Ink Ever After

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  “Do you want me to drive you?” Sierra asked, sliding her phone away.

  Meghan shook her head and hurled herself out of the chair. “Luc will pick me up since he’s really close. He doesn’t like to be too far away these days. I’ll just text him.”

  She quickly relieved her bladder after she’d texted Luc to pick her up, then came back to hug her girls before going outside to wait for her husband. She hadn’t been lying about him being close; he’d only taken five minutes to make it to the house.

  Luc waved at the others before pulling her into his arms. As soon as she felt the heat of him, she burst into tears.

  He wrapped himself around her and kissed the top of her head. “What is it? Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

  She sniffed and shook her head. “No. I just love you.”

  Luc pulled away so he could look at her, confusion clear on his face. “I love you, too, babe. But what’s with the tears?”

  She pointed down at her belly. “Pregnant. Hormones. Crying comes with breathing.”

  Luc nodded, his eyes a bit wide. “You’d think I’d be used to that by now.” He kissed her softly, and she started crying again.

  Seriously, this was getting annoying. “Take me home?”

  “Anything you want.”

  He led her to the car, and she leaned into him, needing his warmth. “How about we stop for frozen yogurt on the way? Your parents have the kids since they want to spoil them a bit. That means we’ll be all alone.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows at her as she levered herself into her seat. “You know, if I wasn’t so pregnant, I’d take that as sexy times, but right now, that just means I get to have more toppings on my yogurt.”

  Luc laughed, shaking his head. “Sounds like a plan. But I do miss the sex.”

  The baby rolled, practically taking a lung along the way. “I would say I do, too, but…”

  Luc kissed her softly. “No problem, babe. I’ll miss it enough for the both of us.”

  He closed the door on her laughter, and she figured they’d be okay. Only a month to go, and they’d have a new life in their hands.

  And maybe a few weeks after that, she’d be able to remember sex.

  Hopefully.

  FOUR

  Luc needed to get everything right. Meghan was taking another nap, but he knew she’d be up soon. The kids were dressed and ready to go for their surprise, and Luc was an odd bundle of nerves.

  Sasha and Cliff were in the living room, balls of energy, ready to start. Well, Sasha was a ball of energy, Cliff looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. But his little sister and Mom needed him, and he’d stepped up to the plate.

  Seriously, Luc loved these kids.

  He took a deep breath and headed into the master bedroom where Meghan napped, an old throw draped over her. He’d heard her moving around a minute ago, so he hoped she was awake. Considering the whole point of what was about to happen was because they hadn’t woken her up before, it would be silly to wake her up now.

  He looked down at the bed and smiled when she blinked up sleepily at him.

  “Hey,” she croaked.

  He quickly helped her up so she was sitting and handed over the bottle of water they kept by the bed. He tucked her hair behind her ears as she drank.

  “Hey.”

  “What’s up?” she asked. “Everything okay?”

  “Everything’s great. The kids and I have something to show you, though, if you’re up for it.”

  Her eyes brightened. “Really? What is it?”

  He shook his head. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. How about you go use the restroom since I figure our little kicker is busy with your bladder, then we can go out into the living room.”

  She rolled her eyes but let him help her stand. “So romantic, but yeah, I have to pee. Again.”

  He kissed the top of her head and watched her waddle toward the bathroom. Not that he’d ever tell her she waddled. He was a man who cherished his life, after all.

  When she was finished, he led her to the living room and held her when she froze.

  “What did you do?” she asked, her voice breathy.

  “We made you miss her recital. And though you needed the sleep, we felt terrible.” He kissed her temple. “So take a seat, put your feet up next to Boomer, and enjoy the show.”

  They’d decorated the living room with streamers and paper stars, the same colors but to a much smaller scale of Sasha’s recital.

  Their little girl wore her recital outfit and waved.

  “Are you ready, Mommy?”

  Meghan wiped tears as Luc helped her sit on the couch next to their dog. “I’m so ready, baby. You look so pretty! And Cliff! Are you going to dance, too?”

  Cliff wore a black shirt and his soccer shorts but had his head down. He looked up at her words and smiled. “Sasha needed others to dance with her. But watch her okay? She’s great. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  Meghan gave a watery laugh. “I’m sure you’re perfect.” She looked up at Luc. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “Just you wait.” He winked and went to stand next to Sasha. “Ready?” he asked the kids.

  “Ready!” Sasha giggled while Cliff looked a bit nervous.

  Meghan’s eyes widened. “You, too?”

  Luc winked again. “Our baby girl needed help. Now watch the masters at work.” He started the music and began.

  Sasha pranced, twirled, and danced. Cliff did his best, not as bad as he thought he was. In fact, from the gleam of competition in his eyes, Luc figured the boy might want dance lessons soon.

  As for Luc…well, he would never be the guy to put on tights and dance like he was meant to, but doing a few twirls for his wife wasn’t a bad way to end the day.

  When the music finished, and they did their bows, Meghan was a watery mess, clapping and cheering for them.

  “I’d stand for an ovation, but I can’t.” She wiped tears from her face, her cheeks red. “You guys are amazing. Simply amazing.”

  The kids went to her open arms, and Meghan hugged her children. Boomer, of course, had to be part of it, and Meghan opened her arms for him, too.

  Luc met his wife’s eyes over their children’s heads and knew they’d done the right thing today. In less than a month, they’d have another child in their lives, and new challenges would arise. They’d face them like they faced everything else.

  Together.

  “I love you,” he mouthed, and she did the same to him.

  Yeah, he loved her. He’d fallen for his best friend, and every day he’d thank God for second chances.

  He’d caught his Montgomery, and there was no way he’d ever let her go.

  Written in You

  A Montgomery Ink Short Story

  Author Note: Griffin from Written in Ink (Montgomery Ink Book 4) has a very important question to ask Autumn. It’s best if you read this story any time after Ink Enduring (Montgomery Ink Book 5).

  Proposing to your girlfriend shouldn’t be as hard as this, damn it. It wasn’t as if countless others hadn’t done it before to their prospective fiancées, but this was different. This was Autumn. His Autumn.

  And he was Griffin Montgomery.

  A New York Times bestselling author who knew how to pen a word, build a world, and destroy one within the pages of a book.

  And yet he couldn’t figure out how to ask Autumn to marry him.

  They hadn’t had the classic courtship that some of his siblings went through, so he figured he should try something different.

  With a groan, he put his head in his hands so he wouldn’t bang it against his desk.

  As if any of his siblings had dated their significant others in the usual ways. Each of the Montgomerys had gone a little crazy, a little head over heels, and a little…different when they’d fallen in love, and Griffin was no different.

  The only real difference between him and his siblings was that he and Autumn had been dating far
longer than any of the other Montgomerys dated during their initial relationships. He and Autumn had been together for over a year, and though they’d lived together for much of that time, neither of them had seemed in any great hurry to make it more…official.

  They worked together. They slept together. They loved together.

  And it had been enough.

  Before.

  Now, Griffin wanted Autumn as his wife. He wanted her to be his. To be a Montgomery. He knew his family already thought of her as theirs so that part would be easy. She’d only just begun to see her own family again recently, and because of that, she was becoming more and more settled.

  Now, he wanted to be.

  Of course, instead of just asking her like he should, he’d spent the past three weeks trying to figure out how to approach her about it. He knew she loved him, and he loved her so much he couldn’t breathe half the time, but he couldn’t quite get it out of his head that she might say no.

  His mouth went dry, and his hands shook.

  What if she said no?

  What if she decided that she couldn’t deal with his messy and scatterbrained ways when he was under deadline? He knew he was a bit sporadic and not one of the sanest people around when he was deep in his book, and Autumn knew that firsthand. She was the one who had to deal with him on deadline, out of deadline, and near a deadline.

  She knew everything about him, his deepest and darkest secrets, his ticks, his pain in the ass habits…everything.

  She had every right to say no to him.

  This time, he did smash his head against his desk.

  Why the hell did he keep doing this to himself?

  They loved each other. They were practically married already. They just needed the damn piece of paper.

  He banged his head on the desktop again.

  Of course, it wasn’t just a damn piece of paper. That was why he wanted to propose in the first place. He knew having her as his wife, having him as her husband, meant something more than signing a marriage license.

  He just needed to kick himself in the ass and actually ask her.

  Soft hands slid over his shoulders, and he brought his head up suddenly, smashing it into Autumn’s cheek.

  He cursed as she let out a short laugh, clutching her face. “Fuck, I’m an idiot.” He stood up quickly and put his hand over hers. “I’m so sorry. How hurt are you? Are you bleeding? Do you need to go to the doctor?” He put his other hand on her hip and tried to move her backwards.

  She stayed put, resting her hand on his arm. “I’m fine, dork. You just caught me off guard.” She put her hand down, wincing. “Well, and my face, but you didn’t hurt me too badly. I promise.”

  He kissed her cheek softly, once, twice, then a third time before moving to her lips. “I hurt you. I’m an idiot.”

  She kissed him back harder than he had kissed her and then moved back. “You’re a little bit of an idiot, but so am I. That’s why we get along so well. Now, why don’t you tell me why you were banging your head against the desk like that. You’re not near your deadline, and you finished your initial outline two days ago. You’re supposed to be resting and researching, not stressing. What’s wrong, baby?”

  Griffin cupped Autumn’s face, staring into those big eyes that always seemed to see every part of him. Her auburn hair lay tangled in curls around her head, though she’d taken part of it to make a braid that had begun to fall apart on her run. She’d never been able to tame her hair, and he loved it. He traced his thumbs over her cheekbones, noting the redness on one of them and gently brushing it as if he could make the mark he’d accidentally given her go away.

  He was such a klutz sometimes.

  Yet she loved him.

  Every bit of him, it seemed.

  Why was he so scared that she’d say no? What could he lose if he asked her?

  He’d lose more if he didn’t.

  “Marry me,” he blurted.

  Well, that wasn’t quite asking.

  Her eyes widened, and he thought he might have made a mistake. “What?” she croaked.

  He cleared his throat. “Marry me.” He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again. He still had his hands on her face, and her eyes were still wide. “I love you, Autumn. I want you to be my wife. I want to be your husband. I want to wake up to you every day for the rest of our days. I know we already do that, but I want my ring on your finger, want my name as yours. I want the world to know that we’re together and that we always will be. I know it’s traditional, but I want to be that couple. I want that forever. I can’t imagine my life without you, Autumn. Pick me, baby. Be with me.”

  “Of course,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me for weeks. Ever since I saw you talking to yourself over the ring I guess you’re about to give me. You have no idea how hard it’s been to wait for you to pop the question. I almost asked you myself, but I didn’t want to steal your thunder or ruin your plans. Though if your plan was to hit me over the head so I would say yes, I’m just going to put the idea out there that you could have gone another way.”

  Griffin pulled away, laughing. “You knew? All this time, you knew?”

  “Of course, I knew.” She rolled her eyes and put her hands on his hips. “I’m going to be your wife. I know everything.”

  He twisted around to reach for the ring he’d once again been talking to before she showed up. He opened the top of the box and showed her the antique pearl ring he’d found for her. “I’d say next time I’d do better, but this is the only time. You’re my only, Autumn.”

  Tears filled her eyes, and she held out her shaky hand as he placed the ring on her finger. “Only. I like the sound of that, Montgomery.”

  “Only,” he whispered then took her lips with his.

  Only.

  My Forever

  A Montgomery Ink Short Story

  Author Note: It’s date night for new parents Callie and Morgan from Forever Ink (Montgomery Ink Book 1.5). It’s best if you read this story any time after Ink Enduring (Montgomery Ink Book 5).

  It was their first date night since the baby had been born, and Callie was pretty sure she was going to freak out. Katee was tucked in her bed, sleeping, and would soon be under Sloane and Hailey’s tender care. Her friends would take care of her daughter as if she were theirs. In fact, Callie had a sneaking suspicion the pair was practicing for a baby of their own when the time came.

  So, yes, her close friends were going to watch her baby girl, and everything should be just fine. But, of course, Callie wasn’t quite ready to call it that.

  She pressed her lips together and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She’d added purple and blue streaks to the right side of her raven-black hair since she hadn’t been able to really have fun with it when she was pregnant with Katee. Then, after she’d given birth, she’d taken a few months to get used to the idea that she was a mom.

  A mom.

  How crazy was that?

  Were moms supposed to have funky hair and tattoos? Considering she was a tattoo artist, that might prove a problem if the answer was no.

  Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she looked up just a little in the mirror to look into her husband’s eyes.

  She freaking loved Morgan.

  Not only did he have fucking fantastic ink—if she did say so herself—but he had that silver fox look that made her purr. She bit her lip as Morgan’s large hands slid up and under her shirt to cup her breasts. Her nipples ached and had been so sensitive since the start of her pregnancy that they hadn’t been able to have that much nipple play during sex.

  But now she was getting used to it, and she really wanted her husband’s hands on her breasts.

  Morgan kissed her temple before lowering his hands. She literally whimpered. Damn man always had that effect on her.

  “Don’t pout,” Morgan chided. “As much as I’d like to bend you over the dresser right now and fuck you until we both come hard and end up
sweaty and messy, I promised you a night out.”

  Callie let out a sigh before turning in his arms. “You say that, but I think the fucking sounds better than leaving the house.”

  He smiled, his eyes going dark. “And while that’s a tempting offer, we’re going. We’re going to be adults and get dinner and even a drink. I’m going to whisper naughty things about your wet cunt at the dinner table, and you’re going to blush and try not to squirm in your seat as I finger fuck you under the long tablecloth. You’re going to have to be good, though, Callie girl. You don’t want the waiter to know you’re about to come on my hand right in public, do you? No one else can know. So, yes, we’re going to go to dinner, and then I’m going to come home and eat you until you come on my face at least twice. It’s been too long since we’ve done any of that.”

  Morgan was damn lucky he was holding her hips just then because her knees went weak.

  Holy. Hell.

  “When do Hailey and Sloane get here?” she blurted.

  Morgan grinned like a cat about to lick up some cream.

  “In five minutes.” He kissed her softly, and she moaned. “Now, let’s go hold our baby girl for those five minutes because it’s going to kill me to leave her, just like it’s killing you.”

  She smiled as they walked hand-in-hand to their daughter’s nursery. When Callie looked down at her sleeping bundle, she held back tears at how lucky she was.

  She’d started off not knowing who she was but always looking for the next way to remain happy, and Morgan had slammed right into her, changing all her plans.

  Now, she was married, had a beautiful baby girl, and was about to go on a very sexy date with the love of her life.

  Kattee gurgled awake, and Morgan lifted her into his arms—a tiny baby in such a big man’s hands as he pressed their daughter to his chest.