Chapter 6

Imagine

When they reached the car, they put down the top. It was House's turn to drive, he tried to get in but the seat was pulled up too close to the steering wheel. "Damn you're short. " He moved the seat back and then got in, adjusted the mirrors, turned on the car and revved the motor. It purred like a V8 purrs. "Do you want to sell this baby?"

"I've had her for sixteen years. She's gotten me through college, two bad relationships, several one night stands and a lot of road trips. Can't sell her to you. You wouldn't know how to treat a lady."

"We are speaking metaphorically, right?"

She laughed and so did he. She plugged her IPOD back in.

The sound was incredible. House looked at her, "This isn't the original crappy stereo system, you kicked it up a notch or two."

"Harmon Kardon stereo. I couldn't stand not having a great stereo system."

"Yeah, when you kicked it up a notch, you kicked it up." House played around with the tones.

"Complaining?" She asked.

"Yeah, I just hate listening to a good system, I crave static. What have you got on your IPOD?"

"My car, my music. That's my rule." Teagan insisted.

House bent over and got in her face, "No, no, the rule is the driver gets to pick the music."

"Only when the owner falls asleep or agrees."

"Then grab my IPOD out of my backpack in back. I can wear the earphones while I drive."

"No." She relented, "I'll get you your IPOD and you can plug it in, but if I hear any hip hop, I'm putting on my music."

She plugged his IPOD in, discovering that most of the music he'd downloaded was jazz. "Greg, if I hear one more jazz pianist or saxophone player, I'm going to ring your neck and put me out of my misery."

He gave her a look of frustration. "Hand me the IPOD." Teagan grew nervous as he kept looking from the road to the IPOD and back. "Ok, since you're from California, I know the playlist that will make you happy."

The music started out with Led Zepplin, "Stairway to Heaven" causing a smile of approval to spread over her face. Half way into the song they were both singing their hearts out. Teagan started playing air guitar and House raised an eyebrow, "You don't know the first thing about playing guitar do you?"

"This isn't just a guitar, this is my air guitar. If you think you can play my air guitar, you're crazy. Now go get your own air guitar." Shaking his head, he chuckled and continued to sing lead to her air guitar. On occasion he'd look over at her, singing and playing with true gusto. He came on the trip because she was an anomaly, but now he wasn't sure. There was something so pure at heart about her, something so funny and bright. She amused him and he hadn't been amused in a long time.

The next song was Creedence Clearwater, "Bad Moon Rising."

"Oh this is a great song." she told him.

The two of them sang songs all the way down the road until they got to Dayton Ohio where House decided he was still good to drive. He got no argument from Teagan, she was happy to have the break. Leaning back she turned to watch him. He was handsome in a gruff, weathered kind of way. Brilliant, you didn't have to be a mind reader to know that. Damaged, he was very damaged. She could feel the cynicism, the hurt, the fear roll off of him and it made her want to comfort him, take him in her arms and tell him to let go of it, it was eating him alive.

They talked about the places they had lived and realized that for a couple of years they had both lived within ten miles of each other down in San Diego. House was surprised when she told him that her parents had dragged her up to the mountains when she was 14 to live. It was as if they were trying to protect her, but from what? She lived in small mountain communities off and on for the rest of their life.

House drove until they arrived in Marshall. He pulled into the parking lot of a roadside diner with about half a dozen cars in the lot. Whenever they stopped and the wind wasn't on their faces, they could feel the oppressive heat of summer. House had pulled his ball cap out to keep the sun off his head and face. Teagan had grabbed one too. She laughed when she finally saw the message on his hat, "Stop Animal Testing" below the picture of a bear with a pencil and scantron sheet.

Walking into the diner, House saw that there were no booths, just tables, a counter and a juke box. They sat down and the waitress popped over to give them water. "Can I get you something to drink?'

"Diet Coke." Teagan said.

"Sam Adams." House told her.

They both studied the menu and when the waitress came back they placed their orders. Teagan got up and went over to the juke box. House watched, taking up a relaxed position with his legs crossed and stretched out before him. He felt a tinge of arousal when Teagan bent over to read the choices on the juke box. Her shorts framed a round, feminine bottom. Her gorgeous naked legs with the thin thighs and perfect calves were smooth and inviting. House thought about how nice she looked backlit by the light coming from the juke box. Taking it all in, he then let out a deep sigh in appreciation of the view. She put money in the juke box and watched as the cd made it's way to the play position.

Waiting at the juke box for the music to start, she smiled when the music started to play. As the drums banged out the first notes and the guitar picked up, he watched her bottom sway back and forth in a rhythm that was sensual without being sexually overt.

Everytime I think of you, I always catch my breath.

And I'm still standing here

And you're miles away, I wonder why you left?

Teagan was dancing now to the music, her knees bent, her hips swaying and her arms slightly above her head, the ribbed tank top showed off her beautifully shaped breasts and he caught a glimpse of her midriff as she raised her arms. Her eyes were closed as she let the music take her to another place.

And there's a storm that's raging, Through my frozen heart tonight

She opened her eyes and looked at him smiling, continuing to dance around.

I hear your name, In certain circles, And it always makes me smile

I spend my time

Thinking about you, And it's almost driving me wild.

She was singing along with the music and dancing her heart out in graceful, sexy moves. He was looking at her for the first time as a woman and not as an anomaly.

And there's a heart that's breaking Down this long distance line tonight

I ain't missing you at all, Since you've been gone ...Away

I ain't missing you, No matter what I might say

The waitress brought their meals, placing them on the table as she watched Teagan. The waitress smiled out House as if to say he was a lucky guy. Teagan stopped dancing and sat down, but could still feeling the music. She swayed a little in her seat as the music continued and they ate their dinners.

There's a message in the wire

And I'm sending you this signal tonight

You don't know, How desperate I've become and it looks like I'm losing this fight.

In your world, I have no meaning, So I'm trying hard to understand

And its my heart that's breaking down this long distance line tonight

In between bites he asked her, "Where shall we pull over and get some sleep?"

"I don't care, anywhere you want to pull over and find a motel is fine with me."

"Ok." House looked around the restaurant.

Teagan stopped in the middle of her meal to listen to the lyrics of the song. The words of the next stanza seeming to have meaning to her beyond what the writer had intended.

And there's a message that I'm sending out, Like a telegraph to your soul

And if I can't bridge this distance, Stop this heartbreak overload...

I ain't missing you ...I ain't missing you...I ain't missing you, I can lie to myself

The waitress broke through Teagan's thoughts when she came over to top up their drinks, "Did you guys come from the direction of that storm?"

"What storm?" House asked.

"There's a big storm coming out of the southwest. They're worried about tornadoes."

"When is it expected to hit?" Teagan asked.

"Anytime now. My mother called, she lives about fifty miles southwest of here, and said they were getting pounded with hail and rain. If you're going west, you better think about getting a room, the motels are filling up fast. No one wants to be out in this weather."

They split the bill and tip and then went back out to the car, pulling the top up and fastening it. It was getting windy and wild outside with dust and trash flying around in the parking lot. Teagan looked at House and raised her eyebrows. He returned the look of concern as they climbed into the car.

Teagan leaned forward and looked around, "Oooh it's wild and wooly out here. I think we better find a motel quick."

House wanted to make a wise crack about the motel but when he turned to deliver it she was looking at him with one eyebrow raised, ready for his comment. He swallowed his words and just nodded yes.

Pulling into the first motel they saw, a Holiday Express, they were quickly told it was full. The next one, a Radison, was full too. Frustrated and worried, they pulled into the parking lot of the Motel 8 where Teagan ran through the rain and ducked into the office to find out if they had a couple of rooms. They had one.

"Does it have two beds?" Teagan asked.

"Yes, two full beds."

The rain was coming down in sheets, harder than Teagan had ever seen it. She jumped into the passenger side dripping wet, "They have one room left, but it has two beds. What do you think?"

He chuckled, "I've never turned down sharing a room with a pretty woman, but it's your call."

Another car pulled into the parking lot. She gave House a frantic look and jumped out, running inside to beat the other car to the punch. She paid for the room and they drove to the back where it was located.

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Opening the room with the card key, Teagan looked around. The room smelled like disinfectant. There were two beds covered with quilted floral bedspreads and a long dresser holding up the an old Phillips television and a cheap brass lamp. Turning to House she asked, "Which bed do you want?"

"Which one are you sleeping in? I'll take it."

"Cute. I'll take this one by the bathroom. I like to sleep on the left side of the bed."

She put her duffle bag on the top of the luggage stand and opened it up. "Mind if I take a shower first?"

House already had the remote control in his hand and was changing channels on the television, trying to find a weather channel, "Sure, go ahead. Can I join you?"

She didn't answer. Grabbing her underwear, her big overgrown T-shirt that she wore to bed and her toilet bag, she walked across the room towards the bathroom. On the way she dropped her panties on the floor, but didn't notice. Teagan went into the shower, put her stuff down on the toilet lid and started the shower.

House turned the tv off . Feeling parched, he went over to get some water but stopped when he saw her panties on the floor. Picking them up, he felt the satin panels separated by the delicate lace. They were pretty little things, blue satin hipsters. Lying down on the bed, House thought about her dancing earlier, her hips swaying, her arms above her head, the glimpse of her midriff, how her eyes closed as her body responded to the music. Things began to stir in his pants as he continued to rub the fabric of her panties and daydream about her dancing. He placed her panties on his chest and closed his eyes.

House imagined taking Teagan's clothes off of her one piece at a time. In his mind, he was sitting on the edge of the bed with Teagan's petite body laying next to him top of the quilted motel bedspread. Placing his hand at the lower edge of the tank top, he slid it slowly up, revealing her white, soft skin. House touched her smooth, warm abdomen, bending down to kiss her just above her shorts. Placing his fingers on the sides of the top, he gently slipped the cotton top off, revealing her round, white breasts with plump, firm nipples. He threw the top on the floor, taking her nipple in his mouth, licking, tickling and sucking it as he gently squeezed her left breast with his hand. House unbuttoned her shorts and pulled them down to see the little blue satin panties with nude lace. He envisioned bending down and kissing her just above the line of the panties and then licking her lightly up to her navel. The shorts were kicked off, allowing him to pull the lace panties slowly off her hips, revealing the dark blonde hair that covered her mound. The panties slid easily over her thighs and down her legs.

As the daydream continued, House unzipped his pants, reaching in to take his erection firmly in hand. He continued the fantasy as he pleasured himself.

Teagan was in the shower when House picked up her panties. The physical connection between her personal things and his touch was like a hardwire to her brain. She didn't understand where the images were coming from or why, but she saw House slowly taking off her shirt and then softly sucking and licking her breasts. He was kissing and massaging them, sending an electric feeling through her body. Confused, she continued to see what he saw as if she was actually a part of the images. House was slowly and seductively pulling her shorts off, kissing her abdomen just above her panties. The feel of his moist warm tongue on her skin was sending waves of pleasure deep into her groin. After pulling her panties down, what he did with his tongue made her lose her balance in the shower. She slid halfway down the tile of the shower moaning as he continued to play her clit with his tongue. His rhythm picked up as he clearly tried and succeeded to please her sexually.

House couldn't hear her, he was so wrapped up in the fantasy he had no idea that she was feeling each touch, brush, kiss, lick, suck and now him entering her.

Teagan's breath caught as she moaned, "Oh my God, what's going on?" Although said out loud, House couldn't hear her over his own heavy breathing, grunting and the shower. She could feel every one of his imagined thrusts, the touch of his hands over her breasts. His powerful thrusts were speeding up. Teagan was trying desperately to hold on to the sides of the shower to keep from falling and hurting herself. She came just as he did, still holding onto the sides of the shower, moaning and riding the rhythmic wave of the orgasm until the image stopped in midstream like a television being turned off. She fell back onto her bottom and gasped, not sure how he had managed to send such vivid images and sensations. Did he even know what he had done?

House reached over and grabbed a Kleenex, cleaning himself off before taking her panties and laying them on the end of the bed. He lay back down and closed his eyes, feeling satiated, tired and relieved.

Teagan had a hard time getting her balance, eventually climbing out of the tub, her entire body tingling and relaxed, her muscles like jelly. She caressed her body gently, reminding her of the image of his touch as she toweled off. She couldn't find her underwear, quickly realizing that she must have dropped them on the way into the bathroom. After dressing, she opened the door and peaked her head out. Teagan saw the panties lying on the edge of the bed. He was also lying on the bed, her bed, with his eyes closed. She walked quickly out and picked up the panties, they were surprisingly warm. Walking back into the bathroom, she put them on and then slipped back out to the bedroom. He opened one eye and looked up at her. Teagan wanted to thank him. She hadn't had an orgasm like that in years, maybe never, but he wouldn't understand or believe her so she just smiled at him.

"The shower is all yours." She figured he probably needed one after that. Not sure what to make out of it, she thought about the song, "Love the one you're with" and figured she was just a convenient sex object doubting it meant anything more to House. She wasn't picking up any emotional feelings attached to the sex. Amused, she hoped that she had been everything in his fantasy that he had wanted.

When he came out, he was toweling off his hair with one towel with another wrapped around his waist. The towels weren't very big, giving Teagan a look at the scar on his thigh. No wonder he hurts all the time. She smiled to herself and wondered if he was up for another round. Naughty, naughty.

He turned around caught her looking at him lustily. He gave her a look like, "What are you thinking?"

She gave him a wolf whistle..."That's a lovely towel you're wearing."

"It's yours if you want it."

Oh yeah, I want it. Despite wanting to take him up on his offer, she laughed and said, "You might get cold. Wouldn't want you to catch anything." They both turned when a huge gust of wind rattled the window and door.

House went over to the door and made sure it was locked before walking to the far side of his bed. Dropping the towel, he grabbed the covers and climbed in. She didn't actually see anything, but just knowing he was naked was a turn on. Teagan threw him the remote control again and then turned over to go to sleep.

House watched television and around ten he looked over at her. She was fast asleep looking young and fresh, like a schoolgirl dreaming of the prom. He wondered what she would do if he lifted up the covers and climbed in bed with her? The thought of making love to her for real was wickedly tempting, but obviously out of the question. She was dead to the world, lovely but dead.

Waking up early in the morning, Teagan turned over and looked over at House. He was asleep on his back, looking rough and handsome. She wondered what he would do if she went over and woke him up with a kiss and a friendly hand down the sheets? He'd probably make a snide remark.

Teagan decided to get dressed while he was still asleep. Climbing out of the bed, she placed her feet on the brown carpet and stood up to take off the t-shirt with her back to House. Opening one eye, he saw her smooth bare back as it dipped gently into the curve of the small of her back and out to define the curve of her hips as they melted into the blue satin panties. He smiled to himself. He was especially happy because he had a perfect view of her breasts in the reflection off of the television. They were just what he thought they would be, high, round, pert and with the perfect pink nipples. Teagan pulled the shirt over her head and then slipped her shorts on. Between the view of her breasts and her bending over to put the shorts on, House was having a hard time getting control over his morning friend.

Teagan turned around and saw that he was still asleep, or so she thought. She walked over and said, "Greg, Greg..." He pretended to wake up. "Sorry, but we need to get going. I want to make Springfield by tonight. It's a seven hour drive, with stopping to get gas and food it should take eight, maybe nine hours. We'll be there by five tonight. I'm going to call my friend, you get up and get dressed and meet me out in the car. She stepped outside and called Naomi.