Inked Expressions

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Everly had gone with a black dress and shrug since she didn’t really own anything else. There hadn’t been much need for cocktail dresses or sparkly things for the past three years when she’d been breast-feeding and trying to raise twins while working more than full-time.

  “So…what do we think?” Sierra asked, a single brow raised.

  Everly pressed her lips together to hold back the laughter as the rest of them tried to look as if they were enjoying themselves.

  “I see…” Sierra blew out a breath. “I’m so not with what the kids are doing these days. I thought I was going to be the cool mom with Leif, and now it looks as if I’m not as cool as I thought.”

  “Is it really called cool these days?” Everly asked and blushed as the others looked at her. “I mean, I know wicked is out, but is there another word for being groovy or whatever?”

  Maya held up one of the glasses the others had set out for them and their pitcher of water and margaritas. “To being groovy, cool, wicked, slammin’, and whatever else the kids use these days.”

  Everly laughed and held up a water glass, trying to keep from spilling as they toasted as a group. She didn’t drink that much these days, and since she was driving, she wanted to err on the side of caution.

  “Okay, let’s dance!” Miranda stood up and wiggled her hips. “Quick before the men show up and it’s no longer a girls’ night.”

  Everly frowned. “The guys are showing up?” Storm hadn’t mentioned that when she’d seen him that morning or when the two of them had texted on and off throughout the day as they went through their many meetings. Maybe the others had planned on coming, but Storm hadn’t. She tried not to feel so confused about that.

  “They always do,” Meghan said with a roll of her eyes. “Doesn’t matter that this is a girls’ night. Their boys’ night always ends up joining ours, even if they don’t mention it.”

  That made her feel slightly better, but she still wasn’t sure how she felt about the fact that she’d gotten so disappointed about Storm not joining them. Yes, they were getting serious, but she’d been serious with Jackson, as well.

  “Stop frowning,” Tabby said as she wrapped an arm around her waist. “Let’s dance.”

  Everly winced. “I don’t dance. I mean, I can’t dance.”

  “That’s why we dance in groups,” Miranda explained. “That way, no one can tell.”

  “Give the predators too many things to look at, and they can’t choose what to see,” Autumn added and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Or something along those lines. I don’t remember exactly what that nature show said, but come on. Let’s dance!”

  The group of them took a corner of the dance floor, swinging their hips and arms to the beat and looking downright amazing and hilarious all at the same time. There were far younger people in attendance, but hell, Everly was in her early thirties, it wasn’t as if she were the crypt keeper or anything.

  Occasionally, a man would try to breach the circle, but Maya or Autumn would either let the guy off nicely if he was nice, or threaten his balls if he got a little handsy. It paid to dance in groups.

  When one set of arms slid around her waist, Everly turned around, ready to kick the guy in the nuts for touching her without permission, then stopped when he saw it was Storm.

  He had on a dark blue shirt over crisp jeans, and yet all she could see was the look in his eyes. He was so damned sexy, and at least for now, he was hers. “Hey.”

  She licked her lips, aware that the other men had joined their women and were saying their hellos in more interesting ways. “Hey,” she said softly. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  “Wasn’t planning on it, but I should have.”

  “And now I’m going to go get a drink,” Wes said dryly. “Somehow, I’m like the thirteenth wheel or something.”

  Everly winced and looked at the only single Montgomery left if they accounted for the fact that Storm was with her. “You can hang with us if you want.”

  Storm shook his head. “Not sharing.” He kissed her neck, and she held back a shiver.

  Wes pinched the bridge of his nose. “We don’t share. Though for some reason right after college, a few women thought it would be fun to be with both of us at once…”

  Everly’s eyes widened. “Huh?”

  “We didn’t,” Wes added, and Storm chuckled. “Not even close. Don’t worry. No twin ménages here.”

  “Good to know.” Everly said on a laugh and shook her head as Wes walked away, mumbling under his breath.

  Storm kissed the side of her neck again, and she leaned into him. “As much as I love watching your ass move when you dance, how about we head to my place for a bit until you have to pick up the boys?” He bit her earlobe, and she rocked into him.

  “Get out of here you two,” Maya teased from between Border and Jake. Her husbands weren’t wrapped around her like they might have been in other circles, but Everly didn’t blame them. There had been a few hate crimes recently against poly couples in the area, so they were being cautious even though everyone wanted to hurt someone on the trio’s behalf.

  “Don’t have to ask me twice.” Storm gripped her hand and pulled her away as the two of them waved goodbye to the others. As soon as they had exited the building, Storm pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard. “We can go back in if you want to dance. I just saw you dancing and got so hard I could barely think straight. If you were having fun, we’ll do this instead. Promise.”

  She went up on her tiptoes and kissed his chin. “Let’s go to your place. I danced. I laughed. Now I want you.”

  “Good.” He kissed her again and led her down the street. “I take it you parked in the Montgomery lot?”

  “Yes, since my spot isn’t available at the moment.” She pushed thoughts of her store from her mind since she didn’t want to think about that right then. All she wanted to do was think of Storm and what they were about to do. All her other worries would be waiting for her in the morning. “Where did you park?” she asked, not wanting to talk about it.

  “Wes drove and parked in the same lot. We’d planned on him driving me home but I think this is even better.”

  She stopped him before they crossed the street and kissed him again. He ran his hands through her hair, and she sighed, aware they were standing on a street corner at night in downtown Denver and not really caring for these few bare moments. “It sounds perfect.”

  Storm slammed her back into the door, kissing her neck and jaw as she raked her hands down his back through his shirt. They’d only just walked into his home and couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.

  He slid his hand up her dress and cupped her breast through her strapless bra. She shivered at his touch and arched into him.

  “More,” she rasped. “Harder.”

  She tugged on his shirt, and he did the same to her dress. Soon, they were both naked, clothes around their feet, and her shoes kicked to the other side of the room where she would have no chance of finding them in a hurry. He slid his hand between her folds, and she wrapped her fingers around his cock. They both groaned, sweat slicking their bodies as they touched and teased each other.

  When he slid two fingers inside her, she came, her body arching as she called his name, her eyelids growing heavy-lidded. Her breasts became heavy, and she grew even slicker around his hand. When he pulled his fingers away, she whimpered, but only long enough for him to sit in the armchair near them and hold out a condom.

  “Put it on me.”

  Her hands shook as she tore open the wrapper and slid the condom down his length. “Ready?”

  “Always, Ev. Always ready for you. Now, ride my cock.”

  With his hands on hers, she straddled him on the chair, slowly sliding herself over his cock. When she was fully seated, she burned, her skin hot to the touch, and her nipples so hard she ached.

  “Ride me, Ev. You can do it, baby.”

  She leaned down and kissed his lips, lowering her hands to hi
s shoulders as she rocked her hips. They both groaned, and he gripped her waist, helping her keep the perfect friction as they lifted higher and higher. Everly leaned back, feeling every inch of him inside of her, filling her up so much she thought she’d break from the ecstasy. Storm took that moment to lean forward and take her nipples into his mouth, one by one.

  She squeezed her inner muscles, and Storm let out a curse. “Do that again.”

  When she lowered her head and met his gaze, squeezing her inner muscles again, they both moaned.

  “Harder,” she whispered. “Almost there.”

  “Done,” he growled and slammed up into her so hard she called out, pleasure filling her so hard and fast, she came right then. Storm followed her, pumping in and out of her until they both fell together onto the chair, their bodies sweat-slick and limp.

  As he ran his hands down her back, he murmured to her, telling her how much he wanted her, how much he craved her…

  And she held him close, never wanting this moment to end but knowing it might. Because nothing good in her life ever stayed that way, nothing except for her boys.

  Nothing.

  Chapter Seventeen

  So maybe having him and Everly attend their first family dinner as a couple with twenty plus Montgomerys present hadn’t been the smartest idea. But he couldn’t back out now, so he rolled with it.

  Hopefully.

  “I hope they like the potato salad,” Everly said from the passenger seat. They’d taken the truck, complete with new car seats for the boys and a special harness for Randy in the back. Storm had taken that as a sign that they were moving forward with their relationship, but with Everly, he didn’t know. She was about ready to combust with all the tension riding her, and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

  There was truly only so much a woman could take, and for a man like Storm, it killed him that he couldn’t help her.

  “They’ll like the potato salad,” Storm said with a smile. “And you didn’t have to bring anything at all. I told you that.”

  “I’m not going to my first Montgomery Family Barbeque empty-handed. When I called your mother, she said I could bring a side dish if I truly wanted to, and I mentioned my potato salad.”

  “I like your potato salad,” he said, his attention on the road even as he glanced up into the rearview mirror to check on the boys. They were talking to one another in that secret language only twins knew. He and Wes had done the same; though with so many Montgomerys in the family, it hadn’t lasted as long as he figured Nathan and James’s would.

  “When did you have it?” she asked, her tone on the slight edge of panic.

  “You used to make it when you had people over on weekends back in the day.” When she’d been with Jackson, and Storm had just been the family friend. He didn’t mention that since she already knew what he was thinking. Times had changed, but his love for her potato salad had not.

  “Oh,” she said, her voice deflating. “It’s just that people are picky with things like that. They’ll either go mustard or vinegar or really mayonnaise filled. Some like it with dill or just paprika. I should have brought an easier dish that would accommodate more people.”

  Storm held back his laughter since she wouldn’t appreciate it and reached out to grip her hand. They tangled their fingers together, and he gave her hand a slight squeeze. “They’ll like what you bring. There will be enough of us there that there’s bound to be a bunch of people who like your brand of salad. They’ll have to fight me for it, though. Just saying.”

  She sighed and looked over at him as he parked on the side of the road. While the Montgomerys had an ample lot, there were still too many of them for everyone to park near the house. They’d have to walk a block, but that wasn’t too bad.

  “I’m acting like a nut,” she muttered under her breath. “I’ve never really done this before, you know?” She looked back at the boys, who were staring at them with rapt attention. That meant he and Everly couldn’t exactly go into detail about their relationship and whatever firsts came with it in front of the kids. He figured the boys would know eventually, but he agreed with Everly that they should focus on how they worked together before introducing the twins to a new idea.

  He nodded. “I know.” He turned off the engine and looked in the back seat. “Okay, gentlemen, are you ready for a Montgomery event?”

  “Yes!” Nathan shouted, and James clapped while Randy barked. Everly laughed as Storm rubbed his ear jokingly. Two three-year-old boys, as well as a young puppy, in a small cab of a truck didn’t make for a quiet time.

  “Then let’s do it,” Storm said with a laugh before winking at Everly.

  It wasn’t as easy as he’d thought it would be since he was clearly new to this, but somehow they got Randy on his leash, the boys standing between the two adults with the puppy ahead of them all, and all their bags and even the potato salad to the front door in one trip. Why the twins needed their own bags of toys and other things he didn’t know, but he also didn’t question Everly. She knew what she was doing.

  “You’re here!” his mom, Marie Montgomery, said as she opened the door. “Harry, come and help me get all their things. Oh, Everly darling, I’m so glad you brought the potato salad, it looks wonderful. And look at you boys, I swear you’ve grown two feet since I last saw you. And Randy, darling, I see you, too. You’re such a good boy.”

  His mother said all of that in one long breath and yet hugged them all and ushered them in at the same time. How she could make them all feel welcome and individual astounded him daily, though he knew part of it came from raising eight hellion children.

  The kids were ushered off to the play area where his sister Maya and her two husbands, Jake and Border, were watching over the herd of children. He hadn’t actually added up how many nieces and nephews he had now since the number kept increasing, but the eldest was almost a teenager now, and the youngest still couldn’t walk, so they ran the gambit.

  Everly tucked herself to Storm’s side, and he slid his hand over her hip. “You ready?” he asked. This wasn’t her first time meeting most of his family, and she was friends with many of them, but this was the first time she was there as his girlfriend.

  “No, but let’s do this.”

  Austin and Sierra made their way up first. Sierra immediately went up to Everly to hug her, and Austin gave Storm a head tilt before hugging Everly, as well.

  “I’m so sorry about your store,” Sierra said softly. “You still haven’t heard anything?”

  Storm squeezed Everly’s hand, and she gave him a soft look. “No,” she answered. “Only that they’re still looking.”

  “When do you get the go ahead to start rebuilding?” Austin asked. “If that’s what you want to do, that is.”

  Everly blew out a breath. “Soon, I hope. I just don’t know. And, yes, I plan to rebuild. I mean, I hope to. It’s all up in the air right now, but darn it, I love that store. And it’s mine, you know?”

  Austin nodded. “I get it. If anything happened to the tattoo shop, Maya and I would be a wreck but would still want to rebuild.”

  “Same with my shop,” Sierra added. She owned the boutique across the street from Montgomery Ink called Eden. In fact, Storm remembered that’s how Sierra had met Austin in the first place.

  “If you need anything, you let us know,” Austin said, his voice that deep growl of authority.

  “I will,” Everly said. “Thank you so much for even caring.”

  “Of course, we care,” Sierra said.

  “Yeah, you’re one of us now, even if you weren’t dating this dork over here.” Austin grinned as he said it, but Storm still punched his brother in the shoulder.

  “Men,” Sierra said with a smile and rolled her eyes.

  They talked for a few more minutes before they parted ways and met up with Luc and Meghan. Miranda and Decker joined them, and soon, Everly was laughing hard, and Storm just held her close, knowing they needed times like these to balance out everythi
ng else going on in their lives.

  “When you’re ready, you call us and we’ll help with the rebuild,” Decker said. “I know you could go with Jake’s brothers, but come on, go with the Montgomerys. You like us better.”

  “I heard that!” Jake called, and Maya wrapped her arms around his middle to pull him away.

  Every laughed, and Storm pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s not a competition, you know,” he said.

  “Of course, not,” Luc said with a wink before kissing his wife’s temple. Though the two had been married for a bit now, Meghan blushed and leaned into her husband. “There’s no competition.”

  “Not exactly what I meant,” Storm said but still smiled. The two companies had different areas of expertise, and neither of them was lacking for jobs. The fact that they were connected through marriage now just made it more enjoyable to rib each other.

  “But, really, we’re here to help,” Meghan said. “I know you don’t have any landscaping needs since you’re located downtown, but who knows, you might have a potted plant or something.”

  Every smiled. “I kill plants, so I might actually need your help.”

  “I kill them, too,” Miranda said with an evil grin toward her sister. “Thankfully, Meghan can bring them back to life.”

  “If you kept them out of the reach of pets and children, maybe they’d live longer,” Meghan argued.

  The two of them joked with one another, and Storm waved as he pulled Everly away. He wanted her to meet everyone but not feel so overwhelmed. He also wasn’t the most talkative of the bunch, so he tended to stick to one area of the house or backyard and have people come to him, or he’d just float from group to group, listen to what they had to say and move on. He loved them, but hell, his family was so big it got overwhelming at times.