by Amy Allen
“Yep.” She returned the grin. She’d pulled on her shorts while he changed.
He found them a great place to eat before they headed out to dive again. She was still borrowing her mom’s fins, mask, and snorkel. The diving was as good during the day as it had been at night. Except now she could really see how beautiful and clear the water was and she was swimming with turtles, eels, and manta rays. They even found some caves. Checking out the caves they came across lobsters, scorpion fish and even white tip reef sharks. They stayed out for as long as they possibly could, with her loving all the fish they were seeing, exploring some of the caves what they could, and checking out a wreck that they saw. By the time he told her it was time to head out, they’d been under for close to an hour and a half.
She waited until they were back on the beach to say anything. Almost bouncing, she grinned saying, “That was beautiful. As much as I loved Monday night, this was even better. Guam has some great diving, but nothing like this.” Setting her fins, mask, and snorkel on a rock, she grabbed a towel to dry off, the grin still on her face.
Joining her and grabbing a towel for himself after putting his fins, mask, and snorkel with hers, he grinned in return. “For the most part yeah. But I haven’t been out to the crater yet, so not sure what’s to see out there.” Drying himself off, he wrapped the towel around his waist.
Lana had been listening to him as she watched him. She had to concentrate at keeping her eyes on his face as he sat there shirtless since all the rest of him she could see made her insides turn to jelly. Remembering she was still dripping, she dried off before wrapping the towel around her and then using it as a cover-up to be able to change from her bikini bottoms to her shorts. Pulling the towel from around her, she undid the ponytail her hair was in and then wrapped her hair in the towel.
Sitting on a rock, Joshua watched her get partially changed with using the towel. He smiled, impressed. He had really meant it when he said he liked that she was small and that she wasn’t short. She may be technically ‘short’ but to him, she was just small, in height. Otherwise, she was filled out where she needed to be. It was noticeable in her ‘regular’ clothes but he really noticed it the three times he’d seen her in a bikini. The bikinis left enough to the imagination but his was on overdrive and he really wanted to see her hidden treasures. Movement from her belly button suddenly caught his eyes. Reaching forward, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. Holding her hips, he looked at the charm and smiled. His eyes traveled upward, taking her all in until they met her own eyes. “Why am I not surprised it’s a dreamcatcher charm.” Leaning forward, he sucked it into his mouth, using his tongue to play with the charm. His mind started wandering to other things he’d like his tongue to play with, causing him to release the charm. Standing, his hands sliding up her back, he kissed her.
She was glad he was holding her up since what he’d just done to the charm with his mouth had her knees weak. She’d been biting her lip until he kissed her. She gave him back what he was giving her without completely devouring each other. When the kiss finally ended, she sucked in air and let it out slowly, hearing him chuckle as she did. Opening her eyes, she could see he was off balance too which made her glad. Finding her voice, she said, “We have leftover pizza as well as leftover chicken if you want to stay for dinner when you drop me off.”
Joshua took a few breaths of his own before he said, “That’d be great, thanks.” He then started grabbing gear, not surprised she was helping, and taking it to the truck. Between the two of them, they grabbed everything including her bag and sandals, his clothes, and both sets of fins, masks, and snorkels, in one shot.
Getting back to her parents, they unloaded what they needed to and went in. They’d noticed the foundation done on her ‘ohana which caused her to slightly bounce in her seat and causing him to laugh. They each showered and dressed and then they met in the front room.
With Rob, Joshua, and Jack there for dinner, they finished off the leftovers and had a relaxing evening to night talking about their days and watching a movie. When Joshua was ready to go, she walked him to the door where he gave her a kiss goodnight and told her he’d see her in the morning. She went to bed once she’d closed the door after he’d driven off, and slept another night with no nightmares.
Saturday
Joshua picked her up at eight in the morning and they headed to the beach to do some kiteboarding and maybe some surfing. They’d talked about possibly going diving but changed their minds last night. They spent the day just enjoying the sun and each other’s company. Around five-thirty in the evening, they loaded his truck back up and headed to his apartment to get cleaned up and ready to go to dinner.
Getting inside, he kissed her then said, “Go ahead and shower first. And you don’t have to hurry. Use whatever you need to that’s in the shower.”
Lana grinned. “You sure?” When Joshua nodded, she shrugged and said “Ok, mahalo. Be out in a bit.” She left her clothes on the bed instead of taking them in with her. The shower felt good and she did take her time for washing her hair. Getting out, she dried off, wrapped the towel around her, and then stepped out into the bedroom. Seeing Joshua standing there, she said, “All yours.”
Once she was done in the bathroom, Joshua went in. He tried not to pay attention that she only had a towel wrapped around her at the moment. He showered quickly and dried off even quicker. It helped that he kept his hair short so all he had to do was run the towel over it a couple times. Having brought his clothes in with him, he dressed in a light pink slim fit shirt that matched her dress, from what he saw when it was laying on the bed. He then slipped into his black jeans.
As Joshua showered and got ready in the bathroom, Lana pulled on what she’d picked out to wear under her dress when she’d went shopping with her mom. She pulled on a mini-dress in pale pink, and then towel dried her hair to take most of the moisture out of it, leaving it hanging. Finding a mirror, she lined her eyes and added mascara. She then applied the lip gloss she always carried in her tote bag. Satisfied, she grabbed her shoes and left the bedroom so Joshua would be able to finish when he got out.
Stepping back into his room, Joshua didn’t see Lana. After putting on the belt he wanted, black with silver studs, followed by his boots, Joshua headed into the family room. Seeing her standing there, his mouth went dry. Swallowing, finally finding his voice, he said, “You look beautiful.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Let me rephrase that. You always look beautiful. You look even more beautiful tonight.”
Lana looked up at the sound of Joshua’s voice. She smiled shyly, thinking that he looked even more handsome than normal in what he’d decided to wear. “Thank you. You look even more handsome than normal tonight yourself.”
Joshua grinned, moving to her. Leaning down, he kissed her. Ending the kiss, he asked, “Ready?”
Putting on her five-inch heels, in a matching color as the dress, Lana nodded. “I am.”
Taking her hand, they headed down to the truck. He helped her in on her side before going around, getting in and starting the truck. He headed to Hard Rock Café, where they’d decided to have dinner.
The sun was setting as they arrived at Hard Rock. It was busy when they walked in, causing Joshua to leave his name for being called. As they waited they headed into the Hard Rock - Rock Shop to look around.
Joshua had been looking with her, noticing she really didn’t stop on anything, even though he saw a couple of pins he thought would fit her. When Lana did stop, he saw it was at the Art Sticks. Leaning down, he asked, “Which of those do you like?” When she looked up at him with a question in her eyes, he only repeated, “Which?”
Lana sighed but smiled. She almost didn’t want to tell him which ones she liked because she didn’t want him to feel he had to buy her something. Hearing him ask again, she gave a mock sigh and giggled. “If I had to choose, it would be the Hula Girl or the Black Lace one. Why?”
Grinning, he shook his head as he caught the eye of a
n employee. When the woman joined them, he said, “I want the Hula Girl and Lace Art Sticks, please.” The woman smiled at him, trying to flirt. “Of course, sir. Good choice. What do you draw?” Joshua couldn’t help but smile, and when he heard Lana’s overly exaggerated sigh, he chuckled. Shaking his head at the woman, he answered, “I don’t. My girlfriend does,” nodding to Lana.
He hadn’t realized what he called her until it was out of his mouth. He did notice Lana look up with a soft smile at his comment making him feel good. He was still trying to figure out what she really meant to him but saying she was his girlfriend felt right. He noticed the woman give a passing glance to Lana, all but ignoring her, which ticked Joshua off. The woman gave him another smile kicking up the flirting she was trying to do. He wasn’t immune to it, he was a man after all, and he knew that with being a vampire, even if women didn’t know he was one, it caused them to flirt and be more attracted to him. Well, all women but Lana. She hadn’t acted like any of the other women he came across, which included this employee and the way the woman was attempting to flirt with him. But, he also wasn’t interested in the employee. He couldn’t put his finger on the exact why, except that Lana was important to him in some way, since a month ago, even a couple of weeks ago, he more than likely would have been interested even if he’d been on a date. He really did need to do as Eric suggested and talk to Brandi about it. He hoped she had some answers on why he was feeling this way. Without thinking about what he was doing, he ran a hand down Lana’s back then put his hand on her waist to bring her closer. Pulling out his wallet, he looked pointedly at the woman, no longer smiling. Finally taking the hint, the woman walked them to the register so Joshua could pay for the Art Sticks.
Lana couldn’t believe the gall of the woman though she wanted to laugh. But then again, if it had been a couple of weeks ago, she would have been with her brother or Craig and not on a date. Wanting to be a bit of a bitch and also to thank him for the Art Sticks, even if he hadn’t given them to her yet, once he’d paid for the Art Sticks she turned to him, and standing on her toes, Lana kissed Joshua.
Joshua pulled her close, extending the kiss. When he ended the kiss, he smiled at Lana, laughter shining in his eyes. Turning back to the woman, he took the bag from her, and leaving his arm around Lana, left the Rock Shop. Moving to where they could wait to be called, he stood against the wall, pulling her in front of him, circling his arms around her. Leaning down, he slid the Sticks into her bag and said, “I like the way you thanked me. You’re welcome. They’re in your bag.” He noticed her nod as he looked up at hearing his name.
The host sat them, telling them the waiter would be right with them and asking if they wanted something to drink.
Lana thought about it a minute. “Iced tea, please,” she told him. Her mind was off just enough from being with Joshua.
When the host looked at him, Joshua nodded. “Same, please.” The host nodded and left long enough to get their drinks. Looking at the menu, Joshua looked across at Lana. “Have you decided? And did you want to get a starter?”
Lana looked at the starters after taking a drink of her tea. “Sure. The Jumbo Combo looks good. And I think so. The Maui “Da Kine” Burger sounds good.”
Before Joshua had the chance to say anything, the waiter appeared. “Are you ready to order?”
Joshua nodded. Looking over at Lana, he got a nod from her. “We’d like the Jumbo Combo as a starter. And then we’d each like the Maui “Da Kine” Burger, please.”
Writing it down, the waiter smiled and left to put it in.
“Mahalo, again, for the Art Sticks. That was nice of you.”
Joshua smiled. “I wanted to get you something you’d like.” Taking a drink of his own tea, he was glad she liked them. He also knew she would get good use out of them.
Lana giggled. “I love them.” The waiter returned with their starter. When he was gone, they talked about nothing and everything, quickly going through most of the combo platter. They had subjects they didn’t want to talk about, mostly because they were in a public place and neither wanted those personal details overheard. Thinking of something, Lana suddenly said, “Like I had said, I talked to Craig on Wednesday and asked him about that. He knows and doesn’t plan to tell Dad or Rob at all. And you were right that it is why he gets more protective. I guess neither ever questioned why he is. And he said Andre was the one who called the ambulance, stopping when he saw me and Craig. Though Andre doesn’t know what else was done to me, and that’s fine.” Shrugging, she grabbed one of the last wings.
Joshua smiled and grabbed the other. Finishing it, he took a drink of his tea and said, “Don’t blame him. Why upset the two of them more than needed. Hopefully, we won’t have any problems with … but now you just don’t have Craig making sure that doesn’t happen again.” He just couldn’t say Jeremy’s name. He actually wished the man was dead so she couldn’t be hurt by the bastard anymore.
She didn’t have the chance to answer. The waiter arrived with their food just as she was about to. As he took the starter platter, the man smiled at them both and said, “Enjoy.”
Taking a seasoned fry, she sighed as she bit into it. Seeing him grinning at her, she grinned back. “It’s good. I couldn’t help it. But yeah, and I’m glad for that. Mahalo.”
Joshua had been eating as he listened. Though he hadn’t sighed when he ate some of the fries, she was right, they were good. He only smiled and nodded.
Lana ate some of her hamburger, nearly sighing again. It was one of the best hamburgers she’d ever had. Taking a sip of tea, she grinned at him. She was glad to have him in her corner.
They ate their hamburgers in companionable silence. It didn’t take them long to finish, even with having a small food fight and laughing over it. When the waiter asked if they wanted dessert, Joshua grinned suddenly. He ordered a Hot Fudge Brownie for them to share.
They laughed over dessert, teasing each other over different things they’d found out. When they finished the brownie, Joshua paid the bill, leaving enough to cover a tip. Like his brothers and sister, he didn’t have to work because they all had enough money to be billionaires several times over, but they worked because they enjoyed it and they made sure to only spend from what they currently made – and in Brandi’s case, what John also made.
Walking out, Lana was slightly surprised at how dark it had gotten. The moon looked about a quarter to half full, but it wasn’t enough to really light much. They walked to the truck, holding hands. When they got to the truck, he opened his door so he could put her bag inside. Closing the door, he leaned down.
They stood against his truck kissing, or more like devouring each other when he suddenly lifted her up. His hands cupping her bottom, he broke the kiss long enough to say, “Wrap your legs around my waist.”
Breathing heavy, she leaned back slight only saying, “Josh.”
With breaths as heavy as hers, he said, “You know I won’t do anything you don’t want me too.” He rested his forehead against hers for the moment. He knew she was still wary of some things, but he knew they’d both come a long way in the last week. She was like a drug he couldn’t get enough of, would never grow tired of. With that thought, everything finally clicked into place for him, how he felt about her, what she meant to him. Even with still needing some explanation from his sister for one thing he still didn’t quite understand. Feeling his head move when she nodded, he lifted his head so he could look at her. It suddenly felt like everything hinged on her answer to his next question. “Do you trust me, Ki?”
She knew the answer as soon as he asked and it seemed to hit her like a Mack truck. Bringing her legs up and around his waist, she nodded, saying, “Actually, I do.” Thinking she already knew the answer, she asked him, “Do you trust me?”
Joshua grinned, leaning back into her. Just before taking her lips again, he said, “With my life.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I was born and raised in California, and in early 2007 moved
to Reno, Nevada.
Besides writing, I am a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and have been since early 1989. I have been working in home care, mostly Pediatric, since 2004 and have been in my current position since moving to Reno.
When not working, I love to write and, over the years have completed several fanfictions or original stories, which I didn't think of publishing at the time. However, I now have several published works I was lucky enough to be invited to write for one of the Kindle World Series, and my novellas make up 'The Girl and the Fireman' set – as well as having a boxed set of the four novellas titled The Girl and the Fireman Complete series Boxed set. In sequential order they are: New Beginnings, Holiday Surprises, Masquerade Gone Awry, and Simmering Illusions. Due to KW closing, I am in the process of revising my Girl and the Fireman Series. New Beginnings is to be released August 1st 2018. Holiday Surprises will be released in August/September, Masquerade Gone Awry will be released in September/October, Simmering Illusions will be released in October/November, and the boxed set in November/December.
In between, I published two full-length novels. They are part of The Many Lives of Brandi series: Surprises and Second Chances. Both are available in Kindle and paperback versions. To provide a history behind these and future books in the series, I recently completed Brandi’s Diary – titled: A Life Less Ordinary - The Diary of Brandi Nicole Stewart. Added to this, I have contributed to five anthologies. First was the 25 Days of Christmas anthology, which released December 1st, 2017 – title: For the Love of St. Nick. Next I have the Me + You Summer Romance Anthology which released June 14 2018 – book title: Love in 8 Seconds; and the Branches of Healing: Tales of Unsung Heroes Anthology set to release July 31 2018 – book title: The Aftermath. Finally, the 'Building Love Anthology' to help Ronald McDonald House, Westmead, Australia, set to release Dec 1 2018 – book title: Snow Unexpected. I will be contributing to another anthology that won’t be out until autumn 2019 – anthology title and book title yet to be named. A Heart Recognized is available in both e-book and paperback versions.