Free Private Pleasure (Sun Stroked Book 3) by Cathryn Fox Page A

think about Cody’s unique skills, and the way Mr. Malik pressed him to partake in the water activities. She then thought about Mr. Malik’s own cryptic words to her. The truth was, if she hadn’t ventured off her beaten path, she never would have discovered Cody.
    “So, why do you think Mr. Malik is trying to get you to go on the excursions?” she asked.
    “My guess is that he’s trying to guide me. Help me figure out my future.”
    “Search and rescue?”
    He nodded. “Smart girl.”
    “I think you’d be great at that, Cody. You already watch over everyone like you’re a guardian angel.”
    “I thought we established that I’m really the devil in disguise.”
    She chuckled. “Yes, we did, didn’t we? But I think you’re both.” When her stomach grumbled she suddenly remembered her late lunch with the girls. “Oh, shoot. I have to run,” she said, rubbing her belly.
    “What’s up?”
    “I have lunch plans with the girls.”
    His eyes darkened when they locked on hers. “Break them.”
    God, when he looked at her like that her skin came alive. “I can’t.”
    He brushed his lips over hers. His heat wrapped around her, his devilish smile turned her insides to molten lava. “Are you sure you want to go? Don’t you know great things can happen when you break your plans?” he whispered, enticing her salacious libido with his body.
    As tempting as that was, she’d promised her friends she’d be there. “I really can’t, Cody.”
    He took a long moment to study her. “Do you ever break your plans, Abby?”
    After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head and said, “No.”
    He gave a resigned sigh. “So what’s on your agenda later, then?”
    She cocked her head. “You’re on my agenda later.” That brought a smile to his face.
    “Oh, yeah?”
    “Yeah.”
    “When and where?” he asked.
    “Oh, I’m pretty sure you’ll have no trouble finding me,” she teased. “You always know where to look.”

6
    W ith Abby off at lunch with her friends, Cody grabbed a quick bite to eat and then walked restlessly around the resort, his thoughts preoccupied with the feelings Abby roused in him. Grinning madly, like an escaped mental patient, he thought about how quickly they went from strangers to lovers and his heart swelled. He eventually made his way into the pool hall looking for a distraction. He found one.
    “Hey,” Cody said, pleased to see Ryan bent over the pool table, especially since it was still daylight and Ryan wasn’t known to venture out during the day. “Rack ‘em up.”
    “Hey, Cody. What’s up?” Ryan asked.
    Cody shrugged. “Just wasting time until I can get off this godforsaken place. “You?”
    Ryan mimicked his shrug. “Same here. Haven’t seen you in a while.”
    “I’ve seen you,” Cody said. “With Lauren.”
    That brought a goofy smile to Ryan’s face. Cody took that moment to pry for information. “So, tell me, do you know anything about her friend Abby?” he prodded.
    Christ, just saying her name out loud had his heart racing. She was so damn sweet, open, honest and eager to experiment sexually. Her zest for life, her enthusiasm, and how she saw beauty in everything around her had awakened his senses, and for the first time in a long time, he felt alive. Rejuvenated. Free. The truth was, Abby had eased herself past his wall of defense and right into his heart. From her responses to his intimate touch, to the way she encouraged him to open himself up to her, every instinct in his body told him that she felt the same way. That he wasn’t merely a passing interest to her.
    Ryan grabbed the triangle and centered it. “Lauren mentioned that when they leave here, Abby expects to get engaged to her boyfriend. Apparently, Lauren and Danielle are hoping that after some time away from her soon-to-be-fiancé, and after drinking the magic elixir—which you and I both know is bogus—Abby will see that getting engaged to this guy isn’t what she really wants.