Trust Me (The Trust Me Series Book 1)

by K E Osborn

  “C’mon, woman, feed me,” he grumbles as he slaps me on the ass for good measure. Being like this, in this happy place with Aiden, makes all the drama surrounding us worth it. Because us like this is so fucking good.

  I walk out to the kitchen, and we raid his cupboards in search of something to eat. There’s not much, so we decide on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It may not be luxury, but we don’t need riches, we simply need each other.

  But it still makes me giggle as I watch Aiden’s delectable lips wrap around his sandwich. “I didn’t picture you as a peanut-butter-and-jelly kind of guy.”

  “Oh, really? What do you picture me as?”

  I shrug. “More the caviar-on-croutons kind.” I laugh.

  “Only on special occasions,” he mocks, moving in and hugging me from behind.

  I turn my head and kiss his cheek. “Are you feeling better?”

  “Yeah, thanks for being here. It means a lot to me.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” I casually inhale another mouthful of my sandwich. “Oh, and thanks for the flowers, but you don’t need to keep sending them.”

  “I’m glad you love them. So, get used to the attention. You’ll be having flowers delivered every Monday. That’s a promise.” I roll my eyes thinking he’s joking. “No, I mean it. It’s so you’ll never forget how much you’re loved.”

  I shake my head. “I know how much you love me. Don’t waste your money.”

  “It’s not a waste of money. It’s a done deal. Flowers every Monday, no arguments.”

  “You’ll get sick of it eventually.”

  “Is that a challenge, Miss Taylor?” He grins from ear to ear.

  “Take it how you will.” I laugh.

  “You’re on.” His eyes seem to light up and sparkle again.

  Oh, how I love light-hearted Aiden.

  He appears much calmer than he has been in the past twenty-four hours, and with everything going on in his life right now, I’m glad I can give him a little reprieve from the drama that’s surrounding him.

  We spend the rest of the day on the sofa watching movies as Aiden holds me tight the entire time. His phone rings at various times throughout the day, but he totally ignores it, eventually putting it on silent.

  The evening arrives, and I start to feel famished again when my stomach growls.

  “Hungry?” Aiden asks, holding me tightly.

  “A little.”

  He picks up his phone, and I see the screen. There are thirteen missed calls. I bite my bottom lip, wondering if I should say something. I decide not to, letting him deal with it in his own way. He dials a number, and I hear the ringing on the other end, then someone picks it up, and it’s placed on speakerphone.

  “Hello, sir.”

  “Mike, can we get some takeout? The usual’s fine. Make it for two, please.”

  I wonder what ‘the usual’ might be.

  “Certainly, sir.”

  “Thanks, Mike,” he says and hangs up.

  “Hope you like Indian.”

  I smile and nod. “Love it!”

  We go back to watching the movie, and Mike eventually shows up with our dinner, and we eat together. Time goes by quickly, and soon it’s quite late, and since we both have work tomorrow, Aiden takes me home.

  Mike pulls up in front of my house, and Aiden walks me to my door, holding my heels and black dress as I fumble—like always—to get my keys out of my bag. Finally, I manage to find them, and we enter the house and step inside. The lights are out. Sarah’s obviously gone to bed as I quietly try to make my way barefoot through the house, but walk straight into the dining table. The harsh push makes it slide across the floor and creak out loud with the movement. I stop mid-stride and start to giggle as Aiden takes my hand, walking me to my room.

  How does he know my house in the dark better than I do?

  He turns on the light, placing my shoes on the floor and my dress on my bed. Taking me in his arms, his grip is strong as he kisses me again.

  “I love you, Aiden,” I say after he ends our kiss.

  He breathes slowly, closing his eyes, his head pressed against my forehead. “I love you more than anything in this world. You know that, right?”

  I get the feeling he hasn’t said that to many, if any, and that sets my heart to fluttering. “I know.” With a deep breath, I watch his eyes open, and he’s staring straight into mine.

  “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I see his angst returning.

  “Aiden, you’ll be fine,” I try to reassure him.

  “I know, but I’m not looking forward to the fallout and accompanying argument with Father as to my whereabouts today.”

  “Guess that’s going to be inevitable but don’t worry about it until you get to work. Try to get a good night’s sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Are you still coming here to stay the night?”

  “I’ll be here, straight after work.”

  I hug him once more as we walk to the front door, missing the table this time. I give him a goodbye kiss, and he leaves.

  I can’t help but wonder if Aiden is going to be all right. Or if he is heading down a path of self-destruction caused by the father from hell.

  The following weeks are filled with the usual routine, and on the weekends, I stay at Aiden’s apartment, eventually finding a permanent spot for a toothbrush in his ensuite and a home for some other things as well.

  He stays at my house every Wednesday, and he also has a place for his bathroom essentials and somewhere for his clothes. My feelings for him grow with every touch, kiss, and heartbeat. I know he’s truly mine, and I’m truly his. The hype over the investigation at Aiden’s work dwindles slightly. The detectives are getting closer, but there’s still more than one suspect.

  The only problem, Aiden’s constantly on edge about the whole thing.

  And to be honest, so am I.

  The weeks have moved along so fast, and everything is going freaking great. We’re spending our first Christmas together.

  The chill in the air makes me pull on the covers, but I can’t wait a second longer. I’ve been waiting for this day for what seems like an eternity—my first Christmas morning with Aiden—and now it’s here!

  “Merry Christmas, Aiden!” I chime as I reach my hand under the bed to pull out his present. His eyes bulge when he sees the big package in front of him, wrapped up in silver and blue paper with a big bow on top. He picks up the box, shakes it, and listens for movement.

  “I didn’t know what to get you. There are a few things. Open it.” I beam excitedly.

  He tears into the paper to find a box filled with gifts. There are a couple of shirts, various ties in different colors, the complete series of The Game of Thrones—a television show he seems obsessed with and watches every time it comes on, even though he’s already seen every episode—and a framed photograph of us at Skye’s birthday party.

  “Thanks, I love this.” He holds up the picture frame. It’s the same one I have in my room.

  He bends over and pulls out two small rectangular presents from his bedside table wrapped in silver and pink wrapping paper with little bows on top.

  I bite my bottom lip in excitement as he hands me the gifts, and I tear the paper on the first one to reveal a light blue Tiffany & Co. bracelet box. “Aiden! This is too expensive.”

  “I like to spoil my girl,” he replies.

  I take in a deep breath and open the box to a white-gold chain bracelet with ‘xoxo’ as a centerpiece glistening in the light. “Oh my God, I love it.” I take the bracelet out of the box and inspect it closely. It’s such a sweet gift, and I’m so happy he chose it for me.

  “It reminded me of the text message you sent me after our first date when you put the ‘xoxo’ for the first time at the end of the message.”

  I chuckle. “I remember… thank you.” He places it around my wrist carefully. “I was so worried I’d been overly affectionate at the time.”

  “Well, it made my night w
hen I saw those little kisses and hugs. Now open the other one.”

  I smile like a Cheshire cat and tear the wrapping to find another light blue Tiffany & Co. box. “Aiden!” I scowl, furrowing my eyebrows but following it with a smile.

  “Just open it.”

  Opening the box quickly, I find a matching necklace in white gold with ‘xoxo’ as the centerpiece.

  “This is too much.”

  “You’re worth every cent.”

  “I feel bad. My presents suck compared to this.”

  “I love them all but the photo… it’s the perfect gift. It’ll look awesome on my desk at work, where I’ll be reminded every day how lucky I was to find you.” He strokes my arm.

  I lean forward on my knees and hug him. “I really, really, love your gifts, Aiden. Thank you so much.” I sit back on my feet and hand the necklace to him. Lifting my hair out of the way, he places the necklace carefully around my neck and fastens the clip.

  Honestly, I couldn’t be more in love with him right now if I tried.

  He is amazing.

  We get dressed and head over to my mother’s for Christmas lunch.

  “Just letting you know that Mom can be a little quirky, but it’s one of the things I love most about her.”

  We pull up in front of Mom’s apartment building in Aiden’s Aston Martin. Taking Mom’s present with me, we slide out of the car, walk to the door, and press the doorbell.

  “Coming,” she yells as she runs for the door. We hear a bang, then something falls and crashes onto the floor. “Oh, crap.”

  I glance at Aiden and laugh as Mom swings open the door swiping down her dress. “Sweetheart, I’ve missed you. I’m glad you’re here. Merry Christmas.” She leans forward hugging me tightly.

  “Merry Christmas, Mom.” I embrace her. “Mom, this is Aiden.”

  Still holding onto me, she looks up at Aiden. “Aiden, it’s nice to meet you. I’ll hug you in a minute, I need my Jeni fix first.”

  “Mom!”

  She huffs and finally lets me go and moves in to embrace Aiden. “Hello, Ms. Taylor,” Aiden states kindly as she hugs him tightly, his eyes bulging at her strength.

  I roll my eyes and give a slight shake of my head.

  “Please call me Ev. Ms. Taylor is so formal, and Evelyn makes me sound so old.” She laughs. “Come inside, you two. I have a roast turkey in the oven. I hope you’re both hungry?”

  We step into Mom’s small, one-bedroom apartment which has a tiny backyard for her dog.

  “Where’s Bella, Mom?”

  “Ha! The naughty girl stole a piece of ham while I was cutting it, so she’s been banished to the backyard.”

  Aiden and I both smile as we make our way to the kitchen still carrying her present. I place it gently on the kitchen counter. “Do you need a hand with anything, Mom?”

  Aiden caresses my back tenderly as Mom shakes her head. “Nope, you two lovebirds sit at the table. Lunch is ready.”

  “Mom, let me help.” I pick up the vegetables and take them to the table.

  “Fine, if you must. Aiden, sit.” Aiden smirks, doing as he’s told and sits at the round table.

  Mom places the last of the food on the table—turkey and roasted vegetables.

  “This looks lovely, Ev.”

  Mom smiles and pats Aiden on the shoulder. “I want to say thank you, Aiden, for making my baby girl happy. She seems to be back to the cheerful Jeni I know and love so much.” Her eyes begin to glisten and shimmer with tears as I roll my eyes in embarrassment.

  “She makes me unbelievably happy, too, Ev.”

  “Okay, okay, you two. Enough of the ‘We Love Jeni Appreciation Society’ please,” I mumble as I start to load up my plate with turkey and the dressings. They both chuckle as we go about eating our lunch and chatting endlessly.

  “That was delicious. How did you make that stuffing?” Aiden asks Mom as I take our empty plates to the sink.

  I leave them talking as I start to clean the kitchen. Bella’s playing with her ball as I glance out the kitchen window, the soap on the dish slipping in my grip as I lose concentration. I accidentally drop a plate on the floor, smashing it into pieces. A shard bounces up and cuts my leg, sending a sharp pain through me. “Ah, fuck,” I blurt out loudly.

  “Jeni, language,” Mom scolds as they both rush into the kitchen.

  “You okay?” Aiden winces as he hurries toward me, seeing the blood dripping down my leg. “Jeni, you’re bleeding.” He kneels on the floor and wraps a napkin around the wound while Mom cleans up the porcelain with a dustpan and broom.

  “It’s just a scratch.” I lean forward to pull out some Band-Aids from the drawer. Mom walks in, but in her haste, trips over Aiden’s feet. I hurriedly put my arms out, catching her, to stop her from falling.

  She rights herself, and pats Aiden on the head. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

  “Now I know where you get your clumsiness from,” Aiden whispers very quietly as he places the Band-Aid over my wound. My clumsiness has always been something my mother and I share. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

  Time passes as we chat about anything and everything. We exchange our presents and realize it’s time to leave for dinner at Aiden’s parents’ house. We say our goodbyes to my eccentric mother and get back into the car, then take off. Not long later, we drive up a cobblestone driveway, and Callie and Niall’s mansion comes into view. The two-story home sits on ten acres of land on the outskirts of Mornington Vale. White fairy lights twinkle in the moonlight across the roofline and down the walls. The trees surrounding the mansion are also covered in twinkling fairy lights giving it a real Christmas feel. The car pulls up next to the others parked in the driveway, and I can’t help it as a rush of nerves filter through me.

  I survey the number of cars with my brow raised. “How many people will be here?”

  He smirks. “A few.” Aiden takes the bags containing the gifts from the car and walks me to the front door.

  Callie’s waiting for us, dressed in a white dress with a red apron and a Christmas headband in her short, blonde hair. She looks the ever-doting Christmas mother. “Aiden, you’re here. And, Jeni… it’s good to see you again.” She takes us both in her arms.

  As we enter the foyer, a giant staircase leads up to the second story. Its rails are made of dark wood, and they twist and line the stairs elegantly. We proceed to the living room where everything’s white—I see a theme here. Everyone’s already seated, exchanging gifts in a happy, jovial fashion.

  “Hi, everyone,” Aiden and I both say in unison.

  Aiden takes the bags of gifts over to the giant Christmas tree which is beautifully decorated in black, silver, and red decorations. It looks magnificent with its twinkling silver lights.

  I try to sit down gracefully on the arm of the sofa and take in the room around me. Nana is next to the tree with Niall and Killian, and on the arm of the chair beside Killian is Daniel. Sitting next to me is Brielle, and then beside her is a young guy I haven’t met, but I assume he’s Brielle’s boyfriend. Callie stands in the doorway next to an older gentleman dressed in chauffeur attire. I’m guessing he’s Niall and Callie’s driver.

  Aiden hands out his gifts to everyone casually, but of course, I didn’t help pick them out or contribute financially toward them. I don’t know these people or what they like—plus, Aiden wouldn’t hear of it. Though, next year, I intend to put my foot down. I want to pay my way if these people are going to be a part of my family.

  The gift-giving continues with expensive, outrageous gifts for everyone, including me, as Callie and Nana move to the kitchen to prepare for dinner. Aiden’s busy talking to Daniel, so I decide to go to the kitchen to see if I can be of any help with the food. When I arrive at the kitchen door, Callie and Nana are talking, so I stand behind the door where they can’t see me.

  “So, they think they know who it is, then?” Nana asks Callie.

  “I believe they have narrowed it down to two people, b
ut they won’t tell Niall who,” Callie replies to Nana.

  “I hope they catch the asshole soon,” Nana snaps.

  “So do I. The stress is unbearable. I don’t know how much more of it Aiden and Niall can take, or me, for that matter. I hope Matthew gets what’s coming to him,” Callie clips sternly.

  They’re talking about the embezzlement case at O’Connell Finance.

  “You believe it’s Matthew?”

  I’m instantly relieved they don’t think it’s Aiden, and even though I’m ninety-nine percent sure it’s not him either, it’s fantastic to hear someone else confirm what I already knew in my heart.

  “I don’t know who else it could be,” Callie replies as Brielle stalks toward me.

  “Hey, Jeni,” Brielle yells, making me jump out of my skin.

  “Hey, Bree.” I walk through the swinging doors of the kitchen, pretending like I just arrived and wasn’t eavesdropping. “Ladies, is there anything I can help with?” I ask Callie and Nana, who abruptly stop talking.

  “Darling, you can take this out to the table if you like.” Nana hands me a large bowl of vegetables.

  Taking a deep breath, I walk to the dining room hoping I got away with it and that Brielle didn’t figure out I was listening in. After placing the vegetables on the table, on my way back to the kitchen to grab some more, movement in the library off to the side catches my attention. I stop to peek around the door frame into the room as Killian—Aiden’s brother—moves toward Daniel. Slowly, their lips join together in a delicate kiss. My hand shoots up to my mouth, and I’m sure my eyes are bulging out of my head as an excited little squeal escapes me. They suddenly break apart to turn and look my way, obviously hearing me as I quickly turn, leaning against the outside wall.

  My heart thuds hoping they didn’t see me. I’m standing here with my hand still covering my mouth when Daniel reaches around the corner, pulling me inside the library. “What did you see?” he commands sternly, holding me tightly at an arm’s length.