Chapter Seventeen
Lex grit his teeth as he stepped out his Porsche; he was not in a good mood. He was supposed to be in control of the situation, he was a Luthor damn it! But here he was, about to attend a high school party not only without invitation but having been specifically told that he ought not to attend. He was about to potentially humiliate himself, he should just go back home to the mansion and forget all about it. His hand hovered over the handle but then he moved away his car with a shake of his head. Who was he kidding? He wasn't going anywhere. And it wasn't because Luthor's didn't back down, it wasn't because he wanted to see what Lana was playing at, it was because he wanted, strike that, needed to see Chloe. All noble ideas of letting her get on with her life could be put on hold for just one more night.
Even before he entered The Talon he could hear the music blaring, and see a large movie-like poster announcing that the coffee shop wasn't open that night as it was closed for the celebration of "Chloe Sullivan's Geek!" Lex couldn't resist a smirk, he had no idea how Lana had got that sign made in only a few hours, she must have worked her butt off to get the party ready and had clearly gone to town on it. He supposed that he should really feel a pang of guilt that he might be about to ruin all of her hard work but he didn't. Everyone else could go to hell if it meant that he got to see Chloe.
Lana's handiwork extended inside The Talon. There were streamers and balloons everywhere with another large banner of Chloe smiling cheekily at whoever was holding the camera with writing next to it, "She's going to set the world on fire and travel all over it, but for tonight she is still ours so let's celebrate her. Congratulations on the scholarship Chloe". Lex smiled, nice sentiment and it looked like his security team were going to go travelling, they would enjoy that.
He looked around for the object of his affections. It looked like half of Chloe's year had turned up but it was fairly easy to make his way around as they were mostly sitting down at the tables although a large enough space had been cleared in the centre to allow for the erection of a stage with space to dance around it.
Finally he tracked Chloe down and he felt as if all of the air had been knocked out of his lungs. She was sitting and obviously flirting with someone Lex thought was on the football team. He should leave, he really should, he thought as he made his way over there.
She wasn't even looking his way, she hadn't been waiting for him, she was laughing at someone's joke. As she did this the fabric of her dress shifted slightly revealing even more toned leg. Well that settled it, he had better stay just to look after her.
When she finally did realise that he was there she stood up and greeted him. Lex's gaze travelled the length of her and somehow he resisted the urge to take his jacket off and cover her up until he could get her alone. Instead he handed over his flowers and kissed her cheek – honestly he should have been praised for his restraint.
He tried to keep things friendly after that, no doubt when Clark arrived Chloe would forget all about him and the football players, although maybe as Clark's ex-friend it was his job to keep an eye out for Chloe when he wasn't around …
It was a relief when Clark did actually arrive, now he could calm down and accept that Chloe wasn't his, she wanted to be Clark's and if that dress and the amount of flirting she was doing was anything to go by, she intended to get her man before the night was out.
Even Clark could not be immune to her charms tonight and that song, it was the sexiest thing that he had ever heard and she had sung it to Clark in front of all of the these people, for a moment he had conned himself into believing that it had been for him but it couldn't be, she was in love with Clark. Had been for years.
He had barely got over the song when she started dancing with that boy. Lex's jaw dropped as he watched them grind together, he had imagined Chloe dancing with him like that but he didn't know that she actually knew how to.
"Clark", he turned to the farm boy who seemed rather too distracted by Lana on stage singing, "Are you going to do something about that or not?"
"What can I do? If she wants to sing she can".
"No, not that. That!" Lex pointed to where Chloe was dancing – if it could be called that.
Clark just looked confused and Chloe's dancing became even more sexual. Lex knew logically that she wasn't doing anything that most of the other people on the floor weren't doing, but that didn't make it any better.
"Aren't you ever going to make your fucking move?" Lex demanded.
"It is too late, she is with Jason".
"Not on Lana, on Chloe!" Lex had to fight hard to keep his temper in check; it wouldn't do to ruin Chloe's party by screaming the place down.
"No, of course not. Chloe and I are just friends".
Lex stared at him, dumbfounded. How could he be so bloody obtuse? Chloe was on the floor, obviously trying to spark Clark's jealousy into action and he was just ignoring it? He wasn't even going to protect her as her friend? Lex glanced back at the floor.
"You really aren't going to stop that? You aren't going to stop that oaf touching her?"
Clark just shook his head. From what he could see Chloe wasn't doing anything that risqué, so he didn't think that she was under any sort of influence and she seemed perfectly content, now if Tom seemed like he was forcing her then that would be another matter.
"Then I bloody well am", Lex snarled and before Clark could say anything Lex had Chloe in his arms.
"What do you think that you are doing?" They hissed at each other at the same time.
"I am taking control", Lex growled, trying to ignore how warm she felt in his arms as he moved against her.
"I thought that we had been over this already Lex, you don't own me. I am not a doll or a pet, you cannot control me", Chloe hissed back. Heavens, she was beautiful, Lex thought even as her eyes crackled at him with anger.
"First. Clearly I cannot control you; if I could then you would not be on the floor dry humping that imbecile", he ground out.
"I think that Tom is quite nice", Chloe replied cheekily.
Lex gave her a look which told her that he clearly thought that she had lost her mind, "Yeah, I'm sure that he was just being a gentleman, he would probably have been a knight in shining bloody armour when he fucked you senseless on the coffee bar".
"Hey …"
"And second", Lex spoke over her. "We have not been over this already. You spouted some psycho-babble bullshit at me TWICE! And I didn't get a chance to respond or even ask or what the hell you were going on about".
"Oh, so now I am the one who is unreadable and mysterious?"
"Yes!"
"I'm not the one who as good as ignored me for months …" Chloe could feel her temper getting out of control. How dare he do this to her? He was supposed to get jealous and reveal his emotions, not tell her off.
"No, but you are the one who keeps running whenever I make any overture of friendship. This morning. The morning before that. You won't accept anything from me", the scholarship didn't count, "but I am expected to listen to all of your wacky theories about what is wrong with me, well I think that it is time for a few home truths Chloe Sullivan. I have several things to say to you and you are going to listen to them for once".
"And if I refuse?" She challenged, more on principle than anything else.
Lex looked hard at her. Then he cradled the back of her neck in his strong palm and brushed his lips against hers. Really, that was all that he had done. It had been little more than a peck, it was Chloe who deepened the kiss and he had had no power not to respond. And his obvious enthusiasm spurred her on even further; she held on to the lapels of his sports jacket for all she was worth as his tongue ravished her.
When the thirst for oxygen became so great that they were forced to pull away, he announced cockily, "You won't", then he added in a whisper, "but if you feel the need to be contrary then I will throw you over my shoulder and take you somewhere private anyway. So it's your choice, do you want to draw a great deal of attention to yourself?" He looked at her dress, yes maybe she did. Well, that was fine with him.
"No", she said. "Where do you want to talk?"
"There is a private movie room at the back, no one will disturb us there", he didn't add 'and as it is sound proofed they won't hear the screaming either'.
"Okay", Chloe agreed hating how sorry she was for the loss as he stepped away from her but then he took her hand and led her through the crowds. They headed through the back and down a long flight of stairs until they reached a locked door, Lex opened it, let them in and locked it behind them. Chloe looked around, she hadn't been down here since the Talon opened. She wasn't sure why they didn't use it more, it would be a fantastic place to do movie nights. Lex then indicated that she should sit on the couch at the very back where the light was best and she agreed, seating herself and looking at him expectantly.
On the dance floor it had all seemed so easy, but now that he was sat there across from her he didn't know where to start. He knew that he had to tell her everything; it was the only way that she could understand and begin to trust him. So he said the first thing that came to him: "Chloe, I am sorry. I know what my father is like and I should have been paying more attention to what he was doing at the school, he out manoeuvred me in that regard and I have no excuses".
"Lex, that wasn't your fault", Chloe replied automatically, because it was the truth.
"Yes, it is. He is my father, it is my responsibility to make sure that he doesn't hurt anyone", Lex ran his hand over the top of his head.
Chloe couldn't respond to that, she just didn't know how. That was a large burden for anyone to take on.
"When I found out that he had a hold on you, I used you to get my revenge. Yes, I offered you an out but I always knew that you wouldn't take it", Lex admitted.
Chloe remained silent, she wanted to tell him that it was okay, but it seemed like he needed to talk and that if he didn't he would never get it out.
"I have done terrible things, but you have to know that what you said about me thinking that you were a pet or a doll is utter crap!" He accused.
"It's not!" Chloe shot back. It was amazing that he could make her go from feeling sorry for him to angry in under a second.
"It is. You don't like being told what to do, I don't like being told what I do or don't feel", he strove not to shout at her.
"Sorry", Chloe muttered.
Now came the hard part. He wasn't going to stand on the side-lines for her to end up with someone who wasn't good enough for her, he would tell her how he felt and if that didn't work he would just have to deal with the heartbreak. Taking a deep, sustaining breath, he said, "From the day that I met you I was interested in you. I could never forget about you. I will admit that I have tried to hide my feelings, at first because I thought that there was no chance that you would ever return them and then because I thought that it would be safer for you".
She opened her mouth but he cut her off.
"I know what you are going to say, that it's not my decision. But Chloe, it is. Not because I think that I own you or because I feel culpable. Chloe, I have lost everyone I have ever cared about and I have never loved anyone the way that I love you. The idea that something could happen to you is more than I can bear, more than anyone should have to bear", his voice cracked slightly towards the end.
Chloe's eyes were wide.
"Darling, you have to believe me", his tone was beseeching. "When I didn't tell you about the plan to blow up your house it wasn't because I didn't trust you or didn't think that you could handle it, it was just because if I had told you I could have been overheard. The reason I didn't come to visit you over the summer wasn't because I didn't care, I ached to be near you but I couldn't risk leading anyone to your house, I knew that my father had men tailing me".
He stroked her cheek; his tone was soft and his eyes were so tender that any girl would have fallen for him. "And when you came back I stayed away because I wanted to protect you, I thought that you would be able to get on with your life happily with Clark." His tone became harder, "I was willing to give you up for him, for your to be happy but not for you to go grinding on some tosser".
"You were willing to give me up for Clark?" She yelled. "What the fuck Lex. You really didn't think that I didn't deserve a say in the matter?"
"I didn't think there was even a possibility that you would choose me over him", he bellowed back, loosing what little control still remained over his temper. "You have been rather hung up on the guy for at least the last three years".
"Well if you had asked me then you would have known that I would have chosen you in a second", she screamed.
There was silence.
"You would have?"
"Yes, I would have", Chloe repeated, missing the emphasis that Lex had put on the "would have". Then something occurred to her, "But this morning. Even after everything that you did last night you took my picture. You proved that you don't trust or respect me".
"Oh for the love of … Chloe! When are you going to get it through your thick skull that I love you? If you had had that picture you would have realised who he was and got yourself hurt". Lex wasn't sure that even the soundproofing and Lana's singing was going to be enough to drown them out anymore.
"You don't trust me to know how to look after myself?"
"It doesn't matter what you can or can't do. The moment you saw those numbers, you would have typed them into the internet, then they would have tracked you. It would have only taken a lapse for one second for your life to be over!" Lex was getting to the end of his tether now, she just didn't seem to understand – or rather, she wasn't willing to understand. For God's sake, she had just said that she would have chosen him, surely even if she no longer felt the same way they could work on this. That was what they should be focusing on, not some bloody picture.
"You could have just told me that", Chloe huffed.
"And you could have just told me what you thought my not letting you have the photo meant! That would have saved us a lot of time as well."
Chloe gnashed her teeth.
Lex smirked.
"Has anyone every told you that you are very sexy?" He inquired.
"Yes".
She was doing her best to stay angry with him and not respond to his statement but he could see a slight softening in her eyes. He slid closer to her and wrapped his arm around her.
"But I would prefer to hear that you trust me", she added trying to resemble an icicle.
"I do honey, but you don't leave the box with Pandora", he cupped her face with the hand which wasn't around her shoulders. "You know you aren't perfect yourself".
Humph. "That isn't what my Dad says".
Lex smiled. "You are far too good, stubborn, don't communicate your feelings, make up ridiculous theories on other people's actions rather than just asking them – something you then accuse others of -, you won't let other people try to take care of you and worst of all …"
Chloe narrowed her eyes at him.
"You still haven't told me you how you feel after forcing me into telling you everything". He had to hear her say the words whatever they were, although over the course of the last few minutes he had begun to hope that maybe she felt the same way about him as he did about her.
"I didn't force you to do anything", Chloe pointed out smiling knowingly. She shouldn't draw this out anymore for him, she should just tell him, that would be the kind thing to do … but all of this power was rather exhilarating.
"When you look at me with those eyes, as if I have any choice", Lex murmured. He had seen the smile, if she didn't love him too then she wouldn't have smiled, she would have pulled away …
"Maybe there has been enough talking", Chloe giggled as sought out his lips.
This kiss was even better than their last two: they were alone, not about to die and had time for leisurely exploration. Their tongues danced as their hands ran the lengths of their bodies, it was only when Chloe's hands found their way under Lex's shirt that he had to break of the kiss.
He voice was breathless with need, "Please, darling I need to hear you say it".
"I love you too Lex", Chloe finally admitted and pulled him in for another searing kiss.
Just as she had succeeded in pushed his sports coat off his broad shoulders, there was a cold gush of air coming from the vicinity of the door … that should have been closed.
"Luthor did you really think that you could get away with this? You take my cousin off the dance floor in plain sight of everyone and think that a lock is going to protect you from me. What are you doing to her?" Lois barrelling in, only to a stop as she saw them embracing.
"Great timing, Lo", Chloe complained as she buried her head in Lex's chest.
"So that is why Lana didn't want me coming down here", Lois said more to herself than to them, then putting her hands on her hips, "You told her before you told me?"