Finding Trust (Centre Games) by Natalie Gayle

get out of here.”
    They walked up the paddock, maintaining the casual embrace that was actually providing the connection that was sending sparks shooting between them. The mare followed a pace or two behind. They both seemed lost in thought, most of them about lust and wanting but neither really sure.
    As they climbed through the fence, Brayden ran his hand down the nose of the mare and murmured, “Catch you later, girl.” She immediately turned and headed off towards the other horses that had gathered under the shade of the trees lining the creek bank.
    Brayden took her hand and headed back under the fig tree. He turned her to face him and cupped her cheek with his hand. Concern was etched all over his face. His fingers lightly caressed her soft skin.
    “Rihanna, have you been in the house yet?” he quietly asked.
    “No.” Her eyes were huge with the horror of what she surely imagined her house had become.
    “Why don’t you wait out here and I’ll go in and check things out?” Before she had time to respond, he rushed on. “While you were sitting out here, I contacted my team and my boss has instructed me to take you back to my place. We’re to wait there until further notice.”
    She pulled away from him and took a step back. “But what about this place and all the mess that needs cleaning up? I have to get started on sorting everything out,” she demanded, although he could tell from her tone that, in actual fact, the cleaning up of this place was about the last thing she currently wanted to do. The carnage was too real, new and just so totally overwhelming.
    “You don’t have to worry about a thing. The boss is sending a forensics team that will take all their samples and then a clean-up team will be sent in to get it all back to normal.”
    She took a deep breath and then said, “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with all this stuff happening at the moment. I feel so out of control. I don’t seem to have any ability to make decisions about my life anymore.”
    “Yeah, I can see where you are coming from but really we need to keep you hidden and out of harm’s way until my team can get a lead on the guys who have got the virus,” he empathised in his very soothing and convincing way.
    “You want me to head in and see if I can grab some clothes for you?”
    Shit, she thought, glad someone was thinking. She was still wearing his T-shirt and a pair of soft cotton gym shorts of his. He’d found an old pair of flip-flops that someone had left behind to put on her feet.
    She pulled what was left of her courage together and started to head to the house.
    “Guess you’re coming in.” He smirked.
    She immediately spun and barked up at him, “Do you think I want to go in there and see how these people have trashed my house and pawed over all our things? Do you think I want to have all the good memories of this house and growing up here with my parents erased in a snap?” She snapped her fingers together for emphasis.
    He didn’t respond, which just seemed to incite her further.
    “Well, I don’t. I don’t want to go in there but I have to…I have to see for myself.”
    With that, she spun and stormed towards the steps. Bray rushed to her side, halting her and pulling her into his warm embrace. “If you are going in there, you are going in there with me beside you. I don’t want you to have to face whatever has happened alone.”
    He took her hand and guided her up the front steps to the house. He reached for the front door and turned the door handle but paused before pushing it open.
    “We face this together,” he said. His words provided Rihanna with the strength to continue through the door. Whatever was on the other side would not be pleasant but at least she felt as though she had someone there looking out for her. Someone who actually cared how this was impacting on her as a person. Someone who actually cared that this whole thing was tearing her apart.
    They walked through the door and the