“Don’t get up,” I told him because I suspected he was about to jump off his chair and race out of the kitchen. Samuel was so full of life, and we needed to watch him carefully, so he didn’t get hurt.
Allison and my dad came into the kitchen less than a second after, and Allison first greeted Samuel with a hug while my dad came over to where I stood and gave me a side hug.
“Do you have a first aid box?” I asked him after he pulled back.
“No, did you get hurt?” His eyes narrowed with concern as he looked at me.
I quickly shook my head. “Just a bruise I got while playing with Samuel,” I answered. “It’s nothing serious,” I added then showed him my elbow. “It happens. There’s no riding a bike without getting hurt.”
“You’ll have to get to the pharmacy for that. It’s just on the next street,” Allison said. “It’s a short walk.”
“I’ll get it,” I told her with a smile.
I left them in the kitchen, hurried to my room upstairs to grab my purse then left the house. The walk to the pharmacy Allison talked about took three minutes and I was next in line when the doorbell chimed, and someone walked in.
I glanced over my shoulder, and a smile crept up my lips when I saw Josh. Once he noticed me too, he grinned.
“Are you ill?” he asked once he got to the line. He stood beside me, took his hands out of the pocket of his shorts, and kept them at his side.
“I got a bruise while playing with Samuel,” I told him then showed him my elbow. “What about you?”
“I’m just checking on the property,” he told me. “I own the building.”
The revelation wasn’t shocking. He practically owned half of Oahu. “You own the entire town don’t you?” I asked, and he laughed in response.
The smile on his lips didn’t fade off when it ended, and I already longed to hear the sound again. “What are you doing after?” he asked. “We could have dinner if you haven’t eaten already. There’s this wonderful diner on Kalakaua Avenue …. I own it too.”
“Cocky much?” I teased, and he chuckled. “I’d love to try it!.”
“Great,” he replied. “Maybe you can give some tips and recipe ideas to add to our menu. I’m thinking of going international soon. I don’t know much about cooking, but I hire the best and they’re doing a brilliant job.”
“I can imagine.”
It got to my turn, and I quickly purchased a band-aid and ointment, paid with my card, then walked with Josh out of the building.
“You ready?” he asked when we got to his truck.
I nodded, then walked around, but he moved faster and opened the door for me before I could do it myself. “A gentleman never lets a lady open the door herself,” Josh said when he finally got into the driver’s seat and strapped his seatbelt in.
“And you are a gentleman?”
“Of course,” he answered with another cocky grin. “I’d show you just how much tonight.”
I knew he was talking about dinner but somehow, his words sent shivers down my spine and made me think of something much more intimate than eating.
Suddenly the wind around us chilled my bones, but not in a frightening way. I wanted to do more than just eat with Josh and that was a certain fact. I wanted to devour him. God help me.
* * *
Josh's restaurant,Cibo was one of the more expensive Italian restaurants on the Island in both taste and price. The interior was somehow the perfect mixture of old Italy with modern elements, while the menu boasted some Michelin worthy dishes.
Colored lights brightened up the room and reflected on the mirror surfaces shining at every corner. There was a waiter by the door to take our coats and get us a table, and another brought us a menu to glance through.
I went through the items on their food list and nodded. “This is pretty impressive, they have a lot on the menu,” I complimented and looked up at him.
“Try our bite-sized pasta, I can vouch of that,” he said.
“You wanted an honest review of your food; I think I should try something else…. I ran a finger down the menu, then paused when I got to their salmon.