Lana's birthday party was the following week on a Friday and Lex had spared no expense in making it an event to remember. As promised, he had found Metropolis's premiere events planner and brought her to the Castle to consult with the birthday girl herself.
Lex never took much interest in such tedious things and his participation in this party was completely out of character for him. But Lana wasn't aware that Lex's behaviour was anything out of the ordinary. She was still shaken by their brief tryst and determined not to show it. Lex acted as though it hadn't happened at all. He'd been polite to her, but decidedly impersonal apart from a few light touches, here and there. Occasionally Lex would stroke her hair or touch her shoulder, but it was always done when they were alone and always exceptionally brief. So brief in fact, that she often wondered if she'd imagined it.
She couldn't deny that she found this disappointing to say the least. To Lana, Lex was the most exciting thing to happen to her in her entire life. He was older, enigmatic, dangerous and vastly experienced, if you were to believe the various newspaper stories written about his conquests. There always seemed to be a new 'Lex girl' every other week. Photos of him with these women were easy to find and Lana had started collecting the articles, even though she felt decidedly odd each time she looked at them. It made her belly feel queasy and her heart like lead. It was the most peculiar sensation and Lana had never experienced it before.
What was even more fascinating to Lana, were the dark rumours about Lex's research facilities. A few of his competitors had leaked a story about Lex's company running tests on human subjects who had been driven insane by the meteor fragments supposedly laying all around Smallville. She was strangely drawn to this, beyond intrigued by such a dark side to the man she was so wildly attracted to. Although the story had never been proven, instinct told her that Lex was capable of such things. The aura of danger around him was not an illusion.
Lex worked almost all the time. In fact most of his day was spent in meetings. Lana knew through strategic eavesdropping that Lex was now running his father's company, Luthorcorp as well as his own which was called Lexcorp. She was beyond impressed. Not many men could do this and still find time to help plan an 18th birthday party. He gave advice on food, seating at the dinner table and even the colour of the balloon arches while telling Mrs Potts, his long time nanny to follow Lana's instructions. Mrs Potts had eyeballed him with disbelief, for he had never allowed anyone this privilege before. Lana was the first woman, since his mother had been alive, to give orders in the Luthor household.
Lana took this in her stride, casually assuming the role of lady of the house with a maturity which impressed Lex.
Lana was thrilled to learn that Lex also intended to buy her a dress for the occasion. A seamstress was brought in on the helicopter along with a long rack of couture dresses straight from New York, Milan and of course, Paris.
"Choose anything you like." Lex told her casually over breakfast on the morning of the big day. "For your birthday and perhaps a few other outfits too, for the dinners we will be attending as well as the opera."
Lana blinked at him over her cup of coffee.
It was nerve wracking being around Lex as much as she now was. Her body was a live wire in his presence and she found herself constantly moving with him - aligned - as if he were some strange alien planet and she his dark moon.
"The opera?"
Lex lowered the newspaper he was reading, his inscruciable ice blue eyes amused and a little devilish.
"Yes, I thought you might like to go to Metropolis next week and spend a few days in the city. I have a few functions I'm supposed to attend and I was hoping you would agree to go with me."
Lana took anther sip of her milky, sweet coffee, her heart threatening to beat right out of her chest. She was suffocated by excitement. Lex wanted to take her with him to the city! She was growing fond of the castle, but a few days in Metropolis sounded like heaven.
"I'd like that." She replied at last, her voice curiously husky.
Lex smiled at her, his gaze sweeping over her tousled morning updo, glowing hazel eyes and sweet, soft pink plush lips.
"Its settled then. Choose anything at all from the clothes. I'm told there is more than just dresses for you to try on. I'm sure you'd appreciate the opportunity to expand your wardrobe."
Lana grinned at him. "Thank you!" She said spontaneously and then stopped awkwardly as she recalled the last time she'd thanked him.
Thank me with a kiss….
Her cheeks were exceedingly warm at the memory of Lex's hands on her body, cradling her skull, his lips and tongue tearing her soul out form between her lips.
A miniscule smile played around the edges of his sensuous lips, as he read her reaction entirely too accurately.
He knew what she was thinking! Maybe not exactly what she'd thought, but he knew she had been thinking of him and that soul destroying kiss beside the river.
Lex placed the newspaper down abruptly and rose to his feet. With a nod at her he excused himself, leaving her seated in the massive dining room alone.
….
At six o'clock that evening everything was ready and so was the guest of honour. It had taken only a week to plan and execute every detail of this party, proving just what an endless supply of money could accomplish.
Lex sent a message to Lana's room requesting her company in his office before the guests arrived.
She was beyond nervous as she knocked on the thick wooden door leading to Lex's private office.
"Come in."
Lana opened the door and stepped inside. It was cool inside - light and airy - the wide french doors open to allow fresh air to circulate.
Lex sat behind a huge desk, his gaze fixed on his laptop, his posture relaxed and yet commanding. His electric eyes swung onto her and froze there.
Lana could tell he liked what he saw and this brought heat to her cheeks.
His ice blue eyes, which should have been cold but were anything but, surveyed her ensemble from the top of her head to her feet.
Her dress was daring, she knew. It was a mini dress in shimmering silver which bared her shoulders completely and had a flared skirt which barely fell mid thigh. It appeared to have stars caught in between the layers of shimmering fabric. Her hair was down, coaxed into waves which fell to her waist and of course her makeup had been professionally done, accentuating her wide eyes, high cheekbones and full mouth.
She was bare footed, which made Lex smirk.
By the time their eyes met the room felt a lot smaller and claustrophobic, as if all the air had been sucked out the space despite the open doors.
"You're beautiful." He declared at last.
Lana flushed even more.
"I have something for you." He said, rising and going towards the mantle piece above the fireplace.
"More gifts?" She asked, bemused. "But you've given me so much already, I can't accept any more."
Lex held a long box in his hand as he came towards her. "It's more of a loan, than a gift."
He stopped a few scant inches away from her and offered the box to her.
"Happy birthday, Lana." His voice was smooth, deep and intimate.
Lana lifted trembling fingers to take it from him. Their skin brushed and there was a spark of some savage voodoo magic which ignited the familiar fire in her belly.
Her breathing accelerated as she focused on the box instead of his expression, which was unreadable.
The box was leather and substantial in her hands. It felt expensive. She opened it carefully to reveal a scarlet velvet lining. Nestled in the center was a necklace which took her breath away even further. It was a diamond choker with a single ruby at its center. The clasp was a curious design which appeared to need a key to open it.
"I love it." She said, her voice husky with a myriad of emotions.
Thank me with a kiss…the memory returned and this time she embraced it.
Slowly she raised her eyes to his and her belly flip flopped deliciously at the intimacy of his stare. Without waiting for her nerves to kick in she lifted herself up onto tiptoes and kissed him.
Lex didn't react at first, his mouth still beneath hers although he didn't pull away. Lana moved her lips against his experimentally before tracing the crease of his lips with the tip of her tongue. A thrill shot through her at his soft groan of approval. She pulled back almost at once, terrified she'd crossed a line.
"Thank you." She murmured, opening her eyes again rather shyly.
Lex smiled at her, his eyes hooded, gaze predatory and her insides somersaulted wildly.
"Here, let me put it on for you." He said, his voice deeper than usual.
He reached into the pocket of his shirt and withdrew a small silver key which unlocked the necklace with a soft click. Lana was fascinated.
"It's such an unusual design." She said, wonderingly. "Is it new?"
Lex lifted the necklace from its velvet nest and placed it around Lana's slender throat. The clasp closed easily and she could feel Lex locking it with the tiny key.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her towards a very large ornate mirror on the far wall. Lana stared at herself for a moment, admiring the necklace and the way his hands looked on her body.
They looked exceptionally good together, as if they belonged like this.
"It's not new. This necklace has been in my family for hundreds of years. It was made by an ancestor of mine who was fanatically jealous of his beautiful wife in the year 1703. It has never been reset and is in fact entirely original. I thought you'd find it amusing to wear. It's yours to keep for as long as you're with me."
Lana was struggling to rein in her rampant arousal and watching Lex's face in the mirror definitely wasn't helping. There was something about the way he looked at her which she found sinful in the very best of ways.
Lex casually began stroking the skin of her shoulders and then neck, before moving on to her chin, which caused her lips to tremble. Lana thought that perhaps he'd cast a spell over her, for she realised that she'd do just about anything he asked of her when he was touching her like this. Dark crazy things… anything. Her rebellious nature was forgotten for the moment under the deluge of lust.
There was silence as Lex watched Lana watch him. His cock was painfully hard and he longed to show this beautiful woman exactly what she did to him. The necklace around her neck held a meaning he wasn't ready to share with her just yet. Seeing it there, around that slender alabaster column, made the blood pound through his veins dangerously, it made him forget reason.
Deliberately, he lifted the key and dropped it back into his pocket. Lana watched his actions and he could see how she trembled but he knew it wasn't from fear. Lex could sense her arousal and he knew that he wanted to cross another boundary tonight in order for his gradual seduction to work.
Lana instinctively shifted back towards him and Lex allowed his hands to drop to her waist. He squeezed a little. He heard her breathing speed up and slid one hand under her skirt from behind.
Lana's wild gasp of surprise sounded loudly in the silence of the office. It almost looked as if she would protest the sudden invasion of her privacy, but then desire took over and her eyes turned tilt, succulent lips parting to emit tremulous breaths.
The whimper which escaped her lips at his bold touch went straight to his cock and his ironclad self-control was dented a little further. Lex touched her smooth, petal soft skin along her upper thigh, before finding the line of her panty and following it back towards her ass.
Lex held her gaze mercilessly the entire time his hand was exploring her underwear.
Lana was mortified. Her dreams of having Lex touch her down there were now a reality and she was torn between eagerness and embarrassment. No-one had ever touched her there.
He traced a fiery line to where her ass met her leg and slid underneath the lacy fabric easily. Lana lay back against him in surrender, well passed the point of pretending to be unaffected.
Lex pulled her closer until his cock was pressed into her spine, while his fingers traced the cleft between her buttocks. He inserted a leg between hers and pushed them apart a little more in order to gain access to her most private place.
Lana whimpered as his talented fingers finally gazed her wet heat. The ache inside her intensified as he parted her folds and found her opening. Her legs buckled as he pressed one finger inside her and then another.
Her eyes rolled back in her head as pleasure surged through her body. His touch was everything she'd imagined and more.
"Don't close your eyes." Lex demanded right beside her ear. "Look at me."
"I…I… can't…" she moaned .
"I'm not asking." He told her forcefully.
Lana forced her eyes back open just as Lex's second hand slid down her front and joined the other one in her panty. He found the tiny, erect nub at the top of her slit and stroked it gently using her own lubrication to aid his movements.
Their eyes locked in the mirror and Lana thought she might swoon from pleasure and embarrassment.
"You're so fucking wet for me." Lex told her wickedly, his cultured voice at odds with the dirty words. Lana loved the combination, it was the sexiest thing she'd ever heard.
Lex moved his long fingers in and out of her body slowly, curling them just so, to make Lana cry out. Her inner muscles clenched around him and he cursed again, this time into her neck.
Lana's hands came to rest on his arm, the one going across her front, her nails biting into his flesh.
He nuzzled her neck a little and felt her pulse around his fingers.
She obeyed his command and held his gaze, her eyes cloudy with passion.
"Do you want me to stop?" He asked, giving her an out if she so wished it.
Lana shook her head instantly, "Please don't stop…" she pleaded hoarsely.
Lex thrust his fingers into her harder, his other hand stroking rapidly over her throbbing nub.
Lana's entire body trembled as she climaxed, her inner flesh gripping his fingers tightly. He let her ride it out before withdrawing his hands and lowering her skirt.
Careful so as not to destroy her perfectly done hair, he pushed it gently out of the way and placed a lingering kiss onto her neck.
Shudders still wracked her slender body as she clutched his arm for support after what had been the most earth shattering moment of her life.
For the first time Lana became aware that Lex was pressed into her back, his hardness a dead giveaway as to just how affected he was by what he'd done to her. She didn't know much about men, but she did know they got hard when they were aroused. She instinctively pushed herself back against him, asking for things she couldn't put into words.
Lex smirked and pressed her to him briefly before releasing her entirely.
"Our guests are about to arrive." He reminded her. "I believe you need a pair of shoes?"
Lana stumbled as he moved away, her equilibrium gone.
"You're right, I'll just go and do that…" her voice sounded odd even to her own ears.
Lex followed her to the door and opened it.
He smiled at her kindly, letting her know nothing had changed between them despite their intimacy.
"I'll meet you at the top of the stairs and we'll go down together."