Mano had the feeling that it would not be the same with Paige. This week was not enough. Their time together was not enough. Her melodic laughter and tender caresses would haunt him for weeks.
But was it fair to ask more of her? Mano didn’t think so. Would another week be enough to soothe his soul? What if it wasn’t? What if he wanted more? Longer? What if he was thinking ab
out forever?
Mano choked down that thought and wished it away. Those sorts of fantasies were even worse than hoping to see again. Why did he long so badly for Paige? Why did it have to be the one woman whose life was so complicated that their future together didn’t really stand a chance? She had a life in California, one that wouldn’t be so simple to just walk away from. She was certain the baby’s father wouldn’t want to be involved in her life, but what if she was wrong? Paige couldn’t just take the baby out of state, much less half an ocean away.
Lost in his thoughts, Mano stumbled as he stepped into a hole in the sand. He landed face first in the water, soaking his clothes and covering the front of him in wet sand.
Hoku whimpered beside him, licking at his ear to make sure he was okay.
“Oh, my goodness!” Paige exclaimed.
She crouched down beside him and offered him her arm to get up, but he wouldn’t take it. He pushed himself up on his own and wiped away the sand from his face and chest. His jaw tightened with irritation. It had been a long time since he’d fallen. He wished that it hadn’t happened in front of Paige.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” he said stiffly. He grabbed Hoku’s collar and took her hand, continuing down the beach. Anger and irritation coursed through his veins as they walked together. This was part of the reason he didn’t leave the resort. It was a carefully controlled environment that left few hazards for him. Out in the world, anything could happen. Hoku couldn’t see and avoid every obstacle in life.
It was hardly a major accident, but he knew the moment for what it was: a reminder. This entire line of thought about Paige moving to Hawaii to be with him was ridiculous. Even if Paige would stay, even if she loved him, even if the baby’s father wanted no part in her life...he was still blind. He managed fairly well by himself, but would he be any help to her with the baby? More likely he would be an additional burden she didn’t need.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Paige asked as they stepped off the beach and across the walking path to the Mau Loa.
“I’m fine,” he insisted. They washed their feet off and slipped their shoes back on. “I’ve only bruised my pride.”
Thankfully, Paige didn’t press him about it again. They didn’t even speak as they made their way through the grounds to the resort tower elevator.
“I’ve been thinking,” Mano said at last. The words slipped out before he could really think it through.
“About what?”
Mano considered emptying his head into her lap. Maybe he was wrong and she could give him some insight or hope that they could have a chance together. Or perhaps not. She could shoot down the whole idea and the short time they had left together would be overshadowed by the dark clouds of her rejection. He needed to let the whole idea of a future go.
“About you wearing that necklace and not a stitch else.” He covered with a sly smile.
“You’re a naughty boy,” she said with a laugh, clinging to his arm.
Better than a fool, he decided, as they headed back upstairs.
Nine
Paige didn’t feel comfortable wearing this necklace in public. Not because it wasn’t beautiful or because she wasn’t proud to wear it, but because she was afraid of getting mugged. She’d seen this necklace in the window of the resort jewelry store when she was walking around after the pool incident. Smaller, far less impressive necklaces had dropped her jaw with the price, so she couldn’t even begin to imagine what he’d paid for this.
When she got home, she’d have to look into things like insurance and a safety deposit box. This wasn’t the kind of thing you tucked away in your underwear drawer with your class ring and the tiny diamond earrings your parents bought you for graduation.
Once they were safely back in his hotel suite, however, Mano went to take a shower and she could finally let herself enjoy it. She sought out her reflection in the sliding glass doors and admired the necklace. It was amazingly beautiful with different shades of gray and sparking stones that would be cubic zirconia on anything she bought herself, but she doubted that was the case here.
“Paige?” Mano asked after exiting the bathroom sand-free a few minutes later.
“I’m at the balcony doors admiring my new pretty,” she said.
Mano made his way over to where she was standing. He pressed his bare chest against her back and wrapped his arms around her waist. The palms of his hands rested protectively across her newly rounding belly.
She watched their reflection in the glass as he planted a kiss on her bare shoulder. It was a little surreal to watch herself in the door with a man like Mano holding her. No matter how he flattered her or how many times he worshipped her body in bed, she couldn’t believe how she’d ended up right here, right now. She was supposed to be spending a week reading a paperback on the beach.
Mano was an unexpected and very welcome surprise in her life. They’d only been together for a week, and yet, it felt like so much longer. It seemed like he’d always been a part of her life. She honestly didn’t know what she was going to do when that was no longer the case. They’d agreed to a no-strings fling—a vacation romance to keep her mind off reality for a while. That didn’t include a future. And yet she couldn’t stop herself from wishing for it.
Unfortunately, what she wanted didn’t exist. Mano had offered to take care of her. As nice as that might sound on paper, there was no way she could accept it. She couldn’t be around him, accept his money, raise her child, but not have him really in her life. If she moved to Hawaii, it was because Mano loved her and wanted her here with him. After their discussion in North Shore about Jenna and his emotional unavailability with women, she knew she was doomed. She’d made a joke out of it in the moment, but inside she’d realized that she was falling for a man who would never fall for her.