Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Sebastian
M ake our own rules.
Make our own rules.
I’d actually said those words to Raven. That we were going to make our own rules and do what we wanted.
It wasn’t just chocolate pancakes and sketching with Nora. It wasn’t holding back the rage from hearing my daughter say she had killed her mother. It couldn’t be any of that.
My hands fisted at my sink as I struggled to calm down.
That night I had tucked my daughter into bed and held her just like Raven had when she talked about Marley.
I had loved Marley. She would always hold part of my heart. The person I had been when I was with Marley might be gone, but that didn’t matter. Because no matter where I went in my future, she was part of it. She was my past, and Nora’s mother.
I didn’t know if I wanted to love again, or have a relationship. I didn’t know if that was in the cards for me, but I also knew I was in my early twenties, and every time one of my cousins said that they were never going to do anything like that, one slapped them upside the head so hard that they couldn’t function.
I wasn’t going to be that idiotic. But I also wasn’t going to go all-in at the first chance.
Apparently, making our own rules meant going to dinner together.
I had point-blank asked Raven to dinner, and she had said yes, but I wasn’t sure she knew she had done so. We had sort of just mumbled to each other.
I hadn’t kissed her again, though I wanted to. But we had Nora between us, and I had wanted to spend the afternoon with Nora to make sure that she understood that what her grandparents said wasn’t right. And that Nora was so special, and her mother loved her so much, even from heaven.
Even though saying that had torn something out of me.
But here I was, standing in dark jeans and finishing shaving my face.
I usually had a big beard, but I had taken to shaving it down so it was just a little bit of stubble. Nora liked it that way, and whatever my little girl wanted, she got.
I was losing my damn mind. But I also knew that I needed to move on. I needed to look toward a future where I didn’t hate myself and didn’t make my daughter question things. Maybe Marley’s parents yelling the way they had pushed me into something that I wasn’t sure I was ever going to do. But that didn’t matter.
I liked Raven. We were friends for years, and while I hadn’t seen her any other way because I had been with Marley, there was something there now, and I was going to lean into it.
Or lose my mind.
“Knock knock,” a familiar voice said from my bedroom, and I quickly wiped off my face and padded out to see my twin standing there, brows raised.
“Auntie Aria is here to babysit. Nora is in her room drawing and humming to herself, so I thought I would come in here and bug you.”
I sighed and pulled a Henley over my head.
“So, where are you taking our girl?” Aria asked as she leaned against the dresser.
“Just to Henry’s.”
Aria nodded, smiling. “It’s a good place.” A pause. “It’s a family place.”
“I don’t think Henry’s is actually owned by a Montgomery, but for all I know a family member’s friend or cousin or brother-in-law owns it.” I paused and looked at my twin. “Do they?”
Aria snorted. “No, but it’s a family place in the sense that we go there a lot. One of our family members could be there for dinner.”
I paused in the act of putting on my watch. “I didn’t think about that. Just knew it was a good place and I liked the food. It’s reasonably priced, and it popped up after Raven moved away so she hasn’t been there. I didn’t think about family.” I grumbled that last part.
“I can put an alert out into the group chat. I don’t want to hit the mega group chat because that’s scary with over one hundred of us on it, but we could start the spiderweb.”
My lips twitched and I shook my head. We had multiple group chats—the immediate family, just the kids in our immediate family, and then with our cousins, second cousins, et cetera. In fact, we went by geography in some cases. There was one that had every single family member, including my grandparents, but we didn’t use that often. Mostly because the cacophony of noise and notifications from that got insane. It was for emergencies, and everybody knew not to reply directly unless they had something to say.
“No need. If we see them there, we see them there. It’s not like I can hide the fact that I’m going on a date with Raven, considering I asked you to babysit Nora.”
“I would babysit Nora if you wanted to go sit out on the porch and just breathe. I love that little girl.”
I smiled hard. “I know you do. We wouldn’t be here without you.”
“I’m the best aunt in the world, I know. And if you tell any of our aunts I said that, I will hurt you. Or our sister. Please don’t tell her.”
I snorted, thinking of our younger sister. “She could break you. You’re strong, but she’s stronger.”
“I hate the fact that you’re probably right. And, before I walked in here, I was going to say I couldn’t believe you’re going out on a date with Raven, but thinking about the way you two seem to be near each other, it fits.”
I slid my feet into my shoes and frowned. “How do you think it fits? You’ve rarely seen us together.”
“I have enough. You work next to each other, and I have my ways.”
“You work on the other side of us.”
“Okay, that’s right. Seriously though, I don’t know. You guys act weird around each other, as if you’re trying to ignore the subtle tension that’s there now. I know there was nothing going on between you when you were with Marley.”
I whirled on her, my eyes narrowed. “Seriously?”
She held up her hands. “I just said I knew there was nothing. Stop it. All I’m saying is that I’m happy for you.”
“It’s just a date.”
“And it’s not just a hookup. I know you’ve hooked up in the past few years. You’re allowed to. Hell, I’ve hooked up with people.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “We are twins. We shared a womb. We don’t need to share this.”
“Fine. But I just wanted to say I love you, and I like Raven, so I hope it all goes well. Whatever well it means. I know you are going to be careful.” She paused. “I meant with each other’s emotions and hearts, but be careful the other way too. Well, because, you know, your track record and all.”
“Aria. Stop it. I’ll have you know I’ve always used a condom.”
What was left unsaid was they didn’t work all the time. But I didn’t want to dwell on that. Because I couldn’t. My daughter was alive because of a broken condom. Marley was dead because of a broken condom. But I wasn’t going to dwell on that.
“Okay, go pick her up, and I will take care of Nora.”
“You know, I trust you with my little girl. No matter what happens. I trust you.”
For some reason, her eyes filled, and I held back a curse.
“There’s no need for you to cry. Didn’t mean for you to cry.”
“I love you, big bro.”
My lips twitched. “Those few minutes really count, don’t they?”
“You know they do. Now, have fun and make good choices.”
“Fuck off, little sister.”
“No, I do not believe I will.”
She pushed me out the door. I shook my head, letting her. She was strong, but I was stronger, I could have stopped her if I wanted to.
I popped into Nora’s room and tried my best to say goodbye, but she was entranced by her drawing, as her audiobook read her a Percy Jackson story.
I frowned, then remembered it was just the first one so she wouldn’t be too scared.
“Don’t let her go to the second one without us in the room,” I called to Aria.
“She’s tough, but we’ll do it together. Now go. Have fun.”
I headed out and awkwardly walked across the path to Raven’s house.
Her doorbell alert must have caught me on camera before I could even knock, and she was already there, standing in leather pants, a flowy top, and high silver heels.
I wanted to reach out and slide my fingers down the leather just to see what they felt like, but I refrained. Only just.
“Hell.”
Her lips twitched. “Oh?”
“You look sexy. And it’s really hard for me not to lean forward and kiss you and try to gently convince you to go back into your house.” I cursed under my breath. “Hadn’t meant to say that out loud. I’m trying to be casual here, not creepily aggressive.”
She laughed, a sound that warmed me from the inside out. There was something seriously wrong with me.
“You are very good for my ego. And I was just thinking that your jeans hug your ass quite nicely, and I just wanted to reach out and feel it. I think it’s the amount of coffee that Greer has been pouring through my system that did that.”
I grinned. “Sounds like a fucking plan. However, let’s go on a date, though I’m not good at dating.”
She raised her brow. “Really?”
I shrugged, slid my hands in my pockets. “I haven’t really dated before.”
There was a brief silence between us, but Raven nodded, her smile soft. “You know, that makes sense. You and Marley went straight from sharing each other’s crayon box to finding your way past the whole awkward dating conversations of middle school and high school. And I assume anything since have been hookups?”
She was so matter of fact about it, I knew she pushed herself to say it, but damn if it wasn’t sexy. And it relieved the tension between us, because Marley was always going to be there. We couldn’t hide from it, but if we talked about it, maybe it wouldn’t be so awkward. Or maybe it would be just awkward enough that it wouldn’t hurt as much.
“Pretty much. And I’m not in middle school anymore.” I paused at her laughter. “I don’t want just a casual hookup.” I blurted the last part, and her eyes widened.
“I don’t know what I want, Sebastian.” But before I could say anything, she continued. “But I’m not good at casual, and I don’t want just a hookup. We were friends first. You can’t just be a casual hookup when you have over a decade of friendship behind you.”
“Damn straight. Now, let’s go to Henry’s.”
“Greer told me it was amazing,” she said as we walked back over to my car.
“Really, she’s been there?” I asked, after we got in. We made our way down the road, music soft background noise, the scent of her filling the inside of my car. It was hard to think, but I was going to have to if I was going to make it through the evening.
“She hasn’t gone, but Noah and Ford told her. It really is like being in college and living in a dorm with all of you guys, with the security staff in one section, the café and tattoo shop, and then Wyatt next door.”
“Wyatt may not be a Montgomery, but he hangs out with us enough he might as well be.”
“He doesn’t hang out with you at night?” she asked.
“He has a couple of times, but he has his own friends. Hell, even Ford doesn’t hang out with us every day, even though he and Noah are roommates and best friends. We do sometimes have friends outside of the Montgomerys. Shocking. I know.”
“True, and Wyatt has that new girlfriend, Cora, that he’s been bringing around. She’s gorgeous, and it looks like he’s flat-out in love with her.”
“Good for him. He’s been talking about wanting something like that since I’ve known him.”
“And shockingly, he isn’t dating a Montgomery. You would think with the high percentage of you in the area, that’s like winning the lottery.”
“Were you always this sarcastic?” I asked as we made our way inside.
“Yes. But I feel like my sarcasm’s gotten a little snarkier? Or maybe we just know enough of each other from before that it all ties together.”
“Tell me about what’s happened since you moved. I want to hear about college. About opening this bakery.”
Raven smiled as we took our seats. “And I want to know too.” She paused. “We don’t have to talk about the sad stuff tonight. But I’d love to talk about opening up Montgomery Ink Legacy, and college, and all of that.”
“Did you like college?” I asked, figuring out this new Raven. Because she wasn’t the same as before. But I wasn’t that Sebastian either.
We ordered our drinks and our appetizer came out, along with a familiar face who sat down at the next table, and I looked over to see Wyatt beaming at us.
“This is a coincidence,” Wyatt said with a smile. He looked at Raven and nodded. “Nice to see you. This is Cora,” he said, gesturing to his girlfriend.
She had dark brown hair, with a few red streaks, and a bright smile.
“I’m so happy to finally meet you guys. I know I’ve seen you in passing, but you’ve always been so busy that I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” I said at the same time as Raven.
“Well look at this, it’s like we’re on a double date,” Wyatt said with a wink, and I rolled my eyes, as Raven blushed and Cora clapped her hands.
“I promise we’re not going to bother you. Well, I am probably going to eavesdrop and bother you because I just love watching people dating. All the romance of it, it’s like my own personal romcom.”
Wyatt leaned forward and gripped her hand. “We can live our own romcom too, babe.”
“Aww.”
I met Raven’s gaze, but she just pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.
We were not a romcom, we were not a movie. But we were figuring it out.
They ordered their drinks and we settled in to eat our appetizer, and we ended up having a double date.
And afterwards, I felt lighter than I had in a long while.
Tonight just felt good, and though I hadn’t seen another Montgomery, having Wyatt and Cora there while we all got to know each other opened up more parts of ourselves I hadn’t expected.
“I didn’t know that you got a minor and a major,” Raven said as she leaned against the chair, our leftovers in her lap.
“I wanted to make sure that I had art, and not just what I taught myself or my family taught me. I had taken classes of course, but I wanted more. And I wanted the business degree because I knew I wanted this to be an actual business, and not me riding on the coattails of my family.” I hadn’t meant to say that last part, but Raven nodded.
“I know what you mean. You guys are a legacy, it is a lot to live up to. At least on the outside in. It’s hard to get into the Montgomery family dynamic.”
I pulled into Raven’s driveway, turned off the car, and turned to her. “We are a cult. We literally open our doors for everyone. I’ve never heard that it’s hard to be friends with us…”
Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “That’s not it. It’s more that you guys are intimidating. In a good way. You are just so open and always there for each other. And while my parents are sweet and amazing and caring, they are older, and I didn’t have siblings. I went from a tiny little close-knit family, to this big world on the periphery of you guys. I loved it, don’t get me wrong. But it is a different dynamic.”
“We’re not too much for you?” I asked, as I leaned forward and brushed my finger along her jaw.
She licked her lips, and I went hard as a rock.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”
“I’m going to kiss you now. Is that okay?”
“I’ve been really hoping you would all night.”
I groaned, then I leaned down and brushed my lips along hers. I wanted more, and I could barely hold back, my hand on her jaw, deepening the kiss as our tongues brushed against one another.
She slid her hand up my chest and up my neck, to curl into my hair, the kisses deepening, until we broke apart, our breaths coming in pants.
“Holy hell, you’re addicting.”
“I was going to say the same.” She swallowed hard, and I watched the way that her lips moved, all swollen from my touch.
“Do you need to go inside now?” she asked, her voice low.
I looked down at my watch and shook my head. “I have some time.”
My cock pressed against my zipper, and I knew that wasn’t what she was asking. My time wasn’t always my own, but for now it could be.
“Come inside my place? Aria’s going to look outside and know. I don’t care, but what do you think?”
I nodded, grateful I parked in front of her place.
“She won’t be able to see the car right away, but I’ll text her, in case she’s worried.”
“Just come inside, Sebastian.”
She slid out of the car, and I watched her walk towards her door, confident, her hips rolling in those leather pants.
I willed myself to breathe, then texted my sister I would be a little while longer.
When she sent a winking emoji and told me to stay the night, I cursed under my breath, and shoved my phone into my pocket, and did my best not to run after Raven.
A slight jog would do well enough.
As soon as the door closed behind me, I grabbed Raven’s hand and crushed my mouth to hers. I should probably slow down, or do something more, but I didn’t want to drink, I didn’t want desserts. I just wanted Raven. When she slid her hands underneath my Henley and dug her nails into my skin, I rocked against her.
“I just, I just need you. Okay?” she whispered, and I nodded then pressed her back against the door.
We continued to kiss, our hands roaming all over one another, and then I did what I wanted to do this whole evening and run my hands down her leather pants.
I groaned and took a step back so I could look at her.
“Those fucking pants are painted on. I love them.”
She blushed. “Greer told me to wear them. But now I’m worried they’re going to be a little hard to get off.”
I swallowed hard. “Oh, I’ll get you off.”
She laughed, just like I wanted her to. I pulled at her pants and went down to my knees.
She slid out of her heels and I pulled her pants over her very luscious ass.
I groaned. “So fucking beautiful.”
I kept pulling at them until she was in just her panties and that flowy top of hers. I stood back up and tugged on her hair, her mouth parted, and I used that action to crush my mouth to hers.
I slid my hand under her panties, cupping her. She gasped, the movement quick, but she was hot and wet already, so I slid my fingers between her lower lips, swollen, so wet, but I didn’t fuck her with my finger. Instead, I just teased and I slid my hand back out.
Eyes wide, her lips parted, and I gently pressed my middle finger to her lip. I was coated in her wetness, just from that brief touch, and her tongue darted out to taste herself.
“So fucking sexy.”
I tugged on her top, and she put her hands up so I could easily slide the shirt off her.
Soon she was just in her bra and panties, while I was still fully dressed, and I let my eyes get their fill of her.
“I’m going to fuck you hard and make you come. What do you say?”
“I say you’re all talk and no cock.”
I burst out laughing, which made her blush, so I quickly undid her bra, her breasts filling my hands as the lace fell to the ground.
“Sebastian!” she panted.
I played with her nipples, squeezing, twisting, before I leaned down and took one nipple in my mouth. I continued to suck, to bite, pleasuring her with just that touch. My free hand went down between her thighs, playing with her over her panties.
She rubbed against me, her back pressed against the door, and I swallowed hard, needing more.
I went to kneel down, but realized she was so short that it was going to be awkward, so I quickly gathered her up in my arms.
“Dear Lord. How do you move so fast?”
“My cock is like a steel rod right now, and I think I’m going to break. If I don’t move quickly, I’m going to come in my jeans.”
“That would be a problem,” she said, wide-eyed, all innocent like.
There was nothing innocent about her in that moment, and I was fucking happy about it.
I set her on the edge of the couch and tugged on her panties.
“Now, let me have my dessert.”
“You’re still dressed.”
“Yes? And I’m going to have my face in this pussy right now.”
Before she could say anything, I spread her thighs, told her to hold on tight, and I slid my tongue along her wetness.
She was pink and wet and slick. She gasped my name when I sucked on her. I spread her, watching the way that she pulsed in front of me. She was luscious and sweet and a little tart, and when I slid one finger deep inside her, she came.
Just like that, and I had to reach up to grip her hips so she wouldn’t fall back on the couch.
Her thighs clamped around my shoulders, and I grinned, continuing to suck and lick.
When I stood up, she was wet and flushed and shaking.
“I’ve never come that fast in my life.”
“That sounds like a reward for me.” I tugged on her hair again, arching her neck back as I kissed her.
When her hand slid to my belt, I moved back and helped her undo my belt, then my pants. She slid her hand beneath my boxer briefs, her eyes wide.
“I didn’t know you were pierced.”
I grinned and shoved my shoes off and my pants down below my ass.
“I have a lot of things pierced.”
She slid her finger gently over the hoop at the tip of my dick, eyes wide. “Wow. That’s going to…”
“It’s going to feel real fucking good.” I paused. “I have a condom. One that’ll work with this. I have it on me because, well, I know exactly what happens when condoms break.”
I didn’t blush as I said it, it was reality.
Raven nodded. “I’m clean, I have an IUD, but I’m really fucking grateful that you have a condom.”
“Good to know.”
But before I could do anything but strip off my shirt, Raven slid to her knees and enveloped my cock with her mouth. The piercing hit the back of her throat, and she gagged a bit, before she slid her head back. “Wow. A girl could chip a tooth,” she teased.
“I’ll be gentle. I promise.” I paused. “This time.”
Her eyes darkened with need. I slid my hand in her hair and gently pressed her face back to my dick. When she opened her mouth, I slowly fucked her, going in and out, loving the way that she melted for me. I was dominant in bed, I knew what I liked, and Raven melted for me as if she had been waiting for this moment. Or maybe I was just wanting things that I knew were probably too much.
My balls tightened and I nearly came. I pulled out of her mouth and pulled her up to the couch.
“I need to find my fucking condom,” I growled. I shucked off the rest of my clothes, got my condom out of my pocket, and slid it over my dick.
Raven’s eyes were wide, but her hands were between her legs, touching herself, making herself even wetter, and I had to squeeze the base of my dick, trying not to come.
“Your nipples too?” she asked, eyes wide.
“You can tug on them if you want. With your teeth.”
She grinned and reached for me, and when I kissed her again, positioning myself, we met each other’s gazes.
“Are you ready?” I whispered.
“For you? Yes.”
I didn’t know exactly what that meant, and I couldn’t think about it anymore. Instead I slid deep inside her, and we both groaned, her pussy hot and so fucking tight around my dick.
It took me a moment for me to fully pump into her, finding myself fully seated, both of us straining at the action.
“I need you to move. Sebastian. Move.” She tugged on my nipple rings and I grinned, and then I moved.
Her nails dug into my back, deep enough to leave marks. I continued to kiss her, fucking her hard against the couch. The whole thing moved, and we bumped into the coffee table but it didn’t matter. I just needed her, wanted her. I slid one of her legs up so it curved over my shoulder, and I fucked her harder, keeping her steady against the couch.
And when she came again, calling my name, digging those nails even deeper, I followed her, filling the condom, crushing my mouth to hers.
We were sweaty, slick, shaking. We sat there, trying to stay upright, and I looked down at her and smiled.
“Wow,” I whispered. “I’m usually better at words than that. Sometimes.”
She smiled up at me, her eyes dark, looking a little drugged and a whole lot fucked. “Wow’s a good word. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that. And I really want to do it again.”
I smiled, knowing we could since I had all night. And I knew that was okay.