Chapter 16

Tess shrugged on a long sleeve shirt and watched Jonathan quietly eat his sandwich, eyeing her own so he didn't put sand in hers either. A strong sudden breeze blew her hair into her face.

"Miss me pretty girl?" Clark whispered in her ear. She could feel the heat of his breath against her neck. He ran a finger over the vertebrae of her spine, his finger going lower than was decent.

"Clark!" She pulled away from him. "What are you doing?" Tess turned to look at him and was terrified at the expression on his face. She'd seen that expression before, but never on this Clark. It was an expression of pure desire. Red flashed in his eyes and Tess realised what was wrong. Oh my God. She looked at the sand, realising that the red seashells that she'd admired weren't red sea shells at all.Red kryptonite.

"Nothing I haven't been thinking of doing." Clark's eyes gave her an appreciative glance that made her think that he was X-raying her. A wandering hand trailed up her arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

"Jonathan is watching." Tess pointed around, frantic for an excuse. Lois had told her stories of Clark on red k and they were not pretty. How do I get rid of it? Panic clouded her mind as Clarks fingers pulled her back to him so her back rested on his chest. Green counters red. Where's green kryptonite. She smiled, mentally writing a plan. "Why don't we go home?" She dragged the back of her hand down his bare chest, putting a suggestive lilt in her words. Please let this work.

"Your wish is my command." Clark lifted her up onto her feet then picked her up. "Jonathan, come on we're going home now. Your Essa's re-evaluated her to do list." He grinned down at her. "And I'm now on top."

"You can have ice cream when we get home." Tess bribed him when the boy looked as though he'd refuse to leave.

"Kay." Jonathan walked over and Clark lowered Tess so she could pick him up.

"What about the picnic?" Tess asked as Clark flew away. "We can't just leave it there."

"Oh we'll be coming back later. And we'll be needing that blanket."

Her pulse quickened. What am I getting myself into?

Jonathan looked up at her, feeling her irregular heartbeat. "Essa kay?"

"Essa's fine Sweetie." Tess looked down at him, trying to smile reassuringly. "Everything's going to be fine." As soon as I find a way to get your father off his red k high.

"Hey, Jonathan can you go up and play in your room?" Clark asked, landing them lightly on the ground outside the house. "There's something Tess and I have to do." The little boy ran inside, leaving Tess and Clark alone. He turned to her, pulling her body flush with his. "Well now he's not watching."

"True." Tess wrapped a hand around his neck, playing with his hair, trying to think of another excuse. "Maybe we should-" Her words got cut off his mouth claiming hers. She didn't try to push him off – that would be pointless, like pushing a brick wall. Instead she returned the kiss with equal passion. He felt familiar, safe even though she knew in this state he was anything but safe. She pulled back, trying to regain her breath and her mind. "Wow."

"I'll say. You sure you don't have any super powers?" Clark ran a finger over her wet lips. "Because you could add super kiss to your resume." Tess fought the urge to roll her eyes at the corny line but a smile grew at the edge of her lips. "See, there's the smile I love."

Tess started walking backwards into the barn, Clark followed. His hands on her hips ensured that there was only a foot between them. "You're just saying that." You wouldn't be saying that if you weren't as high as a kite.

"And if I'm not?" His voice was lowered huskily. "What if I've been thinking that for weeks, months and have just been too stupid to say something."

Her heart skipped a beat. She'd dreamed of him saying something like that since he'd saved her from the burning bus. "Clark…"

"I love you." He said the words more sincerely than Tess had ever heard anyone say it.

Her heat stopped. "No, you don't mean that." She took his hands off her. Her dream was over. This wasn't Clark. He didn't love her. "That's the red kryptonite talking."

"No!" He zoomed over to the barn door, pinning her against it. He held her wrists above her head with one hand. "I do mean it. Red K makes me-"

Tess cut in. "Act like a horny footballstar in a strip club, I know."

"No." He looked in her eyes like he was trying to see through into her soul. "It takes away my inhibitions. Makes me do what I what to do?"

"So what you've secretly been wanting to sleep with me for the last year?" Tess asked sarcastically.

"Yes." He nuzzled her neck. "And I've seen the way you look at me. You act like you don't feel it but you do." Tess blushed red. Was she that obvious? "There's a connection between us. You make me whole." He kissed her again, his free hand starting to undo the buttons of her shirt.

Tess tensed and pulled back as far as she could. "No. Clark, please. Not like this."

"Why? Oliver said you liked it." Clark kept undoing her buttons.

Tess made a mental note to kill Oliver. "Clark, we can't…"

"Why not?" Clark demanded hotly. "I love you; pretty damn sure you love me. Or at least like me."

"Because of Jonathan!" Tess half screamed, half whispered. "I can't do anything that will jeopardise my relationship with him." Clark let her go. Huh. That was easy, Tess thought quickly doing up her buttons.

"Marry me."

Tess looked at him. "Well now I know you're crazy on red k." She went to walk past him into the barn.

"No," he grabbed her wrist, keeping her close. "I'm serious. Marry me and we could be a family. You wouldn't have to worry about loosing Jonathan, he'd be yours."

A million thoughts ran through her head. "Clark that's ridiculous. You're not thinking clearly."

"Honey, I'm thinking more clearly than I have in the past two years." Clark told her so sincerely that she almost forgot about the red k. "I love you. I want you. Marry me."

"Is there a please in there somewhere?" Tess half joked, biding time for another plan.

"Marry me please." Clark got down on one knee. "You know you want to." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Oh she wanted to. Any sane woman would. "Yes. I'll marry you."

Clark leapt up and hugged her, spinning her around and they floated ten feet in the air, nearly hitting the roof. "You won't regret this."

Tess pressed soft kisses to his face. "I know I won't. It's the right thing to do." They floated slowly to the floor and Tess smiled wickedly at Clark. "So fiancée, how do you want to celebrate?"

He pulled off her shirt, ignoring the buttons this time round. "I can think of a few things."

She danced away from him, hips swinging seductively. "Will I enjoy them?"

"Depends." He ran past her and she knocked into his as she turned to face him. "Do you like being outrageously happy?"

"Oh I love it." Tess wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

"Good." He tipped up her chin and gave her the most passionate kiss of her life. Clark lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him even closer. Clark walked backwards until he hit the tool table against the wall.

"Watch where you're going." Tess laughed, kissing him on the nose.

"How can I? I'm mesmerised by you."

"And so you should be." Tess ran her hand down his back, fingers skimming his waistband.

"Tess…." Clark was in heaven. Riding cloud nine then he crashed. Green light filled his eyes. He fell to the ground, taking Tess with him. She rolled out from under him, holding the lead box that contained the deadly green kryptonite.

"I'm sorry Clark. I'm really sorry. I don't want to hurt you." Tess looked down at him.

"You're hurting me… stop." Clark pleaded with her. His body withered in agony.

A tear rolled down her cheek. "I can't." It was the only way to get the red kryptonite out of his system.

"Essa? Dada?" Jonathan walked into the barn.

Tess whirled around. "Jonathan! Get out!"

But it was too late. Jonathan fell to the ground screaming. "Dada! Essa!" He'd never felt this type of pain before.

Tess closed the box immediately and ran to the fallen boy. "Jonathan!" She pulled him into her arms. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." He whimpered in her arms, clutching her arm so hard it bruised but she didn't feel it. "I'm so sorry."

Clark got to his feet, ignoring his own pain. He made his way over to Jonathan. "Are you ok?" Both looked at him through tear-filled eyes and he didn't know which one he was talking to. Clark sat and wrapped his arms around both, forming a protective shield around them. "Nothing's going to hurt you anymore." He told him, rocking back and forth. "I'm not going to let it."