Page 5 of Executive Ink

“She does make damn fantastic brownies,” Jax said, his stomach rumbling. “Think she’d let me have one for breakfast?” He was already up, feeling a little peppier at the thought.

Sloane snorted. “For you? Sure. For me? Not so much. Apparently, at my ‘old age’ I need to start thinking about my sugar intake.”

Austin flipped them both off. “I’m older than both of you, so screw you. But, really, if you don’t want the nap, go get some caffeine and maybe get us some, too.” He winked. “Hailey will know our orders.”

Jax laughed and made his way to the door that connected the two shops. “You really just wanted me to get up and get your coffees.”

Austin gave him a mock salute that didn’t look out of place with his big beard—the thing rivaled Jax’s for sure. “Now you’re getting it, young one.”

“I’m not that much younger than you,” Jax put in. He was in his thirties, just like Austin, and had lived through hell. Then again, he figured the Montgomerys had probably gone through some stuff of their own.

“True, but you’re still the newbie in the shop,” Austin joked, and Jax flipped the crew off before heading into the café. He couldn’t help but smile as he did so, feeling more at home at Montgomery Ink in the few short weeks he’d worked there than the years he’d worked at Sammy’s.

A change of scenery was good for me, he thought, just like the move had been needed for the rest of his family.

Now, he just had to make sure he didn’t screw it all up.

* * *

Jax lookeddown at his untucked black button-down shirt over jeans and winced. He probably should have changed into slacks or something to pick up his sister, Jessica, from her job so they could grab lunch. She was on her second week of being a paid intern at a major company, and was just now letting him pick her up for lunch. She didn’t have much time off and was working crazier hours than he was, but he was so damned proud of her.

She was over ten years his junior and his perfect baby sister. She’d worked her butt off during college and had graduated with not only honors but also a position at a prestigious company in downtown Denver. Considering the state of the economy and the debt people her age were in these days, he knew she was not only talented but also lucky.

How his tattoo artist self had ended up with a corporate-ladder-climbing baby sister, he didn’t know, but he figured it hadn’t been all him helping her get where she was. Their mother had worked her tail off at two jobs to keep a roof over their heads when he was a kid, so raising Jessica had been a group effort.

At least, that’s what his mother said. If you asked him, Jessica had done pretty well on her own with his hovering and glares at anyone who dared come near her. She’d been the first in his family to finish college, and one of the few to even attempt it. No one was going to ruin this for her. Not even him.

But maybe he should have worn something other than jeans. At least there weren’t any holes in them, and he was wearing a shirt that covered most of his ink. He’d thought about rolling down his sleeves to cover the tattoos on his forearms, but he figured that would be pushing it.

He looked up at the high-rise building that was one of the many that dotted the Denver skyline and couldn’t help but grin. He’d always thought the tall buildings looked so tiny compared to the dramatic backdrop of the Rockies behind them, but standing next to one and knowing Jessica worked inside just made him realize how far she’d come. He couldn’t wait to see where she went next.

Still grinning, he walked into the building and ignored the curious looks from people in stuffy suits and ties. He couldn’t help but think of Ashlynn at that moment and how out of place he’d looked next to her, but damn if they hadn’t burned up the sheets once they stripped off the clothes that set them apart.

Jessica had promised to meet him in the lobby so he didn’t have to go up to her floor. Most likely so he wouldn’t embarrass her—not because of how he looked, but because, hey, he was her big brother, and it was sort of his job. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and waited until he heard the sound of stilettos on tile.

Only he knew that sound, and it wasn’t from his little sister.

Hair rising on the back of his neck, he turned, his smirk in place. Well, hell, it seemed today might just be his lucky day.

“Ashlynn.”

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