Couple(s): ChLex
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me.
Spoilers: the events mentioned in 'Zero' might be referenced in a later chapter. (I haven't decided yet, one way or the other.)
Author's Note: I don't know how long this series -- if that's what it turns into -- will be; in fact, I have no idea what's going to happen in this section. Thanks for all the kind reviews, and please bear with me while I plan this out. Thanks, and much love. (Truth Seekers unite.)
******
Lex hated to admit it, but he wanted to see Chloe again. She wasn't much different from the other women he encountered in Club Zero; she was tall, blonde, brash, and dressed to kill. However, there was something that set her apart from all the other chicks with whom he grooved on a nightly basis, something that made him remember her name: she'd blown him off.
Usually he did the dismissing; when women discovered he was 'Lex Luthor, the billionaire', they essentially threw themselves at him, then refused to leave his bed when the frolic was over. Chloe, on the other hand, had been the one to end their time together. She'd left him standing on the sidewalk -- vulnerable, gasping, in need of her touch -- and that irked him beyond belief.
He told himself that if he saw her again, he'd lose interest as soon as they slept together; would forget everything about her, would never acknowledge her in Zero again. It always worked that way, and he liked it -- no commitment.
*It usually works that way,* he amended, glancing up from his scotch to observe the floor. He was recovering from some pill that had been handed to him in the bathroom, so everything seemed fuzzy and distorted. *I didn't take Chloe home, but that won't change things; I'll bring her home tonight, if I can find her, and things will be the way they should be. No girl can resist the Luthor charm for longer than a few hours, anyway.*
This thought comforted him and lifted the drug-induced fog from his brain. Though his skull was in the clutches of a really nasty migraine, he downed the rest of his beverage, and got up from his stool. He'd spotted her.
"Didn't think I'd see you again," Chloe observed, shouting over the music.
With the flashing green and purple lights, it was impossible to tell whether she was scowling or smiling. When he got a good look at her, it no longer mattered what facial expression her admittedly cute face sported: in a red, faux snake skin mini skirt, black tube top, and those same boots, she was ravishing. "Dance with me?"
"You ask this time?" was the retort.
She was bumped from behind by a couple of giggling, sex-crazed teenagers who looked no where near legal; the contact sent her falling into his unsuspecting arms. "Second date I'm more of a gentleman," Lex heard himself tell her, not bothering with subtlety as he smirked down at her. All around them, couples were moving and grinding to the pounding, repetitive music. In the back, couples -- most of whom had never met -- were doing a lot more than that. Lex longed to join them, preferably with Chloe.
"A bit presumptuous, aren't you? What makes you think I want to dance with you again? What if I only like dancing with the same guy once, in order to keep my life exciting?" A definite smirk filled her face when she easily left his touch, and he nearly grabbed her in a kiss. She was driving him crazy.
"I can make your life exciting," he assured her, giving in to his hormones and kissing her neck fiercely.
Her hand was on his chest, and she pushed him away. "No, you can't; you had your chance to entice me yesterday, and, frankly, I was bored. It'll take more than that, Lex." Then she was gliding through the crowds, making eyes at a handsome, green-haired man Lex vaguely knew.
"No one gets away that easily, Chloe," he muttered. Pushing away several bimbos without a glance, he made his way toward his goal. She was making out with the other man, but the billionaire had no qualms about screwing that up.
Lex tapped her on the shoulder, and whispered, "don't deny that you want me," against her neck.
Breaking away from her 'dance partner', Chloe made a face that Lex would have found cute if he weren't so annoyed at her. "'No' means 'no', or is that not part of club etiquette?"
To the green-haired dude's credit, he merely shrugged and wandered to the bar. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since yesterday," Lex admitted. When she started toward the back of the club, in the direction of the balcony, he followed.
"I was on your mind for twenty-four whole hours! Wow, you really know how to make us girls feel special, Luthor!" she shouted with faux cheerfulness while bouncing up the metal staircase. She handed a folded up bill to the bouncer, giving her entrance of the upper level.
Lex did the same -- though he passed the man an extra fifty to make up for whatever chintzy amount Chloe had paid -- then found her lounging on a red leather armchair. She was watching the action (there were several varieties going on at once) and smirking.
"I give you points for style, at least," she remarked, not facing him.
Glancing at his outfit, he shrugged. He wore forest green leather pants that were snug in all the right places, and a metallic button down shirt. "You look awfully fine yourself." He dropped onto the chair next to hers, and admired her profile. She was gorgeous, but in a different way than all 'his' other blonde bimbos. Hell, he wasn't sure she *was* a bimbo.
"Why won't you leave me alone? If I'm going to be stalked, I'd at least like to know why." Now she was facing him, almost smiling.
"Why did you just walk up to a guy you don't know and make out with him, while you completely blew me off? We know each other, after all."
Chloe crossed her legs, and he told himself to look away for fear he'd pounce on her. "Firstly, I must rid you of the notion that we do, in fact, know each other. Secondly, I thought I made it clear that I don't really like you."
After mulling this over -- and finally glancing at her legs -- Lex thought of something to say. "If we don't know each other, how can you not like me?" It wasn't anywhere near his best come back (he decided it wouldn't even rate in the top one-hundred greatest flirty lines he'd ever used) but it was the best he could do under the circumstances.
"Oh, I've been watching you the past few months; I've seen you more than you can ever imagine." This was said casually, but it gave him chills; he wasn't sure whether or not he enjoyed the thought of her studying him so critically, especially without his being aware.
"Yet you danced with me yesterday."
Her eyes narrowed, and she smirked again. "I told you I like dancing with any guy once; makes things interesting." She stood, stretched, then added, "if you're going to follow me out of here, at least have the decency to not stare so openly."
Before he could respond, Chloe was bending over, her glittery hair brushing his cheeks, and she was kissing him lightly.
******
She smelled like vanilla, tasted like coffee, strawberries, chocolate, and several other things Lex couldn't pinpoint. He had to have her; it was no longer a choice -- it was a *need*. She was intoxicating, and he knew it wasn't simply because they hadn't fooled around.
He waited until she was on the first floor before he calmly moved after her. Just as he reached the main area, she pushed open the front door and walked outside.
"Hello, Lex," a breathy voice greeted him.
Ignoring the tiny brunette whose lips brushed his cheek, Lex left the crowded club. Though he was prepared to break into a run if she was too far away. Surprisingly enough, Chloe was leaning against an abandoned, boarded-up brick building, with her arms crossed.
"You made it," she called softly, smirking at him.
"Were you...waiting for me?" The whole thing was absurd.
"I can't imagine why you'd think the world revolves around you," she said wryly, her boots clicking against the sidewalk as she approached him. "I'll have you know I was simply getting some fresh air."
It wasn't suave to ask, but he had to know. "Why did you kiss me?" At least he managed to sound disinterested.
Chloe shrugged and stuck her hands in his pockets, pulling her body flush with his. "The world may never know."
"Can I kiss you?" She was making him pathetic, and he hated it. He hated it, though he loved it; he loved the way she made him feel, loved the way she played 'hard to get'.
"Nope, you *may* not," she shot back, making a face. The way she stressed the word led him to believe that she was either mocking him, or she was honestly correcting his grammar. Something about her hands being in his side pockets, however, made it hard to focus on anything but her.
"Why are you doing this?" His voice was under control, and he was relieved; the last thing he wanted was to *sound* like he was in absolute lust with her.
"Doing what?"
"Driving me so crazy."
She was turning and walking away from him just as suddenly as she'd approached. "No real reason, Lex," she shouted over her shoulder. "Stop gawking; you look pathetic. If you really want me, you'll follow me."