Benjamins POV - cont

She flinches at my words as her cheeks quickly turn red. I make my way through the store and out the door, hoping Lexi would be waiting for me outside.

I find her standing by a fountain, with her back towards me. I didn't have to be near her to know she was still angry. I could practically feel the fumes radiating off her, drifting my way.

I tread carefully, stepping to her right side and waiting for her to speak, but she never even acknowledges me.

"Alright Kitten, what's the problem here?"

I look down and I see her roll her eyes, but she continues to stand there in silence.

Oh come on.

"Don't start that silent treatment bullshit again. Just talk to me." I say, stepping in her view. "Why are you upset?"

"Have a guess." She says.

For the love of god. "Why do women always say that?"

"Say what?" She shrugs.

"Have a guess or nothing's wrong." I reply. "If I wanted to guess, I wouldn't have asked. Now tell me, what's got your panties in a twist?"

"My so called panties are not in a twist." She bites back.

"Lexi... just...ugh." I sigh. "Ok how about I take a stab here. I'm gonna say this is about the dress, since your demeaner changed when you found out I had already purchased it."

"No Benj it's...ugh... Look, It's not about the dress per se." She says as she runs her fingers through her hair in irritation. "It's the fact that you thought it was ok to go ahead and buy me a $5000 dress. Since when is buying me or anyone a $5000 dress ok? Men don't just buy women a $5000 dress for no reason. It's $5000 for crying out loud."

"Once again, thank you for the clarification, though I am well aware of the amount I have paid Lexi." I say.

"Look, I don't know what type of women you've had before, though going off your last one, it doesn't leave too much to the imagination." She says in distaste. "But I definitely do not fit into that genre, so if this behaviour is the "norm" for you then I'm not interested Benj and you would know this if you bothered to get to know me on a deeper level. Your last name holds no value to me and I don't care what your money can buy. I didn't know you even existed a week before."

"I understand your concerns here, but I never said it did." I say. "Now if you are done making assumptions, can I carry on?"

"Sure." She says, folding her arms over her chest.

"First of all, I don't just go around buying women dresses or any other materialistic shit." I say. "I have better things to do, than to exert energy on something a woman may or may not appreciate. I believe the last time I bought anything for a woman was when I was with..."

"Audrina." She says as I refuse to say her name.

"Also, I know you don't care about my last name and entitlements." I continue. "I know the kind of person you are Lexi."

She rolls her eyes. "You've known me for a week. I highly doubt you really know what kind of person I am."

"This would be an accurate statement, if you weren't such a distraction Kitten."

"God, you're so cryptic sometimes." She says in frustration. "What does that even mean Benj?Not gonna lie but it sounds slightly stalker-ish."

Well fuck me, that's a first.

I roll my eyes at her. "Of course you would think that." I say. "Jesus Christ Lexi, I'm not a stalker. That's fucking morbid and definitely not one of my traits."

"Right...sorry." She says meekly.

"I'm merely just someone who pays close attention. Particularly on certain things of interest to me." I move closer to her, lifting her chin up to face me. "And you are definitely someone I am very much interested in."

"Benj..." She says in a whisper.

"Let's just forget about the price for a minute. Is it really hard for you to believe that maybe, just maybe... I genuinely wanted to buy you something, especially considering it was your birthday yesterday." I say. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe birthdays and gifts go hand in hand."

"Well when you put it that way..." She says in a whisper as her eyes fall on my lips.

"I like you Lexi." I whisper as my thumb begins to caress her cheek, drawing invisible circles on her soft skin. "And even though I have spent many years suppressing this type of emotion, I know it's not something I can easily switch off when it comes to you. Believe me, I've tried."

Her gaze drops and I remove my hand from her face as I take a small step backwards.

"Anyway, if you would stop being so stubborn and hot headed, you'd realize that the reason I chose this specific dress as a present for you, was simple." I continue. "It reminded me of you."

"O...kay?" She says. "How exactly? I've never worn anything like this in my life."

"Well when I see this dress, I see you Lexi." I reply. "And do you know why I see you?

"Well, at the risk of getting a severely perverted answer, I'll still say...No?"

I let out a chuckle, finding her honesty quite refreshing and humorous and I finally see her relax her posture.

"It's because of the luminescent jewels embedded on this dress." I reply. "These particular jewels remind me of your beautiful eyes, which so happen to be the first thing I ever noticed about you and is also one of my favourite things to look at... when you let me. I've never ever met anyone with eyes like yours. They are very... unforgettable. "

"Oh..." She says as she fidgets with her hands, while giving me a shy appreciative smile.

"But apart from that, I had it in mind to take you out to dinner tonight. "I continue. "I suppose you can even think of it as an apology for my shit show of an ex girlfriend. Either way, the dress is yours now and yours to do whatever you please. But if I may...I would appreciate it, if you chose to wear it out with me."

"Ok now I feel like shit." She says as she nervously rubs her neck. "Sorry for thinking so low of you. Would you believe me if I said I suffer from verbal diarrhoea?"

"I've always loved your honesty Lexi." I chuckle. "But I get it. I'm an asshole! But I'm an asshole who still has good intentions."

"Good to know." She chuckles.

I place myself closer to her once again as I take her face in my hand, admiring her features, searching her eyes, breathing in her addictive scent.

"But just a warning Kitten...my good intentions don't always outweigh the bad." I whisper into her mouth.

"Come on, let's head back."

Benjamins POV - cont

We slowly made our way back to her place and the issue of the dress wasn't brought up again. Her house was empty when we arrived and once again, I found myself in her room, standing by the window, looking out onto the street nearby.

Images of last night flash through my head as I continue to reminisce, thankful that I am in my current position right now and that I hadn't fucked things up with Lexi completely.

"What's up?" Lexi says as she walks back into her room from the hallway.

"Just thinking..." I reply, still looking out the window. "So this is your room huh? Smells just like you."

"You act like you've never been here before." She shrugs as she places the dress onto the bed.

"It's a little harder to take in my surroundings at night." I reply. "I only remember one very specific thing last night."

"And what's that?" She asks, standing by her bed.

Although I enjoy admiring her from a far, it wasn't long till my body urges me forward as my legs make their way to her. I just couldn't help it. I wanted to be around her. The pull was way too strong for me to fight against anymore and if I'm going to be honest... I stopped trying a while ago.

I place one hand on her waist, as I toy with her soft hair with the other. I say, watching her eyes quickly focus on mine.

"Have you forgotten that we were fighting last night Benj." She whispers.

"So? Is that meant to be a deal breaker?" I reply calmly. "Plus the way I interpreted it...last night wasn't fighting, but a mere argument or even a heated discussion. One issue won't throw me off my main focus. I wanted to stay in your presence last night, more than anything."

"Oh!" She says in a breathy whisper then immediately begins to bite down on her bottom lip as her gaze drops down to my chest. Her hair falls down against her chest and my hand quickly follows, as I sweep it back up, moving myself behind her now. Goosebumps slowly begin to form on her skin as I continue to stroke her hair away from her neck. I bring my face down, hovering over her right ear as she automatically tilts her head to allow more access to her neck. Her breathing quickens as my warm breath hits the surface of her skin.

"You have no idea what you do to me, when you bite your lip like that." I whisper as I lightly place a kiss on the base of her neck. Her lips part as a hushed moan escapes them and I place another kiss on her skin, feeling her pulse vibrate rapidly through the vein in her neck. "Are you still nervous around me?"

She licks her lips before she speaks and the slight glisten sets me off as both my hands now grip her waist tightly against me.

"Do you really expect me not to be? You're the first man that's taken an actual interest in me, over my sister."

"Hmmm...That you're aware of." I say, still slowly kissing my way up her neck.

"Yesss..." She hisses. "...That I'm aware of. Your... your behaviour and mannerism are completely different to the boys I've been with. If anything, I find you quite intense and somewhat... intimidating."

I smile against her skin but don't interrupt her, as I'm quite content listening to her while overdosing on her scent, her taste....

"I feel like I'm constantly holding my breath when I'm around you and my body doesn't know whether it should feel excitement or fear."

Both Kitten. Both.

"Well what do you want your body to feel... when you're with me?" I whisper as I place a kiss on the sensitive spot behind her ear. A moan leaves her lips and my hips automatically thrusts against her. She doesn't answer and we both continue to bathe in the sexual tension that is quickly filling the room. I position myself infront of her now, lifting her face upwards as I pull her against me.

She grips onto the front of my jacket, molding her body to mine. Every breath she took felt like my own, as our chests began to rise and fall in perfect synchronization. My thumb once again found her bottom lip and it felt like agony, not being able to kiss them.

Goddamit. The things I would do with these beautiful lips.

I was fucking addicted... and I wasn't sure how I felt about that yet.

"Benj..." She whispers, as she looks at my lips then back at me with pleading eyes.

No Lexi. Don't do this to me... Not yet.

I allow my hand to drop from her face as I will myself to leave, knowing I still had to make preparations for tonight. "Pick you up in 2 hours Kitten."

She continues to look up at me with pleading eyes, her body slowly admitting defeat as she lets go of my jacket. I move around her and walk straight out the door without looking back, knowing my control was quickly slipping away from me and I wasn't about to fuck it all up now.

I'm really really overdue that wank sesh.

JD's POV

It's been over an hour since we came down to the bar and Brad still hasn't said a single word. He had left us to meet up with Lexi prior to this gathering, so I was expecting her to be by his side, yet, she's nowhere to be found and I'm left here wondering... Why?

"Quit staring at him already." Jules whispers next to me. "I can literally feel your gaze burning a hole through my head."

"Highly unlikely babe. You're way too short." I reply as I place a soft kiss on the top of her head.

She brushes me off and shoots me a look of annoyance.

"Don't give me that look woman, that wasn't a complaint. You're the perfect height for me Love. You're like my little pocket rocket." I say. I grab her waist and pull her back towards me as I start to kiss her neck. She squirms and giggles as my stubble continues to tickle her skin.

"Well you'll get no complaints from me in the size department." She chuckles as she pulls my head up and lands a kiss on my lips.

"Please. Kill me now. I'm more than ready." I hear Brad say next to us by the bar and I slowly release Jules, patting down my growing erection.

Bradley's POV

After I left Lexi, I headed straight for Jaggers Bar. It wasn't my intention to get drunk or even enter a bar today, but as my original plans didn't go the way I had envisioned in my head, when I stepped out of the lift this afternoon, I had to make other arrangements fast. I wasn't about to just stand there and watch her leave, pretending that it didn't bother me at all. Fuck yea it bothered me. She lied and yet... I'm not angry at her. I'm angry at myself for ditching her in the first place because my brain had some sort of mini breakdown.

Now I was stuck here being the third wheel yet again, attempting to drink myself into oblivion as my eyes could not handle anymore PDA from these two lovebirds.

Don't get me wrong, I am more than happy for Jay, he deserves happiness as much as anyone else, but after what happened this morning and just an hour ago, I was almost out of patience and quickly losing the ability to control the thoughts that were in my head, from pouring out.

"How about you slow down on the drinks there lad." Jay says as he eyes my empty beer bottle.

"Why?" I reply as I set the empty bottle down on the bar behind me and quickly grab his bottle off the counter just as he goes to grab it. "Unlike my brother, I actually know how to drink alcohol."

"Hey people."

I turn my head to the left and see Shan and Seth pushing their way through the forming crowd, as they make their way closer to us by the bar. "What did we miss?" Shan says as she plants a kiss on Julie's cheek.

"Not much." I reply, as I take another sip. "Well apart from the cringe worthy PDA performance that these two insist on flaunting... Particularly in front of me, might I add."

"Hater." Jay says as he snatches his drink back off me.

Where the fuck is the bartender?

"So where's Brendan?" Jules asks.

"He's around here somewhere." Seth answers as his eyes roam the dance floor and stage area. "Said he needed to release some tension and empty the sacks tonight. I don't think he's dealing with the pregnancy news very well."

Yea... that makes two of us.

"Anyone need a refill?"

I spin around at the male voice behind the bar. He was standing there looking straight at me and my empty beer bottle, but before I could speak I hear Jules begin to squeal right beside me.

Good lord. The lungs on this bird.

"Oh my god! Bobby baby! You're back!"

"Hey Sweetheart." Bobby says as he gives Jules his undivided attention.

Bobby baby? Sweetheart?