As they exited the elevator at their floor, Mano reached out and captured Paige around her waist. She allowed herself to press against him, relishing in the feeling of being in the arms of a man so strong and masculine. Walking with him this afternoon was nothing compared to how he made her feel now. He insisted that she was beautiful, and she almost believed it when he held her like this. Being as commanding of presence as he was, it was hard not to agree with anything he said. She couldn’t understand how anyone could see him as handicapped. He simply couldn’t see.
Everything else about him was amazing. He made her feel amazing and desirable. Just the touch of his hand against the bare small of her back tonight had sent a sizzle of need through her whole body. She could still feel the heat of his touch lingering there, as though his handprint had seared into her skin, branding her as his property.
She’d never imagined that she could capture the attention of a man like Mano, and yet here she was outside her hotel room, on the verge of asking him in. This wasn’t like Paige at all. She’d never been one to indulge in casual sex, mostly because it was rarely offered. But something about the beauty of Mano and Hawaii mixed with pregnancy hormones made her feel braver than usual.
“Thank you for playing hooky with me today,” she said instead of asking him in.
Mano tipped his head toward her face, although his gaze settled near her lips. “You’re very welcome. I’ll play hooky with you anytime you like, Paige.”
“What about tomorrow?” she asked.
“Tomorrow?” Mano’s voice was low and gruff. “Tomorrow is hours away. Right now I’m more concerned about tonight.”
“Tonight?” Paige shifted just enough in his arms that she could feel the firm heat of Mano’s erection pressing into her stomach. He wasn’t just paying her lip service. He truly did want her, and he left no question of it. She wanted him, too, but in the heat of the moment, she felt a flutter of panic. This was really going to happen. She just had to say the word. Was she ready to take the leap?
Mano’s hand reached up to caress her cheek. He stroked her skin and let the pad of his thumb brush across her bottom lip. His mouth followed, pressing his lips insistently to hers. She realized quickly that the answer was a definitive yes. She couldn’t deny him. Not when he kissed her like this and held her as though he couldn’t get enough of her.
Paige wasn’t used to that kind of adoration. Wyatt’s kisses had been nice enough, but they lacked a certain spark. Mano clearly enjoyed every second, and so did she. When her lips parted and his tongue glided across hers, he groaned. The low, primal sound made her insides pulse with a need she’d rarely felt before.
At last, reluctantly, she pulled away and tried to steady herself in his arms. The warmth of his skin and his masculine scent made her head swim with desire. Thoughts of tomorrow had faded away and all that mattered was here and now. She’d known they were spiraling toward this moment since they’d kissed on the balcony last night and he’d chased after her. She wanted him. She just had to be brave enough to ask for what she needed. “I would invite you into my room, but I don’t know if you’d prefer us to go to your own suite. For Hoku’s sake.”
Mano smiled at her. “That’s an excellent idea. And very thoughtful.” He pulled away, but not before taking her hand in his. “My suite, then?”
Before she could start to panic, they moved across the hall to his doorway and the reality of it all began to sink in. Inside, he cut Hoku loose and went into the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink? I have a couple kinds of beer, a bottle of Moscato, some pineapple juice and sparkling water.”
“The water would be great,” she said. His offer of alcohol was one she’d had to turn down repeatedly. It was a reminder that she wasn’t being as forthright with Mano as she should be. She couldn’t put this off any longer. She’d told herself that if things got serious, she would tell him about the baby. Well, things were on the verge of seriousness. If it put a damper on their evening together, or ended this vacation romance altogether, so be it.
“Shall we drink on the patio?” he asked.
“Sure.” She waited for him to open the bottle for her and a beer for himself. He handed hers over and they walked together to the sliding doors of the patio. They were both seated in the plush lounge chairs and gazing out at the dark sea before she worked up the nerve to say what she needed to say.
“Mano, before this goes any further, I need to tell you something.”
He picked up his beer and took a sip. “Tell me anything, pulelehua.”
Paige hesitated for a moment. Did she really need to tell him about the baby? Their short vacation fling would long be a distant memory when her child was born, but somehow it didn’t feel right to keep it from him.
“I’m leaving in less than a week, so it really doesn’t matter, but I feel like I should tell you. I don’t like keeping secrets, especially one that could be a potential turnoff for you.”
Mano turned to her, a frown furrowing his brow. He sought out her hand and held it in his. “What is it? You’re not married are you?” he asked with a joking grin.
“No,” she said with a chuckle and a shake of her head. “But I am pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” Mano’s jaw fell slack with shock. She could tell it was the last thing he was expecting to hear.
“I know,” Paige said, avoiding his gaze in favor of watching the waves below. “When I told you that my life was a little complicated right now, that’s what I meant.”
Mano put his hand over his heart. “You’ll have to forgive me. It’s the first time a woman has ever said those words to me. I had a moment of panic even though I know it couldn’t be mine.”
“I understand. It’s not the kind of thing you’d expect me to say.”
“When we touched, you didn’t feel pregnant.”
Paige remembered the surge of panic she’d felt the night before when he’d touched her stomach. “I’m only thirteen weeks along. I should start showing soon.”
At last, Mano exhaled and took another big sip of his beer. “This explains a lot, actually. I couldn’t fathom how someone could come all the way to Hawaii and not at least try a mai tai. I was wondering if you were a recovering alcoholic. This, however, is a very good reason.”
“It is. I’d love to have a mai tai, honestly. With the way my life is going, I could use a stiff drink.” Or a dozen.