Page 63 of Natural Temptation

"Who knows?" I pull her on top of me. "But won't it be fun to find out?"

Meredith grins. "It'll be a blast."

Chapter Nineteen

Meredith

I toss a vibrant turquoise sarong at Ryan, the shimmering fabric floating through the air before landing draped across his broad shoulders. He smirks as the fabric catches the light. I pick up a scarf, prepared to fling that his way too, but then someone knocks on the door.

"You might need this," I tease

He wags his eyebrows. "For modesty's sake?"

"If that's what floats your boat, sweetie."

Ryan's eyebrows lift, his lips quirking. He snatches up the sarong, letting it slide sensuously down his muscular arms.

I laugh, turning back to our suitcases. "More for sun protection. You know how easily you burn. Can't have that beautiful dick turning beet red."

The warm island breeze drifts through our open windows, carrying the sweet scent of white ginger lily. I pause in my packing, distracted by the view of turquoise waters stretching to the horizon. Our room at Au Naturel is a slice of paradise, and sometimes I still can't believe this is our home now.

"Speaking of sun protection," I muse, eyeing the collection of hats spread across our bed. "Which one do you think I should bring? The floppy straw one or the chic fedora?"

Before Ryan can respond, someone knocks on the door.

"I'll get that," he offers. "You have important hat decisions to make."

He slings the sarong around his hips as he strides toward the door, deftly swinging it open. "Hello, ladies. How are you this morning?"

"Good morning, Mr. Kimble," comes Maya's cheerful voice. "We're just dropping off some last-minute items for your trip."

Why are my three best friends here? It's simple They're jealous of me because I get to live on a stunning tropical island with an equally stunning husband. Okay, the real reason is that my friends are on their way to Australia for a group vacation. They stopped over for a night on Heirani Motu to see me and Ryan before we begin our transoceanic journey to see all the Au Naturel resorts.

I peek around Ryan's body to see Zara standing in the doorway while Maya and Lila loiter behind her. All three of my friends wear similarly smug expressions, as if they know a wonderful secret but don't care to share it.

Ryan steps aside. "Please come in, ladies. And it's just Ryan, remember? Mr. Kimble is my father."

The trio casually walks into the bungalow, and I can't help but notice that my friends' eyes widen slightly when they realize what Ryan is wearing. Even with the sarong, there's no hiding my husband's sculpted physique—or the bulge beneath that flimsy fabric.

"What a lovely surprise," I say. Since my friends are fully clothed, I consider grabbing a light sundress. But I nix that idea. These ladies already know what Ryan and I look like naked.

My husband ties the sarong around his hips—to make sure it doesn't fall off, no doubt. I shake my head at his meticulous nature. Even after all this time, his attention to detail never fails to amuse and impress me. "Uh, sweetie, what occasion requires a sarong at a nudist resort?"

"You never know," Ryan replies with a wink. "Maybe I'll start a new fashion trend."

The mental image of Ryan strutting around a nudist beach wearing a sarong sends me into a fit of half-suppressed snorts. "Oh, I'd pay good money to see that."

Zara is clearly struggling not to laugh. "Better make it a see-through sarong. Otherwise, he'll be violating the resort's rules."

"He's the general manager," Lila points out. "He wears clothes whenever he's at work."

"Fair point."

Maya settles onto the edge of our bed, careful not to disturb the array of hats. "Speaking of paying good money, you'll never guess what we saw this morning."

I raise an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "Okay, you have got to tell me about it."

Zara and Lila exchange knowing glances, barely containing their excitement. Maya leans in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know that silver fox who checked in yesterday? The one with the designer luggage and the fancy watch?"