The Pregnancy Proposition

“Yes, ma’am? What can we get for you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have a room service menu.”

“That’s fine. We can make whatever you’d like.”

Paige could get used to this. “Well, how about a cheese and fruit plate with some crackers?”

“Yes, ma’am. Anything else?”

“A Sprite. And...” Her hungry brain started to spin. “A chocolate milkshake. That’s all.”

“Very well, ma’am. It will be up shortly.”

When she hung up the phone, Mano was smiling at her. “What?” she asked.

“Nothing.” He took a few steps toward her and Paige closed the gap to walk into his arms. “You’re just adorable.”

“Adorable?” she repeated. “I’ll take it, but it’s not really what I was going for.”

Mano laughed. “Well, earlier, you were a wild sex kitten, if that makes you feel better. Right now, you and your food cravings are cute.”

Paige leaned in to rest her head against his chest. “They’re cute now. They won’t be cute when I’m huge and home alone and there’s no room service to bring me what I want. Then it will just be sad.”

Mano’s expression fell and his lips twisted in thought. “Are you sure the father won’t be there for you?”

Paige’s mind drifted to the disturbing image of her sister in Wyatt’s arms. It was almost as awkward as talking about the baby’s father with her new lover. “Yes, I’m pretty sure. I’m also sure I don’t want him to be there for me. He was a bad choice. My biological and emotional urges overrode my common sense. At the very least, I hope the baby will take after him physically. The father is very handsome, if nothing else. I can raise the baby to be more kind and thoughtful than he was. That will be easier without his influence.”

Mano’s furrowed brow didn’t disappear no matter how she tried to dismiss the father. “I don’t like the idea of you doing this alone.”

Paige nearly snorted. Join the club! “Yes, well, things are what they are. Th

e baby and I will be fine on our own.”

“What...what if you moved here?”

Paige froze. What the hell did he mean by that? The expression on his face was perfectly serious, but that couldn’t be the case. “Moved here? I can barely afford a place in San Diego. I certainly can’t afford anything on Oahu.”

“You wouldn’t have to,” he insisted. “I could get you a place. Make sure that you had everything you needed for you and the baby. You could work or not, whatever you wanted. Wouldn’t that make things easier for you?”

“Sure, but what do you get in return? Am I your on-call piece on the side whenever you’re feeling lonely?”

“What?” Mano looked horrified. “No! I’m just being nice. I’m not buying your affections like a common prostitute. There are no strings to this, even if we never slept together again. I asked for a week with you and that’s all I’d require.”

No matter how many words came out of his mouth, Paige didn’t understand what he was talking about. Why would a man offer to support a woman and another man’s baby with nothing in return? “Why would you do that? You hardly know me.”

“I know enough about you. I’ve got more money than I could ever spend, and it sounds like you are in a rough spot. Let me help you out.”

Paige’s eyes grew wide. “Oh no,” she said dismissively. “I’m not going to be a charity case. Thanks, though.”

“I can’t win with you. Either I get something out of this and you feel cheap or I don’t and you feel like I’m pitying you. I wish you wouldn’t look at it that way.” Mano approached her and put his hands on her arms. “Let me do this for you. I want to. And you could use the help if you’d just admit it. At least think about it.”

The doorbell to the suite rang and Paige was grateful for the interruption. “I’ll get it,” she said, pulling away from his touch.

Paige opened the door and room service came in with a cart. “Where would you like it?” the man asked.

She motioned over to the dining room table. “That’s fine.”

She was handed the room service receipt, but the total was blank. The perks of owning the hotel, she supposed. She filled out the tip generously and handed it back. The man quickly disappeared, leaving her alone with a delectable chocolate milkshake and an uncomfortable conversation.