Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Fanfic Quiz: Favourite Smoochie - Part 2

oh, and now I see LauraA's posted her smoochie... wow, what a great kiss. Wonder what goddess/genius could have written that one...

Clark took a sip of tea. "So where do we put on the show today?"

"Why not right here?"

Clark raised his eyebrows. "Here, in the cantina?"

Lois moved to Clark's lap, kissed him, and then moved her mouth next to his ear. "Never sell a slow dance short, Clark," she whispered. "Besides, their jukebox has my favorite slow dance song." Clark rose from his chair as Lois made her selection on the jukebox. He was dubious of the effect that could be achieved by merely dancing, and disappointed that they would be standing, but as Take My Breath Away began to play, Clark pulled Lois to him, and they began to dance.

Lois kissed his neck, "I think we should make our move tonight."

Clark locked his arms behind the small of Lois' back and pressed her closer. "Those old building outside of town?"

"Yes," she whispered and kissed Clark in a manner as yet unexplored by their make-believe romance. Clark felt his legs weaken. Under other circumstances this would be a frightening occurrence for Superman. On this occasion, however, it was only natural.

In one of the boldest moves of his life, he leaned down and
covered her mouth with his. For a moment, she was totally
still. In shock, probably, he thought with a smile. He had
shocked Lois Lane.

That was the last coherent thought he had, though, because then
his mouth and his brain both realized exactly what he was
doing. He hadn't kissed her in a long time, but now he knew
the memories didn't do her justice. She felt amazing.

Lois, on the other hand, was stunned. There was no other word
for it. Clark Kent was kissing her, not the way friends kiss,
but the way couples kiss. His lips were moving against hers,
soft and demanding at the same time, urging a response from
her. She didn't know when she began to kiss back, only that it
felt so good that she couldn't help it. She heard him groan
dimly in the background of her dazed mind, and she felt an
answering moan rise in her throat. He slipped his tongue
against her bottom lip, and she gasped, moving her body closer
to his. Somehow her arms had found their way around his neck
and his around her waist. The copies fell unnoticed from her
grasp and fluttered around her feet like dry leaves on a cool
autumn day.

Clark began to smile. "Can't argue with you there ... Lois, I haven't wanted to pressure you --"

She cut him off by touching her fingers to his lips. "Clark, I'm a big girl; I can make my own boundaries. And I happen to think that after a nice dinner in a nice place, a relationship could pick up a little speed...." She removed her fingers, placing her hand on his shoulder instead as she leaned in, and, illustrating her point, kissed him.

The kiss was gentle, almost tentative, nothing like the desperation-tinged caress they'd exchanged during their mutual flight. Taken by surprise, Clark barely had time to respond before she pulled back, just far enough to see him. Her eyes searched his face, seeking reassurance.

Clark smiled. "I see what you mean," he murmured, raising a hand to caress the side of her face. "Good idea." He leaned in and kissed her back, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss as she responded enthusiastically.

Clark reminded himself to be careful of her injured arm, but thought was becoming difficult as the sweetness rapidly warmed up to passion. Dredging up the reserves of his willpower, he broke the kiss before he lost allcontrol, and rested his forehead on hers. "Let's ... not get carried away."

Clark bent down silently and captured my lips with his own. Our
kiss started out slowly, each of us exploring the other's lips,
then it became much more passionate. I felt a bolt of electricity
between us as soon as our lips met. When I parted my lips, his
tongue slipped into my mouth and we explored each other's mouths
for a long time. Clark kisses so well, I can't believe I hadn't
taken advantage of this talent before. Now that all of our
inhibitions were gone, I turned to lie on my stomach on top of
him. His hands had somehow found their way under my shirt, and I
shook when I felt his hands against my bare skin. I untucked his
shirt and began to unbutton it. As suddenly as we started, Clark
stopped me while I tried to undo the first button. Oops, I had
forgotten, Clark didn't know I knew about Superman yet. He was
probably worried that I would find the Superman suit under his
shirt.

Lois' tight embrace had quickly progressed into a very
passionate kiss. Her renowned skittishness not
withstanding, Lois had been the one to turn up the heat.
Clark began to wonder if his sense of urgency had
transferred itself to Lois through some bizarre romantic
osmosis.

She finally broke the kiss. "Sorry," she panted, "I don't
know what came over me."

"Well," Clark replied and tried to swallow, "whatever it
was, I approve."

Lois laughed breathlessly. "Really?"

Clark nodded, trying to catch his breath. "Lois, if you
have to ask, I must be doing something wrong."

"No," she smiled, "you seem to be doing everything just
right."

"Thank you," he said softly and kissed her again. "But
could I ask you a personal question?"

Lois cinched up her grasp on his neck. "Anything."

"You were kidding before about that whole 'being born a
male' thing, right?" he teased.

To Clark's surprise, Lois didn't laugh, she just brought
her mouth closer to his. "There's one way to find out."

He got to Lois' door and knocked in what he hoped was an nonchalant manner. "Lois, it's me. Are you up?"

Slowly the door opened. In the instant before he stepped through the door his eyes took in her pallor, the slight bruise on her cheek, the bluish tint of her fingernails and lips, the hunted look in her eyes. He thought his heart had been torn from his body. Then, as though he was oblivious to the warning she was trying to convey to him with her eyes, he stepped over the threshold, picked her up in his arms and kissed her while he spun her around so that she was now the one near the hallway.

As he set her down he whispered "Run," and gave her a little push. Then he slammed the door shut and turned back to face the interior of the apartment.

For the millionth time, Clark stifled a groan. The more
Lois touched him, the more the warmth that had been
relaxing him earlier began to have the opposite effect.
With a pleased sigh, he pulled her into his arms and let
his hands roam over her back. Vaguely he wondered where he
was getting the courage to touch her like this, but it was
clear that she wasn't stopping him. In fact, she was
cuddling in closer ... nuzzling against his neck as if ...

"Lois--"

"Clark--"

Unfortunately, at the same moment he looked down, Lois had
lifted her head to look up, and her head roughly bumped
into his still-sensitive chin.

"Uhhh!" Clark groaned, putting a hand quickly to his jaw.
The wine had dulled the pain, but the sharp sting of their
collision brought it all back.

"Oh, my God, I'm sorry! Clark, are you OK?" Lois scrambled
to sit up, concern heavy in her face and voice.

To her relief, however, Clark just started to laugh. "I'm
fine, I'm fine. I just forgot how much it still hurts."

Lois relaxed as she saw that he wasn't angry with her. "Let
me see," she whispered as she gently pulled his hand away.
The jawbone was still a little swollen, but no more so than
when she had first come over. Glancing up, she noticed how
Clark had settled into the couch, and how his eyelids had
lowered as she gently touched his wounds. "I'm sorry," she
repeated, then pressed a tender kiss onto his jaw. "Does
that make it feel any better?"

Clark blinked, then nodded, the corners of his mouth
turning up slightly. "Mmm, much." He turned his head
slowly, surprised at how the heaviness of the drink was
settling into him once more as he relaxed. "Though my cheek
still hurts a little ..."

Lois's eyes danced. "Oh yeah?" She kissed him softly on his
bruised cheek, then again on the edge of his black eye,
just under the rim of his eyeglasses. She smiled against
his skin as she heard him moan softly. "Anywhere else?"

"Mmmm," Clark sighed, his eyelids at half-mast. "I was kind
of bleeding earlier ... over ... here." He lifted a finger
and touched it to the corner of his mouth.

Lois remembered the trickle of blood that she had helped
him clean up earlier this evening. "Hmm, yes, I remember
now ..." She kissed the corner of his mouth once, then
again. As she leaned in to kiss it a third time, however,
Clark turned his head so that she would kiss him more fully
on the mouth. "Mmmmm," she sighed happily, then smiled as
he echoed her.

As Clark turned to take his shoes from his
overnight bag, he heard a soft knock on the bedroom door.

Lowering his glasses, Clark looked through the door and saw that it was Lois
and that she was clutching a large white envelope. He quickly put on his
shoes and moved to the door. Opening the door, he gasped as he caught sight
of her wearing "that" dress.

"What's wrong?" Lois asked worriedly. "Is my slip hanging out? Or is it
these shoes?"

"Oh, no. Nothing's wrong," Clark quickly replied. "You look...fantastic!"
Moving closer to her and taking her in his arms, Clark breathed in the special
fragrance of her - the cucumber bath gel and shampoo, the bare whisper of
floral perfume, and that scent that was just Lois. He tilted her head back
and lowered his lips to hers, kissing gently at first and then increasing the
intensity when Lois showed no signs of resisting. His strong hands ran down
her back and then clasped her waist, pulling her even closer as his tongue
touched her lips and requested entrance to her mouth. With a soft moan, Lois
parted her lips, letting Clark's tongue enter and then gave completely to his
kiss - a kiss that made her toes curl. As Lois wrapped her arms around
Clark's neck, the edge of the envelope she grasped scraped against him, and he
jerked slightly.

"What...?" he asked, pulling slightly away from her.

"It's your card," she replied.

But instead of that awful feeling of regret that she had expected, all that filled her now was a sense of breathless anticipation. Her eyes fluttered shut, closing of their own
accord as her heart pounded in her chest. She felt him nuzzle her nose gently with the tip of his, and she smiled at the intimate, comfortable feeling it created between them. He was treating her as if he'd kissed her countless times before... how did he know that she loved the sense of closeness he'd created before the actual kiss itself?

Lois wanted to tell him, but before she had the chance, his lips finally touched her own.

She shivered as the first warm caress of their joined mouths swam through her, creating the most incredible wave of sensation that she'd ever experienced. Relying completely on the impulse that had brought her here, she moved with him, fluidly, rhythmically, perfectly.

It lasted only a brief moment, however, and all too soon, she was feeling him pull away, releasing her. Her eyes still closed, she protested, calling his name softly. She could feel him only inches away, as if waiting for her to decide what should happen next. "Clark," she said again, opening her eyes. This time she reached up, clasping both hands to the sides of his face, and tugged him down toward her.

He held her face between his hands and kissed her. He needed to breathe her in, taste her. She set his skin on fire everywhere she touched him. She moaned into his mouth
and a shiver ran up and down his spine. Lois kissed her way to his jaw line, down his neck and back up to his ear.
He groaned and felt as though his legs would give out underneath him. "Oh, Lois," he murmured as he touched his forehead to hers.

"Lois..." With a groan, he leaned in and found her mouth with his, unable to help himself. Kissing her had been on his mind all night, and he just wasn't strong enough to resist anymore. Oh, how he knew he shouldn't be doing this. Really shouldn't be doing this. Really shouldn't be... really shouldn't... really...

Good. She tasted really, really good. His mind immediately reversed directions as his hand came up to trace the line of her jaw, nudging, encouraging her to open her lips more for him. There was no resistance on her part as she willingly complied with his request. It was so natural, so sweet, and yet so passionate at the same time. He found himself wondering how it could feel like that. Then he gave
up thinking at all and let himself be swept away by a moment he had only dreamed about for the last few years.

And whether he knew it or not, Lois was thinking along the same lines. This shouldn't be happening; it was crazy, impulsive...wonderful. It was completely different from every kiss she'd ever received. His lips were warm and gentle, giving more attention than they were receiving, but that didn't seem to matter to him. From the
way he was continually slanting his mouth over hers again and again, giving her pleasure seemed to be his top priority.

She wanted to return the favor, though; she needed to make him feel the way she was feeling right now. So when he asked her without words to take the kiss deeper, she opened her mouth wider and allowed his tongue to slip past her lips.

"The world will pardon my mush, 'Cause I've got a crush... My baby, on you."

The last words were whispered against his lips as his mouth closed over hers. She had seen him glancing over her shoulder for a brief second and suspected that this was for the benefit of their nosey residential mayor but didn't care. This time there was no hesitation, no protest as her lips yielded to the sweet firmness of his kiss. The hand on his cheek wound its way through his hair to the back of his head and was pulling him closer.

They explored each other's mouths gently and hungrily, nibbling and tasting far past the time that Luthor had turned around in disgust and retreated in the other direction. His free hand moved recklessly to her neck, playing with the enticing curls that had held his attention captive earlier. He gathered her against him with the arm around her waist, her body leaning against him in inviting contact.

In time, he released her lips reluctantly, the simple act of pulling away was just as sensual as the kiss. The sweet agony of separation was prolonged by the moisture of their mouths as their lips clung together until the last possible second.

Their breathing became one, slowing in unison as the air from their mouths fanned each other's faces, stretching the intimacy for a few sweet moments longer. Passion darkened eyes fluttered open and instantly locked together as a deep look of understanding passed between them. It spoke of surprise and wonder in the discovery they had made, allowing themselves to look into the other's soul and see clearly how much they were affected by their kiss.

"I, ah... " he stammered, feeling dizzy for the first time in his life.

"Hmmm... you're smudged. Hold still," Lois interrupted, still flustered as she used her thumb to wipe her lipstick off his bottom lip. She was relieved his arms were still around her because she wasn't sure if her legs were able to hold her up at the moment.

"Smudged... " he repeated fuzzily, not really wanting to come down out of the heady fog that was swirling around him. Her thumb rubbing his lower lip was causing him further distraction and he involuntarily placed a soft kiss on its pad.

"I fell in love with you quicker than, well, quicker than we escaped from that place last night," she said, a flash of humour asserting itself. "I kept pushing you away because I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Scared of what I feel when we do this." Larissa kissed him then, her lips warm, inviting and soft. Jon pulled her close and felt her hands entwine in his hair. He could hardly believe that she was in his arms and that she was there because she wanted this, too. He felt as if he were dreaming as she plastered his face with frantic kisses. "Oh, Jon, I thought I was
going to lose you," he heard her say in his ear as she stretched herself out full length beside him. He gave as many kisses back to her as she gave him, clutching at her desperately as if to convince himself that she were real, that this was real. He gave in to his passion, caressing her, kissing her, holding her close, but eventually common sense prevailed. It might be a good idea to rein this in a bit, at least until his parents were no longer in his living room. He reluctantly gave her one last kiss before pulling slightly away from her. But he kept her body tucked lightly against his own, not wanting to break all physical contact.

"Are you still scared?" he whispered.

"No," she answered throatily. "I could never be scared of you. Not anymore."

"You were scared of me? Why?"

"You make me feel ... alive, Jon. And, feeling alive meant I could feel the pain from ... before," she finished, her voice cracking. "It hurt."

Clark began to look worried. "What's wrong? I thought Superman was what you wanted," there was a slight edge of bitterness in his voice.

"So did I. But lately I've been getting the feeling that I'm not enough for him,"

Clark started to protest but Lois went on, "and it really hurts to admit it, but he's not enough for me either."

Clark looked absolutely stunned. There was more than just an edge of bitterness in his voice as he responded, "Superman isn't enough for you? What do you want, the Buffalo Bills?"

"No," Lois replied softly, looking directly into his eyes. "All I want is just one whole person." She took his hands and pulled him closer, then slid her arms up around his neck and kissed him softly on the lips. Clark's arms folded around her as he returned the kiss. Lois pulled away so that she could look into his eyes, then gently pulled his glasses off his face.

"You know, Clark and I have kissed before," Lois countered.

"I'm not talking about those sisterly pecks you've exchanged. I mean you put your all into it and see how he responds. What do you say?" Cat glanced over her shoulder at Clark, then turned back to Lois. "Or are you chicken?"

Lois glared at Cat for a few moments then thrust her hand into her bag and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. She shoved it into Cat's hand. "You hold it."

Lois stood up, smoothed her dress, then marched up the ramp to the coffee area where Clark and Jimmy were still chatting. Cat followed her half-way: then, leaning against the railing, she settled back to watch the event unfold. Other staffers backed away once they saw the look in Lois' eyes as she approached. The commotion caused Clark to turn. Seeing Lois, he smiled at her.

"Hi Lois, what's..."

Clark was cut off in mid-sentence as Lois pulled his head down to her and crushed her lips to his, throwing all the passion she could muster behind it. Clark was at first startled, then surrendered himself to the heat of Lois' kiss. He felt like a man drowning and welcomed it. He began to return the passion that Lois was sending and could tell Lois was beginning to respond to his return kiss, but as quickly as it had started it was over.

Lois released him, turned on her heel, and headed back toward her desk to the sounds of catcalls and applause. Lois didn't slow down or even look at Cat, who was fanning herself with the two bills, as she passed.

"Keep it."

For a long moment she thought he would be noble and resist her, then suddenly his arms were around her, and his mouth was warm and alive on her own. They broke apart after a
moment, then hungrily kissed again, deeper this time. A sense of wonder washed over her, tinged with sadness, and she honestly couldn't tell if she were feeling his emotions or his own.

When she couldn't endure the mingled joy and sorrow anymore, she pulled back. <...> seemed to understand, and shifted them into a hug. Lois closed her eyes, trying to savor every nuance of the embrace, to remember these feelings forever. It was too late to avoid emotional entanglements; in just a few short days she'd fallen hopelessly in love.

And the man she loved was about to tell her why they had no future together. Boy, could she pick 'em.

Lois laughed loudly. She looked at Clark and noticed he looked scared, but hopeful. The thought of kissing him had crossed her mind more than once, to be sure. Before she could think twice about it, she was standing in front of Clark, looking up into his eyes.

He hesitated for a brief second, then slowly leaned down and lightly touched his lips to hers. The contact was fleeting, and for Lois, at least, not enough. She reached up and grasped him by the neck to prevent him from retreating anymore than he had. She only caught a glimpse of his confused look before she pulled him into a deeper kiss. She could feel him resist at first, then he relaxed and put his arms around her.

The kiss only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime to Lois. She never would have imagined so much could be said with such a simple act. She felt his fear, his anxiety, his
hidden passion and his loneliness in that small kiss. He broke away, and kept his eyes lowered so she couldn't see what was in them.

"Thank you..." he hoarsely whispered. His mind was still in shock, and he didn't trust himself to say anything else.

"Merry Christmas, Clark."

Clark growled playfully and leaned forward to envelop her in a hug. He pulled her back down with him onto the bed. He leaned back on his elbow, watching her compose herself, before leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers in a quick moment of passion. When he broke off, he found Lois smiling at him.

"You know, it's really hard to win an argument when you do that."

"Oh?" Clark asked innocently.

"*Don't* give me those puppy-dog eyes. You know I can never resist them."

"Do you really want to?"

Lois pretended to think for a moment, and Clark leaned forward again, placing his hand behind her neck and pulling her forward. Their lips met again, and this time they lingered. Lois responded to him as her hand went up to the back of his neck and dove into his hair. He felt her moan slightly against his mouth, and the sound drove him wild. He rolled over onto his back, pulling her with him, feeling her against his bare skin, running his hands over her T-shirted back.

Her scent, her taste, the feel of her body was intoxicating. The feel of her tongue against his and her moans and caresses were driving him crazy with passion. He was lightheaded from the intensity of the kiss.

Suddenly, to his alarm, breathing became harder and harder until he finally had to break away from Lois, struggling for breath. His muscles were straining, and soon they were too tired to hold him up.

Hold him up?

He and Lois crashed onto the bed, falling several feet from the ceiling. Clark held onto her tightly to his chest so that she wouldn't be injured. Between gasps for air, he wondered how they had gotten up onto the ceiling. Actually, the 'how' was obvious, the 'why' was a bit stranger.

He froze when he saw Lois's shoulders shaking. Her face was buried against him, but she was making muffled noises. God, what had he done?

"Lois?" he said softly, willing her not to be hurt. He didn't think he would be able to stand it if she were hurt.

When she looked up, Clark was completely taken aback. Her face held a huge grin, and her eyes were closed. Her body was wracked with silent laughter. Finally, she drew in a deep breath. Then she was laughing out loud, harder than Clark had heard her in a long time.

"Clark!" she gasped out between laughter. "We were *floating*! And then...you fell! Did you do that on purpose?"

Clark shook his head, joining in on her laughter. "No, sometimes I float unintentionally when I feel... passionate about something." He paused for a moment, waiting for her to calm herself. "I thought you were hurt, Lois!"

A wave of weakness rushed over her and she collapsed backward, leaning back into his chest. He didn't speak, but she could feel his heart beating thunderously through his doublet.

By the time they had pulled up abruptly on the edge of a clearing, she still hadn't said anything about mistaking him for her husband, and now [...] was vaulting out of the saddle, lifting her, placing her on the ground beside him. Lois straightened and prepared to move away, but [...] retained his grip on her arms. "Just this once," he muttered so low that Lois was not sure she heard him correctly, "you'll kiss me like you mean it . . . ." He whipped off his helmet and bent his head.

The kiss was over before Lois could protest, and the knight released her, leaping back into the saddle and melting into the shadows of the forest. There was a murmur of voices from where he had disappeared, followed by a rustling in the undergrowth. The bushes parted, and a horse plodded out, carrying-

"Lucy!" gasped Lois, still breathless from the kiss.

Passing by a familiar door, Lois opened it.

"Lois," Clark said quizzically. "You know that this is the..."

"I sure do," Lois said teasingly and pulled him into the janitorial closet.

Lois put her arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss. Not protesting at all, Clark returned the kiss and deepened it when Lois parted her lips slightly to invite him in. He
pulled back and looked at her through the dimness.

"If I knew this is what would have happened in the closet, I wouldn't have corrected your error last month," he said, laughing.

"Who would have thought," Lois said to him, "that just over a month after we met, we would be doing this," she said as she continued kissing him, pushing him up against the wall
again.

"I love you," he said almost hesitantly, voicing his thoughts.

"Oh, I love you too," she answered instantly, and then she pulled away slightly from his body. Their eyes met again, and then never moved. As Lois leaned forward closer and closer
until their noses were nearly touching, their eyes never strayed. As they felt each other's hot breath against their lips, the contact never shifted. Only at the last possible moment before their lips made contact did Clark close his eyes.
Then their lips met, and all those lonely nights, all those regrets, melded together then disappeared completely. Clark
enfolded his arms tighter around her as their lips moved slowly, rhythmically together, and he moved one hand up to wrap around her shoulders.

"Clark? What's wrong? What's bothering you?"

Clark swallowed and shifted his gaze from the ceiling to Lois' face. Finally seeing her again, having her close, seeing such hope in her eyes - Clark began to hope, too. He framed her face with his hands, brushing her brow, her cheeks and lips with his fingers. Lois' response encouraged him and he drew her face to his to brush his lips along the same lines his fingers had just touched.

Lois' body tingled at Clark's touch. Her dreams had been haunted by his image and her body tortured by the memory of his touch. To have him here now and to be lying in bed with him made it hard to remember all the reasons they needed to go slow. They had agreed to wait until they WERE married. Clark was obviously weakened from his experiences on New Krypton. So much had happened in their time apart that they needed to discuss. However, none of that seemed as important as how she felt at the moment and she threw herself into the kiss, exploring Clark's mouth and roaming kisses across his face and neck.

When she realized how heavily she was breathing and the effect she was also having on Clark, she snuggled into the crook of Clark's neck and shoulder and took a deep breath. Clark also breathed deeply and squeezed Lois.

"Maybe it's a good thing you're wearing that t-shirt. I might have a hard time resisting that body of yours." Lois teased.

Lois could sense a difference in Clark, a slight change in the way he held her.

"Yeah. I'm really pretty tired. Maybe we should say good night."

Lois was the first to move, stretching her hand out towards Clark's face. He responded, shifting closer to her and sliding her legs along his lap in order to do so. Her fingers touched his face; his slid along her jawline and into her hair. Neither spoke.

Clark lowered his head and allowed his mouth to touch Lois's. At the same moment, she parted her lips and slid her hand around to the back of his head, running her fingers into his hair. She returned his kiss, at first tentatively and then more passionately as his own movements grew more ardent. Lois could barely believe the sensations Clark's kiss was arousing in her; she had known for some time that she was attracted to him, but this... this was nothing short of explosive.

Lois moaned inarticulately against Clark's mouth, causing him to come even closer to losing control. Without allowing his lips to leave hers, he scooped her up and gathered her onto his lap, holding her body as close to his as her belly would allow. Lois welcomed this greater intimacy of contact, and responded by allowing her hands to slide down to Clark's shirt. One hand stroked his shoulder and back, while the fingers of the
other traced the row of buttons down the front.

"Lois, I... I don't remember... going to bed," he faltered.

"You fell asleep after we talked," she said. "You were so tired I didn't want to wake you, so I put you to bed."

So they *had* talked? He tried to remember telling her he loved her - it wasn't the sort of thing one would want to forget! - but nothing came to him. Judging by the way she had been kissing him a moment ago, she must have decided she loved him too... *why* couldn't he remember her saying so? Granted, he was still very tired and confused, as well as being constantly distracted by the movement of her hand on his skin. His bare skin...

"You undressed me?" he asked suddenly, incredulously. He couldn't imagine Lois wrestling his jeans off while he slept - he hadn't been *that* tired!

She chuckled. "No, you did that yourself," she said. "You seemed to be on autopilot."

The movement of her chest had reminded him that his hand was still resting in a very intimate position. "I'm sorry," he gasped, pulling it away and fumbling for the edge of her shirt to cover her decently.

"Don't be sorry," she murmured deliberately, leaning forward and drawing his head towards hers. As her lips closed on his, he groaned and abandoned any pretence of rational thought. The kiss deepened quickly, Lois taking the initiative this time and probing his mouth with her tongue. Her hand wandered down his arm to find his and tug it away from its grip on her shirt, guiding it beneath the material once again.

His fingers explored her body, stroking and caressing her softness, learning from her responses how best to please her. Soon she was breathing heavily, and her hands were wandering over his skin to find and exploit his sensitive spots.

Through the waves of desire rolling over him, Clark was conscious of astonishment at the speed with which things were moving. He had hoped that after he had told Lois how he felt, she might agree to go on a date with him. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that within a matter of hours they would be in bed together and, it seemed, on the verge of becoming lovers. Not that he minded - there was nothing in the world that he'd rather do than make love with Lois, short of marrying her - but what had happened to all her reservations about sleeping with a colleague?

He lifted his mouth from hers with an effort. "Lois, are you sure this is what you want?" he managed to gasp.

She stilled for a moment, apparently considering the question, and then propped herself up on one elbow, rolling her body away from his. He couldn't suppress a rumbling groan of protest. He saw her teeth gleam in the faint light as she smiled.

"Quite sure," she said huskily, and shucked off her shirt, tossing it onto the floor behind her. She placed a palm against his shoulder and pushed him flat on the bed, then bent over him. Her hair swung out and fanned across his chest as her mouth began to explore his skin. He was dimly aware of her pyjama bottoms following her shirt, then her hands joined her mouth, roaming across his torso, teasing every inch of him into thrilling awareness.

Clark was having a wonderful dream. He'd dreamt that he'd woken up to find Lois in his arms, gazing at him longingly, and he'd done what he'd always wanted to do - slid closer to her and begun to kiss her passionately, as he'd always dreamed of doing. In his dream, she was beautifully responsive, sliding herself nearer to him, wrapping her arms around him to pull him closer, caressing his back - oh, and how he wished she'd let her hand explore beneath his T-shirt.

In his dream, for when he was dreaming he could do whatever he wanted, he thrust his tongue forward to slide it into Lois's mouth, his hands reaching to push the bedclothes aside. He wanted - *needed* - to get closer to her, and the comforter was just in the way....

He heard her moan as her tongue came to meet his; the sound was so clear, so *real* that he could almost believe he wasn't....

He wasn't dreaming. Oh God... he wasn't dreaming.

Abruptly he dragged himself away, sitting up, running his hand frantically through his hair as he tried to get to grips with the embarrassment. He had practically assaulted Lois! Okay, he'd been asleep, but that was no excuse! What if... oh, *God,* what if he hadn't woken up? How far would he have gone?

Why hadn't she stopped him?

He became aware that she was sitting up next to him, clutching the sheet against her upper body. Closing his eyes despairingly - she was never going to forgive him for this - he said shakily, "Lois, I'm sorry. I was... I guess I was dreaming, and I... just didn't know what I was doing. I'm so sorry."

Lois suddenly found herself in his arms, kissing and being kissed
by him. His kiss was exquisite, soft and gentle, yet somehow
powerful. She was completely absorbed in the kiss, oblivious to
the world around her. There was no past, no future-- only *now*.
She couldn't remember *ever* being this elated by a kiss. It
almost felt like their souls were combining and floating like
gossamer. Then there was a tiny bump and she withdrew from his
kiss in time to see them bump into the ceiling for a second time.

"Oh, my god! That was...that was *wonderful*!"

Clark looked dazed. "That's never happened before! I had no
idea...I'm sorry."

"Clark Kent, don't you *dare* apologize! That was the most
incredible kiss I have ever experienced! So don't you *dare*
spoil it by apologizing!"

He was captivated by her, his eyes never leaving hers as he repeated the requested words. "I am so in love with you, Lois Lane."

She shivered, the words producing an electricity in the air unlike anything she had ever felt. She tilted her mouth up until it remained only inches away from his, teasing and torturing both of them. Her eyes closed and her hands went to his hips, steadying herself against the weakening of her knees. "Again," she whispered.

"I am..." He leaned down and closed the distance between their mouths with a soft brush of his lips. "...so...in love..." One more gentle kiss traced the bow of her upper lip. "With you," he finished on a shaky breath.

And although Lois tried valiantly to hold them back, warm tears collected behind her eyelids as Metropolis's toughest investigative reporter found out, for the first time, just what it felt like to be loved. She fought to find the words to tell him how she was feeling, but there were none. All she could do was show him, and so it was with this thought that she pressed forward, her mouth finding his, and kissed him with all of her heart and soul.

After several beautiful moments, they finally parted, but only slightly. Clark leaned his forehead against hers, their breathing deep and their eyes closed.

They headed down the path towards the pond. Just out of sight of the house, Clark stopped and pulled Lois behind a tree and into his arms, kissing her soundly. "I've been wanting to do this all night," he said, hungrily, taking her lips again. "I missed you so much."

"I love you," she said against his mouth. "When you left, I wanted to die..." She slid her hands around his waist, inside his tunic, wanting to feel his skin against hers. On the right side of his lower back, she felt a rough scar. "What's this from?"

"Double blade knife," he said, distractedly, nuzzling her neck, and running his hands up and down her back and hips.

She slid her hands up the long muscles in his back, and found another injury just below the curve of his shoulder. "And this?"

"Crystal point," he murmured, kissing her again.

Her hands slid around from his back, to rest on his chest. He felt so much leaner than before, but just as warm to her touch. She lightly flicked her fingertip across his nipple and was delighted when he gasped with pleasure. Sliding her hand across the hard muscles of his stomach, her fingers found several small wounds together. "How 'bout these?"

He lifted his head. "Lois, would you stop playing connect the dots with my scars and just kiss me?"

Unable to take it anymore, Clark moved her soft, silky brown hair over, and she automatically rolled her head to the side, exposing the side of her throat and ear to the damp night air.

Seeing that ivory, porcelain-like skin, he felt drawn to that warm, soft flesh. She gasped out when she felt his mouth against the side of her throat, sucking gently.

"Oooohhh...Clark...that feels so good..." she whimpered softly, her fingers digging into his thighs as desire swept over her.

As he nuzzled the nape of her neck, his lips moving slowly over the sensitive area, she knew in an instant that dropping everything and dragging a protesting cousin to Smallville just to be with him was the right thing to do. His name rolled off her tongue on a sigh, and Clark whispered hers back in her ear. Leaning back against him as she was, she felt his reaction against her, realizing it at the same moment he did. She was constantly amazed at how easily she could arouse him, and vice versa.

"Clark...." she gasped, running her hands up and down the inside of his thighs slowly now.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No! Don't stop... just...just what if someone comes out here suddenly?" she asked, trying to ask her question without melting at his touch.

"There's this one little place I know..." he told her.

He scooped her up in his arms, standing and heading for the huge tree in the corner of the Kent's back yard before the fields started while Lois kept herself busy with nibbling on his ear, oblivious to the falling rain.

When he laid her softly down on a beat up, but soft, old couch, she finally took notice of her surroundings. She giggled as he laid on top of her, unbuttoning her shirt and pulling the two flaps apart, his hands wandering over her, reveling in the softness of her body. "In a *tree house*?!"

Aha! Christy Landrum's The Hand That Rocks - and if there's anyone who hasn't read it, RUN!!!

Her stomach had done a strange flipflop. A voice inside had told her to back out, pretend it was just a joke. But then they'd been behind the building, in a grassy area under a tree, and Clark had backed her against a wall, one arm
above her head to brace himself. His lips had been inches from hers as he'd said in a husky voice, "Ready?"

She had barely been able to nod her head. In an instant, his lips had met hers and rational thought seemed to leave her. Vaguely, she'd been aware of some kind of meltdown inside her mind and body and had marvelled that such a thing was not just a romance writer's invention.

Finally they'd come apart, breathless. But not far apart. It couldn't have been far apart because in a heartbeat they'd reconnected. This time, Clark had pulled her in tight against him with his hand on her back, while his other hand had tangled in her hair. Her own hands had been inside his sportscoat, wrapped around him, feeling the muscles of his back.

Lois found herself remembering his smell, clean but male, remembering how hard his body felt against hers. Her body was experiencing a kind of tingling power surge that she had only known hints of before.

Now, as she lay in bed remembering, she could feel that tingle again. The memory of it was more exciting than the memory of Superman's kiss, she realized with a shock. Kissing Clark had left her raw with desire for more. Even now, part of her was dying to be in his arms again, thinking up possible scenarios for another encounter.

Their lips were only inches apart. She could feel his rapid breath against her skin. They lay, arms around each other, eyes dazed and lost with the force of what had overtaken them, as they waited for some moment, some sign, some shattering thunderbolt of understanding to pierce the air and swallow them whole and give them license to continue what they had begun.

Panting heavily - a new sensation, he was never breathless, how could she make him breathless? - Clark shook his head, trying to clear some sense into it, and found himself melting again as his gaze was caught and held fast by the dark, clouded eyes of his partner. Eyes that were dilated with excitement and desire, hazed with the thrill of that kiss as much as he was...and as wide with confusion.

A boisterous group of about seven people entered the bar and took the empty table next to theirs. Serious conversation turned out to be
impossible and so they sipped their drinks in silence, holding hands, content to be together, each knowing there were still things they hadn't
said, that they wanted to say to each other. Later, as they were leaving the bar, Clark impulsively pulled Lois against him and kissed her hard.

Sitting beside her, just holding hands had taken its toll on his self restraint.

After she caught her breath, Lois looked at him with narrowed eyes. "I bet you're pleased with yourself, Kent."

"Right now I'm feeling *very* pleased, Lois," he said, his eyes glittering.

She felt the back of her knees go weak.

'I love this plan,' thought Lois, pressing herself against Clark's side. He put his arm around her shoulders and she reached up and gave him a quick, giggly, flirty kiss. She smiled delightedly and rested her hand on his thigh, just above his knee. He looked so *hot* in those tight jeans and t-shirt.

Clark could sense that Cat was looking at them. He knew that she had seen them go to the booth. He tilted his head slightly downward and whispered into her ear, just touching it with his lips. "She's watching us."

Lois smiled sexily, as if he'd said something romantic. She reached her other hand over and traced a line from his ear to his chin, her lips close to his. "Great," she murmured. "Wanna get something to eat?" She brushed her lips against his, gently, almost teasingly. He leaned in closer for a harder kiss. "Or not..." The words were almost too mumbled for even Clark to hear. She gave a soft moan of pleasure, which Clark echoed with his own before gently pulling away from her.

Cat watched in shock as the two reporters touched, kissed, giggled, and flirted. She had thought that Lois was with Lex. The two were practically *engaged*! And now here she was with Clark, looking *extremely* friendly for just "best friends". What had happened with Lex, Metropolis' most eligible bachelor? What a... scandal. Cat smiled, and listened carefully, trying to hear snitches of the conversation.

"So, how's... Lex?" Clark asked.

"Mmmm. Not nearly as good as you," Lois replied saucily, tasting his mouth again, as their food hadn't arrived yet. "He's such a boring old man."

"Not your type?"

"Naw," she said offhandedly. "I need a more...masculine, young, good-looking guy. Maybe someone who's really good with his hands..." She trailed off as Clark feathered kisses onto her neck. "Know anyone...mmmm... who fits the... oooh... bill?" she asked, tilting her head to the side to give him better access.

"Maybe," he murmured, his voice sexy and deep in her ear. "And I think he's... free tonight..."

At her words, Clark lifted his head very slowly, finally meeting her eyes. "Lois," he said on a shaky sigh, "believe me, I do like you. I like you very much. Very, *very* much. But you're drunk and not thinking clearly ... and if I kiss you now, and by some miracle you actually remember any of this in the morning, you are going to kill me."

Lois took a half-step towards him, closing the already short distance between them as she leaned on the door, blocking his exit. "But what a way to go," she murmured, her eyes flickering to his mouth.

With a strangled groan, Clark felt the last of his resolve snap. He placed his hands against the wall on either side of Lois's head and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss, pinning her tightly against him as he finally unleashed all the desire within him. The kiss was long and hungry and entirely mutual, as Lois quickly wound her hands up between them and grasped his head to draw him in closer. When they finally pulled back, Clark found himself breathing harder than he ever had in his life.

Lois's eyes were glazed over and she looked as though she was having trouble focusing as she gasped for air. Unrepentant, he lifted one hand and let his thumb drag over her bottom lip, brushing against the swollen dampness which offered proof that their kiss wasn't a dream. After a moment, he met her dazed look.

"If you do remember this in the morning, Lois," he assured her breathlessly, "and you still want me ... I promise you, all you have to do is say the word, and I will be back here in a single heartbeat."

Something was passing between them, a feeling that was stronger than anything she'd experienced before, and reason held too little value to restrain her instincts.

She hadn't been expecting such a sensation to course through her spine when he'd joined his lips to hers. Their first kiss had been born of a mutual search for comfort, and it should have broken off as quickly as it had started...

And yet, she was melting in his embrace, Clark's arms wrapped tightly around her and keeping her from collapsing against him. The same dizzying awareness of him and only him that had invaded her earlier in the stables, or more recently, when he'd saved her from the tree's brutal fall,
was overwhelming her senses, eating away at all consciousness until the only remaining thought she could perceive was the soft caress of his lips on hers, the gentle teasing of his tongue as he kissed her, and the fire of his touch on her skin.

She wanted him. She wanted him like she'd never wanted any other man before, and the revelation was too startling to her to engender the usual fear that she might wake up later to the harsh reality of the world. For once, there was no barrier between her desire and herself, there were no questions asked, no unanswered concerns. Clark was in her arms and the rest didn't matter.

The first gentle touch of Clark's lips on hers was heavily intoxicating, and made every nerve in her body throb. How could this man - the same man she had dubbed a hack from Smallville - make her feel this way?

The voices started up again, but for the first time that day, she didn't need them - didn't need them to identify this emotion that rose up fiercely inside of her as his lips plundered hers relentlessly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, delighting in the taste of his lips, his mouth, his tongue.

It was their first kiss, but somehow Lois knew that it would be the first of many.

She knew that they still had a lot of things to work through... she needed to talk to Lex, and thank her mother and... mmm... talk to Jimmy, and Perry, and Jack... she had to talk to...
oh... Superman, tell him that she wouldn't be throwing herself at him any more... and... maybe... she needed to think of a way
to rebuild the Planet... but right at that second, she didn't let herself dwell on any of that... maybe later...

Much later.

It was Jonathan. He stood, smiling, as he waited for me to come
to him. I supposed he was nervous that I was still angry at his
coldness over the phone the other day. I wasn't. I ran through
the hall and into the music room and into Jonathan's arms.

He held me and we just stood there, unmoving, savoring the
moment and each other. Jonathan pulled away first.

"Martha, I'm so sorry," he said all at once. "I wasn't thinking.
How could I know how difficult it was to have to take care of
your mother and deal with your family? I was insensitive,
stupid-"

"No, it was me," I insisted. "It was all I talked about, how
frustrating it was, how worried I was about my mother. I
should've given you a chance to say something. I shouldn't have
left everything like that, abandoning you after I said no to
your proposal. I was just so confused-"

"No, it's not your fault," he argued, stepping away and calming
his cadence and tone. "I shouldn't have expected an answer so
fast. I understand now that you need time. Marriage is a big
decision, and I don't want to rush you into anything. I'll just
wait, however long it takes; I'll be waiting."

"Thank you," I said, falling back into his arms. This time he
took my face in his hands and we kissed, long and longingly, not
wanting to let go.

He did the only thing that came completely naturally to him. He squeezed Lois's hands and helped her stand up as he stood up as well. His lips slowly approached hers.

When their faces were only inches apart, he whispered, "Thank you." Those two words were so insufficient to express the emotions he felt.

He hoped he would be able to show her those feelings as he brushed his lips against hers. As he closed his eyes and leaned in closer to capture her lips with his own, he felt all the pent-up worry frustration leaving his body. He was completely secure that Lois had chosen him.

She stood up. "So I should just carry on with my life as though you never existed?"

"That's the idea."

She started to walk slowly towards him; the panther stalking her prey. "And I should date other guys?"

"Yes," he ground out. It was working; he wasn't at all happy about that idea.

"And kiss them?" She stopped in front of him and ran her fingers casually over the S on his chest.

His jaw muscles tightened, but he nodded mutely.

Her hands strayed up to his shoulders and around the back of his neck. "Like this?" she breathed huskily, standing on her tiptoes and lifting her mouth to his.

For a long, agonising moment he didn't respond, but then his arms came around her and his mouth sought hers hungrily.

The kiss was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. She could feel his passion matching her own, yet there were no demands behind it. Instead it felt like homage, and it made her senses swim until nothing existed in her mind but his body pressed against hers, his hands tangling in her hair, his mouth moving delightfully over hers.

Then he was pushing her away from him, raising his head and taking several deep, steadying breaths.

"Lois, please don't make this any harder than it is already," he implored.

She snorted deep in her throat, and felt him quiver at the sound. "Clark, this is only difficult because you're making it difficult," she said. "For years I worked at being self-sufficient, kidding myself I didn't need anyone else. You destroyed that illusion when you showed me what real friendship was like. Tonight I realised what my life would be like without you, and I just couldn't bear it. There's no way I'm going to let you go, Clark Kent."

Clark reached for Lois, sliding his arms around her in the way he had wanted ever since he had arrived at her apartment that morning. "Even better - I'll show you," he oromised. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her lovingly, allowing the kiss to linger as his hands trailed tantalisingly over her body. Lois giggled as the lightness of his touch tickled, then gasped as she realised that she was no longer sitting on the sofa, but floating several inches above it.

"Hey - it's OK, trust me," Clark assured her, his lips trailing across her jawline and finding their way to her earlobe. "Mmmmm... this feels
wonderful," he murmured, as at the same time he guided them, still floating, across the room and into Lois's bedroom.

"Clark... what are you doing?" Lois demanded as she felt herself being lowered onto the bed she had left less than two hours ago.

"Don't worry... nothing... our parents... wouldn't approve of," he murmured in amusement between kisses, as his lips explored the curves and indentations of Lois's left ear. "I just want to touch you... get used to
being close to you...

Clark was dead. He had to be. And Dillinger and Barrow had been about to dump her in the river along with him, tied to his body so that she would drown. And she was *in* the river... so she should be dead too.

Not floating half-out of the water, Clark's hands supporting her waist, her hands clutching at him, and with Clark kissing her!

Apart from the fact that Clark was dead and so this couldn't really be happening, *if* by some totally ludicrous chance that it was real they wouldn't be floating like this, as if one or both of them could walk on water. Neither of them appeared to be treading water or holding onto anything, so they should be sinking.

And yet she was simply floating upright, without any means of support, and a dead man was kissing her.

He'd just spoken to her, too, and he'd sounded so like Clark...

But of course he would, she told herself. She was dreaming, or dead, or something. Of course she'd hear Clark's voice just as she remembered it.

Well, she thought, as long as she was dead, or hallucinating, she might as well enjoy the kiss... Clark always was a good kisser, she thought dreamily. Not that they'd ever kissed for real, which was a pity... he was definitely a very handsome man and, even though she'd always denied it, she *had* been attracted to him. More than just attracted; as she'd confessed in the car, far too late, she'd been in love with him.

She slid her arms up and around his neck, sliding her tongue forward to touch his lips. His arms tightened around her, pulling her even more closely against him. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she noticed that his clothing was soaking wet, and it felt cold against her very thin - and also soaking wet - dress. That was odd, she thought, surprised; surely mundane things like that shouldn't be part of her hallucination?

But she pushed that aside and raked her fingers through Clark's hair, which was also very wet. She heard him moan deep in his throat, and she exulted at the power she had over his response. If only they'd tried this while they were both still alive... She'd wasted over a year which they could have had as a couple, if only she'd known just how good they could have been together...

He tore his mouth away from hers. "Lois!" he hissed urgently.

"No," she moaned, trying to pull his face back down to hers. "Kiss me again..."

"Lois!" This time his tone was sharper. "Lois, we have to get out of here! You'll catch your death of pneumonia!"

"Can't! I'm already dead, so there!" she threw back at him, again seeking his mouth.

"Lois!" His hands moved to clamp over her shoulders, holding her away from him. "You're not dead - neither of us is. And we have to get out of the river!"

Lois stared into his eyes for a long moment, then almost on instinct, began to move her face slowly towards his. She didn't know who his lost love was, and at that moment, she didn't care. What she did know was that she wanted to kiss him, to comfort him and soothe him, and to make them each forget, if only for a few moments, all of their regrets.

Her eyes closed as their lips touched softly. She felt his mouth relax against hers, and hers did the same. One kiss led to another as they nibbled gently on each others' lips, exploring and caressing and tasting.

Slowly, Lois shifted her weight and scooted over to Clark's lap. Their kisses so far had been about restrained passion, and she didn't want to escalate things too quickly. But she did want to hold him and look him in the eye, so she sat on his lap, facing him. Clark followed her lead, exploring her mouth thoroughly but not aggressively as they kissed. They let their hands wander slowly through the other's hair, over the other's back, in tender motions.

Finally, Lois pulled back, breathless. She let her head fall back as Clark layered wonderful kisses down her neck. She thought of the woman who had hurt Clark, and Lois found herself hoping that the woman would never change her mind, would never come to Metropolis to win him back.

"Forget her, Clark," Lois whispered as he began feathering butterfly kisses over her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids ... "The one that got away .... forget her."

"I can't ..." he whispered back emotionally as he kissed her cheek. "I love her."

Lois felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought of Clark in love with someone else. She choked back a sob. "Then maybe you should be kissing her," she said in a tiny voice.

Clark exhaled a shaky breath as he lowered his lips to hers. "Lois," he gasped. "I am. God help me, I am."

As their lips met once more, the rest of the world faded away. For them, there would be no more regrets.

He nodded. "I talked to Tom."

"About...?"

"He said that since I was leaving, I could do this." He bent and kissed her, slowly, tenderly, with all the feeling his heart had for her. When he stepped back, there were tears in her eyes. "Never forget I love you."

The tears spilled. "I won't. I love you, too."

And then the voices, and the sight of the family -- her family, now -- coming through the trees.

Lois dashed away the tears and waited beside him until the little procession reached them.

Clark's look of confusion changed to one of understanding as a sly smile of his own curved his lips. He released one of Lois' hands and placed his along her cheek. She leaned into it, then rose up on her toes to meet him halfway as he lowered his head to hers.

The kiss was sweet and tender. It caused a sensation of spreading warmth to suffuse through the bodies of both partners. It wasn't a kiss of passion, but it was a kiss that spoke of love, and of promise. It might have continued till who knew when, but Lois had to break in order to breathe.

"Whoa," she murmured breathlessly.

Lois placed her hand on Clark's chest as she took a couple of moments to catch her breath. She was a little unsteady on her feet as well. Lois hadn't had a lot of romantic relationships,
but she hadn't grown up in a convent either. Still, she had never known a kiss like that, and she needed another. She looked up into his smiling eyes as her own sly look returned.

"Well that was a pleasant thank you, for saving all the others." She tugged on the fabric of his suit pulling his head down toward her. "I think we are reasonably safe from tabloid reporters here. Superman's reputation will still be safe, so how about some gratitude for *your* life."

Clark didn't reply with words but merely closed the slight distance between them and captured her lips in his again. It was a kiss much like the first one, only this time there was more heat. The sweetness gave way to desire and the tenderness to a passion that surprised each of them.

"I want to tell you something, Clark. I think... I think that I want more from you than friendship, Clark. This feels so good. I want to stay like this with you," she said, looking down at the ground, giving a small, nervous smile.

He felt unable to say anything, but relieved she'd told him this. At least he had no doubts, now.

He moved his head down towards her, and gently brushed his lips against his, feeling her part them. He heard her sigh quietly, and felt her body melt into his, as she gave herself up to the kiss. He'd never felt anything like it before. She seemed desperate in her kiss, and he tried to pull her ever closer to him, responding to her movements against his mouth.

Totally oblivious to the people around them, they continued to kiss, finally realising they were meant for each other.

Intrigued, she obediently parted her lips to allow entrance
of the raspberry. Before he could take his fingers away,
she grabbed them and licked off the chocolate. It had the
hoped-for effect on him. His hand held her cheek and his
mouth met her lips, still slightly parted. Their tongues
shared the lingering trace of chocolate. He pulled back
just enough to look for a sign of encouragement. Her
closed eyes and parted lips were all he needed. Taking the
dishes from her hands and setting them back on the counter,
his mouth again found hers.

Lois couldn't believe this was happening. She was
experiencing the most sensuous kiss of her life, and the
man sharing it with her was the last one she'd expected to
win the chemistry category. They kissed until she thought
she would go crazy if they didn't stop. Or maybe she would
go crazy if they did stop. Her lips left his mouth and
moved to the spot that had tantalized her all evening. His
neck was warm and smooth and she could feel the hardness of
his body beneath her mouth. Her hand explored the muscles
beneath the silk shirt, and he groaned. His hands moved to
her waist and lifted her to sit on the kitchen counter.
Then his mouth moved down her neck to her collarbone, his
hands still holding her by the waist. She felt his fingers
move up her side, exploring the areas exposed by the toga.
Her body was urging her to let those fingers keep moving,
but her brain chose this moment to remind her that this was
only one third of her experiment. Clark was going into
territory she didn't intend to put on the evaluation form.
This had to stop, she told herself without much conviction.
She had to try to keep all factors equal if she wanted to
do a proper comparison of her three dates. Still, she
allowed his hands brief access to their goal before gently
pushing them down to his sides and then adjusting her
sheet.

Lois glanced over at him. He wasn't looking at the city - he was watching her.

Afterwards, Lois couldn't say who moved first, but suddenly she found herself in Clark's arms as each explored the other's mouth with an urgency that took Lois completely by surprise. Was it because of the excitement of the day or this undeniable sense of connection she had with Clark? She didn't know, but at this moment, she didn't care. All she knew was that in less than twenty-four hours she would be on an airplane that would take her away from this man for good.

After a few minutes of frantic activity on the part of both Lois and Clark, both suddenly pulled back. They stood staring into each
others' eyes for a moment, both fighting to catch their breath. Neither knew quite knew what had happened and, as a result, neither knew quite how to break the silence. Finally, Clark seemed to find his voice.

"I found you a t-shirt," he said.

One side of Lois' mouth crept up. If he wanted to talk about the t-shirt right now, their kiss had obviously affected him as much as it had her - if not more. She slowly closed the distance separating them. When she was within a foot of him, she gently reached up and
placed her hand on the soft fir covering his face. She slowly explored his face with her hand while staring into his eyes.

Clark knew the instant that she touched his face that he was in trouble. Years of carefully avoiding any and all emotional attachments went up in smoke. No matter what he did now, he belonged to the woman standing in front of him.

"God, Lois," he whispered. "You have no idea how much I want to make love to you."