Cherry Wine {lex luthor}

chapter forty two

I took his hand again. It made sense-the metal could cut the glove, or have some sort of reaction with whatever he was working on. "So what would you get? My name?"

"The latin from your ring." Lex lifted it to the light. "Nam sol sidus."

"Very romantic." I tucked both my hands into my pockets. "Who would have guessed that under that genius billionaire, there's a Nicholas Sparks fanatic?"

Lex propped a hand on his hip, offered the other to me. "Don't you go telling anyone that. Come on. It's late."

I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, and stood. I was in my favorite pajamas-silken blue shorts and a huge, oversized sweater, and fluffy socks. I never seemed to be able to choose whether I was hot or cold, so I dressed for both. Lex found it endearing, for some reason-especially since I never managed to find a pair of matching socks.

Once we got to our room, I placed the picture of Mop and I in the frame of the mirror that hung over the dresser. We had a few pictures pushed in there-a polaroid from the Christmas party, one I cut out from the newspaper after I accompanied Lex to a grand opening of some new business. Once the new house was ready, I planned to make a whole corkboard of pictures. I had lost so many, had so little physical records of the past few months that each one felt like a treasure.

A tremor ran through me as I wandered into the bathroom to brush my teeth, and gooseflesh popped up on my arms. I sighed, turning the tap as hot as it went. Chronically cold.

"Do you want me to grab another blanket from a guest room?" Lex asked, eyeing me and I ran my hands under the steaming tap.

"No, I'll just get hot all over again." I laughed, flicking water at him.

"Did you just spray me?"

I laughed, and flicked more water at him. He lunged, wrapping both arms around me. I shrieked in surprise."Uncle!"

He set me down, so I was sitting on the marble counter. It was a familiar position, but for once, no wounds needed tending. We were both so happy-I felt like I was glowing, and Lex was smiling more widely than I'd ever seen. "What?" I asked, placing a hand on his cheek.

"I just realized that we get to do this forever." He said. "Water fights. You being cold but insisting on wearing shorts. You walking into my office, all sleepy and soft. This is our life now, Ruth."

I blinked slowly, my lashes fluttering against my cheek. That slow burn candle in my chest re-ignited, and I drew in a breath. The effect was quickly ruined by my shaking jaw.

"Okay, into bed." Lex rolled his eyes skywards. "And in ten minutes you'll be so hot you'll have kicked away the blankets. And then ten minutes later you'll be freezing-"

"Shush." I grumbled. "I can't help it."

"Mmm. I know." He dipped his head, his mouth just above the skin where my neck met my shoulder. The air grew thick with tension. Neither of us moved an inch. I took a deep breath, and my shoulder lifted slightly. I felt him nip it, and then the sting of the marked skin was soothed by cool air. I shivered again, but this time, it had nothing to do with the temperature.

"Bed time." Lex stepped away.

"I have to brush my teeth." I worried my bottom lip with my teeth. "Give me a second."

He pulled my lip from my mouth, letting his finger trail down my chin, and drop to my knee. "Don't take too long."

I hopped down from the counter, turned on the taps. The sound of the water hitting the porcelain sink drowned out my ragged breathing. I steadied myself, bracing my hands on the counter and staring into the mirror. I was rumpled, but my eyes were bright, and my cheeks and mouth were a deep pink. I understood now why people complimented brides on their glow-I really did seem to be illuminated from the inside out.  I brushed my teeth, and then ran a comb through my hair vigorously, so that it shone. It had grown in again, once I had begun to heal; thick and silky. It was almost to my waist now.