Extending a hand to her, I said, “I need to talk to you.”

With furrowed brows, she let me pull her to her feet. “Everything okay?”

Almost on cue, Carl appeared in the living room holding a tray with a bottle of beer on it. He knew what I liked to have as soon as I got home. Except today. Today I needed more. Turning to him, I said, “Alfred, watch the kids for a minute, will ya?”

Gibson crossed her arms over her chest, pouting. “No, Daddy. Stay.”

I ruffled her hair. “I just need to talk to Mommy for a minute. We’ll be right back.”

I had to pry her off me before I could leave the room with Anna. Walking at a brisk pace, we made it to the sauna room in no time. It had a bench that wrapped around the entire room; I wanted to spread Anna out on it.

Pulling her inside, I quickly shut the door. “Griff? What are we doing in here? Can’t we talk somewhere less sweaty?” she asked, while I turned up the heat. When it was ready, I added some water to the rocks, releasing a nice, relaxing puff of steam.

“Griff?” Anna asked again. “What’s up?”

A bead of moisture appeared on her upper lip and I sucked it off. “Strip. Now.” I started pulling at her clothes, baring more and more of her creamy skin. Yes…this would make my day disappear.

She let me pull off her shirt, then unbutton her shorts. Even though she was kissing me back, there was a question on her face. “Everything…all right?” she asked, when she was just in her bra and panties. Moisture was beading up on her skin, making it an irresistible draw. I couldn’t wait until our bodies were sliding together.

I sucked the hot air down in sharp pulls while I got to work on my jeans. “Yes. I just need to fuck you.” Then everything will be perfect. “Make me come, baby. Make me come all over you.”

Her eyes lit up at my suggestive words. She pulled my jeans down as she sank to her knees. “Baby, I’ll make you come so hard it will be a week before you can do it again.”

I laughed at her remark, then her mouth was on me and every thought in my head vanished. Yes, take it all. I don’t want it. I explored her body for twenty minutes before I finally drove inside her. The heat and the sweat nearly made me nauseous, but it only amplified the release. Our orgasms echoed around the room, sizzling as loud as the rocks steaming in the center of the space.

Fuck, yes, that’s what I needed.

When I was spent, I climbed off her and lay down on the bench. Closing my eyes, I flopped my arm across them. Now I needed a nap. I felt Anna stand and hover over me. “Babe?” I mumbled some incoherent response. I just wanted to stay in the void awhile longer. Anna sighed, and I heard her pick up her clothes. “I’m gonna go rinse off and check on the girls. Gibson is probably picking on Onnika…who is probably freaking out that I’m gone…And dinner is probably done now, so don’t be too long, okay?”

I held my thumb up, and she tenderly kissed my forehead before she left the room. I shivered when the sudden chill of the outside air hit me. I should get out, I just didn’t want to move yet…The D-Bags are better off without you.

And I was better off without them.

When I finally got my lazy, relaxed ass up to join the family for dinner, I noticed that Anna wasn’t as refreshed as I was. “What’s up?” I asked her, as Alfred set a plate of steak and potatoes down in front of me. Yes. Sex, steak, and starch…every day should end this way.

Anna sighed as a smaller plate was sat in front of her. “It’s just…I know we haven’t been here long, but…the people here are so fake, it’s already driving me crazy. I can’t tell who is being nice to me because they like me and who is being nice because they want something from me. And it sucks not having someone around here I can hang out with.” She looked over at the girls. “An adult who doesn’t pick on her sister every minute of the day or need something from me every five seconds…” She sighed again as she looked over at me. “It just makes me miss home.”

She had a frustrated expression on her face, and even I understood the real meaning behind her words. “We are home, and we’ll make new friends, Anna. Actor friends who are almost as successful as me. They won’t use us for anything. It’ll be completely legit. Just give it time.” We’re not moving back to Seattle.

Like she heard my silent addition, Anna frowned and let out a small sigh. I wasn’t sure if she was purposely trying to hate it here, but she refused to get into L.A. life. I think she would have before we had kids, when she was a little more wild and carefree, but now everything just seemed to annoy her. Even the near-constant sunny weather. More than a few times, I’d heard her sigh and say, “I miss rain.” It was weird to me. Who actually missed rain?

“Actors as friends,” she muttered. “Yes, I’m sure they’ll be completely real, all the time. Nothing fake there…” She looked out the window while I cut up my perfectly cooked steak. Gibson beside me was picking up pieces with her fingers while Onnika was helping herself to some baby oatmeal. Everyone was content but Anna.

Wondering what could perk her up, since the awesome sauna sex hadn’t done it, I tossed out, “Well, we could invite some friends down? Maybe…” My voice trailed off as I ran through Anna’s list of friends. Not Jenny, she would bring Evan. Not Rachel, she would bring Matt. Not Kiera, she would bring Kellan. Why the fuck did all of Anna’s best friends have to be in relationships with my best friends! Well, my ex–best friends. Irritated, I finished with “Troy and Rita?”