Inked Nights: A Montgomery Ink Novella

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Not only did she get to read some amazing work from talented authors but she also got to work in cute leggings and tanks with balconette bras rather than ones with wires. She didn’t need to wear makeup or shoes, and more often than not, she ended up with her hair piled on top of her head with her blue-tinted reading glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose.

  Yep, she loved her job.

  It was the other aspects of her life that left a bit to be desired lately, apparently.

  Annoyed with herself for getting off track once more thanks to a mistake she wouldn’t be making again, she pushed the object of her distraction out of her mind and went back to work. She was so involved in the heroine’s journey that she let out a tiny scream when her phone rang.

  She’d forgotten that she’d turned up the volume for her alarm and hadn’t reset it, and quickly put the phone back to vibrate before answering.

  “Hey, Alice.” Alice was her best friend though she lived in another state and usually didn’t call during the day since they were both working. So if she was calling, it was either important, or she was stuck on a scene. Her friend was an author and one of her clients and usually wrote all day and plotted at night. Olivia had always admired the other woman for her creativity because while Olivia loved editing, she knew she would never be an author and she was just fine with that.

  “I hate this book.”

  Olivia snorted since Alice sounded serious, but her friend got to this point in her work at least once a project, and it was Olivia’s job to calm the other woman down. The two had only met once in real life but they talked almost daily. Alice was a few inches taller than Olivia, far more slender, and her skin was a few shades darker. When the two had met at a conference, according to Alice, they’d turned heads since, apparently, they made a sexy picture. Olivia, as usual, hadn’t noticed. But that’s why she had Alice. One of the many reasons.

  “You always say that, and then you end up loving the book. You’re at the middle, aren’t you?”

  “Why do books even need a middle? Why can’t it just begin, they have sex, and then boom, ending? Those are so much easier to write.”

  “And yet you come to me while you’re looking at a blank page, asking why books need a beginning. And then again at the ending where you say you just want to blow everything up or throw them into bed and call it a day. I know how you work, missy.”

  “Don’t throw my words back in my face. I’m not supposed to make any sense. I’m an author.”

  They both laughed, and Olivia sank back into her chair, her head still throbbing but not as much as before. She was going to count that as progress.

  “You’re a dork. But that’s why I love you.”

  “I love you, too. But why is writing so hard? I mean, we’re in what century now? Why can’t we just plug our brains into our computer and just get all of our thoughts right out of our minds and onto the screen?”

  “You say that, but I’ve seen a movie with that plot, and it didn’t end well for the humans.”

  “Well, it would if it were my books. It’s all angst and intrigue with steamy sex and a happily ever after. The world needs more happily ever afters.”

  That was the truth. And, of course, on that thought, Derek once again slipped into Olivia’s mind, and she did her best not to think too hard about him. Some part of her had once thought that their once-a-month meetings could perhaps be something more. Another part of her had thought that keeping it at once a month kept her safe.

  She’d been wrong on both counts because she was never going to see him again. Not when she could hurt him by making him remember.

  She’d already hurt herself by doing that.

  “You there, Olivia?”

  Alice’s voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she cleared her throat. “Sorry. Just thinking.”

  “You’re always thinking. Same as me. And while we occasionally trail off mid-sentence because we’re in our heads, I don’t think that was the case this time. What’s wrong?”

  That was the problem when your best friend knew you so well. Alice tended to know Olivia’s moods before she did. The fact that Alice could do that without knowing Olivia’s past spoke well of Alice’s talents, but Olivia wasn’t going to share everything, not yet. She needed to tend to her own thoughts and figure out what she was going to do about these new revelations before she shared anything with Alice.

  “Nothing’s wrong. Just thinking about work.” A lie. And she hated herself for it, but she wasn’t ready to tell Alice everything.

  She wasn’t sure if she ever would be.

  “I know that’s not one hundred percent true, but I’m going to let it slide because you know as soon as you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here. You and I do best when we don’t push each other and know our boundaries.”

  Olivia let out a relieved sigh, aware that Alice could hear it as well. She loved the other woman, and what she loved most about her was that she respected Olivia’s need for privacy. She did the same for Alice, and that was why the two of them worked so well as friends.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. And now I have an idea for the middle part of the book. Talk to you later.”

  Olivia didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye before Alice was off the phone and onto her book. That was her friend, completely in the zone when she wanted to be even if she was a distraction from Olivia’s work at the same time. It was okay, though, because her watch buzzed at that moment, reminding her to move. Her job required her to sit for long periods of time, staring at a computer—and ruining her body in the process.

  She would just go for a walk, clear her head, and then come back to finish up the end. If she focused, she could finish today and get the book out well ahead of time. That was always her favorite thing to do, but she also did her best not to get authors used to that in case she got behind, or the book took longer than expected. The latter usually happened with fantasy books because the world was so vivid she either got lost in it or had to break it apart to make sure it flowed. She loved it, but it was even more of a headache than the one currently running rampant through her brain.

  After making sure she’d hit save one more time on her project, she closed her laptop and went to her bedroom to find her shoes. Since she was already wearing leggings and a tank, she was pretty much always ready to work out. Not that she wore them for that reason, but the practicality of not having to change was nice. She couldn’t run in the bra she was wearing, but with the size of her breasts, it took two sports bras at a minimum to keep herself from bruising her chin.

  She was pretty sure it had happened once, and explaining boob strain and bruised chins to people wasn’t something she ever wanted to do.

  Not again.

  She pulled on a light jacket and made her way outside, putting in her headphones so she could listen to an audiobook rather than hearing the sound of her feet hitting the pavement. If she had to listen to that, then she wouldn’t walk, and she’d end up lazing about, working and slowly growing horizontally. If she were ever to run—something she only did when she contemplated the zombie apocalypse and reminded herself that she needed to at least be fast enough to outrun them—she had to put on loud music rather than a book.

  Olivia was a little kooky, but she was fine with that. She’d long since realized she’d be the crazy cat lady living alone as she worked at home. She just needed a cat—something she was going to do soon, but she hadn’t found the right one at the shelter yet. Plus, she was still getting over losing her other cat last year and didn’t want to bring about change so quickly.

  And now she was walking quickly and blinking away tears while trying not to think of her cat or Derek.

  She was officially losing her mind.

  With a deep breath, she focused on her audiobook while making her one-mile trip around the neighborhood. Any more than that, and she got bored, so she took more than one walk a day. How she’d become so neurotic, she didn’t know, but it worked for
her.

  On her last leg, she passed her neighbor’s house and smiled, waving as Sierra Montgomery got into her SUV with her two sons, Leif and Colin. Leif was as tall as Sierra now, and Olivia wasn’t sure how that had happened. She’d been living next to Sierra’s husband, Austin, for years, even before he met and married Sierra and before Leif, his son from a previous relationship, had shown up. She didn’t know the whole story as it wasn’t her business, but she knew the family was a loving one.

  She also knew that Austin had like seven siblings who were all married and most had kids of their own. Sometimes, Austin had the entire crew over for a family event, and Sierra would always come over with leftovers or even a whole cake, apologizing for the noise. Olivia never minded since everyone was always nice to her and they were never loud after nine at night. She’d had worse neighbors. The Montgomerys were actually pretty amazing. Plus, Austin always came over to help her fix things she couldn’t reach. She might not have a man in her life, but she had friends and acquaintances who helped out when things were beyond her abilities.

  Before Sierra drove off, Austin came outside, gave Olivia a curious look, and then went to kiss his wife. Olivia’s heart melted a tad, and she held back a swoon as Sierra took a staggering step backward before getting into her SUV. The man could apparently kiss, and after all their years of marriage, the two were still pretty damn hot.

  Olivia was only a little jealous.

  And by a little, she meant a lot.

  Olivia went to sit on her porch and enjoy some of the breeze before she headed back inside, so she was in Austin’s line of sight as another car pulled into the space Sierra had just vacated. Since the couple constantly had family and friends from the tattoo shop visiting, this wasn’t a surprise.

  What was a surprise was the man who got out of the vehicle, his long legs encased in jeans that made his thighs look sexy as hell. He had on a thin Henley that only enhanced his broad shoulders and trim waist. His beard was growing in and made her want to run her fingers through it, and his hair was brushed back out of his face, though she knew he needed a haircut.

  Derek.

  Holy hell.

  Austin knew Derek.

  She fought to control her breathing as Austin and Derek did that man hug that always confused her before Austin turned to her, a brow raised.

  Traitor.

  She didn’t know why that thought popped into her head, or how Austin knew Derek, or even how Derek knew that Austin knew her.

  All she knew was that the man she needed to stay away from was currently walking toward her—far too sexily—with an intense look in his eyes. He actually prowled, and all she could think was that he was the predator and she was the prey.

  Only, in the end, he would be the one that got hurt. She knew it.

  After all, she would deliver the final blow.

  Again.

  Chapter Four

  Derek knew he should take it slow, maybe even so slow that he didn’t go to her right away. He should walk into Austin’s house and let Olivia have her space, all the while knowing that she would be able to reach him if she needed to.

  Only he didn’t do that.

  He’d never claimed to be a smart man, after all.

  He couldn’t help but notice her wide eyes set in her always expressive face. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and she wore tight leggings that showcased her curves.

  Curves he’d touched, licked, and bitten multiple times over the years.

  He held back a groan and willed his cock to behave. He wanted to keep her in his life, and going to her house unannounced with a hard-on wasn’t the way to do it. He already felt like he was verging on stalker territory so he would have to tread lightly.

  “Hey, Olivia.”

  She swallowed hard, and he watched her throat work. She didn’t move from her seat, and he had no idea what that meant.

  “You’re…you’re here.”

  He stood on Austin’s side of the yard, not going onto her property. He didn’t want to come near her if she didn’t want him there, so he was being damn careful not to encroach.

  “I am. I know it’s weird and not what either of us said we’d do, but I was at work, and the subject of you came up. And, well, apparently Austin knew you. Small world, right?”

  She didn’t say anything, but her breathing quickened. It took all of his power not to look at the rise and fall of her generous breasts because he was, well…him, and he liked the look of her. But he also didn’t want her to kick him out of her line of sight and call the cops. Not that she would, but still.

  “I asked Austin if I could come over and talk to you. I didn’t ask for your number since it wasn’t Austin’s to give. And I’m still on Austin’s property, so I’m not on yours making you feel uncomfortable. Too much. Or at least I’m trying not to. If you want me to go, I will. But I want to talk to you, O. Let me talk to you.”

  She was quiet for so long that he was afraid he’d fucked up and feared she’d run. Since she’d already done that and he didn’t know why, he just stood there, his hands by his sides as he tried to look non-threatening. He was a big man with a beard, longish hair, and tattoos, so that wasn’t the easiest thing for him to do.

  “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “I can’t believe you’re Austin’s neighbor. But it must be for a reason, right?”

  Her face shut down, and she bit her lip. “Not everything connected is for a good reason, D—Derek.”

  He didn’t know what she meant by that, but she stood up and rested her hands on her hips.

  “We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. I promise.”

  She met his eyes and gave him a slight nod. He didn’t know why the overwhelming rush of relief slammed into him, but he was damn happy that she was giving him a chance. He didn’t know what he wanted from her or himself for that matter, but he knew if he walked away, it would be over.

  And he didn’t want it to be over.

  Whatever it was.

  “I guess you should come in.” She was silent for a moment as if she were collecting her thoughts, and hell, he was doing the same. “There are things we should talk about.”

  He gave her a tight nod and took a step across the invisible boundary line that separated Austin’s and Olivia’s properties. Austin had already gone inside his house when Derek had moved away without a word—he’d heard the door close behind him. Austin would understand the need for privacy more than most, though the man was probably ready to come out if Olivia needed help. Hell, Austin might be Derek’s friend, but Derek didn’t mind that Austin would be on Olivia’s side—if there were even sides in this case. After all, Derek would do the same.

  Derek watched her move as he followed her into her home. He still couldn’t quite believe how things had all worked out, and he had a feeling that this was only the beginning. He wished he knew what he wanted, but all he knew for sure was that he didn’t want what they had to end. He’d talk to her, see what she had to say, and inquire if she wanted to meet again next month. He wouldn’t pressure her, wouldn’t push her into an uncomfortable situation, but he knew that what they had was too good to let go so easily.

  They were more than just one night a month, that much he knew. How much more, however, was something they would have to figure out together. That was, if she let him back into her life, even if for a single night a month again.

  When she closed the door behind him, he glanced around her home, trying to get a sense of who this Olivia was. He hadn’t even known her full first name until their last night together, and though he’d always known that was what they’d promised themselves and each other, part of him had wanted more. He’d thought he knew more about her than he did because of how close they were when they were together for their one night a month. He’d learned every part of her—every deep intake of breath, every curve, every soft touch—yet that hadn’t been enough. And while he liked the way she smiled, the way she made him laugh, the way she held
nothing back except for who they were when they were together, he didn’t know anything else about her.

  And the thought that he might never see her again had just brought the idea to him that he needed more of her, needed more than a single night.

  He needed her.

  Hell, that might be too much for even him so quickly, but he’d told himself that he just needed to see her again so he could figure out what the hell he was going to do. He was turning himself into knots as he circled around what the hell his brain and heart wanted, and yet he wasn’t accomplishing anything.

  Derek wasn’t an asshole, and it was about time he started acting like the man he was when he was around her. His O, his Olivia.

  Her home was decent-sized, not as big as Austin’s since the other man’s house was a little farther back off the road with a longer driveway so he had more room to build, but Olivia’s house seemed to suit her—at least the parts of her he knew and the pieces of the home he saw. She had light colors on the walls and light rugs over dark, hardwood floors. Everything looked to be in place and dusted, as if she took care of what she owned and didn’t have children or a pet to knock things over.

  He didn’t even know if she had a kid or a pet. How could he not know those things? He knew she wasn’t married only because that was one of their agreements when they’d first started their arrangement. Neither of them wanted to end up being a cheater, so they’d laid out the fact that they weren’t married early on.

  None of the photos on the walls featured men, and Austin had even said that Olivia lived alone, so that much about her was true.

  But what else had he been missing when he was burying his head in the sand and the feeling of just being with her?

  “This is weird,” Olivia said under her breath, and he turned to look at her. She had her hands folded in front of her, her eyes wide. Her teeth kept biting into those lips that he loved to nibble on himself.