Page 9 of Seven Year Itch

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Ali panted out Garrett's name as her orgasm rippled through her. Morning sex. Nothing better. Her whole body tingled, and her toes curled, digging into the mattress as Garrett thrust into her two more times before coming with a shout.

He buried his face in her neck, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him close and keeping him inside her.

After a few minutes, their breathing slowed and his lips went on an exploration up her neck until they found her ear. "How about I go out and get some donuts and pick you up some of that fancy coffee you like so much?"

"Mmm... That sounds like heaven."

His chuckle filled her ear. "Then you need to let go of me, baby."

She unwrapped her arms and legs and lay like a wet noodle as she watched Garrett disappear into the bathroom. A minute later, she heard the water turn on. She stretched, knowing she should get up. The kids would be awake soon, Emma probably already was. She was good about playing in her room and letting Mommy and Daddy sleep in on the weekends, but she did have an end to her patience.

Ali heard the water shut off and knew that was her cue to get her lazy butt out of bed. Pulling clean clothes from the dresser, she carried them to the bathroom, passing Garrett going out as she went in.

She was just stepping out of the shower when Garrett yelled through the door. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay. Don't forget to buy a pink donut with rainbow sprinkles for Emma and Noah likes the maple bars."

"I remember."

She didn't bother with blow drying, instead throwing her wet hair into a knot at the top of her head. Ready to face the day, she left the room to go round up her kids.

Two hours later, Ali paced the living room unsure whether to be angry or worried that Garrett hadn't come home yet. She'd sent the kids out to play in the backyard after feeding them cold cereal when they'd complained they were hungry and had made herself a pot of coffee.

She'd tried calling after he'd been gone for an hour, knowing it couldn't possibly take longer than that to go to the donut store and the coffee shop. Not even if he'd waited for them to hand make a fresh batch of donuts and milk a cow before creating her latte. Okay, so it might take an hour if he had to wait for them to milk a cow. But that was beside the point. The point was, his phone had gone straight to voicemail.

The freshly buried doubts once more rose to the surface with each minute that passed, causing her over active imagination to kick into overdrive.

Stopping in front of the sliding-glass doors on her trek across the living room, she peeked out to check on the kids. They were playing catch with an over-sized inflatable beach ball. She watched as Noah sailed it through the air and Emma—the ball almost as big as she was—missed it by a mile.

She smiled, enjoying their antics until she heard the garage door slam. Turning from the window, she waited for Garrett to enter the living room.

"Where have you been?" she asked as soon as Garrett appeared, carrying a large pink box with a tray of four drinks balanced on top.

His head swiveled to where she was standing. His hair was windblown as if he'd driven with the window open and his lips were tipped up into a small smile. "Donuts and coffee."

"And it took two hours?"

He progressed into the kitchen and she followed. "I stopped by the paint store, too. I needed a few extra gallons to finish the playroom."

"Why didn't you tell me? I was starting to worry."

He frowned. "I didn't know I was going to go. I passed it on the way to the donut shop. It was a last minute decision."

"And your phone? Why didn't you call? I was worried something had happened to you." She knew she was giving him the third degree and being ridiculous but couldn't seem to stop.

He patted his pants pockets. "Guess I left it at home." His head tilted as he took the few steps to her and nabbed her around the waist, kissing her on the forehead, the tip of her nose, then taking her lips in a deep kiss. "Sorry, I worried you."

She closed her eyes, her arms reaching around his waist, and her head hitting his chest as he pulled her in for a tight hug.

It wasn't until later that night, unable to sleep, she realized she never did see the paint he claimed to have bought.

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"You want to do what?" Mia spoke in a low voice to avoid detection from their yoga instructor, but it was clear and strong, emphasizing she wasn't the least bit affected by their exercise.

Ali's stomach, on the other hand, was starting to burn from holding a low boat pose for so long. She really needed to do the yoga thing a bit more on the regular. If her screaming muscles were any indication, she was out of shape.

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