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- Herausgeber: LSODea
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Serie: La Petite Mort Club
- Sprache: Englisch
What happens when you…
Mix one woman who’s determined to show her husband exactly what he threw away with his cheating ways.
With a man who has never cheated on his wife and has no idea why she’s divorcing him.
Stir in a good-hearted, meddling owner of La Petite Mort Club.
Turn up the heat with a masquerade ball.
You get one hot Christmas Eve at La Petite Mort Club. They may not get a Christmas miracle but they will definitely have a happy ending.
Craig doesn’t want a divorce. He loves his wife and has not ever cheated on her, no matter what she believes. None of that matters because he’s been kicked out of his house and served with divorce papers.
Liz is devastated that her husband of twenty-three – she thought – wonderful years of marriage has been cheating on her. And not just with one woman or even two, but an entire sex club full of younger women.
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Seitenzahl: 164
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018
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La Petite Mort Club
A Merry Masquerade
for
Christmas
Ellis O. Day
Copyright © 2018 Ellis O. Day
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13978-1-942706-36-6
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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BOOKS BY ELLIS O. DAY
LA PETITE MORT CLUB SERIES
THE VOYEUR SERIES
THE VOYEUR SERIES (BOOKS 1-4)
THE VOYEUR (BOOK 1) (FREE)
WATCHING THE VOYEUR (BOOK 2)
TOUCHING THE VOYEUR (BOOK 3)
LOVING THE VOYEUR (BOOK 4)
SIX NIGHTS OF SIN SERIES
SIX NIGHTS OF SIN -THE COMPLETE SERIES: BOOKS 1-6
INTERVIEWING FOR HER LOVER (BOOK 1) (FREE)
TAKING CONTROL (BOOK 2)
SCHOOL FANTASY (BOOK 3)
MASTER-SLAVE FANTASY (BOOK 4)
PUNISHMENT FANTASY (BOOK 5)
THE PROPOSITION (BOOK 6)
SIX WEEKS OF SEDUCTION
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: LIZ
Elizabeth sat in the office of La Petite Mort Club, trying not to stare. The owner, Ethan St. Johns, was the sexiest man she’d ever seen. Yes, he was good looking with his strong cheek bones and sandy brown hair, but it was more than that. There was something about him that made her want to be bad.
“So, Mrs. White, are you sure you want to join La Petite Mort Club.” Ethan’s blue eyes searched her face.
“Yes.” She struggled to remain passive under his perusal. She wasn’t going to admit that the only reason she wanted to join the sex club was because her husband was a member.
“Who recommended us to you?”
“No one.”
“Please, Mrs. White. Someone must have pointed you to us. We don’t run ads in the neighborhood flyer.” He smiled and she swore her knees actually melted.
“Of course not.” She giggled. This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman, mother of three adult children, not a teenage girl with her first crush. She cleared her throat. “I heard about this place…through a friend.” She’d thought her husband was her best friend until she’d found the membership card in his dresser drawer.
Even though she’d understood the French name, she’d had to Google the place. She hadn’t truly believed that Craig had been cheating on her, but he had and not only with one woman but a club full of young women. She’d died a little that day.
“And who might this friend be?” He leaned back in his seat. “I’ll be honest, Mrs. White. I’m not inclined to grant membership to just anyone.”
“I’m not just anyone.”
“You’re not our typical client.”
“Because I’m not male?” She should’ve figured as much. Men her age were considered distinguished whereas women—no matter how much they stayed in shape or colored their hair—were old.
“Because you’re married.”
She glanced at her hand but the ring was gone. She’d lost a little more of her heart when she’d taken it off, knowing it was never going back on her finger. “My husband. I found out about this place through my husband.”
“Really?” He seemed genuinely surprised.
“Yes.” She never would’ve known this vile place existed if not for his infidelity.
“In that case, you don’t need to fill out any paperwork. You can have Craig add you to his membership.” He leaned forward as if to stand, as if this meeting was over.
“No.” She didn’t want her husband knowing anything about this until he saw her here.
“It’s less expensive.”
“I don’t care about the money.” That wasn’t their problem anymore. She almost wished it were.
They’d been a team while struggling to make ends meet, but once his advertising business had taken off, she’d quit her job to take care of the kids. Now, the children were grown and gone and she was alone.
“I see.” He smiled softly. “May I ask why you don’t want Craig to know about this?”
“That’s not…” The look on his face told her not to bother lying. “We’re getting divorced.”
“Oh.” Again he seemed surprised. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yes. Well…” She wasn’t sure what to say when people said that because she was sorry too. She still loved her husband, but he didn’t feel the same.
“This poses a problem.” Ethan steepled his hands in front of him.
“Why?”
“It isn’t my policy to allow divorced couples to both be members.”
“What? Because he’s a member, I can’t be?”
“Sorry, but yes.”
“Why?” She wanted to scream it wasn’t fair—just like him cheating on her wasn’t fair—but she was pretty sure throwing a tantrum wasn’t the way to get through to this man.
He shrugged. “Fighting—real fighting, not play fighting—isn’t the atmosphere I want at the Club. This is a place for men and women to get away from their troubles, not find them.”
“So now, I’m Craig’s trouble.” She’d had about enough. This was all Craig’s fault. He was the one who’d cheated. The one who’d stopped wanting her.
“I didn’t say that…exactly.”
“It’s fine. I can join another Club.” There had to be other ones, but she wanted to be here. She wanted Craig to see that at forty-five she was still an attractive, desirable, sexual woman.
“I can recommend a few.” He leaned forward, opening his desk drawer.
“No. Don’t.” She stood. “I’ll call my lawyer instead.”
“Your lawyer?” He stared up at her, a hardness in his blue eyes.
“I believe your practices are discriminatory.”
“Do you?” He relaxed in his chair. “This is a private club and I can choose who I accept. I have not discriminated against you because of your gender, religion, race or because you are of a…certain age.”
She looked away. She would not cry. She wasn’t twenty or thirty but forty-five wasn’t old.
“Sit, please.” He stood.
She sat. She had no idea why but there was something about him that made her obey.
“Let me get you something to drink.”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” As fine as any woman who still loved her cheating husband could be. Twenty-three years of marriage gone. Thrown away.
“Wine? White, red or rose?”
“Red please.” She may as well have a drink. If she were nice, maybe she could persuade Ethan to grant her a membership. Eventually, she’d get over this betrayal, but right now, she needed Craig to feel something for her. If she couldn’t have his love or desire, she’d take his anger.
He walked to the bar and poured a glass of wine. He came back to the desk and handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
He sat. “Now, Mrs. White—”
“Elizabeth. Liz.”
He nodded. “Elizabeth, please tell me why you really want a membership.”
She took a sip of her wine. Telling him the truth wouldn’t work, but she was pretty sure he’d see through her lie. So, half-truth it was, no matter how embarrassing. “I want to have sex.”
“That goes without saying.” He grinned. “This is La Petite Mort Club.”
She’d expected some reaction but she shouldn’t have. Everyone who joined wanted that. She took a deep breath. “I want to feel desirable again, wanted.”
“And your husband doesn’t do this for you?”
She shook her head, her throat too tight to speak.
“Hmm.” He steepled his fingers again, studying her.
“That can’t be unusual for women…couples my age.” Age had never bothered her until now—until Craig had turned to another woman or women…younger women.
“It isn’t but it is unusual for the woman to want to join the same establishment as her husband.” He leaned closer to her. “That usually only happens if she wants him back or wants to teach him a lesson. Neither of those reasons are welcome in my club.”
“That’s not it. Truly.” She was losing ground. “I…this is the only place that I know of—”
“I offered to give you names of similar clubs.”
“Yes, but this one…Craig trusts it, so I do too. I don’t want to catch something or…or get hurt.”
He studied her for a long moment. “You truly want to do this? Join the Club and have sex with strangers?”
“Is it that hard to believe a woman in her forties wants sex? I’m sure most of your male clientele are my age or older.”
“It’s hard to believe this of you.”
“Me? You don’t even know me.”
He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a manila folder. “I do background checks on all potential customers.”
“You….you looked into my past.” Not that she had anything to hide. She and Craig had met and started dating in college. They’d married shortly after graduation and she’d gotten pregnant right away. They’d had three wonderful children and she’d thought a great life, but obviously, it and she hadn’t been enough for him.
“Yes and you don’t seem the type to want to fuck strange men.”
She stiffened at the obscenity and he smirked. “Well, I’m changing. Divorce can do that to a woman.”
“It can do that to a man too.”
“Are you divorced?”
He laughed. “No. Never been married.”
“Then you have no idea.” No idea of the devastation, the betrayal, the emptiness inside—the place her husband had filled was now a hollow, empty cavern.
“I’ve seen more married and divorced couples in their most basic element than you ever will. I’m quite familiar with people and their games.”
Good thing he hadn’t said women and their games. She might’ve had to slap him. “I’m sure you are, but I’m not playing games of any kind.” She needed to stick to her story. Any deviation would be her downfall.
“You’re telling me that you and Craig are parting amicably?”
“Yes.” Not exactly, but that didn’t matter.
“Good.” He closed the folder. “I’ll call him and make sure he’s okay with me giving you a membership.”
“You can’t do that.” She wanted to surprise Craig, to shock him, and telling him ahead of time wouldn’t accomplish that.
“That’s the only way you’re getting inside this Club.”
“Fine. I’ll go somewhere else.” She stood and strode to the door. Men were all assholes.
CHAPTER 2: CRAIG
Craig sat at his desk, staring out his office window. This couldn’t be happening, but it was. The papers on his desk didn’t lie. Liz wanted a divorce. He’d thought they were happy—that she was happy. Sure, their sex life wasn’t as good as he would’ve liked, but he’d hoped now that the kids were gone they could work on that. She wouldn’t be so tired all the time and they could be more spontaneous. None of that was going to happen because she wanted out. After twenty-three good years of marriage—or at least he’d thought they were good—she was done with their family, with him.
There was a knock on his door and Ben, one of his employees, peeked his head in.
“What do you want?” Craig quickly wiped his eyes.
“Were you crying?”
“No. Allergies.” He wasn’t ready to tell anyone about the divorce.
“I thought you went to the doctor for that?”
“I did.” And it’d caused the worst few months of his life—his eyes dropped to the papers on his desk—until now.
“Maybe, you should go back. You don’t look too good.”
“I’m fine. What do you want?”
“Oh, I need to borrow your car.”
“Again?” This was the third time in less than two months.”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
His phone rang. He pulled his keys from his pocket and tossed them to Ben. “Get a new car and close the door behind you.” He grabbed his phone. “Hello.”
“Craig White?” asked a man.
“You called my office.” He should be polite. This could be a potential customer but right now, he didn’t care.
The man laughed. “Yes, I know but I wanted to make sure it was you.”
“Who is this?”
“Sorry. This is Ethan St. Johns.”
“Who?”
“From La Petite Mort Club.”
“Oh, Ethan. Right.” He glanced at the door to ensure it was closed. “How are things? Everything okay with the ad team I have working for you?”
“Yes. Ben and Gabby are fantastic and I love the new materials.”
“Great. Glad to hear it.” Ethan had been one of his first big-money clients.
Initially, he’d found the idea of producing ad copy for a sex club distasteful, but then he’d met Ethan. The younger man had insisted on giving him a tour. The place was clean, respectable and everyone was there because they wanted to be, not because they had to.
He took a shaky breath, trying to air out the sadness in his voice. “Then, how can I help you.”
“Actually, I think I may be able to help you…or this may not help at all.”
“What are you talking about?” There was an edge to Ethan’s voice that made him nervous.
“I’m not sure how to tell you this, so I’ll just say it. Your wife came to visit me today.”
“She did what?” His hand clutched the phone so tightly he was surprised it didn’t break. Liz had gone to a sex club? Impossible. No. No way.
“She’d filled out an application online to join and I asked her—”
“She did what?” He was repeating himself but his brain wasn’t functioning correctly. Neither were his ears. “She wanted to join your club? Your sex club?”
“Yes.” There was a hint of amusement in Ethan’s tone.
“This isn’t funny.” Not only did the woman he loved—the mother of his children—not want him to touch her anymore, but she wanted to fuck and god know what else with strange men.
“Of course not.” Ethan’s tone was somber but Craig knew the other man was humoring him.
“You’re mistaken about this. It’s not possible. My Liz...” But she wasn’t his Liz any more.
“I thought it was a mistake too. White isn’t an uncommon last name. So, I called and asked her to come to my office. That way, I could see if perhaps this was a different woman with the same name, but it wasn’t.”
“How do you know my wife?” Ethan was young and good looking. He didn’t want Liz anywhere near the man.
“I researched you before I offered you my account.”
“You ran a background check on me and my family?” He wanted to hang up, go over there and beat the guy senseless.
“Yes. I couldn’t have just anyone representing me and my business. You understand.” Ethan’s tone was calm and soothing. Professional.
Craig’s temper eased. It made sense. Ethan’s business was sensitive.
“It was your wife…soon to be ex-wife who came to my office.”
“She told you about the divorce.” His gaze dropped to the papers on his desk.
“Yes, and I’m sorry.”
“Me too.” He hadn’t meant to say it. It’d just slipped out.
“I refused her membership.”
“Good. Thank you.” There was no way Liz was going to a place like that.
“I’m not sure it is good.”
“Excuse me.” He actually took the phone away from his face and stared at it.
“She mentioned something about finding a different club.”
“What?” He shot to his feet, pressing the phone to his ear.
“That’s why I called. Some of the other places are…less than reputable. I tried giving her a list—”
“You did what?” He was back to wanting to punch the other man.
“There are some other clubs that are good. Not as good as mine, of course, but they are safe.”
“She is not joining a sex club.”
“Okay, but…How are you going to stop her?”
“I…” That was a good question. She wasn’t going to listen to him. She didn’t even want to be around him.
“I have a suggestion.”
“You do?” He dropped back onto his chair.
“Yes, but first, I have to ask you some personal questions.”
“Like what?” Personal questions from a man like Ethan could get a lot more personal than he was willing to go.
“About your marriage.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“You’re right. It isn’t but I may be able to help.”
“How can you help my marriage?”
“Why don’t you come by after work and we can talk?”
“We can talk now.”
“It might be better with a drink.”
“Then pour me a rum and coke. Easy on the coke.” He grabbed the divorce papers and stood. “I’m on my way.”
CHAPTER 3: CRAIG
By the time Craig arrived at La Petite Mort Club he was ready to kill Liz. How dare she want to join a sex club. She never even wanted to have sex, not with him, and that was the part that destroyed him.
He paid the Uber driver and headed toward the building. Their life hadn’t been perfect but it’d been pretty damn good—their sex life too or at least he’d thought so. He hesitated at the door to the Club, the sex club. That’s what she wanted. Sex with a man…men other than him. His knees almost buckled. God, this hurt more than he’d ever admit. Screw her. If she wanted out, he’d let her go. Let her fuck every man she found. She’d never find anyone who’d treat her like he had.
He’d made a good home for them. A good life. They didn’t need money. They had their health. What more did she want? Another man’s dick, that’s what she wanted. He threw the door open and stepped inside.
The bouncer, obviously expecting him, didn’t even get up from the table. “Welcome, Mr. White. Ethan said you know the way to his office.”
“I do. Thanks.” He’d jogged up the stairs. He’d spent many hours here when he’d first gotten the account. Ethan had even given him a complimentary membership so he could come and go as he wanted.
He sighed as he stopped at the door that led to the back offices. He’d found that old card while cleaning out the closet a few months back. He’d almost shown it to Liz. He’d wanted to suggest that they visit when Robbie, their youngest, left for college but since he’d never told her anything about the Club, he’d decided it was better not to mention it. Maybe, he should’ve. Things couldn’t have gone any worse.
A buzzer sounded and he opened the door, walking into the hallway that led to the back offices and the staff quarters. This area was as sparse and business like as the public rooms were elegantly opulent. He preferred this section. He was successful and wealthy but he’d rather a night around a camp fire with a few good friends than an evening of decadence.
He stopped at Ethan’s office, raising his hand to knock when the door opened.
“Craig, good to see you.” Ethan smiled and stepped aside so he could enter. “Sorry it had to be on these terms.”
