Finding Trust (Centre Games) (16 page)

They lay there a little longer, Rihanna now totally relaxed in his arms. Her awareness was returning and she tuned into the feeling of his erection firm under the thigh she had thrown over his hips.

She started to run her hand in lazy circles through the silky hair on his chest. His chest hair was perfect, like everything else about him. Not too much and not too little. Just enough to remind her clearly that he was all male, all man and not some manicured metrosexual wannabee.

At her touch, his senses leapt back into full action. His total focus on her pleasure had served to keep his own needs under control, but now the tide had turned and his own needs were demanding to be fulfilled.

Rihanna had come down from her incredible high to realise that Bray had postponed his own pleasure to take her somewhere amazing, something she had never experienced before. She desperately wanted to make it special, exciting, unique for him.

“What can I do to make it special for you?” she asked in a small, muffled voice as she spoke against the skin of his neck.

“I have a feeling it’s always going to be special with you.” Sincerity was evident in his voice.

“Now who’s avoiding the uncomfortable?” she said, firing back.

He laughed at her response.

“Oh,honey, I’m not avoiding the uncomfortable. In fact, anything but.” He started to rise up, bringing her with him. “On your hands and knees, baby. I’m going to be very comfortable in just a sec.”

Rihanna eagerly obliged him, taking up position on the bed, while he equipped himself with a condom.

He moved behind her and Rihanna glanced over her shoulder, shooting him a look that could only be described as sinful. He wasted no further time and slid home into his own piece of heaven. This position called to every animal sense he contained. Taking her like this was raw and primitive, something that was so ingrained within every essence of his makeup. He gripped her hips and thrust hard and fast into her slick channel, every stroke going deeper and harder.

Rihanna was beginning to make little whimpers of pleasure. He reached forward with his hands and gave her nipples a hard, almost painful pinch.

She started to shriek in surprise but the shriek became a groan halfway across her lips. The little bit of pain served to lift her arousal to the point of boiling. Brayden quickened his strokes to an even faster and firmer pace.

“Minky, come for me now,” he demanded and lightly nipped at the sensitive place where her neck and shoulder joined. The jolt of his teeth against her sensitive flesh was enough to send her into another earth-shattering orgasm. This time she did cry out. Her voice was totally awash with the passion flowing through them.

He followed her cry with a series of quick, short strokes that became fierce jerks as the spasms of release ripped through him. They both collapsed forward on to the bed. Spent, fulfilled, and totally fucked.

Chapter Eleven

Rihanna was lazing on a bright beach towel by the edge of the pool, using the heat coming up from the pool surrounding to help dry off. She was covered from the direct rays of the sun by one of the half-dozen shade sails that criss-crossed the shallow end of the pool. At an initial glance, it might look as if she dozed. Her mind was far from sleep.

She was becoming more and more confused by the moment, trying to understand her relationship, if you could call it that, with Brayden. Was it a real relationship? Or were they just a fling to each other? Realistically, what sort of future could or would they have? She really needed another perspective on this. Jazz had sent a number of text messages over the last couple of days and she had been sending back vague but positive sounding messages.

She really wanted to tell Jazz everything but she knew she couldn’t. One thing that Bray had been very adamant about was ensuring that as few people as possible knew what was really going on with the virus. If it became public knowledge, the ramifications would be insane. There could potentially be public pandemonium. She’d just have to be careful.

“Oh, stuff it,” she said to herself as she picked up her phone and hit Jazz’s contact details. Jazz answered the phone on the second ring.

“Hi, Rih.” Jazz’s voice was even higher than normal and her clear excitement at potentially getting the “gos” on her and Bray was just too much for her to contain.

“Hey there, Jazz, how’ve you been?”

“Whatttttt! You soooo did not ring me to ask me how I am.”

“Weeeelllllll, probably not,” Rihanna agreed with a giggle.

“So gimme gimme gimme the gos, girl.”

Rihanna couldn’t help herself and burst out laughing at Jazz’s impatience.

“Give you what?” she asked innocently.

“You know what…THE DETAILS, NOW.”

“Ohhh that…ahhh.”

“I have not been your best friend since grade six for nothing. SPILL, NOW.”

“Well, seeing you asked so NOT nicely…”

“I don’t have to ask nicely. It’s assumed. SPILL IT…pleassse.”

“Well, seeing you asked so nicely.”

“God, you’re such a bitch sometimes, Rih.” Jazz huffed.

“No, I just know what a huge sticky nose you are.”

“Yeah, well there is that.” Rihanna was treated to the high-pitched tinkling laugh that was oh so Jazz. “But I am your best friend and that gives me certain rights, including getting all the gos on my best friend’s relationship with one of the hottest musos in Oz.”

“Well, hot is definitely an apt description of him. In fact, I’m not sure how I don’t have third-degree burns all over me from being with him.”

“Ahhhh! If I didn’t love you so much, I’d be soooo jealous,” Jazz announced. Her voice became a little more serious. “So how is it really going?”

“It’s incredible, intense, uncomfortable, amazing, wrong, right, and frickin’ fantastic all rolled into one.”

“Well, I guess that’s good…” Jazz’s voice trailed off, trying to give Rihanna the encouragement to continue.

“Yeah, it’s great but I’m not sure, Jazz. What if I’m just a fling to him?”

“Does it feel like a fling to you?”

“Well no, but you know my track record with men. I’m a relationship nightmare.”

There was a brief pause in the conversation before Jazz filled the void.

“That is true. But, sweetie, the reason you’ve never had a real relationship is because you’ve never let yourself off the work leash. First you went through high school having to be top of your class. Then you went through uni with the same commitment and need to be number one in your course and then you’ve spent the last eight years holding your father’s practice together through his grief. Oh and let’s not forget that on top of running the practice, you’ve been researching the fucking Hendra virus for the government.” Jazz finally took a breath. “No, sweetie, you’ve been ever so busy trying to build relationships with men, haven’t you?”

“Anyone ever told you sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Jazz?”

“Yeah, and the truth always hurts, doesn’t it? Fact is, Rih, you wouldn’t know a relationship if it jumped up and bit you on the arse.”

“Says the queen of solid relationships. How many times have you and Andy split up and got back together?”

“You know the answer to that—plenty. But at least I’m prepared to give it a go and put myself out there, which is more than I can say for you.” One thing Rihanna could always rely on Jazz to do was tell her the truth. Warts and all. And often it sucked but it was better than the alternative.

“And while we’re on it, I still reckon the reason you’ve never put yourself out there for a relationship is because you see how much of a shell of his former self your father has become and you’re shit scared in case you find someone and lose them.”

Rihanna physically paled at Jazz’s frank summation of her father’s relationship with her mother and his subsequent loss. She’d lost, too. She’d lost her mum at the beginning of her final year at school. They’d been so close. It was years before she started to feel a bit normal after she died. It wasn’t until about six years ago she could walk through the lounge room and look at her mother’s photo and remember the good times rather than feel the gaping hole that she’d felt when the cancer had first taken her.

“I lost big time as well, Jazz,” Rihanna said quietly.

“Yes, you did. You lost your mother, sweetie, not your life partner. You’ve yet to find yours.” Jazz’s words hit Rihanna hard.

“He makes me feel things like I haven’t ever felt before.”

“Scary, hey?”

“Terrifying,” she agreed.

“That’s how you know it’s worth pursuing.”

“What’d you mean?”

“The fact that you’re feeling things for the first time. He’s obviously managed to touch you somewhere no one else has.” Rihanna laughed at Jazz’s comment. “And before you laugh it off, Miss Relationships-Are-Not-For-Me, I’m not talking about physically. Somehow he’s getting through where no one else has.”

Rihanna thought on that a second while Jazz paused to take a breath.

“Stands to reason really, that he’s got through.”

“Huh, what’d you mean?”

“Well, Rih, if you haven’t already noticed, you’re doin’ the HOTTEST guitarist in the country. I’d even go as far as saying he’s hotter than Jace and you know how much I love him. The man clearly walks on water. You saw how he made that guitar sing on New Year’s Eve.”

“Yeah, I got a personal demonstration last night.” She giggled.

“Oh you lucky, lucky bitch. How come me, their biggest fan, has not even met them and you, you who couldn’t even name one of their songs, is
the current squeeze for the stand-in lead guitar and primary song writer? Tell me how that’s fair? The universe clearly hates me.”

Rihanna couldn’t help but laugh at Jazz’s private pity party.

“I do so know one song.”

“Yeah, which
one?”

“Take Me Baby Tonight.”

Jazz burst out laughing again. “Well, that’s just too funny. The only song you know is their shagging anthem. Any particular reason you know that one?”

“Ahhh, well…”

“Just tell me, for God’s sake. You have to give me something.”

“He played it for me last night just before we went to bed.”

“You mean just before he fucked you.”

“Jazzzz.” Rihanna gasped.

“Oh, please. I know you’re not a virgin—God knows how that happened. Greg must have caught you at a weak moment all those years ago.”

“I was curious.”

“Well, that explains it. I’d always wondered. Maybe you’ve finally found a guy that can get through that double layer brick wall you put around your heart.”

“So what am I going to do?”

“Derr…have you totally lost your mind?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that for the first time in your life you’re going to give this guy a chance and see where it goes.”

“Do you think I’m just another fling to him?” Rihanna’s voice trailed off.

“Sweetie, what do you think? You’re the only one who can answer that, but I’ve never heard any bad press about him.”

“He said he doesn’t do one-night stands.”

“Do you believe him?”

“I think so.”

“Well, there you go. Has he done anything to make you doubt him?”

“Well, not really but he’s just so different than other guys.”

“In what way?” Jazz asked, her voice full of curiosity.

“He’s so self-assured, so definite about what he wants and how things are going to be. He asks me to do things and I just do; I don’t even question him.”

“Now we’re getting to the heart of it.”

“Oh please, I rang you as my best friend, not as a shrink.”

“Well, Rih, lucky for you—when you talk to me, you get both.” Jazz was a psychiatrist attached to a prestigious private hospital on the Gold Coast. She’d just finished her residency and was contemplating her next career move.

“Yeah, aren’t I lucky?”

“Ha! You so know you are. Getting back to the topic…so why do you think you let him dictate what you do? That’s not the Rihanna I know. Whenever I want you to come out with me, I literally have to beg and bribe you.”

“I’m not that bad, am I?”

“Yes and worse.”

Rihanna cringed. She really did try to be a good friend.

“But I still do what you want me to.”

“That’s just because you love me. Notice any trend here?”

“I’ve known him exactly two days. I don’t love him.”

“Maybe not yet. But there obviously has to be something there, otherwise you wouldn’t be compelled to try to please him. For as long as I’ve known you, you don’t answer to anybody but yourself. That tells me this guy has something that you recognise and respect, otherwise you wouldn’t be responding like this. You may not have consciously recognised it but somewhere deep your psyche has, otherwise you wouldn’t be scared nor would he be having this effect on you.”

“Thanks, Sigmund.”

“No problem. I’ll tell my secretary to send you a bill.” Jazz’s tinkling laugh spilled through the cell phone.

“Ha! You would so do that.” Rihanna laughed. It was a standing joke. Last time she’d needed advice about something, Jazz had sent her a bill with the payment required being for Rihanna to go out to see a band and bring a bottle of champagne. Jazz could be a total nut. That’s why she claimed she was so good at her job. She had firsthand experience in dealing with nut cases.

“Just for shits and giggles.”

“So you’re basically saying I should just go with it.”

“Yep—grab whatever it is with both hands and hang on.”

“But what if it ends badly?”

“What if it doesn’t?”

“Ah, you’re no help at all,” Rihanna cried in exasperation.

“No, I’m just telling you to do the very thing that scares the shit out of you. I’ve known you to be many things, Rih. Aloof, driven, closed off, loyal, responsible, and the best damn friend anyone could wish to have. What I’ve never known you to be is a coward.”

“Okay, okay. I now get that you’re not going to give me any good reasons why I’m a stark raving lunatic to be sleeping with and maybe, and it is a big maybe, getting into a relationship with this guy.”

“Hallelujah, my job is done.”

“Smart arse…”

“Always! So when are you lovebirds coming up for air? And when do you remember I’m your bestest friend in the world and introduce me to him? Even better, introduce me to Jace.”

“How can a psychiatrist carry on like a teenage groupie?” Rihanna asked more to herself than to Jazz.

“Easy. That’s just one of my multiple personalities,” she joked. “But you still haven’t told me when. I could be led to the impression that you aren’t keen for me to meet him.”

Now, Jazz was getting to the heart of it. She really didn’t want her to meet him just yet. And not because she was beginning a relationship, but because of all the drama surrounding them with the virus.

“I didn’t tell you but I have to do some research with a crew out of Brissy for a week or two. So I’ll be going up there each day. That means getting together one night is out. Maybe we could get together this weekend.”

“Sounds good. Let’s set it up later this week. What day is it, anyway? I swear I lose track with all these public holidays. I’m so glad I don’t have to go back to work for a few weeks yet.”

“Tuesday and have you decided to accept the consulting position at the hospital?”

“No, I haven’t decided anything yet. Aren’t you supposed to be on holidays as well?”

“Ah, yeah, I was…but this Brissy crew has made some sort of breakthrough and the suits want me to go review their work.”

“And it can’t wait til after the holidays?”

“Apparently not.”

“And it’s not like you would ever turn down the opportunity to get some virus under your microscope.”