Love Me? The Trust Me? Trilogy

by K E Osborn

  I make my way to the bathroom. I see Callie is walking down the hall toward me, and I notice the effects of the alcohol are starting to hit me hard.

  "Oh, Jeni, I want to thank you again for saving my Aiden. You really are an angel." She hugs me and continues down the hallway. I try to steady myself on the wall. I giggle; the wall seems to be doing a good job of holding me up while I continue my way to the bathroom. On my way back, I see Aiden looking for me. I smile at him while I continue to use the wall to steady myself. He chuckles and walks briskly toward me.

  "Are you drunk, Miss Taylor?" he asks as he takes hold of me.

  "Drunk with love." I giggle.

  "That's a yes then. I think maybe we should head home. What do you think?"

  I stare into those eyes, his bright blue eyes, no longer sad and depressed. "Aiden, you big stud, take me to bed or lose me forever," I say, quoting a famous line from one of Sarah's and my favorite movies, Top Gun.

  He looks at me strangely.

  "Then you're supposed to say, 'Show me the way home, baby.'" He laughs then furrows his brows, clearly not getting it.

  "Duh, it's from Top Gun, remember?"

  "I've never seen Top Gun."

  I'm shocked. "What? Take me home now, and we can watch it." I laugh as my hiccups resurface.

  "You're hilarious when you're drunk." He puts his arm around me and walks us back to the living room.

  "Guys, I have to get this one home."

  I hiccup and start to giggle.

  "Jeni, are you wasted again?" Chris asks.

  Aiden nods slightly.

  I slap him on the chest and laugh. "I not am. No, I am not; yeah, that's what I meant."

  Brielle, Benjamin, and Blair burst out laughing as Aiden bends down and picks me up, cradling me to his chest. I squeal and wrap my arms around his neck.

  "Thanks, guys. I'll see you all soon."

  "I love you all," I say, waving goodbye, still in his grasp.

  Sarah and Chris say their farewells following us out so they can pick up Chris' car from our apartment.

  Mike opens the car door. Sarah climbs in first, and then Aiden slides me across the seat next to her while I laugh uncontrollably. Chris sits in the front, and Aiden glides in next to me. Sarah pulls my legs onto her lap, and my head lies back in his lap. I'm stretched out across my best friend and boyfriend as we drive home.

  ***

  Once we are back at the apartment, Aiden helps me sit up. I giggle at nothing in particular. He quietly glides out of the car; I follow, stumbling toward the door, hitting my head as I try to fumble my way out.

  "Ouch!" I rub my head.

  Sarah giggles at me. "See what happens when you don't eat much and then drink, Jeni?"

  I screw my face up at her and say, "Shh, quiet time."

  Aiden bends and lifts me up in his strong, masculine arms.

  "Whoa!"

  Sarah and Chris both laugh at me.

  "You're cute, Sarah, and, Chris, you're sexy," I yell out as they walk toward their car.

  "Bye, Jeni, have a good sleep," Sarah replies.

  "Chris is sexy, huh?" He carries me to the elevator with a big smirk on his face.

  "Yup, but you're my man. I wouldn't eat or talk or anything while you were gone." I giggle to myself. Hiccup.

  His brow scrunches, a look of pain sweeps across his face. "I think I'd better get you into bed," he says quietly, moving my happy mood to somber. He carries me all the way from the parking garage to the bedroom. "I see you've had someone else keeping you warm at night?" he asks laying me down next to my teddy bear, Mr. Snuggles.

  Hiccup. "I missed you."

  He frowns as he sits on the bed next to me. "I missed you too, more than you'll ever know. Why didn't you eat while I was gone? I told you to eat every time you came to see me at the penitentiary."

  I bite my bottom lip in reaction. "Wasn't hungry?"

  He frowns at me. "Baby, you look pale. Are you hungry now?"

  "I could eat."

  He stands quickly and walks out of the room. I giggle and get comfortable on the bed, cuddling Mr. Snuggles. He walks back in with a bowl of cereal and a big glass of water with some painkillers on a tray. I sit up on the bed.

  "Breakfast in bed, huh?"

  "Yeah, at ten thirty at night."

  I take the bowl of cereal and start to eat it while he gets undressed. I watch him take off his clothes, and I wipe the imaginary drool from my chin.

  "I'm going to have a real shower," he says to me and walks into the en-suite.

  I continue to eat my cereal and drink the entire glass of water, swallowing the painkillers in preparation for my impending headache. I hear the shower turn on. The apartment doesn't feel quite so lonely any more. I finish my cereal, put the tray on the floor, and walk into the en-suite. He's still in the shower, all lathered up with shampoo; I sit myself on the bench opposite and watch him. It's good to have him home. He turns around and jumps when he sees me staring at him.

  "Jeni, you scared me."

  "You scared me," I say quietly back to him, thinking about the court case.

  He opens the door of the shower and looks at me. I bite my bottom lip. Memories fill my head of him being dragged away from me. He steps out of the shower, spilling water all over the floor. He takes my hand in his. "I'm sorry you went through that, but knowing you trusted that I was innocent is what got me through the days in there."

  Looking up at him a tear forms in my eye and rolls down my cheek. He senses my emotional state and pulls me from the bench into a hug. I hold onto him as his arms wrap around me tightly.

  "Don't ever leave me again," I whisper to him.

  He nuzzles into my hair. "Never."

  I feel him start to shiver from the cold. "Get back in the shower. You must be freezing." He smiles mischievously at me, pulling me closer to him.

  "What are you up to, Mr. O'Connell?"

  Unexpectedly he pulls me, fully clothed, into the shower with him. I squeal and try to fight as he drags me under the warm water. He laughs hysterically. I stop fighting and let the water run over me. It feels great. He continues to laugh, shutting the shower door and he lets go of me. I look at him, pretending to be angry, but, as always, he calls my bluff.

  "You really are adorable when you pretend to be angry."

  He leans in and kisses me softly. I remove my drenched clothes and throw them into the spa bath in the corner, leaving us completely naked. Together at last.

  Chapter 2

  He's wrapped around me, our legs tangled in each other's as he sleeps soundly nuzzled into my hair. He's home, safe and in my arms. Technically, I'm in his arms, but that's beside the point. I turn to face him untangling our legs. I gently stroke his cheek with my fingers. He looks peaceful, still and, for the first time in weeks, calm. I gently kiss his lips. He stirs. I smirk and then kiss him repeatedly until a smile forms on his face and he kisses me back.

  "Now that's a wake-up call." He smiles at me, and his perfectly bright blue eyes stare into mine. "God, I missed this!" he exclaims, stroking my arm as I lean over him.

  "I missed you more."

  He leans forward and kisses me. I push him back to the bed and move so I'm straddling him. He puts his hands on my ass as I sit on top of him.

  "I missed this too, and you, of course."

  I lean forward so I'm resting on his chest; he moves my hair away from my face and kisses the top of my head.

  "I love you so much," he whispers.

  I sit up and stare at him, my hands on his chest. "I love you more than you know." I bend down and kiss him. He holds me to him as we kiss each other sensually. Swiftly, he takes hold of my back and shifts me over so that I'm beneath him. His arm rests next to my head, supporting his weight. His other hand holds my face, kissing me strongly as I feel his weight on me. It feels so good.

  I wrap my leg around his back, pulling his hips closer to mine. He kisses me passionately and forcefully, with need, such need I've not felt b
efore. This is so intense. His hand moves from my face to my breast. He gently massages, pulling at my nipple and rolling it in his fingers. Still kissing me, he moves his hand from my breast down my stomach to my hip then down there. His finger slowly rotates on my clitoris. We stop kissing, but our lips still touch, and my breathing increases.

  He whispers, "You are my world," into my mouth.

  I moan in response. His pace quickens on my clitoris, causing my breathing to escalate. Suddenly he pushes two fingers inside me. The motion of his fingers in and out, in and out, causes me to quiver with his touch. His kisses are more forceful than before. He continues his pace in and out. I feel it. The heat rises from within as my breathing hitches. I start to moan with pleasure at the increasing intensity. My back arches, and my body shakes uncontrollably.

  "Oh, Jeni," he moans into my mouth then he kisses me attentively.

  I moan loudly as he pushes into me harder and faster. My hands grasp his biceps while my nails dig into his skin. "Ooh, Aiden," I scream coming apart beneath him, shaking and breathing erratically.

  He pulls his fingers out and puts his full weight on me. I feel the head of his erection sliding against me. He shifts my legs farther apart with his knees. His arms hold him up either side of my shoulders. He eases himself inside. We both moan when he enters. The feeling is so strong. He leans down and kisses me while he starts his rhythm. My hands move to his back. I hold him tight to me as he moves inside me over and over again, my hips meeting his. With every thrust he makes, our breathing escalates. He increases his kiss forcefully, and I can't help it a moan escapes me into his mouth. A bead of sweat tops his brow and we get lost in each other, panting and moaning at the pleasure unfolding inside us. Our lips meet again but don't kiss as we breathe in staccato. The feeling is immense. He's so completely satisfying, as his erection thrusts inside me endlessly. He moans when I tighten my muscles around him. His eyes close at the pleasure, and he moves his head to the side of my neck, kissing me attentively. I feel it again. Heat rises quickly this time as I react to his movements. My breathing hitches, my back arches, and I moan loudly. I climax under him. This one is different; the intense feeling rolls through me.

  "Aiden, ahh..." I scream, the feeling lasts far longer than normal. He moves his hips in such a way that it sets me off again. My breathing slows as I come down from my third high. I feel weak beneath him, but he doesn't stop.

  "Jeni," he moans. He continues to thrust in and out of me, moving in such a way that it sends me into bliss one last time. I stiffen digging my nails into his back. The heat rises. He pauses. I tighten my muscles around his erection. He scrunches his face in that delicious way that I love as he unloads himself inside me with a drawn-out moan.

  He rests his entire body on mine, completely worn out. Our breathing is rushed and harsh. He slowly pulls his head up to meet mine and kisses me softly.

  "I'm so in love with you, Jeni," he whispers through staggered breaths. He kisses me again. I murmur it back through our lazy kiss. He continues to stare at me; our breathing slows gradually to a normal pace. He strokes my face with the back of his hand as he rests over me on his elbow. Still looking at me, he raises his eyebrows.

  "Now that's a welcome-home present. Maybe I should go away more often?" he jokes then I pull his lips back to mine. He slowly pulls out of me and lies next to me on his back. I turn toward him and snuggle up to his chest.

  "Way better than Mr. Snuggles."

  "Oh, now, now, Mr. Snuggles has feelings too," he says jokingly. My core aches, in that good way, and I know I'm not done. I move my hand down to his manhood. He looks at me and chuckles.

  "Again?"

  I move my hand up and down his shaft, it quickly becomes erect again. He breathes slowly with his eyes closed as I pleasure him. I sit up suddenly, making him open his eyes. I maneuver myself on top, and he holds onto my hips as I lower myself onto him. We both moan with pleasure while I move up and down.

  ***

  Most of the day is spent in bed, making love. We pause for a break here and there and are then back at it again. It's like we can't get enough of each other. The day turns into night; we finally part and lay on the bed completely exhausted. He takes my hand in his, and we fall asleep.

  We wake to the sound of Aiden's cell phone ringing. Both of us feel dazed and confused, but he picks up his cell phone, sitting up as he answers.

  "Hello," he says, rubbing his eyes. "Hi, Mom, yeah, sorry. Jeni and I ... slept all day. Oh, that's great news." He covers the phone and looks at me. "They got Matthew and Rachelle."

  I look at him, grin, and rub his back.

  "Yeah, sure, when? On Monday, yeah, I guess that would be fine. Yes, Mom, I will. I'm sure she says hi back. I will. Thanks, Mom. Tell Father thanks too. Yes, I know. I love you too. Bye, Mom." He hangs up the phone, and flops back on the bed, putting his phone on the side table. I rest myself against his chest. "She said Father wants us to go back to work on Monday."

  "Are you alright with that?"

  "Yeah, I'm fine with that if you are. I want to do whatever makes you happy." He kisses the top of my head. "It'll be strange without Matthew and Rachelle there."

  I wince at the mention of their names. "I'm fine with going back to work babe." I look over to the clock; it's eight thirty p.m. We've been in bed all day. I laugh to myself.

  "What's funny?" he asks, bemused.

  "Its eight thirty p.m. We've officially been in bed for nearly twenty hours. No wonder I'm so hungry."

  "Hmm. Maybe it's time to get up then?" He lifts me with him as he sits up in the bed.

  "Get dressed into something nice. We're going out," he says heading to the en-suite.

  My body aches as I hobble to the closet. I pull out some underwear and a bra, put them on, followed by a little black dress with my low heels.

  He walks into the closet and slaps me on my ass as he walks past.

  "Ouch!" I punch him in the arm softly.

  He takes my hand, kissing my knuckles.

  "Where are we going?" Curiosity is getting the better of me.

  "Somewhere we were meant to have dinner and didn't get a chance."

  I know instantly. He's talking about the Intercontinental Hotel. We were meant to go there for dinner one night, but during the day Aiden and his father had a fight about the investigation, causing him to completely annihilate himself with whisky and pretzels. Needless to say, neither of us had dinner that night.

  He pulls out a pair of black suit pants and a pinstriped shirt, putting them on without underwear. I shake my head.

  We head down the elevator where Mike is waiting for us in the parking garage. We get into the car, and Mike drives us to the hotel. I sit next to him in the center, and he sits next to the window. His hand holds mine; our fingers interlaced the entire way. We arrive, exit, and he directs me to the elevator, his hand guiding me in the small of the back. I'm so glad he's home; it's been a tough time for both of us. A young couple exits the elevator as we step in. The girl's hair is messed up with that just-fucked look; they both look overly guilty. I look at him, knowing exactly what they have been up to. The door closes, and we both laugh. He looks at me with those seductive bright blue eyes, smoldering with intense lust for me.

  "Don't you even think about it, Mr. O'Connell." I quickly squash any thoughts he may have had about taking advantage of me in the elevator.

  We arrive at the top floor of the Intercontinental. The doors open to a restaurant that has an air of sophistication. The room is white with soft mood lighting. Tiny crystal lights on strings hang from the ceiling, giving it a magical look. Soft music plays in the background. I stare in awe at the beauty of this room. A full-length window is in front of me, showing the night sky above and the Mornington Vale city lights below. My eyes open wide when I see all the sophisticated people sitting at their tables.

  "This is pretty posh."

  "It may look posh, but it's actually really nice. My mom used to bring us here when we were kid
s."

  I look up at him and try to picture him as a young boy.

  "Hello, Mr. O'Connell, a table for two?" the maître d' asks when we reach him.

  "Yes, thank you."

  The maître d' takes us to a table in the back of the room, next to the window. "Your menus are on the table. A waiter will be with you shortly to take your orders."

  "Thank you, Thomas." He obviously knows him well. Aiden pulls out my chair for me to sit down. He walks around and sits in his chair, then reaches over the table to take my hand in his.

  I feel so out of place. I'm not used to being taken out to a restaurant like this.

  He smiles at me tenderly. My knees feel weak, even though I'm sitting.

  "I'm starving."

  We let each other's hands go and take a look at the menu. Everything is very fancy. I've no idea what most of it means. I think maybe it's in French or something.

  "I've no idea what any of this is," I whisper to him.

  He chuckles. "Neither did I when I came here as a child. I'll order for you if you like." He shuts his menu and I look at him with a worried look.

  "Don't worry. I won't order the escargot."

  "I trust you."

  He looks elated. I'm guessing because I used my forbidden word, trust. The waiter moves to our table and takes our order. We talk generally about how much we missed and love each other. Our meals are served, and mine is, of course, mouth-wateringly delicious. We eat our meals and drink our expensive champagne. I shift the conversation to something a little more stressful, even though we had a small discussion in bed earlier; I want to watch his reaction. "How do you feel about going back to work on Monday, really?"

  His face crinkles. "Not sure. It'll be strange." I see an anxious look on his face. He shifts in his seat, exhales, and bites his lip.

  "Are you sure you're ready to go back?"

  "You'll be there, which helps considerably. I'm sure I'll be fine. You always tend to keep me focused on the important things."

  I hold his hand tighter.

  "Are you ready to go back to your job with us?"