by K E Osborn
Goodreads Reviews
Holy Shit! What did I just read?
Aiden....Yum.....Hot, sexy an rich. Need I say more? Hit me with your Aston Martin any day.
This story has a little of everything, love, angst, and mystery. I recommend you read this series.
I really liked this story but it does include a cliffy :(
I can not wait for the next book......Did you hear me K.E Osborn? I can’t wait!
- Melissa Imaromancejunkie.blogspot.com
Jenifer has some serious trust issues. From the moment he ran into her (literally with his car) Aiden has known there was something special about her. In-between their budding relationship his family (well his father), an ex he can’t get away from, and corporate embezzlement could tear them apart unless Jenifer can Trust him.
I’m totally in love with Aidan where can I find one of him? (Shhh don’t tell my husband I said that) ;) Great story with an interesting plot line. Loved Sarah and Chrìs’s banter it helped lighten up the story so further down the line it didn’t seem so dark. It was easy to get into the roles of the characters especially what kind of smart ass remarks I would make to Alistair for Jeni. The story draws you in and doesn’t wanna let you go.
- Maria Trojanowski
I really enjoyed this book. It started off as a boy meets girl type of romance but picked up really quick and evolved into more than just your average romance about trusting men. Can I have book 2 Like now?!?! Great book with a hot, sexy, sweet guy!! Looking for a new book boyfriend.
Check Aiden out!!
- Stephannie Tolitsky
Trust Me?
The Trust Me? Trilogy
By K E Osborn
Copyright 2013 K E Osborn
License Notes: This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. All songs, song titles and lyrics contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.
ISBN: 978-0-9923338-0-5
Book design by Swish Grafix & Web Design
Cover design by Swish Grafix & Web Design
Cover image Copyright 2013 Swish Grafix & Web Design
www.swishgrafix.com.au
Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Coming Soon
Connect with me online
K E Osborn
Dedicated to the best mother a girl could ask for.
Thank you Mummy Poos!
Acknowledgments
First and foremost I want to thank my mother Kaylene Osborn. Without her help and support I’d never have gotten this far! Most authors I’ve seen thank their parents but don’t want them to read their “erotic” works. Without the help and endless efforts from my mother, this book would never have been published, so again Mummy Poos - thank you.
It may seem a little strange that the second person I thank is my gorgeous crazy-mad dog, Bella. Without her constant love and perfect timing distraction tactics, I probably would have overloaded on Aiden and Jeni - so, Bella, thank you for being the most adorable and loving best friend.
To all my friends who tirelessly read and re-read Trust Me? as it was coming to life, I know you’re all probably sick to death of Aiden and Jeni by now, but without your guidance and help, it wouldn’t be as fulfilling as it is.
Marni - THANK YOU! You were one of those who read and re-read every time I made a change and truly made my day with text messages asking to read it again because you were having withdrawals. You truly made my day with that one.
Kim - thank you for your thoughts and ideas to help me through this process and for all the laughter you bring me every time we talk. You are a great friend and I’d be lost without you.
Trudy, no one read this book quicker than you. Thank you for your kind words and for giving me the confidence to admit that this book might actually be okay.
Kelly - You’ve helped me so much with getting this book out there. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for answering all my millions of questions, even if some were completely ridiculous. Without your help and support, I would have been lost. THANK YOU!
To Devin, my editor, Thank you so much for helping my book reach its full potential. Thank you for putting up with the endless emails from me and always being happy to answer any questions I had. You’re a rock star!
To my BETA readers (in no particular order) Alison, Joanna, Stephanie, Maria, Kristine, Melinda, Jennifer, Melissa, Deborah and Laura. I thank you sincerely for your efforts and constructive criticism. Your help made this book readable.
Shannon, thank you for helping me with the giveaways for this book. Without your help the bookmarks wouldn’t be available. I really do appreciate everything you have done.
Last of all, I want to thank YOU, the reader. Aiden’s and Jeni’s journey is just beginning. As you follow these two people who overcome all the odds and still find their way to each other, I know you will fall in love with them as I have.
Stay tuned because Book II Love Me? of The Trust Me? Trilogy is on its way!
Thank you,
Much love
K E Osborn
xoxo
Trust-n.
1 Firm belief in the reliability, truth, or strength etc, of a person or thing.
2 Confident expectation.
3 Obligation or responsibility (for a thing or person committed to one’s care) (have fulfilled my trust).
Pocket Oxford Dictionary Fourth Edition / www.dictionary.com
Chapter 1
It’s a warm evening. Everyone around me at the party is wearing short shorts, skimpy tops and showing as much flesh as they can get away with without being illegal. I’m contemplating whether or not to get a drink when I look up and find myself surrounded by people I don’t know, except for my best friend, Sarah, sitting next to me and, let’s just say, occupied.
I’m the only single person at the party. It’s starting to get late, and I’m sick of sitting with my cell phone playing on Facebook, waiting for someone to come and talk to me. I don’t know why I always think someone will surely come and talk to me when no one ever does.
I cough purposely to get Sarah’s attention through her intimate lip-locking with some guy. I talk loudly to be heard over the lousy music that’s playing.
“I’m leaving.”
She puts her hand up to shoo me away.
“See you at home then.”
She signals the thumbs-up, and that’s my cue to leave.
Sarah Carlisle is strik
ingly gorgeous - long, wavy brown hair, tall, thin, tanned, everything I’m not. The guys love her, and she loves them too. Me, on the other hand, I’m no oil painting, plain and boring. I’m short, have long blonde hair, and am not voluptuous, but I am curvy. In fact, I’m nothing special, just Jenifer, your average girl-next-door. I have a great job, which I’ve had for two years, as a receptionist at an automotive repair shop. ADF Automotive Repairs is not too far from home in the big city of Mornington Vale, California, where I live with Sarah and her entourage of guys who come and stay, sometimes for a couple weeks, sometimes a couple days or for the night, depending on how good they are in bed. Sarah’s house, bought by her parents, is medium sized; it’s amazing how easily you can hear from one end of the house to the other. I don’t mind though. The guys are always nice to me when we bump into each other at all hours of the night. Normally they walk in on me in the bathroom. For some reason, men don’t like to knock.
I haven’t had a boyfriend or even a potential boyfriend for nearly three years since He Who Shall Not Be Named, as Sarah calls my ex, stealing the line from Harry Potter. We met when we were eighteen, and we were together for five years. It wasn’t the best relationship in the world; he was overly controlling and insanely jealous. He controlled every aspect of my life, including my bank account, and would let me have only small amounts of money. I could never buy anything I wanted for myself, even though it was my money. He would tell me what I could and couldn’t eat for every meal, even down to what snacks I could have. There was even a time when he would set the temperature of my shower. He couldn’t stand me complaining, which I did often, probably due to the fact that my whole life was being dictated to me. He would go out all the time without me and then yell and scream when I’d question where he’d been and who he’d been with. After five years of being together and submitting to his every command, and dealing with his overactive thoughts of me betraying him, he strayed and left me for the girl he cheated with. Even though our relationship was never hearts and flowers it left me shattered and heartbroken because, controlling and demanding as he was, I loved him. Since then, I haven’t trusted men. I figure if you don’t date then you can’t get hurt. It’s as simple as that.
* * *
I slap the cell phone, wondering why the alarm won’t turn off, and open my eyes to another day, a day just like any other, or so I thought. I finally look at my cell phone and turn off the alarm. With a big sigh, I stretch and sit up in the bed and take a couple of minutes getting my bearings. I’m exhausted from last night’s party, even though all I did was play on my cell phone. I mean who has a party on a Sunday?
I get up and put on my robe. I’ve learned this is a good idea since I never know who is going to be in the kitchen. As I thought, Sarah’s guy from the party is here, in boxer shorts, making coffee. He turns around to see me gawking at his masculine physique. My mood shifts from complete exhaustion to intrigued and slightly happy. I knew he was a looker at the party, but now he’s standing in our kitchen half-naked with disheveled shoulder-length blond hair. His green eyes shine brightly in the light. He has broad shoulders leading down to his ripped stomach like a Greek god. His glowing skin is completely tanned, and drop-dead sexy. Somehow I manage to close my mouth.
“Good morning,” he says.
“Uh-huh,” I say, walking past him with my head down and a smile that I hope he doesn’t see. Making my way to the fridge, I open it to grab some milk for my coffee, only to find he’s used the last of it. My mood shifts to being annoyed. I glare at him.
“Sorry, I used all the milk,” he says with a cheeky smile.
“So I see.”
He shrugs and takes his coffee back to Sarah’s room.
I’m getting ready for work, without my breakfast. I figure since it’s warm today I’ll wear my new white blouse and black knee-length skirt to work. Through the closed door, I can hear Sarah and Mr. Drop-Dead-Sexy Milk Stealer giggling and mucking around in her room. I shake my head. I’m glad she’s having a good time.
“Hey, Sarah, I’m leaving for work. Have a great day.”
I decide to drive through McDonald’s to get a coffee.
“That will be a dollar fifty, thank you. Would you like anything else with your order today?” I feel like saying “if I wanted something else I would’ve asked for it!” But I restrain myself; I’m not normally this moody.
I start the commute to work in my new Chevy Spark. I love my car, especially since it’s in my favorite color—pink. I put the radio on, hoping for some uplifting music to cheer me up. Taylor Swift sings about breaking up. Normally I’d be singing along. It always reminds me of my ex and how we are never getting back together. It’s like my own personal anthem, but today, for some reason, I feel an overwhelming sense of loss and loneliness. Tears well in my eyes as I think of He Who Shall Not Be Named, and I start to sob uncontrollably. It’s making it hard to drive as the tears flow down my cheeks and blur my vision. I wipe my eyes with a tissue, hoping I don’t smudge my makeup.
I start to calm down as the song finishes. I take a sip of my coffee and eventually relax. I’m almost at work; it’s only one block away as I pull up at the traffic lights, and I hear a screech followed by a loud bang. The car behind me crashes into the rear end of my car with another loud bang. I jolt forward, spilling my coffee all over my new white blouse.
“For fucks sake.”
A chain collision. Great! Just what I need.
I get out of my car as the two drivers of the other damaged vehicles are exchanging insurance details. I look down to see my new white blouse and part of my skirt are covered with a colossal coffee stain. To top it off, I’m going to be late for work, and I’m burned. Perfect! I should have a flashing neon sign saying Beware on my forehead because I’m not in the mood for any nonsense and likely to snap at the nearest person.
Luckily the hit wasn’t bad, a few minor dents and scratches. I lean up against the side panel as the man who rear-ended my car walks over to me. I feel myself getting angrier and angrier with each step he takes. It boils over, and I point at him and start my tirade of abuse.
“You men are all the same. You’re all bad drivers, you know that? If you’d stayed back far enough when you pulled up behind me, when you got hit you wouldn’t have hit me, you moron. Look at me. Look what you did. My coffee spilled all over me, and I have to go to work, which I’m now late for, thanks to you and Mr. Bad Drivers Anonymous over there...
“Why are you all staring at me? Haven’t you seen an angry woman before?”
I let out a big sigh. I can feel the tears starting to well again, but there’s no way I’m letting this A-hole get the better of me.
“Sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have stopped so close to your car. I’m sorry about the coffee. Are you okay?” he asks.
I huff.
“I’ll buy you some new clothes and pay for the damages to your car and—”
“I don’t need your charity, thank you. The insurance company will cover the damages anyway.” I give him my details. I don’t bother getting his. I figure since he crashed into me, he can sort it out, and I wanted out of there as soon as possible.
“And you’re a douche bag too!” I yell out to the guy who is the instigator of the accident. I get back into my car, slamming the door.
* * *
I pull up at the driveway at work, feeling like an idiot for acting the way I did in front of strangers. What’s wrong with me today? My boss, Melinda Starke, is waiting for me in the parking lot. I’m never late for work. She’s probably worried considering I’m now nearly an hour late. I park my Chevy as Mel rushes over to me.
“Are you okay?”
I start to ramble. “Sarah’s stupid Greek god used all the milk, which meant I had no breakfast. Then the coffee went all over me from the crash and—”
“What? You had a car crash? Oh my god, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just a little rattled.” I give Mel a rundown of the accident an
d she agrees to take a look at the damage.
“Come inside so we can get you cleaned up.”
After spending some time in the bathroom trying to wash the coffee stain from my clothes, I make my way to my desk. I start to think what a bad day this has been. And it’s only ten a.m.
I sit down at my desk, turn on my computer, and open my email program to get started on my workload when the phone rings.
“Good morning. ADF Automotive Repairs, Jeni speaking.”
A man’s deep, sexy voice politely says, “Hi, Jeni, my name’s Aiden O’Connell. Unfortunately, I’ve been in a minor car accident, and I was wondering if I could make an appointment to have my car repaired?”
I find myself lost in his sensual voice, and it takes a few seconds to realize he’s stopped talking. I shake my head to snap out of my reverie.
“Of course.” I check our availability. “We’ve had a cancellation this afternoon; we can fit you in for a consultation. One of our mechanics and body repairers can take a look at your vehicle and give you an estimate.” I sigh as I manage to snap myself back into reality.
“Sounds good. What time?”
I find myself starting to imagine what this man looks like, maybe a blond jock type.
“Say about two p.m. Bob and Mark will be free then. Please park your vehicle in the parking lot at the front. Then come into the main office and ask for Jeni. I’ll get it all sorted out for you.”
He didn’t need to come into the main office. He could go straight to the repair shop, but I wanted to see who this mystery man was.
“Great, see you soon.”
I smile a huge childish grin. “See you at two p.m., Mr. O’Connell.” and we both hang up. I continue on with the invoicing.
I don’t know why I’m so excited to see this Aiden O’Connell. I know nothing about him, other than his voice is mesmerizing. I spend the next few hours invoicing and photocopying, and then I decide to email Sarah to see how things are going at home.
