Complication? Paige seemed to have tied herself up in knots for no reason. He could feel the anxiety and tension damn near radiating from her body in waves. “It was just a kiss, Paige. There’s no need to make more of it than that. How complicated can things get with you leaving in less than a week?”
He reached out for her and placed a hand on her waist. He waited until she relaxed and the throbbing pulse beneath his fingertips slowed.
“Listen, Paige, I want you to know this isn’t something I do very often. I’ve never even invited a guest up to my suite before.”
“Really?”
“Really.” It was true. Only Chuck, housekeeping and room service were allowed inside from the hotel staff. When he did indulge in a short romance, he always went to the woman’s room or sought out an empty suite. And yet, he’d wanted to share his retreat with Paige. He wanted to experience those fireworks with her, knowing it would be as though he could see them again. “Like you, I don’t really trust myself in relationships, either. My condition puts me at a disadvantage. Every time I’m with a woman, I wonder what her angle is, or if I’ll be a burden on her. To be honest, your work as a nurse is a huge red flag for me. I should walk away from you right now.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to be someone’s project. I can’t be fixed and I don’t want to be coddled. Some women see me as someone they can care for and, as a nurse, it’s in your nature to do it.”
Paige chuckled softly. “You’ll find that I’m more drill sergeant than babysitter. Sometimes it takes a firm hand to get a patient out of bed and make him stop feeling sorry for himself.”
“Maybe that’s the difference. There’s just something about you that makes me want to throw all my rules out the window. I want to know more about you, Paige. I want to touch you again.”
Paige gasped. He took a step closer to her and drew her hand to his chest. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. If you tell me to, I’ll walk away right now and leave you alone for the rest of your time here in Hawaii. But I don’t want to. Whatever we share doesn’t have to be serious or complicated, Paige. I’m proposing we spend the week together. I’ll let you set the boundaries so there’s no unwanted complications. I simply enjoy your company.”
“You do?”
Her voice was soft and small, so insecure it made his chest ache. What had Paige been through that she thought so little of herself? She questioned his every interest in her. “I absolutely do. I don’t know why every man you meet doesn’t feel the same way. You’re charming, thoughtful and kind.”
Paige laughed softly, but he could tell it wasn’t with amusement but with disbelief. “You’re the first person to ever say that. The people that don’t ignore me entirely find me to be awkward and quiet. I don’t know exactly what it is that a man like you sees in a woman like me.”
Mano frowned. “What kind of man am I?”
He felt her shrug. “I don’t know...handsome, wealthy, successful... The kind that could have a dozen supermodels in his contact list if he wanted to. That kind of man doesn’t really belong with a woman like me.”
“Supermodels aren’t much for interesting conversation. I have different priorities. I might be blind, Paige, but I see more than most because I rely on more than just my eyes. What I see of you, I like. So, will I see you tomorrow?” he asked.
After a moment’s hesitation she said, “I’ll think about it.”
Mano smiled and took a step back from her doorway. “You do that. When you decide to accept my proposal, and you will, just ask any hotel employee for me and I’ll find you. Good night, Paige.”
As he reached the doorway of his room, he heard Paige’s door click shut behind him. Inside his suite, he went to the kitchen and sought out a bottle of locally brewed beer. Sinking into his leather couch, he took a sip and hoped that the muscles in his body could uncurl with the help of the alcohol.
Hoku trotted over to the sofa and jumped up beside him. He laid his heavy head onto Mano’s lap and sighed. That was pretty much how he felt, too.
He wasn’t sure if Paige would take him up on his offer to spend time together or not. He hoped so, but nothing was certain.
Since his accident, Mano had become very distrusting of women. Before, when he was the vibrant younger Bishop brother with everything ahead of him, he liked it when the girls swarmed him. Even then, he only had eyes for Jenna. He had been dating her since their sophomore year, and they had everything going for them. Like his older brother, Kal, he was about to graduate and go on to the University of Hawaii. He and Jenna had plans to take over the family business with his brother and branch out to new locations, turning the Mau Loa into the most luxurious hotel chain in the islands. First Maui, then Kauai. He was young, rich, handsome and soon to be very powerful. He felt invincible with her at his side.
Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. On the way to his brother’s football game an oncoming SUV strayed from its lane and plowed head-on into his parents’ car at fifty miles an hour. Their parents were killed on impact. Mano hit his head with enough force to blind him permanently, break his arm and earn about twenty stitches across his brow.
Suddenly, he wasn’t the golden child he always thought he’d be. Recovering from his accident had been a challenge. Kal and their grandparents tried to convince him that he’d only lost his vision, not his life, but Mano knew better. Even the girls around him knew better. Jenna disappeared, carrying on with her plans and leaving him behind. She said she was too young to dedicate her whole life to loving a man with a lifetime of challenges ahead of him. Suddenly, he went from being a catch to a charity case.
Over the last ten years, Mano had managed by only allowing himself the physical comforts of a relationship—nothing emotional. A week with a woman every few months or so was enough to soothe the beast. He didn’t want or expect anything more than that.
He certainly looked forward to a week with Paige. If she agreed to it.
A buzz of conversation in Mano’s ear distracted him from his thoughts. There was an issue downstairs that he needed to tend to. Giving Hoku a pat on the head, he took one last sip of his beer and left the rest to go flat on the coffee table. He sought out his suit coat and Hoku’s harness, preparing to head back downstairs.
Thankfully, work was always there to distract him from everything, including his own life.
Four
Mano didn’t sleep well. Being completely blind, he usually had some level of difficulty because he didn’t have the light cues to regulate his circadian rhythm. Medication usually helped, but not last night. Though last night had less to do with being blind and more to do with Paige.