The Pregnancy Proposition

“If I could see them, I wouldn’t have to ask. Tell me, please.”

That was true. She needed to open up so she could share every aspect of this moment with him. “Dark pink. Almost a dusky rose, I guess.”

Mano nodded slowly, biting his lower lip with his eyes closed as though he were picturing them in his mind. Bending down, he took one into his mouth. His tongue flickered over it, making Paige squirm beneath him. The moist heat of his mouth on her skin coaxed pleasure that made her core tighten and pulse around him.

He hesitated only for a moment and then he redoubled his efforts to pleasure her. His hips moved in a more circular motion, making his pelvis grind against her sensitive nub. He timed the strokes with the hard suction of her breast until Paige was a gasping, writhing, moaning mess beneath him. She’d never allowed herself to unravel like this before, but she could do it with him and not feel self-conscious about it.

“Are you close, pulelehua?”

“Oh yes,” she whimpered. “So close.”

“What do you want me to do?” he asked.

“Love me harder,” she demanded softly. “Fill me and don’t be gentle.”

Mano made a growling sound deep in his throat before dropping onto his elbows on each side of her. He buried one hand in her hair and the other gripped her shoulder tight. He thrust hard once, making Paige cry out loud. He followed it with two more hard strokes, then he seemed to let go of whatever restraint he had left. He pumped hard and fast into her body, holding tight as his hips pounded into hers.

Paige’s cries escalated from soft gasps and whimpers to loud screams as he unleashed his passion on her. “Yes! Yes!” she shouted, loving every minute of it. She loved the feel of his skin, slick with sweat against her own. Her cries echoed in her own ears, their scent growing stronger the harder he loved her. Her every sense was overloaded, pushing her closer to the edge as he climbed there himself.

Then it hit her. Her release was punctuated with a sharp cry of pleasure she couldn’t hold in. He continued to thrust into her as her internal muscles tightened and fluttered around him. Before her last gasps faded, he finally gave in to it and poured into her with a loud groan of satisfaction.

Paige welcomed him into her arms as he collapsed, spent, against her. Finally rolling to her side, Mano sank into the pillows. With one hand curled over her left breast, they fell asleep together with her heartbeat serving as the soothing rhythm that lured them to sleep.

* * *

Paige woke up in the night practically starving. She never woke up to eat in the middle of the night, and she’d had plenty to eat at dinner. The pregnancy books she’d read said that once she reached her second trimester, the cravings would begin in earnest, and that must be what was behind it. Why did this have to happen when she was naked and in the bed of a sexy hotelier? He probably didn’t have much food in that kitchen. Of course, she didn’t have any in her suite, either.

As quietly as she could, Paige peeled back the covers and slipped from bed. With her only option being her red gown, she considered just going hunting for food in the nude. No one would see her but Hoku, anyway. But propriety got the best of her and she found Mano’s robe hanging in the bathroom like the one in her own suite. She wrapped herself up in it and padded barefoot through the bedroom into the living room area.

Hoku was asleep on his pillow, but his head popped up when he saw her. He got up and followed her lazily into the kitchen. He sat by her side as she opened the refrigerator door and frowned. Beer, water, juice and fancy dog food.

“That’s no help,” she said to the dog, then turned to check cabinets for pantry goods. She found dog biscuits, some saltines and a box of Pop Tarts. Paige never thought of Mano as a Pop Tart guy, but she supposed everyone had their weaknesses. Unfortunately, that was not what she wanted. She got a dog biscuit out anyway and gave it to Hoku. He happily wagged his tail and lay down on the floor to eat his treat.

“We found something for you, but nothing for me. My dorm room in college had more food than this and I was broke,” she muttered.

“That’s because your dorm room didn’t have room service.”

Startled, Paige spun on her heels to see Mano standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He had tugged on a pair of boxer briefs, but otherwise, he was still gloriously bare. Her heart was beating too quickly to appreciate it, though. “Lord,” she swore. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“Sorry. Usually people are sneaking up on me, not the other way around.”

She supposed that was true. “I was trying not to wake you up. Sorry.”

“No worries,” he said, leaning against the wall. “I don’t sleep well. To me, it’s dark all the time, so my body never knows when it’s time to rest and when it’s time to wake up. What did you need?”

Paige sighed and opened the refrigerator door again as though things would change. “I’m hungry. I shouldn’t be, it’s two in the morning, but the baby has other ideas.”

“Tell me what you want and I’ll have it brought up.”

“It’s two in the morning,” Paige repeated. “Doesn’t the kitchen close?”

“Not entirely. There’s twenty-four-hour service for special guests, including the two penthouse suites. So, lucky you, you can have whatever you’d like.”

That was tempting. Or it would be if she could pin down what she was after. The baby wasn’t quite specific enough. “Would you eat some of it?”

“Sure.” He shrugged. Mano picked up his phone and dialed it. “This is Mr. Bishop,” he said after a moment. “Yes, I’d like to place an order to be brought up. One second.” He stopped and handed the phone to her. “Order anything and everything you’d like.”

Paige felt like she was living out the Pretty Woman breakfast scene. Her brain wanted everything on the menu, but she held it in. “Hello?” she said.