Here's the PG-13 version of the sequel to my story Don't Let Me See You Hurt . Thanks to Darth Michael for his awesome beta. He also suggested PG-fying this, so here you go. Just a bit of unadulterated fluff. Hope you enjoy.In The Depths of My Eyes “Are you –”
Her voice caught in her throat as she watched him work on the drainpipe beneath the bathroom sink. Clark lay flat on his back, one hand holding the pipe, the other turning the connection piece. Why was it that the play of well-defined muscles under smooth skin made her mouth run dry? She had a hard time tearing her gaze away from his forearms. Her heart skipped a beat and her breathing turned shallow.
“What is it?” He looked up, confusion flashing across his face at her lack of coherent talking. “Do you need help with something?”
His dazzling smile sent her heart racing. Words failed her. What was so damn sexy about a man fixing a leaking sink? She felt like a teenager with a massive crush, incapable of uttering a single word. Something about the past twenty-four hours had turned her into a drooling fool and it was about time she got a grip.
Lois cleared her throat and forced her straying thoughts back on the reason she'd stepped into the bathroom. “Are you ready?”
Gosh, she almost hoped he wasn't because she'd just love to ogle him a while longer. Drops of water running down his forearms caught her eye and…
She shook her head to clear it of the inappropriate thoughts. “I’ve taped off all the baseboards and windows. We can start painting.”
“Great!” He beamed at her, somehow managing to make that smile even more breathtaking than the first one. “I need another minute.”
As he lay back down and adjusted his position, his flexing pectorals drew her gaze like a magnet. Her eyes wandered over his flat abdomen. His shirt partly revealed the outline of firm abs. Lois let out a breath before she made a conscious effort to look somewhere else, anywhere else. She had vivid memories of the way his smooth skin had felt under her fingers as she’d taken off his shirt yesterday evening.
Gosh, she wanted more.
Lois turned and closed the door behind her, needing the distance. With a small sigh she rested her back against the wall next to it and let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. It was hard to believe they’d arrived at the Appalachian View Lodge just a day ago. Lois had lured Clark here under the pretense of helping a friend of her Mom’s with renovations of the hotel she owned. In fact, Lois had just wanted to get him out of town, far away from the mad guy who’d nearly killed Superman with a kryptonite laser and who’d escaped jail shortly after his arrest.
After the emotional rollercoaster of the past few weeks, she’d been looking forward to some quiet time alone with Clark. The attack had left them both rattled, Clark in particular. Once he’d regained enough strength to stand he’d spent every waking moment chasing after his attacker, terrified the guy would hurt Lois to get back at Superman. In panic, Clark had very nearly broken up with her, assuming it was the relationship with him that put Lois in danger. Fortunately, she’d managed to talk him out of that crazy notion.
But even before the attack their relationship - if they'd ever really had one - had been in shambles. The aftermath of learning his secret had been a constant up and down. First, Lois had had a hard time getting over her anger and sense of betrayal caused by his failure to tell her who he truly was. And just when she’d thought she’d come to terms with the two men in her life being one and the same, her life had been thrown for loop after loop.
When she’d learned that Clark’s life might be in danger again, she’d just been anxious to get him out of Metropolis. She hadn’t really thought beyond that. But now they had finally managed to reconnect. A night spent in Clark’s solid arms had helped chase away the remaining shadows of lies and deception. Suddenly, they were back to being comfortable around each other, with an added level of intimacy that hadn’t been part of their relationship before.
Lois wasn’t sure how to deal with that. Just yesterday she’d told him she wasn’t ready for that next step and Clark had promised her to wait for her, however long it might take. Going all-in now felt like she was jumping the gun. But after nearly twenty-four hours of dazzling smiles, casual touches, murmured declarations of love and sweet, albeit much too innocent kisses, her body was screaming for release.
With a sigh she pushed herself off the wall and strolled over to the window, taking in the magnificent view of the mountains that surrounded the Appalachian View Lodge. The clouds had finally given way to a clear blue sky. Perhaps she should ask him to paint the room tomorrow and go for a walk with her instead. A little fresh, cool air might help take her mind off of the things she longed to do with him. Perhaps his constant presence wouldn't be quite as overwhelming next to the vast beauty of the mountains.
The creaking of the door and soft footsteps disrupted the silence.
Clark's warm hands came to rest on her shoulders, slid down her arms and over her belly until she found herself in his gentle embrace. She leaned into him, snuggling against his broad chest that was surprisingly soft for a man made of steel. Lois closed her eyes and felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest against her back. He placed a kiss on her neck, his breath tickling her and sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. His lips lingered on her skin, warm and pliant, whispering promises of less innocent kisses. And, oh, she wanted to turn her head and capture them fiercely. Being near him was a confusing mix of danger and security.
“Sink is fixed.” Even the low rumble of his voice gave her pleasant shivers.
Lois bit back a moan and rolled her eyes at herself. She was officially losing it, if she considered that statement sexy. But damn, it was! She wanted to plunder his mouth in a deep kiss that would have them both toppling over until only his floating could keep them from getting hurt.
“We can paint the room now if you still want to. Or –” He let go of her and as she looked at him, she saw him scratch his head and give her a sheepish smile. “You know, I could finish this in about thirty seconds.”
Was that an invitation? Her breath hitched. She studied his face, almost wishing to see a hint of an ulterior motive. But she didn't think he was consciously trying to seduce her.
Yet her mind wandered to all the things she’d rather do with him than paint this room. Like finding out if his hands would feel good exploring her body.
Her cheeks grew hot and she averted her eyes, no longer able to hold his gaze or take in the sight of his lips. Would he guess what she was thinking about? Were there tell-tale signs that he would pick up on with his heightened senses?
Wasn't she just crazy to get all worked up about a fantasy, when she knew that reality would inevitably pale in comparison? It always had and always would, because as soon as things got serious, something inside her just froze up. Did she really want to experience that kind of humiliation with Clark? He’d surely be more understanding about it than Claude, but…
Suddenly, she just wanted to get away from the tension that had grown so thick it was palpable.
“Can’t we just skip painting and go outside?” she asked. “I mean, it’s finally stopped raining and I’d really like to get some fresh air. I was looking forward to some hiking.”
Clark shook his head. “I’d love to! But the ground will be slippery after all the rain and Dorothy said there will be more clouds moving in soon. Even I can't see through thick fog. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until tomorrow. The weather forecast says it's going to be a sunny day.”
Lois opened her lips to argue but closed them again as she realized he was right. Clinging to him just to keep her footing wasn't going to resolve her problem at all.
Which brought her back to her current dilemma of whether to have him paint the room in thirty seconds or… She had to admit that watching him do it slowly, while she got to admire the ripple of muscles under his shirt seemed more appealing.
More dangerous, too.
Before she could talk herself out of it, Lois took a brush and a small bucket of paint. “Okay, then, let's get started.”
He grinned at her. “So, does this count as doing normal things together? I thought that painting a room would be well past the dating stage.”
It was their usual friendly banter, with an added note of something more. Lois’ heart fluttered. How did he manage to make something as mundane as painting sound romantic? The mere thought of moving in with him one day sent an inexplicable rush of excitement through her. And the warm gleam in his eyes let her believe that he was picturing the same.
As he looked at her, his gaze so full of love, she was painfully aware of his presence. His lips were only inches from hers. She could feel the whiff of his breath. The air seemed to crackle with electricity, sparks flying as they drowned in each other’s eyes. Her whole body ached to close the distance and forget about painting altogether.
Without thinking, she dipped the brush into the paint and colored his nose in cream white.
“Getting cheeky, are we, farmboy?”
He laughed. Then his lips were suddenly on hers, warm and pliant. His tongue darted forward, teasing, caressing…. She moaned into his mouth as he wapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Heat shot through her belly and her desire for him flared. The world around her faded, reduced to the taste of his lips, the sweetness of his kiss and the heat of his body setting her on fire.
The brush threatened to slip from her hand, but he pulled back just in time. As the world swam into focus, Lois felt something sticky on her cheek.
Cream white paint, she realized.
“Turn-about’s fair play.” A wicked smile crossed his lips, then he snatched a paint roll that was lying in a corner of the room. “How about you start painting around the windows and the door while I take care of the walls?”
“Okay. Who’s done first gets to shower first. And no cheating.” She cocked her eyebrow at him.
Clark gave her a solemn nod and dipped his roll into the paint. “Deal.”
He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers in an all-too quick kiss, before he turned his attention back on the task at hand.
Lois couldn't help but stare mesmerized as he got rid of the excess paint on a grid. His cocky grin made her knees weak. It was hard to imagine that the same man was able to bend steel with his bare hands. Would anyone believe her if she'd told them that she'd painted a room with Superman?
He paused. “Are you okay?”
Clark's soulful brown eyes looked at her, so full of warmth and concern that she drowned in those dark pools. And didn't take much at all to lose herself in the sight of his lips as she dreamt of more fervent kisses. Good grief, was it hard to stay focused.
Embarrassed, Lois blinked away the haze of longing that was clouding her thoughts. “Of course, why wouldn't I be?”
“I don't know. It's not like you to back out of a competition.” He shrugged and gave his paint role an unnecessary second bath before he once again ran it across the grid.
Lois raised her chin defiantly. “I'm not backing out.”
As if to prove her point, she stuck her brush deep into the paint and hurried toward the next window. And for a short while she even managed to keep her attention on work, telling herself that she was just glancing over her shoulder to check if Clark was working as well.
He was.
And he did a much better job of it than Lois, since her meticulous painting got more and more frequently interrupted by long glances at Clark’s tautening muscles as he moved the paint roll in long, careful strokes up and down the wall.
She hadn't seen him this relaxed in a long time. He was smiling a lot. Now again, she felt his warm lips on the back of her neck when he came for more paint. Or he would briefly wrap his arm around her belly and pull her toward his chest - small moments that stole her breath and made her heart race.
Soon, Lois realized she was making up excuses to seek him out and casually steal another kiss from his lips. There was a strange kind of magnetism, an invisible bond that seemed to pull her back toward him. Never before had she sensed his presence quite like this.
And somehow, between all the kissing and flirting, Clark managed to get paint on the wall. How was he not distracted? How did he keep his wits about him when Lois found that she was floating in a void somewhere between cloud nine and deep confusion.
It was afternoon when Dorothy interrupted the turmoil in Lois’ mind as she entered the room with cupcakes and tea.
“Oh, this is just amazing,” she gushed. “I can't believe you've already painted this much. And you moved all the furniture, Clark. I said you didn't have to.”
He took the tray she carried and set it onto a small table covered in plastic foil. “It was no trouble at all. Thank you for the tea. It's much appreciated.”
“Oh, my pleasure.” She beamed. “Would you be so kind and look after the sink tomorrow?”
“I already did,” Clark mumbled.
For some reason his usual thousand watts smile fell short. Instead he wiped his hands on his shirt, getting rid of not yet dried paint stains. Then he busied himself with pouring one cup of tea for Lois and another one for himself, more focused on his task than the simple feat required. And when he picked a cupcake, it almost seemed like he wanted to hide behind it.
“You’re working too hard.” Dorothy wagged her finger, completely oblivious to Clark’s sudden discomfort. “I thought you were here to take a break.”
He gave half a shrug. “Yeah, something like that.”
He chewed on his bottom lip, the cupcake in his hand all but forgotten. Lois watched him with trepidation. Was he hearing a cry for help or was there something else bothering him?
Lois felt the need to cover up his mood change and smiled at Dorothy, before she grabbed a cupcake from the tray and took a bite.
“You should tashte one,” she encouraged Clark around the pastry in her mouth. “Thesh are delicioush.”
“Thank you, dear.” A blush crept across the older woman's cheeks.
Startled, Clark took a bite of his own and nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely amazing.”
His smile looked forced, but at least he had returned to the present and Dorothy hadn't noticed Clark's strange behavior.
“Well, enjoy your tea and don't work too hard,” she winked at them. “See you two for dinner.”
The door closed behind her. Clark took another bite of his cupcake, now subdued rather than cheerful.
“Are you okay?” Lois came up to him and placed a hand on his chest. “You seem upset.”
He sighed. “I just remembered why we’re really here. Do you think Henderson made any progress? Perhaps we should –“
She shook her head firmly. “You’ve done enough already, Clark. We agreed that you would rest, finally; that we would put all this behind us. You’d tell me the same if places were reversed.”
He cracked a small smile. “Probably.”
“Certainly.” She ran her hand along his cheek and cupped it. “You’ve been working non-stop for days. Superman has his limits and you promised me a whole weekend without him, and without lunatics coming after us.”
“I know.” He looked down. “It's just – the moment I stop working I feel this restlessness, as if I'm never doing enough.”
“This guy had a kryptonite laser. There's not much you can do.”
He sighed. “Sitting idle is much harder than I thought it would be.”
Lois grinned. “Maybe you keep that in mind the next time you tell me to stay put.” At his weak smile, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Have you been hearing cries for help?”
“Nothing the emergency services couldn’t handle.” He shifted his weight, seeming torn.
Lois figured there might have been at least one close call, maybe more. She couldn't imagine how difficult this had to be for him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head against his chest. He returned the hug and placed a kiss in her hair. As they stood, linked in that embrace, leaning against the window sill, she felt the tension ease out of his muscles.
She tipped her head back and their lips met in a gentle kiss. The world around them faded as his tongue teased the inside of her mouth. She tasted the faint hint of chocolate from the pastry. Heat pooled in her belly. His kisses always felt new and exciting, yet familiar and soothing. They'd always been the natural extension of their intimate friendship.
Even upset, he was no longer as withdrawn as he'd been after the attack. She felt closer to him now because there were no more secrets. She couldn’t get enough of his kiss or enough of him. It was as if a dam had broken, an invisible line that until now had kept them apart. But he was here with her now, without reservations, just Clark and her. His hands explored her back, his fingers caressed her through the fabric of her shirt, playing with the hemline and she wished he’d just move up his hands and touch her for real.
Their kisses turned hungrier, interrupted only by her need to catch a breath. But each time her lips mourned the loss of contact. She pressed her body against his, enjoying the sensation of his firm muscles under her hands. Warmth radiated off him and enveloped her like a cozy blanket.
Suddenly, he stiffened and broke this kiss. His cheeks had turned a shade of crimson. Their gazes met for a moment, but then he cast his eyes down and cleared his throat.
“I… uh… we should probably get back to work,” he rasped.
He raked a hand through his hair and hurried to get some distance between them. Lois stared after him, dazed as he picked up the paint roll and started to attack the largest wall in the room. Her heart was hammering in her chest, her insides burning with unfulfilled need. She wanted this man. Her mind screamed at her to take him up on his offer to paint this room in 30 seconds so they could continue where they’d just left off.
His name was on her lips, but she swallowed it, sinking back against the window sill. Just yesterday she hadn’t been ready to go through with it. Had that changed now or would she chicken out again at the last moment? He’d promised her he’d wait however long she needed. But how long would that be if she kept teasing him?
Lois let out a breath and her gaze drifted toward her own brush. Perhaps he was right to break off here until she was sure she’d be ready to cross that threshold with him.
***
Painting the rest of the room had been a challenge. Clark's muscular forearms were a distraction of their own as was his mere presence whenever he got close. And it seemed they just kept gravitating toward each other, despite their efforts to stay focused on work. A stolen kiss here, a gentle touch there, everything culminated in this painting session being one of the most erotic experiences of Lois' life.
Spelled out like that, it sounded rather pathetic. Reality, however, was anything but pitiful. The air just seemed to sizzle with tension.
Even now, as she dried herself off after a cold shower, she was short of breath and her emotional state was a hot mess. And in a few moments it would be Clark's turn to take that shower. Rivulets of water would stream down his body. Lois’ mind drifted back to that fateful morning when he'd opened the door wearing nothing but a towel. She'd been at a loss for words at the sight of his chiseled chest then, her throat dry and her hands dreaming of exploring his skin.
This time, he wasn't a stranger, not just a fantasy her mind could indulge in. No, Clark was very real and just within her reach. And that possibility was slowly driving her insane.
Lois slipped into a bathrobe and took a deep breath before she opened the door. Clark sat on the sofa, legs crossed. No, that wasn't right. He was hovering a couple of inches above the fabric, reading a book. He turned a page, completely engrossed in his story.
“Your turn,” she rasped.
Clark looked up and closed his book. A smile spread across his lips. He floated toward her, untangled his legs and set them back on the floor as if floating in mid-air was the most normal thing in the world. For him it probably was.
But to Lois any casual display of powers was still new and exciting. She couldn't help but stare at the ripple of muscles as he moved. And in the small room, his body suddenly was only inches from hers. His physical presence seemed to take up the entire space. It was hard to focus on anything else. Her heart was beating faster than it should. She could smell his soft scent, no hint of sweat though he'd been working all day. His forearms were peppered with freckles of dried paint.
Her mind ran wild with fantasies of stepping into the shower with him. She ached to explore his chest, while she lathered his body with soap. Lois’ breath hitched as she felt his hands on her arms. He captured her lips in a fierce kiss that left her dazed.
As she opened her eyes, aching for more, they'd somehow switched places. Now Clark was closer to the bathroom.
“Couldn't pass up the opportunity,” he said huskily.
His cheeks were flushed, his gaze full of passion. For a moment she thought he'd pull her with him and make her fantasies come true. His eyes twinkled and her heart raced. But then the moment passed and he let go of her.
“Be right back.”
With a quick brush of his lips against her cheek, he turned and started to pull up his shirt. She saw a hint of his bare back before the door closed behind him.
The air rushed out of her lungs and Lois sank down on the edge of the bed. Did she want to follow him? Gosh, yes, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Some part of her had hoped he might make the first step, that he'd drag her into this and she could just follow and give herself over to whatever was going to happen inside that shower.
But this was Clark.
He’d promised to wait until she was ready. She just knew he wasn't going to initiate intimacy without her asking him to. But if she did, she should be sure she meant it this time. And the truth of the matter was that she had no idea if she was going to chicken out again. She had precious little experience in seducing guys.
Claude had known exactly what he wanted and at the time she'd thought that she wanted it too. He'd been the worldly Frenchman who should have taught her the ropes of journalism and from whom she'd expected to learn the wonders of making love. The reality of that experience has been sobering on both counts.
Her first time had happened during her college time and hadn't been all that memorable, either. She’d blamed that on the obvious inexperience of both her lover and herself. The prospect of sleeping with Claude had excited her because she'd thought that an experienced lover had to be different.
It had only ended in humiliation, not just because of the story he'd stolen. The way he'd dismissed her and called her an ice queen had been far worse. With Lex she'd avoided intimacy altogether. Though she'd like to believe that her subconscious had warned her to be careful with Lex, she feared she'd really just been scared of another disastrous encounter. So where did that leave her with Clark?
She buried her face in her hands.
“Are you okay, honey?”
She flinched at his voice and felt the mattress buckle underneath him as he sat down next to her. As she looked up, his gaze rested upon her, warm and caring. A small frown creased his features, still he was breathtakingly handsome with his damp hair. Lois’ mouth ran dry as she noticed his naked chest and the faint trail of hair that started below his navel and vanished beneath the towel he had wrapped around his hips.
His cheeks flushed. “Umm, would you be more comfortable if I got dressed first?” He shifted and stood, muttering, “This won’t take but a second.”
She reached for his hand.
“Don’t,” Lois said softly, slightly breathless, too.
She swallowed, trying to get some moisture back into her mouth. Why was this so hard? Perhaps being dressed would make talking to him easier; she was sure it would. But there was a good chance that they’d end up talking about anything but what she
should tell him. Even now, she realized she couldn’t say it. Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth and felt like it wouldn’t move, no matter how hard she might try.
Clark stared back at her, seeming torn for a moment, before he relaxed ever so slightly and sat back down on the bed beside her.
“What’s going on?” he asked. “More bad news from Metropolis?”
She shook her head. “That’s not it. I’m just… I…”
He gave her time. His tongue darted across his lips, just a split second before it vanished again. Yet, it drew her gaze, made her heart race and her mind scream at her to just close the distance and kiss him. A part of her wanted to jump right in without checking the water level like she always did. But that applied to work, not to intimacy.
“I’m nervous, too,” he whispered after a while.
“Nervous about what?” The words were out before she’d really had a chance to think about them. She hadn’t meant to deflect his approach, but it seemed like she couldn’t bring herself to be vulnerable. Not even with him, apparently.
But Clark didn’t even flinch. “Nervous about us making love,” he said. His cheeks adopted an even deeper shade of red. “I…um…I…know you’ve been… thinking about it because –”
He shifted and rubbed his nose, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he fought for the right words. It dawned on her that there was very little that would escape his super senses. She closed her eyes. Of course he would know. He was Superman after all.
“It’s okay, if you’d rather not talk about it.” His hand touched her shoulder in a gentle caress. “But perhaps it would help if you’d just tell me what it is you seem so worried about.”
“It's nothing really,” she mumbled. Surely with time, she'd get over it. If she just jumped right in and did it, like ripping a band-aid off… Gee, that was a romantic thought.
Lois felt Clark tense. “You're afraid of my powers, aren't you?”
“What?” She stared at him. “No. That's not it at all. Why would you think that?”
“Why?” He let out a self-conscious chuckle. “I believe that's kinda obvious!”
Clark kneaded his hands and bit his lower lip. She watched him and forgot about her own fears for a moment. When he was sitting next to her in nothing but a towel it was rather easy to forget that these hands could bend steel. It seemed downright impossible that they'd lifted a space shuttle and saved Earth from an asteroid.
Yet, strangely, it hadn't even occurred to her that Clark might hurt her with his powers.
Why not, indeed?
It was logical, natural even. And no woman before her had known about that aspect. She felt a sudden pang of anger on their behalf.
“I guess it was easier when they didn't know, huh?” she heard herself say.
He stared back at her, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“The women you've been with before, they didn't know about your powers, did they?”
A blush crept across his cheeks. “I've only ever told you. But then I never let things get so far that there was any chance of me losing control.”
The words hung in the air between them. Lois tried to wrap her head around what they meant. Had Clark just said that he’d never… that she’d be his first? Surely he couldn’t mean that.
“You’ve never made love before?” she rasped.
He nodded. “You can’t exactly call it mutual consent if one party has no idea what they’re agreeing to. And I get that it takes time. I promise that I would never do anything to hurt you. We can take it however slow you’d like, however slow we need.”
Clark reached out and cupped her cheek. He ran his thumb across it in a caress so gentle it sent goose-bumps down her spine. She covered his hand with hers and tilted her head a bit and kissed his palm. It dawned on her that she wasn’t the only one who was scared here. Like he’d said, he was nervous, too, afraid of hurting her. Deep down, she knew he wouldn’t, no matter how strong he was.
Guilt rippled through her as she realized that she owed him the truth. “I’m not afraid you might hurt me.”
He raised his brows. “You’re not?”
Lois took a deep breath. “I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
He smiled. “That’s not going to happen.”
“You don’t know that,” she cried. “Somehow I seem to ruin it for them. I can’t seem to relax, I –”
Clark shushed her with the tip of his finger. It felt soft and warm against her lips. Her racing heart calmed as he traced them, leaving a pleasant tingle in his wake. His finger trailed further until his large hand cupped her cheek. He dipped his head to kiss her and her fears seemed to melt like snow in the sun under the warmth of his touch. His lips always helped her forget.
The world stopped turning. There was only Clark and the overwhelming urge to get closer. Her hands found his chest and explored his skin. Their kiss grew hungrier, needy. She couldn’t get enough of his taste, of the silky cavern of his mouth, of his tongue that flickered against hers and made her wish they would never have to stop.
Gasping for air, she had to break the kiss eventually. Clark wore the same silly smile she knew she had on her own face.
He winked at her. “See, there’s nothing to worry about!”
The voice of doubt wouldn’t be quiet. “But what if…?”
“What are you afraid of?” he whispered. “That it might not be the best time we’ll ever have? I sure hope it won’t be!” A wicked smile crossed his lips. “I don’t have any expectations here, Lois. Being with you is what will make it perfect in my eyes, because I know you’re the woman I’ve been waiting for. Everything else will come with time.”
Her breath hitched. Lois stared back at him and saw the love and the sincerity in his gaze. He meant it. She could tell that much. Her fears settled and for the first time since they’d started this strange trip, she felt truly at ease.
Clark smiled at her and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. It was a minute gesture and yet loaded with all that unresolved tension of the past few hours. The air crackled with anticipation.
“Make love to me,” she said.
“Are you sure? There is no rush. I'm not going to back out.”
She nodded. “Show me that you mean it. Just yesterday you were ready to give up.”
“Touché.” He batted down his eyes. “I wasn't thinking straight.”
“But I am. And I need you.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but she sealed his lips with a kiss. She climbed on top of him until she straddled his lap. He moaned into her mouth. His hands caressed her back and worked their way under the fabric, exposing her shoulders and chest.
For a moment he broke the kiss and stared at her in awe. She could see the gleam in his eyes as he swallowed hard and licked his lips. His reaction gave her an incredible sense of power.
“You're gorgeous,” he whispered.
With a trembling hand he reached out and touched her. She shuddered at his gentle caress. Completely taken by the effect his ministrations had on her, Lois closed her eyes. Sparks of pleasure ignited a fire in her belly.
She captured his lips once more. Her hands roamed his chest, impatient to remove the towel that was still wrapped around his hips. She tugged at it and found that it wouldn’t budge with her sitting on his lap. With a growl of frustration she rolled off of him.
He moaned his protest, trying to maintain the contact as her lips left his. They were both gasping for breath. Once again, her hands worked their way down his abdomen until she found the hem of the towel…
They took their time exploring each other, making gentle love until Lois' world exploded in a million stars. She was floating in his arms, both literally and figuratively.
As the world around her swam back into focus, the first thing she saw clearly was Clark’s warm smile. He looked at her as if she were everything his world consisted of right now. She felt the same way. Nothing mattered but the love in his eyes that seeped into her every pore and made her own heart burst with happiness. Because without him, she’d be lost. These few long hours, when she’d been afraid that she might never see him again…
“I’ll never let you go,” she whispered. “This was… so much more than I ever expected.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “So much better than I ever dared to hope for.”
He smiled and kissed away the salty droplet. Slowly, Clark lowered them back onto the bed, side by side. “It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Thank you so much.”
He pulled her toward him and covered her with the blanket. She snuggled into his embrace, inhaling the familiar scents of soap and cologne that always soothed her. His warmth spread through her, cozy as ever. In his arms, she could push away the darkness until almost losing him seemed like nothing but a distant memory. He was here with her, truly at her side and no longer a shadow of himself, but the man she loved so much.
She kissed his cheek, feeling the strange urge to make up for all the missed opportunities and hurt feelings in their past. But here they were, starting over with no secrets left to separate them.
“I love you,” she whispered thickly.
He kissed her hair. “Love you, too. I can’t believe I was ready to push you out of my life. Without you, I’d be lost.”
“Me too, Clark.” And for a moment she remembered how, before meeting him, she’d merely existed. “Me too.”
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