He had such an interesting face. The scar across his brow and the flat distortion of his nose could be considered flaws to some, but it gave him so much character. He had his glasses on now, but that morning, she’d gotten her first glimpse of his eyes. They had been more striking than even the sight of his bare chest. They were a dark brown that seemed to see right through her despite their lack of focus. She could just imagine those eyes looking at her through the dark lenses. She could watch him like this for hours.
Well, at least until he mentioned the awkward silence between them. “What?” he asked, turning to look in her direction.
“Nothing,” she said as she cleared her throat and turned her attention back to his muscular and inked forearm. “It’s just such a beautiful piece.”
That made Mano smile. “I’m glad you think so. It’s almost a rite of passage for the men in my family to receive their tattoo. I went through almost nine hours of traditional Hawaiian tapping to have it done. I’d like to think it was worth it, although I’ve never seen the results, myself.”
Paige was surprised, although she supposed she shouldn’t be. He’d mentioned losing his vision as a teenager, so if he’d gotten the tattoo as an adult, he wouldn’t have seen it. “That’s a lot of pain to protect yourself from sharks when you never get into the ocean.”
Mano nodded softly and pulled his arm away from her touch. He ran his hand hard over the skin, almost scrubbing away her touch, before moving it out of her sight. “There are plenty of sharks to be wary of on land, as well.”
She certainly knew that to be true. She wished the music from Jaws had played when Wyatt started circling her. Maybe then she wouldn’t be in the predicament she was in—a predicament she still hadn’t confided in Mano about. She wondered if it would really matter to him. They had a week together, not a lifetime. He’d likely never even know if she didn’t bring it up. Yet at the same time, the grave seriousness with which he’d just spoken was the voice of experience. She didn’t know everything he’d struggled through in his life, but she would do her best not to add to it. She should definitely tell him about the baby. At least before things got any more serious.
Paige turned to the ocean, searching for a way to mention it before they got too close. Instead, she caught a glimpse of a pod of dolphins buzzing past a few surfers. “Oh!” she cried out, gripping Mano’s arm.
“What?” he asked with an edge of panic in his voice. Mano came across much more confident at the resort than he was out with her today. Being unable to see the world around him seemed to make him a little edgy. He must know every inch of the Mau Loa like the back of his hand, yet out here he was at a disadvantage.
“Nothing bad,” she said soothingly. “Dolphins. There’s about twelve or fifteen of them.”
The tension disappeared from Mano’s body. “Oh yeah. They’re all over out here. It’s too early in the season for the humpback whales, but spinner dolphins are here year-round. If you go out on the water while you’re visiting, you’ll get a chance to see them up close for sure. They like the wake of the boats.”
That was an interesting idea. She hadn’t given much thought to that yet. Including Mano in her plans had both enhanced and limited her options. He was a very capable man, but there were just some things that were either difficult or pointless when you couldn’t see. But there were still options... “You know, I saw a brochure at the hotel for a dinner cruise that departs from the pier near the Mau Loa.”
“It’s a nice operation. I recommend it to a lot of hotel guests. Half of Hawaii is underwater. You’ve got to get out there or get in it to have the full island experience.”
Snorkeling or kayaking with Mano might not be feasible, but Paige thought a dinner cruise was very doable. “What about tonight?”
“What about tonight, what?”
Paige frowned with a touch of irritation. “What about you and I take that dinner cruise tonight?”
“Hmm.” It was a thoughtful yet noncommittal sound that nonetheless drew her attention to his full lips and made her more interested in kissing him again than going out on a boat. Of course, there was no reason why she couldn’t do both. The dinner cruise might be romantic.
“Please?” she asked with a hint of begging in her voice.
Mano twisted his lips in thought then finally sighed in defeat. “Okay. I’ll call the concierge and see if I can book for tonight. They fill up early sometimes, though, so don’t get your heart set on it yet. We might have to go another day.”
He pulled out his cell phone and Paige sat with baited breath while she listened to him complete the call. He asked several questions, all positive from her side of the conversation. In a few minutes he hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
“You’re one lucky lady, pulelehua. They just had a cancellation for tonight, and I confirmed that they’re okay with service dogs on board.”
“Yay!” Paige cheered and wrapped her arms around his neck. She startled him, but he quickly recovered by returning the embrace. His arms were warm and strong around her, the hard muscles of his chest pressing against her small breasts. She felt her body start to respond to the simple hug and began to pull back, but he wouldn’t let go.
Instead, his lips met hers. It was an easy kiss, sweet but firm. His lips tasted like watermelon shaved ice and his tongue was still slightly cold against her own.
“Okay,” he muttered against her lips as they came apart. Mano pressed a button on his watch, announcing the time aloud as just after four. “I think we’d better head back to the hotel. I don’t think cargo shorts will meet the dinner dress code. And besides that, I think you need to put on more sunblock.”
Paige sat back and looked down at her pinkening skin. “How do you know that?”
“Your skin is hot to the touch. Either you’re sunburned or feverish.”
Paige smiled. She was always amazed by how much he noticed when it seemed like he would miss most things. “How do you know I’m not just all warmed up from that kiss?”
Mano laughed and pushed back from the table. “It’s possible, but if you get that hot from a simple kiss, you’re going to be in trouble later.”
Five
Mano couldn’t remember how long it had been since he’d gotten on a boat. He might have been on one catamaran since the accident. Kal had made him do it, but that had been enough for him. The charter to Lanai from Maui was on choppy seas and he’d clung to the railing for dear life. It had seemed like a stupid thing for a blind man to do.