Raina watched the Talon's customers through half closed eyes, leaned
far back in one of the comfortable chairs. She kept a hot chocolate curled
in one hand, and felt that she wasn't far from utter contentment. She
listened to a couple arguing about which of their friends was the laziest.
They were undecided between Rob and Adam. After hearing about his
perpetually dirty bathroom, Raina was inclined to vote for Rob.
Someone touched her shoulder and she jumped.
"Sorry," Lana said. "I didn't mean to startle you." She gestured to Raina's drink. "Do you want a warm up?"
Raina sat up, blinking. "Wow, what time is it?"
"Eight thirty. We're closing soon, but there's no rush."
"Thanks, Lana. No refill. I should probably wake up so I can get home and go to sleep."
Lana smiled a bit absently and took the last little bit of her drink away.
Raina stretched and looked around. There were only a few people left in the Talon, and she wondered if she'd actually fallen asleep for a little while. Grateful that she hadn't spilled chocolate on her skirt, she closed the folder she'd left on the table in front of her. She stood slowly and headed for the counter to pay for her drink and the muffin she'd ordered earlier.
Lana looked very harried when she got to the counter. An elderly woman was arguing about being short changed a month ago. Raina leaned idly against the counter and hoped that Lana could read her completely unhurried state.
She turned as she heard laughter from the door. Clark came in, Lex behind him. Raina smiled and waved at them.
"You two are in a good mood," she said when they got a little closer.
"And why not?" Lex said, his eyes sweeping over her. "It's a good night."
Raina felt a rush of heat and hoped she wasn't blushing too badly.
Lana finally convinced the woman to take a gift certificate. She came around the counter and leaned against it, close to Clark but not touching him. Raina hid an amused smile – the unreleased tension between those two was thick enough to cut.
She shared a glance with Lex – he'd been busy and she'd hardly seen him for two weeks. Once in his presence, though, doubts and worries tended to melt away, and she was just glad to be with him.
She was hardly one to be concerned with the future.
Lex took her by the elbow and led her away. "Let's leave the awkward estranged ones to themselves," he murmured against her ear.
"Those two." She shook her head.
"I've given up on trying to speed that snail paced relationship along." He pulled her into the back room after a quick look around.
"I don't know how they can stand it." It was dark back here, lights low and boxes piled high. "I hate to wait."
His mouth found hers as he pulled her close against him. His hands roamed her body with delicious urgency, and she returned the favor with as much fervor.
"I missed you," she said with a little gasp as his teeth bit into her neck. She ran her hand down the smooth line of his neck as he hushed anything else she might have said with another kiss.
She tugged his shirt out of his pants, seeking the warm skin of his stomach. One of his hands worked its way under her skirt, and he brushed fingers across her thigh with startling delicacy, sending her into shivers.
Things could not possibly go too quickly, but Raina felt a sudden need to slow down.
He pressed against her, big and safe and warm; unbelievable. She could feel the skin of him between her legs – it was too much, her heart was pounding too fast.
"Stop," she managed at a whimper.
He froze.
She squirmed away from him, to where the air was cooler. He stayed back but she had no time for the uncertainty in him. The light coming through the round window of the door was a beacon.
She stumbled out of the back room, blinking in the bright light. Clark and Lana stopped their conversation; she hurried past, heedless of their questions.
The cool night air hit her like a slap to the face. She hurried to her car, yanked open the passenger door, and popped the glove compartment open. Her delicate Japanese pill box fell into her hands, and she fumbled with it for a moment. She dry-swallowed a pill, and almost immediately felt better.
Now a morbid embarrassment set in. She felt like a fool. A quick look around showed that she was alone. She was afraid to look back at the Talon.
The door was empty; no one had followed.
Raina ducked into her car and drove back to her apartment, hoping her mortification would fade.
Lex watched Raina stumble out the door. He was petrified with confusion.
He shook himself, straightening his shirt, and forcing himself to think.
He shoved the door open, squinting a little as he came out of the dimness of the back room.
Clark and Lana stared at him for a moment. Clark took a step toward him. "Lex, what happened?"
"I don't know," Lex said, keeping his voice mild.
Clark caught his arm as he started to move away. "Raina looked really upset, Lex."
"I know that," Lex said steadily. "And I'm going to find out why."
He pulled away from Clark and left the Talon without a backwards glance. He walked the half block to the flower shop, rapping at the door to get the clerk's attention.
"Mr. Luthor!" The woman opened the door. "We were just about to close up for the night. Is there something I can help you with?"
He pointed to a lavish bouquet. "Those. How much for those?"
"Ah, the roses. Lovely choice. Trying to impress a lady? These are just excellent – red is very romantic." The woman didn't stop her steady stream of chatter until Lex was back outside, without him having to respond to a single comment. "Pleasure to help you, Mr. Luthor! Stop by any time!"
He gave her a distracted wave as he climbed into his car, setting the roses carefully on the passenger seat. He sat for a minute, then shook himself and drove – decisively – to Raina's apartment.
He hurried up the steps to her door, roses in hand, but stopped when he heard her voice.
"Brandy, I'm such a moron. What's he gotta be thinking right now?
Brandy was either very soft spoken, or on the phone, because Lex didn't hear her reply.
"No, I never told him. I haven't told anyone here." There was another short pause. "After it started, you remember what it was like... no, but I don't know what else to say. I feel like a total idiot.... Well, it's not supposed to be in the store room of a coffee shop, anyway!" Lex ducked his head at that; Raina wasn't the only one embarrassed. "Oh, really?" she continued to the unknown Brandy. "And just where was your first – oh. Really?"
Lex realized that his hand was hovering and decided he'd listened in long enough. He rapped at the door sharply.
"Hold on, Bran," he heard her say. "Someone's at the door."
When she opened the door she was holding the phone against her shoulder. She stared at him for a moment, eyes locked on his. Slowly she lifted the phone to her ear. "Bran? I gotta go. I'll call you later." Without waiting for a response, she hung up and tossed the phone on the chair. "Lex," she said softly.
"I'm sorry." He spoke quickly. "I moved too fast; you didn't deserve the lack of courtesy." He held the roses out to her like a peace offering.
She took them, barely glancing at them as she tossed them after the phone. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him into her apartment, then twined an arm around his neck so she could kiss him. Her lips were soft and she was undeniably eager.
He pulled back a little in confusion; the scent of her made him just a little dizzy with wanting.
"I don't understand," he murmured.
Without answering, she shut the door, still holding his wrist, and led him to the couch. When he sat she dropped his hand and kept a little distance between them.
"I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have led you on." She held up a hand to forestall his comment. "I /i leading you on. I was just... overwhelmed."
"So you...." He let the sentence hang.
"Lex, I can't lie. I've wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you," she blurted out, then looked chagrinned. "But I'm sure you get that a lot."
He touched her cheek, turning her to face him, then leaned in to kiss her. She seemed surprised for a moment, but then responded with her earlier ardor. She leaned into him, hands pressed against his chest. He slid his arms around her, letting her push him against the arm of the couch.
Just kissing her was enough to send him into a frenzy; he'd never felt anything like the kind of chemistry she produced in him.
He wanted her more; wanted more of her.
In a fluid movement, he rolled them onto the floor so that she was beneath him. She grinned and gave him a quick kiss, tugging at the waistband of his pants. Every inch of her skin was silky under his fingertips.
He lost all sense of time in the rush of delights, the pure sensual rhythms. She gazed up at him with eyes half closed, and he sensed something about her that was apart from time, from life, from thought.
Then he was too far gone to think about anything but the feel of her, and it was a long time before he came back.
Someone touched her shoulder and she jumped.
"Sorry," Lana said. "I didn't mean to startle you." She gestured to Raina's drink. "Do you want a warm up?"
Raina sat up, blinking. "Wow, what time is it?"
"Eight thirty. We're closing soon, but there's no rush."
"Thanks, Lana. No refill. I should probably wake up so I can get home and go to sleep."
Lana smiled a bit absently and took the last little bit of her drink away.
Raina stretched and looked around. There were only a few people left in the Talon, and she wondered if she'd actually fallen asleep for a little while. Grateful that she hadn't spilled chocolate on her skirt, she closed the folder she'd left on the table in front of her. She stood slowly and headed for the counter to pay for her drink and the muffin she'd ordered earlier.
Lana looked very harried when she got to the counter. An elderly woman was arguing about being short changed a month ago. Raina leaned idly against the counter and hoped that Lana could read her completely unhurried state.
She turned as she heard laughter from the door. Clark came in, Lex behind him. Raina smiled and waved at them.
"You two are in a good mood," she said when they got a little closer.
"And why not?" Lex said, his eyes sweeping over her. "It's a good night."
Raina felt a rush of heat and hoped she wasn't blushing too badly.
Lana finally convinced the woman to take a gift certificate. She came around the counter and leaned against it, close to Clark but not touching him. Raina hid an amused smile – the unreleased tension between those two was thick enough to cut.
She shared a glance with Lex – he'd been busy and she'd hardly seen him for two weeks. Once in his presence, though, doubts and worries tended to melt away, and she was just glad to be with him.
She was hardly one to be concerned with the future.
Lex took her by the elbow and led her away. "Let's leave the awkward estranged ones to themselves," he murmured against her ear.
"Those two." She shook her head.
"I've given up on trying to speed that snail paced relationship along." He pulled her into the back room after a quick look around.
"I don't know how they can stand it." It was dark back here, lights low and boxes piled high. "I hate to wait."
His mouth found hers as he pulled her close against him. His hands roamed her body with delicious urgency, and she returned the favor with as much fervor.
"I missed you," she said with a little gasp as his teeth bit into her neck. She ran her hand down the smooth line of his neck as he hushed anything else she might have said with another kiss.
She tugged his shirt out of his pants, seeking the warm skin of his stomach. One of his hands worked its way under her skirt, and he brushed fingers across her thigh with startling delicacy, sending her into shivers.
Things could not possibly go too quickly, but Raina felt a sudden need to slow down.
He pressed against her, big and safe and warm; unbelievable. She could feel the skin of him between her legs – it was too much, her heart was pounding too fast.
"Stop," she managed at a whimper.
He froze.
She squirmed away from him, to where the air was cooler. He stayed back but she had no time for the uncertainty in him. The light coming through the round window of the door was a beacon.
She stumbled out of the back room, blinking in the bright light. Clark and Lana stopped their conversation; she hurried past, heedless of their questions.
The cool night air hit her like a slap to the face. She hurried to her car, yanked open the passenger door, and popped the glove compartment open. Her delicate Japanese pill box fell into her hands, and she fumbled with it for a moment. She dry-swallowed a pill, and almost immediately felt better.
Now a morbid embarrassment set in. She felt like a fool. A quick look around showed that she was alone. She was afraid to look back at the Talon.
The door was empty; no one had followed.
Raina ducked into her car and drove back to her apartment, hoping her mortification would fade.
Lex watched Raina stumble out the door. He was petrified with confusion.
He shook himself, straightening his shirt, and forcing himself to think.
He shoved the door open, squinting a little as he came out of the dimness of the back room.
Clark and Lana stared at him for a moment. Clark took a step toward him. "Lex, what happened?"
"I don't know," Lex said, keeping his voice mild.
Clark caught his arm as he started to move away. "Raina looked really upset, Lex."
"I know that," Lex said steadily. "And I'm going to find out why."
He pulled away from Clark and left the Talon without a backwards glance. He walked the half block to the flower shop, rapping at the door to get the clerk's attention.
"Mr. Luthor!" The woman opened the door. "We were just about to close up for the night. Is there something I can help you with?"
He pointed to a lavish bouquet. "Those. How much for those?"
"Ah, the roses. Lovely choice. Trying to impress a lady? These are just excellent – red is very romantic." The woman didn't stop her steady stream of chatter until Lex was back outside, without him having to respond to a single comment. "Pleasure to help you, Mr. Luthor! Stop by any time!"
He gave her a distracted wave as he climbed into his car, setting the roses carefully on the passenger seat. He sat for a minute, then shook himself and drove – decisively – to Raina's apartment.
He hurried up the steps to her door, roses in hand, but stopped when he heard her voice.
"Brandy, I'm such a moron. What's he gotta be thinking right now?
Brandy was either very soft spoken, or on the phone, because Lex didn't hear her reply.
"No, I never told him. I haven't told anyone here." There was another short pause. "After it started, you remember what it was like... no, but I don't know what else to say. I feel like a total idiot.... Well, it's not supposed to be in the store room of a coffee shop, anyway!" Lex ducked his head at that; Raina wasn't the only one embarrassed. "Oh, really?" she continued to the unknown Brandy. "And just where was your first – oh. Really?"
Lex realized that his hand was hovering and decided he'd listened in long enough. He rapped at the door sharply.
"Hold on, Bran," he heard her say. "Someone's at the door."
When she opened the door she was holding the phone against her shoulder. She stared at him for a moment, eyes locked on his. Slowly she lifted the phone to her ear. "Bran? I gotta go. I'll call you later." Without waiting for a response, she hung up and tossed the phone on the chair. "Lex," she said softly.
"I'm sorry." He spoke quickly. "I moved too fast; you didn't deserve the lack of courtesy." He held the roses out to her like a peace offering.
She took them, barely glancing at them as she tossed them after the phone. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him into her apartment, then twined an arm around his neck so she could kiss him. Her lips were soft and she was undeniably eager.
He pulled back a little in confusion; the scent of her made him just a little dizzy with wanting.
"I don't understand," he murmured.
Without answering, she shut the door, still holding his wrist, and led him to the couch. When he sat she dropped his hand and kept a little distance between them.
"I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have led you on." She held up a hand to forestall his comment. "I /i leading you on. I was just... overwhelmed."
"So you...." He let the sentence hang.
"Lex, I can't lie. I've wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you," she blurted out, then looked chagrinned. "But I'm sure you get that a lot."
He touched her cheek, turning her to face him, then leaned in to kiss her. She seemed surprised for a moment, but then responded with her earlier ardor. She leaned into him, hands pressed against his chest. He slid his arms around her, letting her push him against the arm of the couch.
Just kissing her was enough to send him into a frenzy; he'd never felt anything like the kind of chemistry she produced in him.
He wanted her more; wanted more of her.
In a fluid movement, he rolled them onto the floor so that she was beneath him. She grinned and gave him a quick kiss, tugging at the waistband of his pants. Every inch of her skin was silky under his fingertips.
He lost all sense of time in the rush of delights, the pure sensual rhythms. She gazed up at him with eyes half closed, and he sensed something about her that was apart from time, from life, from thought.
Then he was too far gone to think about anything but the feel of her, and it was a long time before he came back.