Alex woke to the sound of shouting from downstairs. She threw on a robe and raced down the steps. Gabe was at the front door, blocking someone from getting in.

“You have some fucking nerve coming here. I told you I was through with you and there is nothing you can say or do to change that. You’re lucky I don’t punch you in the fucking mouth.”

“Gabe, you need to listen to me.” The skin on her body crawled as she recognized that voice. Aaron.

“No, there is no fucking listening. You stole seven years of my daughter’s life from me. This isn’t a script you withheld or a project you didn’t tell me about; this is my life. This is my daughter’s life. So, you can take that contract and shove it right up your ass.”

“Mommy, what’s happening?” Emma rubbed her eyes, padding down the steps in her fuzzy pajamas.

She whirled around, not realizing Emma had come downstairs. She immediately ushered her into the kitchen to let him wrap things up. He must have heard them because he turned around to look at them. Aaron was standing in the doorway and it took everything in her being to not run to the door and kick him in the balls.

“It’s nothing, sweetie. Come on, let’s go back upstairs.”

“I don’t want to Mommy,” Emma grumbled.

“Okay, are you hungry? Do you want some cereal?” Emma nodded and Alex pulled out a chair for her.

“Which one?” Alex held out two different boxes and Emma pointed to the one on the right. “Coming right up. Can you get the milk?” Emma hopped up and pulled the milk from the fridge before peeking around the corner of the kitchen doorway and into the living room.

“Stop being nosy and come eat your breakfast,” Alex called.

She grabbed two bowls from the cabinet and Emma handed her the milk. She filled both bowls and plopped them down on the table before taking a seat. The two ate in early morning silence, their eyes drooping at the extra-early wake up call. She could still hear harsh whispering coming from the living room, but she would let Gabe handle it.

After a few more minutes, the front door slammed and he stomped into the kitchen. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of orange juice.

“Everything okay?”

He hung his head as he reached for a cup from the cabinet and picked it back up. He turned around with a pasted-on smile.

“Everything is fine. How’s my best girl doing this morning?” he asked, giving Emma a tickle. She giggled and sloshed her bowl of cereal.

“Daddy, you made me spill my milk!”

“Sorry,” he said with false glumness. She reached for his hand under the table.

“Really? Is everything okay?”

“I’ll tell you later,” he said, squeezing her hand back.

The rest of their morning was uneventful, but she still had that pit in her stomach from Aaron being so close to them. It wasn’t like he was hiding in the bushes, but she felt like he could pop up at any time and try to ruin everything they were trying to build.

They visited the zoo again, but then he had to head off to the set to film in the afternoon. Alex and Emma went to the park until it started pouring rain, and they ran all the way home. Looking for something to do and not feeling like watching another movie, she decided that baking some cookies would be fun. For some reason, she thought that giving Emma the flour scooping job would be a good idea.

“Mommy, the scooper is too heavy,” Emma complained.

“Okay, sweetie, just wait a second and I’ll be there.” She closed the fridge with three eggs in her hand and was promptly showered with a cloud of white powder. She coughed and a puff of flour flew off her body. Staring down at her body, stunned, she was completely covered in flour. Emma was standing there with the scooper high in the air.

“Sorry, Mommy,” Emma said, also coated in a thin layer of white. They made their cookies, extra floury, and then both showered before putting on pajamas. There was flour everywhere and Alex just left it until after bedtime. No use in trying to clean it up with a rambunctious six-year-old streaking all over the place.

She was tucking Emma in when the front door closed. She tip-toed downstairs to see Gabe pulling off his shoes by the front door, completely soaked.

“It’s really coming down out there,” she said.

“Yeah, it’s been pissing rain all afternoon.”

“Did you get much shooting done?”

“Only a little, but that’s not what took so long. I had a meeting with Aaron.” She stiffened before lowering herself onto the coffee table to sit. He got up from the chair by the door and sat on the couch opposite her spot on the table.

“What happened? Is that what this morning was about?”

“Yeah, he came by to try to threaten me about my contract with him,” he sighed, resting his head on the back of the couch.

“I told him under no uncertain terms would I ever again have anything to do with him.” He sat up and stared into her eyes. “I would rather never film another movie, if that was the only way to never have to see him ever again. I’m through with him.”

“Would you really never film a movie again?”

“Alex, I would rather never have made a single movie, if it meant I could get those years back with Emma—with you. I have been looking to get out of acting for a while now. This is my last contractually obligated movie for the studio. I would much rather be behind the scenes—have a more flexible life where I can stay in one place—than have to go from set to set. Especially now. I was planning on it before, but now with Emma and you, I don’t want to have to travel all over the place. I want to be with you two.” Gabe leaned forward and threaded his fingers through the hair at the nape of her neck and pulled her toward him.

“And we want to be with you,” she said as her lips brushed against his. He scooped her up off the coffee table and onto his lap. She kissed her way down his chin until she settled on his neck, nipping him, while she grinds herself on his lap. Gabe placed his hands on her ass and pulled her tighter against him, consumed by the kiss.

She stood abruptly and grabbed Gabe’s hand, leading him toward the stairs. Her core was clenching in anticipation of what was coming. They quietly crept upstairs and past Emma’s room into the master bedroom and flipped the door shut behind them.

The minute the lock was turned, Gabe was on her, pressing her front against the door as she made short work of her shirt, flipping it up and over her head. Her bra was the next casualty and the cool wood tightened her nipples as they rubbed against the door. He unbuttoned her pants, keeping a hand pressed against her back to keep her in place.

Without pulling her pants all the way off, Gabe was against her back and Alex could feel his cock pressing against her butt, rubbing between her cheeks.

“Gabe, stop teasing! I need you in me now.”

“Be patient, don’t worry. I know what you want.” He started his exploration of her body, beginning with her neck. He nipped her neck and kissed his way to her shoulder as he made his way down her back. A bite on one of her cheeks had her letting out a yip before he soothed it with a kiss. Then Gabe pulled her hips out and pressed her hands against the door. He teased her opening before pushing forward, sinking deep into her. They both let out a groan.

“You feel so fucking good,” he moaned out as she began to move her hips and they found their rhythm. Using the door for leverage, she pushed back against Gabe to get him deeper as she bent at the waist. Gabe held onto her hips and hammered into her.

“Yes, oh yes, I’m so close, Gabe. More, more,” Alex moaned. Gabe obliged, reaching his hand around the front of her while maintaining his pace and rubbed her clit before setting her off like a rocket. She screamed into her arm to muffle the sound as her orgasm ripped through her and her pussy gripped his cock even tighter. Gabe followed quickly behind her, biting down on her shoulder to muffle his roar of release.

Alex threw her hair over her shoulder, glancing back at Gabe with a smile.

“That was unexpected,” she said, chuckling to herself.

“I try,” he breathed. Helping her out of her pants, the two settled into the bed, which squeaked with every move the pair made. Standing-up sex had been a good idea, she thought as she drifted in and out of sleep with Gabe wrapped around her. She wrapped her arm around his that were crisscrossed across her chest and closed her eyes. This was definitely a good idea.