Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
“You are newly wedded, correct? The romance is very important,” Haruto jumped in, obviously trying to help me hurry this decision along.
“Are you sure you’re okay with the change?” Kline finally turned to me to ask. The relief that we would be eating soon made me want to fall to my knees and weep.
“Completely fine. I just want to eat.” Lord knew, calling off Haruto would be a lengthy ordeal. The man was politely dogged, and I didn’t think he would be giving up with a simple No thanks.
Kline refocused his attention back on Mr. Chef. “Okay. Yeah. Dinner would be great.”
Haruto bounced on his toes and clapped excited hands in front of himself.
“Oh, wonderful!”
I chimed in, offering a friendly smile. “We’re very, very honored that you’re going to make us dinner tonight.”
“You are welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. If you don’t mind, my two assistants, Kane and Yui, will also be joining me.”
Promptly, his two assistants, a young male and female in matching white attire, appeared into view.
Both Kline and I stepped back to let them inside, both of us offering welcoming greetings and smiles as they wheeled two covered carts and what looked to be a sleek metal grill on wheels into the room.
Holy moly, talk about coming prepared…
“Please, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, go enjoy a drink on the balcony while we set up,” Haruto instructed us, and his assistant Yui wasted no time grabbing a bottle of wine from the bottom of her cart and pouring us each a glass.
“It shouldn’t take us too long to set up, and then, I shall bestow the best hibachi-style dinner that will ever grace your taste buds upon you,” Haruto said, graciously bowing toward us.
“Thank you, Haruto.” Kline smiled and pressed his hand to the small of my back, leading me out onto the balcony.
The instant we were safely on the other side of the closed doors, I looked at him with wide, amused eyes. “I guess you’re going to have to thank your buddy Antonio, huh? It seems like he’s really pulling out all the stops to help you prove me wrong.”
I giggled, and Kline smiled. “You seem excited.”
Strangely, I was. It was all unexpected and a little confusing, but it was kind of exhilarating too. Before I met Kline, I never got this kind of specialty treatment when I went away on vacations. I was just a regular girl with regular money. I guessed I was still getting used to it all.
I nodded, and Kline’s smile deepened as he leaned down to kiss the corner of my mouth. “Good. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“I am. Happy, that is. Especially since you knowing the owner of the hotel means there’s only a small percent chance that this is actually the beginning of an international murder scheme, where we end up on the grill by the end of the night.”
Knowing my penchant for dramatics and Netflix obsession with crime documentaries, Kline just chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, tucking me close to his side and turning us to face the ocean. The night he fell asleep to the TV on something other than the explicit details of human mutilation was the day he would actually worry.
The sun had just set beyond the horizon, making the sky dance with hues of pink and orange and red. And the waves crashed gently against the white sand.
“That view will never get old,” I said and stepped up onto my tippy-toes to place a kiss to Kline’s cheek. “Thank you for this. I had no idea I’d need a little getaway with you so soon after our honeymoon, but this surprise trip, well, it was much-needed.”
“Anything for you,” he said, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. “My gorgeous, beautiful wife and valentine.”
My mouth, my eyes, my cheeks, even my heart smiled at that. “Always and forever, Kline.”
“Ditto, baby.”
Luckily for my stomach, the setup for our unexpected hibachi-style dinner hadn’t taken long at all. Before we knew it, Yui opened the balcony doors and ushered us back inside, leading us toward the center of our suite’s living room area, where a romantic table for two had been set up in front of the sleek metal grill Haruto stood behind.
Spatula and knife in his hands and a confident smile on his lips, the man was ready to hibachi rock and roll.
I couldn’t deny it was a little odd to be in Mexico, and instead of eating, you know, like, fresh guacamole, we were about to dive into a Japanese-inspired meal, but I also couldn’t deny that I was pretty damn excited for the delicious food about to head my way.
“Tonight, I will prepare a romantic feast of steak, chicken, shrimp, scallops, lobster, and the best rice you will ever taste in your life,” Haruto announced, and my stomach growled in excitement.