Imagine Me Read online

  He turned his blue eyes to me and they seemed light, not at all bothered by the sad facts he’d just stated. “It wasn’t too bad. Probably not the horror story most people imagine when they think of foster care. I just got moved around a lot and never really made too many connections.”

  “Well, now you have the family you’ve been dragged into. I think you’ve been part of it longer than I have.” Shane had known Jack and Luella for a few years and slowly met Evie and Jameson through mutual get-togethers. “If anything, I’m the interloper.”

  “Nah. They love you, Mini MacCabe.”

  “Well, thank you. They care about you too. Especially Jack. I swear the way he talks about you, if he swung the other way, you’d be his top choice.”

  Shane chuckled and rewarded me with a small smile. “Yeah, Jack and I have a pretty strong bond. He’s like a brother to me.”

  “You can have him for a brother. He’s just a pain for me.”

  He laughed again before taking another drink. “How’s it going at your job? Was it worth the move? You liking the lab work at the department?”

  “Yeah. Getting some breathing room to be myself was worth the move. I love working at the department. There are some terrific people there. And my job at the university is great. I love the work, and I love my lab partner. I just hate my boss.”

  “Most bosses will ruin it for you.”

  “He’s such a degrading asshole. Doubts Jolene and I every step of the way, and micromanages everything. Like no woman could handle actual science.”

  Shane laughed at my irritated growl. “I had a boss like that in high school. Of course, I worked at a landscaping company, and I didn’t go through years of schooling for it, but he was a real dick. Used to stand over me every time I’d start a weed eater, thinking I was going to break his precious equipment even after three years. Called me out on every mistake and had me write down the time it took to do each job. Like forty-seven minutes to mow the grass. Twenty-eight minutes to edge the yard. Annoying as fuck.”

  “Exactly. Finally, someone gets it.” I threw my hands up in exaggerated celebration before bringing one down on his shoulder. “You get me, Shane.”

  It took a minute for the heat of his body to seep into my hand. I almost pulled away when I felt it bunch up. But I left it there and swallowed hard when I noticed the way he was staring at my mouth that was so much closer since I’d leaned into him. This was it. This was the moment I’d been waiting for and my mind hadn’t even had the time to imagine all the possibilities.

  I shifted my legs, bumping them into his, and licked my lips. He leaned fractionally closer to me and my hand slid toward his neck. My heart pumped so loud, I was sure he could hear it. It became the only thing I heard vibrating through the silence of the moment. That and my panting breaths slipping past my lips. His tongue slicked out across his bottom lip, and I focused all my attention on tasting it.

  His gaze flicked down to my chest, and I followed his stare to see my nipples pebbled against the material of his shirt. That wouldn’t have been such a big deal if I hadn’t gotten so turned on. But I liked that he stared. I wanted him to see what he did to me. I leaned in a fraction more and focused on my prize. Just an inch closer and I’d feel his lips claiming me again.

  Eeerrrrrrrr!

  I jumped at the sound and let out a surprised screech, almost falling off my stool. My hand slapped my chest to calm my racing heart.

  “Sorry. That’s the buzzer for the dryer.”

  I giggled at how much it had shocked me and he laughed along with me. I looked up at his smiling eyes, the moment broken. “I guess that’s my cue to leave.”

  “I’ll drive you home.”

  “Thank you.”

  I grabbed my clothes and headed to the bedroom to change. When I strolled out he stood by the door, shrugging on his coat. He looked me up and down and laughed. Well, that isn’t promising.

  “What?”

  “Nice shirt, Mini MacCabe.”

  I looked down and read it. Dear NASA, Your mom thought I was big enough. -Pluto

  I laughed along with him. It was one of my favorites. “I collect science T-shirts. The funnier the better.”

  “I approve, Mini MacCabe. Especially when they fit you so well.”

  Chapter 10

  Turned out, poor Betsy needed a new fuel pump. I had no idea what that was and nodded blindly as they explained it to me. The part itself wasn’t too bad, however the cost of labor had my eyes bugging out. I swore that every time I went to a mechanic shop, they saw “dumb” written on my forehead. Oh, there’s a unicorn poking holes in my tailpipe? Sounds legit. How much will that cost? My first born and a kidney? Good, good. I was going to suggest that as a good price.

  Thankfully, Shane was kind enough to hold my hand and make sure I wasn’t getting screwed over for the imaginary unicorn fucking me over. He’d been great all week. On the days I worked at the station, if he was there too, he would give me a ride home. It saved Jolene from having to pick me up. He was different around me at the station. He was . . .Nice.

  At least, nice-er. He still made fun of me and grumbled at lunch with everyone, but his jokes were no longer mean and snide. They were more sarcastic, but with the intention of making me laugh. Yesterday at lunch, I’d mentioned my date, and everyone chimed in on what I should wear.

  Laney said I should show up in nothing but a smile and Shane had grumbled something about a potato sack. When I’d turned to him with a challenging eyebrow raised, I asked if I could message him some ideas because he was my new dating sensei. He’d stared hard at me for a moment before uttering ‘sure’ and stuffing half of his sandwich in his mouth.

  Which brought me to my current situation. I stood in front of my full-length mirror on a Friday night trying to decide what to wear on my date. I looked over my slacks, flats, button-up shirt and cardigan, trying to find the best angle to take a picture. Once I’d settled on a decent one, I sent it off to Shane with a bunch of questions marks.

  Shane: Alright grandma.

  Me: What???

  Shane: I mean, does he have a grandma fetish? Is that why you decided to dress like that?

  I rolled my eyes, tossed my phone on the bed, and stomped into my closet for another outfit. The next one consisted of a short floral dress. I figured the exposed thigh would be a win. Then I threw my oversized button up sweater over it. I saw it on Pinterest and thought it looked cute. I took the picture, making sure to show off how short the dress was, and hit send.

  Shane: Ohhh. I see.

  Shane: He has a hippie grandma fetish.

  Me: You’re not funny.

  Shane: I’m fucking hilarious.

  Looking down at myself, I growled into my chest. I didn’t know why I’d decided to ask his opinion. I didn’t know what the hell he was hoping I wore, or what a guy liked to see on a woman, but as I pulled my dress over my head, I was tempted to just go with Laney’s suggestion of nothing but a smile. With my lips pursed in frustration, I looked at my reflection in the mirror, wearing my black bra and silk panties.

  An idea hit me, and my lips lifted into a slow smile, stretching bigger the more I thought about it. I didn’t know what possessed me. Maybe the frustration at all the failed dates mixed with the dread I already felt for this date. Especially since Shane had made fun of everything I’d suggested I wear. Whatever it was, I’d reached my limit, and I was going to extract some of my own torture.

  Laughing, I dug in the back of my drawer for the sexy lingerie I’d bought online after a bottle of wine. I’d had it for a while, but had never worn it. I stripped off my underwear and bra and slipped on the wisp of black lace that was practically transparent, except for heavier lace covering the nipples. Next came the panties, two strings that wrapped around my hips and left a lace triangle covering between my legs. To top it all off, I slid the garter and stockings on. I pulled my hair down and tousled it until I had that just fucked look.

  It took a few tries, but I f
inally settled on a picture of me with hip cocked and slightly turned, the phone covering my face. Biting my lip, I thought about the repercussions. Fuck it. I hit send. This time it took him forever to reply. I had to triple-check to make sure I actually sent it to him and hadn’t accidentally opened up another chat. But when he did respond, I had to laugh. My heart pumped at the banter we had going on, the excitement coursing through my veins bringing a warm flush to my cheeks. All from one word.

  Shane: Careful.

  Me: Why? I’m just a little girl who probably looks “cute.” What do you care?

  Shane: I’m still a man and you’re playing with fire, Juliana.

  Me: I’ve already tested you out and you were okay. So, I’m good. I don’t need to play with you.

  Shane: Okay?

  Shane: OKAY??

  Me: Yup.

  I laughed and tossed the phone aside. Checking the time, I needed to hurry if I was going to make my date on time. When I heard my phone ringing, I rushed out of my closet and picked it up.

  “Juliana.” His deep voice rumbled through the phone and stretched to my core. I had to squeeze my thighs together he sounded so hot. As much as I wanted to give in to the heat between my legs, I kept remembering the way he scolded me in the hallway at Jack’s. I couldn’t let him get away with being irritated or acting like he was bothered by my body when in reality, his pride had a boo-boo from me telling him he was just “okay.”

  “You know, Shane. Your pride makes you want to prove you have the biggest, best-working dick. But because of that pride, you seem to forget you think of me as a child who can’t handle you.”

  “It’s not my pride that makes me know I have the best working dick.” I waited for him to acknowledge the fact that he called me a child, but it never came. “I seem to remember four-no five-times you came on my fingers, my tongue, my cock.”

  I pulled air as far into my lung as possible. His words were making it hard to focus and I needed more oxygen flowing through my body. Letting out my breath, I answered as flippantly as I could.

  “Like I said, it was okay.”

  “I’ll show you—”

  I hung up before he could respond, a giggle the only sound filling the room once the call was ended. Then my phone chimed in my hand.

  Shane: I can’t believe you hung up on me. You’re damn brave, Mini MacCabe.

  I didn’t respond, letting him simmer on being called “okay” and then me hanging up on him.

  Shane: You’re running scared since I reminded you how much better than okay I was at making you scream.

  Oh, I didn’t need reminding. I was never the one to ignore everything that happened. I was the one who still woke up sweating. I was the one who had trouble breathing when I remembered the ways he had made me scream. How he’d pushed me against the wall in the shower and fell to his knees, never letting his eyes stray from mine. The way he’d dragged his palms up the inside of my thighs until he pushed two fingers roughly inside me. The way he’d propped my thigh on his shoulder and ate my pussy like a starving man. How he pushed me to the brink, just to back off. By the end, I’d had my grip firmly in his hair and began rubbing my cunt against his tongue, threatening his life if he pulled away again.

  Oh yeah, I remembered everything.

  I swallowed hard and put on a skater skirt and blouse with heels. But before I left, I laid out one more outfit, a leather skirt, thigh high boots, and a skimpy halter top, and took a picture to send to Shane.

  Me: I’ll wear this then with my lingerie. Hopefully it’s not too grandmotherly for my date.

  Chapter 11

  As soon as I got to my car, I jerked the door open and fell into my seat, slamming it behind me.

  The date was a bust. And I’m going to warn Jo to never trust the friend who set me up on this date again. The guy was shorter than me, which wasn’t a big issue except he used the height difference to stare at my boobs the whole time. On top of that, he had acne, greasy hair, and called me babe all night.

  At one point, I tried to salvage the night and made a joke about how my eyes were up higher. His response? To laugh and say, “Babe. Your face is great and all, but those breasts keep calling my name.”

  Needless to say, I dropped a twenty on the table and got the hell out of there. I looked down at my top. I hadn’t even worn anything sexy. Just my skirt and blouse. I’d kept the lingerie on because it made me feel sexy, and maybe I’d hoped to share it with someone, but that was a pipe dream.

  So, there I sat, in my cold car, gripping the steering wheel in frustration. I thought of the past month of disastrous dates. Of my frustration with Shane. It built and built until I almost choked on it. Who had this kind of luck? Me. I did.

  I heard the voices of Hudson and my parents bouncing around in my head, reminding me I shouldn’t be on my own. My frustration bubbled up and boiled over. Letting it out, I growled and screamed as I shook the steering wheel, which only shook me instead.

  Done with my fit, I panted heavily, my hair falling in waves over my face. Shane would probably laugh. Say he was right. Ugh. I smacked the wheel for good measure.

  Shane. Shane. Shane.

  An idea hit me, and maybe because I was just in a ‘fuck it’ kind of mood, it sounded like the best idea I’d had. I laughed at how crazy it was. But right then, I felt a little crazy.

  In the dark of the parking lot, the dome light of my car off, I shrugged out of my long coat. I unzipped my skirt and tugged it off, tossing it in the passenger seat. Then went the blouse before I pulled my coat back on and buttoned it. A pair of wild blue eyes caught my attention in the rear-view mirror and I wondered for a moment if I should bail.

  My lips twitched before curving up. I put my keys in Betsy’s ignition and went for it. I didn’t even turn on music, just let my excited breathing mix with the rumbling of the engine. I sat in the silence and let my imagination flow. Each fantasy better than the last, but I’d hoped, for once, reality was going to top my imagination.

  I parked on the street and got out of my car, pulling the coat tighter, highly aware of the way it brushed against the skin of my thighs, bare above the stockings I still wore. The way the material was abrasive against the bare skin of my stomach and ass.

  I paused for a moment, my fist hovering above the door, and considered turning around. But I didn’t. I rapped my knuckles three times and waited.

  Shane opened the door bare chested in a pair of sweats that hung low on his hips. He chuckled at finding me on the other side of his door, and caused me to drag my eyes up from the deep V on either side of his hips.

  “Another little date gone wrong, Mini MacCabe? Did he actually have a grandma fetish and was disappointed there were no cardigans? I bet he was even more sad not to have seen those thigh-high boots.”

  I barely heard him over the blood pounding in my ears, my heart working overtime, fueled by adrenaline and frustration. Either way, I didn’t acknowledge it. I only raised my eyebrow and began unbuttoning my coat, slowly, as I held his icy gaze.

  The humor that had glinted there a moment before, faded, replaced by a warm heat that followed my fingers from button to button. He was nervous and I liked it. I liked the way his grip tightened on the door. I liked the way his Adam’s apple bobbed with a heavy swallow. I liked the way his chest moved a little bit faster.

  Once I worked the last button free, I let my coat hang open, exposing the lingerie I was wearing in the picture I’d sent to him earlier.

  “Remind me how much better than okay you think you are.” He didn’t respond, but didn’t slam the door in my face either, so I placed my palm against the wood and pushed it open a little more, stepping inside. “Or are you scared that I might be right?” Another step. Noticing the bulge growing in his sweats, I took the tip of my finger and dragged it along the length, all the way from root to tip. “That you really are. Just. Okay.”

  Lightning fast, his hand shackled tightly around the wrist of the hand currently taunting his dick.r />
  “You want to play with me, little girl?” He tugged, pulling me into his chest, skin to skin, so hot I wanted to melt. “You want me to teach you what it feels like to be fucked by a man, unlike those boys who don’t know what to do with this tight pussy?”

  “Yes, sir.” The answer barely slipped past my lips on a breath before he slammed the door shut behind me. “Teach me.”

  He looked me over like he didn’t know where to start first. The anticipation, watching his hand clench and unclench next to his leg, like he was holding back was the best kind of torture. Standing before him like this, was so much different than the night in Jamaica. I’d surprised him, snuck into his room and he took me. Over and over, but there was no hesitation, no words of denial between us like there was now.

  This tonight, was a whole new experience I was practically panting to start.

  His hand finally relaxed and brushed the coat aside, dragging his calloused fingertips up my inner thigh until they reached the wet panties covering my core. He gently stroked back and forth, not saying anything, letting the tension build before he pushed the edge aside and slipped between the lips of my pussy and played in the wetness, teasing my cunt. Not entering, not stroking hard enough to push me over the edge. Just touching and spreading my juices all around as he looked me up and down.

  He moved to my clit and I cried out when he pinched it in between his fingers. “You’re going to fall to your knees, and suck my cock.”

  A part of me almost caved right then and there, my mouth watering at the thought of tasting him again. But as much as I wanted him to teach me, I wanted him to know that I wasn’t quite the little girl he assumed I was.

  So, I laughed. Right in his face, enjoying the way his eyes widened at my response.

  I rolled my hips, trying to gain some friction between my legs beyond the punishing grip he had on my bud. “How about you fall to your knees and get your face between my legs.”