Finding Trust (Centre Games)

by Natalie Gayle

“Minky, he’s going to be fine. You can talk to him in the morning.” His words were calming and reassured her.

  “You positive he’s okay?” She pressed on, still a little hesitant to believe that everything was really alright.

  “Yeah, he’s fine. Rheeba said he’s just exhausted, so no doubt they decided to give him a good night’s sleep while his body rehydrates.”

  She nodded reluctantly, accepting his explanation. “So where does that leave us?”

  “My orders are that we stay here at least for tonight. I’ll get another briefing and further instructions at oh eight hundred.”

  She was still struggling to assimilate how easily he seemed to accept others telling him what to do.

  “So what do we do now?” she asked, feeling restless with pent-up energy, the rush at the relief coming from hearing her father was safe.

  “I suggest that we grab something to eat and try to have a relaxing evening.” He raised his eyebrows as he made the final suggestion. “Maybe go to bed early?” His gesture left little doubt in Rihanna’s mind as to what Brayden’s idea of relaxing would entail.

  “Surely you must be really tired after last night and the day you’ve had?” His voice held a promising tease and was not without a hint of sarcasm to ensure that her mind and body were very clear on where his timetable was heading.

  And she had to secretly admit that she liked the idea…very much.

  “Yep, very tired.”

  Chapter Six

  It seemed that the air had taken on even more electricity since their discussion in the spa. The anticipation was building and building. Rihanna was lazing comfortably along the cool leather of the big lounge adjoining the kitchen. From where she sat, she had a clear view of Brayden’s amazing body. He was finishing up the kitchen chores. They had shared a delicious meal of crisp salad and chicken satays cooked over the BBQ grill that took place of pride on the veranda. The perfect summer meal for the balmy Queensland heat.

  His loose singlet provided plenty of opportunities for Rihanna to openly stare at his gorgeous full shoulders and sculptured biceps. The man was seriously built. Her eyes kept straying farther south to the tight, rounded globes of his butt and the unmistakable bulge in the front of his shorts. Yeah, he was feeling the anticipation—or was it pain?—just as much as she was.

  He finally finished his cleaning and arranging. Instinct and observation told her Brayden was a tidy person but tonight she thought he was taking it to a whole new level. Was he as nervous as she was?

  It had been such a long time since she had been with a man. And never one as virile and confident about his world as Bray. A montage of studious, conservative boyfriends ran through her head. They all appeared in muted shades of grey. Many she hadn’t even been intimate with; there simply hadn’t been any chemistry.

  She’d certainly never spent any time with a guy like Brayden, who was so vivid on every level. If the others were grey, he was a rainbow of bold colours. What experience did she have with a guy like him? The answer was simple: NONE. All her insecurities came leaping back. What if he thought she was disappointing? After all, what could he possibly want with a vet who spent most of her time talking to animals or researching viruses?

  Lost in her own thoughts, she missed the fact that Brayden was now crossing the room and moving towards her. She couldn’t help but notice the almost animalistic way he stalked towards her. It was clear in his focus and intent. He was coming for her, ready or not!

  She took a deep breath and held out her hand to him when he reached for her.

  ***

  Brayden had taken his time and meticulously cleaned up after their meal. Sure he was tidy but far from a paranoid neat freak, which he probably seemed to be. He had his reasons for taking his time. Rihanna needed to feel something other than the fear and detachment that had rocked her world over the last twenty-four hours. He could tell from sneaking sly glances out of the corner of his eye that she was nearly twitching with anticipation. At least when she was thinking about what was to come between them, she wasn’t stressing over the events of the last day.

  He wanted her to anticipate his touch, his caress, his passion, and his connection to her. He was sure there was something special between them. He just needed to convince her that what it was was real and not a by-product of the situation. Without a doubt, Minky was interested but if he was to guess, she was shy about her sexuality.

  While he cleaned, he swore he could feel her eyes caressing his shoulders and arms. Yeah, she was just as aware as he was. The only difference was he was open and up front. Taking the lead would be no hardship for him.

  Well, he had prolonged the inevitable long enough. It was time to take this to the next level. His hard erection almost cheered in encouragement. With a clear scene in mind, he walked directly to the lounge and stretched his hand out to her. She took it with only the slightest hesitation.

  Brayden pulled her gently to her feet and she immediately found herself in the circle of his strong arms. He gave her a reassuring hug and nuzzled her ear and neck, placing tiny feather like kisses against her highly sensitised skin. Before she internally combusted on the spot, he slightly drew away and turned to walk down the hall with his arm around her shoulders.

  He paused briefly at the double doors announcing the entrance to his private sanctuary. He dropped a kiss on her nose, turned the handle and pulled her through the doorway. Rihanna dropped his hand and stepped from him.

  She turned a full circle, taking in the masculine decor and furnishings. The room screamed Brayden. A bed so large that it had to have been custom-made stood against the back wall of the room. Made of a beautiful rich red timber, it had intricately carved posts on each corner. The duvet was a series of abstracted swirls ranging in just about every colour of green and blue. It shouldn’t have worked but somehow it did. It looked cool, inviting, and decadent, much like its owner.

  Her gaze swept to the French doors running along the side of the bed. Obviously there was some sort of balcony out there. Further round her perusal, she found yet another panorama of the magnificent Gold Coast lights twinkling through the slats of the timber plantation shutters. Wow, he could lie in bed and see all this. What a view. So near yet so far.

  Without really thinking about it, she was drawn to the French doors. She opened them and discovered a half-enclosed veranda that was incredibly cosy and boasted a plush-looking day bed; the blue and green theme was continued out here with a pile of plush cushions and light cotton throw rugs.

  Beside the bed was a beautiful honey wooded acoustic guitar. She turned to him as if trying to assimilate him into the picture. He helped out by walking over, picking up the guitar and stretching out his long legs on the bed. She wandered over and curled up at his feet; needing to touch him, she lightly gripped his ankles. He began to strum a familiar song. After a few bars of being mesmerised by his nibble fingers, she recognised the anthem he had been playing when she first became so absolutely aware of Bray.

  She heard the silent song lyrics in her head. “Take me baby, make me yours tonight.” Without thinking, she started to quietly sing along to the catchy rhythm. Embarrassment flushed through her when she realised she’d been singing aloud to a “rock God.” Rather than make her feel more awkward, Bray joined her, matching his voice to hers.

  His eyes caught and held hers as his hands continued their dance across the strings.

  The song came to an end and he shifted to put the guitar against the wall beside the bed. His gaze never left hers. Without any more pause for thought, he moved across the bed and urged her back into the pile of cushions and pillows. He lowered his body over hers and sought her lips in a scorching kiss.

  The waiting and anticipation was over.

  The song that he now thought of as “theirs” had been the perfect introduction to the night he had planned. He had actually forgotten he’d left his guitar out there a couple of days ago. He’d been working on a couple of new pieces late the other night
. So much could happen in a few short hours.

  Rihanna sighed and reached behind his head, with her arms locking her to him even tighter. Their bodies fit together just right. She wriggled her lower body unconsciously, settling his weight on her more comfortably. Brayden groaned in response. She ran her fingers through his thick hair and he felt the delicious tingles all through his scalp and down his spine. His already painful erection grew even more.

  His mouth never broke the contact of their kiss; his tongue had taken up residence in her mouth and was settling in for a long overdue stay. The feel of her warm skin beneath his hands was too tempting.

  Soon, he was easing her T-shirt up and over her head. What was underneath caused him to take a deep breath, desperately trying to regain some semblance of control. He broke the kiss in order to let his eyes feast on his new discovery.

  Rihanna was wearing a lacy white bra that complimented her lightly tanned skin perfectly. Her rosy pink nipples were pushing up against the floral pattern of the lace in delicious-looking little buds.

  “Mmmm, sweetheart, I hope you realise you’re totally gorgeous,” he whispered into her ear between placing tingling kisses over her mouth and across the silky skin of her jaw and throat. His voice was warm and rich and set off another round of tingles through her already charged body as it tickled the shell of her ear.

  Her response was only to moan her pleasure and move her head to the side to give him further room to explore. His mouth slipped down the slope of her neck. His tongue paused to lap and place kisses at spots that clearly grabbed his attention.

  At last, he seemed to settle and focus on the hard peak of her right breast. Without further delay, he flicked his tongue over her pebbled nipple through the lace of the bra. The friction of the lace moving against her sensitised skin sent a rocket of need straight to her centre. She arched her back, pushing her breast further into his mouth, seeking more of the incredible sensation. He obliged by closing his lips and pulling her nipple into his mouth with slow, torturous suction.

  Rihanna groaned at the sensation of his mouth ravaging her breasts through the delicate cage of her bra. She felt his hand slide around to the centre of her back, seeking the hooks to release her breasts for his undivided pleasure. Every slide and touch of his fingers was becoming more and more painful. The need for the ultimate release fast built within her.

  The loose singlet Brayden was wearing gave her plenty of access for her hands to wander the hard muscles of his shoulders and back. But still she needed more. His kisses and suckles at her breasts were drugging, removing all logical thought except to seek more and more from him.

  Finally she managed a choked, “Get this off,” as she half dragged his singlet over his head. Reluctant to break the contact with her, Brayden sat up and whipped the singlet the rest of the way off.

  He reached for the loose elastic waistband of her comfy shorts and paused to look her in the eye. He raised his eyebrows in silent question. Rather than be embarrassed as she would have guessed, she found herself urging him on with a nod, not sure at all what to say.

  She tentatively reached down and tried to help slide her shorts off. He brushed her hands away.

  “Let me…I want to see all of you.”

  She complied and let his hand ease the soft material down her legs. The shorts revealed a pair of very cute white satin bikini panties with a little white bow in the middle.

  The little white bow caught his attention, and he smiled mischievously before leaning forward to place a well-aimed kiss on her abdomen just above the bow. The kiss became a tickling lick and she squirmed in surprise as he drew lazy circles on her belly with his clever tongue.

  When she could stand no more of his delicious torment, she ran her fingers through his thick hair and gave him a firm yank. He all but growled in the back of his throat at having his attentions interrupted.

  “That seriously tickles,” she gasped between giggles and squirms.

  Her toned stomach was bouncing up and down, trying to escape the exquisite torment. He thrust forward with his body, pressing her hips further into the bed to still her wriggling.

  Brayden then moved his attentions up to her lush breasts. Her erect nipples all but begged for his attention. He obliged by licking his tongue slowly around the areola of her left breast, moving in tighter circles towards the hard centre. She gasped and arched her back to press tighter into the incredible sensation as he closed his mouth over the entire nipple and sucked.

  After what seemed like forever, she lightly pushed him on the shoulders. He opened his eyes in question to her. She subtly moved her right breast closer to his mouth, indicating her right side was getting incredibly jealous. He caught the message and moved his ministrations sideways, laughing softly around her nipple. Even that set off more fireworks. She so needed him.

  Her hands wrapped tighter around his back as he continued his exquisite torture. She slid them down to his hips and urged him closer, bringing his hard length directly in contact with her heated mound. He finally broke contact and moved away from her, sweeping her up and into his arms in one swift movement. He strode through the French doors and deposited her firmly in the middle of his bed.

  “What was wrong with the day bed?” she wondered, a little disappointed.

  “Not enough room for what I want to do to you,” he stated bluntly.

  Somehow, the day bed seemed a little less intimidating than his huge bed. The light on the veranda was more muted and shadowy and she immediately began to feel the self-consciousness return. Brayden moved to the bedside table and adjusted the dimmer switch on the lamps beside the bed. The room immediately took on a soft, warmer, less intimidating feel.

  She squirmed up farther to rest her head on the pillows, self-consciously trying to sink into the protection of the bed covers.

  Bray could wait no longer. With nimble fingers, he removed his shorts and underwear in a long swipe. He moved possessively towards the bed, desperate to return to the incredible heat of her body.

  Nervousness forgotten, his return to the bed was so swift that Rihanna whined in disappointment at not being able to take in the view of him in all his naked glory.

  She was quickly sighing again when the full weight of him pushed her into the plush quilt cover.

  He paused, resting on one extended arm, and stroked a loose length of hair from her face. Brayden looked into her eyes and said, “You’re so beautiful, Rihanna. I want you so much I ache.”

  Any last resistance to him crumbled as she reached to draw him near again. He resisted and slid his right hand to her left hip and started to work the side of her panties down.

  “These are very cute and a huge turn-on, sweetheart, but they have to go.” Instead of responding, she merely grasped the fabric on her right hip and helped him. The panties gone, he edged down the bed and ran his hand up the inside of her satiny right thigh, stopping halfway to urge it wider, giving him full view of her soft, wet female lips and the delicious flesh and secrets they protected.

  He gently ran his index finger between the dewy folds, spreading upwards and over her highly sensitive clit. Rihanna sucked in a deep, whistling breath at the perfect touch of his fingers. She felt his long erection jerk against her leg in response to her sharp intake of breath.

  He wasted no further time and lowered his head to her moist heat. The erotic scent of her arousal was driving his animal characteristics nuts. It had been all afternoon, but this close to her sweet honey and he was in sensory overload. He had to taste her, learn her most intimate secrets. His tongue could be denied no longer as it settled over her clit in a tormenting rhythm that was driving her fast towards what felt like the most incredible orgasm of her life. Her hips began to involuntarily thrust up into his devouring mouth as she grew closer to the pinnacle. Sensing her increasing need, he slipped two long fingers into her impossibly hot channel and gently stroked back and forth.

  The added sensation was too much and she crashed headlong into an orgas
m that had her gasping for breath and violently twisting bed covers in her hands. He continued his ministration until she could take no more. Her internal muscles clenched on his long fingers.

  “No more, Bray,” she panted. “I’m too sensitive.”

  He pulled his mouth away from her over-sensitised clit, with one final lick before crawling back up to kiss her long and lingering on the lips. Her feminine taste and scent was all over his mouth and nose and he shared the erotic flavours with her. He was secretly pleased she didn’t object to him sharing her feminine dew. Nothing they did together should ever be wrong or uncomfortable.

  He snuggled closer into her, enjoying having her come down from the heights of orgasm in his arms.

  Rihanna finally managed to get her breathing back into a regular pattern but still wanted more of his wickedly delicious body. She reached out and grasped his hard length with her hand. His size was certainly impressive and if she wasn’t still in the middle of an erotic haze, she would probably have been alarmed.

  She closed her hand tighter around his shaft and he reached behind and retrieved a condom from the bedside table. He rolled over onto his back and took her with him, urging her to straddle his muscular thighs.

  She started to wriggle back, intending to take his rigid cock into her mouth. Before she got halfway to her target, he grabbed her hand and placed the condom in it.

  “Not now, sweetheart…I don’t have that much control,” he gritted through clenched teeth.

  She gave him a shy smile and took the offered condom from his hand, ripping the foil packet away with her teeth before slowly rolling the latex down his iron length.

  His big hands closed around her narrow hips and urged her up and over him. His erection easily aligned with her wet channel. She slowly lowered her body down his length, an agonising inch at a time, not only giving her body a chance to adjust to the insistent invasion but to also draw out maximum pleasure for him.

  She felt so full, her inner muscles stretching to accommodate his length and girth. She shuddered a couple of times with the remnant of the orgasm that had just racked her body. Or was it another one about to wash over her?