Page 25 of Natural Temptation

I find her on the beach. She won't see me. I'm hiding behind a tree.

Meredith dips her toes into the lapping waves, laughing softly as she makes curling shapes in the sand. Her laughter carries on the breeze.

"Oh!" she exclaims, jumping back as a larger wave splashes her legs.

I grin at her surprise. It's been so long since I've felt this...alive. This drawn to someone.

Then I swerve my gaze toward the ocean, catching something in my peripheral vision. I immediately recognize the telltale signs of one of our famous island rainstorms. It isn't here yet, but it will arrive at any moment.

I jog over to where she's still playing in the waves and call out, "Meredith! Time to go!"

She whirls around, her face alight with joy—at seeing me? Not sure. Just as the rain abruptly pours down, her mouth stretches into a wide grin. "Ryan! Isn't this amazing?"

I'm about to respond when a crack of thunder splits the air. Without thinking, I rush forward, sweeping Meredith into my arms, carrying her up the trail toward a large palm tree. "We need to get to shelter. But don't worry, frequent rainstorms are common on South Pacific islands."

"My hero," she teases, her breath warm against my neck.

The palm tree's broad leaves provide a makeshift shelter from the rain. Leaves drip with crystal droplets that catch the sunlight. Meredith's hair is slicked back in a manner that makes her look even more beautiful. The sound of rain mingles with the crashing of waves. Her flushed cheeks and parted lips feel like an invitation to ravish her mouth. As our eyes lock, our lips meet too, and suddenly, we're kissing like the world might end at any second. The wind howls around us, and the rain pelts our bodies, but we're lost in the chaos of our need for each other. It's all-consuming, intense, a wild frenzy of passion born from the tempestuous atmosphere surrounding us.

"I've wanted to do that for days," Meredith whispers when we finally stop kissing, both gasping for breath.

"Me too," I admit. "But we shouldn't go any further, not yet, not until we've—"

Had a serious talk about our pasts. That's what I meant to tell her.

But she silences me with another kiss, and I lose myself in the moment, the rain, and Meredith. But sooner than I'd like, I need to get back to work. The rain has ended, anyway. I need to get back to work, anyway. That means the serious talk I wanted to have with her will have to wait.

I don't see her again until evening.

The veranda thrums with excitement as guests gather for the dance competition Marley and Emilio had suggested. Colorful lanterns hang above our heads and sway in the evening breeze, casting an orange and pink glow over the makeshift dance floor. I adjust my collar, feeling both out of place and fascinated by what's to come. Dancing? Not my thing.

Meredith sidles up to me, her eyes alight with humor. "Come on, Ryan. Show us your moves."

I shake my head, smirking. "Can't. I'm judging tonight."

"Sounds like an excuse to me," she teases, and she sidles even closer. "Afraid you can't keep up?"

I swallow hard, assailed by mental images of holding her close while our bodies writhe in sync with the music. Damn, I want to do that. But I'm on still on the clock, and screwing Meredith on the dance floor wouldn't make a good impression on my staff or the guests.

"Rules are rules," I tell her, hoping my voice doesn't betray the lust coursing through my body.

As the music starts, I take my seat at the judges' table, grateful for the barrier between myself and the only woman who has ever me turned into a lust-drunk moron. Meredith joins her friends, throwing a playful wink my way before twirling onto the dance floor.

I try to focus on the other couples, but my eyes keep drifting back to her. The way she moves, uninhibited and joyful, mesmerizes me. I shift uncomfortably, glad for the tablecloth that hides my stiffening dick. After what feels like an eternity of torture, I finally announce the winners have been chosen, including two runners-up. All three winners receive gift cards.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for," I declare, lifting a ridiculous, cheesy trophy carved into a coconut shape. "The first place winner is...Barb Larson! Come get your trophy!"

Everyone grins and chuckles as I hand over the silly trophy. Barb, a grandmother of five, hoists her trophy and grins. "The coconut is mine, people!"

Meredith catches my eye, her smile softening into something more intimate. Now that my duties for the evening are over, I wend my way through the crowd to find Meredith. Hand in hand, make our way down the main path. Outside her bungalow, we halt and face each other.

She presses her body to mine. "Stay with me tonight?"

I cluck my tongue. "Sorry, I can't. It would ruin tomorrow's surprise."

"You're such a tease," she whispers, then pulls me in for a deep kiss.

Back in my own bed, I toss and turn, my mind racing with possibilities. The toy I bought sits on my nightstand, and just looking at it gets me aroused. All I can do is close my eyes, take my stiffy in my hand, and beat off until I'm too tired to think about Meredith. But I keep picturing her expression and her reactions, the way she'll squirm and gasp while I'm remotely detonating her. Sleep finally claims me, but all my dreams involve Meredith, the toy, and the erotic torment I have planned for us both.

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