Authors note; for Jessica, my friend, my muse and my real life Lana. This is for you 💜

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Lana dressed carefully for dinner, pausing occasionally to view the results in the huge mirror which sat on the wall beside her wardrobe.

Another of Nell's dresses hung seductively on her lithe and curvy body, making her smile with satisfaction.

Her split lip was still swollen and despite the mark, had only added to the full curve of her lower lip. It accentuated her entire mouth and Lana decided that she rather liked it, she applied a rose gloss to her lips liberally.

Tonight, her dress was somewhat demure, almost innocent, it's cream colour and style misleading. It's bodice was fitted and the collar high, showing no skin at all. The sleeves were short, revealing Lana's slender arms delightfully. It was also fairly short in length, showing almost every inch of her shapely legs.

She wore flat embellished ballet pumps, showcasing just how small she was.

Lana stared at herself as she released her long hair from its tie, allowing it to cascade down her back. The overall image was young, sexy and tempting.

She had darkened her eyelids and applied a fine dusting of powder only, less was more with her makeup. Lana never overdid it in that department.

She couldn't believe that she was going to dine with Lex. Her heart rate was erratic as she tossed her hair artfully around her face and sprayed some of her favourite scent on her pulse points.

His invitation had surprised her at the time, even though she'd tried to act aloof and normal.

Because technically, she was a child - no one important and yet Lex had invited her to dine with him. He was so much older than her, worldly, suave and as sexy as hell, Lana wasn't sure if she could even act normally a round him.

She was playing a game she wasn't equipped for and the danger excited her.

Lex was dangerous, she just knew it.

She wasn't even sure what she wanted from him,.

She wanted a kiss perhaps, his attention and that was as far as her knowledge went.

She refused to think beyond that point, because she knew that a grown man would undoubtedly want things she didn't know how to do.

Lex wasn't a boy, he was a man.

A kiss alone was probably a lot less than he was used to.

But Lana refused to think about it, focusing on the present, the excitement of her ongoing war with Lex and her eventual victory.

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Lex waited for his prey, swirling the amber liquid in his crystal tumbler around repeatedly.

Lana was driving him fucking insane.

He knew he really shouldn't want her like this.

His father would probably kill him if he found out that Lex was planning to ultimately seduce his young ward.

But Lex felt no fear at the thought of discovery.

His father's rage made no difference what so ever to him, he'd long since become immune to his sire's displeasure.

He took a sip of his drink and placed it on the table before rising to his feet and going towards the massive fireplace. Lex stoked it thoughtfully, his mind deeply occupied as he watched the flames writhe and dance before his eyes.

Lana Lang was going to be the death of him he decided.

Her beauty mesmerised him.

Her inner fire tantalised him.

He wanted to possess her and own her.

But she was so young it caused him to feel a twinge of something which almost resembled morality.

A slow smile twisted his sensuous lips as he felt the air shift and smelt the delectable scent of vanilla.

Slowly, with unhurried patience, Lex rose to his feet and replaced the poker before turning to face the sublime beauty he knew was standing just behind him.

"Good evening. " Lex allowed his gaze to weep over her figure, approval in the depths of his electric blue eyes.

Lana felt herself flush with excitement and nerves as Lex eyed her outfit with an amused smirk.

"Hi." Lana said rather breathlessly.

A smile tugged at his mouth at her inane greeting.

"No ill effects from our training, I see." he said stepping forward and reaching out to touch her lower lip.

His touch tingled, heat radiating from the point of contact and spreading through her body.

"No." she managed, her tone soft and breathless as she forced herself to remain still and unaffected by his close proximity. "I'm fine." she added, her eyes dancing away from his steady gaze.

Lana couldn't make herself meet his eyes, shyness and uncertainty flooded her at his close appraisal.

Lex stroked her lip for a brief moment before dropping his hand and stepping away rather suddenly, causing Lana to sway unsteadily on her feet.

"Come and sit with me." He invited. "Dinner will be served in about half an hour."

Lana followed Lex automatically, her mind chaotic, nerves drowning her earlier self assurance.

Why had she agreed to this?

Lex unnerved her so badly, being alone with him could only be a bad idea.

The air almost crackled with electricity as their gazes did meet, by accident, as Lana took a seat across from where Lex stood beside the drinks tray.

Lex eyed her sardonically, amused. "Would you like a drink?"

"I'm not really supposed to drink..."

"I asked you if you'd like one, Lana, not if you could. This is my house and my rules apply here."

Lana eyed him warily. Lex was a law unto himself, so she'd heard and now she was seeing it for herself.

"I'd like a glass of wine, please." She said softly.

"White or red?"

"Red?"

"Good choice." Lex approved. "We're having steak for dinner, it should compliment the food."

Lana nodded in agreement although her mind couldn't be further from food if she'd tried.

She was practically crawling in her skin, strange needs and desires making her feel decidedly uncomfortable and uneasy.

She watched as Lex poured her a glass of wine. It's deep red colour reminding her of blood.

She loved the colour red, although Nell hardly ever let her wear it, saying it was too mature for her age.

Lana stared at Lex's hands, his fingers were long and elegant and they were wrapped around her glass.

She knew from their sparring earlier, that his hands were strong, large and more than capable of lifting her entirely.

The thought of Lex lifting her made heat grow in her belly, the runoff seemed to pool between her thighs.

Lana shifted unconsciously, crossing her legs tightly together, as an unfamiliar surge of moisture dampened her underwear.

Lex was watching her closely.

He studied her every move as he poured her wine, the mirror above the tray providing the perfect tool to watch her without her knowledge.

Lex turned and walked towards her, his pace slow and sensuous, lithe as any jungle cat.

He handed her the glass and offered her a small smile as he did so.

"Thank you." she said, clearing her throat when her voice came out all wrong. It was strangely husky like she hadn't used it for a while.

"It's my pleasure." Lex took his own drink to his seat directly beside the fire.

Firelight danced on his features, accentuating his handsome face and penetrating gaze.

Lana felt her heart stop and her belly gave a delicious flip flop of awareness.

"Did you enjoy our lesson this morning?"

Lana took a swallow of her wine and found she liked it. "Yes, I loved it. It was everything I imagined. Learning to fight as always been a dream of mine."

"Yes, I could tell." Lex said smoothly. "You're an avid pupil."

Lana shifted again, her unease obvious to Lex.

He took a long sip of his drink and eyed her with a penetrating stare. "Relax Lana, I won't attack you." His eyes twinkled. "Despite what I said last night."

Lana felt her cheeks grow warm.

She didn't know what to say.

"Will you ride with me in the morning?" Lex asked, wisely changing the subject.

Lana looked startled. "Yes, of course, I mean - they're your horses..."

"I wasn't asking to use my own horses, I was merely asking for the pleasure of your company. Which of course, you are free to deny me, if you will."

"No, I'd like to ride with you." Lana replied, feeling even more gaunch that she had before.

Dinner was a stilted affair, food arrived like clockwork and Lana and Lex ate in relative silence.

They made inane conversation about things which didn't really matter, all the while they both watched each other with a hunger which was becoming increasingly difficult to hide.

After three glasses of wine, a good deal more than Lana was used to, she finally relaxed and began to act like herself.

Lex watched her every move, studying the way her lips moved when she spoke and the way her hair fell around her face.

The unbearable tightening in his loins only grew as the night wore on.

Lex decided to start his unorthodox seduction with a few simple touches. Like a young horse was made to accept bolder strokes each day, so would Lana learn to be close to him.

Small steps each day until she became his very willing slave.

No one would know.

Not even Lana to begin with.

Lex waited until it was time for Lana to withdraw and go to bed before he made his first move.

He sat sprawled in the arm chair beside the fire, his stance relaxed and carefree, although still commanding respect without even trying.

He was a formidable man, for someone so young.

"I think I'm going to go to bed." Lana said at last, as she drained the last of the crimson liquid from her glass.

"Goodnight, Lana." Lex said softly. "Come here for a moment before you go."

Lana stared at him as if he'd grown another head.

Go closer to him? Was he crazy?

Lex didn't repeat himself, he simply watched her. The emotions running across her face were fascinating to him, it was like the most riveting of plays.

Finally she moved towards him, her lovely legs carrying her towards him slowly but surely.

Finally she was close enough to touch, her legs a scant inch away from his own.

She didn't have to ask what he wanted, it didn't matter, she was instantly drunk on his mere proximity. Her body trembled as she waited, her senses going wild with excitement and fear.

Lex slowly reached for a steel box which lay on the table beside him.

Lana hadn't seen it until this moment.

"I wanted to give you this. I found it while I was riding years ago and I realised when I met you that I now knew to whom it belonged."

Lex sat forwards and opened the box, he carefully withdrew a delicate necklace with a curious green stone dangling from a gold chain.

Lana reached for it without thinking, her fingers brushing his as she examined the gorgeous necklace.

Lex watched her intently.

"Come here." He demanded arrogantly, pulling her down beside him onto the footstool which sat beside his chair.

Without asking permission, Lex slowly drew her hair over one shoulder and lifted the necklace to secure it around her slender neck.

It fell at the perfect height, just above her breasts.

"It's beautiful." Lana said, lifting it with reverent fingers to look at it more closely. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. It was yours already. Something tells me that it's yours, that it will protect you from harm perhaps." He joked, stroking her hair absent-mindedly.

Lana shuddered as his fingers grazed the skin on the nape of her neck, a shot of pure pleasure shooting straight through her plaint body.

Lex stroked her neck and then deliberately pulled her hair back over her tender, vulnerable nape, before caressing the silky strands of her dark hair as though it was the most normal thing to do.

Her scent enslaved him, sweetly wrapping invisible coils around his long dead heart as his body clamoured for release within her soft body.

Lana sighed and swayed into him, closer than ever before. His touch was heavenly, intoxicating and deadly. She wanted more, her nipples pebbled, her soft skin alive with goose flesh.

Lex continued to draw his fingers through her hair, his mouth a centimetre from her ear, the taste of his breath on her lips.

"Goodnight, Lana." He said and it was a dismissal.

Lana stared at him, confused.

She rose unsteadily to her feet and whispered goodnight as she left the room obediently.

She wasn't even sure why she had obeyed so readily, it certainly wasn't in her nature.

Lex had created a whirlpool of emotions and sensations inside her and now she was left alone to dwel on just how much she wanted to be his.