Ink Enduring (Montgomery Ink #5)(33)

An ass Jake apparently really liked.

As soon as she closed the door, someone knocked, and she opened it right back up again. Autumn, Griffin’s girlfriend, and Sierra, Austin’s wife, stood on the other side. Maya waved them in, then laughed when Tabby, Hailey, and Callie came in as a group. Tabby worked for Wes and Storm, Hailey owned the café next door to the tattoo shop and was with Sloane, while Callie worked at Montgomery Ink and was with Morgan.

They were seriously running out of single women in this group. In fact…Maya and Tabby were it, and maybe not even Maya anymore.

“The gang’s all here,” Maya said dryly. The only person really missing was Holly, and Maya didn’t think she’d be back. Maya had liked the other woman, but talk about awkward now.

Maya rolled her shoulders and prepared herself for a night of gossip, real talk, and drinking for those who weren’t pregnant or driving home right away. That meant Maya would be the one drinking the most. Yay her, because she needed a drink or seven to figure out what the hell she was doing.

She hadn’t freaked out that much in bed with Jake, but now she was flipping the f*ck out. What was she doing? She’d f*cked her best friend. Slept with him. Hooked up. Made love. Maybe not the making love part since that would include feelings she wasn’t afraid to admit she was too frightened to feel.

And what else had she done? She’d told him to f*ck Border, too. And Border had kissed her temple and given her one damn heated look.

Dear lord, she’d gone and fallen into a teen drama show. Complete with angst and secrets. All she needed was a sassy voiceover telling the world that she wasn’t quite an idiot and had all the power. Or maybe that voice would tell the world she was freaking crazy and didn’t have a clue what to do next.

Did she call Jake? Did she go over there to see him and Border? Would the two guys be f*cking right now? And why didn’t that bother her? Why did she want that?

“You got laid,” Tabby said firmly.

Maya blinked. Of all the people she figured would notice that Maya had slept with someone, Tabby was the last person on that list. Tabby ruled Montgomery Inc.. She knew how to organize Wes and Storm, and do it all while looking sexy as hell in high heels and pencil skirts.

But she wasn’t as loud and crazy as the rest of them. Instead, she circled the edges of the group to the point Maya didn’t know her as well as she knew the others.

Yet Tabby had seen what the others hadn’t yet.

“Who did you sleep with?” Miranda asked.

Tabby winced. “Sorry. I don’t know why I blurted that out like that. I think you Montgomerys are rubbing off on me.”

Meghan and Miranda toasted her with their sodas while Maya tried to breathe.

“Was it Jake?” Callie asked, and the room went silent. “What? I know he and Holly aren’t together anymore, and I’ve always thought you and Jake should be together.”

Maya swallowed. Normally, at this point, when someone asked when she was going to sleep with Jake, she’d laugh and tell them to f*ck off. Only this time she couldn’t.

When she nodded slightly, the girls screamed and threw their hands up in the air.

“It’s about time!” Meghan called out.

“I’m so happy for you,” Hailey said.

Tabby stared at her. “Should we be happy for you?” she whispered. “Are you okay?”

Maya blinked at the group of women and let out a breath. “No, I’m not okay. I’m freaking out.” But she couldn’t tell them everything. Not when it was all so new, and it wasn’t her secret to tell. “But I can’t talk about it. Not yet. Okay? So let’s drink, eat, and talk about other things. Just know that I’m freaking out, but I need time to do it on my own before I freak out all over you.”

The ladies nodded, and Miranda came up to her. Maya braced herself for a hug but instead looked down at a margarita.

“Drink up, buttercup. At least one or two drinks, then eat until you’re stuffed to the gills and we’ll let you be on your own.” Her baby sister kissed her cheek, then pulled Maya into the room.

She couldn’t tell the other women what exactly was going on, but the fact that she’d been able to blurt out at least part of it meant something. She had these girls in her life, and she knew they’d be there for her when she was ready to spill the rest.

She could do this. She wasn’t alone.

And she was free to freak out.




As soon as the women left, she picked up her phone and pressed Jake’s name. She’d only had the one margarita, not wanting to drown her sorrows in booze. Alex had done that, and she’d almost lost her brother in the process. He would be home from rehab soon, and she wanted to be whole for that.

“Maya.” Jake’s voice sent shivers down her spine, and she let out a breath. “I thought you were with the girls tonight.”

She swallowed hard, sad she wasn’t there with him. And that annoyed her so she brushed it off. “They just left, and I wanted to call you.”

Jake paused. “I’m glad you did.”

“I…I just wanted to say, if you want to be with Border before I see you again, it’s okay. I kind of want that, you know?”

Jake was silent for so long that she was afraid she’d said the wrong thing. “Baby, you sure do know how to lay it all out there.” He coughed, and she thought she heard another cough in the background. One not from Jake. “You were on speakerphone since I was grabbing a couple of beers out of the fridge and didn’t have a free hand. Border heard you.”