AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You couldn’t find some place closer to run away to?” he asked. “Just kidding. I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Okay,” she said, hesitating. “I’ll see you.”
She looked up at Maggie and Justin watching from the hall.
“All is well?” they chorused.
“He was seeing another woman, so no, all is not well. I’m not even sure where to begin mending things.”
“He wants you to come home, and that is a positive, Annie,” Maggie said. “You’re married and have a baby on the way. It’s a good thing he’s not giving up. If he really wanted a divorce, he would have stayed there alone.”
“But he didn’t,” Justin added.
“Men don’t want to be alone,” Annie said, standing up. She smoothed her hands over her belly, and Justin looked away. She was so vulnerable, and that idiot Steve was so close to giving her up.
“I know that. It’s biblical.It’s not good for man to be alone. So we have to suffer taking care of their stank asses.”
Maggie sputtered, laughing, grabbing Justin’s hand. “She doesn’t include you in that.”
“All asses stink,” Justin said, laughing. “Take your time, Annie. If he doesn’t say what you need to hear, don’t tolerate it.”
“He’s right. Maybe you should stay here until morning and let him sleep it off.”
“It’s okay. I want to take advantage of his guilt. I might even screw him tonight if he wants it.”
“Aw, it’s love,” Maggie said dreamily. “You love him.”
“I do. I love him. I’m still relieved he wasn’t seeing a schoolgirl. So relieved.” She shook a little bit, close to weeping, but she didn’t want to cry in front of Justin, so she pulled it together.
“He reminded me tonight that when I said my vows, I said he was the love of my life. How did I know that after just a few weeks? Crazy.”
They watched her gather her belongings and walk out on the porch to wait for her husband.
Chapter 8
An alarm went off at five a.m., waking Katrina from a dream that had left her confused for a moment before she came to completely. Someone warm was lying next to her and hit the snooze button. They had five minutes. The length of his naked body invited an embrace, and she spooned him, threading her arms around his waist, and he turned over effortlessly, facing her, nuzzling her hair and kissing her neck. Reaching between her legs, he discovered she was ready. Slipping into place, he stroked long, luscious strokes, making sure to touch the place that would take her to the edge of pleasure, and when it did, he didn’t waste any time joining her. This all done with the knowledge that being extra quiet and stealth-like was important since four children slept on the other side of the wall.
They lay silently in each other’s arms until the alarm went off again.
“Your phone is perfectly timed,” Katrina whispered.
“That had to be a record for quick,” he whispered into her ear. “I want to lie here with you for the rest of my life.”
“I know,” she murmured. “Me too.”
“I’ll make it up to you next time,” he said.
“That was a perfect wake-up call.”
“Don’t get up. I’ll be right out.”
She curled up on her side, listening to the sounds of the boat, the water running, a slight rocking as he moved around. Then the smell of coffee. He’d confessed he never had morning coffee at his house because he didn’t want to disturb Lola, and that Gus always had coffee ready for him at the dockmaster’s shack. She insisted he be able to fix coffee in the morning, that the smell wouldn’t bother her.
“I’m going to run to church,” he whispered. “I’ll be back to take the kids home and get their breakfast.”
“I can take them for you,” Katrina said. “I’ll get them home. You just take your time.”
He kissed her. “It’s okay. I want to do it. I won’t see them again until tonight. Have coffee, and I’ll see you in about half an hour.” He kissed her passionately and turned to climb the steps to the hatch. “And thank you for this morning.”
