First, sorry Guest, it's not this chapter. And by the looks of this, it's going to be a long story (though not as long as my previous Bandit Stole My Heart)... so... you've got a while before she connects the dots.

I see people are enjoying the sexual tension, always good :) There's more heading your way ;)

I'm loving the reviews, hope you enjoy this chapter as my gift back to you :D

Previously; There was a date, there was dancing, there was even ice-cream. There was sexual tension overflowing! But Chloe didn't go home feeling satisfied.
Victor's got a plan, Lex is playing pimp and Chloe's got flowers, chocolates and teddybears from Oliver.

Chapter Nineteen; Tension

'Having the upper hand is not about size, it's about decisiveness and speed' – Lex Luthor (Season Two, Episode Precipice)

Chloe sat outside a café a few hours later, her list of narrowed down martial arts on the table next to her half drained coffee, a folded newspaper rested in her one hand, the pen lodged between her fingers of the other as she furthered with the Sudoku she was working on for a break.

"Well, fancy seeing you here." Chloe didn't even look up or pause her progress, knowing the voice to be Queen.

"Not really, you've had a car following me for the last half hour."

"You weren't answering my calls." he stated, sitting himself down. Chloe's finger sped over the lines of the Sudoku followed the trail of the 2 vertically and horizontally to write in another number. "Com'on, at least talk to me" he pleaded "Or yell?" he offered with a grin.

"Generally…" She paused to run her finger down the 8's and fill in another 8. "When someone doesn't answer your calls, they don't intend to talk to you." She finally looked up at him. "Not even to yell." She decided to ignore the overkill in gifts she'd received.

"You hardly come under the heading of generally." She met his eyes.

"I would take that as a compliment, but somehow I think you're trying to say I'm challenging for you."

"I always have enjoyed a challenge"

"Hmmm." And she took her eyes back down to the puzzle. The end of the pen resting between her lips as she thought, her eyes moving across the paper.

"Come with me this Thursday." Chloe didn't bother to pass her mind three days ahead, she just lowered her paper.

"Not that I care, but what marvellous event is occurring this Thursday?"

"The Isis foundation is hosting a charity ball. Costume."

Chloe laughed, pulling back up her paper. She should have known, after all she'd declined Lex's invitation for him. It was Lana Lang's pet project for saving the meteor infected from isolation and discrimination. Overall, Chloe could applaud the idea. At first, she was a tad confused by Lex's decline of the invite, considering Lana was the founder. Then, she finally twigged. Miss Lang would be out of the country trying to spread her message. Lex was playing it well in all honesty, he'd made up an excuse to pardon him from a public outing and arranged to discuss the future of Isis alone sometime. He'd pretty much escaped a public event and gained a date. Win-win.

Still… social events weren't really Chloe's thing either.

"As thrilling as the idea is, I think I'll pass."

"Dancing, socialising, great company, ev-"

"I thought you were trying to get me to agree, not try to get me to leave." Oliver chuckled.

"If would be a perfect place… if you wish to exact your revenge for last night." And Chloe closed the paper, sliding the unfinished puzzle into her bag, suddenly more active in the conversation.

"What's the theme?" she asked

"Characters throughout history."

"And what were you thinking of going as?" she enquired, leaning across the table.

"Hadn't decided."

"So, I could choose?"

"You could choose a genre but I would like to be wearing something more than a loincloth." She joined his laughter.

"So, you could be… a viking, or… an egyptian. Or." She cast her eyes up and down. "Maybe caveman would suit you more."

Oliver grinned as she ticked off ideas on her fingers, if there was one thing he knew Chloe would jump at the chance of, it was control over him. He'd give her a little and she'd be his from that moment on.

"All plausible options." he agreed.

"I presume whatever I choose for you, you'll insist I pair with you."

"That would be the deal." he confirmed

She considered her options, then found her gaze drifting to her now empty coffee cup.

"I think better when I have coffee you know." Queen took the hint happily and stood, walking into the café and ordering her a creamy latte.

Chloe smiled to herself, of course she was going to say yes, but it didn't mean she wasn't going to get her full deal from it.

Oliver returned swiftly and the first sip of her coffee loosened her lips.

"Three conditions."

Oliver leant back in the chair, waving his hand to let her reel them off. "One; I get to buy the costumes. Two; you bring the sexy car again and let me drive her. Three; I get something more than a kiss at the end of the night. Guaranteed."

"High price." he commented. "How about this; you can approve the costume, but I will ultimately buy them. I will let you drive the way there, but not back. You get a kiss goodnight, guaranteed."

"That's going to be a deal breaker. I'll need you to bring up your offer by quite a bit."

"Feel free to counter offer and meet me halfway." he proposed, a smile on his face.

"I get to pick the costumes you buy, I get to drive there and if you approve of my driving, you let me drive back. And, I'm afraid I cannot budge on the last one, I'll need something more than a kiss."

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest.

"Alright. Well, the only way I'll agree to the last condition is if we remove the first two and add that I am guaranteed a third date, no fight."

Chloe could tell he was enjoying this, perhaps this was the part of business he thrived in, the part of his work where he found his element.

Chloe narrowed her eyes, surely he wouldn't just walk away from this… then again, he did have this whole romantic notion and he did have an agreement for a second date, which didn't have to be this event at all. Besides, seeing Oliver in any fancy dress seemed alluring to her. Fancy dress shops weren't known for the more moderate of people, at least not in this day and age.

"You can have full control over costumes, I drive both ways, no fight for the third date, and I get a guaranteed something more than a kiss before midnight on Thursday."

"You choose the genre, I do the rest. You drive one way. No fight for third and guaranteed by midnight on Thursday." he countered, making the slightest of changes to an acceptable deal. Chloe smiled.

"Then we have a deal." She extended her hand, but withdrew an inch before his clasped it. "Before we seal this, I just need clarification which I sadly failed to get last time." Oliver chuckled. "By the end of tonight, I will suggest a genre of dress and you will deal with purchasing and sizing and then deliver it to me." Oliver nodded. "You will bring your sexy black Lamborghini and you will let me drive to the event, you may drive back." she allowed with a smile. "There will be a third date and I won't put up a fight, no matter what you do on said second date." Though she agreed this with clenched teeth. "And by the stroke of midnight this coming Thursday, you will have provided me with sexual entertainment greater than the value of any type of kiss."

She extended her hand again.

"I agree to that." And he sealed his hand over hers, agreeing with a simple up and down motion. However, Chloe kept a grip on his hand, and met his eyes.

"If, for some reason, you fail to hold up your end of this, there will be undesirable consequences and the agreement becomes void."

He just grinned and accepted his hand back as she released him.

"So, now that that's sorted, perhaps you can tell me your need for checking out the city's martial arts centres." He tapped a finger to her list as she looked confused at him. She'd forgotten she'd left that out. Oh well.

"Every girl needs to know how to fight; strange men may drag her off onto balconies and persuade her into dating them."

"Happens a lot huh?"

"More than you think. But I've decided to take action." she spoke firmly, a smile on her lips.

"There's always pepper spray and a Taser."

"Ah, but they don't always fit in the tiny bags females are forced by society to carry at social functions."

"I can see how that may present a problem."

"Hence the search." she concluded, her quick thinking saving her from a long explanation.

"I can suggest some of these off the list if you like." He took the list anyway, turning it to face him. He noted the top few names to be crossed out. That explained her movements this morning.

"You fight?" How had she missed this in her background research?

"You didn't read the headlines last year?" he questioned, seeming surprised.

"I was out of the country." she answered, curious as to what she had missed.

"It's not my proudest moment, but at the bottom of a downward spiral I ended up playing fighter for a gambling ring." That explained it, she read of the drunken spiral, but didn't bother to look any deeper. She half-heartedly wondered just how good he was.

He chuckled, but found her to be slightly impressed if there was any readable emotion on her face. This woman was a mystery.

"Well, I think the important question is; did you win?" He chuckled.

"The majority of the time."

"Then I'll happily take your advice."

He smiled and roamed the list again, but his attention didn't last long.

"You know, I'd be happy to teach you. If you wanted." She rose an eyebrow.

"You would be willing to teach me martial arts?" she repeated, just to check she'd heard him right.

"Sure."

"You are aware that would include our bodies being closer than they are now, in less clothing." She raised her drink to her lips, then paused. "Possibly in less innocent of positions." And with that she drank, a warmth that wasn't just the coffee washing over her.

He grinned widely.

"It had crossed my mind, yes. But we're both adults, and I'd rather it be me than a stranger at-" he took the first unscratched name from the list "S.W.A.T taewondo training academy."

"I don't know, their site looked really good, and some of the ladies instructors looked pretty damn fine." she laughed over her drink.

"Ah, but will they condone your caffeine addiction?" he challenged.

"Okay, fair point, any chance these 'lessons' can be considered dates?"

"Not a chance in hell, I will get my three fair and square Chloe."

"Guess I was hoping for a bit too much there." she admitted with a laugh. "Okay Queen, I'm game. When do you think you'd have time to take me on?" Everything was planning out in her head, revenge for last night. She'd play dumb for a few minutes, then knock him on his ass.

"Tomorrow at 2pm then? I'll come pick you up."

"With pleasure." she smiled, watching him rise.

"You should know, I expect 100% effort, and I will be hard on you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." she grinned, fingering the ace up her sleeve, even sweeter the victory.

"At least then you'll have a day to recover in time for our date on Thursday." he added, and then as his eyes followed his car that pulled up alongside them, he leant closer to her. "Just so you know." he started. "Our deal… I would have gone higher." And he smirked something so sexual, yet aggravating before slipping into the car and disappearing. Yet again, the man had left her infuriated.

Chloe spent the rest of her day with a fake press badge claiming to be writing an article on women's safety and martial arts. She was interviewing instructors of all her listed gyms. Her cell had synced with their networks wirelessly while talking and downloaded all client information. There were far too many centres to visit all in one day and the list had to be split into three sections. The first, she aimed to complete today, and then tonight she'd search through their database of members.

And two hours later there she stood, outside the last centre on her current list leaving with files to search through and several phone numbers of instructors that thought she could meet them for a drink, to get 'extra information'. She binned them as soon as she received them, not matching any instructor's body type to Arrows.

Feeling a good vibe about her many client lists, inclusive of photo's (the price of a membership in the higher class centres. For others, she'd just hack DMV records for a photo) she stopped her tracks home outside a department store. Celebratory shopping was needed, plus, she should probably buy something sort and cropped for her tumble with Queen tomorrow. She grinned at the thought. He would be paying. Severely.

Chloe had forgotten all about her event in the lobby this morning, all until she opened her door, hands full of shopping bags and couldn't see anything that wasn't a rose, a chocolate or a teddybear.

Oh, Queen would be taking a blow tomorrow. She'd pay him back, a bruise for each chocolate and petal. She dumped the shopping bags and kicked the door closed.

"Queen seems smitten." Chloe jumped, unaware of the company, but found Arrow lounging on her sofa.

"Jesus Christ!" Fuck, the cameras.

"They're already off." he started, knowing her worry. He shifted to a sitting position. "So, what's the deal with Queen?"

"Business." she replied, knocking the bear off the table to set down one of the bags.

"Business huh? This seems a lot more."

"Lex wants his company, that's all." she explained, carelessly. More bothered by the flowers that crowded her coffee maker.

"And dating you gets him that how?"

"There's this company coming on the market soon, it's bogged with lawsuits, If Queen doesn't have the time to dig that extra bit further, he'll buy it, and ruin Queen Industries. Lex will swoop in and buy it while it's plummeted." she continued, seeing no problem in telling the vigilante her other mission.

"And you come in how?" She turned to Arrow with a smile.

"Keeping him busy." she simply spoke, light and cheerful.

"So the sex is just an added perk?"

"Now that is none of your business." She turned away from him, back to the flowers, hunting her coffee again.

"I don't approve." Chloe shot a simple look over her shoulder, one that said 'deal with it'. "When do we finish our business?" he enquired, walking from the sofa into the kitchen.

"Well, not right now." she replied. Arrow busied himself with the paper hanging loose from her bag.

"Looking for a new trainer?"

"You wish." she snorted. "Looking for a connection actually."

"Of course, your connection could train at home."

Her eyes met him challengingly.

"If you dare tell me today has been a waste of time I'm going to gut you where you stand."

Arrow chuckled. "Okay, fine. Yes, perhaps my 'connection' trains at home. But there are certain things that despite the amount of money you cannot do at home. And that is where I'll have him trapped."

"You won't find anything." He stepped around the roses and closer to her. Chloe turned, her back to the counter. She found him deliciously close, he smelled like the night air, despite it being still light out.

"You on the clock?"

"Sadly, a team mate fell through."

"Injury?"

"Girlfriend." he answered with a smirk.

"So when's your next free night?" she asked, a whisper from him. "Just in case I feel lonely."

"Thursday." he spoke.

"After that?"

"You have plans?" He played dumb, the other persona of the anti-Queen in full swing.

"Queen." she explained with a single word.

"I'll drop by at the weekend then." he answered.

"I'm sure I'll be very lonely by then." she purred.

"Queen not giving it to you good enough?" he teased.

"Queen won't give me anything as good as you do." And he swept down to her lips, pulling her into his frame with a rushed intensity. This was the kind of kiss she craved. None of this airey fairy romance and fairytale ending. This was lust, packed tight in a male body. Arrow wanted her like a man should.

"Later Goldilocks." he breathed and she watched him turn and leave the way he came. Chloe followed at a much slower pace, standing in the breeze of the balcony. She watched the green figure grow smaller over the rooftops, until he dropped from one, leaving her sight. The buildings in Metropolis were so tightly packed, her penthouse view being more of rooftops at her waist level than anything to pay for. But the roofs were the perfect access for Arrow. His own stepping stones up to her window.

She smiled and shut the balcony doors, locking herself inside with her work. Even despite his hint, she still had to check the clients, she still had to go back to the other places on the list. But her buzz was gone, her thrill of success extinguished. She knew she'd find nothing, but she still looked, and by nightfall she had her conclusion: nothing.

Despite the other places to check she was sure he trained at home, add to that the private friend or contact making his costumes, archery had become her one last link, he must use one of the local sights to train. Metropolis only had two. One, low rent and worth a hack tomorrow. The other, she'd visit soon, scope out the archers for their skill and looks.

On another refill trip she was reminded of the mess called gifts in her kitchen. And the promise to find him an era for costumes. She opened her laptop in the living room trying to sort the gifts at the same time as researching costumes. As some period costume retailers loaded couple's purchases, she started placing the roses away from the coffee and into their own space around the apartment. As she took the giant teddybear to sit in the corner of the bedroom, she found a piece of paper wedged between its paw and heart. Chloe lifted the note and smiled at the distinctly male handwriting.

Princess Chloe,

I apologise for last night, however, you will be romanced.
Find it in your heart to forgive and let me in?

Yours,
Prince Charming.

Chloe laughed, taking the note back to her phone, and that was when she caught sight of the computer with an image she could love. There were costumes of all sorts, but even in the many revolving images, one held certain promise. It was dignified for the female, but less modest on the male. It was elegant for the woman, primal for the man. There was no way he wasn't showing some skin by the end of the night, or hell, even at the start.

She hit dial on Queen's number.

"Chloe," he answered quickly, with a smile. "Made up your mind?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must have dialled the wrong number, I was looking for Prince Charming." she joked.

"So you did get those."

"Considering the kind delivery people wouldn't leave without my personal signature I'd hope I did." She grinned.

"Good. Now, tell me you didn't like it." he teased.

"I have the perfect solution for our costume drama." she spoke instead.

"Oh, do tell." he played along with her.

And no later than a minute, she smiled to the mobile feeling very happy with his agreement. Reluctant, but an agreement none-the-less.

Chloe spent the majority of her morning crossing off another third of the list of Martial arts places. But in all honesty, her heart wasn't in it. Her heart was buzzing for seeing Oliver later and dishing him up some payback. Her head wasn't exactly on the task either, she knew she wouldn't get any results from it, but she still had to go through the motion. She sighed as she left another place and climbed into the back of the guard-driven car. Her heart was on Oliver, her brain was on Arrow and … her job was entirely Lex.

Would have been nice to have someone female in her life, she kind of missed those times. But then again, she didn't really get along with females that well. They never measured up to Lois, they never made her even half as happy as her cousin used to. Chloe turned to look out of the window. Since when had her life become dominated by men? Not that she was too bothered; she understood men, she knew how to work them. Well, at least she thought she did. Queen was proving to be a mystery.

But she had- she fished out her phone from her pocket and checked the time- an hour to finish up this last place and get home and changed, ready to make Queen's life less pleasant.

An hour later Oliver was stood outside his car, leaning with coffee in both hands. Chloe smiled as she spotted him.

"Tell me that's for me." she teased, stepping from the glass doors of the tower block.

"I figured it would get me in your good graces." he replied, handing over the classic vendor heat saving Styrofoam cups. She breathed in the scent before taking it to her lips.

"It's a start." She smiled sliding into the backseat of the silver BMW as he opened the door for her. Chloe happily greeted the bored driver that had the task of chauffer today. He politely answered back but said no more. Oliver sat himself on the other side of the backseat, keeping a distance.

That wouldn't last long, Chloe thought and unbuttoned her coat, embracing the warmth of the car and Oliver's inspecting gaze.

"That's what you're wearing?" he questioned with raised eyebrows.

"I get too hot otherwise." she simply answered, explaining the short shorts and strappy top that barely covered the top line of the balconette bra. With what little she had up top, there was no need for a sports bra, so she'd decided on getting support from her bra in other ways; push-up and cleavage enhancing ways. And she was more than happy with the result, her breasts looked firm and full, begging for his touch.

Chloe watched something pass over his features, her eyes following his motion to tap the chauffer's shoulder twice.

"Change of plans. Back home." he addressed the driver.

"Change of plans?" Chloe enquired with a smirk. "You finally give in on this crazy romance idea?"

"No. Just not taking you to my gym dressed like that."

"Any particular reason?" she innocently asked.

"Because I don't like the idea of other men imagining what I am." he shot at her, slightly angry it seemed.

"And what is it you're imagining?" she purred, shuffling closer to him. "I bet I can make it come true."

"I have no doubt. But I won't let you." he swore. "Yet."

"And when will you?"

"Fourth date." he answered, cautious about her hand placement. He didn't think he could turn her away a second time. "When you regain your ability to walk." His smirk wasn't lost.

She grinned back at him.

"And what makes you so sure you'll get a fourth date?"

"Because I can give you what you need."

Chloe chose not to address that.

"So, if we're not going back to yours for the thrill of my life-" Oliver's smirk seemed to grow more wise-ass-ish. "-then what are we doing?"

"Exploring second base probably." he admitted truthfully but not quietly enough to escape her hearing. Her smile turned into the seductress' weapon she'd pulled on him only a few days before. He felt that sinking feeling again, he was in trouble. "I have a small area I use for private training, which I think would suit you better." he followed with.

Chloe had a new plan forming. His place, his notes, his office. It was all laid out before her, sooner than she could imagine. And then dread hit her. Sooner than she could plan for; no camera, no flashdrive, no little black box to crack passwords. All she had was her phone, which although could take photos, it wasn't what Lex would want. All she could do was rely on memory today.

Another time, another time, she would come prepared. But for now, she'd have to play nice and innocent.

She smiled to Queen, watching his form tense in his seat. She liked to think that in one way or another he knew he wouldn't be enjoying today as much as he thought this morning.

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Next Chapter; Rough and tumble with Queen and Victor's 'plan' is set into motion.

In other news; I started, and finished watching Emily Owens MD. Yes, just for Justin Hartley... The things I would do for that man... *sigh*

Such a beautiful man... Shame about the whole marriage and kids thing... and the whole age difference... Okay, so maybe i'll just stick to his beautiful fictional forms of life.

Hmmmmm, Oliver Queen. My imagination just adores playing with him.