Ink Enduring (Montgomery Ink #5)

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  She studied his shoulder, her fingers grazing along the sides of the scar that had nearly taken his life. He might not have said as much, but the situation that had led to the wound had put him in danger, that was for sure.

  “I can do that,” she said. “Depending on how big you want the feathers, it’s going to take longer than just a session today. So why don’t I trace you and work on the sketch and then do another session where I can actually do the tattoo.”

  He smiled at her then, and her breath caught, her pulse doing a little dance she couldn’t quite name. Silly heart, it needed to stop doing that.

  “Sounds like a plan,” he said after a moment. “What time are you off?”

  She licked her lips. “You’re my last appointment, actually.” She could stay for walk-ins if she chose, but she didn’t have to.

  “Then let’s go to your place and finish up the sketching,” he said after a moment. “I’d like to see your place, Maya.”

  She nodded, her hands shaking. Her hands didn’t shake, damn it. But, apparently, Jake and Border made her body do things she couldn’t control. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

  Border put his shirt back on while Maya gathered her things. They did it in silence, but it wasn’t an awkward one. Instead, it was a quiet filled with promise. She knew the others in the shop had an idea of what she and Border would be doing once she took him to her place, but she ignored the smirks and wiggling brows. She’d done the same to them when they’d left with their significant others for an afternoon of…rest and relaxation. She didn’t have any room to talk.

  Border followed her home in his big truck since there was still snow on the ground. She’d have liked to see him on his bike since she loved riding. She wasn’t a fan of having her own bike as she tended to want to watch the scenery and enjoy the air, rather than having to focus on the road, but the fact that Jake and Border had bikes made her happy. Maybe when it got warmer they could go for a ride together, just the three of them.

  She blinked as she made her way into her home, annoyed with herself for thinking long-term. She needed to live in the now and revel in what she had because if she didn’t, she’d only be hurt in the end.

  Border followed her into her apartment and set his phone and things on the table near the door. She did the same with her sketchbook and purse, nerves suddenly taking over. It had never been just her and Border before, would they have sex? Or maybe just talk? She wasn’t sure, but she knew that whatever happened today would change things. She just hoped that the change would be for the better, rather than breaking everything before it had truly started.

  “How long have you had the shop?” Border asked as he sank down onto her couch.

  She let out a breath, relieved that Border was taking point. The fact that she was so ready to give up control spoke volumes about the kind of man Border was and how she felt around him.

  “Since before I met Jake, actually.” She smiled as she sat down next to him. Border put his arm around her, along the back of the couch, and she turned so she faced him. “Well, only a few months before I met Jake, but long enough. At first, it was just Austin and me, with our cousin Shep coming in to help when he wasn’t in New Orleans working.”

  “Your cousin is a tattoo artist?” Border traced patterns on the thigh of her jeans with his fingers, and she had to take deep breaths to stay calm. This man could probably make her come just by looking at her the right way, and she needed to remain somewhat in control. Or at least do a better job pretending.

  “Yeah, and I have a few other cousins who are artists as well and have dabbled in ink.” Deep breath. “We’re the oldest set of cousins, so we kind of found our way before the others did.”

  “Makes sense.” He kept his gaze on hers even as his fingers danced up her thigh and then down to the seam between her legs. She sucked in a breath, but he just slid his hand up again to rest on her thigh. His fingers were so close to her clit that she knew if she arched her hips just a little she’d be able to rub against him. Of course, that meant she didn’t arch her hips. For some reason, she wanted him to be the one to get her off, rather than getting herself off on him.

  “What are we doing, Border?” she asked, suddenly afraid of the answer.

  “We’re being us, Maya,” Border answered patiently. He moved his fingers, the longest one brushing along her clit. If she hadn’t been wearing clothes, she’d have come right then, his flesh against hers, his hardness against her wetness.

  “What does that mean?” A breathless question, full of anticipation.

  “That means I’m going to fuck you, and we’re both going to come,” Border answered, his fingers continuing their exploration. “And then when we’re both sated, we’re going to learn more about each other and find out how we work as Border and Maya, rather than two parts of a trio. Then I’m going to make you dinner and eat you out afterward before heading back to Jake so he’s not alone tonight. How does that sound?”

  She blinked, and instead of answering, she moved to straddle his lap. To hell with control. “I think it sounds like we should be naked.”

  His hands gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her skin. She’d bruise in the morning, and she didn’t care. She’d wear his marks with pride and have Jake lick them all better.

  When he cupped the back of her head and brought her closer, she closed her eyes, needing his taste, his touch, but knowing if she looked at him, he’d see too much. She opened her mouth for him when his tongue traced her lips, and she moaned, her body shaking. She needed more.

  “Your tongue ring makes me so fucking happy,” he growled as he rested his forehead on hers. “At first, I was afraid it would get in the way when you suck me off since my dick is pierced, but we work it out nicely, don’t you think.”

  She winked and rolled her hips, grinding on said dick. “I think we should practice some more, just to make sure.”

  He chuckled then. “I was thinking of getting my tongue pierced, too. Would that be an issue with your nipple rings?”

  She loved the fact that they were having this conversation. It made her horny as hell. And the idea that he’d have his tongue pierced made her squirm. “I’ll get the barbells so it’s not as much of an issue as a hoop. That’s why your dick piercing works; it’s a barbell, too. And I’m very careful while sucking on the tip. Oh, and if you get your tongue pierced, I expect to have you eat me out nightly.” She ignored the fact that she was speaking of a future that wasn’t set in stone, but she needed to tell him the images she saw, the reasons she was currently so wet she was sure he could feel her through her jeans. “I want your mouth on my cunt, Border, piercing or no.”

  He groaned at her words, his hands reaching up to cup her breasts, plucking at her piercings through her bra. She licked her lips, her body shaking.

  “You think Jake will like both our tongue rings on his cock? He might come from the first touch alone.”

  Maya shivered. “I need to come, Border. So let’s get this show on the road before I put my hands down my pants and get myself off.”

  Border just chuckled and gripped her breast tighter, just on the edge of pain she liked. “As my lady commands.”

  She snorted. “Sure, honey, like you listen to my commands.”

  He raised a brow. “I just might one day if I have the right incentive.”

  Instead of giving her time to answer, he had her flat on her back and her shoes and pants off. He knelt between her legs and winked.

  “You said something about me licking your cunt?” He traced her hips right under the edge of her panties and grinned. With his other hand, he pushed up her shirt and bra so her breasts lay bare. “There we go, both of my feasts.”

  Damn she loved that her men did the dirty talking just right. “Come on, Border, eat me already.”

  “Such eloquent words, Montgomery.”

  She opened her mouth to make a snide remark but ended up letting out a scream as Border pulled her panties to the side
and licked her pussy. Panting, she put one hand on the top of his head and dug the other into the couch. He went to town, licking, sucking, and biting, until sweat coated her body and she couldn’t quite catch her breath. He sucked her clit into his mouth, and she came just like that. Holy hell this man knew what he was doing with that perfect tongue of his.

  He dug a condom out of his front pocket before stripping out of his clothes. Though her limbs shook, she pulled off her bra and shirt, though it wasn’t quite as graceful as she’d have liked, considering she could barely focus when Border was all naked and sexy as he was.

  When he started to open the condom wrapper, she reached out and took it from him. He merely raised a brow as she finished opening it and slid it over the head of his cock.

  “These are the heavy duty condoms, then?” she asked as she rolled it over his length.

  His throat worked as he swallowed hard. “Yeah, less chance of my piercing tearing through it. Though you’re on the Pill right?”

  She nodded. “And I’m clean,” she added. “I know, uh…Jake and I have gone without a condom before because I’m on the Pill, and we’re both clean, so, yeah…if we want to forgo a condom, I’d be okay with that. I mean, it’s not 100% perfect, but I’m very careful with my birth control.”

  Border met her gaze and slowly pulled the condom off. “I want to feel you bare.”

  Her pussy clenched. “So do I.”

  He leaned over her and put one hand under her thigh. When he lifted it so her knee was practically by her ear, she thanked God Miranda had forced her to take all those yoga classes. The tip of Border’s cock pressed against her entrance, and she shivered, the coolness of his piercing a stark contrast against the heat of her and his cock. Their gazes locked as he slowly entered her, never stopping until he filled her to the hilt.

  They both groaned, their bodies shaking.

  “Fuck me, Border. I won’t break.” Her hands dug into his biceps, and he bent for a kiss.

  “Hold on, Maya, I’m taking you for a ride.” He slid out before pounding into her again. The piercing hit her in just the right place, and she shook, her body ready to come again from that alone. He kept up an unrelenting pace, fucking her harder than she’d ever been fucked before, and that was saying something considering she’d been with Border and Jake before.

  When he pulled out and flipped her over onto her stomach, she gasped. He pressed her cheek to the couch, her nipples flat against the fabric, and lifted her hips so he could fuck her from behind.

  She arched her back, needing him deeper, needing more. He smacked her ass, forcing a scream from her, but she wanted more. He slapped her again, and again, enough that she knew she’d be red later. She couldn’t wait to see it.

  “Touch your clit,” Border barked. “Get yourself off while I’m fucking you.”

  She reached underneath her, though her cheek was still firmly pressed to the couch. As soon as she slid her fingers over herself, she knew she wouldn’t last long. She was soaking her hand, the wetness making it easy for her to rub her clit as hard as she could. When Border slammed into her again, she came, knowing he was coming, as well. He filled her up, hot and full before she collapsed onto the couch, Border covering her body with his own. He was heavy as hell, but she didn’t care that she was pinned. She felt full, his.

  And when he turned to the side to hold her close, she blinked back tears, knowing there would be no walking away from this.

  She’d well and truly fallen.

  And there was nothing she could do about it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Border rolled his shoulders as he watched the little girl play alone in the backyard, her eyes not quite as dark as they had been on that day not too long ago. He’d have to count that as progress because there wasn’t much more he could count at this point.

  “She hasn’t smiled since she’s been here,” Detective Sanchez said from Border’s side. “In fact, her foster parents say she hasn’t laughed or cried or done anything yet.”

  Border studied the little girl who had lost so much in such a short time because Border hadn’t been strong enough to protect those she’d loved. He wasn’t surprised she hadn’t shown too many emotions, if any at all. He wasn’t sure anyone could after going through something like she did. The fact that she could play at all spoke of a strength she would need to survive, to grow up whole. There was a slight light in her eyes that hadn’t been there before, though, and Border knew she would heal eventually.

  He just hoped she would survive long enough to do it.

  “It’s only been a few weeks,” he said, finally aware that the Detective he’d worked with for years was watching him. Sanchez lived in a different state, and technically wasn’t there on official business. He couldn’t be since Nevada was out of his jurisdiction. But Sanchez had been the one to call Border to help protect the little girl’s family when things had gone to shit. Witness protection couldn’t help until after the family had testified. And because of that, they had almost been killed.

  And when they’d gone to Border, he hadn’t been able to save them all.

  Now, there was a little girl with no family and a bounty on her head because she’d seen the men who killed her father, her mother, and her sister.

  Border would never forgive himself for not being able to save those in his care, but he could at least work on keeping this one alive. It would be his last mission in a world where he’d lived in secrets and below the radar. He couldn’t be with Jake, and now Maya, and be the man that he’d had to become in the face of the darkness that threatened them all.

  “The trial begins soon,” Sanchez continued after a few moments of needed silence. “She won’t be on your shoulders after that.” He sighed. “She shouldn’t be now, man. It wasn’t your fault what happened. There was a leak. We plugged it, but it was too late.”

  Too damn late, Border thought. But that meant nothing now. “I started this, and I’ll end it.”

  “Just be careful, okay?” Sanchez asked, his voice low. “There’s something going on I can’t figure out, and that means people are letting certain details about what they need done out in the open on purpose.”

  Border nodded, knowing the world wasn’t black and white. He did things, and he learned to live with them in order to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. That meant he was always on the outside looking in while living in the line of fire. If there were whispers of what this girl knew and the fact that others were looking for her, it was because someone wanted Border and Sanchez to know.

  “I’ll be careful,” Border said softly. He watched as the little girl brought her doll up to her foster mother, an older woman who had never had kids of her own but cared for this child as something precious. The same could be said of the foster father, who doted on the girl with just the right amount of attention. This family would be good for the child until it was time to wrench her from them and find her a new home once more. “She deserves to have a life, Sanchez. She deserves more than secrets and death.”

  “She’ll get it,” Sanchez vowed. “If it’s the last thing we do.”

  Border shook his head. “I don’t want this to be the last thing we do,” he said with a growl. “I’m done, though. You know that, right? I’m out after this.”

  Sanchez met Border’s gaze and nodded. “I know. You could be out now, if you want. Leave the girl to us.”

  Though the idea would make sense if he wanted to fully let himself go with Maya and Jake, he couldn’t. Not yet. Border shook his head. “I finish what I start.”

  “If that’s what you need.” A pause. “Did you finally find something to live for, more than those you don’t know and will never see again?”

  Border didn’t answer for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He and Sanchez weren’t best friends, didn’t confide in each other for shit like this, but maybe it was time he gave a little. Just a little. “I always had it, I just didn’t know I did until it was almost too late.” He didn
’t elaborate, didn’t need to. Jake and Maya were his, and he didn’t want to share them here, not where lies and deceit were commodities and lives would forever be at stake.

  Sanchez left after a few moments, and Border did the same, leaving the girl with the only semblance of family she had left. Though he knew she’d be pulled from that soon. Hopefully, it would be the last time. He hated that she had to deal with any of this, but it wasn’t his place to tell the courts how to rule. He only tried to find a way to keep people alive.

  With a sigh, he climbed into his truck and pulled out onto the road, knowing he had at least an hour-long drive home. He’d left Maya and Jake in bed that morning, though he knew the two of them had to get up for work soon after he slipped out. Now he wanted to go back and hold them close.

  He hadn’t operated like that for so long, it was a weird feeling to have. Especially since it felt so normal at the same time. Maya and Jake had quickly inserted themselves into his heart and life, and now he had to find a way to work with it.

  Everything was still so up in the air with them. They’d done their best to talk about the big things, the important things, without actually talking about them. They’d been really good at making sure there was an out clause in their relationship, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He shouldn’t have been surprised, though since they were living in a freaking triad. Those weren’t as uncommon as people wanted to believe, but they sure as hell weren’t easy. They’d have to actually start making decisions and talking about shit that was important to them and their future if they wanted to make this work beyond the bedroom.

  He wanted Jake in his life and always had. He’d come back for the man, after all. Maya…she was a surprise. He’d thought that one of his options coming home would have been to stand back and be Jake’s friend so Maya and Jake could be together, and yet that hadn’t happened. She’d opened herself to him, and he knew he needed to figure out a way to keep that precious gift safe. She might act as if she had control of everything in her life, but he knew that with one mistake, she could break. He refused to be the reason for that.