*
A chorus of squeals erupted in the area outside the dressing room as Angel emerged from behind the curtain. Stepping up on a pedestal, she smiled as everyone fawned over her dress.
It was gorgeous and she looked perfect. The cream-colored fabric had an overlay of lace, giving it an antique feel. The shop assistant came up behind her and loosely pinned her hair up, then finished off the outfit with a wide, light-blue ribbon around her waist.
Angel pivoted in front of the three-way mirror. Her hands skimmed over the lace and some of the pearl beading around the sweetheart neckline.
When she turned back around, her eyes were red-rimmed and brimming with tears.
“Angel, dear,” Beverly said as she pulled a pack of tissues from her purse. “What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”
“I love it,” Angel responded, her voice squeaky from trying not to cry. She took a tissue from Beverly and blew her nose. “A year ago, I never would’ve thought I’d be surrounded by loved ones at such an important occasion. It means a lot to me. Karen, Beverly, Brielle, Ava.” Then her eyes made it to me. “Mackenna. Thank you all for being here today.”
I swallowed hard, her sentimental state contagious. From what Beverly had told me about Angel, it wasn’t difficult to conclude that she didn’t have a family. I’d almost declined the invitation to come because I thought I wasn’t welcome. Now I was so glad I said yes.
When I moved to Tolson, the last thing I wanted was a social life. I didn’t want wedding invites, friends, hugs from strangers, or a boyfriend.
Now I had all those things.
For a long time, I had shut off my emotions, saving them only for song lyrics. When I was writing, those were the times I let myself feel.
But something was happening to me. I couldn’t seem to turn it off like I used to.
My phone buzzed in my lap, and I looked down to find a text from Jimmy.
Jimmy: We’re going on a date tonight. Be ready at 6
Jimmy and I hung out all the time but we’d never gone out on an official date, and the thought made me nervous. I wasn’t sure how to dress or act because I hadn’t been on a real date in years. Would we go out to a nice restaurant?
I probably needed to put on something better than leggings.
Another text came through.
Jimmy: Whatever you’re thinking, lower those expectations. Really. Lower them a lot. I hate to disappoint you but we won’t be going anywhere fancy because I’m broke as a joke
I huffed out a laugh at his honesty and returned with an honest response.
Me: That sounds perfect
CHAPTER 31
JIMMY
When I picked Mackenna up for our date, I didn’t give her time to ask questions about where we were going. Just grabbed her hand and pulled her to the passenger side of the ‘saggin’ wagon’.
Taking advantage of the unseasonably cool weather, I rolled the windows down as I took a back road out of Tolson. One of the things I loved most about the Midwest was the fluctuating weather. Some people hated how it could be 95 degrees one day, then 72 the next. They didn’t like the inconsistency.
But I liked a little change of pace every now and then.
Plus, it gave me a reason to see Mackenna sitting next to me while the wind blew through her hair.
She smiled over at me, the sinking sun behind her. Bright orange light filtered through her dark strands, making them look like they were on fire.
She was so gorgeous it took my breath away.
Right then, I wanted to confess my love for her. Right there, on a country road surrounded by cornfields, I wanted to tell her she was making me feel something I didn’t even know was possible.
I wanted to let her know rule number three was completely fucked.
Instead, I removed my sunglasses and plopped them onto her face. She grinned as she pushed them up on her nose.
How could I possibly go on living my life without her after the summer was over?
The answer was I couldn’t. Not an option.
Problem was, I didn’t know how to convince her to stay with me. The best plan I could come up with was to show her how good we could be together. Show her that it didn’t matter if we were in the same town or 300 miles apart.
I’d still love her regardless of where I lived.
We neared our destination and I slowed before turning left onto a narrow gravel road. I came to a stop about a quarter of a mile down, parking the car between tall trees on one side and big round haybales on the other.
Keeping the windows down, I turned off the ignition and let my eyes travel over to Mackenna. This was the first time I’d ever seen her in a dress. It was white with yellow sunflowers, and the hem just barely reached her knees.
I was in the middle of speculating what kind of panties she had on when she spoke.
“James Peabody Johnson, are you taking me parking?”
I laughed. “Sort of. To make up for the fact that this is probably going to go down as the crappiest date in history, I come bearing gifts.” Reaching into the back seat, I picked up the paper sack. “Now, if you hadn’t already smelled it, there’s pizza in the back,” I told her before raising the first item out of the bag. “And I have wine.”
When I held up the bottle of Strawberry Boon’s Farm, Mackenna snorted. “And how did you buy wine when you’re not old enough?”
“I didn’t. Travis did. Besides, it’s for you. I’m the designated driver tonight.” Smirking, I kissed her before removing her next present. “Don’t get mad at me for the next one, okay?”
She gave me a look. “It better not be flowers. We already talked about that.”
“It’s not.” Grinning, I put both fists in front of me. “Pick a hand.”
Mackenna’s lips tilted up as she tapped the right. For once, she guessed correctly. When I opened my hand, the starfish necklace dangled from my fingers.
Her jaw dropped open. “You got me jewelry?”
“Well, yeah,” I said as it swung back and forth between us. “It reminded me of you.”
“Why?” She tilted her head to the side.
Barking out a laugh, I rubbed at my jaw. “You might get pissed when I tell you… You know in the morning how you like to… ‘cuddle’?” I asked, putting air quotes around the word.
“There’s nothing wrong with snuggling,” she shot back defensively, blushing bright pink.
“I agree with that. But you take it to champion-level cuddling. Like, if there was a contest, you’d blow everyone else out of the water. You’re like a starfish. You know, how they have a bunch of limbs and all those little suction cups and they just—” I spread my fingers and made an obnoxious sucking sound.
Laughing, Mackenna grabbed my hand. “Oh, my God. I get it, okay?”
“So, you’ll wear it?”
She responded by turning her back to me, gathering her hair up so I could get to her neck. Just as I finished hooking the clasp, she said, “No one’s ever gotten me jewelry before.”
“Never?”
Shaking her head, she glanced at me over her shoulder. “Well, one Christmas my aunt gave me a silver heart locket, but I’m pretty sure it was a re-gift from the year before.”
“You deserve to have nice things.”
“You didn’t have to do all this.” She turned to face me while fiddling with the starfish.
“I gotta bring my A-game.” I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m poor.”
She giggled, and my favorite dimple appeared. “Stop saying that. Money isn’t everything. Besides, your extremely large ego makes up for it.”
“I’m really sorry I can’t take you out on a fancy date.”
“Jimmy.” Bringing her hand up to my face, Mackenna did that thing again where she rubbed her thumb over my bottom lip, and m
y heart gave a hard thump. “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t like extravagant dates. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t really like being around people all that much.” She looked around at the scenery, then her eyes found mine again. “This is the best.”
“There’s one last gift,” I told her, lifting the box of Magnums. I hoped getting them wasn’t too presumptuous, and it occurred to me that Mackenna might be sore from the night before.
When her lips parted, eyes flaring with lust, I knew I’d made the right decision. Taking it from my hands, she ripped it open and took out one of the small square packages.
“Whoa.” I stopped her and gestured to our dinner. “Don’t you want to eat first?”
With a sexy smile, she shook her head. “Pizza can wait.”
I set the pizza box on the dashboard before hopping out of the car, then I folded the back seat to make a large area for us to lie down.
As I spread out a fuzzy white blanket, I gave Mackenna a cocky look. “The saggin’ wagon has its perks, huh?”
Grinning, she crawled over the middle console into the back with me and held up the condom with raised eyebrows.
Amused by her eagerness, I quickly shed my clothes, thinking she would do the same. I was surprised when she simply removed her white cotton panties, then turned around on all-fours. She wiggled her sunflower-covered ass at me, and all I had to do was lift the dress to get the irresistible view.
Rolling on the condom, I ran a hand down her smooth backside before giving her ass a squeeze.
“Are you sure you want to do it like this?” I asked, giving my dick a tug as I looked at her glistening pussy.
Doggie-style was a fairly dominant position. I knew I broke down some major walls with her last night, but still. I didn’t want to do anything she wasn’t ready for.
She sat up and looked at me over her shoulder. “You don’t always have to be so careful with me. Not anymore.” Then she whispered, “Feel how wet I am, Jimmy.”
Well, okay then.
Reaching around the front of her body, my hand caressed the inside of her thigh before my fingers slid through her folds. She was drenched.
She fell back onto her hands and arched up, offering herself to me. I ran my tip along her slit, spreading her wetness around before I pushed into her heat.
It felt different with the condom on. Still really fucking good, though. This position made her pussy feel unbelievably tighter.
“Oh, my God,” she panted. “You’re going so deep.”
I didn’t bother telling her that I wasn’t even all the way in yet. Using my thumbs, I spread her apart, loving the way I could watch my dick pump in and out of her.
Once I was fully seated, I ground myself into her while rubbing tight circles over her clit.
When her body trembled and her pussy clamped down on my cock, her fists clenched the blanket as she screamed.
Energy spent, her languid body sagged until she was lying flat on her stomach. Locking our hands together above her head, I gave it to her in slow deep thrusts.
Her moans echoed through the air, but no one could hear it. Not out here.
I milked one more orgasm out of her before I let myself go, gasping and groaning against the side of her neck.
Afterward, we stayed in the back, our bodies intertwined as dusk turned into night. We kissed, talked, and laughed until hunger won out.
Then we ate cold pizza in the dark while listening to the radio.
And when Garth Brooks’ ‘To Make You Feel my Love’ came on, Mackenna let me lay my head in her lap while she sang.
I held onto her, rubbing my thumb over the smooth skin on her thigh while she ran her fingers through my hair.
In all my nineteen—almost twenty—years, it was the happiest moment of my life.
It was safe to say the date was a massive success.
CHAPTER 32
MACKENNA
Sometimes weddings made me uncomfortable. I believed in true love, and I was fully supportive of the idea of having a ceremony to celebrate the union of two soulmates.
But holy shit. Why did there have to be so many people?
I peered through my living room blinds and surveyed all the cars on my street. Packed bumper to bumper, they lined both sides of the road, and I would’ve been willing to bet that it was the same everywhere in town. It was a good thing the weather was nice because there was no way I’d be able to drive anywhere today.
Jimmy wasn’t kidding when he said the entire town of Tolson was invited. I was pretty sure a large portion of central Illinois showed up today. Part of that might’ve been because of the summer festival, but many people exiting their vehicles were dressed up and heading in the direction of the church.
Just the thought of having that many eyes on me as I walked down an aisle made my skin crawl. There was sure to be a big crowd today, but at least they wouldn’t be looking at me.
Anxiously toying with my new necklace, I went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water while I waited for Jimmy.
This was our first public outing as a couple. I’d gotten a little too comfortable in our bubble, and I told myself it would be good for me—for us—to get out of the house for once.
A soft knock sounded through the quiet house, and I quickly pawed at the loose curls I’d taken so long to get just right. The simple strapless black dress I’d picked out was one of the nicest things I owned. I smoothed down the flowy knee-length skirt and hoped my red lipstick didn’t end up on my teeth.
When I answered the door, I lost the ability to form words.
Jimmy looked good in everything. He rocked his auto shop uniform, giving hot mechanic a whole new meaning. He wore jeans like they were made for him. Hell, he even made an old apron look sexy.
But dressed-up Jimmy? I wasn’t prepared for it.
He wore all black—even his tie. Most people wouldn’t have been able to pull that off, but Jimmy did.
His slacks fit just right, hugging his narrow hips. The shirt was loosely tucked in around his waist and the sleeves were rolled up, showing off strong forearms and a peek of the peonies. His dark hair had been slicked back, but a few stubborn locks fell over his forehead.
“You gonna let me in?” he asked with a smirk, probably internally laughing at me for almost drooling.
“Yeah,” I managed, stepping back to make room for him. Once the door clicked shut, I tried—really tried—to talk myself out of jumping Jimmy’s bones.
It didn’t work.
I threw myself at him, and he made a surprised sound as his back hit the door. I kissed his mouth. Hard. Then I began to unbutton his shirt while my lips latched onto the side of his neck.
“Mack,” he whispered, his fingers digging into my ass as he ground his erection against my stomach. “Baby, we can’t.” He let out a moan when my hand slipped into his shirt and my finger flicked over his nipple.
“Why not?”
“Don’t have time.”
I pulled back a little. “Are you sure?”
Jimmy glanced at his watch, which worked now thanks to Hank. “We have to be at the church in fifteen minutes. Judging by all the people out there, we might have trouble finding a seat.”
Disappointed, I let out a groan while resting my forehead on his shoulder and desperately tried to get my libido under control.
Jimmy didn’t realize it, but he’d awakened a monster.
A really horny monster.
Now that I knew how fun sex could be, I wanted it all the time.
He chuckled low, that sexy rumbling in his chest doing nothing to help my raging hormones.
“We can finish this later,” he promised, and I lifted my head to gaze at his lips. Those lips curved up at the corners. “Eyes up here, Mack.”
“Sorry,” I whispered. “I just can’t help it.”
&
nbsp; In one quick move, he turned us so I was up against the door. He pressed his hardness into me again, and I let out a whimper of need and frustration.
“Don’t ever apologize for wanting me. Do you have any idea how crazy you make me?” he asked. “Do you like doing that to me?”
Nibbling my lip, I nodded. He nipped at the lip I had between my teeth before licking over the spot.
Then he swayed back. “Well, it’s only fair that I make you feel the same way.” Giving my butt a light smack, he opened the door and made a sweeping motion with his hand. “After you, milady.”
The ass knew exactly what he was doing to me.
Fine. If he wanted to make this a game of foreplay, I was down for that.
CHAPTER 33
JIMMY
She was evil, I was sure of it.
At least she behaved herself in the church. But after that, all bets were off.
To everyone else, it just looked like Mackenna dropped her napkin on the floor and needed to retrieve it. An innocent mistake.
It wasn’t a mistake. What they didn’t see was her hand roaming up the inside of my thigh. Her hand finding my dick. Her finger flicking over the tip before giving my balls a light squeeze.
Just a few seconds of her ‘finding her napkin’ was all it took to make me hard as a rock.
These slacks weren’t built to house a massive boner. I tugged at my collar, the room suddenly feeling like a sauna. I had a feeling this was her way of getting back at me for earlier.
Over the past several days, Mackenna had memorized my anatomy. And, usually, I loved her wandering hands.
But not in the middle of Travis and Angel’s reception, surrounded by hundreds of people. Particularly, my grandma’s knitting club friends at our table.
“So, James,” a white-haired woman next to me said, “Beverly says you’re staying with her over the summer.”
Nodding, I made an affirmative sound while gulping the ice water the caterers placed in front of me. I was pretty sure she introduced herself as Alma, but having a hard-on messed with my comprehension skills.
Dropout (The Good Guys Book 3) Page 20