Jake shook his head then drained the rest of his drink, already needing a second. He wouldn’t indulge though since he had to drive. And after seeing Alex Montgomery fall…well…it was just better not to.
“Maya and I are friends. And I figured we’d still be friends as I date Holly. She’s not here because you said you wanted to meet the woman I’m dating and that’s Holly…so, well, you get the idea.”
His brothers studied him and he did his best not to think about why he felt on edge, why he felt like he was losing something he’d never had.
Holly was perfectly nice.
Nice.
Perfect for him.
Because, really, he’d done the tortured and chaotic shit before and it didn’t work. He needed something smooth and easy. Holly would work for the life he wanted.
While she wouldn’t.
And he didn’t want Jake.
So that was that.
His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket, the name sending a sharp spike down his spine.
“I need to answer this,” he said as he stood up, setting the empty bottle down on the coffee table. His brothers stared at him, but he didn’t care. They were always trying to figure him out, and once Jake figured himself out, then maybe the other three could, as well.
He closed the back door behind him and blew into his hands, the cold leeching the warmth from him quickly.
“Hey,” he said when he answered. He didn’t know what else to say, after all.
“Hey.” The deep voice on the other end made Jake’s mouth go dry, but then again, it always did. It wasn’t the first time Border had called. No, the man called every other week or so. Jake would have thought after all this time he’d get over…this.
But he wouldn’t.
And the sweet girl in the room behind him would have to help Jake get over the shit that wouldn’t just bury itself.
Because Jake Gallagher wasn’t going to keep making the same mistakes he always did. He wouldn’t let his wants take over the needs he felt he should have.
So, he’d finish this phone call and put it behind him before going back in to Holly and seeing the future he knew would be okay for him.
Nobody ever got exactly what they wanted in life, so maybe Jake would find a way to make do. Because Holly would be good for him, and he’d be damned sure to be perfect for her.
She deserved that and more.
And Jake, well, Jake didn’t deserve anything.
Not anymore.
BORDER
Border hung up the phone and frowned. There had been something different about that call, but then again, he didn’t know why he kept calling anyway. Jake didn’t seem to want to talk to him like he used to. In fact, with each call, the other man kept pulling away.
Border didn’t blame him, as he’d been the one to pull away first.
He let out a breath and ran a hand over his newly buzzed hair. He leaned back, planting his feet firmly on either side of his bike. It was too damn cold for him to be riding, and soon the ice would make it fucking dangerous, but he had to make it a little bit farther. Once he did, he’d get his truck, hook his bike up to the back, and head home.
Home.
To Denver.
Because he’d been a fucking nomad for way too long, and he hadn’t found what he was looking for. Of course, he hadn’t known what he was looking for to begin with.
He was ready to go home, though.
Ready to go back to Jake.
Ready to figure out what the fuck he’d messed up all those years ago.
Ready to figure out who the hell Maya was…and why Jake was so damn cagey about her.
It seemed he was ready for a lot of things.
He just hoped he wasn’t fooling himself. Because if he were wrong, he’d fuck up everything he had. Or maybe he didn’t have anything at all to begin with.
Only one way to know for sure.
He started his bike, made sure his helmet and facemask were secure, and headed out onto the open road.
Unlike the last time he’d done this, though, he wasn’t trying to find an absolution that would never come.
Instead, he had a purpose.
A plan.
Or at least a future he prayed he’d figure the fuck out before it was too late.
Chapter Twelve
“That’s it. Take it. Take my cock.”
Autumn arched her back, taking Griffin deeper. Her hands fisted in the sheets and she moaned when his fingers dug into her hips. He pumped in and out of her, his cock slick with her arousal, filling her up and stretching her more than ever before.
He slid his hand up her spine and took her hair in his fist, forcing her back up to his front. “You like that, Fall? You like it when I fuck you hard? You like when you can barely breathe because you’re so fucking full you’re about to come on my cock again?”
She wanted to say yes, wanted to say fuck yes, but she couldn’t speak. Instead, she reached around and grabbed his ass, her shoulder straining at the movement. He growled, the vibrations going straight to her cunt. Her body shook, so close to orgasm she couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe.
So. Close.
And then the alarm woke her up.
One eye cracked open while the other refused. Her chest heaved and her body was primed.
Of course, it was a dream. Why wouldn’t it be? She’d only slept with the man that one night, and now she found herself dreaming about doing dirty, dirty things with him. All the damn time.
Was it wrong she thought real-life Griffin was even bigger and filthier than dream Griffin?
It was official. Autumn was going crazy. Or perhaps she’d already boarded the crazy train and was well on her way to the asylum where she would keep dreaming of fucking a truly gorgeous man and end up all alone in bed with her panties around her ankles and her hand between her legs.
She absently ran her fingers over her clit and shivered, but she wasn’t close anymore.
Damn it.
She slid her hand back up and wiped it on the sheets before kicking her panties away. She needed to shower and get ready to head to Maya’s. She’d work at Griffin’s in a couple of days since he had her on a schedule where she didn’t come over every day. He was in the revising stages of his partial book to make sure he was ready for the next part, meaning he could hunt and peck over the keyboard and she could go about helping the other Montgomerys at her fifteen various jobs around town.
Simple.
And yet all she wanted to do was bend over his lap and beg him to finger her until she came.
Bad Autumn.
Bad.
She let out a sigh and rolled to the edge of the bed, groaning as she put herself on her feet. Her hair stood on end, and sweat slicked her body. When she got nice and sweaty with Griffin it was one thing, alone was another matter. She needed a shower and all the coffee in the world.
Unfortunately, she didn’t think she had any.
Griffin’s fridge may be stocked and filled to the brim, but she’d forgotten to actually shop for herself. Less than a month with the man and he was rubbing off on her.
She wished he’d rub one off with her…
And that was that.
Time to shower and clean Griffin from her mind. Or at least try to.
With another sigh, she quickly stripped off her shirt since she’d already taken the panties off, and turned on her water to hot. Or at least what passed for hot in this place. It wasn’t the best neighborhood, but it had walls and a roof and kept her mildly warm in the winter. Plus the landlord hadn’t paid too much attention to her paperwork. Sure her name had been changed by non-legal means, but it could at least pass some muster.
Not with cops, though.
Hell.
She closed her eyes and stood under the spray, willing memories and past misdeeds away. She’d rather think of Griffin and those very talented fingers of his. He might only be able to work one hand at the moment, but that hand was pure magic. She cou
ld imagine him behind her in the shower, holding her close to his front, his cock pressed firmly between her ass cheeks. He would have one hand in front of them, keeping himself standing by leaning on the wall. He’d run his hand up to her breasts, cupping them one at a time, pinching her nipples until she screamed for him to do something more.
She mirrored the movement, cupping one breast and imagining it was his hand. He would then slide his hand back down and play with her clit, rolling over it slowly before pinching and rubbing. He’d pump two fingers inside her fast and hard until they were both panting and the wet sounds of the shower and her cunt would fill the air. She fingered herself, thinking only of Griffin and his hands. The warm water slid over her clit and she gulped in air, trying to breathe.
Griffin would lean down and bite her neck before whispering one word. “Fall.”
And she fell.
Not literally, thank God, but she came. Hard.
Her knees shook and she had to slowly lower herself to the shower floor so she could catch her breath. Getting herself off in the shower was dangerous business, and it would have been better with Griffin, but with his cast…well…that wasn’t the only reason he wasn’t in the shower with her.
Distance would do both of them good. She couldn’t fall for her boss, the brother of her friends. She couldn’t fall for a man she would be forced to leave when she had to.
With that pleasant thought, she stood up again and cleaned herself off, the water long since gone cold. She shivered again, this time not in the good way, toweled herself off once she finished, and dressed quickly. She put her hair in a braid and called it a day. It was too cold out for her to go outside with a wet head, so she put on a knit cap. She didn’t have the money to pay for that much electricity when it came to a blow dryer. Thankfully, water came with the rent, or that little escapade with dream Griffin would have been costly.
She quickly piled on the layers, slid her bag over her shoulders and opened the front door only to come to a stop.
Her hands shook, but she did her best not to scream.
A dead bird, a crow or raven from the looks of it, lay on her front porch. There wasn’t any blood, but it looked as if it had broken its neck…or had its neck broken. There were many reasonable explanations for this. The bird could have flown into her door and died. Another animal could have killed it elsewhere and dropped it on her porch, leaving no blood.
Or he could have found her.
She gripped her bag tighter and moved to the porch, her gaze on her surroundings. She didn’t feel him out there, didn’t see him, but that didn’t mean anything. She hadn’t felt him all the other times either…not until it was too late.
Chills spread down her arms and she locked the door behind her before walking quickly to her car. She would not run. He liked it when she ran.
She would go back and bury the bird when she had time. The poor thing deserved at least that much. But she couldn’t do it now, not when he could still be there. Not when she couldn’t breathe right.
Autumn started the car and headed toward Maya’s place. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she thought of everything in her bag. She had everything she needed in her trunk and her bag. She didn’t have to go to Maya’s. She could just keep driving until she needed to stop for gas. She could leave Denver and never see the Montgomerys again.
Never see Griffin again.
It would be the smart thing to do.
The safe thing.
But once again, Autumn didn’t do the smart thing. She didn’t want to leave. And because of that, she just prayed she hadn’t signed a death warrant for her friends.
For Griffin.
****
Griffin tilted his head as he watched the twins talk to another contractor about some piece of wood or something. Honestly, Griffin didn’t know as much as he should when it came to Montgomery Inc., but he at least tried to be a good brother and help out once in a while. And when his writing was going well and he needed a morning off to breathe, being here helped him, too.
Of course, no one would let him near a saw, so he usually had to paint things. Or glue things. Or nod as others spoke their thoughts aloud. He didn’t mind, really, but at some point, people had to let the whole saw thing go. It had been one time.
“You’re thinking about the Incident, aren’t you?” Storm asked, a grin on his face. “We’re not letting you near one.”
“Fuck, no,” Decker said as he saddled up to them. He put his hammer in his toolbelt and snorted. “No way he’s allowed to go near sharp and pointy things. Miranda will kick my ass.”
“She’s like half your size,” Griffin said dryly.
“And she is mighty.” Decker nodded sagely, and the brothers laughed. Miranda was mighty for sure.
“Seriously, though, it’s been years,” Griffin pleaded. “I won’t cut an arm off.”
Decker glanced pointedly at Griffin’s cast. “You’re already one arm down, best not to risk it. I have a nice paintbrush and bucket of paint if you’d like to do the trim in this one room. Or you can take notes for me.” He winced. “If you can do that one-handed.”
Luc wandered over, holding back a grin. “I’m not allowed to help that much either, and this is my job.”
“You were shot, Luc,” Griffin said. “You’re not allowed to lift too many things yet.”
Wes ran a hand over his face. “Fuck, we’re a regular soap opera here. We have shootings, secret babies, car accidents…” He met Griffin’s eyes. “Most of that happened when the others found their wives. So, bro, you have something to tell us about Autumn?”
Griffin raised his chin. “I don’t know what you mean?”
“For a man who uses words for a living, you never have much to say about Autumn,” Decker remarked.
Griffin shrugged; trying to be casual and knowing he was failing miserably. “She’s helped me. A lot. I’m actually getting through my book.” In fact, he was getting close to the end. Seriously, he had no idea how she did it. All Autumn had to do was be near him, and suddenly, he could write. He could imagine what his characters needed to do, imagine what path needed to be made.
He didn’t know if was her or the fact that she’d cleaned for him, all he knew was that he was starting to want her there more than he should. And that was scary as hell. What if when she left—and she would leave—he lost everything? What if he couldn’t write anymore once she wasn’t in his life?
What if he wanted her for more than a muse, a book lover?
What if he just wanted her?
“That’s good, right?” Decker asked as he slammed his hand down on Griffin’s back. “You needed to get to your deadline, or whatever you were working toward. You weren’t telling us, so I’m glad Autumn is helping.” His best friend narrowed his eyes. “And don’t tell me it’s just work with her. I’ve seen the way you look at her, the way she looks at you. You’ve slept with her.”
The others stared at him, and Griffin lowered his head. He didn’t want to talk about Autumn. For some reason, he wanted it to be private. Even in as big of a family as the Montgomerys, he wanted something that was just his, just hers—theirs. He didn’t know if it would stay private, and fuck, it wasn’t really that private now, but if he kept it to himself, maybe they’d get off his back.
“Not any of your business, bro,” Griffin finally said.
Decker raised a brow. “Odd thing to say coming from you.”
Griffin flipped him off. “I thought you said you were over that.”
“Oh, I am, totally. But it’s still fun to needle you.” Decker frowned. “Don’t fuck her over, okay?”
“What do you mean by that?” He and Autumn were just casual. No strings. He didn’t want strings, and she sure as hell didn’t. They were just doing what their bodies wanted, and when the time came, she’d leave and he’d keep doing what he always did. He didn’t need her, and she didn’t need him. That’s all there was to it.
“I mean, she doesn’t have family f
rom what I can tell, so she doesn’t have the big brother to tell the dude she’s dating all the things he needs to know.”
Griffin opened his mouth to shoot that down, but froze. He didn’t know if she had a brother, didn’t know anything about where she’d been before she’d seemingly dropped from the sky and into the Montgomerys’ lives. He had no clue who she was, and yet no matter how hard he tried to ignore that, he wasn’t sure he could. She knew more about him than he’d let others know. He’d even talked about Lauren with her. And yet he didn’t know anything about her other than the look on her face when she came.
And if they were keeping it to no strings, that should be enough.
It had to be enough.
Fuck.
He hated being kept in the dark. It wasn’t just the writer in him, but the Montgomery, too.
“Thanks for looking out for her, Deck, but we’re not anything serious so you don’t have to worry.”
“Sure I don’t,” Decker said smoothly. The others had been oddly silent during this exchange, and Griffin didn’t know what to think about that. “I care about you, too. So just be careful.”
Griffin didn’t need to hear this. He needed to let his mind go blank before he went back to work. Maybe he’d make out with Autumn when she came by, but it wouldn’t be serious, and he wouldn’t have feelings.
“If you’re done having a heart to heart, I think I’ll head over to Montgomery Ink since you guys seem to be good without me here.”
Luc shook his head. “Keep running, Griffin. It’ll catch up to you eventually.”
He didn’t want to know what “it” was, so he tilted his chin at the guys then headed back to his rental car. His insurance company had given him the car until they figured out how much Griffin would get for his totaled one. He probably could have bought another one at this point since he had the money, but he’d had other things on his mind.
Namely his book and Autumn.
And his family, his father…Alex.
It was all too much sometimes.
Written in Ink (Montgomery Ink #4) Page 13
