The boat gently swayed as they both sat quietly lost in their own thoughts. Not wanting to lower the mood any further, Rayne had an urge for a little fun. "Can we swim?" she asked, hopeful.

How could he decline such a sweet request? "Yeah, a swim sounds great."

"Race you." Quickly up on her feet, she dived gracefully from the boat.

Laughing, he stood and watched from the deck. "Is it cold?"

"A little." She floated on her back and kicked water in his direction.

Jaxon sucked in a gasp as the cold water splashed across his chest and abs. "You will pay for that little one." Undoing his shorts, he yanked them off and dove in, joining her in the water.

Surfacing near to Rayne, he watched as she bit her lip, teasing a smile clearly meant to tempt him.

This time Jaxon was sure her lip biting wasn't due to any sort of nerves. Did she know what she was doing could be flirting? "If I was you little girl, I would stop looking at me like that."

Rayne double blinked and blushed hard before dipping under the water.

He waited and a few seconds later; she emerged right in front of him. Treading water, their eyes locked.

Her stomach began that crazy thing it did when she looked at him for too long, flurry and swell with glee.

"Got you." He reached out and grabbed her. "Splash me, will you little one? Little girls who do naughty things, get punished." He noted the throatiness to his tone.

Pulling her towards him, she laughed. But seconds later rendered him speechless as she wrapped her legs around his waist. 

Fuck!  

His body wasted no time in reacting to the close proximity of her delicious ass flush against his hardening erection. Sweet Jesus. Surely, she must feel it too?

Rayne's breathing elevated and the small pulse in her neck fluttered up a storm.

"You're cold, little one." She nodded as he wrapped one arm around her waist pulling her tightly against him treading water best he could, one hand moving through the water, keeping them both afloat. Luckily in the water any additional weight neither concerned or registered, holding Rayne up was akin to holding a feather and just a soft.

Rayne's hand travelled up his arms and around his neck, clasping her fingers. They were almost hugging as their warm breaths mingled.

Hoping his erection would settle would be like praying for rain in the Sahara desert. In truth, he lengthened with each passing moment. Expecting her to pull away from him, rather the opposite occurred, she melted into his hold, her fingers playing with the edges of his hair. "Do you want to get out, little one?" he whispered.

"No." She tightened her legs around him instinctively.

Pulling her forever closer, her breasts pushed up against his broad chest, her erect nipples tempting, teasing his diminishing mantra, she belonged to his brother. He barely managed to restrain a moan. His body wanted her. His mind wanted her. He didn't doubt his heart was far behind.

Rayne closed her eyes; this was wrong—but couldn't deny it felt so right too. She had shared her darkest shame, something she hadn't done with any other and he hadn't withdrawn, hadn't said she was dirty, disgusting or a whore. And as he held her firmly, her body moved on its own accord, his erection pushing against her sex.

Tightening her grip around his waist, she moved against his stiffness to hear him groan. His chest muscles flexed and she felt his warm lips on the curve of her neck, the roughness of his jaw teasing her sensitive skin. 

She sucked in a breath as his tongue glided over her flesh, licking her salty skin. Rayne knew she should stop him, be appalled, upset. But she wasn't. She liked the feel of being held in his enormous arms—him gripping her tightly, and the way his body responded to hers, sparked a reaction in each nerve. She wasn't at all surprised when her nipples screamed out for attention, her heart thumping madly against her chest.

Jaxon had to ease the burning urge, he needed just a small taste, as his lips touch her skin he wondered how something so wrong, felt so right? Jaxon questioned his reasoning for not wanting to let her go. The way her body responded to his was addictive. He moved his hand lower to cup an ass cheek. Digging his fingers in whilst his tongue licked along the curve of her shoulder. 

The taste of Rayne and the salt from the water seduced his taste buds. But in the back of his mind, a nagging doubt pestered his thoughts. He was doing this without Nate's permission and that he didn't like. He was so used to Nate directing who did what in these situations. But as he held this tiny woman in his arms, he wanted her to want him and only him.

He kept on kissing, licking and now nipping her shoulders up toward her slim neck. Remembering and perhaps taking advantage of the rule of six, pausing after each set.

Rayne sighed as he completed the pattern of six for a third time. In that moment, only the two of them existed. Nathan was far from her thoughts.

"What now?" he heard her whisper.

Excellent question—what now, indeed?

She pulled back and Jaxon could see her eyes had darkened to a stormy grey. "What do you want Rayne?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. Her eyes fell on his full lips that had just felt so warm against her skin. Goosebumps sailed down her arms at the recall.

He leaned closer, their nose rubbed against each other. Lips a mere fraction away from one another. Breaths blended. Neither one moved. The impulse to kiss her full pouty lips was the strongest urge he could ever recall. But he held back. He didn't want her to regret them going further.

"You're cold," he announced, inching away to meet those stormy greys.

Rayne nodded her answer.

"C'mon little one. Let's get you back on the boat, you hungry?"

Now that she thought about it, she was in fact ravenous. She loosened her grip around his waist and pushed away before turning and swimming towards the side of the boat. Jaxon followed and watched as she gripped the ladder, her body rising from the water. The sway of her ass and the water running from her body did nothing to ease the pressure in his swimming trunks.

As she climbed on board, she stood shivering as he quickly reached for a towel and wrapped her tightly. "I'm sorry Jaxon."

He pulled back, placing his hands on either side of her upper arms. "Sorry for what?"

She wondered if she had made him uncomfortable. Looking down at her feet, the feeling of shame washed over her just as the water had done moments earlier. "I—I, I don't know, but I think I need to apologise. I feel like I've spoiled your day."

Jaxson breathed heavily through his nose, shaking his head. "Look at me, Rayne." His tone assertive, increasing the pressure on her arms.

She shivered under the authority in his voice, meeting his eyes without hesitation.

"Listen to me Rayne. You have nothing to be sorry for. We got a little carried away in the moment.  You  did nothing wrong."

Nathan!   Another heavy boatload of guilt and shame slammed into her chest, tightening like a rubber band, squeezing the air from her lungs. She was sure when Nathan requested that she get to know his brother better— he certainly didn't mean for her to grind herself against his erection like a dirty whore.

She would need to tell him. And ensure he knew where the blame lay—her. Jaxon was not responsible. He was a man after all, and men will always react a certain way, especially if that woman was practically naked grinding themselves up on them.

Jaxon watched panic spread like virus across her face, her churning thoughts sang to him like a canary. Her declaration of past actions slapped him in the face. This would need swift action. He would not allow her to head down any dark paths under his watch. "Rayne, we will have none of that." He wagged his finger.

Her eyes widened, not daring to ask before he spoke again. "Whatever is churning inside your head, you need to let it go. Right now!  You did nothing wrong and I want you here with me. I need your attention. Understand?"

Her thoughts melted away under the sheer power in his words. She nodded her head compliantly.

"Good Rayne, that makes me happy." He leaned down pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Rayne relaxed under the influence of his praise.

"Now I want you to go downstairs and fix up our lunch and we will eat. Yes?"

Yes, she could do that. Being busy was good. Instruction was better. "Yes Jaxon."

"Good, go." His command was firm, swift.

Still clinging tightly to the towel, her little feet couldn't get her to the downstairs cabin fast enough.

~ ~

The rest of the day sailed by with no drama or near misses. They ate lunch, talked more whilst avoiding the heavy topics. But all too soon it was time to return to the harbor and head home.

Hours later, listening to the easy music of Maroon 5, Rayne busily put the finishing touches to their evening meal. Nathan would be home shortly. She stilled to listen for any movement from Jaxon. It appeared he still hadn't come out from his bedroom. She hoped he was okay.

Her mind with little persuasion, flashed images of them in the water. The almost kiss, the impulse to kiss him. The feelings of desire when he'd pressed up against her.  It left little option but to confess all to Nathan and hope he would forgive her dirty thoughts and actions.

As the song ended, she heard a car door close. "Nathans here." She let out an excited yelp as she counted out the steps running to the front door to greet him.

Stood waiting in the exact spot, Nathan opened the door as she jumped into his arms.

Nathan dropped his case as Rayne's enthusiastic welcome caught him unexpectedly. He held her tightly against him. "Sweetheart, this is a wonderful welcome. I missed you too." She pulled back as he leaned in to kiss her. "You taste salty, hmmm. How was your day?"

Raye blushed, her excitement shrinking faster than water down the drain. She looked down, guilt swallowing any hunger from moments ago. "Good," barely a whisper was heard.

Nathan removed his hand from her waist and lifted her chin. "Honestly?"

"I enjoyed sailing immensely. But there is something I need to discuss with you." Gulping down her shame along with an unhealthy dose of her mother's cruel taunts.

Nathan leaned down, letting their foreheads touch. "I have two words for you, Rayne."

She bit her lip.

"No shame,"  he repeated.

Rayne's confusion returned. Did he not want to know what had almost happened?

Nathan pulled back, more cheerful than moments ago. "So, tell me. What's on the menu, something smells wonderful."

Rayne stepped from his hold as Nathan pulled at his tie, loosening and then removing it, wrapping around his hand. "Jaxon said you both loved Chinese but hadn't shared it together for such a long time. So, I'm making Chinese beef in a black bean sauce, his favorite. He also said it was a favorite of yours, but you've never mentioned it before. I would have remembered."

Nathan wasn't sure what game his brother was playing, but this was never a favorite of theirs—a favorite of Nicole's. "A long time ago sweetheart, I liked it, but never loved it."

There was something hidden in his words. Disappointment?  "I'm sorry. Do you want me to whip up something else for you?"

He shook his head. "You made it, so I know it will be divine. Do I have time to change sweetheart?"

She would make it up to him via his favorite dessert. "Yes, of course."

As he headed upstairs. Jaxon came from his bedroom, leaning against the doorframe he folded his arms across his chest,  flicking his chin up in Nathan's direction.

"I heard Rayne had a great day."

Jaxon didn't miss the smug look plastered across his brother's face—in truth, he was hardly trying to hide it. "Yes, I think you're gonna need to find your sea-legs. She's a quick learner, a natural."

Nathan was keen to know. "Did you have a good day?"

Jaxon didn't know why he felt so irritated by his brother's questions. "Did you want me to have a good day?"

"Obviously, I wanted you and Rayne to enjoy your day together, get to know one another."

Jaxon clenched his jaw. "Well, you got your wish then."

Nathan strode past Jaxon. "Good, I'll wait for Rayne to tell me the rest later."

Jaxon decided he wasn't so sure he wanted to be around for that conversation.