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babydee1Midweek update of Temptress is ready in the form of Chapter 14!
I know y'all are anxious for The Chlark Talk already, but you know me; I have a bagful of spanners, and I've decided to throw one in the works.
Here you go. Please don't hate me! :-/
Banner by the awesome
m_strangchild, used with kind permission.Title: Temptress
Author: BabyDee
Pairing: Chlark/Kaloe
Rating: PG13 (this chapter; fic is rated NC-17)
Warnings: None
Timeline: Season 4 (after Spell)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Clark buys Chloe some perfume as a pressie. But the red tint of the scent wasn’t gotten from rose petals. Oops.
Feedback: I like it. I want it. J
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 14
Chloe felt like she was going through the seven stages of grief all at once. She clutched the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles tense as she drove further and further away from the
Irritated by the mocking silence in the vehicle, Chloe flipped on the car radio – and instantly regretted it as the words of a familiar old song filled the air.
Tonight you’re mine completely
You give your love so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
But will you love me tomorrow?
It was, incidentally, the same tune she has been humming in the shower not too long ago. Chloe went from barely controlled rage to all-out numb as the haunting words of the melody played on.
Is this a lasting treasure,
Or just a moment’s pleasure?
Can I believe the magic of your sigh?
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Chloe sighed as her numbness gave way to pain. Her friendship with
I'd like to know that your love
Is a love I can be sure of
So tell me now, and I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Chloe snorted as the words of the song began to fade.
Two days of scintillating, mind-blowing sex for a five-year friendship. She sighed sadly. As intense and heartfelt as the sex had been, she didn’t think she’d gotten a fair deal.
She pressed a few buttons on the car stereo until she got another radio station. But it didn’t make much difference; fate seemed determined to hammer home what a fool she’d been.
I hate you so much right now!
I hate you so much right now!!
Aaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhhhh!!!
The tragedy was, she didn’t hate him at all. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she headed north on the highway, towards Metropolis.
***
Lois grinned, giddy as a schoolgirl as she pinned her chestnut hair up in a pile of artfully arranged loose curls. She must have been born under a lucky star, she surmised; she’d found the cousin she’d thought to be dead, she’d been re-accepted into Met U just when she thought all hope was lost – and now she was enjoying the attentions of a world famous billionaire, and a gorgeous one at that.
Happy with her hair, she stepped into a full-length slinky black number. Her new bloke was taking her to a fancy restaurant for dinner, and then they were off to see that new show that just opened in LA. Tinseltown, baby! Clearly they wouldn’t be driving all the way to
Grinning slyly, she stuffed a fresh pair of undies into her purse. She had a sneaky feeling she wouldn’t be coming back to the dorm room tonight.
She’d just finished fastening her earrings when she heard a tentative knock at the door. She glanced at her watch with a small frown; he was early. “Just a second!” she yelled.
Quickly she inspected her reflection, making sure that she looked her best from every angle. Satisfied, she went to open the door.
“I’ll be ready in just – Chloe!” she exclaimed. “What brings you here?”
Chloe gave a weak smile and shrugged. “I just, uh…can I come in?”
“Sure! Sure, but I’ll have to love you and leave you – I’ve got a hot date tonight,” she said as she climbed into a pair of black four-inch heels. “Remember that really cute blond guy from Bar Salsa? Turns out he’s a wealthy entrepreneur, and he desires the pleasure of my company. We’re going out tonight.”
Chloe’s face fell. “Oh. Do you want me to make myself scarce?”
“Oh no! No, you can stay here if you want; I don’t think I’ll be coming back here tonight,” she said with a wink.
Chloe gave a little smile. “Good for you,” she said. “He seems like a nice guy.”
“Complete gentleman,” Lois replied as she rummaged through her purse for her make-up. “But I’m sure I’ll get him to reveal his wild side before the night is through.”
She noticed Chloe wince out of the corner of her eye. “Oops – TMI, huh?” Lois mused with a mischievous smile. “I’ll shut up now. Darn it, where is my eye‑shadow? Cuz, do you have any make-up handy?”
Wordlessly Chloe held out her purse. Lois took it and pulled out the portable make-up kit within. “Oh, bingo. And you’ve got the shade I was after, as well – fantastic.” She applied her eye‑shadow and mascara.
“It’s nice to finally meet a man who knows what he wants and goes after it,” Lois went on, coating her lips with gloss. “It’s even more awesome because we really clicked yesterday – we both have a connection, so he doesn’t really need to woo me, as it were.”
“That’s good, Lois,” Chloe said softly. “A…connection; that helps.”
“Oh, it’s a real bonus, not having to cut through any bullshit; he likes me, I like him – all is right with the world, and it can only get better from here.” Lois placed the items back in the purse, and her eyes lit up as she spied something else. “Ah – perfume!” She pulled Chloe’s Temptress out of the purse and uncorked it, spraying it liberally on her arms, neck and chest.
She inhaled deeply and sighed. “Lovely. I have so got to get myself one of these. Smallville really came through for you; he must know you in-and-out to pick out the perfect perfume, especially on such short notice.” She put the scent back in Chloe’s purse and went to pick up a pashmina, realising as she did so that her usually garrulous cousin had barely said two words since she walked in.
“You’re a quiet one this evening – what’s up?” she queried, wrapping her cream coloured shawl around her shoulders.
Chloe didn’t answer. Lois frowned and looked up, her eyed widening as she took in the miserable expression on the younger girl’s face.
“Chloe, what’s the matter? You look like you just got dumped on Prom Night.”
Chloe’s lower lip trembled, and to Lois’s dismay her cousin’s face crumbled as she let out a loud wail and tears fell freely from her eyes.
“Oh, my God.” She hurried over to her and gathered her close in a hug. “Chloe, what’s wrong? Is Uncle Gabe…” she trailed off, fearing the worst.
“Chloe shook her head. “No, nothing like that; Dad’s fine,” she managed between sobs.
“No-one’s hurt, sick or dying, are they?” Lois asked.
“No.”
Lois sighed in relief. “Then cheer up, honey; whatever it is, it might never happen,” she said, trying to remain light-hearted for her cousin’s sake.
Chloe shook her head again. “It already has happened, Lois,” she sobbed morosely. “And it’s never gonna happen again. I’ve lost him, I’ve lost what we had. It’s gone, and I’m never gonna get it back, and I feel so stupid -”
“Whoa, slow down, back up a little. What’s happened, Chloe? And who are you talking about?”
Chloe wiped her eyes and said nothing, but Lois knew that she could only be talking about one person. “Smallville,” she grated out under her breath. “What has he done to you?”
Chloe glanced up at her and quickly looked away, her face reddening.
But Lois wasn’t fooled for a second. “You had sex with Smallville?” she shrieked.
Chloe glared. “Gee thanks, Lois. Why don’t you get a megaphone and announce it to the rest of the block -”
“You had sex with Smallville?” she parroted, just as loudly as before. “When? Where?”
Chloe snorted grimly. “You don’t need to know the details, Lois. It happened.”
Lois nodded in stupefied wonder. “Huh. Okay. Well, was it good?” she asked curiously.
Chloe nodded, blushing again. “Oh, yeah. It was more than good, for both of us.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Lois asked, perplexed.
Chloe shrugged sadly and shook her head. “That’s just it, I don’t know,” she said, her voice wobbling as she broke into fresh sobs. “One minute he’s all over me, and the next he’s acting like I’m chopped liver, or something. It’s driving me crazy, Lo, and I can’t take it anymore.”
“Oh, honey.” Lois cradled he cousin’s head and rocked her gently. “Here, sit down. Just stay here, and don’t you worry about anything. You just leave everything to me, okay?”
Chloe lifted her head. “What are you gonna do?” she asked fearfully.
Lois stepped back and straightened up. “I’m gonna give that hick hayseed a piece of my mind,” she growled. Grabbing Chloe’s car keys off the table, she stormed towards the door.
“No! Lois, wait!” she called after her.
“Smallville’s only sixty minutes away,” she muttered to herself. “If I really put pedal to the metal, I can make it in thirty-five.”
“But I don’t want you to do anything!” Chloe protested.
“I told Smallville if he broke your heart, I’d break his legs,” she said grimly. “And I always deliver on my promises.” She opened the door and stalked out determinedly.
“But what about your date?” she heard Chloe yell desperately.
Lois groaned. “Tell him I said he’s cute, and I’m so sorry, but that family comes first!” she yelled back. “And that I’ll make it up to him if he still wants me!”
***
His heart thumped furiously, and he breathed deeply to calm himself down.
You can do this, he told himself firmly as he opened the door. It’s just Chloe.
But then the driver’s side door opened and a tall, grim-faced figure stepped out and glared in his direction.
Oh, shit.
It wasn’t ‘just Chloe’. In fact it wasn’t Chloe at all. It was Lois – and she looked pissed.
She slammed the car door shut and advanced towards him like a hunter with a rifle on the first day of Open Season.
Within seconds Lois had reached the porch and was pounding on the door frame. “Smallville?” she yelled. “You open this door this very second!”
Yikes. Good thing Lois didn’t think to try the door handle; in his hurry to get away from her, he’d forgotten to turn the key in the lock. Quietly he inched away in the direction of the back door.
“Don’t make me break it down, Smallville,” she threatened through the door. “You know I will!”
Tip-toeing with ninja-level stealth, he quietly padded along till he got to the other exit. Keeping as quiet as possible – and a watchful eye on the front door – he slowly turned the handle, opened the door and stepped out.
And came face-to-face with Chloe’s snarling cousin.
The shock nearly killed him. He yelped and leapt about a foot into the air. Damn, she moved fast for a woman wearing a floor-length evening gown and high-heeled shoes.
“Going somewhere, you dick?” she asked stonily, tapping her foot.
“Um…” he backed away from her carefully.
“I asked you a question,” she said, folding her arms and walking forward.
“You look like you’re going somewhere nice for the evening, Lois,” he hedged, stepping backwards carefully. “You have dinner plans?”
“Correction: I had dinner plans,
“How dare you use my cousin that way!” she hissed, stalking him menacingly as he backed away in the direction of the front door. “You know she’s always had a soft spot for you, and you used it to your advantage!”
He shook his head. “Lois, that’s not what happened-”
“Do you realise what you’ve done?” Lois went on, enraged. “You’ve destroyed her! She’s in my dorm room as we speak, crying her eyes out over you. Wasted tears, in my opinion…you’re so totally not worth it.”
“I didn’t mean to upset her,” he said quietly. “In fact I was just on my way to go look for her.”
Lois laughed shortly and wagged a finger in his face. “Oh, no. No way. You are not going anywhere near her till I’ve given you a piece of my mind.” With lightning speed she swung her open palm in the direction of his face, hoping to connect with his cheek in a stinging slap.
But of course, he saw that coming from a mile away and gripped her wrist a hair’s breadth from his face.
And the tantalising whiff of Temptress invaded his nostrils and took him over completely.
Undeterred, Lois raised her other arm to deliver a slap to the other side, but he caught that wrist as well and spun her round so that her back was to the wall beside the door.
She gasped as she suddenly found herself the victim rather than the aggressor. “What the-?”
“You were saying?” he growled menacingly.
***
