Part Five

There was a reason he was kissing Chloe. Lex was sure of it, but for
the life of him, he couldn't remember why. It felt good and right and
so damn hot. He leaned into her and she grasped his arm to keep her
balance. The edge of a paper scraped the exposed skin of his wrist and
Lex remembered that he had heard Rothman's voice as he climbed the
stairs. Deftly, he took the folded paper from Chloe's unresisting
fingers and tucked it away in his pants' pocket. Then he gently pushed
her back farther down on the desk, reaching around her for the computer
keyboard. Unfortunately, that was also when Chloe decided to get a
little bit bold. Her tongue probed his mouth, hesitantly exploring,
and Lex really wanted to encourage her efforts. As he caressed her
tongue with his and coaxed her deeper into his mouth, Lex managed to
shut down the files Chloe had opened just as Rothman entered the
office.

"And check the champagne supply. I'm hosting a business meeting on
Wednesday that's going to be successful... Lex." Rothman stopped a few
steps into his office. He raised his eyebrow at the two people
practically fucking on his desk. "Couldn't you have found a room?"

Lex reluctantly released Chloe's mouth and straightened up.
"Unfortunately, that's one thing your club doesn't provide - you might
want to look into that given what you've called the place. I thought
that since we have such a close business relationship, you wouldn't
mind if I borrowed your office instead." He risked a glance at Chloe.
She was a bit mussed, her skin flushed a delicious pink, and she
couldn't take her eyes off some point on the wall above his head.

"By all means, what's mine is yours." Rothman held out his hands in a
generous gesture. His gaze drifted to Chloe.

"And what's mine stays mine." Lex helped Chloe off the desk. He kept
his hand on the small of her back as he guided her past Rothman to the
door. "Shall we continue this at my apartment, Chloe?"

"I hope you enjoyed yourself, Lex. Next time try the sofa. It's
quite comfortable." Rothman closed the door behind them once they
were out in the hall.

"Asshole," Lex muttered darkly. Even though his arrival prompted the
kiss, Lex was still annoyed that Rothman had interrupted it. He could
still taste Chloe on his tongue, a sweet tang like lemonade with sugar.
His heart was still beating quickly with excitement - it never did
that. Chloe still hadn't said anything. She was probably thinking
about the kiss. "Chloe, I'm sorry...." Once again Lex was caught off
guard by Chloe pulling him through a door. They were in a storage
closet. Lex ran his tongue over his bottom lip as he considered the
possibilities of being alone with Chloe in a storage closet. "Chloe?"

"Do you have that micro-recorder I gave you?" Chloe turned to him.
She held out her hand expectantly.

Lex reached into the inside breast pocket of his jacket and withdrew
the device. He handed it to her with a questioning frown. "And what
will we be recording?" He couldn't suppress the dip in the gutter his
mind insisted on taking.

"Nicholas Rothman." Chloe grinned. She looked up and pointed to a
corner. "There's a vent. I noticed it when you were talking to him.
Help me up."

Amazing. Here he was obsessing over a kiss with a school girl and all
she could think about was her story. At least Lex wouldn't have to
worry about his ego getting any larger. He helped Chloe climb up onto
a chair and then a table. She reached up and flipped open the vent,
turning on the recorder and setting it on a file cabinet underneath it.

"Goddamn bastard thinks he owns the fucking universe," Rothman's voice
ranted clearly through the vent. He continued to gripe about Lex and
Chloe frowned. She hoped he didn't waste too much of the tape
complaining about Lex. She wanted a story and Lex being a bastard was
old news. She also needed to focus on a story instead of Lex's hands
resting on her hips. She needed a distraction so she wouldn't obsess
about the kiss. No one had ever kissed her like that, her lips still
tingled with his spicy taste. Of course he had only done it as a
cover-up for Rothman. He wouldn't kiss her again.

"How much of the Green Persuasion will you need for Wednesday?" Vince,
the bartender's, voice interrupted Rothman. That piqued Chloe's
interest. Even though she had been otherwise occupied, she did
remember Rothman saying something about a business meeting.

"Sample vials for our guests and then one for a demonstration. So,
that's five - better make it a half dozen."

Lex's fingers flexed on her hips as Chloe raised herself up on her
tiptoes in excitement. This sounded good and she was already scheming
about how to get her hands on one of the samples of this 'Green
Persuasion.' "Were you invited to this meeting, Lex?" Chloe
whispered.

"No, but it's not surprising when you consider how I shafted him on
our last business deal. This sounds like an investment meeting." The
silk of the dress slipped over Lex's fingertips as he caressed his way
up to her waist and pulled her back down from her toes. He was only
steadying her so she wouldn't fall.

"So, who do you want for the demo?" Vince was asking.

"Lionel Luthor insisted on bringing his own subject." At the mention
of his father, Lex's caresses stopped. "Apparently there's a female
who's immune to his charms. She won't be after a dose of Green
Persuasion. I don't know how it does it, but this damn drug can make
anyone do anything."

Vince snorted. "I would have thought the green of Luthor's money would
be enough persuasion. I can't believe he needs drugs to pick up a
woman."

"He doesn't, the woman is just to test it. I think he's more
interested in using it to control his son. Lex will be doing Daddy's
bidding and not even know why." Rothman chuckled, amused at the
thought.

Lex's hands dropped from Chloe's waist and she looked down at him,
missing the contact. He looked like someone had punched him in the
gut. Or had torn out the little piece of his heart that still yearned
for an unconditional love from his father. Chloe turned and sat down
on the desk. She grabbed Lex's arm and drew him to her. "Lex? Talk
to me." She kept her voice soft and gentle. She wasn't concerned
about her story or Rothman hearing them. She was worried about Lex.
Chloe pulled him closer so that he was standing between her legs. She
kneaded his shoulders, trying to work the tension out of his muscles.

"I thought he admired my will. It was like his - iron, strong." A
faintly puzzled look creased Lex's brow. "I thought he was proud of
me...because I was like him. I tried...."

"We don't know that's why your father is interested in Rothman's drug.
That's just his opinion." Chloe ran her hands up and down Lex's arms.
"And we both know how smart Rothman is." She offered him an
encouraging smile and was rewarded with a much weaker smirk than the
usual sexy quirk of his lips.

"I know my father. Recreational designer drugs are not a wise business
investment unless you're a drug dealer. He wouldn't want to expose
LuthorCorp to a government investigation. He would have a personal
reason for this drug. It would be too risky to use it on his business
associates - once it wore off they would know he had influenced their
actions and cut all ties with him." The many reasons for his father's
interest in a mind-influencing drug occupied Lex's mind. Only one made
sense. "If this stuff works, he's going to give it to me."

The horrible old bastard. Chloe didn't know Lionel Luthor personally
- she really didn't want to - but from some of the things she had
heard, she had known she wouldn't like him. Now she hated him. How
could he be so horrible to his son? She hated the icy cold look in
Lex's eyes and the hard line of his jaw. She would give anything to
erase that look as well as the anger from his soul. She leaned forward
and kissed him fiercely.

Instead of pulling away, as Chloe had expected, with protests of their
age differences and other reasons why he wouldn't want to kiss her, Lex
pressed his body close to hers and tilted her back as he returned her
kiss. Chloe pushed herself up against him and brought her hands down
from his shoulders to slip them inside his jacket. As his tongue
taught her how to taste and duel with his, she smoothed her fingertips
over the cool silk of his shirt learning the contours of his chest.
Chloe gasped at the new sensation of Lex molding his hand to her
breast. His thumb brushed over her nipple and it hardened, eliciting
soft moans from her. His other hand pushed her dress up her thigh.
She couldn't believe that all those romance novels she had been ashamed
of reading and kept hidden in a box under her bed were right. Her
suddenly molten body zinged with electricity. Chloe was melting in
Lex's arms like every insipid heroine she had scoffed at in those
novels and she really didn't care.

*****

The Beanery was bustling as it always was on Friday nights. Teenagers
recapped the gossip of the week, made plans for the weekend that would
become the gossip for next week, and generally behaved as if they
hadn't a care in the world. Lana had a care. And it looked like Clark
did too. She saw him on the other side of the room, surrounding by his
social circle as she was hers and wondered if they were thinking of the
same two people.

Lana had spent most of the day convincing herself that she was wrong.
Chloe was not infatuated with Lex Luthor. He was not the older guy she
couldn't stop thinking about. No, the only way Chloe would look at
Lex twice was if he were on the front page of The Torch. And Lex -
well he might be attracted to Chloe, but she was too young for him and
too much of a scandal for him to pursue it. She must have
misinterpreted everything that was gong on between Lex and Chloe,
because there was nothing going on. Lana was sure of it now. She
glanced over at Clark again. He was staring down at his coffee instead
of paying attention to one of Pete's stories. Pete was gesturing
wildly to no avail. He clearly needed some help.

"I'm going to say 'hi' to Clark." Lana kissed Whitney on the cheek and
stood up. She crossed over to Clark, but he didn't look up when she
stopped at the table. "Hey, Clark. Hi, Pete."

"Oh, hi, Lana." Clark smiled, but it was distracted and only a
fraction of its usual wattage.

"Hey, Lana, why don't you sit down." Pete scooted over in the booth to
make room for her. "Maybe you can bring our guy out of his funk. I've
been trying, but I'm not as pretty as you."

Both Clark and Lana blushed while Pete grinned. "I'll certainly try.
So, did you see Chloe off at the bus station? I bet she's having a
great time."

"She didn't take the bus." Clark stared morosely at his coffee. He
looked up at Lana with a slight frown and worry deeply etched in his
clear blue eyes. "Lex picked her up after school. He was going to
Metropolis anyway so he offered to give her a ride."

"And you let her?" Pete yelped and shook his head in disappointment at
his friend. "Man, Clark, I know you think this guy is your friend, but
how can you trust him to be alone with Chloe? He could put the moves
on her."

Clark eyes widened in alarm. "No, Lex wouldn't do that. You saw
Victoria Hardwick, she's Lex's type - not Chloe. Besides, he cleared
it with her Dad."

"And Chloe can take care of herself," Lana offered, trying to convince
herself as well as the guys. She wasn't as sure now that she had
misinterpreted the looks between Lex and Chloe and Chloe's confession
that she was attracted to an older guy. "Chloe would stop Lex dead in
his tracks if he tried anything." At least Lana hoped she would.

*****

It was all about feeling. Sensation. It would surprise a lot of
people to know that the cool and composed Lex Luthor was little more
than an exposed raw nerve ending. People thought that he was
untouchable, that nothing could hurt him, but in fact Lex hurt a lot.
He felt pain to his very soul and there was nothing in his life that
provided any kind of soothing balm. Chloe was providing it now with
her soft lips and warm mouth. Her satiny skin and breathy moans. The
thump of her heart beneath his hand that went perfectly with the
thrumming bass of the music below. In her arms the pain was replaced
with some else. Something he was afraid to define even to himself.

There had been only one other time in his life when it hadn't been just
sex for Lex. A girl, young and innocent, had captured his heart when
he was sixteen years old. It had been a naive romance full of
passion and love. He had thought she was The One. His father had
disagreed. He had destroyed the girl's family, their reputation and
finances, and she had been taken away from Lex forever. His father
wouldn't approve of Chloe. He wouldn't care that she was intelligent
and spunky. That she had a great smile that made you smile back at her
no matter what mood you were in. That she had a caring heart and a
passionate nature. That she trusted him like no other person ever had.

Lex abruptly pulled away from Chloe's embrace. She trusted him and
what did he do? Took advantage of her in a storage room. "I'm sorry."
Lex's voice was hoarse with emotion and need. He turned away. He
couldn't stand to look at Chloe sitting on the table with the skirt of
her dress hiked up around her thighs, her kiss-bruised lips, and
tousled hair. It wasn't often that Lex was ashamed of himself, but his
actions with Chloe were disreputable. She was only in high school.

"I don't hear their voices anymore. They must have left," Chloe said
softly. Lex heard her climb up on the table and retrieve her tape
recorder. He heard her sniffle a bit. He had made her cry.

"Chloe." Lex turned around. He helped her off the table and kept a
hold on her arm even once she was safe with both feet on the floor.
She refused to look up at him. She fidgeted with the recorder instead.
Gently, Lex took it from her and put it in his jacket pocket. "It's
not that I...I mean...." Lex rubbed his hand over his head in
frustration. He was good with words, they were his friend, why
couldn't he find the right ones to explain how he was feeling? "I
don't have a witty comment or insightful philosophy. I care about you.
I'm attracted to you. You're fun, and intelligent and beautiful, and
stubborn and persistent. There are so many things, but...."

"It won't work," Chloe finished for him. She smiled sadly at him. "I
understand."

"We should leave before someone comes back." Lex led Chloe to the
door. He paused to listen for anyone in the hallway before walking out
of the room.

"Lex." Chloe tugged at his arm. "We have to get a sample of Rothman's
drug."

"It's not here." Lex stopped Chloe from heading back to the office.
"He asked Vince to bring some samples to the meeting on Wednesday,
remember? We'll have to wait until my father tries to slip some of the
drug to me. I'll have it analyzed by my people instead."

"Okay." Chloe let Lex lead her down the backstairs and out into the
club. The pulsating and infectious beat of Enrique Iglesias' 'Can't
Escape My Love' followed them as they left Bacchanalia. As the waited
for the valet to bring Lex's car, Chloe sighed. She felt numb. So
many emotions and thoughts plagued her at the same time she couldn't
focus on any of them. Lex just stood stoically silent beside her.
Despite the fact that they were holding hands and the silence was
semi-companionable, things were awkward between them. She had to break
the ice and put things back to normal. "Do you want to know a secret?"

"Sure." Lex frowned slightly, not quite understanding where she was
going and what she was going to say.

"I like this song. It's one of my favorites."

"Ah, so you fell victim to the Latin invasion. Who lured you to the
dark side? Ricky Martin?"

"I said a secret, not a confession only to be made on your death-bed."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "I only like this song."

Lex smiled and squeezed her hand. "Your secret is safe with me."

"I know."

To be continued....