Ink Enduring (Montgomery Ink #5)






Chapter Eleven


Maya’s hands were shaking. Thankfully, she wasn’t working on her client’s tattoo anymore, but hell, her hands never shook. Of course, she’d never been in quite this position before. The word position just made her think of sex because her brain was evidently on a constant dirty loop and she couldn’t get the thought of Border and Jake fucking out of her mind.

Not that she wanted that out of her mind.

And as soon as she thought that, she imagined herself between them and below them, and maybe over them if there was a position that did that.

Apparently, she didn’t know much about threesome positions, but she had a feeling she’d find out.

And soon.

While some part of her wanted to run away and hide with a bottle of tequila, she rolled her shoulders and put her hand on Jake’s front door. She could do this. Maybe.

Jake opened the door before she could knock or use her key, and she sighed. Guess she would be doing this tonight. It was partly her idea, after all.

“You look like you could either use a drink or a pair of running shoes,” Jake said dryly, and she snorted.

She met his gaze, and at once knew she was in the right place, in the right time, and doing the right thing. “I don’t need the shoes. I’m not running anywhere.” She paused at the bright look in his eyes. Though I could probably use the drink.”

Jake held out a hand, and she took it, their palms coming together with a spark of energy she couldn’t quite name. This was her Jake, the man she’d known for so long he was another part of her, and yet this was a new Jake, as well. This Jake was a man she would know more tonight and would learn as time ceased standing still for the two of them.

For the three of them.

“I have tequila,” Jake said dryly. “But no cotton candy.”

“Why the hell would you ruin perfectly nice tequila with cotton candy,” Border asked from behind Jake.

Maya pushed her way through to the living room and put her hands on her hips, letting go of Jake’s hand in the process. He closed the door behind them, and the heat of him on her back did something pleasant to her insides. But first, she had this stranger to deal with. This stranger who wasn’t quite a stranger and someone she knew would be part of her life in some fashion for the time being and maybe, hopefully, for a long time to come.

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Maya said smoothly. She raised her brow, knowing her piercing there looked sexy when she did it. Jake had told her once when they’d been drinking, though she’d brushed it off as nothing at the time. Not anymore. “In fact, don’t knock a lot of things before you try them.”

Border shook his head, a grin tugging on his lips. “You sure are something, Maya Montgomery.”

“You say that as if you know me,” she said with a smile. People usually thought they knew who she was once they caught sight of the ink and piercings. Add in the fact that she cursed like a sailor and stood up for those she loved with a bluntness that had gotten her into trouble a time or two, and people saw what they needed to see.

She was more than the Montgomery with the foul mouth.

Jake saw that, and hopefully, Border would, too.

“I want to get to know you,” Border responded, his gaze never leaving her.

The heat between them ignited, and she had to keep herself from panting. She didn’t know this man beyond what Jake had told her, and yet she wanted to know more. Needed to know more.

Jake moved from behind her and went to the kitchen. With the way the house was set up, without having to leave the living room and Border’s presence, she could see Jake as he pulled out the tequila and shot glasses.

“While I said I wanted a drink,” she put in, “I think we all need clear heads if we’re going to talk.”

Jake nodded as he walked in and set the glasses and bottle on the table. “One shot to warm us up. Think of it as a toast. Then we’ll drink more if we want. But I think we need to do something to start this so it’s not awkward as shit.”

Border smiled fully then. “It’s going to be awkward as shit at first no matter what.”

Maya snorted and moved toward them, letting her hips sway as she did so. She had curves and knew how to use them. Usually, she swayed no matter how she walked though with the size of her damn hips. Tonight, however, tonight she wanted to use them to her advantage. These men were so much bigger than her and seemed to fill the room with just their presence, so she needed to work what she had so she was on equal footing. There would be no other way to go about it. She refused to be the one they passed between each other, the one they looked over and disregarded.

She was Maya Montgomery, and she would not be ignored.

And now that she’d gone all Fatal Attraction in her mind, it was time to take the next step before she fucked it all up.