Learning to Trust

by Cynthia P. O'Neill

  I nodded, stilling my body before finally admitting my real fear. “I don’t want to get hurt, Garrett. I would rather push you away and protect my heart than allow it to be shattered later.”

  His hands wrapped around my back, pulling me tight against his chest. I moaned as he pushed my hips down so I sank onto him, burying his cock to the hilt. I felt him deep in the core of my body. And my heart.

  “I have no intention of hurting you. For the first time, I’ve found someone that arouses my intellect as well as my desires. I can’t promise any form of relationship, other than to take things one day at a time and see where life takes us.”

  “So why have you introduced yourself as my boyfriend?” I had to ask.

  He lifted my head until our eyes met. “Truthfully, I don’t know any other way to describe me being with you. I’m sure your parents would have objected to me calling myself your lover. But for now we can try both meanings out and see what happens.”

  I can deal with that. I was finally able to release the wall I’d built around my heart and mind; I reveled in the release of my worries and inhibitions as he began to nip along my neck to my chin and up to my lips.

  His tongue probed deep into my mouth as his hands slid up under the skirt of my dress, grabbing hold of my hips and lifting me slightly as he pulled back before plunging in even deeper. I used the leverage of my heels on the floor to match his stance. The rhythm he set had me building already.

  “Don’t come yet,” he whispered against my lips before thrusting his tongue back into my mouth. “I want to come with you.”

  One hand held my hips firmly, rocking me up and down against his length. The other hand slipped underneath the top of my dress, latching onto one of my nipples and twirling it in between his adept fingers.

  He rocked into me hard a couple more times and I was so near the brink I could hardly see straight.

  “Come now for me, Laurel,” he demanded as he pushed in one last time.

  I felt sensation shoot straight to my core and the most powerful orgasm took over my body, my pussy clenching down hard on his length, milking him for everything he had. His lips sealed over my mouth, absorbing my cries of ecstasy as I felt his cock twitch and jerk, releasing deep within my center.

  I collapsed onto Garrett’s chest, exhausted and spent. I felt his arms gently lift me from his lap and place me back into my seat. Moments later, his hands lifted my skirt and gently cleaned my private area with a wet rag before straightening my panties and buckling my seatbelt.

  I felt the warmth of a blanket being tucked gently around me and my seat lowered into a reclining position. His lips placed a tender kiss on my forehead and I heard his loving words whispered in my ear. “Sleep now, my sweet.”

  “Sweetheart, we just landed in Orlando,” Garrett said gently into my ear as he placed tender kisses along my cheek. “It’s time to wake up.”

  I wanted to wake, but my eyes felt heavy, my mind groggy and my body fighting any desire for me to move. I tried to lift my head and turn towards the direction of his voice, but it only slumped backward, feeling like a lead weight.

  “Thompson, quick…get the blood glucose monitor from Miss Hart’s vanity case!” he called, his voice full of alarm.

  I could feel his hands on my forehead and across my cheeks. “If you can hear me, Laurel, I’m going to test your blood. I think your sugar may be slipping too low.”

  I was surprised by how in tune he’d become to my condition. Thank goodness.

  “Here you go, sir. Should I look for some juice or a snack?” Thompson’s voice sounded concerned.

  “Yes; see if we have any orange juice, if not, any juice or sugary drink will do.”

  I could feel pressure on one of my fingers, but not the prick that usually came with the testing. I only heard the beep of the machine. “She’s at 50.”

  “Here’s some juice, sir, and a small box of chocolates.”

  He pulled my seat into an upright position and slipped his arm around the back of me to support my shoulders and neck. His other hand gently tapped my face to try and startle me to my senses. “Sorry, Laurel, but I need you to wake up.”

  His voice continued to plead with me, but I couldn’t fight what was pulling me down. Suddenly, he began to growl into my ear. “You will wake up and look at me NOW!”

  I felt my body jump at his command, my eyes flying open and locking onto his. Before I could even make sense of things, he forced my mouth open and poured in a small amount of liquid. My instant reaction was to spit it out, but Garrett held my head back, forcing me to swallow.

  He continued this process until I had better control of my senses and could slowly feel the fog surrounding me begin to lift. I was able to take hold of the glass and continued drinking the juice with shaky hands.

  I glanced out the window and noticed we were parked near a hangar at the airport. My mind replayed him telling me we had arrived in Orlando, but when and for how long, I didn’t know. What’s happening to me?

  Garrett ripped open a box of chocolates and began feeding them to me piece by piece. I finally turned away, having had enough of the sweet confections and beyond embarrassed at the panic I had caused.

  Thompson walked back to where we sat. I noticed his relief when he caught sight of me drinking. “The car is ready sir. All of your items have been collected and we’re awaiting your instructions.” He glanced over towards me. “It’s good to see you more alert, Miss Hart. I hope you’re feeling better.”

  I tried to smile and nod in answer to Thompson’s questions but felt so weak.

  “Please call the complex and have the manager let the movers into 14 E. Let Tim know the items are supposed to go into the master bedroom and to please provide them a tip. I’ll reimburse him once we arrive.”

  “Yes, sir.” Thompson hesitated a moment. “Will we be leaving soon, sir?”

  Garrett looked over at me, feeling my forehead and looking into my eyes. “Give us another ten to fifteen minutes. I don’t think Miss Hart is ready to go yet.”

  He pulled my head up against his chest as I finished the last of the apple juice. “You gave me quite a scare,” he admitted, his hand rubbing gently up and down my arms, soothing me.

  I finally found my voice enough to apologize. “I’m so sorry; I don’t understand why my sugar levels crashed so hard.” I could feel the tears begin to form around my eyes.

  His tone took on a level of seriousness. “I do. You used your energy to try and push me away. You refused your breakfast, your stress levels have been running high, and I overexerted you during the flight.” He paused for a moment as his voice began to crack. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard. I just wanted you to open up and tell me what you were thinking. Please forgive me.”

  My mouth began to rattle off words before I could even think. “I’m sorry, too. I’m excited and scared and overwhelmed with emotion and it terrifies me. I’m afraid of getting hurt by you. Though I must say, I did enjoy the in-flight entertainment.”

  Garrett’s hand came up to cradle the side of my face, his lips brushing gently over mine. “I enjoyed it, as well. And I’m feeling something that frightens me, too.” His kiss was soft, loving, and reverential, not at all commanding like the other kisses had been.

  He finally pulled away, grabbing hold of my finger. “Let’s see if your sugar level is starting to return to normal.”

  Again already? I flinched as he pricked my finger.

  “The good news is that it’s starting to climb. It was at 50, but now it’s at 75. The bad news is that, with your sugar levels bouncing around, you’re stuck with me for the entire weekend.”

  I smiled. “That’s not bad news to me, unless you don’t want to be around me.”

  He returned my smile with a heartfelt grin and a kiss on the nose. “Nothing could keep me away. Although this means you’ll definitely be joining me for a private gala tomorrow night.”

  My eyes flew open in shock. “A gala for what?
I have nothing to wear! I wouldn’t even know how to act.”

  He kissed me chastely on the cheek. “Don’t worry about what to wear, Laurel. I’ve already made arrangements for that.” He paused, as if looking for the right words to say. “Mr. Waters is out of town on business and would like me to present a check at the event tomorrow night. The gala is being held to raise funds for diabetic awareness and research.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “You were planning on inviting me to this thing the whole time, weren’t you?”

  He raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side, knowing that he’d been caught but trying his best to look innocent. “That was my plan. I’ll be heading back out on Wednesday morning to look at a few potential projects and job candidates in the Midwest and western states. I just want to spend as much time with you as possible between now and then.”

  “Fine. I’ll go,” I gave in, noting the endearing smile that swept across his face. “After all, it’s for a good cause.”

  He pulled me into a warm embrace. “Do you feel like you can stand now?”

  “I think so. Can I ask you a question, Garrett?”

  “Sure. You know you can ask me anything.”

  “Do you have today and my entire weekend planned?”

  He laughed, throwing his hands up in the air in surrender. “You caught me. I do have a few ideas, but the schedule is fairly flexible, pending your desires,” he admitted, his eyebrows twitching and his face radiating seduction. “Or mine.”

  Thompson drove us to my new apartment complex in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV, modified for use as a businessman’s alternate limousine, with fancy gadgets and electronic hook-ups. I watched in fascination as Orlando’s skyline began to emerge at the city’s limits. I was impressed with how spread out the city was; my brain just equates Orlando with Disneyworld, though there’s obviously more than that.

  Garrett began pointing out buildings, giving me a tour of my new city. “Waters Medical Industries and Bio-Medical Life Solutions are both located in the heart of downtown, within blocks of one another. Our apartment complex is located only a mile away. Thankfully, Mr. Waters is into investments and purchased the complex about a year ago, wanting to offer his employees closer living accommodations and reasonable prices.”

  How thoughtful of Mr. Waters.

  We pulled up to a tall building with a giant “W” on the outside of the façade. Thompson opened the car door and we stepped out.

  We met a dark-haired gentleman wearing a suit and tie in the lobby. He extended his hand in greeting to Garrett and gave me a welcoming smile. “Welcome back, Mr. Andrews. The movers left about ten minutes ago, placing all the boxes in the walk-in closet in the master bedroom, as instructed.”

  Garrett drew me close to his side. “Laurel, I’d like you to meet Tim Marshall. He’s the manager of the building. If you have any questions or problems, just give him a call.”

  Tim stepped forward, hand extended. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hart. I hope you and your cousin find our complex to your liking. I left a small binder on your kitchen counter that gives a brief description of the complex, pertinent numbers in case of emergency, and the rules of use for our on-site facilities.”

  I shook Tim’s hand. “Thank you, Tim. The pleasure is all mine; and please, call me Laurel.”

  After the brief introduction, Garrett maneuvered us toward the elevators and punched the button for the fourteenth floor. My heart rate began to increase as reality set in, knowing that when the doors of the elevator opened, so would a new chapter in my life. It had felt so surreal up until that point.

  The doors opened and Garrett guided me towards 14E, the apartment at the end of the hall. He placed a set of keys in my hand. “The two bigger keys are to open the apartment and the smaller keys are to the mailbox downstairs. One set is for you, the other is for Grace.”

  My hand shook as I put the apartment key in the lock and began to turn. I opened the door, took in a deep breath, and walked into my apartment. The words “this is my apartment,” kept bouncing through my head.

  I was prepared to see a small two bedroom, one bath apartment, with a kitchenette and barely enough leg room to move about without knocking things over. You know, your basic “just graduated” first apartment. What I saw took my breath away.

  I stepped into the entryway and saw a full kitchen off to the left, filled with top of the line stainless steel appliances, dark granite countertops, deep mahogany cabinets and a bar area that could seat at least five people. Off to the side of the kitchen was an enclosed laundry area, and a few feet back was a living area furnished with black and white contemporary furniture and boasting a gorgeous brick fireplace.

  I walked over to the floor to ceiling windows that overlooked onto the city. The sight took my breath away. As I stood admiring the view, I felt Garrett’s arm slip around my waist.

  “Do you like what you see so far?”

  Words failed me, only allowing me to nod. I was completely blown away at how wonderful the apartment was. Did I win the apartment lottery or something?

  “If you think this is nice, wait until you see the bedrooms.” He smiled and pulled me with him toward the left side of the family room and opened the first door. “This is Grace’s room. I hope she doesn’t mind having the smaller of the two rooms, since she’ll be on the road traveling a great deal.”

  Floor to ceiling windows lined one of the side walls and a queen-sized bed decorated in medium blue colors, which happened to be her color of choice, dominated the room. The bathroom had a Jacuzzi tub, a walk-in shower, and a marble-topped vanity. It was nicer than any hotel either of us had ever stayed in (ok, until this week).

  “She’s going to love this, Garrett. I can’t wait for her to get here. She’ll think she’s died and gone to heaven with all the luxuriousness.”

  He extended his hand towards the opposite side of the apartment. “Shall we take a look at your room?”

  I could feel the intensity of his stare as I walked through my bedroom doors. I had to shake my head and do a double take. The colors and pictures I had used to decorate my dorm room were right in front of me. The bed was large, huge even; a king-sized, cherry wood four-poster bed that looked to be hand-carved with a coordinating dresser, nightstands, and vanity. The bedding was a cascade of various tones of burgundy, wine, and gold. There were ornately framed pictures of Tuscany lining the walls. Perfect.

  I walked towards the bathroom, thinking I would find one similar in size to Grace’s, but it was more than twice the size. The sunken Jacuzzi tub was capable of holding two or three people. The large walk-in shower had multiple showerheads and a bonus rain feature off to the side. There were dark, marbled vanities with plenty of storage space, and all of the items I typically used, from makeup to lotion to perfume, were new and already placed along the vanity. I had thought the luxury of the hotel’s bathroom was heaven, but this bathroom was nirvana! I could easily see myself rushing home every night to spend hours soaking in the tub.

  Garrett kissed me gently on the cheek. “I’m guessing by the look on your face that you approve?”

  I looked into his eyes, nodding, not sure I could manage words. “I-I think I’m in love with the bathroom. Did you arrange for my favorite colors to be here?”

  He grinned like the Cheshire cat. “I knew this was a big step for you and wanted you to feel as comfortable as possible. I had taken a couple photos of your dorm room and sent them to our company’s decorator and asked them to recreate your room. Though I must say, I didn’t think you’d love the bathroom more.”

  A soft knock at the bedroom door startled me. “Where would you like your luggage and laptop, Miss Hart?” Thompson asked.

  “By the bed is fine. Thank you, Thompson.”

  “It’s my pleasure, Miss Hart.” He turned towards Garrett. “Your items are in your bedroom, sir. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  “Have the other requests been handled?” Garrett as
ked.

  Thompson nodded. “They will be arriving at three o’clock this afternoon, sir.”

  “Thanks, Thompson. Feel free to relax the rest of the afternoon. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

  Thompson merely nodded and left.

  I walked towards my closet and opened the door to discover a wide variety of clothes and shoes already in there. “Are you sure we’re in the right apartment? Someone else’s clothes are hanging in here.” It was then that I noticed the boxes from my dorm room neatly stacked in the corner.

  Garrett came up behind me. “Before you object,” he started, “I saw the lack of clothing you had in your dorm room. I talked with Mr. Waters and he insisted that you start with a fresh wardrobe. He insists that all of his employees look their best and feel their best so their work will be superior.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t accept all this. It’s too much.”

  “He and I both insist. The knowledge and creativity you will bring to the company far outweigh the cost of all these things. Some of this is from my own pocket.”

  I stepped forward, looking through the rows of clothing. The clothes ranged from everyday attire, several dressy pants, skirts, shirts, sweaters and dresses, to cocktail dresses and evening attire. I was thankful to note the price tags had been removed; otherwise I might pass out from the cost of everything. There had to be at least 20 pairs of shoes, mostly a variety of high heels, with exception of a couple pairs of sneakers and a few pairs of flats, all designed by people I’d never even heard of like Louboutin, Manolo, Lamore, and several others I couldn’t even begin to pronounce. It was all overwhelming.

  The sizes on the clothes and the shoes were all accurate. It left me wondering. “How did you know what size to buy?”

  He smiled in an all-knowing way. “Hannah helped me with your sizes, favorite colors, style of shoes, and your preference in undergarments.” His eyebrows lifted with the mention of the last words. “But you knew about the undergarments already.”