Title:
Learning to Trust
Author:
Cynthia P. O'Neill
Learning to
Trust Blurb:
When
Garrett
Andrews finds something that catches his eye, he goes after it,
letting nothing stand in the way of what he wants to possess...
The first
woman to arouse his heart could be the one person who helps him to finally open
up and feel again.
Laurel
Hart was a swimming champion until a frightful event and unknown
health issues derailed her
career…
With a
recent degree from MIT in Bio-Medical Engineering and an offer to join one of
the leading innovators of medical equipment in the world, she plans on making a
new life for herself; letting nightmares from her past stay in the past, or so
she thinks.
Once
Garrett
finds out about Laurel’s past, all rules in regards to
"relationships" are changed, because one false move could drive her
away. He attempts to calm her nightmares and gain her trust so he can show her
who he really is and the relationship he desires from her.
Will they be
able to overcome the damage their hearts have encountered? Can they
find happiness? Can they trust their minds or will life throw each of them
another curveball?
Only time
will tell if they can…
learn to
trust…
I grew up in a small town
in South Florida called Clewiston and moved to Central Florida to attend
college. I married my friend, love, and soul mate and still reside in
the area with our amazing son, and a feisty, four-legged little doggie boy.
In my books, I draw on my background in healthcare,
business, and science, along with my husband’s engineering and wireless
technology knowledge.
I currently write on all levels of Romance.
The Learning Series is for those who like a little more steam with their books,
falling into the categories of Contemporary and verging on Erotica, with a hint
of Suspense. The Remembrance Series encompasses Young Adult, with a touch
of Paranormal activity and a hint of Historical romance. A new contemporary
romance series is underway, called Need. It will be different than
the others, because each book will focus on a new couple, while the other
characters will still have a large presence throughout the series.
I try to make my writing very personal and close to her
heart. Regular life is the inspiration for my books, but I'm only limited by
imagination taking ideas to new heights, opening up possibilities that would
normally not exist.
On a more personal note...I love to cook and create in the
kitchen and on the bbq grill. I sometimes lose myself in a song at
the piano. I often sing with my son while we are driving or making
dinner together. I enjoy crafts (flower arranging, making wreaths,
painting pottery, needle point and drawing in pencil and charcoals).
My music tastes are eclectic at best, ranging from classical piano to hard
rock/heavy metal. It all depends on the song, group, and if it has a
good beat or is a soulful ballad.
Cynthia P.
O’Neill Links:
Learning to
Trust Buy Links:
He pulled
his phone from his pants pocket, typed some words rather quickly, and then
returned it to his pocket.
“What are
you doing?” I wondered aloud. I sincerely hoped that wasn’t about
me.
“Nothing you
need to concern yourself with. Just had a thought that I’d like to
run by someone and wanted to jot it down before I lost
it.”
”Just so you
know, I don’t like it when people are secretive around me. It makes
me nervous and I tend to push people away.” I don’t know why I was
being so upfront with him, but, this phone messaging had me on edge.
I can’t stand secrets.
He walked
towards me with a wry smile and backed me slowly against the wall. He
leaned into me, tracing his nose up my neck, and I heard the closet door
close. “I like that you’re feisty, Laurel, makes life more
interesting.” His hands came to rest on the wall along each side of
my head, caging me in, as he continued to trace his nose up to my face, across
my chin, and down the other side of my neck. His tone in his voice
became sultry. “Do you still trust
me?”
The
electricity between us hung heavy in the air. It was so palpable you
could taste it. My skin was on fire from his touch. Every synapse of
every nerve ending was firing off rapidly and my breathing continued to
accelerate. Something felt dark and dangerous about Garrett, but at
the same time, I’d never desired anyone more. No one had ever managed
to elicit the kind of reactions he was driving from my body.
He
leaned in closer, his body molding up against mine. “Are you going to answer
me?” he whispered in my ear, his voice becoming a little more
commanding.
My eyes closed, trying to make sense of what I was feeling. Just his
voice and soft touch made my head spin; I was thankful that I had the wall to
lean into for support. I finally found the strength to answer. “Yes,”
I murmured.
His lips
began to nibble on my left earlobe. “Yes, you’ll answer, or yes, you trust
me?”
“Yes, I
trust you.”
His hand
began to caress my face as his lips continued their assault on my earlobe and
neck. “Do you have any idea how breathtakingly beautiful you are
tonight? You’re driving me
crazy.”
My head
began to spin as his lips moved up across the side of my cheek to my chin at an
achingly slow pace. At the same time, his right hand started to
travel down my neck, where his fingers traced the low neckline of my
dress.
My heart
raced as the palm of his hand brushed gently across one of my
breasts. I was surprised by how heavy my breasts felt. I
could feel my nipples harden, straining against the fabric of my bra.
Soon his lips were pressed hard on my mouth, tugging at my bottom
lip. “Ahh,” I moaned as his tongue plunged deeply into my mouth,
sending my mind scattering to the heated overload of sensation my body was
feeling. Our mouths began to move in perfect unison with one
another.
My conscience screamed at me. Tell him to slow down. You
know this is moving too quickly. What are you thinking?!
I tried to move away, ever so slightly put some distance between our bodies,
but his hips pressed harder, grinding into mine. His erection felt
huge, bulging out hard from his slacks and pressing up against my
belly. I couldn’t believe how much this man wanted me and was
surprised that my body was responding with unheeded desire for
him.
Garrett finally pulled back long enough for us to take in deprived lungs full
of air. After a few more breaths, I asked, in a rather shaky and
exhaustive tone, “Can we please slow things down a bit?”
Both of his hands rose up the wall to rest on either side of my head.
He took a few more deep breaths and kissed me chastely on the lips before resting
his forehead against mine.
“My apologies, Laurel, I don’t know what came over me. There’s
something about you that makes my body respond so intensely. I’m like
an alcoholic drawn to your intoxicating beauty and scent; I just can’t seem to
get enough. I’ve never had this kind of reaction to anyone
before.” He paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath to clear his
mind. “I agree, though, we need to take things
slower.”
He lifted
one of my hands towards his lips and kissed it gently before placing it atop
his shoulder. He repeated the same thing with my other hand,
indicating he wanted me encircling his shoulders. Then he cupped my
face with his own hands and leaned in for a gentle
kiss.
The
tenderness of this new kiss made me feel more secure in his arms. We
continued this way for what seemed like an eternity, until I heard the door
open and Hannah walk in calling, “Laurel? Are you
here?”
We both
pulled away from the wall. He had a quizzical look on his face, as if
he’d forgotten we were in the closet in my dorm room. “Roommate?” he
whispered.
I nodded in
response. What are we supposed to do now? Wait her
out?
We waited to
hear what she was doing. As soon as we thought the coast was clear,
we tried leaving the closet, only to find her standing there with her arms
crossed and smiling up a storm, knowing she’d caught
us.
She didn’t
wait for an introduction, but stuck out her hand to Garrett. “Hi, Handsome, I’m
Hannah, Laurel’s roommate. And you are?”
