Restless Ink

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Thea winced. “Shh, Molly. No, we’re not in trouble. This is for something else. Everything’s fine.”

  “Are you sure? Because you know I can help if you need it. Daddy can, too.”

  Thea wanted to crawl into a closet and hide away from this conversation, but she might as well get over it. The fact that this was just one of many awkward conversations she’d had with Molly recently made her worry, but she didn’t have time for that kind of anxiety, not yet anyway.

  She tugged on her friend’s arm and pulled Molly toward the office along with her paperwork. The bakery was filling up, and she didn’t want to have this conversation where everyone could hear. It had been different with her parents and the time of the day.

  “What is it? Why are you tugging me? Do you need money?”

  “I’m fine,” Thea repeated. “This is loan paperwork for an expansion. You know the empty part of the strip on the other side of me? Well, I want to buy it and make Colorado Icing into something even bigger.”

  Molly’s eyes widened, and she clapped, her smile going into something so fierce that Thea took a step back. “Oh, that’s wonderful. Loan paperwork needs references, right? I never needed a loan since I’ve always been able to just use the money I have, but I’ve heard that.”

  Thea held back from saying something not quite nice since Molly had money only because of her parents, but speaking about it wasn’t going to help anyone right then.

  “Yes, loan paperwork needs references.”

  “Let me be your reference,” Molly put in. “I’ve known you forever, and with my family name and connections it should be a breeze.”

  And though that fact grated on Thea slightly since Molly hadn’t ever worked a paying job, what her friend said was absolutely true. Plus, the idea that Molly would so readily offer without Thea even having to ask was sweet.

  “That would be amazing.”

  “Yay! I’m so glad I can help. You know, if I cared about baking and could be near sugar, I’d totally buy the place next to you, and we could be partners.”

  Thea blinked, wondering how the hell Molly had come to that realization since doing that would change everything and not work out in the slightest, but she assumed her friend must be joking. Surely.

  “Ah. That would be…interesting.”

  “But I run from sugar as most sane people do,” Molly said with a wink. “Just let me know what I need to do for the reference, and you have me. Now, I really need that tea before I get my nails done. Snow’s coming, and I can’t deal with that and wet nails.”

  Thea just shook her head, lost as usual at Molly’s erratic train of thought. She walked out to the front with her friend and froze.

  Dimitri stood at the counter, coffee in hand. He looked between the two and gave them a strained smile. Yes, this was awkward, yes, this was complicated, but damn it, Thea was happy to see him.

  Even if Molly being there made things dramatically weird.

  “Oh, hey there,” Molly said with a grin. “Seems we’re thinking the same thing. Tea for me. What did you get?”

  “Hazelnut latte.” Dimitri cleared his throat. “Hi there, Molly. Thea. I’m headed out to a workshop but wanted something hot to drink. Late night with paperwork.”

  “Same for me, probably,” Thea said as she moved to stand behind the counter to work on Molly’s drink. “Exciting, right?”

  “You know it is. Anyway, I need to head out. Thanks for the drink. Have a good rest of your day, ladies.”

  Thea knew it would have been too awkward for him to hug her, to kiss her, to do anything that stated who they were to each other when they didn’t know that for themselves yet. Doing anything in front of Molly would have just been weird and perhaps even mean to the other woman, so they were walking on eggshells and trying to figure it all out.

  Slowly.

  Thea watched as Dimitri walked out, and Molly leaned forward to pat Thea’s hand.

  “Watching you two makes me so happy. I know it’s weird, I know I shouldn’t want it, but if you like each other, then keep going for it. I just want my two best people happy.”

  Thea cleared her throat. “We’ve…we’ve been on a couple dates.” One real one, but they’d been together twice, though Thea would not have that conversation again.

  “Love it!” Molly took the tea from Thea’s hand and stopped bouncing. “Oh, make sure you make him shrimp linguini one day. It’s his favorite, and I never was able to make it. I’m not a cook, and raw shrimp makes me want to run away in terror.”

  “Oh, I don’t know…”

  “Do it. We’re trying to make this work, right? Make sure our friendship stays intact as you try this new avenue? Well, I’m just trying to help. He’ll love it. Trust me. Now, I have to leave, but don’t forget the linguini!”

  She sauntered out of the shop, pulling on her big glasses again while Thea stood back and wondered how this had become her life.

  Times had changed, and yet part of her hadn’t, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it all.

  Chapter 16

  Dimitri cupped himself at the base of his cock, groaning into the shower stream as he thought of Thea on her knees in front of him, those juicy lips wrapped around his length. He flexed his hips into his fist, licking his lips as he tightened his grip.

  He imagined her sucking on the tip of his dick, licking up the drop of fluid as she hollowed her cheeks around him. She’d flick her tongue over him, hum along his length as she cupped his balls in her hand, giving him a squeeze that would make his eyes cross. Then she’d reach around and play with his prostate just like he liked so he could fuck her mouth with care even as they were both lost to each other.

  Then, when she was done with him, he’d move to her, lick up every inch of her as he played with her nipples, her hips, her ass. Every. Damn. Inch.

  And when she looked into his eyes, they’d both come together, their bodies shaking, sweaty, and pressed so tightly against one another, they’d remain that way until they could breathe again.

  “Thea,” he whispered, his body shaking as he came hard, his seed jetting from him, hitting the tile wall in front of him and sliding down into the water below. The water had cooled, and his arms ached from how long he’d been doing this that morning.

  Coming three times at the thought of Thea because he couldn’t get his mind and dick off her probably wasn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but it was either that or go to her house later with such a hard-on that he couldn’t focus.

  And he wanted to focus.

  He wanted to get to know her even more, be part of her life even when they weren’t having sex. He just wanted her.

  And they were slowly on their way to that point in their relationship when their wants and needs were being met, and they were finding out who they were together rather than just apart. It should be scary, should have made him worry more than he was, but he was…happy.

  Because of Thea.

  And now he was cold, aching, and spent because of thoughts of her.

  Jesus, he needed to get a grip.

  And not just on his dick.

  He snorted, finished washing up in the cold water—the colder, the better according to his libido—and dried himself off while thinking of the rest of his evening. He’d worked all day, and had come home to work out rather than grading since his brain couldn’t focus on paperwork that night. As soon as he got dressed, he’d head over to his old place and pick up Captain. Thea had wanted him to bring Captain over for dinner, and he was happy that she was taking them both in, thrilled at knowing how much Thea loved his dog. That meant, however, that he’d have to see Molly tonight, but things were getting better between the two of them. They would never be friends like they had been, but they could be cordial. Plus, she was friends with Thea, and that meant Molly would be there if Dimitri wanted to be in Thea’s life.

  He'd find a way to make it work. He had to. After all, he’d been the one to pursue Thea, the one who urged her to be with him,
so he was the one who would try his best not to mess everything up when it came to her and the relationship they had with each other and the one she had with Molly.

  Yeah, starting something new with a different person might have been ten times easier, but it wouldn’t have been right. He liked Thea. He…cared about her. More than he thought he would after everything that had happened. He’d always liked her, though, just not the same way he did at this moment.

  When he was married, he hadn’t looked at Thea in the same way he did now. Thea had always been there, was always his friend and in his life, but things were different these days.

  Things were…better.

  And now he had to wonder what would happen next. Because the two of them were still finding their balance, still figuring out who they were to each other. They were friends, and they were…more. They weren’t good with labels and, frankly, he wasn’t sure they needed them. At least not yet. They were finding their way, and in doing so, they were having fun. He never wanted to hurt Thea, but he also didn’t want to hurt Molly.

  He might not love Molly anymore, but he didn’t want to throw his new happiness in her face.

  Once again, he knew it was all too complicated, but he wasn’t going to walk away.

  Not yet.

  Not when there were still sparks between him and Thea. Not when his feelings were growing by leaps and bounds every time he was near her. He wasn’t good with words, wasn’t good with owning up to his own emotions, but he was learning.

  For Thea.

  He cleared his throat and grabbed the rest of his things so he could head over to pick up Captain before going to Thea’s. He wasn’t sure what he was going to tell Molly, if anything. It wasn’t her business where he went, but Thea might have mentioned it already. He wouldn’t lie, but he also wouldn’t offer up any information unless Molly outright asked. He didn’t want to make things harder for any of them.

  By the time he made it to his old house, he was coming to his own revelations. He missed his dog, but he didn’t miss much about his life here. He hadn’t really liked this home, hadn’t really felt like it was his if he were honest. It had been Molly’s. It had made her happy, so he’d been happy for her.

  The only part of his old life he missed was his dog, and now he could take Captain with him for a couple of hours. He didn’t think that Thea was replacing part of what he’d had, but more making her own place in his life. He hoped he was doing the same for her.

  Molly was at the front door again before he knocked. She had Captain by her side, and his bag of treats, food, and other needs in hand.

  “Have fun tonight,” she said with a wink. “I know Thea will take care of you. I’m seriously so happy for you two.”

  He gave her a nod, still confused about her enthusiasm regarding his relationship with Thea. He didn’t know why Molly seemed to want this so much, but it seemed to him that he and Thea were the only ones feeling like there was something off.

  Off wasn’t the right word, but the two of them were walking on eggshells to make sure they didn’t hurt Molly. And the thing was, she didn’t look hurt. She didn’t act hurt. Hell, she seemed happy.

  And maybe it was time for the uneasiness to stop.

  “Thanks,” Dimitri said as he went to his knees to pet his dog. “I’ll be back later with him since he can’t spend the night with me.”

  “I’m sure he can spend the night at Thea’s with you.” She grinned as she said it, and something uncomfortable settled over him.

  This was weird…right?

  Or maybe he was the one making it weird.

  “I don’t know if that’ll work tonight.” He wasn’t going to say that he didn’t know if he and Thea were ready for that. What went on between the two of them was only for them. Yes, Thea might tell Molly some, but he didn’t think either of them wanted to reveal every part of their lives together and apart. He’d have to talk to Thea about it, though, because honesty between them was essential.

  “Oh, you never know. Have fun and make good choices.” Molly laughed as she said the line from one of her favorite movies and he gave her a nod before taking Captain and walking back to his car.

  “Weird,” he mumbled under his breath. The whole situation was weird. The only time it didn’t feel that way was when he was with Thea. That’s how he knew he was doing the right thing, even if everything on the periphery seemed off. He hoped that it would settle down around them soon because he didn’t want the outside world harming what he had—and what he could have—with Thea.

  Dimitri buckled Captain into his harness, then headed to Thea’s. It didn’t take them long to get there, and the closer he got to her place, the more relaxed he became. Yeah, there was some anticipation there—there always was when it came to Thea—but he was just happy that he got to see her soon.

  And while his dick ached at the thought of her, he wanted to spend time with her, wanted to know more about what went on during her day. Texting at night and phone calls when they couldn’t see each other was nice, but he wanted more.

  He paused after he’d parked.

  He wanted more.

  Hell…well, then.

  Apparently, he wanted more.

  Captain whined behind him, and he quickly shut off the car and got out to unhook Captain. Thea had her door open and grinned as Captain bounded over to her. She went to her knees and rubbed his dog down, laughing as Captain licked her face and whined to get even closer.

  “Hey, buddy. Let her breathe.” Dimitri grabbed his bag as well as Captain’s, shaking his head as he shut the car door and made his way to the pair.

  “I can breathe just fine. I missed this puppy so much. Who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy. Yes, you are. Yes, you are.” She singsonged the words, and Dimitri couldn’t help the wide smile covering his face.

  “You’re going to spoil him.”

  She got to her feet, brushing away some of the dog hair from her pants. She wasn’t going to get it all, and he loved that she just shrugged when she noticed that fact.

  “Maybe. I also maybe have an s-n-a-c-k in the kitchen for him. Maybe.”

  He shook the bag he had in his hand. “I have some, too. And thank you for spelling it. Though from the light in his eyes, Captain might know how to spell that word now.”

  She just winked and leaned down to kiss the top of Captain’s head. “Our boy is pretty smart.”

  He knew she’d only said our because she loved Captain too, but a small part of him paused at the word, liking it far more than he should this early in their relationship. He was still finding out who he was without his marriage surrounding him and yet…and yet.

  “Come on in, I didn’t mean to make you guys stand out in the cold. We’ll get Captain settled, and I’ll go back to making dinner.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He moved closer to her as she stepped back to let Captain in and kissed her softly on the lips. “Hi, Thea.”

  Her cheeks blushed, and she smiled. “Hi, Dimitri.”

  “Thanks for having us.”

  “I missed Captain.” He kissed her again. “And you, I guess.”

  “I guess,” he teased and walked into the house. The place smelled of herbs and warm food, and his stomach growled at it all. “Smells wonderful.”

  She smiled at him, but there was something in her eyes he didn’t understand.

  “What?”

  “I had planned on something else for tonight, but Molly said this was your favorite and I decided to make it instead. I got it in my head that she was so excited about it, and if it’s your favorite…well. Yeah, probably not the best idea, but we’re going with it.”

  He shrugged. “Thea, baby, we’re figuring this out together.” He set the bags down on the floor while Captain roamed. Then he cupped her face, kissing her softly. “This isn’t a normal relationship for either of us. She’s your friend, and I see her more often than not because of Captain. She’s part of our lives, and that means we need to be respectful and also find
our own path. I get that it’s weird as hell, and not everyone will understand, but we’ll make it work.”

  “I want to make it work. And that means making concessions and knowing things are odd but not letting that be the only thing that matters.” She moved forward and was the one to kiss him this time. “Now, enough about that, let’s have some wine while dinner warms on the stove.”

  “Wine sounds good. But first…” He cupped her face again and kissed her, needing her taste, craving her taste. She moaned into him, and he arched into her, loving the way she bit down on his lip when they parted.

  “I love your kisses,” she murmured.

  “You kiss pretty fucking good, Thea. I think I’m addicted.”

  She grinned wide. “Good. My plan is working.”

  He kissed her some more, all of his attention on her as his hands roamed over her. He wanted her naked and beneath him but remembered his promise. Tonight was about getting to know her, not more, not right then.

  “This was a pretty damn nice way to start the night.” He kissed her temple, and she sighed.

  “I’d say. How about that wine?”

  “Sounds good to me. Let me set out Captain’s things. The fact that he’s lying in front of the fireplace already and getting comfortable makes me happy.”

  “He makes me happy because you’re happy.” She shrugged as she said it and went to get the wine. He watched her walk for a moment, then went to take care of his dog.

  “So, what have you been up to other than what you’ve been texting?” she asked as she made her way into the living room with two glasses of white wine.

  “Grading. Seriously. That’s it right now at this time of year.”

  “I’m so glad I’m out of school,” she said with a laugh, handing over his glass. “Sorry.”

  “It’s not for everyone. I’m just glad I get your cookies. And cakes. And coffee. I’m pretty selfish.” They clinked glasses, and each took a sip. It was a nice, smooth Riesling, and he was happy.