Written in Ink (Montgomery Ink #4)(16)

Though this time, he’d push Autumn from his thoughts and work on what he had to. And in the morning, he’d apologize for being an asshat and let her help.

Because he might resent her being there, but he’d written.

He’d written.

That had to mean something.

Eventually.

He hoped.

Because if it didn’t? Well, he didn’t want to think about that. He couldn’t afford to. Ever.





Chapter Five


Autumn normally wouldn’t hit a man. She wasn’t prone to violence, but Griffin might end up the exception to the rule. The damn man frustrated her to no end, and it didn’t help that he looked freaking hot all growly and stubborn. Add in a sheen of sweat and that broody glare, and she’d had to take deep breaths to keep under control.

Apparently, she was attracted to *s.

Good to know.

It didn’t help that she had to work for the damn man. First day on the job and she was already storming out, angry beyond measure, and genuinely upset that she’d caved at his demand for her to leave. She knew he hadn’t wanted a true personal assistant working with him, but she hadn’t known he’d be so resistant to the idea of help in any sort of way. He desperately needed it—if only to help him clear away the clutter in his mind. But he didn’t want that. He wanted to do everything himself.

Yet he wasn’t doing that, was he?

Freaking man.

With a sigh, she pushed open the doors to Montgomery Ink and let her shoulders relax—somewhat. Ink and friends would help. They always did.

Laughter, the buzzing of needles, and the deep growl of Austin’s voice filled her ears, and she let out another sigh—this one happier. She could totally be at home in a tattoo shop. If only she knew how to tattoo. She could draw, but not like the immense talent of those in front of her.

“Autumn!” Callie, one the artists, came up to her, arms outstretched. Autumn leaned into them, inhaling Callie’s sweet, floral scent. The woman bounced around like she had all the energy in the world, and looked kick ass while doing it. It helped that she was one of the younger people in the Montgomery world. It also helped that Callie was married to one damn fine man, who did his best to care for her every need.

No, that wasn’t jealousy. Not even a little. Okay, maybe a little.

“It’s good to see you, Callie.” Autumn leaned back and studied the woman’s face. “There’s something different about you.”

Callie blushed, her eyes darting away. “I’m just happy.”

Hmm…interesting. Well, it looked as if the other woman wanted to keep her secrets, and Autumn was fine with that. After all, she had enough secrets of her own to fill the entire shop and then some.

“You look it,” Autumn said honestly.

“Thank f*ck you’re here,” Maya shouted as she came up from the back room. The woman looked haggard as hell, but still damn sexy. If Autumn liked women that way, she was pretty sure Maya would be her type. Blunt, dark brown bangs framed her face and eyebrow ring perfectly. Bright red lips against the paleness of her skin made her look like a pinup star with a bit of an edge. Most of the ink on her body was done by her brother, Austin, the rest by herself. Seriously, the woman had talent. And an attitude. Hence why she was one of Autumn’s closer friends—or however close Autumn let people be.

“Good to see you, too,” Autumn said, her brow raised. “What’s up?”

“Austin and his big oaf fingers f*cked up the computer again,” Maya snarled in her brother’s direction. Austin, his attention on his client, used his free hand to flip his sister off.

There was a reason the Montgomerys were her favorites.

“Stop being mean,” Callie said. “I can fix it.”

Maya shook her head. “You have a client in five minutes. Or maybe you don’t. I can’t tell since I can’t fix the f*cking computer.”

“I didn’t f*ck it up,” Austin growled, his eyes still on the piece in front of him. “I pressed save. It didn’t save. It’s the computer’s fault. If you hadn’t fired the f*cking receptionist who had actually managed to last two weeks, we wouldn’t be in this damn situation.”

Autumn pressed her lips together, trying to hold in her laughter. These two always spoke to each other like this within the confines of their co-owned shop. Of course, she was pretty sure they talked like this to each other everywhere else, as well. If she didn’t know that either one of them would lay down their lives for the other, she’d have thought they had issues with each other.

“I fired the f*cking receptionist because she kept trying hump your leg!”

Autumn gripped Callie’s hand and refused to look at her. If either of them laughed just then…well, Autumn didn’t want to think of the consequences.

“Like I’d let her close enough to hump my leg,” Austin grumbled.

“She got pretty close once,” Sloane added in, like the male he was. Damn fine male at that. All broad shoulders and thick thighs with a shaved head and a perpetual scowl. The man only grinned in truth for Hailey, though the café owner never noticed. Or maybe she did her best to not notice. Seriously, it was like a daytime drama in here sometimes, and Autumn loved it. If only she could work at Montgomery Ink and not for the big bastard author who refused to ask for help.