knew she had only flirted with Clark to annoy him, and he told himself that he wasn't going to be annoyed about it, he was annoyed.
Lana started to say something about how wrong he was, but her uneasy conscience wouldn't let her. Every word Lex said was true, she had been using Clark and she had flirted with him on purpose and they both knew it.
"Besides, I thought this was between you and me, and not anyone else. I kept my end, you were the one that dragged Clark into it Lana." He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his crepe wool jacket and waited for her to argue with him again.
"You were the one that mentioned the club, not me Lex." She answered hastily not letting him off the hook so easily.
"Only because of how you were acting Lana. You started this little battle with Clark in the middle not me." He answered back just as quickly.
Lana suddenly saw how her behavior might have looked from both Lex and Clark's point of view and knew that Lex might be right about her putting Clark in the middle. She had known it would be guaranteed to make Lex mad, and that Clark wouldn't use anything she did against her later on. So I did start this and put Clark in the middle, she admitted to herself, feeling even worse than earlier.
"I know. You're right, I know." She finally whispered in a small voice, as unwanted tears coated her lashes.
Whatever he had expected her to say, the words that he was right weren't it. He wanted to gloat and use that to twist her around to what he wanted, when he could use her own actions against her. Plus he knew he could do it, he had learned from Lionel that there were always moments that were turning points. The man that came out on top was the one that was able to see those moments and exploit them.
"Then why Lana? Why?" He asked instead, hearing his father admonish him for letting the upper hand slip away, pushing the into a little corner as he usually did.
Lana didn't know what to say, what to tell him. Why had she done something so intentionally mean to Clark, the last person who deserved it?
"I don't know. You were standing there and you looked so smug and you were talking about that club on purpose and I.don't know.it just happened." She tried to explain wiping at her eyes, "I knew it would make you angry." She finally concluded quietly.
Lex took a deep breath as the conversation took off in a direction he hadn't planned on and went onto a totally different path. Secretly he wasn't sure this one would be any better, but he was curious where it would lead.
"I was talking about the club after you decided to drag Clark into this." He clarified as she turned away and tried to stop crying.
"OK, I know. Stop saying it that way." She furiously shouted, wiping away the final tears and finally turning back towards him.
"I apologize. I'm sorry. I'll tell Clark I was sorry, just stop saying that." She continued to yell, moving closer to him as she enunciated each word. Lex didn't seem to be too upset by her yelling and was only staring at her strangely.
"Lana why are you yelling, I can hear you fine." Lex smiled and rocked back on his heels while she continued to swipe at her now red-rimmed eyes.
Lana really wanted to scream now, not yell, but scream at the top of her lungs. He was so infuriating and everything he said seemed to be on purpose to upset her, and it was. "I don't know Lex, I don't. Why don't you tell me why I did it, you seem to know so tell me?" She chocked out the last few words, willing her self not to scream.
See dad sometimes you have to just let the situation work itself around to what you want, he thought as he hid his smile and waited until she had stopped yelling to answer.
"Maybe because you're upset about what happened and not because you can't figure out why, maybe because after all it wasn't so horrible." He reached out and cupped her chin in one hand and lifted her face to his.
Lana let his hand brush against her chin and lift her eyes to meet his. She might not have wanted it to, but her body seemed almost to lean into that touch. She tried to steel herself and tell her self she didn't want to talk about this anymore, but her brain was too tired from trying to remember lie after lie and excuse after excuse. "No it wasn't horrible, it just wasn't a big deal right."
He listened to her petulant almost pouty response and shook off a desire to kiss her. "Well at least that's one thing. Who said it wasn't a big deal?"
Lana felt like a child standing there like that and shook off his hand, "You did. You said it wasn't a big deal, but.it was.to me." She admitted hesitantly.
Now this was a definite turn he hadn't foreseen and he admitted he should have. The Metropolis Lana had seemed very mature and experienced, but she was only a girl and not experienced at all.
"Well I probably didn't mean it quite that way. I mean are you sure I said that?" he couldn't remember those words, but then he had tried to only remember the night of and not the day after.
Lana wasn't sure if she still wanted to scream or hit him now. Was she sure he said that, like she would forget something that important. He had a quizzical look in his wary eyes and she figured he was trying to remember when exactly he had uttered such an obvious slander.
"Yes you said it, when you dropped me at home, and when you were trying to explain to Clark." She blurted out and watched the quizzical glint disappear followed by a slight blush.
Lex wasn't sure how to answer her accusation, but he didn't think that being completely honest about how he had been decidedly disappointed that day was the best answer. Still he realized watching her intently, arms folded across her chest staring daggers at him, a version of the truth might just help him out.
"Lana. look, first Clark doesn't count. Second I don't want to say that what you were, or how you acted was well.out of character, but it was unusual for you and I didn't quite realize it until...well too late apparently. So Saturday I wasn't exactly.understanding." Lex watched to see her reaction but realized he missed the mark, when Lana just continued to stare at him, her head cocked slightly to one side.
Lex decided the truth might not be so bad after all. "Uh, well I sort of thought you wanted to be in Metropolis with me.understand?" he waited until he saw a slight frown crease her brow before continuing, "and Saturday I was a little.disappointed that I was.wrong. Ok."
Lana listened to his extracted confession and her first reaction was to laugh. Lex Luthor rich, sexy and one of the most sought after young bachelors in the world was disappointed that she didn't like him. She was glad as she watched him though that she suppressed that laugh, because she could tell he was serious. A sudden flash of his eyes as he stood above her, asking her if she was sure, flashed into her mind. She had known then that he had expected her to reject him, and in a way that was what she had done.
She felt guilty that he had admitted to any feelings for her, after how she had acted to such a confession last time. She had obviously taken advantage of a side of Lex she hadn't know about and then been awful to him. She knew what she would feel like if it had been the other way around and felt ashamed that she had thought Lex wouldn't be hurt.
"Well Clark does count, you slipped and you said it didn't matter." She answered, as she unconsciously leaned toward him a little, "and Lex I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of it.the way it turned out, honestly. I didn't even think of that, I only thought about myself and." she trailed off and lowered her gaze to the floor unable to meet his soulful eyes.
Lex couldn't believe that she was actually apologizing to him and meaning it. Well he did deserve it, he admitted, since she had been pretty insensitive about teasing him. Still he figured that since it was sort of his fault to begin with, only by default of course, he shouldn't let her feel to bad about it.
"Lana, please don't, you're going to make me feel guilty and I hate that. It's ok that you were upset, whatever happened, I guess it wasn't the most romantic way to spend your first time." He took a few steps toward her, figuring it might be safe now.
Lana knew she should be embarrassed to be standing here talking to him about this, but she wasn't. She wondered if he was though, as she listened to his strangled words as he tried to comfort her. She watched him take a few more hesitant steps toward her, all joking instantly gone from his lean face. She realized she was getting better at reading Lex, because she knew by the way he offered the words, they were a sort of apology.
"Oh no it wasn't that, actually the night couldn't have been more perfect. I mean the penthouse and restaurant and the club too." she trailed off because despite herself she knew she was blushing.
Now she stared to feel she really should feel foolish and embarrassed talking about what had happened, but still she didn't. It was strange though because anytime Whitney had even wanted to joke about anything passionate between them, she would tell him to stop and quickly change the subject. Maybe because of what had happened she felt differently talking to Lex about it.
Lex was smiling at her, the amused gleam back in his eyes. "Oh well at least I get points for that part." He joked as he watched her color prettily and right on cue. All he needed to do was lead her down to him a little more and Lex thought things would work out the way he had planned last week, only a little late.
"Well I guess so, I mean I guess you usually don't have to worry about that." She joked back watching him veer away from her and walk around absently running long firm fingers over some of the boxes. It brought back memories and made her blush even deeper.
"No not usually, but then usually I don't really care." He answered casually as he continued to wander around the room, circling closer to Lana without her being aware of it.
"Usually? What do you mean?" Lana bent to pick up the clipboard she had thrown earlier as she absently digested his words. When she stood up she could sense Lex standing close behind her. She could feel the weight of his coat against the back of her legs and his breathing close. She parted her lips to say something light and joking but all that came out was a sigh.
"I care about you Lana, I wanted to be with you, and I know you wanted that too." Lex reached out and stroked the back of her neck, brushing aside her ponytail with the edges of his fingers. He traced up and down rubbing with the pad of his thumb and continued in a lowered voice.
"I know you didn't expect this, neither did I, but it happened for a reason. I know my reason," he leaned down and whispered the rest in her ear, his breath inviting her, "do you know yours?"
Lana shivered as his words invaded her, and his hands stroked her. She waited for him to say something more or to move fully against her. Her body was stretched tight and she was afraid that if she breathed out she would break apart.
Part of her suddenly understood that whatever the reason for how strangely she had acted the week before, the why was easy; because she wanted to be with Lex, was overwhelmingly attracted to him, physically and emotionally. But now was different; then she had felt free and almost out of control. Now the warnings screamed in her head and her heart was pounding against her chest while her breath came in long unsteady pauses.
When he didn't continue she knew that he was waiting for her, for what she had to say. Only she wasn't sure what that was. Being here with him like this made her want to turn to him and bury herself against him, let him take her home and to his bed. It was what she had dreamed about all week, what she secretly wanted. But after that would come guilt and fear over what she had done and what that meant.
"L L L ex, I don't know what you want." she stammered out, still afraid to move.
"Not the question Lana. What do you want?" Lex cut her off still whispering seductively in her ear, "or don't you know anymore?"
His voice pulling at her mixed with his closeness overwhelmed her until Lana let her eyes drift shut and her body relax and fold back against him. His arms enveloped her and held her tight to him. She could feel his breath falling evenly in and out and her heart change rhythms to match his.
"Lana." Lex whispered again as his lips nuzzled at the delicate skin just behind her ear.
Lana heard the desire in Lex's call and responded to it, turning fully in his arms and lifting her lips as he stroked one large hand up to her neck and cradled her face. Lana ran hesitant hands up the front of Lex's midnight blue shirt, gasping softly as his tongue stroked hers, coaxing her to sink deeper into him.
Lex heard Lana's gasp of pleasure and deepened the kiss, but only for a few brief, wonderful, minutes. Then he slowly ended it, stroking silken strands of hair that had fallen loose. Lana let her head fall into the crook of his neck, running her hand along the V above the top buttons of the shirt and stroking the exposed expanse of skin.
Lex was glad he had stopped when he had, as it was it took all his control not to push his advantage, but her ragged breathing and fingers stroking his collarbone were pushing at him, begging him to touch her.
"Lana, I think we need to take you home NOW." He slowly pushed her away enough so he could look into her eyes. What he saw there made him want to groan, her eyes were cloudy and unfocused and her lips were red and stung. Unplanned Lex ran a soft caress over her lips and he sighed out loud when her lips parted slightly to his touch.
Lex jerked away from her like he had been burned and took a few steps backward as Lana focused on him. "Lex what.?" she asked hesitantly, starting to feel embarrassed over her behavior.
"Nothing, it's nothing." He breathed out slowly, realizing too late that Lana would take his pulling away the wrong way. "No." He reached out and jerked her against him when she started to turn away, looking into her face as he continued. "that isn't what I meant. I need to take you home.now.before this gets.out of hand."
Lana started to struggle against his arms around her, pining her against his chest, but stopped when he spoke, "oh, I guess so.it's just." Lana wasn't sure what else to say. She wanted to say that she didn't want to go home, that she wanted Lex to make love to her again, but she couldn't say that yet.
Lex shook his head slightly as he realized what Lana was trying not to say and say at the same time. He had come here tonight to make sure she knew he wasn't going to be manipulated by her, or to let her use Clark to make him mad. But things had gone off in a direction he hadn't even begun to imagine, and one that worked out better than he hoped. He smiled slightly as he realized again that Lana seemed to be the one person that could always surprise him.
"Lana, please don't. I swear I can't take it." He joked and watched her blush a deep red. "I could have an attack right here." He continued just to watch her embarrassment deepen. Instead she only smiled a slow smile and leaned her head against his chest.
"What ever you say Lex." She murmured, her breath warm through the silk of his shirt.
"Tease." He joked as he let her go and watched as she shook herself and finally picked up the fallen clipboard.
Lana sat the clipboard on one of the metal shelves on the sidewall and retrieved her suede jacket from the hook beside it. She took her time, glad for the few minutes to herself. She knew that something had happened tonight, some kind of decision on her part, but it was still confusing and scary. There would be so many repercussions, but she would have to deal with them tomorrow. Tonight she didn't wan to think about them.
She watched Lex out of the corner of her eye, move a few boxes she had stacked in the floor to the side and pull his keys out of his pocket.
"Ready." He knew she was watching him, and Lex wondered what she was thinking. He didn't want to give her too much time to think about what had happened, or he knew she might let her doubts change her mind.
"Yes." Lana turned and stared for a minute at the hand that Lex motioned to her with. Smiling a slow easy smile, Lana took a few steps toward him and fit her smaller hand in his. "Ready."
Lex glanced confused as Lana took his hand and held it. He certainly knew that people did things like this, but he had never thought of himself as the hand holding type before. Still he tightened his grip, figuring it couldn't hurt to play along. He admitted that even though he felt a little foolish it did feel nice to feel Lana's warmth.
"So I was thinking that maybe we can go to the city, just for the day of course," he hastily amended at her confused glance, "and see one of those other groups, I know one of them is playing an afternoon concert next weekend."
A brief glimpse of Clark's face when she told him flashed in her head, but she dismissed it and smiled as Lex amended his comments, and drifted closer to him as they walked out of the Talon. "That sounds nice actually." She responded to his suggestion of a picnic and concert in the Metropolis Botanical Gardens.
"You know Lana I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Lex joked, the line from one of his favorite old moves springing to mind. He stumbled as Lana stopped suddenly and tugged on his arm.
"That's one of those old movie again isn't it?" she continued before he could answer, "We are definitely going to have to rent some newer movies, and no Godfather either."
Lex was grateful that she hadn't brought up Clark and what he would say to a relationship between he and Lana. He wasn't sure exactly what he was going to tell his friend yet. Although Clark and Lana had never dated, Lex knew that his friend's not so secret crush was pretty intense. Plus Lex figured he had told Clark enough times not to wait too long, or someone else was bound to grab someone as beautiful as Lana. Of course he hadn't been referring to himself at the time.
He held the door to the silver Jaguar open and watched Lana slide into the passenger seat before answering, putting the problem of Clark out of his mind until tomorrow, "whatever you say Ms. Lang, except renting isn't really my thing. We can just have the movie set up and screen it on the big screen."
He heard Lana's laughter echoing as he walked around and slid behind the wheel.
"What it's not that funny." He scowled as she continued to laugh.
"Oh Lex, it is. Really. I mean what are you going to do call up the theater and tell them you want them to show a certain movie and they'll do it?" As soon as she said the words, she knew that was exactly what Lex meant to do. She realized she might have to be careful about telling him things she wanted, he might just take them too far.
"Of course. Why not?" Lex pulled out onto the street and swung the silver car around toward Lana's.
"And they'll just do it?" Lana stopped laughing and leaned forward to watch Lex's face in the streetlights.
"Of course they will." Lex answered as he reached across and took Lana's hand in his, suddenly missing the intimate contact.
"Oh. So do you always get what you want then?" Lana asked an uneasy feeling coming over her, that she already knew the answer.
Lex swung the car left through the red light, and lifted Lana's suddenly cold hand to his lips. "Of course, always." He answered as a satisfied smile slowly played around his lips. Lana pushed down the worrisome thought that somehow she had been manipulated tonight, twisted around to what Lex wanted and smiled instead as he turned to her. "And from now on Lana, so will you. Anything you want."
Lana kept her smile, but hid a small shudder as she wondered exactly what Lex meant by that. A small voice in her head intoned that she needed to be very careful, but being with Lex and feeling him softly stroke her hand made her tune it out. It said just before it was pushed away that it hoped she didn't regret her decision one day.