Restless Ink: A Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs Novel

by Ryan, Carrie Ann

  He dipped his finger between her crease, grinning as she sucked in a ragged breath. “I’m not going to fuck you here, but I’m going to make you scream my name.”

  Then he lowered his head and bit her ass, loving the way she gasped but didn’t back away. Instead, she pressed her soft curves into his face as he licked and sucked on her pussy and ass before biting down on her clit. She came again on his face, not bothering to hold it back.

  And he relished it.

  He wanted to be inside her so damn badly, but he remembered what he was missing.

  “Fuck.”

  “That’s the point, right? Get inside me.”

  He grinned at her sass, slapping her on the ass.

  “Hey!”

  “I don’t have a condom, babe.”

  She went on all fours and reached for her purse that was on the floor near them. It must have fallen earlier. She dug around then pulled out a condom, a wicked grin on her face.

  “Got one.”

  “Love a woman who’s prepared.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Get those pants off and get in me, Dimitri. Now.”

  He stood up, shucked off his pants, ripped the condom open, then slid it down his length. He was so damn hard, he was afraid he wouldn’t last long, but with the way Thea licked her lips, he wasn’t sure she would mind, not with how many times she’d come already.

  She wiggled that ass in front of him, and he lowered to his knees, gripping her hips.

  “Ready?”

  In answer, she slid her wet heat over him.

  So he pushed, hard.

  He was in her in one thrust, both of them gasping at the same time. She was so tight around him, so wet, so hot, that he stopped moving. He froze as he waited for her body to accommodate him. Then he leaned over her, kissed the back of her neck, and she tilted her head slightly so they could look each other in the eyes.

  “Move,” she whispered.

  He took her lips, then he moved.

  He slid in and out of her, breathing hard as she met him thrust for thrust. When his balls tightened, and his back tingled, he pulled out of her, then flipped her over again. She arched for him as he slid into her again. He needed her mouth as he fucked her, as she fucked him. Then she was suddenly on top of him, riding him with his hands on her breasts and her head thrown back like a goddess.

  And when they both came, he was pretty sure he literally saw stars that had nothing to do with a knock on the head.

  When Dimitri could think again, he ran his hand down Thea’s sweat-slick back, his body still shaking from aftershocks. She stiffened at his touch before levering herself over him, his dick still semi-hard inside her. She didn’t bother to cover up her breasts, and he barely resisted the urge to reach out and pluck at her delicate, pink nipples. He’d tasted every inch of her, even in his buzzed haze, but he wasn’t feeling the alcohol anymore. In fact, he was pretty sure he’d burned it all out of his system even if he hadn’t burned off all the lust.

  “Thea.”

  Gone was the woman who’d flirted back, who’d wiggled her ass on his face as if she couldn’t get enough of him. Gone was the woman full of confidence.

  Gone was the Thea that had been with Dimitri.

  She held up her hand, her face pale, her eyes glassy. Then she slid off him, the action sending shivers down his spine, but he willed himself not to react. This wasn’t the time for that, and hell, he didn’t know what he wanted anyway. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. Couldn’t believe they’d done that—too much wine and beer or not.

  When she stood up and went to the end table for the tissue box, he reached out for a few from her and cleaned himself off, tightly wrapping up the used condom. Then she wordlessly held out a small wastebasket so he could dispose of the mess. Her face was blank enough that he had no idea what she was thinking, what she wanted him to do beyond the basic mechanics of ridding himself of the condom and the evidence of what they’d just done. She wrapped an afghan around herself, covering herself from his gaze.

  And since she still hadn’t said anything, he sat up and reached over to pull on his pants as well as the rest of his clothes. He had no idea what he should say, but he knew he needed to say something.

  “Thea,” he said again as he pulled on his shirt.

  “No. You need to go. Just…just go.”

  “We need to talk.”

  She pressed her lips together in a thin line, but before she could say anything, his phone rang. He cursed since he recognized the ringtone—and so did Thea.

  “Answer it,” Thea said.

  “Thea.”

  “Answer the phone. Molly might need you for Captain.”

  He let out another curse and grabbed his phone, even as he winced at Molly’s name on the screen—the ghost between them that wasn’t so much a ghost now.

  “Molly,” he said briskly as he answered.

  “I need you over here, Dimitri. Captain won’t eat, and I’m worried.”

  His phone must have been loud enough, because Thea seemed to hear the words as well, her face going impossibly paler.

  “Go,” she mouthed.

  “I’ll be right there. Try to get him to eat, Molly.”

  “I’ve tried, Dimitri. It’s not working. I need you.”

  Thea took a step back at those words, and Dimitri felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut.

  “Be there soon.” He hung up and looked at Thea, still wrapped in her blanket, her hair tousled, her lips kiss-swollen, her lipstick faded and smeared. She looked so fucking beautiful, and he had no idea what to say just then.

  “Just go,” she said. “Because…well…you just need to.”

  “We’re not through with this.”

  “We already are.”

  He let out a breath, rolling his shoulders back. “No, we aren’t.”

  She didn’t say anything else, but he wasn’t sure there was anything to say. He needed to go to his ex-wife’s house to take care of his dog. The same ex-wife that stood between him and Thea. He wanted to be Thea’s friend, and yet…and yet, that had changed, hadn’t it?

  He didn’t know what he was going to do after he left Thea’s place, but he knew he needed to leave, to give her space.

  And then, after that? He really didn’t know. But when the door closed behind him, he heard her lock the deadbolt into place, and he prayed he hadn’t just fucked everything up. He slowly walked to the end of the street and ordered a Lyft to his house so he could get his car. He was sober now, so damn sober that he felt every mistake he’d made by not voicing his thoughts.

  He’d fucked up.

  And he had no idea how to fix it.

  Chapter 7

  Dimitri pulled into Molly’s driveway and tried not to think about what he’d just done with Thea. He knew that, at some point, Molly might need to know since she was friends with Thea, but it wasn’t his place to say anything. Somehow, he’d put Thea in the middle of everything, though he’d done his best not to do so since the divorce.

  To say he’d fucked up was an understatement.

  He liked Thea, always had, but he’d never looked at her the way he had tonight until recently. She’d always been his friend. Molly’s friend. Dimitri had loved his wife and had been faithful. He’d never even thought of being with another woman while he was married. And when the divorce came, when he and Molly didn’t love each other anymore, he’d tried to figure out what had gone wrong, only to realize there wasn’t a clear answer.

  Some relationships just didn’t work. And he and Molly didn’t work at all. Not anymore. And the more he thought about it—something he did more often now that he was alone—he wasn’t sure they’d ever fit. He’d loved her with everything he had at the time, but he’d always been on the periphery of her life. The same with her in his. They shared friends, friends that had all gone to Molly after the divorce. They’d shared Captain, but he was really Dimitri’s dog—hence why Dimitri was here late at night, about to go into the home he’d once shar
ed with Molly to feed his best friend.

  Molly should have called earlier, but it was almost as if she’d known exactly the worst time to call and interrupt. The time that it would have the most detrimental emotional impact on his life—on Thea’s life. Of course, his ex hadn’t known, and it had just been a horrible set of circumstances, but there was nothing to change that now.

  Dimitri had to go inside, get the dog he wanted by his side to eat, and then leave before there were too many questions asked that required answers he honestly didn’t have for Molly.

  And, frankly, he wasn’t sure if it was his ex-wife’s business at all what happened between him and Thea. That thought made Dimitri sound like an asshole since common decency dictated he should walk away and not let it happen again and make sure Molly knew, but he wasn’t sure he could do that. Not when he felt like there might be something between him and Thea. He’d been trying hard to make sure they could remain friends, but apparently some part of him wanted more.

  He needed to get home and think on it, try to piece together exactly what he was feeling so he didn’t mess up what he already had with Thea—beyond what he’d torn away.

  And that meant not telling Molly a single thing until he talked things over with Thea.

  This isn’t going to be awkward at all.

  He ran a hand down his face, aware he hadn’t changed or even brushed his teeth after Thea’s place, but he hadn’t had time. It was late, and his dog needed him. He hoped to hell that he’d be able to find a new place soon with his limited funds because he wanted Captain to live with him. Molly couldn’t get him to eat or walk some days, and it was killing Dimitri more each day to witness it. Captain was suffering because Dimitri wasn’t there. Enough wallowing. Dimitri needed to get inside, no matter the awkwardness.

  He got out of his car and headed to the front door. Molly opened it without him even knocking, as though she were waiting for him. He held back a sigh and raised his chin.

  “Where is he?” he asked, his voice a little gruffer than intended. He was tired, off-kilter thanks to Thea, but he knew he shouldn’t take it out on Molly. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and if anything, she just wanted Captain to be happy and healthy.

  He cleared his throat and started again. “Sorry, thanks for calling. Where is he?”

  She just shook her head. “Don’t be sorry. It’s late, and I hate that I had to call you at all. I thought you’d be in Denver with your brother, actually.”

  He blinked, not remembering if he’d told her those plans or not. But it had been a long day, so he let that thought slide from his brain. He’d probably mentioned it earlier when he picked up Captain up for their hike. The fact that he’d spent a few hours with Captain today, and the dog still wouldn’t eat worried him, so he made a move toward the den.

  “I decided to stay in town.” To see Thea, but he didn’t mention that to Molly.

  “Then you made it to game night?”

  He stiffened. “Yes, actually.” Thea must have invited Molly, as well. After all, they were friends. And…this was getting far too complicated. The smart thing to do would be to stay out of Thea’s life, but he honestly didn’t know how smart he was anymore when it came to Thea Montgomery.

  He purposely let his shoulders relax. “The Montgomerys were there in force. Adrienne and Mace won. They’re all very competitive. Not surprisingly.”

  “So I hear,” Molly said, smiling. “They’ve always been that way for as long as I’ve known Thea. I might have to join them next time. I had to say no for tonight, but maybe not in the future.”

  Dimitri just nodded, a weird feeling crawling over him. Guilt. He knew he shouldn’t feel it, but he did. This was so damn complicated, so tangled, and he knew that Molly had to be told the truth. But not until he talked to Thea. This was Thea’s truth to give just as much as his, and they needed to be on the same page about it, or at least know what pages existed before they told Molly anything.

  Once again, he was an asshole.

  “Anyway, Captain is in the den. I have his food next to him, but I think he’s sulking.”

  Dimitri winced. “Sounds about right. The vet says he’s fine.”

  “Just misses you.” Molly’s eyes filled with tears, and she blinked them away. “Sorry. I just hate that he’s like this.”

  Dimitri resisted the urge to reach out to hug her and give her comfort. He still smelled of Thea and knew he should have showered, but he’d wanted to get to his dog as soon as possible. In doing so, he’d crossed so many lines it wasn’t even funny.

  “Me, too, Molls. I’ll be in the den.”

  “Thanks, Dimitri.” She smiled once more, her eyes dry again, and he walked toward the den, stuffing his hands into his pockets since he didn’t know what else to do with them. Molly had closed the door for some reason, so as soon as he walked inside, his dog looked up, his eyes bright.

  Captain had been lying on his rug—one that had originally been for the living room until the dog had made it his own and dragged it with him around the house. Molly had been so damn mad, but Dimitri hadn’t been able to work up too much anger since Captain hadn’t destroyed anything else in the house, just that area rug that he’d claimed as his. It could have been worse. Though when Dimitri had said that, Molly hadn’t been too pleased with either of them.

  Dimitri went to his knees as Captain bounded over to him, sniffing, licking, and being so damn affectionate, Dimitri almost fell backwards.

  “Hey, boy. I can’t stay long, but I need you to eat some dinner. How about that?” Captain whined, licking Dimitri’s face a few more times before going to his bowl and demolishing his food.

  Dimitri let out a sigh, then moved over so he could sit by his dog and pet him as he ate. Of course, his damn dog had only wanted Dimitri’s company and had used any means to get it. This would have to stop, though he had no idea how to make it happen. It was putting a strain on all of them, and he hated the fact that Captain wouldn’t do certain things for Molly just because he missed Dimitri. He missed his dog, as well, but things were complicated.

  Dimitri thought of Thea again.

  So damn complicated.

  He spent another twenty minutes with Captain before the golden finally fell asleep on his rug. Dimitri tiptoed out. He hated the whining that came when he had to leave, and it broke a little more of him every time he had to do it. It wasn’t a fair situation for anyone, but for now, it was the way it had to be.

  As he quietly made his way to the front door, Molly was there, her hands folded over her stomach.

  “He’s sleeping now.”

  “I gathered. He loves you so much, Dimitri.”

  He blew out a breath. “I know.”

  She walked up to him then, rubbing at his jaw with her thumb. When it came back red—the same color lipstick Thea had been wearing—he held back his reaction.

  “I’m glad you had fun tonight,” she whispered.

  He didn’t say anything, couldn’t. She might have guessed about Thea, or maybe thought he’d been with someone else after the party and before coming to her place for Captain. Dimitri didn’t know, but he didn’t have the words anyway.

  He needed to talk to Thea.

  Dimitri met Molly’s eyes, gave her a nod, then walked out of the house, feeling as though he’d been kicked in the gut after burning everything around him.

  One decision had changed everything, had possibly cost him more than he could bear. And yet as he thought of Thea, thought of what could happen next, he wasn’t sure he’d have made another choice.

  And that was something he’d have to think about as he waded his way through the tangled mess he currently found himself in. He just prayed he didn’t break those he cared about in the process.

  Chapter 8

  Thea poured herself another glass of wine, trying not to go overboard like she had the night before. But two glasses while she was at home and not driving anywhere with her family and friends surrounding her wasn’t a bad thing.
/>   As long as she wasn’t near Dimitri, she was fine.

  Thea winced, trying not to think of him as she gulped down another sip. Though was it really a sip if she were gulping it down like a Lannister instead of a Montgomery? Did it really matter when she was probably going to have a third glass to sip casually soon?

  No?

  Okay, then.

  “So, are you going to finish the whole bottle yourself, or are you going to share?” Adrienne asked from Thea’s side, giving her a slight hip bump. “I mean, I can open the bottle of Riesling you have chilling, but I figured we’d all share the Malbec you opened first. Didn’t know this was going to be a more-than-two-bottles kind of cooking date.”

  Thea met her sister’s gaze and took another sip before setting her glass down. “I didn’t drink the whole bottle.”

  Only a third. Whatever.

  Kaylee, their friend and the art instructor for Brushes With Lushes, sashayed into the kitchen. The woman never just walked. She glided, she strutted, she flowed.

  “I’ll take that,” Kaylee said with a wink as she plucked the bottle from Adrienne’s hand.

  “Hey!” Adrienne reached for the bottle, but Kaylee danced out of the way, pouring herself another glass.

  “Apparently, we will be opening up more than two bottles.”

  Roxie just rolled her eyes. “Five women equals more than two bottles of wine, Thea. You should know that.”

  Abby stayed silent as she sipped her single glass, a smile playing on her lips. The other woman was still so quiet most days, but she was getting better at socializing. Hence why she was at Thea’s house with the others for an early dinner and supposedly little drinking.

  Supposedly.

  “I figured we’d have more food than drinks but, apparently, I was wrong.” Thea rolled her eyes before going back to the counter to start chopping up veggies for their stir-fry. Roxie started on the sauce, while Adrienne worked on the cheese plate. Thea, of course, monitored the cheeses but did her best not to make it look as if she were doing so. Cheese and stir-fry didn’t always mix, but they were Montgomerys, and cheese was life, so it happened to make it into almost every group meal. They couldn’t help it.