Finding Trust (Centre Games)

by Natalie Gayle

  “I have Peter here with me.”

  Rihanna waited no longer. “Dad, are you really there?”

  “Yeah, honey, I am.” His voice sounded a bit weak but nonetheless pleased to hear from her.

  “Are you okay, Dad?”

  “Yes, Rihanna, I’m fine. I have a few cuts and bruises but nothing like going three rounds with the Harrisons’ colt last year.”

  She laughed lightly at his reference to the Harrisons’ colt. The animal was a particularly nasty testosterone-riddled colt that needed surgery on its hind leg. Unless the horse was heavily sedated, it had a lightning cow kick. Her father had found out firsthand that getting stuck in a crush with the horse was hazardous to your health. He ended up with a broken wrist, four cracked ribs, and a concussion from knocking his head on the steel railing on the way to the ground. The injuries kept him laid up in hospital for the best part of a week and he wore a cast for five more on his wrist.

  “Well, as long as you’re okay,” she stated firmly.

  “I’m a big boy, honey. Don’t worry about me. I hear you had a nasty experience of your own.”

  “Well, I kind of did get dragged away from the beach party in Surfers but fortunately Brayden saw it and came after the guys. One second they were trying to get me into a van and the next they were both laying on the ground unconscious and Brayden was there taking me away from it.”

  “Way to go, Brayden!” cheered Rheeba.

  There was a pause on the line before Peter went on.

  “Well, my thanks to you, Brayden, for saving my little girl. I’d shake your hand but I don’t know that we will be catching up anytime soon from what they tell me here.” He sounded a little exasperated at the thought of being away from his normal life and routine for an indefinite period of time.

  “No problem, Dr Mason, just doing my job,” he stated modestly.

  “Well, if you weren’t there, Bray, I’m sure I wouldn’t be talking to my father now,” Rihanna confirmed.

  “Maybe. You’re a smart girl. You probably would have figured a way out,” he offered diplomatically.

  “Sure—that’s if I didn’t die of terror first,” she admitted. “So what are you up to for the next few days, Dad?” Rihanna asked innocently.

  Before he could respond, Rheeba cut in. “He’ll be resting and doing as he’s told here.” From the tone in her voice, it was obvious that Peter Mason was not being the most cooperative patient.

  “For Christ’s sake, woman, I’m not sick, just a little bruised,” he added, seemingly put out at all this unwanted attention. “I just want to go back to work.”

  “We’ve been through this once or twice before, Dr Mason. You are to remain here with us until we are able to substantiate the intelligence we have received.”

  “Yeah and all the while, a man’s going insane with worrying about my work and responsibilities. I do have clients to attend to and research to deliver, you know.”

  Bray could see now where Rihanna’s deep sense of responsibility and commitment stemmed from. Clearly her father also carried that personality trait.

  “We’ve already been through this earlier today, Dr Mason,” Rheeba gently chastised. “Your government contacts have been alerted. They’re fully aware of the situation and that you and Rihanna are assisting us with this operation. You also personally advised your staff about the holiday you and Rihanna were taking. There is a relief vet in place for any emergencies with clients. The Centre is picking up the tab for this. You have nothing to worry about.” Rheeba was trying but not quite succeeding in keeping the exasperation from her voice. Peter Mason could be a difficult man. And from experience, Rihanna knew him to be an even worse patient.

  “Please just do as they want, Dad. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you, Dad.”

  “Rihanna, I’m more worried about you. I should never have let you get involved in this damned pet project of mine and now you’re a target as well.” His voice held considerable disdain.

  “Doesn’t matter, Dad. I wanted to be involved and you know it. They probably would have targeted me anyway.”

  “Rihanna’s correct, Dr Mason. Family are often the targets of extremist groups, whether directly or indirectly involved,” explained Bray.

  “Well, I don’t like it one bit. Rihanna, you should be out having fun, not cooped up in the lab with me or being targeted by bloody terrorists.”

  Bray saw Rihanna roll her eyes at Dr Mason’s speech. Clearly she had other ideas about what she should be doing.

  “Dad, we’ve been through this before. I wanted to be involved. I begged and pleaded and you let me. I’m just as keen to find a vaccine as you.” Brayden immediately realised she was trying to shoulder the responsibility for her father.

  “Doesn’t change the fact that you’re thirty years old and should be out meeting someone and giving me grandbabies rather than being stuck in the bloody lab with me.”

  Bray stiffened and felt Dr Mason’s words pass through him like a hot knife. A big part of him wanted to rise up and yell that she had met someone and might just be carrying said grandbaby. But then reality kicked in. Their life was not for him or his kind and never would be. Rihanna was just a beautiful distraction.

  “Old territory, Dad. Let’s leave it for the moment.”

  “But Rihanna—”

  “No buts, Dad. Like you said, I’m thirty years old and I’ll make my own decisions and live my own life. If I want to spend it in the lab with you, then I will.” The tone of her voice left no doubt in any of the people on the call that the subject was firmly closed.

  Bray decided that the best thing to do was wrap the call up before any more was said. He was feeling uncomfortable enough. He could only imagine how Rihanna felt.

  “Umm, we’ve got a few things to do on this end, so I think we need to head off for the moment,” Bray stated, playing the diplomat and not wanting to get in the middle of anymore family disputes.

  “Yeah, Bray, we have a heap to do on this end as well.” Rheeba supported Bray’s action. She, too, was clearly uncomfortable witnessing the father-daughter squabble.

  “When can we speak again?” Dr Mason demanded.

  “You should be able to speak daily as long as we don’t have any further issues or escalations,” answered Rheeba.

  “Talk to you tomorrow, Rihanna. Do as Brayden tells you and remember that I love you.”

  “Bye, Dad. You do as you’re told as well. And I love you, too.”

  “Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Brayden clicked off the phone, ending the call. He turned and looked at her.

  “Well, your dad sounds okay.”

  “Yeah, he does. Sorry you had to sit through that. He doesn’t give up. Since Mum died, he thinks I should be a housewife and pop out a tribe of kids.”

  “He’s probably just trying to compensate for what he has lost.”

  “Maybe.”

  “She must have been beautiful.”

  “Who?”

  “Your mum.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Well, in case you missed looking in the mirror this morning, Rih, you are one gorgeous woman.”

  Rihanna immediately blushed and tried to joke it off. “Well, thank you. I think you’re pretty darn hot as well.”

  “How did she die?”

  Rihanna averted her eyes and he immediately regretted asking her this personal question.

  She finally raised her chin and looked at him. “She died of cancer when I was in my final year of high school.”

  Brayden didn’t speak; he just pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms round her. “Wow, that must have been tough.”

  Rihanna buried her head into his chest. “Mmmm, it was.”

  Brayden decided to change the subject; this one was obviously a tough one for her. “I wasn’t so sure you were talking to me after my efforts earlier.”

  “Well, I am. You did apologise. I’m not sure where you stand on the ma
tter of a baby but I figure we don’t need to worry because the likelihood is very slim.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re so confident,” he said. “And regardless what happens, we’ll sort it out together.” Doubt plagued him. He knew he sounded confident but really and truly he was trembling with fear to his core.

  Rihanna made him want and feel things that he had never had before; he pushed the gnawing fear and concerns from his mind and forced himself to focus on the things that needed to be done in the here and now…today.

  Rihanna sensed that now was not the time to push him any further on the topic. She’d decided that after this morning’s tense moments, it was better to let things settle for a while.

  “So what are we going to do today?”

  Her quick change of subject caught him momentarily by surprise.

  “Ahh, um, well, we need to go and grab some groceries. Those guys will eat us out of house and home.”

  Rihanna immediately picked up on his interesting use of the “us” in his comment. Judging by his expression, he hadn’t even noticed what he’d said.

  “Okay, so we go shopping.” She hesitated for a moment and then decided that there was something that had been bugging her since she’d first heard him on the phone with his boss. “Brayden, is it normal that your team members are staying with you?”

  Brayden stiffened.

  Whoops, her words had hit a nerve.

  He relaxed and went on, “Yeah, the guys stay with me whenever they’re in Queensland. Just like I stay with Rory when I’m in New South Wales or Quade when I’m in Victoria.”

  “You guys must be really close. I don’t think I’ve come across any other organisation that has its staff all bunk in people’s private houses.”

  “Like brothers…”

  Ah hell, thought Brayden. Why did she have to be so damned observant and probing on everything? He hated lying with a passion, but he really hated lying to Rihanna. Part of him so wanted to just tell her the truth. Sometimes he resented the oath he’d taken. Since he’d met Rihanna, he was beginning to constantly resent it.

  Never before had he ever been so torn between what he was, what he did and who he wanted to be.

  Rihanna continued to look at him expectantly. He needed some time out from her unrelenting scrutiny. Very rarely did he ever feel self-conscious, but somehow Rihanna looked at him and he thought she was beginning to suspect that he wasn’t all that he was supposed to be.

  “I need to check some emails. We’ll head out in about thirty minutes,” he announced gently, placing her beside him on the lounge, getting up and walking towards the hall, hoping to end the conversation as politely as possible.

  “Okay, I’ll clean up the breakfast dishes and make another coffee. You want one?” she offered.

  “That’d be great.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief and headed into his office to give himself a break from Rihanna’s intense scrutiny.

  Chapter Ten

  They drove in silence towards Palm Beach. Both of them retreated a little into their own skins since the calls this morning. Brayden was thinking and feeling torn between his world, and Rihanna was confused about all the craziness around her at the moment.

  Without doubt, they had hot passion between them, and they both seemed to be getting on really well until this morning: The craziness about the forgotten condom. The questions in Rihanna’s mind about the relationship between Brayden and this Rheeba person. Then there was her father and his outburst that could be considered the same as setting the women’s movement back fifty years.

  Finally, Brayden reached across the wide centre console of the SUV and put his right hand on her thigh. He gave her leg a little squeeze. Rihanna noticeably shivered as his hand contacted with her bare thigh. Well, even if they were struggling with verbal communication at the moment, their bodies at least had not lost any of the attraction for each other.

  Brayden pulled to a stop at a set of traffic lights and caught her attention. “When we get to the car park, I want you to wait in the car. I’ll come around and get you out. I then want you to stay within an arm’s reach of me at all times,” he informed her, very businesslike and professional. His voice and expression couldn’t hide the underlying simmer when he paused and added, “Ideally closer, though.”

  Rihanna let out a giggle at his words. “That shouldn’t be too much of a trial.”

  He turned his head towards her and gave her his trademark grin before pulling away from the lights.

  “Seriously, I don’t think there’s going to be too much of a risk at the mall. But I want you to be aware of what’s going on around you and make sure you do anything that I say…immediately.”

  Brayden pulled into a parking space, opened the door and came around to her side of the vehicle before she had a chance to bitch about his emphasis on the word immediately. She felt somewhat deflated. He was beginning to know her well enough to predict what was going to set her off, and he was planning his moves accordingly.

  He opened her door and offered his hand to help her down from the high seat. She took it graciously and didn’t try to remove it from his when he started walking towards the shopping mall. She liked touching him. Holding hands was the sort of things that normal couples did.

  Brayden moved her into the mall at a brisk walk. He constantly scanned their surrounds, hopefully undetected by Rihanna or anyone else. He headed for the supermarket in the centre. As they walked through the entrance, he snagged a large shopping trolley and motioned for her to push it.

  He leaned in close to her and whispered, “Minky, I need you to push the trolley. I’ll be right behind you or slightly to the side. I need to have as much movement as possible. Just in case.”

  She accepted his explanation and headed towards the first lot of aisles. His whispered words had created the telltale shivers that seemed to immediately arouse her. What was with that? He only had to lean in and whisper in her ear and she immediately started to get turned on.

  Contemplating that discovery, she pushed the trolley down one aisle and up the next. Brayden moved effortlessly between the two banks of shelves and the trolley. He was quickly filling the trolley with an assortment of different food items, mainly in multiples. The dairy and fruit and veg sections were no different. Mountains of fresh fruit and vegies were added, along with several containers of milk and two large containers of double cream. His very knowing and wolfish smile and eye raise was not lost on her.

  He leaned in again and whispered, “Last night, dessert was so good. Maybe I can convince you to share some more with me tonight?”

  She felt her cheeks blushing at his overt display, hoping desperately no one had seen him. Mmmm, just the thought of what they had done with the cream last night had her nipples hardening and her panties dampening.

  A little shocked that he seemed quite comfortable to carry on such a conversation in a grocery store, the sensible side of her began to protest. “Bray…you can’t talk like that here.”

  “Hush, babe; I can and I will. You aren’t a prude. You just think you are.”

  Well, what could she say to that? So she wisely chose to say nothing on that topic and returned her focus to what he was putting in the overflowing trolley.

  It seriously looked as if he had enough food to feed an army. Throughout the shopping process, he’d been asking for her preference in various items. She doubted there was any room for another item.

  “Brayden, we’ll need another trolley if you’re going to buy more. How long has all this got to last for?” This was more food than she and her father would eat in a month.

  “Just a couple of days.”

  Her expression must have given away her thoughts.

  Brayden threw his head back and laughed.

  “Rih, the guys can seriously eat and I have to admit I’m just as bad. We’re growing lads and need lots of sustenance.”

  She had noticed that Bray seemed to always be eating. Sure he had very generous helpings
at normal meals but he always seemed to stop in at the kitchen for a piece of fruit, muesli bar or handful of biscuits on his way past. Despite the vast quantities of food (much of it verging on junk) he didn’t seem to be faring badly from it. She could also vouch from personal experience, the fact that he was not carrying any extra weight, anywhere.

  Bray threw an arm around her and gave her a quick squeeze before defying gravity and adding yet more items to the trolley.

  “Nearly done Minky, just a couple more things, through the checkout then to the butcher and we should be done.”

  “Okay, lead on but I don’t think anything else will fit.” She replied turning the trolley down the toiletries aisle and heading to the checkout.

  He took a more measured glance at the trolley and burst out laughing at the huge mound of supplies. “I think you might be right about that.”

  As he was speaking, he paused and reached for a jumbo box of extra-large condoms. He somehow managed to fit that into the trolley and reached for another.

  Embarrassment and disbelief filled Rihanna. She glanced up and noticed the aisle deserted in front of her and spun her head around behind to make sure there was nobody close by to witness her dire panic.

  “Just how many do we need?” she asked, her voice a disbelieving whisper.

  He laughed again at her expression. God, she was beautiful, but when she got embarrassed or shocked, she was downright cute. It touched him somewhere deep. She was so organised and together in certain aspects of her life but in others—particularly sex—she was reserved, even prudish until she was so carried away she forgot to be like that.

  He moved into place directly behind her. She could feel his hard chest against her back. He placed his hands on the outside of hers. He leaned forward and kissed her neck.

  “Lots and lots. Last night and this morning just made me hungrier for you, babe.” He gave her a quick hug before letting her move on.

  Glad for the support of the trolley, Rihanna pushed on towards the checkout.

  Brayden moved slightly in front of her and guided the trolley against the checkout. He immediately began to unload everything to go through the scanner.