Written in Ink (Montgomery Ink #4)

Written in Ink (Montgomery Ink #4)

Carrie Ann Ryan




Dedication

To those who are still looking for who they are; who they were.

You’ll find that person…or maybe you already have.

Just breathe. We’re here. We promise.





Acknowledgements


I think with each book, I find myself with a stronger team that I had before. I know that writing is sometimes a solitary adventure, and my hero Griffin can attest to that. However, with each word, each step, I know I’m not truly alone. My team of Chelle, Scott, Charity, Dr. Hubby, and Nazarea rocks! Thank you my precious, precious people!

My darling Kennedy, thank you for drinking coffee with me each morning and staying with me throughout the day. We sprint, talk business, speak of our lives, and more. I know our commute to our offices is only a few feet and the two of us are actually separate by a few hundred miles, but I couldn’t do this without you. You make it easy for me to remember why I do this, even when it’s not all that easy. I’ll never forget standing next to you in your kitchen almost a year ago and knowing who Autumn was, even if it wasn’t her turn yet for her book. Your addiction to a certain cancelled TV show spurned this story, and I love you for it.

And as always, thank you readers for being here. Whether this is your first book with me or your thirtieth, thank you for reading. You are the reason I get up every morning to do this. So thank you.

Happy Reading!





Written in Ink


There’s nothing worse for a writer than missing a deadline. For Griffin Montgomery, his failure to do what he loves comes at a blow. He didn’t understand how it was affecting his life until his well-meaning family intercedes. His sisters have hired him a new personal assistant and he’s outraged—that is, until he sees who it is.

Autumn Minor is light on her feet and a bare memory for most people she meets. She does her best to blend in everywhere she lives, even if it’s only for a short period of time. Making sure no one truly notices her is the only way she’s survived this long. Only when she meets Griffin and the rest of the Montgomerys, she’s afraid she won’t be able to let go when it’s time to run.

Though the two begin a tentative but explosive relationship, they know it can’t last forever. Neither of them are made for the long haul when it comes to love and romance. When the demons from Autumn’s past find her and put both their lives at risk, Griffin will stop at nothing to protect her. In the end, though, he’ll be the one who needs a second chance.





Chapter One


Sometimes there was nothing better than a well-worn pair of jeans. Okay, perhaps it would be more accurate to say there was nothing better than a well-worn pair of jeans encasing a very tight butt. Especially as the owner of said butt worked around a construction site.

Autumn Minor leaned against the side of the truck and crossed her arms over her chest, appreciating the view before she had to start work. At least five different men worked around her, bending over and lifting heavy things, using their large thighs and flexing nice butts. It was as if she’d entered the mecca of sexy men in jeans.

She really needed to stop by the Montgomery Inc. construction sites more often. Maybe standing back and drooling over men was a bit sexist, but she’d also seen the appreciative glances from who she assumed were the single and willing men on the site. She didn’t whistle or holler at them, so really, as far as she was concerned, she was one step ahead of the game when it came to checking out construction workers.

“Are you checking out my fiancé’s very fine butt?” Meghan Montgomery-Warren, soon to be Montgomery-Dodd, asked as she leaned against the truck next to Autumn, her long legs crossed one in front of the other, muddy boots looking well worn but cared for.

Autumn stretched from the truck, her back a little tight, and pulled her long auburn hair back into a ponytail. “Pretty much. Got a problem with that?” She winked over her shoulder at her friend, and Meghan rolled her eyes.

“No problem at all. As long as all you’re doing is looking and not touching.” Meghan’s teeth bit into her lip as she tilted her head, presumably checking out Luc’s…assets. “Damn, I love that man’s butt. Well, I just love him in general.”

Autumn grinned; ignoring that little ache inside that she hoped wasn’t jealousy. Not over Luc, of course, but of the idea that someone could love another with that much emotion and not be scared by it. The depth of heart and soul displayed on her friend’s face surprised her, though it shouldn’t have. Meghan looked so freaking in love that Autumn’s teeth hurt with the sweetness of it. The look in Meghan’s eyes when she thought Luc wasn’t looking made any amount of discomfort worth it, though. Her friend was well and truly loved. And after Meghan’s first abusive and disastrous marriage, she deserved all of that and more.

“You two are perfect together,” Autumn said. She put her hands in her pockets, trying to warm up in Denver’s winter weather. It hadn’t snowed in a couple of days, so of course the foot of white powder and ice they’d gotten during the last storm had already melted thanks to Colorado’s lovely weather patterns. But it still wasn’t warm enough for her. She preferred more temperate weather. Maybe the next place she lived wouldn’t have such cold winters.