Chapter Four - …A ghost from her past returned

He stood there, the rain beading upon his eyelashes like hundreds of tiny diamonds, looking as handsome and sexy as Chloe remembered. Her heart did back-flips inside her rib cage and she found it difficult to speak around the lump that had formed in her throat. The wind sent freezing rain through the door and made it hit against Chloe, but she felt nothing. Her body was numb under Sark's gaze and she found herself unable to move, to speak, unable to even blink. His eyes held hers, hypnotizing her with the unrelenting power he held over her.

"Mom?" Paris's voice broke through the thick fog that covered Chloe's mind. "Who is it mom?" Chloe looked over her shoulder at her daughter.

"It's no one sweetie," she heard herself saying, though she could not recall ever thinking the words, "Why don't you go and get ready for bed, okay sweetheart?" Paris tried to see over her mother's shoulder, but Chloe made sure to keep Sark blocked from her view. Or was it that she was trying to block Paris from Sark's sight?

"Okay." Paris turned and walked into the back of the house. Chloe made sure that her daughter was out of earshot before turning back towards Sark.

"What…what are you doing here?" She asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well right now I'm on the brink of catching hypothermia," Sark's smirk and joking tone seemed strained, as if they were forced.

"Jul-" Chloe caught herself saying his name, the one that meant so much, the private, personal one that was only used by those closest to the man. "Sark," she started again, trying not to notice his slight wince at the cold, formal use of his last name. "You can't be..."

"May I come in Chloe?" he asked. His voice was gentle as he spoke her name, and Chloe had to close her eyes tight to keep the tears from falling down her face. She had waited so long for him to come back to her, but why did he have to come back now that she was married? When she opened her eyes once more she saw the slight shiver that ran through his body.

"Yes," she said quietly, "you can come in." She stepped out of the way, her eyes glued to the floor, refusing to look at him. She refused to be drawn in by the way the rain had plastered his simple black button-up shirt against his body, or the way his eyes looked at her, as if no time had passed since they were last together.

He took a step inside and Chloe took in a deep breath, trying to fight the feelings that overwhelmed her being. Drops of water fell from his hairline down his face and Sark wiped at them with the soaked sleeve of his shirt, which did little to help.

"I'll get you something to dry off with." Chloe said, eager for a chance to put distance between herself and Sark. She walked through the living room and into the hallway where she grabbed a bath towel from the linen closet. When she walked back into the living room she saw that Sark had moved there from the entrance way and was now looking at the photos that lined the mantle place.

"Here," she shoved the towel under his nose as he reached for a framed photograph of Paris.

"Thank you." He replied, taking the towel from her, his fingers brushing every so slightly against her own. A familiar shiver ran down Chloe's spine, but she ignored it, or did her best to do so. She looked away from him as he dried off, trying to collect her thoughts and emotions. Chloe had to get him out of her house and fast. If she didn't she would go crazy and perhaps do something that she should not.

"How old is she?" She turned back around to face him and wished that she hadn't as soon as she saw that he had shed his shirt. The water that had soaked through his shirt glistened against his chest in the dim light cast by the one lamp that was on. Chloe felt every bit of her body tingle and memories flooded her brain. She drew in a deep breath and bit her lip, making herself focus on the picture of Paris that he held in his hands.

"She's ten." Chloe said. She didn't even have the strength to lie to him. Her resolve was that weak. Her eyes wandered, of their own accord, to his chiseled abs.

He obviously hasn't let himself go, she thought. Instantly she administered a mental slap to her brain. No, she though, you are married Chloe. Think of Devin, you know, your husband. Oh god, why does he have to look so damn good? No, stop it.

Sark's eyes widened and he looked at her in confusion.

"Ten?" He said. Chloe met his gaze head on, trying to convey the truth to him. "You mean…" he looked back down at the photo.

"She's just like you," Chloe said, taking the photo from Sark's hands and staring at her daughter's…their daughter's, smiling face. "Even has your eyes." She looked up at him.

"I have a daughter." he whispered, his voice unbelieving. Chloe nodded. "What's her name?"

Chloe closed her eyes, silently asking for the strength to continue going. She didn't want to get into their past together, but it was something that she had to deal with sooner or later.

"Paris."

She hadn't aged a day, not in all of ten years had Chloe so much as gained another laugh line around her mouth. Looking at her, silhouetted by the soft light of a lamp, Sark couldn't help but feel that he had stepped back into time. A time when he could still call Chloe his. Sark's first impulse was to grab her and kiss her, let her know that he still loved her, still cared for her. But something stopped him, perhaps it was the glint of the silver ring that claimed ownership of her ring finger, or perhaps it was something else, some self-restraint that Sark didn't know he had.

Chloe let him into the house, leaving him in the entrance way so that she could get him a towel to dry off with. He knew he didn't have permission, but still Sark wandered into the living room. A large photograph over the fireplace caught his eye. It was Chloe, dressed in a beautiful wedding gown, her head placed lovingly on the shoulder of a man that Sark did not know. Sark looked away from the picture, it hurt him to look at it, and his eyes were caught by another picture. This one a young blond girl with blue eyes and a dazzling smile…Chloe's smile. It had to be the little girl who had come to the door earlier, the one that Chloe had shielded from his sight. She hadn't wanted him to see her. But why?

A towel thrust under his nose kept Sark from reaching for the photograph of the young girl. He looked at Chloe as he dried off, but her back was turned to him. She refused to look at him. He couldn't blame her. For him to reappear so suddenly in her life. He had known that she wouldn't take it well, but still he insisted on coming there. Sark took his shirt off. It was too cold with it on, even in the warm, cozy house. When he spoke again, Chloe turned to look at him and he saw her eyes go instantly to his chest. She always had been fascinated by his muscles and he couldn't help but smirk inwardly, knowing that to do so outwardly would only incur Chloe's wrath.

Ten years old, that could only mean one of two things. Either Chloe had hooked up with the next loser to come around her or the child was his own, conceived while they had been in Paris. It turned out that the latter was true. He looked back at the picture and could see it, the resemblance between the young girl and him. She had his eyes, just like Chloe said, and he could even see traces of a smirk inside her smile. Yes, she was definitely his daughter.

"She's beautiful." he said. "She has your smile."

"No," Chloe shook her head, "no she's all you." Silence fell over them as they looked at the picture. Not a comfortable silence, but neither an uncomfortable one. Instead it was a silence that allowed the two to convey all that they were thinking and feeling without uttering a word.

A daughter, the thought seemed foreign to Sark. He never imagined in all his years that he would ever father a child.

"I want you to do me a favor Sark." Chloe's voice broke through the odd silence.

"Anything." he said, looking into her eyes. Those beautiful eyes, Sark wanted to look into them all day and night.

"I want you to stay away from Paris. She doesn't know about you and…and I don't want her to." Chloe looked away from him and Sark felt his heart drop.

"Why?" he sounded so hurt. Chloe felt her heart break at his tone, but she could not falter now.

"Because things are good now." She said, suddenly finding her socks very interesting. "Devin is the only father she needs. So please, just…" she sighed heavily, "just stay away."

"If that's what you want." Sark's voice was clipped, his tone cold.

"It is."

"Okay then, I'll just be going." He pulled his shirt on and let himself out. Chloe heard the door slam shut and her knees gave out. The tears that she had been holding back flooded down her cheeks in torrents. She rocked back and forth on her knees, hugging herself tightly and letting the tears fall.

The sheets were tucked tightly around her body, but still Chloe felt chilled to the bone. She heard the front door open and shut quietly and gentle footsteps make their way down the hall. The bedroom door creaked open and she felt Devin's familiar weight settle on the opposite end of the bed.

"Hey," she whispered, hoping her voice didn't sound tear logged.

"You didn't have to wait up." Devin whispered back, leaning down to kiss her.

"I couldn't sleep anyway." she said, watching as he stripped out of his clothes and settled into bed in his boxers. His arm found its way around her waist and he hugged her tightly to him. The heat of his body felt good against her skin.

"How did your meeting go?" she asked.

"Not too bad." he said, trailing soft kisses down her neck. Chloe felt the heavy weight of guilt on her chest, making it difficult for her to breath.

Devin's hands moved over her body, but the guilt made Chloe feel ill. She turned away from him and lay on her side. She could feel his disappointment and confusion, but she couldn't help the shame she felt. She couldn't help feeling that she was unworthy of his touch, of his love.

Nothing had transpired between herself and Sark. They hadn't kissed and only once had their fingers so much as brushed against each other. But, deep in her heart, Chloe knew that she had committed a great sin, the sin of loving another man more than her husband.

Another chapter finished. Please review and tell me what you think.

Triple Agent: I completely forgot that Sark's assistant in Connected was named Devin! But, if you will remember, Devin was killed off in that story, so no, Chloe is not married to him.

Marie: Well, you can sleep now. :)

le Citron: You never cease to amaze me with your love for this story. Thank you so much.

Eyghon: Just you wait to see what happens when Chloe finds out the truth. (Evil laugh)

Seth's Girl, tentoesupurnose, csk8-20, jane, Masta D, Natalie, M.B, and Sarks-Girl-89: Thank you all very much for taking the time to read and review this story. It means a lot.