Finding Trust (Centre Games)

by Natalie Gayle

  Brayden followed Quade out past the breakers until the green water close to the coast became the deep sea blue and the surf became swell rather than breaking waves. Brayden slowed and pulled alongside Quade, waiting for the others to join them.

  “What’d you think of that, Minky?” Brayden asked over his shoulder.

  “I was terrified for the first half and now I just want to do it again, it was so much fun.”

  His deep laughter tickled her ears. The rest of the skis had joined and Quade took off again. Not going at the quick pace of the flat water but still at around forty kilometres an hour through the rolling swell. All the skis followed and danced across the swell, shooting from wave to wave.

  It took no time at all before a large luxury cruiser came into view. It was easily thirty metres in length and was anchored some two kilometres off the shore. Close to Jumpinpin bar, the passage of water that separates North and South Stradbroke Islands, but far enough away to be outside the unpredictable waters of the bar with its own treacherous sandbanks.

  Quade headed a little further north past the bar and then beached his ski on the pristine golden sand of North Straddie. He was closely followed in by all the other skis.

  Bray accelerated towards the beach and then cut the engine before the water became too shallow, allowing the momentum of the ski to carry them up onto the beach.

  Rihanna reluctantly extracted herself from Brayden’s back. Riding the ski was a great excuse to be ultra-close to him. She stepped into the ankle-deep water and removed her life vest.

  “How did you enjoy that, Rih?” Bray asked, a huge smile covering his face.

  Rihanna understood his clear joy and excitement. “It was awesome. Much better than I thought. I’m so glad you brought me along.”

  “Well, Rih, if I have anything to do with it, we’ll be doing this a lot more. Jet skiing is one of my favourite ways to spend time. I get so many great ideas for songs out here on the ski.”

  She could understand what he was getting at; being out on the ski allowed you to focus on something else and truly enjoy it. It was also something about being this connected to the ocean and the outdoors. The whole experience was totally different from being in a boat.

  “Will you teach me to drive it?” she asked hesitantly, not wanting to tread on any male toes.

  “Sure,” he answered positively. “Maybe not today because we’re working but when this is done. We’ll come out and I’ll let you take the controls.” He raised his eyebrows, indicating the double meaning.

  “Okay.” Rihanna also took comfort from Bray indicating there would be something after the current issues with the virus were solved.

  “Come on, let me introduce you to the rest of the team.”

  Brayden took her hand and walked to the group that had formed a little way up the beach. They were in the process of laying out towels, popping up shade shelters, and getting drinks out of cooler bags.

  “Hey, everyone, this is Rihanna. Rihanna, this is Angelo, Dylan, Selena, Alison, and Rheeba,” he introduced, indicating each person.

  Wow, they were a great-looking bunch. She recognised that the guys were hot from a distance but up close they were smokin’. And the girls—well, they oozed attitude, and cool. Jazz was clearly in her element. Rory had obviously introduced them and she was already deep in conversation with the tall, athletic-looking girl with the coffee coloured skin.

  She also noticed Rheeba, the one who she had wondered about. Had there been something between Brayden and Rheeba at some stage? Mmmm, she’d have to keep an eye on the dark-haired pixie. Rheeba was obviously of mixed heritage and sported an exotic beauty that Rihanna was sure most guys would find irresistible.

  Brayden grabbed a few things out of the front compartment of the ski and placed them on the beach beside where Jazz and Rory had set their things down. He spread out a couple of towels and popped out a fold-up shade shelter. Once he’d anchored it to the sand, he pulled Rihanna down beside him.

  “Doesn’t the shade shelter kind of defeat the purpose of being on the beach?” she asked curiously.

  “No.” He pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear. “It gives us a bit more privacy for surveillance, and other things.”

  The innuendo was not lost on her. Rihanna pulled a bottle of sunscreen out of a knapsack and passed it to him.

  “Can you do my back and shoulders?” she asked, adding a little flirting of her own while she peeled off her T-shirt.

  He opened the cap and poured some into his hand. “It would be my pleasure.” Bray could take something as ordinary as putting on sunscreen and make it into an erotic adventure. His hands skimmed over her back and shoulders, lingering around the sides of her breasts. Teasing, tormenting.

  A little throaty moan escaped her lips at the feel of his hands.

  “Babe, I think we’re going to need to go for a swim.”

  She looked at him, a little confused.

  “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and headed into the cool water. Brayden bypassed the skis and headed out though the breaking waves, jumping some and ducking under others, all the time pulling her with him, until they were about chest height in the water.

  When he was satisfied with the depth, Brayden pulled her into his arms and planted his feet on the sandy bottom, steadying them from the action of the waves with his strong body. He wasted no time in lowering his lips to hers and kissed her in full view of all his team members and Jazz. She hesitated a little, realising they had a very interested audience on the beach.

  He broke the kiss a little and spoke in a low throaty voice. “Ignore them. I am.” As if to emphasise his point, he slid his right hand down her back, over her curvy butt, and under the elastic leg of her bikini bottoms to target her most intimate and needy spot.

  This time she squeaked and then hissed at his intimate touch between kisses. “Brayden, we can’t do this here,” she protested very half-heartedly. So half-heartedly in fact, that she was pushing her body closer to his as she was verbalising her complaint.

  He ignored her and deepened the kiss. His right hand went to work in her feminine folds and quickly brought her closer to the fluttery edge of orgasm. She grasped him tighter, dropping her hands to cup the tight muscles of his butt and pull him in even closer to her. The hard ridge of his erection was almost painfully lodged between them.

  She moved one hand from his butt and stroked up and down the length of him. The water offered effective camouflage for their activities.

  Brayden had moved two fingers deep inside her and she was using the buoyance of the water and standing on her tippy toes to ride his fingers. She was so close. The cool water made her even more aware of her heated body. He brought his thumb into the action, rubbing hot little circles over her clit.

  She’d pushed the front of his board shorts down, needing to feel the length of him in her hand. His fingers hard inside her felt great but his hard length would feel even better. Lost to the moment and without thinking, she curled her legs around his waist and nudged his hand out of the way and replaced it with his erection. The need to have him inside her drove any rational thought from her mind.

  The feel of him sliding deep inside her was enough to trigger the orgasm that had been dancing around her. She came with what seemed like the force of the ocean. Her internal muscles clenched hard and squeezed him so tightly. Her silky thighs locked around his waist in steel bands. It was enough to send him over the edge to join her in the exquisite pleasure.

  A bigger wave broke over their heads, smothering her screams and bringing them back to a greater level of awareness. Spluttering out water and laughing like crazy people, they slowly separated, only to be swamped by another.

  Rihanna glanced back at the beach and noticed that the guys had got out a football and were tossing it around between them. The girls were lying side by side, sunning themselves. Fortunately nobody seemed to be taking any real notice of what they’d been doing.

  She turned out towar
ds the ocean and he cradled her body from behind.

  “I can’t believe we just did that in broad daylight one hundred metres from everyone.” She laughed a hysterical, oh-my-God laugh.

  “Believe it, sweetheart. We just did it.” His voice indicated it was as powerful for him as it had been for her. “And I hate to point this out for the second time, but we didn’t use anything,” he said far more gently.

  Rihanna stiffened. “Oh my God, you’re right! How could I be so stupid?” Panic set in. Last time had been an accident but this time…Oh shit, oh shit. The odds were far more favourable that she might get pregnant. Oh God, what was he thinking about her now?

  “Bray, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think. I just…” she trailed off. She didn’t need to explain; he knew exactly what had happened.

  He stroked his hand down over her wet hair. “It’s okay, Rih baby. We’ll sort it out.”

  And she was confident that he meant exactly that.

  “I’ll go to the doctor’s next week and get some other form of contraception. I have a feeling this is going to keep happening,” she offered resignedly.

  He laughed. “Sounds like a good plan.”

  She shivered; they’d been in the water for a while now and they’d also just ridden another emotional rollercoaster.

  “Let’s head in.” He took her hand and led her from the water and up the beach.

  Chapter Twenty

  Rihanna was lazing on a towel under the shade cover with Jazz. Alison, Rheeba, and Selena were doing similar on either side of them. The guys were out on the beach involved in a competitive-looking game of football, which seemed pretty physical from where Rihanna was watching.

  Just a moment ago, Bray had broken free with the ball, only to be brought down hard by a lunging tackle from Quade. She swore she heard a bone crack, but they both seemed to laugh it off and continue.

  Rheeba was supposedly videoing the guys clowning around; Rihanna actually suspected she was videoing or doing surveillance on the boat. The camera looked very high-end and she had no doubt that it offered a perfect view of the decks.

  “So why are you videoing the guys, Rheeba?” Jazz enquired.

  This’d be interesting, Rihanna thought to herself.

  Without missing a beat, Rheeba went on, “Oh, it’s a little something we do. We get video of all sorts of things we do. Some normal, some crazy, and some just plain stupid. Then we edit them all together for in-house funnies. It’s kind of a tradition.”

  “When did you start doing that?” Jazz asked in ever typical fashion.

  “Oh, about three or four years ago. We had a weekend team-building thing and it was sort of one of those team challenges. We all enjoyed it so much we carried on the tradition. Besides, if I’m the one behind the camera, there’s less opportunity for the guys to get dirt on me.”

  Jazz gave her a nodding thumbs-up at that logic.

  Rheeba sounded totally believable. Rihanna had no idea whether she was telling the truth or whether this was some elaborate ruse to disguise what she was actually doing.

  “So did you get any of the make-out session in the water this morning?” Jazz asked innocently.

  Rihanna cringed in embarrassment. She’d never done anything so daring; she hoped it hadn’t been captured for prosperity.

  “I’m sure I got some of it,” Rheeba confirmed.

  “I’m so embarrassed. I wish the sand would open up and swallow me.” Rihanna brought her knees to her chest and hung her head, not able to meet anyone’s eyes.

  “Don’t be embarrassed, girl. That was hot, watchin’ you two go at it,” Alison the tall, athletic girl put in. “Pity I know all these guys too well. Or I might have been tempted to join you with someone.”

  Rihanna was shocked. She’d met Alison a couple of hours ago and here she was being so “out there.”

  Jazz laughed at her, clearly picking up on her shock. She turned to Alison. “I second your thinking, Ali. It was damn hot. And I have to say there’s a guy or two over there I’d be tempted to get it on with. Brayden and Quade excluded, of course.”

  They all laughed.

  Selena joined the conversation. “I get why you excluded Brayden—he’s clearly off the market now. But why Quade? Is he seeing someone that I don’t know about?” She stretched out her perfectly proportioned body and reclined back on her elbows, her jet black hair pulled into a high ponytail.

  “I don’t know if he’s seeing someone but Mr SUHAHAM just pisses me off,” Jazz huffed in explanation.

  Rheeba chimed in from around the camera. “Okay, I’ve missed something. What’s with the Mr whatever you said?”

  “Oh, Jazz and Quade didn’t quite get off on the right foot. So she’s taken to calling him Mr SUHAHAM, which stands for Mr Stick Up His Ass High and Mighty,” Rihanna clarified for them. Rheeba, Selena, and Alison burst out into gut-rolling laughter.

  Finally, Alison calmed down enough to speak. “Oh, that’s just too funny. He can so be like that.”

  “I know it is a pathetic name but he just pissed me off so much when he called me honey nose,” Jazz admitted.

  “He called you honey nose. Why?” Selena wanted to know.

  “Because I was drilling him and Rory for information on Brayden. I wanted to know if he was serious about Rihanna.”

  “Oh, no doubt in my mind, Brayden is serious. But you really must have got to Quade for him to react. Normally he just walks away. Hey, Rheeb?” Selena threw to Rheeba.

  “Which bit?”

  “Both. You know Quade better than Alison and I do. You’ve worked with them more.”

  “Well, on the Quade front you must have really gotten under his skin for him to have even bothered to answer. That guy is a serious brooder, but he normally keeps it to himself.” She paused and looked from behind the camera. “As for Brayden, well, I hope you’re serious, Rihanna, because that guy’s in love with you.” A quiet reservation came over Rheeba’s face as she turned back to the camera. Rihanna noted the comment from Rheeba but didn’t feel the jealousy she’d expected when Rheeba commented on their relationship.

  “Told you it was serious, Rihanna.” Jazz nudged her.

  “Yep, it’s definitely serious,” Rihanna agreed. Her mind swirled with all the things that were going on. Virus, relationship, potential pregnancy, yada yada yada. How did her life become so frickin’ complicated?

  ***

  While they’d been talking, the guys had finished tossing the ball around and had cooled off in the water. The tide was steadily coming in. They guys had now all descended on the large cooler bags that Rory had grabbed from one of the skis. Sandwiches were being passed around and wolfed down. These guys sure did eat; even the girls were well finished with their first rounds and onto their second while Rihanna struggled to finish her first half.

  Maybe she was just not hungry because she was stressed? It wasn’t as if she had nothing to be stressed about.

  Brayden had wandered over and plonked himself down beside her. “Having fun?”

  “Yep, and you?” She smiled.

  “You’re here, aren’t you?”

  She giggled at how sweet he could be. He looked out to the ocean and she felt him stiffen. Rihanna leant over and whispered in his ear. “What?”

  “Boat’s on the move.” He slightly nodded his head, keeping his voice very low.

  She saw him motion to Quade with his eyes. Quade followed Bray’s cue and nodded once, indicating he’d seen the boat also.

  “How about we head back over Jumpinpin and have a hoon around on the flat water in a little while?” he suggested.

  “Sounds good, Quade,” Brayden agreed. Rihanna immediately understood they wanted a closer look at that boat but didn’t want to be obvious about it.

  They all agreed it sounded like a good idea.

  “Let’s see if you guys can catch me,” Rheeba taunted.

  “Rheeba, we’re all riding three hundreds so I doubt you’re going to get away,” Dylan point
ed out logically.

  “Don’t be so sure, D. I messed around with my ski earlier in the week. I think I’m good for another ten clicks an hour out of her.” Rheeba’s face dissolved into a knowing grin.

  “Oh, you’re on, babe. I win—you fill out my reports for a month. You win—I’ll do yours.”

  “Done,” she agreed and extended her hand for Dylan to shake. The confident look she sported had not diminished in the least. She was definitely a woman who knew what she was about. Clearly, she didn’t intend to take it easy on Dylan.

  “Selena, you’re on the back with Quade. I’m not giving Rheeba anymore advantages,” Dylan informed her.

  “Okay,” Selena acknowledged.

  “We’ll race from the navigation marker where the Jacobs Well stretch meets the channel to the navigation marker at the other end of Tipplers. But we go the back channel so we don’t hit the six knots area,” he said laying out the course.

  “Works for me, D.” Rheeba spun and started walking away to gather her belongings. “Oh, don’t forget to bring your best game, D,” she threw back at him cheekily.

  “Always, Rheeba.”

  “Come on, people. Let’s move out,” Brayden called and they all packed up and headed out on their skis.

  Brayden could feel the indent of Rihanna pressed hard against his body. It was such a turn-on to have her close to him. He couldn’t believe how out of control things had gotten in the water earlier. They’d really done it now. Pregnancy chances had just gone through the roof. He knew she was ovulating. He smelt it first thing this morning when he woke up with her cuddled up to him. That was another thing they’d have to work through. He had no idea how she’d feel about having his baby.

  He’d purposely got out of bed to avoid rolling over and making love to her then. Rory and Quade had been up and had given him the news about the boat. They had to wrap this up soon; it was killing him. He needed to be with Rihanna in a normal environment.

  Worry about viruses and having her in danger was not his idea of normal. In fact, anything but. He still had no idea if and when he was going to tell her about the real him. Being on the Jet Ski let his mind wander to all sorts of places it didn’t normally get to go. It was just the way it worked for him when he was out here.