Family Bonds- Hunter and Kayla (Amore Island Book 1)

by Natalie Ann

  Even though she didn’t share the picture of her and Hunter on Facebook, she did post her status as “in a relationship” and “feeling happy” today. It was probably a mistake, she knew. But then again, she’d made so many in her life, what was one more?

  26

  Mud In A Pigpen

  “Hey,” Tiffany said to her when she walked behind the counter on Tuesday night for the start of her shift. “How was your weekend? Do anything exciting for the holiday?”

  “Not really,” Kayla said. The holiday was mid last week, the weekend wasn’t much of one in her eyes. “The usual.”

  “Sounds boring to me. We had a picnic at my house Sunday. Joe’s parents and his brother came to the island for the day. They love it here. We took the kids to the beach Saturday before I came into work too. The kids have so much fun living here. I would have loved this growing up.”

  “So you haven’t lived here your whole life?” Kayla asked.

  “No. Joe works from home most of the time.”

  She never asked what Joe did. She had supposed he was a mechanic since he looked at her car that one day, but when she met Joe she didn’t picture him as a mechanic.

  “What does Joe do?”

  “He does web design. He works for a company based out of Plymouth and once in a while he has to go meet with clients or go into the office. Sometimes fly places as they do work all over the US.”

  “That sounds wonderful. How did you guys end up here on the island then?”

  “We both grew up in Plymouth, so we knew all about the island. I’d been here a few times as a kid on day trips and so had he. We both said we’d love to live here and then when he got this job and we realized we could live anywhere, we thought, why not?”

  “I think it’s wonderful. You only live once, so why not?”

  “It’s a lot more expensive to live here because the housing market is in such high demand. That’s why I work part time. I don’t mind it,” she said. “I love working here.”

  “I do too,” Kayla said, then moved over to a woman looking around the lobby at signs on the wall and coming to the desk. She was dressed much nicer than a vacationer, and since Kayla knew there was a conference being held here this week, she assumed the woman was part of it. “Can I help you with something?”

  “Hi. I’m wondering if Hunter Bond is available?”

  “I don’t believe he is,” Kayla said. “The office closed at five.”

  The woman flipped her straight jet-black hair over her shoulder with her right hand that Kayla was sure was her attempt to flash the large ruby ring on her finger and diamond bracelet.

  This woman looked slick and fancy. Someone that belonged in Beverly Hills, not Amore Island.

  “I’m aware his office closes at five. I also know he lives in the penthouse on the eleventh floor since I’ve been in it before. Could you please buzz him and let him know Tess Smithson is here?”

  Kayla felt her face pale. If this woman knew that much about Hunter, then it would mean they must have a personal relationship. It shouldn’t surprise her that this was the type of woman that Hunter normally spent time with.

  Was this what his mother meant when she made the comment? Was the comment a shot against or for Kayla? She honestly didn’t know.

  “I’m sorry, but we don’t call Hunter unless it’s an emergency since he isn’t working right now. We can get another manager to help you with something,” Kayla said.

  “It’s personal,” Tess said, tilting her head, her eyes looking down on Kayla. “I’m sure you’re aware of what I’m saying.”

  “I’m afraid that doesn’t change the policy,” Tiffany said, moving over. “If Mr. Bond is expecting someone he normally comes down to greet them himself, or he leaves word. If it’s personal, then why don’t you just call him on his cell phone?”

  “I tried,” Tess said. “He isn’t answering. I’d like to surprise him. But if you two won’t call him, then yes, I’d like to speak with your manager.”

  “I’ll go get Carol,” Kayla said, knowing she had to leave this woman’s presence. Just when she thought things were going well with her and Hunter, they had to run into his family and make her doubt things. Her roommates made her feel better, but now seeing Tess, she was back to feeling like mud in a pigpen just waiting for all the hooves to squish her.

  “Come in,” Carol said from her office. She normally left around seven but was still here tonight. Kayla wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

  “Sorry to bother you. There is a woman in the lobby who wants to see Hunter. She says it’s personal. Tiffany and I both said that the office was closed. She wants to see a manager.”

  Carol stood up. “I’ll deal with it. This happens now and again. Women come in here and pull this crap hoping to get up to his place when he has no clue what is going on.”

  Kayla tried to smile. “Tiffany asked her why she didn’t call Hunter herself if it was personal.”

  “Good for her. What did this woman say?”

  “Tess. Her name is Tess—”

  “Tess Smithson?” Carol asked.

  Kayla gulped. “Yes, why?”

  “Because she is the one who organized this conference. She’s been here before. Her company holds this here each year.”

  “Company?” Kayla asked.

  “She is the VP of Marketing for some advertising firm in New York City. No clue. Hunter does know her. Not sure if it’s personal or not, but since she’s also a returning guest, I should let him know she is asking for him. It could be important, and best not to ruffle any feathers.”

  “What do you want me to tell her?”

  “Hang on.” Carol picked up the phone and called Hunter, she was assuming. “Sorry to bother you. Tess Smithson is down here asking to see you.”

  Kayla tried to listen to the conversation, but all she could hear was Hunter’s muffled voice and Carol saying, “Yes.”

  Carol hung the phone up. “You can let Tess know that Hunter will be right down.”

  “Thanks,” Kayla said, not wanting to witness this but knowing she had no choice. It was her job and no one was supposed to know about her and Hunter.

  Besides, she was jumping the gun. Putting the horse before the cart. Before the stallion. Her stallion, damn it.

  She wanted to march out there and lay claim to Hunter but knew it would never happen. Instead she walked back as calmly as she could, put a smile on her face, and told Tess, “Carol called Hunter and he’ll be down in a few minutes if you’d like to have a seat over there.”

  “Thank you,” Tess said. “If you’d just called him yourself you would have known he wanted to see me.”

  There was no answer to that. Not one that Kayla could give without being fired.

  Hunter couldn’t believe his rotten luck.

  He knew Tess was in the hotel this week. She’d been coming here for five years at the same time. Her company held a conference here for their top-level employees. More like a business building retreat on the island, but in his eyes it was still a work conference that brought in a lot of money.

  Did he and Tess hit it off a few years ago and spend those four nights in his penthouse? Yeah, they had. Then she went back to her job in the city and didn’t have much communication with him after.

  He’d thought they had a lot in common and was looking forward to learning more about her. He thought wrong.

  When she returned the following year, she wanted to pick up where she left off. He said no way. What he wanted to tell her to do was to go pound salt.

  He didn’t though. Not after he realized she probably did this with a lot of men. Work flings happened to be her thing.

  And it was at that point he realized he was sick of looking for something more. All it did was remind him of Great-great-grandpa James by having that four-day fling in the family place of business.

  Why she thought he’d want anything to do with her this year after turning her away last year made him realize how truly
full of herself she was. And now he had to worry about what Kayla was going to think of this. Talk about shitty timing for her to be on shift.

  He got off the elevator and saw Tess sitting in one of the leather chairs, her raven black hair like silk over her shoulder. She was in a light purple printed dress that fit her like a second skin with seven-hundred-dollar Christian Louboutin nude pumps on her feet. How did he know how much they cost? Because she liked to brag about her wardrobe.

  “Tess,” he said, walking forward. “What can I do for you?”

  “Hunter.” She stood up and walked toward him, gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he could prevent it. He glanced over and saw Kayla lower her eyes to the computer. Shit. “It’s good to see you.”

  “Is there a problem with your accommodations?” he asked, trying to keep it businesslike.

  “Just that they are empty and lonely,” she said, running her finger down his T-shirt. “I like you dressed like this. I’m used to you being more polished, but this is pretty sexy.”

  Her voice was low, like a cat purring, and all it did was turn him off rather than start his engines like it did the first time they were together. He was over meaningless sex with women. He’d been over it for years.

  Normally if he got called down he would have changed, but he had no intention of it with Tess. He kept his shorts and T-shirt on that he’d changed into after his shower hours ago. After he worked out for an hour trying to get past the frustration of what to do about Kayla.

  He was torn between announcing it to the world and keeping it private like she wanted. He was starting to think he was going to overrule her wants. If he didn’t have a problem introducing her to his mother, who did say something to his father, then she shouldn’t either.

  Did he tell his father Kayla worked here? No, he didn’t and he should have.

  It didn’t come up. All his father said was his mother met Kayla and she seemed nice, then his father changed the subject back to work.

  Tonight, Hunter was going to tell Kayla that he was informing his parents about the relationship. If she wanted to keep it quiet with her coworkers, he didn’t care, but he was damn well not keeping it away from those he was closest with.

  He ushered Tess over to the side so that no one could overhear what he had to say to her. “Your room is going to remain lonely. That ship sailed three years ago when you went back to your life and never called me again. I told you last year it wasn’t going to happen so why did you think it would now?”

  She laughed at him. “It was worth a try. Most men don’t care.”

  “I’m not most men,” he said. “Now if there isn’t anything else you need on a professional level, I’m going back to my penthouse and I suggest you go back to your room or find another man to play with for the next few days.”

  “I just might. Any suggestions?” she asked him.

  He turned and walked away from her, back to the elevators, got to the fifth floor, then hit the button to go back to the main level.

  He walked to the back offices, came around the front desk from behind and said, “Kayla, can I have a word with you?”

  She jumped, which he knew she would. She wouldn’t have heard him approach and probably assumed he went back to the eleventh floor.

  “Sure,” she said.

  He nodded his head to a conference room in the back that was empty and she followed him there. “That wasn’t what you thought.”

  She crossed her arms. “How do you know what I’m thinking?”

  “It’s all over your face. Any woman would have thought the same thing. So tell me what is on your mind.”

  She snorted. “I don’t think you want to know what’s on my mind.”

  “I thought you didn’t have a temper? I thought you were easygoing but could also speak your mind. Speak it with me.”

  “And get fired? I don’t think so.”

  She must be ticked off enough for that. That had to mean something. It had to mean he meant more to her to get this worked up. “Give me a break. You won’t get fired and you know it. I had a fling with Tess years ago. I’m not going to lie. She left and I never heard from her again. When she came back the next year, she thought I’d pick up where she left off. I told her to go...never mind what I told her.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I don’t want secrets between us. She thought I’d invite her back up to my place tonight, or go to her room. I told her what she could do with that thought and she asked me if I knew of any other men for her for the night.”

  “That’s disgusting.”

  “That’s the type of woman she is. I want no part of her or women like her. End of story. I want you and I’m going to start letting people know about us.”

  Her mouth opened and closed. “What?”

  “You don’t have to tell anyone down here. You don’t have to tell your coworkers. Your roommates know and so does my sister. She’s known for over a week. My mother knows about you and my father mentioned your name. I’m going to tell them how we met. That’s final.”

  “I’ve got no say in this?” she asked.

  “If you want to talk about it, come up on your break and we’ll hash it out. I’m not changing my mind though. I’m not embarrassed about our relationship, but I’m starting to think you’re the one that is.”

  He turned and walked out the door, leaving her there to chew on that.

  27

  Last Straw

  Kayla had no choice but to go to Hunter’s penthouse on her break.

  Who knew he could be that stubborn? That he could be that...direct? At least outside of business.

  The minute she stepped off the elevator she said, “What is wrong with you? You get confronted by an ex fling and now you want to announce to the world about our relationship. How is that even related and how did I get thrown into the middle of this?”

  Hunter was sitting on his couch. He just calmly picked up his remote, turned the TV off, and said, “Come in here and sit down and we will talk about this rationally.”

  “Rationally? That isn’t the word I’d use for what you did earlier.”

  “No, it wasn’t. But I was ticked off. I’ve been frustrated for days and that was the last straw for me.”

  “What do you have to be frustrated about?”

  “Us,” he said, his hand going back and forth between them. “This. I’m too old for these games. I’m tired of hiding when we aren’t really hiding.”

  She knew that. Enough people knew about their relationship. Plenty had seen them out and now had no problem coming forward to talk to Hunter and want to meet her.

  “It’s just weird.”

  “What’s weird? We’ve been moving around this island out in the public for over a month. You come up here on your break and no one knows. Or so you think. Patrice knows and you haven’t said once if she’d treated you any differently. Has she?”

  “No.” She’d been expecting it, but it wasn’t there.

  “Then what is the big deal? If your immediate supervisor isn’t treating you differently, do you care what your coworkers will say or do? They’ve known you for almost two months now and they know the person you are. If they change that judgment then so be it. They are coworkers, not your friends.”

  She understood what he was saying, but he wasn’t her. He didn’t live the life she had. He didn’t get where she was coming from. “You’ve probably never been talked about negatively a day in your life.”

  He started to laugh, not a humorous sound either. “Are you kidding me? My last name is Bond on an island started and pretty much run by my family. I’m judged every day of my life.”

  “By whom?” she asked.

  “Everyone. Our family is tight, but that doesn’t mean that everyone isn’t looking to see who might mess up. Who might tarnish the reputation or better it. Who will succeed or fail. Those that aren’t family judge us on what we have, what we’ve done, who we are.”

  “That
’s crazy.”

  “Is it? You think you are the only one being judged and I’m telling you otherwise. You think you have something to lose? I don’t want to say you aren’t the only one because you’ll think that means I’m embarrassed by you and I’m not. It’s worse if people think I’m hiding it. I’m sick of hiding it. Why can’t I tell everyone who you are? What a great person you are? That I want to be with you?”

  Did she think Hunter wasn’t romantic? She thought wrong.

  How many times in her life had she wanted to hear words like this from someone and never got them? She was finally getting them from a man that she truly cared about and she wanted to run like a scared rabbit away from the hunting dogs.

  She wasn’t someone to cry often, but suddenly she felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. “I just don’t understand what you see in me.”

  “You have such a low opinion of yourself and I’m tired of it. Sometimes you’re this fun carefree girl that makes me feel like no one is watching every move I make. I forget who I am when I’m around you and that’s hard to do. Why can’t you understand that you make me feel good about myself? Isn’t that enough?”

  “But your mother said I’m nothing like who you normally date,” she said, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Talk about gross. Someone like Tess probably never cried and if she did, she got a tissue and elegantly blotted her eyes and nose.

  “That’s right, you aren’t. It’s a good thing too since none of those relationships ever lasted. There was a reason for it. They wanted my name and what I could give them. They didn’t want me as a person. You want me.”

  “I do. I don’t care about your name. I just like spending time with you.”

  He stood up and walked closer to her. She’d been pacing around the living room rather than sitting. “If you hold me I’m going to cry even more.”

  “Then cry,” he said, putting his arms around her. “I get you had a hard life. I’m sorry for that. I know you don’t want anything from me and you are afraid people are going to think you do. What do you care what they think? You should only care about what I think.”