Learning to Trust

by Cynthia P. O'Neill

  Everyone’s expressions began to change from smiling to ones of puzzlement; my mom’s mouth actually dropped open, and of course my brother and Freddie were watching Garrett with the utmost condescension. Leave it to my brother to be overprotective. However, I was surprised that Freddie was mirroring his actions, going so far as to cross his arms over his chest.

  I turned to see Garrett smiling warmly at me. “Freddie and my brother, Donny, used to call me that because I never wanted to get out of the pool when I was younger.”

  He looked at me strangely for a second before I realized that introductions were in order.

  “Forgive me, everyone. I need to introduce people. Mom, Dad, Donny and Freddie, this is Garrett Andrews.”

  I was at a loss for words on how to introduce Garrett and was rather thankful when he piped up. “I interviewed Laurel for the company I work for and offered her a position in Orlando,” he supplied, looking at me fondly. “I’m also her boyfriend.”

  I watched in amazement as everyone’s eyes nearly bugged out of their heads. I couldn’t believe he called himself my boyfriend, because that obviously implied that we’re dating, and at the moment we just seem to be friends with tons of benefits.

  There was a long, awkward silence before my father offered his hand and asked, “So Garrett, how long have you two been seeing one another?”

  I looked to him for a response, trying to think of something so say.

  “We met a month ago and had been seeing each other on and off prior to the interview. After the company made her a job offer, I asked her permission to see her outside of work and she finally agreed.”

  Whew. That sounds much better than “I met her last week, I gave her a job, and we’re already sleeping together.” My family seemed to accept the explanation Garrett gave, except Freddie, who kept fidgeting and glaring at him.

  Garrett reached out to shake my mom’s hand, but she quickly pulled him into a hug. “It’s so nice to meet you, Garrett. I hope we’ll get the chance to get to know you better.”

  The arena began to thin out to the point we could leave without getting trampled. My father sidled up to Garrett. “We have reservations at one of the nearby restaurants. Would you care to join us? Let us have a chance to chat a bit?”

  In one respect, I wanted him to join us so he could see what a loving family I come from, but on the other hand, I really wanted to spend some alone time with them. Please say no. I didn’t want to subject him to my family’s potential inquisition.

  “I’d love to, sir. Where are you going? We can meet you there.” He put emphasis on the ‘we’ part and seemed to point that remark in Freddie’s direction.

  Dad gave him the name of the restaurant, along with the address. Before we left, he asked Garrett to take a picture of the whole family, Freddie included, standing with me in my cap and gown, holding my diploma. Dad then took a picture of Garrett and me standing next to one another, sans cap and gown, with his arm around me. When Dad was done with the picture, Garrett leaned in and whispered, “I’d like a copy of that for my desk. So I can look at your beauty all the time,” before planting a kiss on my temple.

  My breath hitched for a moment, not believing what I’d just heard. He wanted a copy of the picture for his desk? My mind felt scattered; his words and signals have been mixed over the past several days.

  I gave my family another hug and told them we would meet them at the restaurant shortly.

  Once we were in the car, Garrett filled me in on what he’d learned about Chase. “We have verification that he’s still at his job in New Jersey. His prints are on the envelope, but there are also some prints from a female and the surveillance video shows a petite, shadowy figure slipping the envelope underneath your door at the dorm.”

  “So someone else is doing his dirty work for him? Why would someone else want to taunt me like this?” I started to tremble, shaking my head with the revelation.

  He pulled me close to his side as Thompson began to drive to The Chowder House. “Maybe he’s just friends with this person and asked her to deliver the card to you as a favor. Or he could have coerced her into doing this; I don’t know. The video does show her head down the entire time, with a hoodie covering it, so we don’t have a visual identification. We’re cross referencing the prints to see if we can find a match and talk to her. My guess is that she was forced to deliver it, with the way she carried herself on video.”

  I relaxed a little knowing that the security detail had been called off and that Chase was nowhere near the area.

  He rubbed his hands up and down my arm. “We’ll be out of here tomorrow and far away from this creep. In light of this new information, I’ll keep your name, and Grace’s, off the apartment lease and keep it in the company’s name. We can pay the rent and you can give me a check made out to the company. We’ll also keep the cell phones in the company’s name, so he can’t track you down that way. Don’t worry, Laurel. I promise to keep you safe.”

  I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.” I leaned into his chest and breathed in his heady smell. The scent of his manly musk and cologne was intoxicating.

  The restaurant was very quaint and I would’ve normally felt overdressed, but other graduates and their families were there, so there was a mixture of attire floating about the room.

  Mom was elated that I’d worn the dress she’d chosen. “I told you that dress looks fabulous on you, Laurel. I love that you were able to find a nice pair of matching shoes and some lovely earrings, too.”

  To my surprise, Garrett fell easily into conversation with my father, asking him about the environmental aspects of engineering and what he did for the firm he worked with. He asked if he could get his card and potentially reference his company, since the Waters Group was looking to be more environmentally friendly. Within no time, he had my father eating out of the palm of his hand.

  My mom was a little more trying, asking Garrett tons of questions about where he lived, how long he worked for the company, and what his interests were in her daughter.

  He answered in stride, as I expected. “I’ve always lived in Central Florida, only leaving long enough to attend Berkley for my undergraduate degree and MIT for my graduate degree in both Business Management and Bio-Medical Engineering. As for my interest in your daughter, I care a great deal for her and would gladly protect her with my life, if needed. But, for now we’re taking things slowly and seeing where things lead.”

  My mother was unable to withstand his impressive charms. My brother and Freddie were another story entirely. Donny wasn’t happy about me being involved with anyone right out of school. He even suggested moving down to the Orlando area himself, to get away from the cold winters and finishing his MBA up at the local university. I couldn’t fathom why he wanted to do this, since Duke was an elite school, but his words seemed to indicate that both he and Freddie were burned out by North Carolina and looking for a change.

  During the course of dinner, I kept feeling one of Garrett’s hands grabbing hold of mine, squeezing it in reassurance. A couple of times I had to slap at his hand, playfully, as it kept traveling up the course of my inner thigh. It was very difficult to keep my thoughts and breathing in tow while we ate, but somehow I managed.

  We ended up having a delicious three-course dinner featuring some of Boston’s greatest seafood delicacies. Garrett offered to pay for the bill, or at least his and my portions, but my parents wouldn’t hear of it. He gave in, but only with the promise that when they came to Orlando, he would have the honor of treating them to a nice meal.

  As we left the restaurant, my mom pulled me to the side. “Laurel, I want you to know that your father and I approve of Garrett; he’s quite the catch. I don’t know exactly what’s going on with you two, but it’s obvious that you have some feelings for him and he can’t seem to take his eyes off of you.”

  I knew I had a puzzled look on my face. “Really?!” was all I could manage to s
queak out.

  “Unless someone engaged him in conversation, his eyes were locked onto you the entire time. Only someone who cares deeply for another does something like that,” she said reassuringly.

  I gave my parents, brother, and even Freddie another hug, thanking them all for coming. Tears began to fill my eyes as I realized I wouldn’t get to see them again for some time.

  My mom was very supportive, reminding me that we would keep in touch on the phone and could easily count down the days until we saw each another again. “Let us know what your new address is and when Grace gets there. Take care of yourself and know that we love you and are so proud of you and your accomplishments.”

  Garrett took turns shaking hands with everyone and getting another hug from my mother. He was quite nice about the whole encounter; I imagine it was daunting to be introduced to the whole family at once, including a brother and a friend who acted like pit bulls. Once we were back in the car, he seemed a bit distant, not pulling me close like he had been doing, only holding my hand and occasionally letting his thumb skirt across my knuckles. I felt uncomfortable with the distance; something was off.

  After Thompson dropped us off at the hotel entrance, we took the elevator up in private, not holding hands and standing at least two feet away. I couldn’t tolerate the amount of tension radiating off of him, so I finally said something.

  “What’s wrong? Have I done something to offend you?”

  He glanced down at me, his eyes heated and his tone full of cynicism. “Should there be, ‘Water Bug’?”

  I realized this was all about Freddie hugging me so tightly and giving me a quick kiss earlier. “I had no clue my brother and Freddie were coming today. Freddie is nothing more than a friend. I’ve known him my entire life; practically since I could walk. Actually, I consider him more of a second brother.” I thought for a moment. “Why do I even have to explain this to you?”

  He turned towards me, taking a couple of quick strides and pressing me up against the wall of the elevator. “You stir something inside me that I haven’t allowed in a long time,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’m not quite sure how to deal with these new emotions, Laurel. Know that I’m a jealous man who doesn’t like to share, especially when I find something I want.” He placed extreme emphasis on the word want, which made me shiver.

  His hands grabbed each side of my head and his lips came down hard on mine, forcing his tongue into my mouth. The sudden charge of passion scared me to some degree, but I took comfort in knowing it was him. Knowing I was safe with him, I returned his kiss with fervor. We were a heated mass of intertwined lips and tongues for the remainder of the ride.

  As the elevator doors opened on our floor, he broke the connection, grabbing hold of my hand and nearly pulling me down the hall. He quickly reached for his room key and shoved open the door. As soon as it closed behind us, I was pressed up against the wall, where our enflamed kisses continued. My hands threaded through his hair, pulling him closer to deepen our contact.

  Garrett’s hips started grinding into me in a show of force, letting me know how hard he was for me. In between heated kisses, he managed to say, “I’m glad you didn’t wear this dress for our date the other night. You would’ve driven me mad with desire. It was all I could do to contain myself tonight; I can’t wait to get you out of it.”

  His lips continued ravishing mine, our tongues intertwining and our breaths coming out hot and heavy. His hands moved down my breasts, squeezing them gently and slipping underneath the fabric to feel the hardness of my nipples, tweaking them in that perfect way he had where I felt the contact resonate down into my core.

  My breath faltered when he suddenly pulled my dress up to my hips, grabbed my ass and said with a controlling, seductive tone, “Wrap your legs around me, now.”

  His hands, and the wall, supported me as I wrapped my legs around him. “Now undo my pants and pull my cock out.”

  He moved back infinitesimally and I made quick work of his pants, lowering his boxer briefs enough for him to spring hard and free. I felt his cock poking gently against my heat. “Do you know why I’m doing this, Laurel?” His voice was strained and commanding, his eyes meeting mine.

  My mind was scattered and I was at a loss for words. He persisted, nearly yelling at me. “Answer me, damnit! Do you know why I’m doing this?”

  I was scared and exhilarated by his controlling tone. I shook my head, squeaking out, “N-no. No, I don’t.”

  His hand pulled my thong aside and slammed into me with great force, his lips and tongue claiming my mouth in the same manner. My eyes enlarged at the intense feeling of him inside me, my cries of pleasure contained by his mouth. He pulled back and slammed into me hard again, his tongue probing the deepest realms.

  Garrett stilled, buried deep inside me, as his lips formed the words. “I’m doing this because as of now you’re MINE. I’m taking what’s MINE.”

  I knew he wanted me to respond. “Yes,” I moaned, lost again in the sensation of his cock filling me, pounding me, taking me.

  “Yes what?” he questioned.

  “Yes, I’m yours,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. My hips started shifting, begging him to move again so I could feel the friction. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tightly to me.

  His hands dug into my ass as he began to move. “Keep that in mind before you go kissing someone else. I’m the only one to have any part of you, especially this part.” He shifted his hips, grinding into me harder and making me moan. “Now keep your eyes open, I want you to see that I’m the one giving you pleasure. Me.”

  The rhythm he set was nearly brutal, yet I could feel myself climbing higher and higher. Before long, I was exploding around him, crying out, “Garrett!” as he plunged one last time into me, finding his own release and screaming my name.

  He continued to hold me against the wall, his forehead leaning against mine. “I apologize if I scared you, Laurel; I just like having control of all aspects of my life. I felt like you were slipping away today and needed to know you were mine.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to his admission, other than to be honest. “You did frighten me a little,” I admitted. “I like that you make some decisions for me, especially how you command the sexual aspects of our relationship. You tell me what you’re going to do and it excites me. I trust you not to hurt me, Garrett.”

  “Baby, you have no idea just how commanding I can be. One day I’ll show you, but we’ll take it slow for now.” His eyes were hooded, emblazoned with desire as a scandalous grin spread across his face.

  He helped lower me to where my feet touched the ground before pulling out of me. I winced a little as he did. His lips moved to my neck, softly licking and kissing me up my jaw line to my earlobe, where he bit me lightly. “You’re just so damn irresistible.”

  His hand moved to the zipper of my dress and he started to unzip me, when his phone rang with a shrill. He moved back, looking a little bothered by the call. “I’m sorry, but I need to take this.”

  He quickly pulled the phone out of the inside pocket in his jacket. “Garrett here.” His brows furrowed as he listened intently to the conversation on the other end of the line. “No, Charlotte. I don’t want to wait until Monday. I’ll be heading back tomorrow. Go ahead and send me an electronic copy of the paperwork to my computer, I’ll have a look at it later tonight. Have a courier deliver a hard copy of the plans and contract, for my review, to the apartment. I’ll look at them over the weekend and have an answer for them on Monday morning.”

  He removed his jacket and tie, placing them on the back of the sofa, and kicked off his shoes and socks. “I don’t want to wait that long to talk with them,” he said shortly. “See if you can set up either a video or regular conference call with them for Monday afternoon. Have Mark and the rest of his department meet with me Monday morning so we can review things before our scheduled talks. I want to get this settled before I have to fly back out.”

  He nodded a fe
w times, pacing in just his shirt and open pants. “Let me know if there are any problems with that schedule. Please email me a confirmation, along with set times. Thanks.” He ended the call abruptly.

  I felt like a third wheel listening in on something that was none of my concern. “If you need to handle some business, I can keep myself busy with drawing some equipment ideas I’ve been thinking about for the sports training center.”

  “You never stop thinking, do you, Laurel?” He smiled as he turned his phone to vibrate and sat it down on the coffee table.

  “No, I’ve never been able to shut off my mind, except when…” I trailed off, not wanting to admit anything.

  I was still standing against the wall as he walked over. “Finish your sentence,” he said. “I don’t like to be left hanging.” He laughed slightly and looked down with his pants undone and his member poking out from his briefs, still hard and ready for action.

  A blush spread quickly across my face. I closed my eyes and blurted out the first words in my head. “I only lose my ability to think when we are, you know, together --passionately.”

  “I do like passion,” he confirmed, his hands finding my zipper again. He pulled it all the way down, slowly and deliberately, raking his hands so softly down my spine that I shivered. He grabbed hold of the hem of my dress, still around my hips and pulled it over my head with a flourish, throwing it back over his head. “Looks like we’re not going to do much thinking for a while tonight,” he said in a heated voice.

  I was still dressed in the lingerie and high heels. His eyes swept over me, darkening and looking more heated than ever. “Undress me,” he commanded.

  I moved forward, carefully removing his cuff links then slowly unbuttoning his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. I ran my hand over the light splattering of chest hair and down his abdomen to his pubic hair before wrapping my hand around his member. His eyes rolled back in his head as a low groan escaped from deep in his throat.