Absolution

THREE

Lexie

It's just a house party! So why was she trying to put in so much effort? After her impulse decision to show that jerk that she'd do whatever the f**k she wanted and that she didn't easily, she spent the afternoon trying to find something to wear. She had to be stubborn and decided in her own head to stand toe to toe with this guy. Ha! He probably eats girls like me for breakfast! One day, her own stubbornness will get her in deep, deep trouble.

At a little boutique shop, Lexie overheard some girls talking about the Annual Richards Estate Party and what a big deal it was. Eventually, their conversation turns to what seems to be their most pressing concern, what they will wear. She can't judge though because she is here doing the exact same thing. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

"OMG Mandy, you have to wear that dress! That will definitely catch James Richards' eye!"

They giggle like a bunch of school girls. A sound that Lexie couldn't help but roll her eyes at. I'm not jealous. Or so she tried to convince herself.

"Oh Mindy, do you think so? He's never at these parties for long. He always disappears."

Mandy and Mindy? M&Ms? Are you f*****g kidding me?

She slowly lifts her eyebrows in mocked disgust and does her best to avoid eye contact. The one called Mandy stares at herself in the mirror wearing the sluttiest dress in the store. It says, you can f**k me and then toss me to the side. Blonde and bottle blonder are not doing the face of womanhood any good by tarting it up. One wrong move and those giant t**s of hers will flop out. Way to keep it classy ladies.

"Yea, but in that dress no man will be able to resist you b***h!" Another giggle elicits another eye roll. Are these girls serious?

Lexie quickly paid for a few outfits and made a beeline for the exit. After another hour or so trolling for what she hoped would be the perfect outfit, she found herself standing in her room looking at all the dresses thrown over the bed. Lexie lets out a frustrated sigh. It was stupid of her to buy this many options, but she was trying to find an outfit that would portray pure sophistication. And shout, I don't scare easily. Again, why does she care? Because you're attracted to the man! Her inner voice practically screams at her. Funny how her inner voice suddenly sounded like Jess.

Okay, so maybe there's an attraction, but that's not the only reason she's putting in an effort. Lexie likes Chelsea and she definitely needs someone so positive in her life. Chelsea seems so well put together. Even if they just remain acquaintances. I can do that, right? Especially now that Jess is so far away. She pulls out her phone.

Lexie: Miss you. I'm good. Met a few new people. Going out to socialise tonight. Thought you'd be proud.

Jess: Miss you too! YES! Go out & slay it Queen. Also when in doubt go green.

She knows her so well. If only she could have brought Jess with her. Green dress it is. She hates getting dressed up, but if she wants to make a good impression with Jam - Chelsea, then she had better bring her A-game. There's just something about Chelsea's green eyes that feel familiar and that have drawn her in. Lexie wants to be her friend, of that she's sure.

After getting ready and spending entirely too much time on what appears to be a small amount of make-up on her face, she calls a cab. Jess would be proud. One of the perks of living in a smaller town is getting one a lot quicker than you would in a city. She steps outside just as the cab pulls up. In the front is an older gentleman with the creepiest smile she has ever seen. All her instincts instantly went from DEFCON 1 all the way to DEFCON 4. She gave him the address at which he laughed.

"Ah yes! Headed out there for the party of the year are you?"

This man needs to quit smoking. He has the raspiest voice she'd ever heard, it sounds almost painful and it doesn't help that the cab reeks of smoke. There's always one in every town.

"That's the one."

Please don't ask anymore questions. She lifts up a silent prayer. The rest of the way is quiet. Thank God he took the hint. Every now and then she could feel his lusty beady eyes watching her from the rearview mirror. I dare you to try something buddy.

She didn't like violence. All those years of training meant she knew how to take care of herself. She could easily drop this guy on his fat ass and not break a sweat. The drive to the estate took longer than expected. West. Back towards the edge of town. After the welcome sign, a left turn heading south, slowly curving towards the east.

The beady-eyed cab driver drops her off at the security gates. She steps out and smooths down the dress that's clinging to her hips, biting her bottom lip. I can do this. She repeats to herself as she makes her way up the lighted driveway headed for the music. Going to the party is blending in, right? Everywhere there are people mulling around. Now and then, children appear laughing, chasing each other. It's been a while since she's been in such a heartwarming atmosphere.

The party looks like it is at the mansion, up the hill in the middle of the estate. She takes a second to admire the beauty of the modern building. There's an eerie familiarity to it that she can't quite place that makes her skin crawl despite its beauty. Everywhere you can see people laughing and dancing underneath a ceiling of fairy lights. Upbeat music fills the air. It almost feels magical. Such a stark difference to her family get-togethers. Hers was cold and almost clinical, but it seemed so warm. Well, they certainly went all out. She makes her way to the bar area that faces the house on the opposite side of the front lawn. I need a drink. She spots Mindy and Mandy at the bar. Okay, maybe she needed two drinks.

Out of nowhere, she hears a familiar squeal and then a pair of arms embraces her. She felt herself relax instantly, her face lifting up in a smile at the warmth surrounding her.

"Chelsea!"

She's wearing a beautiful soft pink dress, puffing out at the waist a little and that goes to her knees. Her short blond hair is softly curled and hangs just above her shoulders. She's practically glowing and looks like a princess.

"You look so beautiful!"

She blushes and swats the air like I'm being ridiculous.

"Me? Pfft. Look at you!"

She takes a step back and looks her up and down. She's so innocent and genuine. They chatted for a little while. She's telling her all about the preparations that went into the party. Its not long until the conversation turns to boys. One in particular, Markus. Apparently, it's still very new and they are both just enjoying each others' company.

"In more ways than one", she giggles.

One day, he just came up to her and started talking to her. She blushes as she retells the story of their first date and how he was nervous about kissing her at the end. Markus nervous? Lexie couldn't imagine it. Now that everything seems to be going well, she is worried that she might be falling too fast for him and he seems to be keeping his distance. Of course, she always knew of him, saw him around but never approached him. According to her, she just lacked the confidence to talk to anyone in authority. Authority? Her ears prickled and she was about to ask her what she meant, when all of a sudden the M&Ms squeal pierced her ears.

Lexie naturally turned to see what they are looking at and nearly loses her balance when she finds what made them screech. Did my knees just go weak?

James Richards. Standing on the steps looking in her direction. He's wearing tailored black slacks and a crisp white long sleeved button-up shirt. Another shirt where the material strains to keep his muscles in. From here he looks like a goddamn model. He gives her a small lopsided grin when they make eye contact and she feels like she has stopped breathing. His gaze held her in a trance. It's like he's trying to solve a puzzle. He's either pissed she actually dared to show up or impressed. That's right buddy, you didn't scare me away. She mentally gives herself a hi-five. The M&Ms break the spell with their ridiculous giggling. "He's so hot"

One of them breathes out as they start heading straight for him. Talk about desperate. Lexie rolls her eyes and turns back around, trying to let air into her lungs again without making it obvious. They are probably exactly the type of girls he's into and it's not something she wants to see. As her mind produces a mental image of him enjoying the attention, her heart drops a little. Okay, maybe I care a little bit. Chelsea grabs them some drinks and she excitedly hands Lexie one.

"I'm so happy you came! I have a feeling we'll be the best of friends"

Once again, Lexie can't help but smile as she downs the whiskey and welcomes the burn. Praying that the image of James in an M&M sandwich gets washed away by the warm liquor. Markus suddenly appears. He snakes his arm around Chelsea's waist and plants a kiss on her temple. They look perfect together. Anyone with two eyes can see he is besotted with her and she's barely known them for a day.

"Lexie!" He smiles and greets her with a warm hug. He's so different to James. She could see why Chelsea was drawn to him. She just feels so at ease in his presence. Lexie notices a couple of eyes on Markus and realises she's not the only one. Maybe that's what Chelsea is picking up on. Scared he might be a player because people just seem to be drawn to him, but he seems too genuine to take advantage of that. Or he could be oblivious to it all.

"So glad you could make it."

He glances over her shoulder.

"I hate to interrupt, but would you mind if I steal Chels from you for a dance?"

Both of us giggle.

"Of course"

Lexie watches as he leads her away whispering into her ear, making her blush. She smiles at the picture before her and enjoys the strange sense of belonging she seems to have when she is around them.

"Can I get you another drink?"

She stiffens at the sound of that soothing voice, sending goosebumps all over her skin. She turns around and looks up at him. Those eyes will be the death of me.

James

The second he stepped outside the house he could sense her presence. Mate.

James scanned the ocean of faces before him and then he saw her. He takes a second to appreciate her green dress that goes from just below her knees all the way up to the base of her neck, leaving only her arms bare. The dress has one long golden zip from the top all the way to the bottom. Accentuating the exquisite curve of her behind. She's perfect.

The sound of women screeching makes her turn around. A small smile appears before he even realises. He can't believe she actually showed up. Well, colour me impressed. Her chestnut hair falls freely past her shoulders, drawing his attention to her breasts. I knew it. Wait, did she just roll her eyes at him? She turns around. He is about to make his way towards her when Markus appears and before long she's in his arms. He growls.

Dom suddenly appeared next to James, questioning him quietly.

"Alpha?"

He never participates in these events and stays on the outskirts of every party, staying alert and scanning for threats.

"Everything's fine Dom."

James looked over to where she was standing once more.

She's mine. Mate.

He clears his throat at the unwelcome words popping into his mind once again as he steps into the crowd. He smiles and makes fake pleasantries as he slowly moves through all the people towards her. The need to get close to her, to smell her, to taste her is overwhelming. His thought process is interrupted as he nearly gets bowled over by Mandy & Mindy. He groans internally but smiles nonetheless.

"Ladies. Evening. Thank you for coming out tonight." They giggle and all but practically dry hump him. A couple of Gammas who are on security detail swoop in and escort them away quickly and quietly. Mindy and Mandy are on a very short list of people who are to be kept away from James, Markus and Dom. They have the unfortunate label of town sluts. Those f*****g girls try every year to get into his bed. They're too loose, who knows where the f**k they've been or what surprising diseases they might carry. He's right behind her now and can smell her scent, drawing him in. His body unconsciously leans towards her.

She's dangerous, he reminded himself.

"Can I get you a drink?"

He saw her visibly tense and turned around to look up at him through her thick lashes. There was a soft blush on her cheeks once again. This is going to be fun.

"Hi, um, sure thanks."

She bites her bottom lip. f**k me. The things he wants to do to her right now. He swallows hard. He turns her around and places his hand on the small of her back and guides her to the side of the crowd where they have small cocktail tables set up. He needs something between them now or else he'll lose control. She takes up a position at the table and he places himself opposite her. The warm glow of the fairy lights is dancing reflectively in her eyes, making them seem like they have a dozen beautiful golden flecks.

Shortly after waking up from a restless sleep needing a cold shower, he decided that he needed to make her his for one night. Only one night. Drinks appear seemingly out of nowhere. She looks at the drinks, then looks up at him and looks, annoyed?

"Of course James Richards has a drink guy. Does he follow you around with a cart?"

She huffs out. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Only tonight. I don't like crowds"

Why did I feel the need to tell her that? She eyes him suspiciously.

"Then why throw a big party right in front of your home?"

"So I can escape easily."

He winks. That earned him another eye roll. If this was anyone else, he would put them in their place. Instead, he wants to put her over his knee and spank that delectable ass. One night is all he needs to get her out of his system. One night of making her scream his name.

He swallows hard, again, trying to push the images his subconscious conjured up earlier in his dreams now vividly flashing in his mind, down. Easier said than done when she's biting that bottom full lip again. Absentmindedly, he brushes the bottom of his lip with his thumb. I wonder what that lip will feel like against mine? He drops his hand and looks back at her and is pleasantly surprised when he catches her staring at his lips. That beautiful blush is back and so is the twinge in his c**k.

"So what brings you to our little town, Alexandra?"

She winces at the sound of her own name as she quickly reaches for her drink and takes a big gulp. He smiles at her, enjoying her visual discomfort his presence is causing. When they met that morning, she was on her guard. He needed her to relax. More importantly, he wanted her to relax in his presence.

"Its Lexie. Just needed a change. I always loved the ocean and thought this would be the perfect place to start fresh."

"Running away from something? Someone?"

Her eyes are suddenly filled with alarm but, are back to normal just as quickly.

Too close to home, bunny? Bunny? Appropriate.

He is the big bad wolf and tonight she's his prey.