Éveiller Drive Complete Boxed Set

by Melanie James

  His fingers slammed the keyboard, angry at both himself and Laura. In his eyes they were both equally responsible for the calamity they called a sex life. “No. Damn it. It is very much both of our faults. I think we took each other for granted. We stopped trying to impress one another, because we became too comfortable with each other. You know what I would love? I would fucking love to walk through the door on Friday and see you waiting for me dressed up and ready to be fucked. I would love to bend you over the fucking kitchen table and slam so deep into you that you scream my name. I’m not going to lie. It would be fun as hell to see you tied to the bed and blindfolded. I would love to have my way with you. Whatever I wanted, however I wanted. Can you give up that control, Laura? Will you let me in, again?”

  Alan didn’t know what else he could say or do at this point. The ball was in Laura’s court. Would she drop her shields for once? He honestly feared her response. A few minutes later a new message popped up in his chat window.

  “We’ll talk about it more when you get home. I have to make sure the kids are up and getting ready for school. xoxo.”

  “What the hell?” Alan slammed the lid of his laptop closed in frustration. He stalked to the shower ready to put his fist through the wall. She was the one who brought it up, but rather than answer the question, she ran.

  Damn right he was pissed. He had every reason to be. Alan wanted nothing more than to have things return to the way they used to be. He and Laura kept growing further and further apart. It wasn’t a joke when he asked if she could give up some of her control. Laura had always been carefree and often threw caution to the wind. Her need for control seemed to come out of the blue after Destiny and Alex were born. She had suddenly become so serious about everything—their sex life included. Everything was meticulously planned to the minute. God forbid they should deviate from the schedule. Who the fuck schedules eight and a half minutes on a certain day of the month to give their husband a blow job? Or twelve minutes for sex?

  Alan shook his head as the hot water flowed over him. The years passed by in his mind. At first he thought the planning was cute…that she actually scheduled his needs into her calendar. Needless to say, the cuteness quickly wore off and if it wasn’t scheduled, he wasn’t getting it. Which sucked. His eyes rolled at the bad pun. Alan wished to God he were getting sucked. His member grew hard at the mere thought. Another day, another grand masturbation session.

  Laura walked away from her laptop, she had to. Her thoughts were a scattered mess that she really needed to sort through. She knew her actions probably pissed Alan off, but it didn’t matter. He had no idea what he was asking of her. Yes, she ran a tight ship and often scheduled everything that needed to be done. How the hell else did he expect her to stay sane if she didn’t? As each birthday passed, she feared her memory slipped a bit more. When in all reality, her memory was just fine. Laura’s scheduling habit was a product of her busy life. She was a fulltime mom, fulltime employee, housekeeper, and wife. There were not enough hours in a day for all of her tasks.

  If she were honest with herself, she had to admit what Alan said had some merit. They were both equally guilty of taking one another for granted. Laura just didn’t like hearing it. After the kids had left for school, Laura collapsed on the recliner and cried her eyes out. That was the exact position Valerie found her in when she popped in for their Tuesday morning get together.

  “What’s wrong, sweetie?” Valerie rushed to Laura’s side and took her into her arms.

  “I…I…I don’t know what to do,” Laura sobbed.

  “About what? Did something happen?” Valerie held a box of tissues out for Laura to grab.

  “Alan and I had a huge fight this morning,” The sobbing continued. Laura wasn’t sure how to pull herself together. She also didn’t know if she was courageous enough to do what Alan wanted. There was a reason she didn’t dress up anymore. While she took care of herself and watched her weight, her body was not what it was fifteen years ago. When she hit her late thirties, she began to worry about her new best friends—unwelcome sags and wrinkles. Why the hell would it still turn Alan on anymore if she dressed up? The last time she tried, she looked in the mirror and cringed at the sight before her. Everything that used to be tight and perky now sagged, and the thought depressed her. Instead of seeing a sexy woman in the mirror, she thought it looked like an awkward caricature of a woman who was trying to still be young and hot, but failing miserably. That was the very day she packed away all of her sexy outfits and decided that getting older sucked. That same day she colored her hair for the very first time. The tiny patches of gray hair she once found cute and a sign of maturity now disgusted her.

  The door clicked open and the rest of the women entered. Concerned glances met the pair as Valerie shrugged, at a loss for words. They slowly moved forward to kneel in front of Laura, silently offering their support.

  Laura calmed herself a bit, noticing everyone had entered. She had completely forgotten it was Tuesday and her friends would soon be arriving. “Oh God! I forgot you all were coming over today. Let me get some coffee made. Thankfully, I put breakfast in the crockpot. I made a batch of apple cinnamon oatmeal. I hope that’s okay.” Laura tried to compose herself, but the tears kept coming.

  “You sit and relax. I’ll take care of the coffee and stir the oatmeal.” Kara offered as she stood before making her way to the open kitchen.

  “I’ll give you a hand.” Ashley followed Kara to the kitchen.

  “Now, tell me. What’s going on? I hate to see you this way.” Valerie’s voice was soft and filled with concern for her friend. Valerie and Laura were the oldest of the group. They were the ones that started the weekly coffee club, having been the first ones to move to Éveiller Drive.

  “It’s gotten so bad between Alan and I. Our sex life is nonexistent. He’s pulled away so much. I actually gathered my courage this morning and asked him on chat if he still loved me.” Laura grabbed the box of tissues and wiped the fresh tears.

  “What did he say?” Valerie asked.

  “He said he still loves me, but basically he’s bored with our sex life. He said he needs more than the same boring sex we have.”

  “What do you think about what he said?” Ava understood the pain her friend felt, having just worked through her own issues with Will.

  “I think he’s right. We lost our spark. It doesn’t mean that I’m happy to hear it from my husband. I feel like I’ve turned into a prude or something over the years. We never used to be this way. We used to be wild and carefree. We would make love for hours and then hold each other until the sun came up.”

  “What changed?” Valerie sat back to give Laura a bit of breathing room.

  “Life changed. I used to have spare time. Now? Haha…not so much. I can’t tell you the last time I had time to think quietly, let alone plan anything intimate between Alan and I.”

  “Stop right there. You said the four letter word. Plan. We all know you are about the most time efficient organizer in the state. I’m willing to bet you’ve added your sex life into your time management program. If you are willing to accept you can’t schedule love, then you can make a change. And it sounds like you both are interested in creating that spark again.” Jamie offered from her position on the couch. “He wouldn’t fight for it, if he wasn’t interested in starting fresh. I think it’s harder because you think about the way things used to be rather than what you have now.”

  “I think Jamie’s right. It’s always harder to hear about our faults from our spouses or even family members, because they are supposed to support us unconditionally. Right?” Kara voiced her thoughts as she returned with a tray of coffee cups and a carafe. Behind her, Ashley carried a tray of bowls and spoons, along with a larger serving bowl filled with homemade oatmeal.

  “I know. There is one more thing that he did say to me. Ugh. I’m not even sure what to make of it.” Laura stood up and padded over to the tray of coffee and cups. She quickly filled a cup and ad
ded her favorite French Vanilla creamer. “Thanks for making the coffee.” She smiled at Kara and Ashley.

  “No problem. So what did he say to you?” Kara moaned as she tasted her breakfast. “Mmmmm. This is so good, you have to share the recipe.”

  “I’ll print out a copy of the recipe for you. Just remind me so I don’t forget.” Laura took a sip of her coffee, then continued explaining what had been said. “He told me he fantasized about seeing me tied to the bed, doing whatever he wanted with me. It kind of freaked me out, because I know he was upset when he said it. Would he tie me up to hurt me? Or make me do things that I might be uncomfortable with?”

  “I don’t think that’s what he meant by it. I think he was saying that maybe he might like to do a little role play and some BDSM. I’m sure it’s probably on the light side of the whole scenario,” Jamie suggested.

  “What do you mean?” Laura looked mortified at the thought of being tied up, possibly gagged, and whipped.

  The women all sported different looks. Some wore amused expressions, others looked like they were biting back a smirk, while a couple looked as horrified as Laura.

  “Geez! Don’t give me that look. I’m not talking about hardcore whips and chains! I’m talking about playing with your spouse. You know—adding a little…spice. Am I the only one here that reads smut books?” Jamie tried to defend her position, but could see by the glances coming her way no one expected the sweet innocent small town girl to bring up kink in the bedroom.

  “Uh—sorry, I think I missed that genre.” Laura quickly recovered. She was terrified of the impending discussion, yet horrifyingly intrigued at the same time. Who would have thought?

  “Well, to make a long story short, I think what Alan was telling you is that he wants you to surrender your control to him for an evening. The same control that has been getting the better of your sex life. He wants you to let him do what he wants to pleasure you. If you are tied to the bed, you won’t be able to stop him. You would be helpless to let it happen.” Jamie knew her smut book obsession would come in handy at some point in her life.

  “I—uhhh, wow. Really? What if I don’t like something he does or wants to do?” Laura began to blush at the thought. If her neighbors only knew how she and Alan had explored each other’s bodies in the past.

  “Do you really think that he would do something you would be uncomfortable with? Or that he would hurt you?” Valerie asked.

  “No. I don’t. I guess that was the first thing I thought of. After all, we were in the middle of an argument about us. Suddenly he says he wants me blindfolded and tied to a bed so he can just do whatever he wants to me. Let’s just say I wasn’t sure I could take it any other way at first. For the record, I would think being whipped would hurt.” Laura had no idea what to think when it came to this topic. It wasn’t a subject she and Alan had ever approached in all their years of marriage. She honestly had no idea he had any interest in those types of things. Frankly, the very thought scared the shit out of her.

  “Well, why don’t you think about it like this? Just imagine Alan comes home to find you in your skimpiest negligee, silk stockings, and your sexiest fuck me heels. You would have a blindfold covering your eyes. Your hair would be done. Your makeup would look exquisite with bright red lipstick, of course. Ohhh, I can see it already. Your wrists would be bound to the headboard with these purple fuzzy handcuffs that I found on the Internet. Alan would go nuts! You have to trust me on this.” Jamie bounced with excitement for her friend. She looked across the room to see what the others thought. Open mouthed stares met her inquisitive glance. “Seriously! You all need to experiment some!”

  A burst of laughter broke through the shocked expressions. Laura doubled over in an attempt to catch her breath. The hilarity of the situation was not lost on her. The tears streamed from her face. “Oh my god! He would have a heart attack. You hit the nail on the head. That is almost word for word what he said to me this morning. Maybe I should worry about what my husband has been reading on his Kindle.”

  Giggles and squeals soon followed from the rest of the women. The thought of Laura’s big strong husband reading mommy porn had them howling until their sides screamed for mercy. When they regained their composure, Valerie was the first to speak. “Do you think it’s something you would feel comfortable doing?”

  “Well, if I go with Jamie’s version, yes. I think it could be sexy and erotic, not to mention a whole lot of fun. The only problem is I need to go shopping. I would like to get a new outfit and my heels have quite a few miles on them. Not to mention, I’m fresh out of handcuffs.”

  “Now you’re talking!” Jamie smirked.

  “You’re really going to go through with this?” Ashley asked astounded.

  “Why not? What’s the worst that could happen? Lighten up some. It’s between her and Alan.” Jamie was quick to defend Laura.

  “No—no. It’s not that. I’m just…well, shocked. I wonder if Jeff would like something like that.”

  “Personally, I think every one of our husbands would like a little dress up and role play.” Kara thought out loud.

  “I’m sure Will would,” Ava added. “Maybe it’s something I should consider doing as well.”

  “I see a shopping trip in our future!” Jamie’s grin was ear to ear.

  “Seriously? Can’t we shop for some of these things discretely? You know—online?” Laura’s face flamed at the thought of walking into an adult store.

  “Please, we are all going to go together! How about tomorrow?” Jamie suggested.

  “I can make sure to let Isabella know to come over a little earlier than normal to watch the girls.” Kara finished up her oatmeal and stood to take her bowl to the kitchen. “By the way, thank you, Laura, for giving me her number. She is amazing with the girls and I already adore her.”

  “Awesome! I’m glad to hear she is working out for you. So how did everything go with you and Dave this past weekend?” Laura was genuinely happy that Kara finally got the help she needed.

  “Oh God. It was such a wonderful weekend.” Kara lifted the dainty necklace from under her shirt. “Dave gave me this. Apparently he had talked to Ava a few weeks ago about making it. Way to keep a secret.” Kara grinned at Ava.

  “I’m glad you like it. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise by telling you about it!” Ava returned her friend’s smile.

  “Wow! That is gorgeous! The jewelry you make is amazing and so unique.” Valerie’s praise sounded through the room.

  “So, are we shopping tomorrow or what?” Jamie asked the group as she stood and put her hand out for her sisters.

  “I can’t believe I’m going to go through with this.” Laura grumbled as she put her hand atop of Jamie’s.

  “I’m in.” Ava cheerfully placed her hand atop of Laura’s.

  “We are going to look like idiots tomorrow…and if any perverts come near me, I’m kicking them in the balls. As hard as I can!” Ashley placed her hand atop of Ava’s.

  “We are going to look like a bunch of perverted crazies, you know that, right?” Kara said as she added her hand to the growing pile.

  All eyes turned to Valerie, the last of the group to agree to the plan.

  With a roll of her eyes, she stood and padded over to the group. “I’m going to have to look for men’s handcuffs.” With that she placed her hand on top and smiled at the open mouth stares of all of her friends. “Really, it’s not nice to stare,” she winked.

  The next day came bright and early on Éveiller Drive for the women who were anxious, yet excited for their excursion. With travel mugs of coffee in their hands, they piled into Kara’s silver minivan.

  “So where exactly are we going?” Laura asked as she clicked her seatbelt.

  “I thought we would head over to Newton and hit the Adult Megastore.” Jamie answered with a smile. Once everyone clicked their seatbelts, she pulled out of her driveway.

  “How do you know about this place?” Ava wondered aloud.

&n
bsp; “Brad and I have been there. It’s a really neat place. They have everything from movies, to toys, clothes, shoes, and gag gifts. Really, everything you could possibly want to spice up your sex life.” Jamie steered her van onto the highway and listened to the chatter that surrounded her. The women were wired. Not sure what to think about their impromptu outing. Twenty minutes later, they reached their destination. The non-descript white brick building looked like any other new store, complete with shopping carts sitting out front. The only difference was the neon purple letters that hung above the store that announced ADULT MEGASTORE.

  Jamie was the first to exit the vehicle as the others sat there dumbfounded. “We’re not really going to do this, are we?” Kara giggled.

  “Would you guys come on? You’re being silly. Let’s go!” Jamie made a motion with her arms to hurry them along.

  Slowly the front door crept open and Laura placed two shaky legs on the ground. She took a deep breath and steeled her spine. “Right then, let’s do this.”

  The sliding back door opened with a push of a button and the rest of the women extricated themselves from the comfort of the van. Automatic sliding glass doors opened to greet their arrival. Laura expected to see sex toys hanging from the ceiling when they walked in, but there was nothing at the front of the store to indicate that they had indeed walked into an adult store. The plain white brick wall housed nothing more than a camera and then another set of sliding glass doors. When the second set of doors opened, Laura could see the rows of merchandise laid out neatly before her.

  “Oh my God! This looks like an adult Wal-Mart!” Kara chuckled as they looked around at the sight before them.

  “This is so—not what I was expecting,” Laura agreed. “The last adult store that I went into was weird. I felt violated just walking through the door. Dare I say, this place is actually clean and surprisingly well lit!”