Trust in Me

Trust in Me is the story of Nicole Argonne, a gorgeous interior designer from Charleston, South Carolina who distrusts all good-looking men. She has a good reason for being wary of the handsome; she found her former fiancé in bed with another woman. After extracting poetic revenge, she moves on with her life with one slight change that’s etched in her mind permanently: from now on, she will have nothing to do with what she calls useless, conniving scoundrelly pretty boys. Nicole still dates, but only mild-mannered, quiet, unassuming men who will do exactly as they are told. But when she meets Lucien Deveraux, things change rapidly.
Lucien is the brother of Paris Deveraux, the woman her brother is about to marry. They encounter each other on several occasions all connected with the impending marriage and Lucien was more impressed with her each time they meet. Nicole is just the kind of woman he likes; tall, chocolate brown and plump. Besides that she’s smart and funny and totally desirable and he can’t wait to get to know her better. He’s not only smitten with her, but he’s recently discovered that he’s ready to get married. His cousins, his brothers (with the exception of Wade) and even his father have all found beautiful, loving wives and have great families and Lucien thinks that he is way overdue for some of the same.
It’s not his fault that he’s handsome, but Nicole acts as though it is. The weekend of Paris’s wedding brought things to a head when Lucian kisses her and she lets him. His lips actually make her weak in the knees and she’s adrift in a sea of passion. Chastain, her suitemate in the guesthouse for the wedding, takes pity on her after she realizes that Nicole has been “Deverauxed”, a term for women who’d been ravished by one of the devastating Deveraux men. She inadvertently let it slip that Lucien’s nickname was Hound Dog and sealed his fate, as far as Nicole was concerned. Chastain insisted that Lucien was a nice guy who dated a lot, but Nicole wasn’t hearing it. As far as she was concerned, Lucian was just another pretty face to be avoided at all costs. She went back to Charleston secure in the knowledge that she’d never see him again. Never was too big a word, however, as their paths were destined to cross soon.
Lucien was still thinking about Nicole when she and a gang of her sorority sisters showed up in New Orleans. They had organized fundraisers and used the money to buy bottled water, toiletries, clothing and food for the many people who’d been displaced in Hurricane Katrina. Furthermore, Nicole was staying in New Orleans for a few weeks during which time she would be helping Chastain restore artwork damaged during the storm. Lucien was stunned by the news since no one had seen fit to tell him that the object of his heart’s desire would be within an arm’s reach. She was staying with his parents, which at least guaranteed him easy access to her, if she cooperated, that is.
Seeing Lucien at home and seeing how hard he was working to help reclaim New Orleans from the aftermath of the storm changed Nicole’s perception of him. The turning point came when he gallantly offered to keep a puppy that Philippe gave her. Lucien was known to be a neat fiend and everyone was stunned when he stepped up to the plate, but Nicole didn’t know all of that. She was so touched by his gesture that she offered to help him redecorate his house. It was beautifully put together, but too austere. She added the personal touches that brought warmth and life to what had looked like a lawyer’s waiting room. And somewhere along the line she fell in love with him.
Once she learned that he was worthy of her trust and affection, everything came together perfectly. Nicole accepted his proposal and even decided to move from Charleston to New Orleans. Lucien was more that the man she trusted, he was the man she would love forever.