by Natalie Ann
“Not much there,” she admitted. “He doesn’t come down to the lobby often. I go up and see him on my break once or twice a week, if that. He’s normally sleeping.”
“I’ve seen pictures of him. I might go up there and sneak in his bed if he were my boyfriend.”
Kayla laughed. “I’m not sure what we are. A few dates and we have fun. I guess we are just taking it slow for the moment and that is fine.”
Bri waved her hand. “You’re too young to take it slow. Jump his bones.”
“I’ll take your advice into consideration.”
Hunter was at his parents’ summer cottage on the water. It wasn’t anything like their house in Boston, but it was still modern and stunning. His mother would have it no other way even if it was only eighteen hundred square feet.
“How do you do it?” his sister, Hailey, asked him.
“Do what?”
“Stay at the hotel all the time. Doesn’t it get to you?”
It was the same thing Hailey asked him all the time. She probably worked just as much as him so he wasn’t sure why she always asked. “Why would it? I try to stay away from everything after six and go to the penthouse.”
“Yeah, but if you want to leave, which I know you do, you have to go through the hotel. It’s hard to escape completely when you live there. The noise and the people remind you constantly.”
“It’s not much different than the condo you live in,” he argued.
“He has you there,” his mother said as she set down the last of their dinner. “Come and let’s eat. It’s so good to be home. I’ve missed you two.”
“We are glad to have you back,” Hunter said.
“You’re just glad I’m back to take the pressure off your shoulders for the busy season,” his father said. The corner of his father’s lip lifted slightly, letting him know his father might actually be cracking a joke. Looked like those several months of traveling the world did him good.
“I can handle it just fine. No reason for you to be here. You’re not here full time anyway.”
“And he isn’t going to be either,” his mother said. “He told me he was stepping back and I’m holding him to it. We’ll be staying here at the cottage for most of the summer, but I plan on relaxing and him not working too much.”
Hailey laughed. “How come we are all workaholics, Dad? Neither of us took after Mom.”
“You two are just way too full of yourselves. Even your father. You think nothing can run without you, but you’re wrong. There is always someone who can manage things. I told your father that and he finally relaxed and enjoyed our trip.”
“She’s already planning another one,” his father said. “But not until the winter.”
“I want to go somewhere warm this winter,” his mother said.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Hunter said.
They all went back to eating and he finally decided to bring this up since it seemed to be the topic at the table. “Since you’re back and I haven’t had much time to myself, I was thinking of maybe getting off the island Saturday night if you could be around in case there are any emergencies?”
“Your father will do it,” his mother said. “You look tense and stressed. Like you haven’t been sleeping.”
“Gee, thanks for that, Mom,” he said, not thinking he looked that bad.
“That’s what a mother is for,” Hailey said. “To point out all our flaws.”
His mother laughed. “I don’t have enough hours in the day to point yours out, Hailey.”
“Now that is just mean and you know it.”
He sat there as his mother and sister went back and forth. As much as he enjoyed having the responsibility to run the hotel on his own and prove he could do it, he missed his parents.
Maybe his mother was right. Maybe he was tense and stressed.
Only it wasn’t about work. It was about a blonde-haired beauty that was winding him up tighter than spandex on a sumo wrestler.
When he’d left his parents a few hours later, he went right to his penthouse, squashing the urge to go through the lobby and catch a glimpse of Kayla.
He’d be seeing her soon. Getting his hands on her again. His mouth on hers. If he didn’t get his mouth on more than her lips soon he was afraid he might explode and hoped to hell she was game for his suggestion to get off the island tomorrow night.
17
Wrong For Her
“Thanks for thinking of this,” Kayla said Saturday a little before noon. She was getting into the habit of only sleeping a few hours and getting up so she could enjoy the day and go to bed at a normal hour.
Normal wasn’t something she had much in her life and if she could try for it, she did.
These odd hours were sort of working for her, but she couldn’t have much of a social life if she didn’t force herself out of bed on the weekends.
“I’m glad you were willing,” Hunter said.
They hadn’t talked about the sleeping arrangement tonight, but since she was game for spending the night in a hotel in Provincetown, she figured he assumed they’d be staying together.
“I think we need it,” she said. She knew she did. Weeks of just being held in his arms and his lips on hers were working her up with no outlet in sight. She was beginning to suspect he felt the same way.
“If we are going to keep our relationship quiet at work, it makes it hard for you to stay with me,” he said.
“And I don’t want you coming to my place. I mean they know we are dating, but it’s small with my roommates and all.”
“We can’t be ourselves if there are other people around,” he said.
“Exactly.” And she planned on letting loose when they got alone. She’d held back way too much already in life. She was starting to wonder if there’d be a day when she’d fit in or be accepted by others.
A place where she wasn’t looking for the bad that always showed up in her life. When she could just embrace something and enjoy it.
She’d let herself get comfortable in her job and then she got a mark for being late and a lecture for needing to learn how to handle people better. It seemed like no matter what she’s ever done—even it if seemed right at the time—it ended up wrong for her.
“So, is there anything you wanted to do special?” he asked. “I wish we could have more time, but we’ve got all afternoon, the night, and most of tomorrow. We just need to catch the ferry back.”
“It’s pretty historical. I’m sure it’d be boring for you to check out some of the lighthouses and museums.”
“Not at all. I haven’t seen a lot of those sites since I was a kid.”
She should have figured he’d seen it all. “We can skip it if you want. It’s probably boring,” she said again.
He pulled his Porsche onto the ferry. He must have gone back and switched vehicles in Boston without her knowing and she didn’t bother to ask. Why would she? It was none of her business what he did with his time.
“It’s not boring. It’s fun. The only other thing I would have suggested is to go whale watching, but we can do that another time. There are charters off of the island for it too.”
“That would be fun but not on a windy day.”
He laughed at her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Once they were on the ferry they got out of his car and walked to the railing to feel the warm breeze on their faces. It wasn’t a long trip, just around forty minutes, and it seemed to go by fast.
When he reached for her hand and held it, she knew she never wanted this day to end.
Hunter wasn’t sure what Kayla would want to do for the day. He had all sorts of ideas. Anything money could buy, he’d get for her. He’d make it a day to remember for her.
He figured romance was in his blood somewhere and might as well let money help it along.
But it seemed she just wanted to be low key and he was completely fine with that too.
What he liked was that they could be in each other’s presen
ce and not feel the need to talk. He couldn’t remember ever experiencing that before with another woman.
When he’d left dinner the other night, his father pulled him aside and said, “Stay out of trouble on the mainland.” He’d been told that enough in his life. He didn’t need it as an adult.
“When have I ever gotten in trouble?” he said back and then left the house. He figured his father knew he was going to be with a woman tonight, but he’d never ask and Hunter would never volunteer that information.
There were plenty of black sheep Bonds in the family and he wasn’t going to be one of them.
As the story went way back in the day, Edward and James worked hard to be upstanding citizens. They figured their youngest brother William ruined the family name enough for everyone else.
Not only that, William’s offspring seemed to follow in their father’s footsteps. Sure, there were a few here and there from the others that got into some trouble, but not many. And not all of William’s offspring were freeloaders, troublemakers, or deadbeats, but more than any other branch.
Hunter’s Great-great-grandfather James was known for his mistresses. Many suspected that was why he built the hotel in the first place, so that he had a place to go and no one would care. Or they’d look the other way.
James’s son, Winston—the only legitimate one—was determined to not follow in his father’s footsteps and instilled those values in his own son, Stephen, who then did the same in his only son, Charles—Hunter’s father.
The last thing Hunter wanted to do was put a mark on the good reputation that had been built in the past hundred or so years.
He wasn’t going to add any fuel to the impulsive or irresponsible side of the family and wished his father would give him a bit of credit for always falling in line. He supposed that might be why he was still single. Do the right thing or the responsible thing wasn’t always an attractive feature…it might have even made him come off boring if his sister Hailey was to be believed.
He didn’t think dating an employee would be irresponsible, but he was willing to take the risk—not caring that it’d been said Great-great-grandpa James had his pick of women from those that worked for him.
They pulled into the port and went back to his car, waiting their turn to exit. “Are you hungry? I didn’t even think of eating before we left.”
“I could eat. I didn’t have anything when I got up. I didn’t wake up until right before you showed up.”
He smiled at the blush on her face. “We could have left later. I should have realized that myself.” He was just so eager to spend time with her and she said she didn’t sleep late on Saturday, that leaving around noon on the ferry wouldn’t be that big of a deal.
“Not a problem,” she said. “But yes, I’m hungry. Trust me, I’ve had less sleep in my life and we’re young and don’t get to spend this much time together. I want to take advantage of as much of it as I can.”
It was exactly what he wanted to hear her say. “We’ll get some food first and then drive around and stop at whatever catches your eye.”
“What if you catch my eye?” she asked.
“What?”
“What if you catch my eye and I want to stop and be with you?”
Now that’s what he was talking about. “Are you trying to tempt me and put me on edge? We can’t check into the hotel until three. It’s not even one.”
“Okay. Food first. A little bit of sightseeing. Then the hotel. After that, the rest of the time is in your hands.”
“Oh, I know what I want to do with my hands while we are here.”
“I’m going to hold you to it.”
18
Doubts and Insecurities
As much as Kayla wanted to walk down Commercial Street, check out MacMillan Wharf, and the various lighthouses, she wanted to get some private time alone with Hunter too.
It was still such a miracle that he was interested in her. So much so that she had to pinch herself almost daily to make sure she wasn’t dreaming or hadn’t hit the boyfriend lottery.
Not that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. At least she wasn’t sure what they were.
They’d be lovers soon. She’d make sure of it.
And if he was only with her for a piece of ass, she’d find that out soon enough too.
Tonight was for them though. Doubts and insecurities, fears and bad judgments, they were for another night.
“Are you sure you don’t want to do some more sightseeing?” Hunter asked her when they finished with their lunch. The lunch that she could barely get past her throat she was so anxious about what was to come.
Here she was putting up this brave front and wanting to see him naked, but the longer they waited to do the deed the more her insecurities were like mold in the shower of her last ratty apartment. No matter how many times she wiped it away with bleach it always came back.
“Are you for real?” she asked. “What man suggests sightseeing over sex?”
He grinned at her. His perfectly straight and white teeth reminding her that nothing about him was off. While others thought he was too serious or boring, she found him not one bit. She’d had enough excitement in her life…not the good kind either. Life in the slow lane with a hot guy was a dream come true for her.
“I just want to make sure you are positive you want to do this.”
“I’m not a virgin,” she said, laughing. “I’ve had sex before. Probably not as much as you, but I’ve had it.”
“That isn’t what I meant,” he said and stood up when his credit card was brought back to him.
“What did you mean?”
“I just thought I’d give you the opportunity to back out if you wanted. I didn’t want to put any pressure on the night.”
“The only pressure I’ve got is between my legs.” She slapped a hand over her mouth when that slipped out. Why did she always babble stupid stuff in front of him? From the first time she’d run into him in the hallway looking for the bathroom she’d had no filter.
“Okay, after that comment I’m not asking again.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her back to his car. “The hotel is where we are going.”
She laughed and followed along, trying to keep up with his long legged stride. There was more excitement rushing through her now than anything else.
It didn’t take long to check in, Hunter carrying both of their bags up. She’d hated that she didn’t have luggage like him. That she put her stuff in more of a tote bag. It probably didn’t stand out too much, as anyone looking at them would assume they shared his luggage bag.
They took the elevator to the seventh floor. Lucky number seven, she wanted to say and then reminded herself she didn’t believe in luck since she never had much of it in her life anyway.
She’d glanced at their surroundings on the way up. Nothing impressive here. Not like Bond Retreat. She’d like to say she was spoiled, but since she only worked there and had never stayed in a room she didn’t know what spoiled was.
When they got into their room with the king-sized bed she had to admit it was nicer than any other hotel she’d ever stayed in. Granted she’d only ever stayed in motels and wouldn’t say that to Hunter.
He’d set their bags down and then pulled her into his arms, his mouth going right to hers like a bee seeking its pollen.
He gathered her up like that bee, then lifted her, and deposited her on the bed, his body coming down over her. The weight of a man’s body was something she hadn’t felt in a long time and didn’t realize how much she was craving it.
Or maybe it was just Hunter she was craving since she couldn’t remember ever wanting a man this much before.
Her hands went under his shirt, over his back, gripping his shoulders. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck and then down the V of her T-shirt.
“Let’s get out of these clothes,” she said.
He rolled to the side and took his shirt off; she sat up and did the same. When she went to reach for her bra, he stopped h
er and replaced her fingers with his.
He wasn’t fast like she would have been but rather slow, moving his fingertips and knuckles over the swell of her breasts, his tongue following the same path. She was pretty sure her panties were soaked right through, as worked up as she was.
“Hunter,” she said.
“Shh. I know you are eager. So am I, but I want to savor this too. We will only have the first time once.”
It took her a moment to realize what he was saying. That he wanted their first time to be special. That was sweet and shouldn’t have surprised her. Sometimes he said the most romantic things.
Rather than argue with him, she let him have his way knowing she’d be one happy girl in the end.
He finally released her bra, his mouth going right for her hardened nipple and latching on like a starving newborn. He sucked, he swirled his tongue around, and he bit her gently. She’d never been into leaving teeth marks before and though he’d didn’t leave them, she felt them. They felt fabulous.
And those wonderful lips of his started to move down her waist toward the button of her shorts, which he made quick work of undoing and pushing them aside. Did he pull them down her legs? Nope, he didn’t. He just parted them and then teased her by letting his tongue come out and taste around the rim of her panties.
“These are cute,” he said of the white cotton bikinis that had little bunnies on them. She honestly didn’t think much of that when she got dressed this morning and wished to hell she did.
“I don’t have a lot of lace and silk,” she said.
Her underwear came six to a pack at the cheapest place she could buy them. There were some things in life she wasn’t fussy about and this was one of them. Now she was wondering if she shouldn’t have bought something sexy for their first time. Memories to hold onto.
“I’m just going to take them off of you. No time to really admire them. I’m more interested in what is underneath.”