Jillian knew she wasn’t frumpy in comparison but she sure as heck felt like it at that moment. Sophia had been all curves and sophistication with that smoky, sex-filled voice, while Jillian was all lines and awkwardness. Sure, she could do sexy when she felt like it, but as soon as she saw Wes with another woman, she’d felt so far from that it wasn’t funny.
And, yes, it wasn’t lost on her that she’d been on a date with another man and she’d been a little—make that a lot—jealous over Wes’s date.
That was when she’d known that she couldn’t lead Clark on. He was sweet and had a decent job and future in front of him, but he didn’t make her swoon…didn’t make her want to jump his bones every time she saw him. It wasn’t fair to anyone when she had another man on her mind. Another man that apparently had another woman.
She held back yet another sigh.
Of course, she’d want a man that wanted another woman. That seemed to be her thing these days when it came to men, especially the Montgomerys.
“You there?”
She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. “Sorry, woolgathering. Speaking of wool, I’m going to go work on my knitting project so Meghan sees some progress. Adrienne is beating me as it is, and you know how I feel about losing.”
“You’re my daughter, after all,” he said on a laugh. “I can’t wait to see what you make me. Now go have some fun, baby girl. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Dad.” They ended the call, and she leaned back against the kitchen counter, that familiar feeling of loneliness settling over her. “Well, damn it.” She really hated these pity parties of hers, and she needed to get over them and get on with her life.
On that note, she put away the remaining bottle of cleaning solution she had, wrote a grocery list for the next day since she needed more than cleaning supplies to get her through the week, got out a bottle of water from the fridge and her last apple, and sat down on her couch so she could get to work on her knitting project.
She just needed a cat, and she’d be the epitome of a single woman according to the media. And while she really wanted a new kitten or older cat to love and care for, she really wasn’t home enough to start a pet’s new life. Maybe she’d use some of her vacation days when and if she finally got a pet so she could be there for it.
And, yes, that seemed just about right. Taking vacation days so she could stay home with a cat. Such a thrilling life she had.
She turned on the TV to see what was on and ended up on an older James Bond film. A sexy man in a suit fighting bad guys with a smirk wasn’t a bad way to spend the evening. She set her remote down and picked up her knitting, trying to remember where she’d left off on the scarf. She was only doing one kind of stitch and doing her best not to drop any. Of course, the hardest part for her so far had been casting on, and Meghan had helped with that. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to do it herself when the time came.
As the movie progressed, she looked up every once in a while from her project, but since she had to watch her hands make each move at this point in her knitting career, she wasn’t paying attention to the plot all that much. So, in essence, she was only looking up to see a sexy man in a dress shirt and pants.
And who did that remind her of? Along with that smirk, there was only one other person she thought of with a shirt like that and the muscles that lay beneath.
Wes freaking Montgomery.
With a scowl, she set her knitting down and picked up her water bottle, her throat suddenly felt parched as she thought about Wes and those damn muscles. Of course, her throat wasn’t the only part of her on alert from the thought of him and how he’d felt beneath her hands when he pulled her close.
She let out a shaky breath and set her water down, her mind no longer on the movie or the knitting in front of her but on something—someone—she shouldn’t be thinking about at all. Her nipples tightened, and her breasts grew heavy. She throbbed between her legs, aching.
“Damn it,” she growled and quickly got up off the couch and stomped toward her bedroom. Well, if she was alone, apparently horny as hell, and only had one thing on her mind, she might as well give in to temptation and do something she knew was a very, very bad idea.
She pulled open the drawer on her bedside table and looked at her collection, trying to think about which one would suit her purposes for the night. Biting her lip, she pulled out the silicone dildo she loved and her vibrator that plugged into the wall and did amazing things to her clit.
If she were going to be bad, she was going to go all the way.
She could have lit some candles and put on music to make things sweeter, but Jillian didn’t want anything sweet just then. Instead, she stripped out of her clothes and rolled her neck over her shoulders. Her body ached, and she knew that if she didn’t come soon, she’d be on edge for the rest of the evening. Wanting to go even further, even though she was by herself, she bent over and pulled the nipple clamps out of her drawer. They were tiny ones that just circled the tip of her nipples that she sometimes wore under her bra because she liked the feeling and hadn’t yet taken the plunge by piercing them. Maybe she’d go to Montgomery Ink finally and let them add permanent rings, but for now, these would do.
She slowly slid them over her nipples and tightened, the sting sending shock waves down to her clit. She swallowed hard, knowing she was already wet, needing. She quickly set everything else out and plugged in her vibrator.
As she settled herself in the middle of the bed, she reached for the lube she’d set out with her other things and slid her hand between her legs. She was hot and soaked, and just from the idea of what was to come.
She slowly teased herself with her finger, drawing small circles around her clit as her breaths quickened. Images of Wes came to mind, his head between her legs as she tangled her fingers in his dark hair. He’d lick and suck her, using that talented tongue on her until she came hard on his face.
She turned on the vibrator to low, resting it near her clit but not directly on it so she’d slowly rise along the crest. It set off a low hum, and she sucked in a breath, the vibrations rocking her but not quite high enough to make her come.
Now imagining Wes hovering over her, tugging at her nipples that mirrored the way her clamps worked, she arched her back and spread her legs. Her eyes still closed, she grasped around for her dildo and licked her lips before finally opening her eyes so she could lube it up. It wasn’t too thick, but it was a pretty decent sized one, and though she was already wet and almost ready to come, she knew her body.
As she slowly inserted it inside, she moaned, the idea that the long, thick member was Wes and not an inanimate object almost sending her over. She put the vibrator back, this time directly over her clit at a slightly higher setting, and her hips shot off the bed, the sensations too much. She came hard, her body shaking as she imagined Wes making her come on the first thrust. Then she lowered her hips, held the end of the dildo and slowly worked it in and out of her, this time picturing Wes pumping his hips slowly, working them both up the wave once more.
She was almost at her peak again when the sudden image of Wes turning her over on all fours popped into her mind. Knowing she didn’t have much time before she came again, she turned over, resettling her vibrator over herself and still working the dildo in and out of her. From this position, it wasn’t easy, but the effort just made her hotter. Her nipples and face were pressed into her mattress as she panted, getting closer and closer. As soon as she imaged Wes’s hands tightening on her hips as he slammed into her, she came again, this time, her hands dropping everything she was holding. A scream ripped from her throat as she panted, her body going hot and cold all over, the orgasm even stronger than the one before.
Soon, she found herself lying on her stomach, her dildo still buried inside her sensitive flesh as she pulsated around it, and her vibrator humming gently beside her hip, vibrating the mattress.
“Well, then,” she muttered to herself, her bones feeling like jelly. She fumble
d for the off switch and slowly pulled the thick dildo from her, once again imagining Wes doing that for her as he cleaned her up. Sadly, she was alone and had to clean up everything herself.
Blood rushed to her nipples as she undid the clamps, and she licked her fingers before rubbing out the sting. It wasn’t the same as a man’s mouth, but she sadly knew how to do what she needed to do on her own. She quickly cleaned everything up and hopped in the shower to wash off, determined not to feel guilty about what she’d done.
There is nothing wrong with a little fantasy, she lied to herself.
Wes was her boss. Her ex’s twin, for freak’s sake. She and Wes had decided not to do anything about the attraction burning between them, and she needed to get that through her skull. Having two freaking amazing orgasms while thinking about him would only confuse matters once she saw him at work.
Plus, he was probably with Sophia for the evening, and her thinking about him that way was wrong.
The idea of him and that other woman being together was like a cold splash of water over her, and she quickly hopped out of the shower and got dressed in comfy shorts and a tank without a bra.
No more thinking of Wes Montgomery. Ever.
And, of course, as soon as her phone rang in her bedroom, she knew who it was. Because her life sucked that way.
“Hello?” Did she sound as though she’d just come thinking of him while doing very naughty things to herself? She hoped not.
“Hey, Jillian. I was going over some paperwork and had a question. And now that I’m talking to you, I realize it’s the weekend, and you’re probably on your way out having a life…unlike me. I’ll let you go.”
“No, no, I’m home, too. Though I’m surprised you’re not out with Sophia.” She winced. Subtle, she was not.
Wes cleared his throat. “Sophia is an old friend.” The way he said friend made her think there was more history than that, but she didn’t say anything. “She was in town for a short while and wanted to catch up, but we’re not…I mean…there’s nothing…”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me,” she said quickly, ignoring the relief rushing through her at his words. Damn it, hormones, get a grip.
“Ah, okay. Well, I guess I’m surprised you’re not with Clark tonight?”
He’d phrased it as a question, even though it wasn’t really one, and since they were both being idiots tonight, she answered him. “I’m not seeing Clark anymore.”
“Oh.” A pause. “Want to talk about it?”
She laughed. “Not in the least. How about you tell me about that paperwork?” There. That was professional. Right?
“Well, if you’re sure you don’t want to talk about Clark.”
“I really don’t want to talk about Clark.”
“Okay, fine.” He laughed, and the sound went straight to her core. Damn it, why did he have to do that? She was not falling for Wes or getting any of those tingly feelings she’d never felt for Storm. “What were you doing before I called?”
She blushed from head to toe. There was no way she was going to talk about that. Ever. “Knitting.”
Wes laughed again. “Oh, right. Meghan said she was helping you and Adrienne learn to knit. Anything good yet?”
Jillian walked into her living room and sat down on the couch, thankful she’d turned off the movie before she went into her bedroom, and picked up her project. “Not in the least,” she repeated. “I think I have one-eighth of a scarf, but it’s sort of lopsided.”
“I never had the patience for knitting,” Wes said, surprising her.
“You knit?”
“Hey, guys knit.”
“Of course, they do, but you? I can’t see that.” Of course, now she was picturing him concentrating hard on his project, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah, I tried for a bit because it made Mom happy, but I’m too much of a perfectionist. Alex and Griffin were better than me, but I don’t think either of them still does it. Austin was actually the best, now that I think about it. Those big hands of his move with surprising grace.”
“Well, he is an artist.” She’d never known that about the Montgomery men, and now she had a new respect for the matriarch of the clan.
“True, though Storm is one too in my opinion, and he never picked it up.”
It was odd that bringing up the man that meant so much to them both didn’t give her the same sense of awkwardness it used to when Wes talked about him. She didn’t know what to make of that, but she knew it had to mean something.
“Well, I’m not that great of a knitter. Sadly, I don’t know if I’ll finish this project. It’s pretty ugly.”
“Keep going,” Wes urged. “I always regret that I never finished mine.”
That gave her an idea that made her laugh. “I have a deal for you. I’ll finish mine if you try to do one, too.”
Wes was quiet for so long she was afraid she’d moved too far from their antagonistic relationship. She didn’t know what she was doing right then, but she couldn’t help herself.
“You’ve got a deal,” he said after a moment. “But you might need to help me.”
Jillian played with a piece of yarn next to her. “Meghan would be better.”
“True, but I don’t want her to see how bad I am. What do you say?”
She let out a breath. “Okay.”
“Okay.”
The conversation moved on to work, and yet in the back of her mind, she knew something had changed between them. She didn’t know what, but she had a feeling there was no going back.
The question was…did she want to?
And for that, she had no answer.
Chapter Nine
Wes looked over the progress at the bookstore the next Monday and couldn’t help but smile at how far it had come in such a short time. The place had been gutted after the fire, and he knew Everly had lost any stock that hadn’t been in the one closet in the back that had escaped damage. Insurance would cover most of it, but she’d never get those memories back.
Decker was in charge of this site with Storm overseeing more than he normally would since it was his fiancée’s shop but Wes still came by often to see how things were going. It was important for him to remain on top of things for each project site, not just the ones he was the lead on.
“Did you see the floors Everly picked out?” Decker asked, walking up to Wes’s side. “None of the hardwood or subfloors could be saved, so we’re having to start from scratch, but the wide planks she chose are going to look nice in here.”
Wes nodded. “Yeah, she sent over the link to the samples she’d chosen since she was so excited.” He grinned. “The place is going to look kickass when we’re done with it.” At the moment, Everly was unemployed with two children who needed medical insurance, so they were working as fast as they could to get things up and running. He was pretty sure if they didn’t stay on schedule, Storm would move up the wedding date before they hit any deadlines with the insurance companies. Luckily, though, everything was going smoothly so far—not that Wes would ever dare say that out loud. He wasn’t about to tempt fate, not with his family’s luck these days.
“How’s the warehouse going?”
Of course, as soon as Decker asked that, images of Jillian popped into Wes’s mind, and he did his best to hide his reaction to those thoughts. The fact that his reaction wasn’t a scowl but something…more annoyed and intrigued him. When had she become someone he joked with and vowed to start knitting with? When had he started to crave her instead of thinking of her as the woman holding his brother back?
He’d been wrong in thinking that she was the reason Storm hadn’t found his happiness, and for that, he would never quite forgive himself, but he still thought she was a pain in his ass. Much like she thought he was hers.
And yet they’d kissed.
They flirted.
They…talked.
And when they talked, she made him smile.
When on earth had that happened?
“Earth to Wes. You okay over there?”
Wes blinked and shook his head.
“What’s wrong?” Decker asked.
“What? Oh, no, I was shaking my head to clear it, not to say no. Sorry, uh, what was the question?”
Decker raised a brow at him. “Okay, if you’re not going to tell me why you’re acting weird, I guess I’ll just sic Miranda on you later.”
Wes’s eyes widened, and he held up his hands in surrender. “For the love of all that is good in the world, please don’t do that. You know how she is.”
“Yeah? Well, that’s my wife you’re talking about, so be careful what you say,” Decker growled out.
“And that’s my sister,” Wes growled back.
The two of them glared at one another before breaking out in laughter. “Okay, then, Montgomery,” Decker said with a grin. The man had been raised with the Montgomerys and was practically one himself. When he married Miranda, he’d actually taken her name rather than the other way around, and Wes couldn’t help but love that. He was pretty sure if his parents had been able, Decker would have been adopted in years ago, though in retrospect, that was a good thing since it would have been awkward when Decker and Miranda wanted to get married. There were never any brotherly or sisterly feelings between them.
“Anyway, you were asking about the warehouse?” Decker nodded. “It’s going good. The team is done with demo, thank the gods, but we’re doing good with our schedule.”
“Good to hear. I can’t believe how big that project is.”
“Yeah, it’s our biggest. I just hope we don’t screw it up.” That was a common fear for him. He couldn’t help it, it’s just who he was. “Not that we’re going to because, hello, we’re Montgomery Inc. and we kick ass, but still, it’s a lot of pressure.”
“Pressure just eggs us on, right?” Decker asked, his smile widening. “Okay, I have to get back to work, but I wanted to check in on you. Need anything?”
Inked Memories (Montgomery Ink Book 8) Page 8
