Ties That Bind

Lifting his lips in an all-out smile, Hunter headed toward them. “Glad to see you survived the helicopter,” Hunter teased as he placed a friendly hand on Tristian’s shoulder and squeezed, then nodded in greeting toward the other guy.

“Yeah, one day I’m gonna get a bazooka and blow that thing right out of the sky,” Tristian shrugged as Hunter laughed. Changing the subject, he added, “At least that’s everyone we’ve been expecting for the week. The last of the guests left over an hour ago so we are now down to just family and friends. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place so empty, but it feels really good.”

Watching Hunter’s reaction closely, Tristian stepped back so he could introduce them, “Hunter Rawlins… meet Ashton Fox.”

Ashton stuck his hand out and gave Hunter a pretty tight grip as they shook hands. He had expected Hunter to tighten his grip in return and was surprised when he didn’t. The Indian kept the handshake friendly to match the smile he was wearing.

And to actually think he had been worried about meeting the Apache boy he’d heard so much about from Angel. To hear her talk about Hunter and Ray… one would think they walked on water plus could do everything you had ever seen an Indian do in the movies.

“Welcome to Sanctuary,” Hunter repeated the same thing that he would have said to any guest. “Are you ready to have fun this week?” The words sounded like a double-edged sword to his own ears but the other man didn’t seem to have a clue.

“Why not?” Ashton smiled, glad he wouldn’t have to open the lid on his testosterone just yet. “But first, I think I could use a shower and a chance to unwind after being in the air for almost ten hours straight.”

“Say no more,” Tristian said, leading him toward the main entrance. “Hunter, what room did you put him in for the week?”

“I’ll get the key,” Hunter said, moving past them into the lobby and making a show of opening the register books as if he was checking the list of names.

He knew exactly where he had put Ashton… right beside the room Ray stayed in for easy access, just not the easy access the boyfriend would have wanted. Ashton Fox had gotten one of the two rooms that seemed to angle off around the corner of the first floor hall, on the other side of the massive indoor swimming pool… away from all the other rooms.

Swinging around, Hunter grabbed the right key off the wall and handed it to Tristian. Glancing at Ashton, he made it sound like a good thing. “You’re lucky, the indoor pool and hotel gym are both right next to your room.”

Tristian noticed the number on the key and turned away from Ashton as he hid his expression. He was glad Hunter hadn’t put Ashton near Angel’s room, but he had thought it would at least be on the same floor… not that he was going to complain. If he had his way, Ashton wouldn’t be staying the whole week.

“Is everything ready for the pool party?” Tristian asked, knowing Angel loved to swim. He desperately wanted to remind her of all the things she had been missing since she had moved away.

Hunter nodded, “Yeah, Carley’s kids have several friends over for the night and they’ve already opened the Tiki-bar for self-serving.” Seeing Tristian give him a knowing look, he added, “Jason has given their guests the rooms next to him and his sisters… not that they’ll be sleeping in them.”

“True enough,” Tristian smirked knowing signing them into the extra rooms was for looks only. He hated the fact that his cousins were always trying to act like they owned the hotel when they were really just freeloaders who did nothing to earn their keep. They were known for having new boyfriends or girlfriends every month, week… sometimes every day. All they were really good for was sex… other than that, their dates usually didn’t stick around for very long.

“We’ll see you out there later,” he called over his shoulder.

When Tristian took off with Ashton, Hunter turned and grabbed the key to the best room Sanctuary had… one of the bridal suites on the fourth floor. It wasn’t like anyone would be using it this week and Angel would probably get a kick out of staying in one.

“Who’s staying in the bridal suite?”

Hunter swung around seeing Ray standing right on the other side of the counter with a box of fireworks tucked up in under his arm. He and Ray had been at odds ever since their mother had died a month ago. They had called a truce though they both knew it was only a thin line. He loved his brother but lately Ray had been acting odd enough to keep him on high alert.

“So, you’ve decided to do the fireworks tonight?” Hunter quickly changed the subject as he slipped the key into his pocket.

Ray’s dark eyes followed the protective movement but he let it go for now. “Yeah, we wanna start the week off with a bang, don’t we?”

“Sure. You coming to the pool party later?” Hunter asked, not liking the fact that Ray was keeping an eye on him.

“Yeah, I’ll be… around,” Ray answered with a leveled gaze as he grabbed some matches out of the bowl on the desk and tossed them into the box of fireworks before turning to leave.

Hunter stayed where he was until Ray was out of sight then slowly reached into his pocket to retrieve the key. Turning around, he started to hang it back where it was supposed to be but instead he slipped it into one of the desk drawers. Turning back to the key rack, he wiggled his fingers as if thinking, then grabbed the key to the room right beside his.

He would feel safer if he could keep a close eye on Angel… especially at night.

Chapter 2 “Secrets”

Angel stood in front of the glass doors looking in at her grandmother. She figured Isabel Hart would be in the huge sunroom overlooking the gardens this time of the day. She felt her chest tighten seeing her grandmother touch the buttons on the wheelchair as it moved closer to the terrace doors leading out into the garden.

The last time she had seen her grandmother, she had been standing tall and proud, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she told them goodbye. Placing her hand against the huge glass doors, Angel took a deep breath and opened them.

“Grandmother!” Angel smiled and rushed across the room toward her. Her smile brightened even more when her grandmother’s eyes widened in delight. Leaning down, Angel gave her a heartfelt hug. “Oh gosh, I’ve missed you so much!”

Isabel closed her eyes enjoying the real hug. That’s what she loved so much about Angel and Tristian… the fact that they weren’t fake like the rest of the family. When they loved someone… they loved them wholeheartedly.

“There’s my angel,” Isabel patted her weakly on the back. She felt some of her strength returning to her by just being near Angel. The girl always did have a way of lifting her spirits and making her feel loved. But, that wasn’t going to stop her from playing the illness for all it was worth. “I’m glad you made it back to see me one last time,” she let her voice hitch as if it was such a sad thought.

“What?” Angel breathed then pulled back so she could look down at her grandmother. “Grandmother? What are you talking about?” Just hearing her say something like that made her heart hurt and her eyes tear up.

“Oh, let’s not talk about me dear-heart. Tell me everything I’ve missed in the last couple of years and who is this so-called boyfriend I’ve been hearing rumors about?” Isabel gave her a soft frown. “I can't believe my baby granddaughter is trying to grow up in a place so far away that I can't even watch it happen.”

*****

Tristian stepped out of Ashton’s room, closing the door behind him as his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Seeing it was Ray, he quickly answered. “Hey Ray, what’s up?”

“The limousine just left and your girlfriend is on her way up the mountain. It seems to be the last of the allowed traffic. Do you still want me to lock the gate down here?” Ray asked knowing it had been Isabel Hart’s instructions.

“Yeah, grandmother is adamant about not wanting any uninvited guests showing up.” Tristian confirmed. “Just close it down tight and head back up here for some fun. If anyone needs out… then they’ll just have to have an escort off the mountain.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ray murmured.

He clicked the cell off and pulled the heavy iron fence closed. Snapping the three thick padlocks together, he looked up at the high spiked fence. Seeing the cell phone tower out of the corner of his vision, he took off in that direction. It was the only cell tower for about fifty miles and he had a feeling that it was about to become useless.

*****

Angel stepped out the terrace doors needing a moment alone to absorb the shock of seeing her grandmother looking so fragile in that wheelchair. Every time she had brought up the question of her health, Isabel had sidestepped the topic with questions of her own.

After only a short visit, her grandmother had claimed she was tired and needed to go lay down for the rest of the day, but she made Angel promise to come back and see her in the morning. It worried her that her grandmother was going to bed so early and she wondered just how sick she really was. Her grandmother had been in such good health before she'd left Sanctuary to go to California. She had even blossomed after grandfather's death.

Angel's lips thinned at the thought of the old man she'd always thought of as a monster. She had never hated anyone in her whole life, but a few hours before he had fallen down the stairs, he had caught her and Hunter coming back from swimming alone at the pond.

Her grandfather yelled at her, telling her she was too old to be playing with the Indian riffraff from the reservation. He told Hunter to get the hell off his mountain then slammed the doors behind him. Seeing Hunter leave like that was heart wrenching. When she tried to speak up on his behalf, her grandfather had turned and smacked her so hard that she'd fallen down.

Angel had cried out in pain but hadn’t said anything else knowing her grandfather was probably right. He hadn’t even known she and Hunter were doing things they shouldn’t have been doing… kissing, touching, and experimenting. If he had known about that, he would have hit her more than once.

“See, told you it wasn’t a statue of an angel. It really is Angel,” someone laughed from behind her, startling her right out of her melancholy. Swinging around, she smiled seeing Uncle Robert’s identical twin sons, Devin and Damien.

“Oh my gosh, you guys have grown up!” She smiled as they took turns hugging her and swinging her around in circles. They were the same age as Tristian, but they had somehow outgrown him in the last two years. Standing at least six foot, two inches, they looked like bouncers. Both of them were in skintight, black t-shirts with the logo, ‘Sanctuary’ on the front of them.

She placed a hand on each one of their upper arms, watching the pride flash in their gray eyes. “I guess that tells me what you two have been up to,” she giggled. “Been staying out of trouble? Or causing it?”

“Who? Us?” Devin laughed as he set her back on her feet, letting his hand caress her thigh and hip on the way down.

“You should know us better than that,” Damien rolled his eyes at his brother as he slipped his arm around Angel’s waist and pulled her out of Devin’s hold. It was a game the twins had played for years… always trying to outdo each other when a pretty girl was nearby.

“Lucky for you guys that she does,” Hunter glared at the twins then smiled as Angel turned at the sound of his voice.

Angel’s lips parted as she laid eyes on Hunter for the first time in almost two years. Suddenly, all kinds of memories flashed through her mind, making her knees weak and her pulse race. Emails and phone calls just didn’t stand a chance against seeing him in person.

His hair was longer than she remembered, going halfway down his back in inky darkness. He looked just like one of those guys on the front of a historical romance novel where the Indian and the white girl are pictured in a hot embrace.

Blushing at the mental picture, she untangled herself from her cousins and stepped toward him. “You’re taller,” she breathed as she looked up at him. Hunter was the one person who knew more about her than her brother did.

“No, you’re just shorter,” Hunter taunted right before he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into the air. “Unless, I do this.” She always had been light as a feather to him. He growled inwardly as she reached down for him, ending the childish ride with a tight embrace. He inhaled her scent, reminding him of all the reasons he had waited on her to come back.

Knowing they were being watched, Hunter quickly set her back on her feet and looked over her shoulder at the twins. “The pool party’s starting and there’s someone out there asking for you guys.”

“Stacey!” the twins high-fived each other. “See you two later.” They took off as if it was a race to see who could reach the girl first.

“So they finally learned how to share?” Angel asked with a straight face as she watched the twins leave then giggled lightly at her own joke.

“I think they just like the competition,” Hunter mused. “This Stacey girl shows up all the time just so they’ll fight over her… so far, neither of them has won.”

She smiled softly as she turned back to Hunter, noticing a long lock of ebony hair that had fallen into his face when he’d picked her up. Reaching for it, she tenderly moved it to the side, and tucked it behind his ear. “I feel like I can finally breathe.”

“What was stopping you?” Hunter’s voice was just as soft as hers. He knew what she was saying because he could feel it too. He felt it so much it was making his eyes burn.

His gaze lowered to her pouting lips and he felt himself getting closer… wanting to kiss her like he used to do before she left. He had been the one to teach her to kiss though he knew she had never taken it as seriously as he had. To her, it had only been childhood experimenting… to him, it had been the ties that bind.

“A person should never be separated from their best friend… it hurts,” Angel sighed and then hugged him again.

Hunter froze at the words ‘best friend’. Something she meant as an endearment had always felt more like a punch in the gut to him. Wrapping his arms back around her, Hunter leaned down to kiss the top of her head while trying to control his voice. “I know.”

She had used the term ever since she had told him all her secrets… even the secret about her and Tristian. She had once even told him that she thought she was in love with her big brother. Hunter had then started taking her into the mountains… just the two of them... and showing her all the things he could make her feel that her brother couldn’t.

That was the turning point between him and Tristian… because he knew Angel's secret feelings had never been one-sided. To his dismay, he’d only wound up convincing Angel that she was in love with both of them.

Making himself pull away, he laid his arm across her shoulder and started walking her out of the garden. “I bet you haven’t even had a chance to wind down from your fright-flight,” he smirked, knowing she hated the helicopter as much as Tristian did.

“You know… you could have talked grandmother out of doing that,” she said as she bumped against him. “You used to be able to talk her in and out of just about anything.”

“Oh no you don’t,” Hunter smirked. “Don’t blame me for that chopper ride. “Besides, I’ve been letting your grandmother get her way more often lately.” They walked across the grass out into the open. He knew they were in full view of Ashton’s room so he slowed down just for spite. No one had ever accused him of being a saint.

“You’re my hero… you know that?” Angel pulled him to a stop so he’d look down at her. “If you hadn’t found grandmother when she had her heart attack…” her voice softened to a mere whisper, “you saved her life.”

Ashton wrapped the towel around his waist as he left the bathroom. That was what he needed, a long hot shower to start the week off. Maybe he could make a really good impression on Angel’s family and stake his claim on her. He’d never worked so hard to impress a girl as he had Angel.

His last girlfriend wound up being a two-faced backstabbing whore that he’d had to teach a lesson, but not Angel. He could tell she was still a little sweet homegrown virgin that he’d had to con into getting just the simplest of kisses from. It hadn’t bothered him though. If he wanted sex… there were enough whores willing to put out, and then go away so he could spend time with Angel.

Looking in the dresser mirror, he started towel drying his hair then stopped, noticing something in the reflection. Turning toward the window, he frowned seeing Angel and Hunter standing so close that it looked like they were whispering secrets.

He clenched his teeth, making the muscles in his jaw jump as he watched his girlfriend and the Indian boy she so fondly called her best friend. Somehow, he didn’t think Hunter would feel the same about that nickname… no guy in his right mind would.

“Angel, your grandmother has always been good to me and Ray… even when she had no reason to be. I hate what happened to her,” Hunter sighed knowing that was a lie. If Isabel Hart hadn’t had her heart attack… then Angel wouldn’t be here right now. He cringed inwardly knowing what he had done.

The Shaman from his tribe had taught him all about herbs and what they did to the body as far as healing or harming. He had taken that knowledge and mixed the right concoction to cause Isabel’s mild heart attack. It had been the only thing he could think of that would make Angel come back.

“I don’t deserve any praise for finding her,” Hunter admitted with a guilty conscience.

Angel smiled softly knowing Hunter didn’t have a conceited bone in his body. Wanting him to know just how much she appreciated what he had done, she rose up on her tiptoes and gave him a soft fleeting kiss on the lips.

As she drew back from him, their eyes met and held. Angel inhaled sharply feeling the little lightning bolts streak down her stomach and up her thighs. This wasn’t the first time he had caused this reaction inside her… but it was the first time she wasn’t supposed to feel this for him. She had a boyfriend now… crushing on Hunter was taboo.

Angel swallowed as she took a step back. “Thank you for saving my grandmother. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost her.”

Hunter narrowed his eyes knowing she was denying what they had both just felt. Maybe not denying it… but definitely ignoring it. He had no intention of letting her get away with it… as a matter of fact; he intended to remind her that he was not that easily forgotten.

Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and started for the front doors. “Come on, let’s get you settled in.”

Ashton gripped the windowsill so tight he heard the wood make a popping sound. Angel had never given him a reason to be jealous before, but he didn’t like the way she looked at Hunter… the way she had kissed him. He didn’t like it one bit. He hadn’t let her come home only to watch her throw herself at other guys.

Angel stepped into the elevator shaking off the last of the electricity that kissing Hunter had caused. “So, where will I be sleeping?” she smiled knowing it was a game they used to play.

The four of them, Tristian, Ray, Hunter and herself, would sneak the register away from the desk and switch people’s rooms around just to cause mass confusion. They used to get in so much trouble for it that it was kind of amusing because now, Hunter was in charge of the very thing that used to get them yelled at.

Hunter shrugged, “I figured that you would want to be next to your brother.” He reached out and pushed the button for the fourth floor. “So I put you in your old room.”

“Glad to hear I still get a big room,” she smirked knowing the ones on the top floor where huge compared to the ones downstairs. Plus, it would be nice to feel completely at home again. “Thanks.”

“I always did think you two were a bit spoiled,” Hunter teased. “That’s why I decided to move in too.” He fished the key out of his pocket. He had taken the room right next to hers when he had moved in last month. It had let him feel closer to her even though she was so far away.

“When did you finally move into Sanctuary?” Angel asked. He and Ray had always driven back and forth every day so they could stay with their mother at night… even before Ray had gotten his license. He and Ray loved their mother dearly and made sure she was always taken care of.

When the doors opened, Hunter put his hand on the edge of the elevator door to keep it open for her. “I’m sorry Angel… I told Tristian not to tell you. I didn’t want you to worry about us.” His eyes darkened knowing she would have every right to be mad at him if she wanted to be.

“So tell me now.” Angel had a bad feeling. Hunter had never kept secrets from her and she wondered if being gone all this time had caused it. “What don’t I know?”

“Our mother died last month when the house accidentally caught fire,” he swallowed still not wanting to talk about it. “The fire department said it looked like she had been cooking and must have fallen asleep.”

Angel's lips parted when his dark eyes became luminous with unshed tears. “Oh my god Hunter… I’m so sorry. I wish you had told me… I would have come back sooner.”

“I didn’t want you to… see me like that,” he confessed as she wrapped her arms around him for the third time in the last half hour.

Letting go of the door, he let it slide shut as he reached out and touched the stop button. Placing his palms against her back, Hunter couldn’t stop himself as he pulled her flush against him, letting the smell of her hair soothe the ache inside him. This ache had nothing to do with his mother.

Angel hadn’t meant to do anything other than comfort him, but as soon as their bodies touched, she found herself pressed back against the wall of the elevator and one of his legs pushed between her thighs making them both go up in flames again.

“Oh God, Angel,” Hunter murmured against the soft skin at her neck as he felt the heat of her center all the way through the cloth that covered his leg. Grinding his thigh up against her, he lifted his head and caught her lips in a frustrated kiss. His hands traveled down her arms to capture her hands. Sliding his fingers through hers, he pressed them to the wall knowing her well enough to remember a little domination was a turn on for her. If almost counted as sex… then they had been lovers for a long time.

At first, Angel kissed him back, losing herself in the sensations he was causing, but then an image of Ashton flashed in her mind and she turned her head, breaking the kiss. She moaned softly when he breathed hotly down her neck. Pulling her hands from his, she placed them on his chest and pushed.

“Hunter?” Angel kept her eyes on the floor, suddenly afraid of what she would see if she looked up at him. “I’m sorry. I…”

“Shhh,” he gently placed his finger under her chin and lifted it so she would look up at him. He already knew why she was stopping. Ashton Fox had already lost… though she didn’t know that yet. His eyes darkened attractively as he listened to her near ragged breathing from only a simple kiss.

“Don’t be sorry… you should never be sorry for loving me. At least I know you forgive me for not telling you about our mother.” Hunter let go of her, forcing himself to step back and press the button so the elevator doors would open for her.

Knowing he would talk about his mother when he was ready, Angel turned and fled the elevator, no longer trusting herself to be alone with him. Once she was sure he was gone, she slowed her steps.

Poor Hunter… and Ray. They had always been so gentle with their mother and she had loved them dearly in return. Angel remembered often wishing she and her own mother had that kind of relationship. But her mother was a stranger to her… always had been.

When the elevator doors closed behind her, Hunter placed his hands against the same wall he had just held her against… pushing at it in frustration. If counting to ten only worked. Closing his eyes he did it anyway, forcing his breathing to return to something resembling normal. When he straightened and opened his eyes, he was perfectly calm once again.