Natural Obsession

Contents Title Page Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One About the Author Connect with Anna Durand Copyright Page Chapter One James "Here at Au Naturel Naturist Resort South Seas, we strive to do everything possible to ensure your stay is relaxing and pleasurable, so please don't hesitate to ask for anything you desire. We will do our best to satisfy you." I slump in my chair and resist the urge to groan and rub my eyes, because the two people watching me from thousands of miles away via teleconference hired me to do a job, not whinge about how awkward I feel. "How was that? I tried to do what you asked, Eve, and make it sound…sexier. That's not my strong suit, though." "We know that, James." Eve glances at the man sitting beside her. Val Silva seems like a giant next to his wife, though she is of average size. "Do you have any notes for him, honey?" "None at all," Val says in his Brazilian accent. "The opening remarks were for you and James to work out. I helped organize the athletic events." "And you did a great job." Eve kisses her husband's cheek, then looks at me. "You're wrong, by the way. When you hit us with your concluding remarks, you sounded damn hot." "Well, I'm glad you're happy with my work." But yes, I sound uncomfortable when I say that. "Do you have any other comments?" "Keep leveraging your sexy British accent. It's your secret weapon." Val smirks at his wife. "Only for women and gay men." "I think even straight men can appreciate James's voice. But we've harassed the poor man enough for today." Eve raises her arms toward the screen. "You must be nervous about the grand opening, huh? Consider this a virtual hug." "Ah, thank you, Eve." I shift uncomfortably in my chair. "And also, thank you for taking a chance on me. I know it's a big risk considering my background, and I want you both to know how grateful I am." "We got to know you a few months ago when you visited our Oregon resort for your interview. That was all the info we needed about you. It was really brave to share your whole story with us." "Don't worry," Val says. "We know you will succeed." "Thank you." I reach for the mouse on my desk, about to click off the teleconference. "One more thing," Eve says. "What is it?" "Smile, sweetie." She cranks her lips into that expression, using her fingers to stand in for an actual crank. "You have such a beautiful smile, and we all saw it when you were here. Let everybody see it now." "I'll try. Goodbye, Eve. Goodbye, Val." They wish me well yet again and finally end the teleconference. And I sink even deeper into my chair. Someone knocks on the door to my office. "Come in," I call out. My assistant manager, Emilio, opens the door partway and leans his head through the gap. "Just wanted to update you on the American woman from Seattle whose connecting flight in San Francisco was delayed. Her plane finally landed on Fiji, and Rene radioed to say they just took off and should be here in an hour." "She's the only one on that flight, correct? Other than Rene, but a pilot is rather critical." What a stupid thing to say. Maybe I'm more nervous about the grand opening than I realized. "That's right, boss," Emilio says. "I'll gather all the guests once she arrives." "Good. Let's give the other guests free cocktails while they wait." "I'll take care of it." Emilio leaves, shutting the door behind him. I spend the next hour rehearsing my speech over and over, until the words finally stop making sense. I've practiced enough. Glancing at my watch, I see the American woman should arrive at any moment. Then I make sure my clothes still look all right. Although the rest of the staff will wear uniforms at all times, Eve and Val had insisted that I should dress like a general manager, whatever that means. They talked me into wearing a dress shirt, posh trousers, and leather shoes. Eve ordered me to "keep the top two buttons undone," though she didn't explain why. She meant my shirt, not my trousers. Emilio pops in to tell me the last guest is here. I hurry out to the reception desk and wait, leaning against the waist-high counter whilst I rest one arm on it. Pretending to be calm is bloody hard to do. A woman breezes through the glass doors while lugging a wheeled suitcase with one hand. She grips a large purse that hangs over her shoulder and glances around whilst grinning. The closer she comes, the more of her I can see. Lush, dark hair cascades over her shoulders, though a floppy wide-brimmed hat sits atop her head, and her lips are painted bright red. Her hips sway, thanks to the moderately high heels of the sandals she wears. Spaghetti straps hold up her flower-print dress, which barely covers her arse and flounces with her movements. The dress also has a low neckline that gives me a spectacular view of her cleavage. She removes her sunglasses as she reaches me. "Hi, you must be the man in charge. Rene told me you'd be waiting." She offers me her hand, and I notice her red nail polish, which matches her toes. "I'm Holly Temple. Sorry I delayed everything on day one." "Not your fault." I see one of our bellboys carting the rest of her luggage down the hall past us. "I hope