Éveiller Drive Complete Boxed Set

by Melanie James

  Kara looked around and saw all of her friends nod in agreement.

  Valerie started off the next statement very carefully. She didn’t want to hurt Kara’s feelings, or make her any more insecure than she already was. “Here’s the thing, hon, a lot of women decide, after they have kids, to give up the career. Some take their kids to daycare so they can work. It’s a choice that you make, not a judgment on your abilities. There is no right or wrong. Do you want to go back to writing again? Or were you planning on taking a few years off?”

  The look on Kara’s face was one of astonishment. The thought of staying home, trapped in the house for the next four plus years scared the daylights out of her. Just because she had kids didn’t mean she wanted to give up her identity. Her job wasn’t fulltime and she worked out of her home office. Maybe it was time to start looking into childcare options.

  “I—I never really had a plan. I assumed once the girls were born I would still be able to write, since I do it from home. And I can work any time. Day or night.”

  Jamie finished off her cinnamon roll before asking, “Do you want the girls to go to daycare or are you looking for someone to come here and take care of them? Our daycare is good, but I didn’t want my kids there when they were just little babies.”

  “My preference would be to hire a nanny for the girls. That way I can check in on them whenever I want. I think I would have a lot less guilt. The thought of sending them to a daycare gives me anxiety.”

  “I know someone that you might really like. She’s super sweet and watched my niece when she was born.” Valerie grabbed a pen and slip of paper out of her purse. She quickly jotted a name and phone number on the paper then handed it to Kara.

  “Well that’s settled! This is your weekend. For you and Dave to get things fired up again,” Ava squealed with excitement.

  “Wait! I still don’t know if I’m ready. I mean, we haven’t had sex since, well…the beginning of my sixth month of the pregnancy.” Kara wanted to die of embarrassment. She couldn’t believe the words she had just spoken had actually escaped her mouth.

  “Uh—why?” Ashley asked.

  “Well, there were a few complications towards the end of the pregnancy and the doctor thought it would be best to wait until after the girls were born. Which was fine at the time. But now I’m terrified of getting pregnant again. I can’t handle any more babies right now!” Just the thought of adding another baby any time soon made Kara want to curl into a ball and cry.

  “Are you on any form of birth control pill?” Valerie questioned.

  “Of course, I am. But I was on the pill when I got pregnant! So—let’s just say, we need more protection.”

  “Wow! That really sucks!” Jamie’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

  “Trust me, I know,” Kara had to laugh. These were all the things she thought of many times over. The truth was she really wanted to have sex with her husband, but she was terrified. Would he think she was too soft and flabby now? Would she get pregnant again? Would it hurt after childbirth? And what about him? Would he still like her, down there—after having twins? Would it feel the same for him?

  The women offered ideas and solutions that Kara listened to. She didn’t want to alienate her husband any more than she already had or force him to look outside of the marriage for sex. She loved Dave and she wanted to be with him again. The problem was she had given him the cold shoulder for so long that he stopped any advances towards her. He no longer came on to her or kissed her with the passion he used to—and she missed it. Kara liked the idea of rekindling their passion. Ideas formed in her mind and she started moving forward with it. Her face started to heat and several blushes formed due to some of her friends’ suggestions while other ideas had her giggling like a schoolgirl. Who would have ever thought her best friends were such perverts?

  “This is a great plan, but first I have to see what my monster-in-law wants tomorrow. It will be my luck that she already has some horrendous agenda for us. Not only that, but somehow I have to make this house look presentable by tomorrow.” Kara looked around her home. She cringed at the piles of toys, kids’ books, and various baby paraphernalia that cluttered her once spotless family room. “Victoria will have a heart attack if she walks in and sees this mess.”

  “It’s really not that bad,” Ava offered, her voice laced with compassion. “I can hang out and give you a hand today. I’m sure we can tackle the problem pretty quick.”

  “I’ll help, too,” Jamie added. “I don’t have to be anywhere until the kids get home.

  “Thank you so much, but I couldn’t ask you to do that. I’ll do what I can, and Victoria will just have to deal with it.”

  Ava and Jamie looked to one another and shook their heads. “We’re staying to help and that’s final.” Jamie blandly stated.

  As the day progressed, Kara, Ava, and Jamie were able to wrangle the twins and successfully clean every inch of Kara’s home.

  “Whew, thank you guys so much for your help. Is there anything that I can do for you in return?”

  Ava and Jamie rolled their eyes at Kara. “Please! No, we wanted to help. Besides, it gave us a chance to spend more time with these little cuties,” Jamie said as she bounced Abby on her lap.

  “I fully agree,” Ava whispered in a soft voice as she played peek-a-boo with Sarah.

  Jamie and Ava handed the babies back to Kara before giving her a light squeeze and heading home.

  Kara spent the rest of the afternoon making dinner and taking care of the girls. She waited anxiously for Dave to get home from work. The more she thought about the idea for the weekend, the more she liked it. She hoped he would agree to the last minute getaway.

  They needed to have a conversation about her going back to work. She had spent a good bit of time thinking over her choices. Her job was waiting for her, but not for much longer. They had to make a decision. Giving up work was something Kara really didn’t want to do. So it seemed it was time to talk to him about getting someone to look after the girls. The more she thought about it, the idea of having someone to help around the house became more appealing.

  When Dave arrived home, Kara breathed a sigh of relief. For the first time in months she was starting to feel more like herself. She admired the way he moved as he walked through the door. He wasn’t overly tall at six foot four, at least not for her. He was the perfect height for her five foot ten inch frame. They were the perfect fit.

  His light green eyes brought her to her knees with each gaze. She loved the way the tiny specks of gold glittered in the light. His thick dark hair was a little on the long side, but she loved running her fingers through it when they made love. Ah the good old days, she reflected. Once the naughty thoughts started, they wouldn’t stop. She realized that her need for Dave was quickly turning into desperation. If she didn’t have sex with her husband soon, she was certain her body would explode.

  Dave’s normally scruffy face irritated her, but today she longed to feel it lightly scratching over her soft skin. For the first time in months, her core heated almost to the unbearable point. She felt her panties moisten with need for her husband. The craziness needed to stop. She needed to get her head on right and quit worrying about things that didn’t seem to matter to Dave. He perked up each time he caught a glimpse of her much larger breasts, only to groan when she quickly covered them. Not only did she gain two babies from the pregnancy, she gained two cup sizes. When she stopped nursing months ago, she thought for sure that they would go back to their normal size. That didn’t happen.

  “Hi, honey. Did you have a good day?” Kara wound her arms around her husband. His scent surrounded her immediately. God, I miss him. So damn much it hurts. She backed away slowly to let him get settled.

  “It was okay. Just another day really. How about you?” Dave looked around and he was obviously impressed. “It looks great in here by the way. I mean, not that it was all that bad before, you know.”

  “Thanks. I’ll tell you all about it o
ver dinner.” Kara hurried back to the stove. She pulled the meal from the oven. “Are you ready to eat? The girls are still taking a nap, so we might actually be able to eat together while it’s still warm.”

  Dave smiled at her and agreed. He grabbed the plates, glasses, and silverware, quickly setting the table for two. “Smells good, baby.”

  “I hope it turned out okay.” Kara lit a small candle and placed it at the center of the table.

  “Are you trying to seduce me?” Dave joked at the sight of the candle.

  “Maybe, but I was thinking about saving that for this weekend,” Kara teased.

  “Why this weekend? We can have a little fun right here, right now.” Dave questioned, pulling her into a quick embrace. He held on to her tight as she tried to wiggle free. “Think about it, baby, I can fuck you right here up against the wall. Imagine how good it would feel to have me deep inside of you, where I belong.” His voice was nothing more than a husky whisper in her ear.

  Kara was flooded with emotions and sensations that she hadn’t let herself feel in months. She had kept herself closed off, forgetting what the heat of desire felt like or the steady pulse of awareness that raced through her body caused by pure need. “Mmmm—that does sound very nice, but I promise to make this weekend extra special, if you can hold off that long.”

  He finally agreed and let go, settling for the promise of the near future.

  She scooped a generous portion onto Dave’s plate, then a smaller amount on to hers. Time to kill all the heat, Kara thought. “Your mom called today. She wants to come by for a visit tomorrow and stay for dinner.” She tried to remain calm as the words left her mouth, when in all reality she wanted to scream.

  “Maybe she just wants to spend some time with the girls,” Dave offered the suggestion.

  “I hope so, but I doubt it. Hey, before we start on that, let’s talk about a few other things.” Kara paused, trying to think of the best way to approach going back to work and the idea of getting a nanny. “My boss called the other day. He wants to know when I’m going to start working again. He gave me a deadline and told me that if I can’t meet it, he’ll find someone else to do my job.”

  “Well, what do want to do? Do you want to go back to writing?”

  “In all honesty, I thought I would be able to manage writing, even with the girls. But I don’t have any time at all during the day. Ava and Jamie stayed after coffee this morning to help get the house back in order, which I felt really guilty about.”

  Dave took a quick sip of water before he answered. “There is no reason to feel guilty. It’s perfectly normal to need help. You have been doing everything by yourself with the girls all day, every day. We can easily hire someone to help around the house or even look after the girls if you would like some time for yourself every day.”

  “I’ve been thinking more and more about that. I really need to find a balance between being a mom and being a person—an individual. I know we just had twins, but I don’t see other parents this stressed out. I would like to keep working, but I’m not sure if I will be able to write with the girls in the next room. I think it would be too distracting.” Kara thought about her options. It wasn’t like she had an office to drive to every day.

  “What if we have the studio above the garage cleaned out? Maybe have it redecorated for you to use? I can call Pete and have him come over tomorrow and get started, if you want me to.”

  Kara smiled at her husband. She really did have one of the good ones. “That would be perfect! Why didn’t I think of that? So you’re okay with hiring someone to come here and watch the girls a few days a week? I really would rather have a nanny come here to look after the girls than to send them off to a daycare.”

  “I think it will be great. So tell me, what did you have in mind for this weekend?” Dave reached across the table to hold Kara’s hand.

  Kara felt herself blush at the way Dave was looking at her. She could see the hunger in his eyes. “I thought you and I could get away for the weekend. Our first official adult only weekend.”

  Oh thank you, sweet Jesus was Dave’s initial thought. His mind rapidly spun X-rated ideas of all the things he wanted to do with his wife. It had been far too long since he and Kara had any quality time together. Nothing against his girls, but damn, he needed his wife back. He was beyond tired of seeking pleasure from his hand.

  The idea of a weekend getaway had crossed his mind several times and he had thought about suggesting it, but was worried Kara would shoot him down. He didn’t think she could handle leaving the girls yet.

  Whatever the reason for her sudden shift in thought, he was thankful for it. There was no reason she couldn’t be a wife, a mother, and her own person. He had offered many times to bring in someone that could help her with the house, or the girls, but she had refused help at every turn. She was stubborn and believed she should raise the kids without having to hire someone to do her job. He was glad to see that she was beginning to change her tune. As the months passed by, Dave felt like he was losing the few remaining pieces of his mind. It was one thing after another, a constant test of his sanity. He couldn’t fault Kara or the girls for that. It was on him and he knew it.

  Sarah and Abby were amazing and he loved them so much, but his marriage had sucked since they came home from the hospital. He never imagined how much work came with having twins. Kara was always exhausted and rightfully so. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw her without dark circles under her eyes. He wished he could be home more often to help her out, but the bills had to be paid. Like Kara had struggled to feel like a good mother, Dave struggled to feel like he was neglecting his job as husband and father in order to keep his career moving forward. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest and he breathed a sigh of relief when Kara announced she wanted to keep writing.

  As for her idea for the getaway weekend—Hell Yes! He was tired of jacking off and taking multiple cold showers every day. He and Kara needed this weekend away. It would be a fresh new start for them.

  “Who is going to watch the girls? And are you sure you’re okay with leaving them for the weekend?” Dave didn’t want to talk her out of the idea, but he wanted to make sure he didn’t get his hopes up for nothing.

  “Laura is going to watch them for the weekend. Alan is out of town and her kids will be gone all weekend. Truthfully, I’m worried about leaving them, but I know Laura is great with the girls and they will be fine with her.”

  “Sounds perfect! Why don’t you let me take care of the arrangements for the weekend? I have something in mind that I think you will really like.” Dave was excited about the prospect of rekindling the romance with his wife. If they were going to stay faithful to one another, something had to change.

  “That sounds awesome! I love surprises,” Kara beamed at her husband. “But what are we going to do about your mom?”

  “What do you mean? Did she say something or give you a hint as to what she wanted?” Dave questioned. The look of concern was growing on his face. There was no way in the world he would let anyone unravel this special weekend with his wife, especially not his mother.

  “No, she didn’t. Maybe I’m just reading too much into it. It just seems that the only time she pops in for one of her visits is when she has already made plans for us.” Kara tried not to roll her eyes as she made the statement, but she couldn’t help it. It was the truth and Dave knew it.

  “Well, we will wait and see what she says tomorrow. Did she say what time she was coming over?” He would leave work early if he had to. He wasn’t about to let his mother harass his wife or force her to commit to any plans that would put a stop to their weekend.

  “She said she would be here at three o’clock. She also requested that I make a turkey for dinner. Considering the fact that I don’t have one in the freezer—it’s not going to happen! Any suggestions?”

  “She told you what to make for dinner? Who does that?” Dave was astonished at his mother’s behavior. He
knew she was abrasive, but that was taking it too far.

  Kara laughed at the look of bewilderment on her husband’s face. “You’re mom! That’s who. Honey, this is nothing new. I’ve just never brought it up before. I guess I’m just tired of being ordered around. And she’s not getting turkey tomorrow!”

  “Baby, why didn’t you say something? I certainly don’t expect you to work and wait on my mother when she comes for a visit. Let alone cook her a special meal. I always thought you made a big dinner when she came because you were trying to impress her, not because you were told to. What exactly did she ask for as far as the meal goes?”

  “Turkey, potatoes, rolls, and fresh vegetables. She also asked for wine.”

  “Perfect. I’ll work a half day tomorrow and be home around noon. Don’t worry about dinner. I’ll take care of it and my mom. This craziness needs to stop.”

  Kara and Dave finished their dinner in peace, enjoying each other’s company. Shortly after dinner the twins woke from their short nap. Silliness once more reigned supreme in the house.

  The next day Dave left work early as promised. A quick stop at the market and he had picked up the items to make his mother dinner, as requested. He would give her exactly what she wanted. He smiled to himself as he watched the clerk scan each of his purchases.

  Victoria arrived promptly at three and was startled by the fact that Dave greeted her at the front door. “David! What a surprise. I was certain you would still be at work.” Her green eyes peered into his. She was in calculation mode. Her last statement was somewhat of a confession and it left him unsettled. What is she up to? The thought ran through his mind. He knew his mother and how her mind worked. Was she hoping to ambush Kara? Dave wondered if he was jumping to conclusions, but his gut instinct told him otherwise.

  He let his mother into the house and answered the best he could without giving anything away. “I have a contractor coming over in a bit to look at the studio above the garage. We’re going to have it renovated so Kara can use it as a work space. I wanted to make sure I was here when the contractor arrived.” Kara and Dave exchanged smiles that were intentionally very obvious to Victoria. Dave didn’t exactly lie to his mother about his reason for coming home early. After all, the contractor was expected—a little later in the day.