Chapter 17

Clark stretched his legs out on the sofa as he hit the button on the remote. They had skied all afternoon, but at the moment he was all alone. Candice, Chloe and Lois had decided to go on a shopping spree of sorts. They had dragged Jimmy along too, leaving himself out of their tortuous endeavor. He felt bad for the young photographer, but he took some solace in the fact the young man was getting a free meal out of it.

Clark took a bite of his sandwich as he flipped through the channels. All afternoon he had skied with Chloe and Jimmy, Lois and Candice spending all afternoon talking. He didn't know what it was with women and making fun of him, but it was reassuring to know that the two women found a way to get along. It was near eight in the evening, the sun having set almost an hour ago, but the residual light having been left behind. It was now gone, nothing but the black and the pale white moon shining through the large balcony window.

With nothing on the television, he turned it off and walked outside and onto the snowy porch balcony. There were a few plastic chairs that were frozen to the ground as he walked onto the snow with his bare feet. Sometimes he wished he could feel the cold as most did, but deep down he understood that it was a gift, not a deterrent. Brushing the snow off the stone railing, he leaned his arms down upon it and took a deep breath.

If it wasn't for the threat of an escaped criminal from the Phantom Zone he would have likely been smiling. The vacation was something that not only he needed, but something Lois needed as well. He knew that he would get preoccupied with finding the escaped criminal, essentially leaving Lois out of the loop and pushing her away. That was the last thing he wanted to do and he was determined not to let it happen. Sure, he had an obligation to keep her safe, but he was not willing to wreck something that he knew was most important to him. Lois kept him sane and he knew it. Without her, his life had no meaning, no direction, and no purpose.

It hadn't taken long to come to that conclusion. Every moment of the day, even over the past few weeks, he had found himself thinking about her constantly. Her well being was always high upon his priority list, plus the health of others too, but he had found himself caring much more than usual. It had steadily progressed from not just concern, but to fascination. It was a different fascination though, something completely benign to the obsession he had had with Lana. Instead of watching from a distance and pining, he had simply thought. He didn't keep an eye on Lois, he didn't have to. She was grown woman, someone who was very capable of looking after herself.

One day not many weeks ago he had almost decided to tell Lois the truth about their Valentines Day romp, but he had ruled against it in the end. It actually scared him, but for a good reason. He wasn't scared of how she'd react, but instead he was scared about getting the words out. He had already given in, his feelings of love having been completely swallowed up by her smell, her body, her heart. Words couldn't describe how he felt, yet he knew that it was simpler than anything else imaginable. Love wasn't supposed to be complicated.

His past lessons of love had been all about pain, but with Lois it was different. She didn't doubt him, question him, or even get upset. Lois had a prickly side, but it was just another piece of her that he found incredibly fascinating.

His mood darkened as he thought more about his earlier aversion to her. He didn't want to lie to her, and truth be told he had promised himself that would never do so. The escaped Zoner and J'onn were two things he had to keep quiet about, but he reserved the right to tell her the truth should she ask. He smiled though, knowing full well that Lois would only do so if it was a last resort. She understood him, knew that he kept things in so that the safety of others around him was held in check.

His eyes drifted to the lake below as the moon shone off the ice and into the sky. The night was calm, the lights of the ski hill on the mountain drowning out the sight of the last orange glow of the sunset. The wind was blowing softly, the temperature having dropped well below freezing. No matter how little temperature he felt, the cold air made his breathing more paced and calm. There was something incredibly relaxing about the crispness of the air that entered his lungs. Some people enjoyed a good steam in a sauna, but he would prefer a chilled night over sweating any day of the year.

As the soft wind tussled his hair to and fro, he smiled at the scene before him. The lake, the sky, everything was majestically perfect. Only one thing could make it better.

"Smallville?"

His ears perked up when he heard her voice, his heart skipping a beat and thumping loudly within his chest. "Lois?" he whispered, turning around to see her standing at the door of the hotel balcony. She was dressed in her normal jeans, but on top she wore a tight red sweater, something that almost caused him to salivate. Her boots crunched the snow loudly below her feet as she advanced toward him and closed the doors. "I thought you were shopping?" he asked.

Lois walked right up to him and looked into his eyes. "I was, but the whole time I couldn't stop thinking of you." She stretched up and kissed him softly. "I know that I sort of left you alone this afternoon. I'm sorry."

Clark smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's okay Lois, like it or not I can look after myself." When she smirked, his lips followed suit.

"I know; I just feel bad about it. I missed you every minute."

"The feeling is more than mutual," he responded as she laid her head on his chest. He had to crane his head up a little so that his chin could rest on top of her hair. "Are you done shopping?"

Lois smiled and lost herself in the warmth that was emanating from his body. He wore only his jeans and customary t-shirt, but he was still warm. "I'm done, but the rest of them are still in town."

"Then we're all alone?"

"Yes," she replied, pulling away and looking up at him. "All alone."

Clark grinned at the softness of her voice, the beautiful glow that seemed to radiate from around her. "You have no idea how much I love you Lois." He didn't know where that came from, but it was the truth none the less. Maybe it was the cold of the night, or maybe her touch, but she brought out of him so many things that all he could do was grin. Offering up feelings was something he never did though, and his sudden admission was surprisingly. By the look on Lois's face, she was as equally perplexed.

"Where did that come from?"

"I'm not sure, but it felt right."

"Of course it did," she said quickly. "I don't fall in love with just anyone." She smirked as she lifted her feet and kissed him on the cheek. No matter how warm his embrace was, she still shivered from the cold of the night.

"Let's go inside," Clark commented as he felt her shake in his arms.

"No, it's peaceful out here."

"Come on Lois, it's peaceful inside too." He smiled and led her back inside, closing the doors behind him. He scooped her up into his arms suddenly.

"Whoa! What are you doing Smallville?"

"You're wearing your boots, and look at the mess you made already," he said, pointing with a finger to the wet boot marks on the hardwood floor.

"At least it's not carpet," Lois remarked, chucking softly.

"Right." Clark rolled his eyes sarcastically. He carried her to the door and held onto her as she kicked her boots off. When she was finally without footwear, revealing two pink individual toed socks, he laughed and set her down. "Pink, Lois?"

"Hey, I like pink, but I'm smart enough to wear it places that people rarely see."

He looked at her feet again and shook his head. "I can't say I don't like it, but the individual toes?"

"They're warmer, what else can I say?"

Clark turned from her and went to the kitchen. "I think you just like the look."

Lois walked up to him as he was opened the freezer. "Not everyone can look good walking around in wool socks all day."

"My feet are bare." He looked down to his toes as he wiggled them.

"I mean normally."

"Oh," He looked back into the freezer and searched for something. "Did you eat everything that you ordered yesterday?"

Lois went to her tip toes and peaked over his shoulder, softly placing a hand on his back. "I'm not a glutton," she argued.

"You're lying, you are to a glutton and you know it." He reached in a grabbed a small bucket of ice cream. "Here," he said, handing to her as he closed the freezer and faced her.

"I'm not sharing," Lois replied, snatching the drum away from him and turning to a drawer and digging for a spoon.

"Sure," he replied with a wave of his hand as he opened the fridge and dug out the mayonnaise and ham.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he set the food on the counter.

Clark looked at her strangely. "What do you think? I'm making a ham, mayonnaise and ice cream sandwich," he said as he untwisted the bread and pulled out a couple of slices.

"Smart ass."

"You better believe it," he replied, lathering mayo on one slice and slipping a piece of fresh ham onto the other. "What did you have for dinner?"

Lois shrugged as she found a spoon and removed the top from the tub of ice cream. "Seafood."

"I'm guessing you're still hungry then?"

"You know I don't like fish, but Chloe and Jimmy were paying so they got to pick where we ate." She pulled the small plastic foil from the top of the small bucket and dug in. She lifted a large piece of ice cream to her mouth and leaned against the counter with her rear. "Mmm," she moaned, closing her eyes in delight.

Clark's cheeks went a shade of red as he almost coughed. "What kind is that?" he asked, purposely avoiding looking at her. His heart was quickening at the noises she was making.

Lois frowned at him. "What do you mean? You picked it out of the freezer."

"I know, but I was a little distracted by your warm hand on my back." He tried to smile, but failed miserably as he saw her staring at him. Her loose hair was spread around her shoulders, perfectly accenting the shape of her neck. The deep cut of her sweater caused the heat in his face to increase ten fold.

"Are you saying that I turn you on?" she challenged.

He gulped loudly and went back to finishing his sandwich. He quickly turned, putting everything back into the fridge and taking a hurried bite. "Yes," he answered her with a mouth full of food. It was the only way he could do it, saying it clearly would have been too hard.

Lois smiled as she ate another spoonful of ice cream. "It's mint, do you want a taste?"

Clark groaned at the seductiveness in her voice. She was toying with him and it was driving him up the wall. "Please, I'm eating," he said as he walked from the counter and towards the couch.

She followed after him with spoon and bucket in hand. When he sat down, she followed suit and positioned herself purposely right beside him. "Something wrong Smallville?" she asked with a sultry voice, pressing up against his thigh.

His eyes closed slightly as he almost lost himself. He had no idea why he was suddenly losing all his control, but he couldn't help it. "Please." He whimpered.

Lois wasn't going to stop; she was having too much fun. "Come on, what happened to the man who held me while I slept last night? Can I not touch you without you getting all hot and bothered? Are we never going to be able to go out in public for fear of you ripping my pants off should we hold hands?" She was pushing him even further.

Clark almost lost it, but he held himself in check. "Lois, I'm eating," he said again, this time almost pleading her to stop.

"Fine," she relented, but kept in contact with his thigh. "I'll stop."

"Thank you." He visibly relaxed and took another bite of his now half squished sandwich. "You can't go talking like that, it really gets to me."

Lois smiled at his comment. He was sure offering up tidbits of himself. "When did Clark Kent start offering up his feelings?"

He smiled and turned on the television. "Ever since a certain woman got under his skin." He took another bite and looked at her with a fleeting glance. Changing the subject, he asked. "What do think about Candice?"

"Who?" Lois asked suddenly. When she looked at him, tearing her eyes from the TV, she rolled them at her own stupidity. "She's great, but there is something about her that makes her different."

"She does have a meteor ability."

"I know, but there is something else about her. Usually when I meet new people I don't open up like I did with her. If I didn't like her so much I would likely be more curious, but she's a good person and I have a spot for people who like to abuse you."

"Abuse me?" he asked with a frown.

"Yeah, you know, punch, make fun, all the sort of stuff a person needs to do to keep you from getting full of yourself."

"I am not full of myself."

"Not yet, but one day you never know." She was teasing him again and she loved every minute of it. She wouldn't allow Clark to be the comfortable one in the relationship; she had to keep him on his toes.

"I think you do a good job at keeping me grounded." He finished his food in one large bite and chewed slowly. "Besides," he mumbled, "one headstrong woman is enough." He winked at her as he tried desperately to play her game. He would lose, he knew it, but he took pride in it none the less.

"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" she asked with cocked eyebrow?

Clark choked on his last piece of food and coughed loudly. "No!" he replied.

"Good." She kept her vision on the television, but peeked out her right eye to see him pounding his chest. "You'll never win Smallville, this is my game." She smiled devilishly and ate another spoonful of ice cream.

"I'll remember that." He stood up and brushed the bread crumbs off his jeans. "I think I'm going to go for a swim," he said suddenly.

"The lake's frozen," Lois said with a laugh.

"Funny, but the pool should be open downstairs."

"There's a pool in this place?"

Clark nodded and went to their bedroom and closed the door.

Lois shook her head and stuck her spoon into her ice cream with authority. Knowing that she was going to have to tag along, she got up and wandered into the kitchen. She found the lid and lifted the spoon out, dropping it in the sink as she closed the lid onto the small tub if ice cream. Sticking the frozen treat in the freezer, she went to their bedroom and opened the door, only to find a bare ass to greet her.

"Lois!" Clark exclaimed heatedly as he pulled his trunks up quickly.

"What? Lois asked innocently as she found the large dresser and fished out her own swimwear. When she turned to see him glaring at her, she pulled out a red two piece and said. "We've seen each other naked already, don't be so uptight."

"I'm not uptight," he argued.

"Yeah right." She snorted in laughter as she pulled her sweater off and threw it on the bed.

Clark stared in shock as Lois began to undo the back of her bra. "Lois!" he said loudly as he turned around.

"What? A boy scout through and through huh?" She flipped her bra onto the bed with her sweater and pulled her pants and undergarments down to her ankles. Carefully stepping out of them, she slipped on her bottom piece. She could see him in the reflection of the window as he had his eyes shut. "You can open your eyes now."

Clark did, but was greeted to a half naked woman in the reflection of the window. He groaned loudly as he closed his eyes and turned around, fumbling for his jeans as he felt desperately around for them. The sight of her breasts had almost caused him to burst through his trunks, but he bit his tongue. Scooping up his pants in one hand, he found his shirt with one eye peeking open and exited the room as quickly as he could. Closing the door behind him, he leaned back on it and took a deep breath. She was torturing him beyond belief. He wanted desperately to get her back, but he knew for a fact that he would fail miserably and only make a complete fool of himself.

Lois grinned to herself as she slipped on her top and put her jeans back on. Putting on her sweater, she walked over to the doors and opened them, only to be treated to two very hard and pointed eyes. She stopped abruptly as he stared a hole into. His eyes softened suddenly as he looked to almost be pleading.

"Please Lois, please just stop torturing me. I know I we love each other, but if you keep doing this I'm liable to set everything on fire with my vision, you too if you're not lucky."

"But I like torturing you," she said with a tight grin.

Clark closed and opened his eyes slowly and grabbed her by the shoulders. "I know you do, and normally I don't mind, but there is a limit to how much a man can take."

Still grinning, she said. "Come on, you can't be that soft?" She teased him further.

Clark growled and kissed her hard, splitting her lips and forcing his tongue deep inside her mouth. He could hear her moan as he pushed her back into the bedroom and down onto the bed. He could feel her hands instantly run up and under his shirt as she groped him.

Lois lost herself. She couldn't help it, he tasted too good. Another moan escaped her throat as she took a ragged breath and rolled him off of her so that his back was on the mattress. She lay on his stomach as she attacked his mouth with renewed vigor.

Clark grinned through the kiss as he kept himself under control. It took all he had, but he kept a little piece of his mind locked away. When he rolled her over so that she was positioned on her back again, he pulled away suddenly.

Lois kissed nothing but air as she felt his presence disappear. Her lips moved as if his were still on them as her eyes snapped open. Her breathing was heaving and lethargic as she stared wildly at him. He was straightening out his shirt and trunks as he smiled evilly.

"Two can play," he said, walking through the doors and into the living room.

Lois stared in disbelief as she sat propped up on her elbows. He had just played her for all she had, and he had won. She never lost, but Clark had just beaten her. "Smallville," she whimpered with a sultry voice. She was responded to with a loud cackling laugh that only infuriated her more.

Anger set in as she stood up on wobbly legs and went to the living area. "What do you think you were doing?" she asked heatedly as she stared at him. He was grinning like a maniac.

"Like I said Lois, two can play. You want to torture me; I can give back just as well."

Lois put a hand to her head and shook it softly. "You can't just fight back like that. That was dirty."

"Deal with it." He smirked as she opened her eyes and walked towards him. Her hips began to sway seductively and he realized his plan had suddenly backfired immensely. "Uh-."

Lois pushed him up against the counter and poked him in the chest. "Two can play at that game? Well, we'll just see about that." She pushed herself up against his groin with her right leg, lightly drifting her lips up against his. When he began to pout his lips out, she pulled back and tapped them with her right index finger. "You're in for a painful week, Smallville." She quickly walked around him, out the door and into the hallway.

Clark leaned against the counter. His hand almost slipped as he tried to stand upright, the counter seemingly slipperier than mud. He should have known better, but his pride had gotten the best of him. Now things were worse. Not only did he have to deal with a Zoner on the loose, but he had Lois pushing all the right buttons at exactly the wrong time. With a heavy sigh, he wandered out in the hallway and closed the door soundly.

"So, give up yet?" Lois asked with a testy tone as she leaned up against the wall with a grin.

Clark nodded and said. "I think I gave up the first moment I met you."

"Then what was that back there?"

"My last ditch attempt."

"And?"

"It failed miserably."

Lois leaned up and kissed him. "That's okay, I'll keep the torture to a minimum. I just wanted to hear you say it."

"Say what?" he asked.

"That I won."

Clark smiled and kissed her back as he leaned down to meet her lips again. "You win, are you happy?"

"Ecstatic," she replied. Pulling away and slipping her left hand in his right back pocket. She gave him a little squeeze and smiled even wider. "Now, let's see how you look all wet. It's been a while."

Clark laughed with her as he shook his head and whispered. "You'll be the death of me, Lois, you'll be the death of me."