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I spun to glare at this horrible man who’d tricked me into eating one of the sweetest creatures in the sea. “How could you?” I didn’t care that my voice was raised and all eyes were on us. The world needed to know what a monster this smooth-talking man really was.
“What did I do?”
I scoffed and threw my fists to my hips. “What were you going to suggest for dessert? Endangered baby sea turtles?”
Kai raised both hands and actually dared to shush me. “We’re starting to draw a crowd. Why don’t we go back to the table and—”
“You’d like that wouldn’t you.”
“I’m going to have to ask you folks to return to your table. You’re disturbing the other guests.” A man I could only assume was the manager had walked up with our waiter—another traitor who hadn’t warned me that my order would contribute to the demise of a pod of innocent dolphins.
What had I ever seen in him? I looked him up and down through my narrowed eyes. He did have chicken legs.
I turned all of my fury on the man in charge. “What kind of a restaurant serves up plates of dolphins? You should be jailed!”
Kai snickered.
I saw red.
“Give us a minute,” Kai said to the man. “I think I can handle this.”
Kai’s large hand encircled my upper arm, and he tugged me to the side.
I spun around to face him when we were tucked away out of sight behind a bank of planters. “You really think you can handle me?” I hissed.
“Feisty. I thought you had it in you. Now that I see it, I think I like you even more.” How that man had the gall to smile was beyond me.
“How dare you—”
“You didn’t eat a dolphin.”
My jaw hung open as his words sank in. “Come again?”
“It was mahi-mahi. Dolphin fish. A completely different species from the dolphins you’re thinking of, though your passion for sea life is impressive. It makes me wonder…”
I swallowed hard, my anger quickly morphing into embarrassment. “Wonder what?”
The distance between us vanished and his playful gaze changed to something more intense. “I wonder if you’re just as passionate about all creatures of the ocean.”
I took a moment to catch my breath and straighten my posture. “Of course I am.”
His face melted into a wide grin, showcasing that dimple. “That’s good to know.”
I grabbed a handful of my hair, drew it over my shoulder and twisted it, pretending to be unaffected by our closeness. “Why is that?”
“My mother believes that the name of a thing describes its true nature. Kainalu means ocean that billows. I spend every spare moment I can get in the water. I’ll sleep better tonight knowing that I’ve got such a fearless protector in you.”
I buried my face in one hand and moaned. “I’m such an idiot. Please tell me you really are my guide and you weren’t just playing games earlier. I can’t go back out there.”
“I’m really your guide.”
“Thank goodness. Can we please just get out of here?”
“Sure thing. I’ll go take care of the bill and meet you out front.”
“Don’t bother. It’s on Blue Pacific.” I spoke before thinking.
“Really? Sweet. I would have guessed they’d only cover working lunches.”
This was a working lunch, but I didn’t dare tell Kai. I couldn’t. I forced a grin and shrugged.
My stomach clenched, and reality slapped me in the face like a cold dolphin fish. Not only had I been awarded the job Kai had been after, if he was my guide, I’d been tasked with putting him out of work.
So much for seeing where things could go between us.
