Page 118 of Imogen

If she tells me she’ll only run if something happens here, I might take her back and fuck her until she agrees. “What?” I ask as I pull back to shut off the car.

“If I act like a crazy fan in front of her, I give you permission to gag me.”

I chuckle and shake my head. “With pleasure.”

She smacks my arm as she unclips her belt. “We should get in there before she phones the police. I’m pretty sure she’s been watching us from the downstairs window.”

I grab my phone out of the storage compartment and push open the door. Imogen gets out, stretching the kink in her back as she meets me at the front of the car.

“It must be sweet to visit houses like this,” she murmurs.

“I actually hate it,” I admit. “There are too many blind spots.”

“It is huge,” she muses as the door unlocks, but she doesn’t hear it and continues. “I would seriously hate to be the one who cleans it.”

“It’s a nightmare,” Sabrina greets. “The glass tiles might look pretty, but trust me, they take a lot of work.”

“Smudges?” Imogen guesses, not acting at all flustered.

Sabrina brushes her hair over her shoulder with a tinkling laugh. “Yes. I cannot wait until the remodelling starts and I get carpet,” she admits and holds out her hand. “I’m Sabrina. It’s nice to meet you.”

Imogen takes her hand and gives it a shake. “I’m Imogen.”

She pulls her cardigan tighter around her stomach. “Ah, the daughter of Connor’s boss, I assume.”

Imogen narrows her eyes slightly. “Did he say I’m a crazy fan or something? Because I’m a fan but I’m not crazy. I swear. I love a badass female as much as the next woman, but I’m not crazily obsessed. I mean, I might have watched the episode where you—”

I place my hand over Imogen’s mouth to stop her before she declares her undying love for the woman. “She’s—” I begin, but an elbow to the stomach knocks the wind out of me, and my hand drops back down to my side.

Imogen stands straighter. “I’m not crazy. I swear.”

Sabrina’s lips twist. “I’m not accusing you of being a fan. It’s actually a funny story. Connor had been ranting about a delivery and your name kept coming up. I was intrigued, and then he, um, he explained who you were.”

Imogen grimaces. “Was he really mad?”

“More freaked out and pale,” Sabrina explains.

“What am I missing? What did you send him?” I ask. I know there’s nothing going on because Connor thinks of her as an annoying sister.

“Remember when he was ignoring everyone and Dad was getting worried?”

“Yeah. It was right before Christmas,” I reply.

“Well, I had boxes of cotton wool specially delivered to him. In batches of thousands.”

“Cotton wool?” I ask, my brows pinching.

“Evidently, Connor is afraid of cotton wool,” Sabrina announces.

“Cotton wool?” I turn to Imogen. “Really? How did you figure that out?”

“The same way I know your fear is failing to protect someone.”

“Why don’t you two come on in and have a cuppa,” Sabrina offers. “I’m sorry Connor has made you check in on me tonight. I told him there was no need.”

“It’s okay. It’s my job,” I assure her, then feel Imogen tense beside me as we step inside.

Imogen bends down to unzip her boot, but Sabrina stops her. “No need to take your shoes off.”

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