Книга - The Pregnancy Proposition

The Pregnancy Proposition
Andrea Laurence


Pregnant and heartbroken…will one white-hot week become more?After her breakup, the last thing Paige Edwards wants is a romantic getaway. But then an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii lands her in bed with sexy hotel owner Mano Bishop! An explosive affair with Mano could be the perfect rebound—except for the fact she’s carrying her ex’s baby…Blinded as a teen, Mano has nevertheless achieved success in business, if not in love. An occasional fling has always been enough—until Paige. One week with the unassuming woman, whose inner beauty captivates him, has Mano reevaluating everything. Could he father another man’s child for the chance at a future with Paige?







Pregnant and heartbroken...will one white-hot week become more?

After her breakup, the last thing Paige Edwards wants is a romantic getaway. But then an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii lands her in bed with sexy hotel owner Mano Bishop! An explosive affair with Mano could be the perfect rebound—except for the fact she’s carrying her ex’s baby...

Blinded as a teen, Mano has nevertheless achieved success in business, if not in love. An occasional fling has always been enough—until Paige. One week with the unassuming woman, whose inner beauty captivates him, has Mano reevaluating everything. Could he father another man’s child for the chance at a future with Paige?


Feeling bold, Mano traced the neckline of Paige’s gown with his finger, finding the V plunged deep.

His fingertip lingered at the apex for a moment as Paige let out a ragged breath. He expected her to pull away or tell him to stop, but she didn’t. She leaned closer to him. The scent of her mingled with the plumeria and orchids that perfumed the breezes. He was intoxicated by it and drawn to her in a way he simply didn’t understand.

Gently cupping her face in his hands, he lowered his lips to hers. Her response to him was cautious, but curious. After a moment, the caution gave way to enthusiasm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and arched her body against him. Mano felt his every muscle tighten as her lithe body pressed into his own.

He let his tongue explore her mouth as his hands explored her body. As his hand strayed near her belly, she went stiff as stone in his arms. “Paige?”

He felt her pull away and the next thing he knew, her loud and unsteady clomp of heels against the hardwood floors grew softer and softer until the front door of his suite slammed shut.

He’d had a lot of reactions to his kisses in his life, but he’d never had a woman turn tail and run.

* * *

The Pregnancy Proposition is part of the Hawaiian Nights series—Paradise changes everything!


Dear Reader (#ulink_2bd2571e-fc39-58d4-b299-3b048b8642a6),

Last year, I took a trip to Hawaii and I knew immediately that I wanted to set a duet of books there. My trip to the USS Arizona inspired the starting point for this book and gave me the reason for Paige to come to Hawaii for the first time. I’d also been toying with the idea of doing a blind hero and I decided that this was my chance.

So much of Hawaii is visual, and I looked forward to experiencing the island through the other four senses the way Mano does. In the book, he also gets to experience it all through the eyes of Paige as she sees it for the first time. She was another character I was excited to write—she’s not pretty, she’s not curvy—at best, she’s plain and awkward. She can’t understand why a man like Mano would want anything to do with her. That’s when the fun starts.

If you enjoy Mano and Paige’s story, tell me by visiting my website at www.andrealaurence.com (http://www.andrealaurence.com), like my fan page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Enjoy,

Andrea


The Pregnancy Proposition

Andrea Laurence






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


ANDREA LAURENCE is an award-winning author of contemporary romances filled with seduction and sass. She has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she was young and is thrilled to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with readers. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she’s working on her own happily-ever-after with her boyfriend and their collection of animals.


To my boss Lawanda and my coworker LT—

You were right, Hawaii was worth the long flight. Thanks for covering for me whenever my writing takes me around the world and being so supportive of my writing alter ego.


Contents

Cover (#u039d0eab-4c16-548a-b6f6-f78c850aad5d)

Back Cover Text (#ub04eba3f-00d4-5a33-92c9-cdaa7daa1425)

Introduction (#ub01fb741-4e8b-505e-bc23-047023658147)

Dear Reader (#ulink_97b987d7-d31c-5f77-abf3-528aa9613ad4)

Title Page (#u5965c4af-6d61-577a-b0d0-7f199e0b7dc5)

About the Author (#u967849d6-50d2-577b-a915-860053a111f8)

Dedication (#ud5944eb7-a763-5ee3-a3c7-f870cc58f34b)

One (#ulink_366c26d7-de12-571a-9be3-410024cc36e7)

Two (#ulink_6c06398b-b076-54c2-9261-93e3b8956bbc)

Three (#ulink_ea6aa25c-389c-5239-a016-a7d8597e8798)

Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


One (#ulink_e5f8cfeb-7b03-5374-a237-0167fee53e6d)

“Well, Papa, you finally made it back to Hawaii.”

Paige Edwards gripped her grandfather’s urn as she followed the driver to the town car waiting outside the Honolulu airport. He loaded her bags and opened the door for her to climb into the backseat.

As they drove through the busy, winding streets toward her hotel on Waikiki beach, she couldn’t dismiss the surreal feeling that had hovered over her for the last few weeks. It started with the call from her mother to tell her that her grandfather had finally passed on. For the last year, he’d battled with congestive heart failure. As a nurse, Paige had felt the need to spend time with him and ensure he was receiving the best possible care.

It wasn’t really necessary. Her grandfather was ridiculously wealthy and could afford the best doctors and treatments in Southern California. But she cared, and so she’d spent a lot of time there. Toward the end, it was easier than facing how big of a mess her life had become.

And once her grandfather died, she was able to distract herself with the plans for his memorial service and listening to her parents fret about how the estate would be divided.

Paige honestly didn’t care about that. Papa’s money was always there in the background, but it wasn’t something she felt the need to clamor for. She’d actually encouraged her grandfather to donate his money to a cause that was important to him. That would cut down on the sharks circling around his estate.

What she hadn’t been prepared for, however, was that her grandfather had bigger plans for her than she had ever expected. Those plans had forced her to pack her bags and get on a plane to Hawaii with his ashes.

Looking out the window, she could understand why her grandfather would want to have his ashes left in Hawaii. It was beautiful. As they got closer to the hotel, she could spy glimpses of golden sand and turquoise waters against the cloudless blue sky. Palm trees swayed in the breeze and people in various states of beach dress crowded the sidewalks and outdoor eateries.

The car finally slowed to turn into a resort named the Mau Loa. Paige hadn’t really paid a lot of attention to the details of the itinerary her grandfather’s executor had put together. This wasn’t supposed to be about a vacation for her, so she didn’t care where she stayed.

When they stopped outside and the bellhop opened the car door, she realized that her grandfather had had very different ideas about this trip.

This wasn’t a Holiday Inn five blocks from the beach. It was on the beach itself. The bellman was in a nice uniform with pristine white gloves. The entryway was open to the breezes, allowing a view through the lobby to the ocean beyond it.

The bellman escorted her to the VIP check-in station. She handed over the paperwork the executor gave her, and the woman at the counter’s eyes widened for a moment before a large smile crossed her face.

“Aloha, Miss Edwards. Welcome to the Mau Loa.” She came out from behind the desk to drape a lei of magenta orchids around her neck. They smelled like heaven.

The woman then turned to the bellhop with her bags. “Please take Miss Edwards’s things to the Aolani Suite and then let Mr. Bishop know we have a new VIP guest checking in.”

Paige’s eyebrows rose. A suite? VIP? Papa really had gone all out, although it wasn’t necessary. As a nurse at a veteran’s hospital, she wasn’t used to being pampered. She spent most of her time chasing away nighttime demons from traumatized ex-soldiers and trying to convince them that losing their leg wasn’t the end of the world. The suicide rate was far too high amongst the servicemen and women who returned home. Pampering herself seemed a little ridiculous after coming home from that day after day.

She glanced around as the woman completed her check-in. Beyond the lobby, a trio of men were playing instruments by a lagoon-like pool with a waterfall. An employee was lighting torches around the area as the sun started to go down. The sound of the waves mingled with the melody of the traditional Hawaiian music, and Paige could almost feel her blood pressure lowering.

She had only made it ten feet into the hotel and she already knew she adored Hawaii.

“Here is your key card, Miss Edwards. Your suite is ready for you now. Just follow the pathway through the garden to the Sunset Tower. There will be live music until ten by the pool. Enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you.” Paige took the key and started down the stone path toward her hotel room.

The resort was large, with multiple towers surrounding a common courtyard. Courtyard didn’t really do it justice, actually. There was the massive pool with a waterfall and a pair of slides, multiple restaurants and tropical plants at every turn. It was like a lush garden in the middle of the rainforest.

The Sunset Tower was the closest to the beach. She looked at her key as she entered the elevator. Her suite was room 2001. Paige tried not to frown as she pushed the button and the elevator spirited her up twenty stories to the top floor. As the doors opened, she expected a long hallway, but instead found herself in a small vestibule. To her left was a door marked Private. To the right was the door to room 2001 with a plaque that noted it was called the Aolani Suite. Where were the rest of the rooms on this floor?

She was about to slip her card into the lock when the door opened and the bellman came out. He held the door open for her. “Your bags are in the master bedroom suite. Enjoy your stay at the Mau Loa.”

He got back on the elevator and disappeared, leaving her standing in the doorway at a complete loss. She crept into the room and let the door swing shut behind her.

This couldn’t be right. This was...the penthouse suite.

It was bigger than her apartment and made almost entirely of windows. It had a living room with plush leather couches and a big-screen television, a dining room table that seated eight and a kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances. The neutral color palette, pale wood floors, white furniture and shiny modern metallic accents created a sleek, clean design that was very soothing. One side of the room overlooked downtown Honolulu, the other overlooked Waikiki.

Paige was immediately drawn to the balcony over the ocean. She shifted her grandfather’s urn in her arms to slide the glass panel door open and step outside. The breeze immediately caught her long, straight brown hair, blowing it around her face. She brushed it aside and approached the railing to take in the view.

It was stunning. The colors all around her were jewel-like. Diamond Head crater stood like a sentinel guarding the beach on her far left. The crescent of pale sand edged the water, which was dotted with surfers. A pod of dolphins leapt through the waves, spiraling through the air and splashing back into the sea. It was unreal.

“Papa, what have you done?” she asked. But inside, she knew what this was about.

Yes, her grandfather wanted his ashes to be in Honolulu. He had been one of the few remaining survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack that sunk his ship, the USS Arizona. As such, he had the option of returning to the ship to be interred. The ceremony was a week away.

Until then, however, this trip was all about her. There was no other reason that his service would require her to fly first class or stay in the penthouse suite of a five-star hotel. He had done this for her. And boy, was she grateful. Paige’s life had taken an unexpected turn recently, and a week in Hawaii was exactly what she needed to figure out what the hell she was going to do.

With a sigh, she stepped back into the suite and set her grandfather’s urn on a nearby table. Beside it was a large wicker basket overflowing with fresh fruits, cookies, macadamia nut candies and other local delicacies. Tucked inside was an envelope that said “Miss Edwards” on the outside. She opened it and read the card on the fancy, embossed Mau Loa stationary.

“Welcome to the Mau Loa. We hope your stay is a magical one. Aloha.”

“Aloha,” she replied to the empty room, putting the card back on the table.

Looking at her watch, she realized it was a good time for dinner. She was fresh off a few weeks on the night shift at the hospital. Combining that with a long flight and time change, she was exhausted. But she had to eat. If she hurried, she might be able to watch the sunset. Paige rushed to her bedroom and opened her luggage. She traded her jeans and sneakers for a sundress and a pair of bejeweled sandals. That was all she needed.

She grabbed her purse and her room key and set out to enjoy her first night on Oahu while she could keep her eyes open.

Pulling the door closed, she turned toward the elevator and slammed into a solid wall of muscle. As she stumbled back, a man’s hand sought out her elbow to steady her. The man was several inches over six feet, making Paige seem petite at five-foot-ten. He wasn’t just tall; he was large, with broad shoulders and biceps the size of her calves beneath his tailored suit. He had on a pair of classic black Ray-Ban sunglasses and a black earpiece that curved behind his ear and blended with the dark brown waves of his collar-length hair.

What she could see of the man’s face was unbelievably handsome, and—she quickly noted—completely out of her league. But that didn’t keep her body from clenching in response to such a potent specimen of man nearby. Her surprised intake of breath drew in his scent, a heady mix of musk and male that sent an unexpected shiver of need down her spine even as she recovered from their collision.

“I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed as she gathered herself. “I was in such a hurry I didn’t see you there.” The fact that she’d missed such a mountain of a man right in front of her was a testament to how scattered her thoughts were lately.

The man smiled, flashing bright white teeth against the warm tan of his Polynesian skin. The slight hint of a dimple in his cheek made her knees soften. “That’s okay. I didn’t see you, either.”

Paige noticed the man didn’t look directly at her as he spoke. Glancing down, she spotted the large chocolate brown Labrador retriever on his other side. In a service dog harness.

Good job, Paige. She’d just plowed into a handsome, incredibly sexy blind man.

* * *

“Ohmigosh,” the woman said with increased angst in her voice. Apparently, she had gotten his joke but hadn’t found it funny. Few people found blind jokes amusing, but he’d developed a dark sense of humor over the last ten years where his disability was concerned.

“Are you okay?” she continued.

Mano had to laugh. He might be blind, but he was hardly fragile. The woman could’ve plowed into him at a full run and he would’ve hardly felt it. “I’m fine. Are you all right?”

“Yes. Just embarrassed.”

Mano could almost envision the blush that rose to the young woman’s cheeks. He didn’t imagine that many of the women he met on a day-to-day basis blushed much. This one seemed different from the usual guests of the Aolani Suite, though—nervous and easily flustered. The kind of money it took to afford that room usually came with a certain hardness that he didn’t detect from her.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” he soothed. “Feel free to run into me whenever you like. I’m Mano Bishop, the owner of the hotel. I was just on my way to welcome the newest guest of the Aolani Suite. That means you must be Miss Edwards.” He switched Hōkū’s lead to his left hand and held out his right to her.

“Yes,” she said, taking the hand he offered and shaking it. “Paige, please.”

The touch of her small hand in his sent a bolt of awareness down his spine, forcing him to shift on his feet. The unexpected thrill made Mano take a more thorough notice of his new guest. She didn’t just sound unlike his usual penthouse guest, she felt different, too. Her skin wasn’t as soft as he expected a young woman’s to be. There was a roughness to it as though she worked with her hands. It made him wonder if she was an artist of some kind. She certainly wasn’t a pampered princess. “How did you find the suite, Paige? I hope it met your expectations.”

“It’s amazing. I mean, it’s more beautiful than I ever expected it to be. And the view is incredible. Of course you know what...er...oh dear.”

“Actually, I do,” he interjected quickly, saving her from her awkward statement. “I didn’t lose my sight until I was seventeen. I may not be able to see the view any longer, but I remember it well.”

The elevator chimed and the doors opened. He heard Paige’s sigh of relief and tried to hide his smile.

“Please—” he gestured “—go ahead.” He listened for the shuffling of her movement as she got on the elevator, then Hōkū pulled at his harness and led Mano into the elevator behind her. He ran his hands over the control panel, finding the lobby button marked with the braille symbol. Then he turned to face the door and reached for the railing to steady himself.

“What is your service dog’s name?” Paige asked as they descended.

“This is Hōkū,” he said. The brown lab had been at his side for seven years, and he’d become almost a part of Mano. “You may pet him if you like.”

“Are you sure? I know you’re not supposed to do that when they’re working.”

Smart. Most people didn’t know that. “Unfortunately, I am always working, so Hōkū is always working. Give him a pet, he’ll love you forever.”

“Hello, Hōkū,” Paige said in the high voice people reserved for babies and animals. “Are you a good boy?”

She was rewarded with Hōkū’s heavy, happy panting. She was probably scratching his ears. He was a sucker for a good ear scratching.

“What does Hōkū mean?”

Mano enjoyed the melodic quality of Paige’s voice, especially as she used some of his native Hawaiian language. It wasn’t too deep or too high, but he could hear the smile when she spoke. “It means ‘star’ in Hawaiian. Before navigation systems and maps, sailors used to guide their ships by the stars, and since I use him to guide me, I thought that was an appropriate choice.”

“That’s perfect.”

A cloud of her scent rose up as she stood. Paige had a unique fragrance, and yet it was somehow very familiar to him. Many women, especially those from the Aolani suite, nearly bathed in expensive perfumes or scented lotions. Most people wouldn’t even notice it, but Mano was overpowered by smells, good and bad. Paige’s scent was subtle but appealing, like a hint of baby powder and a touch of...hand sanitizer. That was a different combination.

The elevator chimed and the system announced that they were on the lobby level. He’d had the elevators updated several years back to include that feature for himself and any other visually impaired guests. The doors opened and he held out his hand for Paige to exit ahead of him. He expected her to rush out the door toward her destination. Most people were a little uncomfortable around him. She obviously was, but it didn’t repel her. Her scent lingered at his side as he exited.

“Are you eating dinner at the hotel tonight?” he asked.

“That’s where I was headed. I’m not sure where I’m going yet.”

“If you want your first meal to be an authentic one, I would recommend Lani. That is our traditional Polynesian restaurant, so you’ll get a great taste of what Honolulu has to offer in its culinary basket. There’s also a beautiful outdoor seating area. If you hurry, I believe you can still catch the sunset. It’s not to be missed. Just tell the hostess that I sent you and she’ll make sure you get the best seat available.”

“Thank you. I’ll do that. I hope we’ll see each other...er...run into each other again soon.”

Mano smiled as she stumbled over her words again. “Enjoy your evening, Paige. A hui hou kakou.”

“What does that mean?”

“Until we meet again,” he said.

“Oh. Thank you for your help. Good night.”

Mano waved casually and then listened as the slap of her sandals faded in the direction of the beach and hotel restaurants. Once she was gone, he turned toward the registration desks and let Hōkū lead him through the guests. Hōkū stopped just short of the counter where they went through the swinging door to enter the area behind the registration desk. The concierge station was just to his right.

“Aloha ahiahi, Mr. Bishop.”

“Good evening, Neil. How are things going tonight?”

“Fine. You’ve just missed the check-in rush from all the stateside flights arriving.”

Good. He did well to move about the hotel, but he tried to avoid the busiest times when he was most likely to run into an issue with people dragging roller bags or children running around.

Since it wasn’t busy at the moment, he also wondered if he could take advantage of his concierge’s eyes. He was curious about his new guest, Paige. “Did you happen to see the young woman that got off the elevator with me?”

“Briefly, sir. I didn’t get a good look at her.”

It amazed Mano sometimes how those with sight spent most of their time not taking full advantage of it. “What of her did you see?”

“Just a basic impression because I noticed her speaking with you. She was tall for a woman; with long, straight brown hair. Pale. Very thin. I didn’t really see her face since she was turned toward you.”

Mano nodded. That could’ve described a thousand women at the hotel, easily. It was a start, though. “Okay, thank you. Let me know if you have any issues. I’ll be in my office.”

“Yes, sir.”

Mano and Hōkū continued down a hallway and through the area where hotel management worked to keep things flowing smoothly. They went down another hallway and turned to enter his office. He flipped on the light and made his way to his desk. Neither he nor Hōkū needed the light, but he’d discovered that his employees found it strange that he would sit in a dark office and would think he didn’t want to be disturbed.

Mano settled into his chair and Hōkū curled up to sleep at his feet. His dog always laid his head on his shoe, so Mano knew he was there. He leaned down to pat the dog on the head, hit a few keys on the keyboard to wake up his computer and slipped the headset he used to control it over his free ear. It allowed his system to read emails and files to him, and he could control it with voice commands. He wished he could tell his high school keyboarding teacher that no, he wouldn’t need that skill in the future.

As he checked his email, his attention was drawn to his other earpiece that was connected to the hotel security system. Mano knew everything that happened at his hotel even if he couldn’t see it occur. It had been a quiet day with a lot of idle chatter. That would change as the sun went down. The weekends got a little wilder at the resort with nightly luaus, fireworks shows and plenty of mai tais to go around.

At the moment, two members of his team were trying to determine if a gentleman at the outdoor bar needed to be cut off. He was getting loud. Mano didn’t worry about those kinds of issues. His staff could handle them easily.

A soft tap sounded at his door. Mano looked up expectantly toward the sound. “Yes?”

“Good evening, Mr. Bishop.”

Mano recognized the voice as his head of operations, Chuck. They had grown up together and had been friends in school since second grade. “Evening, Chuck. Anything of note happen while I went upstairs?”

“No, sir.”

“Good. Listen, did you happen to be around when our Aolani VIP checked in this afternoon?”

“I was not, but Wendy was at the desk around that time. I can check with her if you need something.”

Mano shook his head. He felt a little silly even asking, but it wasn’t as though he could find out otherwise. “Don’t trouble her, no. But if you happen to see Miss Edwards, let me know what you think. She seemed...different. She piqued my curiosity.”

“Hmm...” Chuck said in a tone that Mano didn’t like. “If she’s caught your interest, I want to get an eyeful for myself. It’s been a long time since you allowed yourself a little companionship. Could she be your latest lucky selection?”

Mano sighed. Chuck would likely torture him mercilessly now. He was a lot like his older brother, Kal, in that way. It was his own fault for telling his friend about his unusual dating habits, but it was the only thing that kept people from trying to fix him up all the time. “I don’t know about that. I just wanted your opinion before I ask her to dinner tomorrow evening.”

“So you are asking her out to dinner?” Chuck asked.

“Not on a date,” Mano corrected. “I was going to ask her to join me at the owner’s table.” It was a tradition his grandfather started at the hotel, and he had carried it on when he took over. It was just the first time it involved a young woman traveling on her own. “I was curious about her being here by herself.”

Chuck was right to a point, although Mano wouldn’t tell him so. He was interested in Paige. He didn’t like dating guests at the hotel, but considering he almost never left the property, it was that or celibacy. From time to time, if he found a woman who interested him, he’d propose that she spend a week with him. No strings, no emotions, just a few days of fantasy before she returned home to her regular life. That’s all he was willing to offer a woman. At least since Jenna.

His personal experiences had taught him that a short-term fantasy was the best thing he had to offer. His disability always seemed like the third wheel of every relationship. He may have adjusted to being blind, but he hated to ask someone else to deal with it long-term. He did his best not to be a burden on his family, but it would be harder to shield a woman in his life from it. He didn’t want to be a burden on the woman he loved.

“I’ll look into it, sir.”

Chuck disappeared, leaving Mano to return to his work. He started to give a voice command, but he stopped. He wasn’t really interested in reading any more emails tonight. Mano was far more intrigued by the idea of going down to Lani and finding out more about this mysterious Paige. He wanted to sit and listen to her speak a while longer. He wanted to draw in more of her scent and find out exactly what bizarre combination she was wearing. He wanted to know why her hands were so rough and why she was staying all alone in such a huge suite in such a romantic location.

He considered it for a moment, then dismissed the idea as foolish. It was her first night in Hawaii. Certainly she had better things to do with her evening than to tell her life story to the blind, lonely owner of the hotel. Yes, she’d intrigued him, and yes, her mere touch had lit all the nerve endings in his body, but she didn’t necessarily have the same reaction to him. He was handsome enough, or at least he was the last time he’d seen his own reflection. But there was no overlooking his disability.

Pushing the thought and sensation of her touch aside, he barked out another command to his computer and continued to work.

But perhaps he’d get his answers tomorrow night.


Two (#ulink_7cac8a63-7614-54eb-bf26-f60e3ada728b)

Holy jet lag, Batman.

Paige found herself wide awake the next morning before the sunrise. It was only a three-hour time difference from San Diego, but she hadn’t been able to sleep that night. A long stint on nights before her vacation had her clock all turned around. But with a return to sleep eluding her, she decided to stop fighting it. She got dressed and headed downstairs with her camera in the hopes that she could catch some nice pictures of the sunrise.

The hotel was quiet and mostly dark. The occasional employee walked by as they readied the hotel for morning, but she was the only guest in sight. Even the coffee shop was still closed. It was just as well, she supposed. Coffee was on the no-no list her doctor had given her. She was limited in how much caffeine she could have, and she’d rather get it from chocolate. At least when she wasn’t awake at 5:00 a.m. Later today, she might feel differently.

Recently, Paige wished she could drink something a little stronger than coffee. Her grandfather’s death was just the latest news to upend her world. Before that, she’d gotten wrapped up in an unexpectedly passionate relationship with a man named Wyatt. He was a landscaper working for her grandfather, and they’d met while she’d been there taking care of Papa. She’d never expected such a handsome man to pay any attention to a woman like her. He had shaggy blond hair, a deep tan and strong hands. His dark blue eyes focusing on her was a welcome change after years of being looked over in favor of her pretty and popular older sister, Piper.

Paige knew she wasn’t what most men wanted. It wasn’t so much a matter of self-esteem as it was fact. She was thin without any hips or breasts to speak of. Her face was oddly angular, and her skin was ghostly pale despite living in sunny San Diego. After spending all of her hours working at the VA hospital and taking no time for herself, Wyatt’s attentions were like a breath of fresh air. At least until the dream turned into a nightmare. Two months into their relationship, Wyatt dumped Paige for Piper. And a month after that, Paige found out she was pregnant with his child.

She was a nurse. She knew better than to skip protection in the rush of desire. And yet it had happened, anyway. Paige felt like such a fool. Wyatt had seemed so sincere in his attraction to her. All her guards went down and the next thing she knew, she was heartbroken with a bad case of morning sickness. She hadn’t spoken to her sister since Wyatt left her.

Before she could figure out what to do about the mess she was in, her grandfather had died and shifted her focus. She had about six months to deal with the impending arrival of the baby. Her grandfather’s death and final wishes were a more immediate issue.

Paige couldn’t ignore it forever, though. Like it or not, she needed to start telling people about her pregnancy, including Wyatt and her sister. She needed to get a bigger apartment so she could decorate a nursery. She needed to tell her boss about her upcoming maternity leave. So far, she’d kept it all a secret to herself. Only her doctor knew.

It was a lot to think about, but it was easy to forget all that as she kicked off her sandals and stepped onto the sand. Paige hadn’t told her grandfather about what happened with Wyatt, and yet he seemed to know she was unhappy. His final gift to her couldn’t have had better timing.

With her shoes in one hand and her camera in the other, she ventured out to the shoreline. The sky was starting to lighten, making everything a dull gray before the brilliance of sunrise. A few dedicated joggers ran past her on the footpath that followed the Waikiki shore. A couple surfers were tugging on their wetsuits and preparing to paddle out. Day was arriving.

Approaching the ocean, she stopped as the cool water washed up over her bare feet. It was then that the magic happened. The rising sun started illuminating the sky in beautiful pastel shades of blue, pink and purple. The palm trees and boats in the harbor were black silhouettes against the horizon.

Paige took a few photos, then watched as the shape of Diamond Head crater grew more pronounced and the sun rose above it. Daylight had finally arrived in earnest. The whole island seemed to wake up then.

As Paige turned back to the hotel, she noticed employees setting up chairs and putting out towels around the pool. A larger crowd was walking up and down the jogging path now, and some were sitting on benches along the beach with their cups of coffee.

She suddenly had a burning need for a skinny mocha latte. She’d have to soothe the urge with a vanilla steamer to get that calcium in.

Back on the sidewalk, Paige rinsed the sand off her feet at the provided foot wash and slipped back into her sandals. She followed the winding path through the dense, dark foliage that would lead back to her room. At some point, she took the wrong fork in the sidewalk and ended up in an unfamiliar area of the resort. There was a large stretch of green lawn, and beyond it was the sandy lagoon where guests could paddleboard or practice snorkeling.

She also found the owner of the hotel and his dog out there. Paige almost didn’t recognize Mano in his jeans and a fitted T-shirt. He seemed like the kind of man who wore a suit to sleep in. Then again...why would he go to all that trouble just to take his dog downstairs for an early morning potty break?

She certainly didn’t mind seeing him again. She’d relived their encounter all evening. Just the sight of him again made her cheeks burn with embarrassment and her body tingle with the memory of his innocent touch. She’d reacted to him instantly in a way that was extremely inappropriate for someone she’d just met. Paige didn’t know if it was the pregnancy hormones getting the best of her or the superromantic environment, but she’d lain in bed all night, aching and unfulfilled with thoughts of the hotel owner on her mind.

His muscles were even more defined than in the suit he’d worn yesterday. He might be blind, but he clearly knew how to find his way to the hotel gym. His brown, nearly black hair was mussed but swept back from his face as though he’d combed through it quickly with his fingers. From a distance, she could make out some kind of tribal tattoo on his left forearm. Just the thought of tracing her fingers over the design made her stomach clench with a renewed need.

Paige immediately tried to suppress the feeling as she had the night before. The last time she’d let herself fall prey to her desires she ended up pregnant and alone. She couldn’t get pregnant this time, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do something else stupid.

Before she could turn and try to find her way back to her room, she noticed that Hōkū saw her standing there. His cheesy Labrador grin was wide and his tail wagged so frantically his whole bottom wiggled from the force of it. Paige realized that Mano recognized the change in the dog and knew she needed to make her presence known.

“Good morning, Paige,” he said before she could greet him.

She walked the last few feet across the lawn to where Mano and Hōkū were standing. “Good morning,” she said, patting the dog on the head. “How did you know I was out here?”

“You’re wearing the same sandals you had on yesterday. They make a very distinctive clip-clop sound when you walk. I could also smell you coming.”

Paige frowned and tried to sniff discreetly at her armpits. She hadn’t taken a shower yet that morning, but it couldn’t be that bad. Could it? Here she was fantasizing about the sexy hotelier while he was noting how bad she smelled. She was marching straight upstairs and scrubbing every inch of her body with the provided coconut soaps.

“Relax,” Mano added when she didn’t respond. “It’s not a bad scent, just a distinctive one.”

She wasn’t sure how he knew she was silently panicking, but she was glad she wasn’t recognizable by her trademark funk. “Thank goodness,” she said with a sigh.

Mano smiled, revealing his blinding white teeth against his rich, tanned skin. He truly was an amazingly handsome man. Last night, she’d wondered if perhaps she’d embellished him in her mind. No man could really be that attractive. But now that she looked up at him again, she realized it was true. Paige had thought Wyatt was good looking, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Mano. Not even the T-shirt and slightly askew morning hair could dampen his masculine appeal.

He was a strange juxtaposition of traits that seemed incompatible in her mind. He had heavy, sharp eyebrows over his sunglasses, one with a scar that sliced through it. It made him look more like he should be an ancient warrior or in some badass motorcycle gang instead of the suit-clad owner of an exclusive hotel. Upon closer inspection, she could see that his forearm tattoo was of some kind of black triangle design. That sealed his bad-boy appeal in her mind. It also made her wonder what else his professional suit and polite demeanor were hiding.

Paige had always had a thing for the bad boys. It wasn’t practical, or really even smart, but most of the time they didn’t give her a second glance, so she couldn’t get herself in too much trouble. Wyatt had been the first bad boy to look back at her. Giving in to that attraction had landed her on the path to single parenthood. Even knowing that didn’t make her take the step back from Mano that she knew she should.

He never looked at her directly, but she could feel his attention completely fixated in her direction as though he knew she was admiring him. “Do you have plans this evening, Paige?”

Paige frowned. She really didn’t have plans for the week. The only thing on the books was the memorial service on Friday. “I don’t have plans at all. I figured I would talk to the concierge about booking a few things this week, but right now, I’m winging the whole vacation.”

“Are you the kind that normally wings a vacation?”

“God, no,” she admitted. “I’m a super planner, but this was a bit of a last minute adventure for me. I read some of a travel guide on the flight over, but that’s about it.”

“A last minute trip to Hawaii to stay in the penthouse suite, eh? There are worse things, I suppose.”

Well, she supposed that some people lived a life with random tropical vacations, but Paige wasn’t one of them. “I’m not complaining, that’s for sure. I do feel a little like I’m flapping in the trade winds, however. I’ll feel better once I have a plan.”

“Well, start your plans with having dinner with me tonight,” he said.

Paige narrowed her gaze at him, wondering if perhaps she’d heard him wrong. It was one thing for her to fantasize about him, but why would a Polynesian god like him want to have dinner with her? Was he just being polite because he knew she was here alone? “You want to have dinner with me?”

Mano chuckled and shoved his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. “Why is that such a ridiculous proposition? You eat, don’t you?”

“Well, yes, of course I eat. It’s just—”

“And you don’t have plans, do you?” he interrupted.

“No plans,” she confirmed reluctantly. She wasn’t sure why the idea of having dinner with him unnerved her so much. She should be relieved. This was one meal she could have with a man where she wouldn’t have to worry about him watching her critically across the table the whole time.

She could just imagine her family’s response if she told them she was having dinner with a blind man— “He’d be perfect for you!”

Perhaps that was the key to his interest. He didn’t know what she looked like. Her sister, Piper, had once suggested she try dating one of her blind patients. The helpful idea in Piper’s mind had only sounded cruel in her own head. Maybe her sister was on to something, though.

“Excellent. I’d love for you to join me tonight at the owner’s table of The Pearl. It’s our seafood restaurant and was rated as one of the best on the island the last five years running. You’ll love it.”

The owner’s table? That made more sense to Paige than the idea of a date or something, although she had to admit she felt a pang of disappointment that went straight to her core. This was some kind of “schmooze with the rich hotel guests” kind of thing. With her luck, he’d probably try to talk her into buying a time-share or something. Mano would certainly be disappointed to find out she wasn’t the usual wealthy penthouse guest. Of course, a nice dinner with him was certainly better than anything else she had planned, which was a big nothing all by herself.

“I can give you some suggestions on how to spend your time here,” he added almost as if to sweeten the deal, as though a free meal and looking at his handsome face all night wasn’t enough.

“Okay,” she said at last. “You’ve talked me into it.”

“I usually don’t have to try this hard to get a woman to have dinner with me,” Mano said with a wry smile. “I was about to be offended.”

Paige felt a blush of embarrassment rise to her cheeks. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just can’t fathom why you’d want to spend your evening with me.”

For the first time, Mano looked at her, as though he were looking into her eyes. Even with his gaze hidden behind his dark glasses, she felt an unexpected connection snap between them and her body reacted. Her tongue felt thick in her mouth as her lips dried out like a desert. Her heart started racing in her rib cage and she suddenly wished this dinner was more than just politeness and tourist tips.

“Why wouldn’t I want to spend time with you?” he asked.

Paige didn’t want to list out all her flaws. Normally, she didn’t have to tell a man what was wrong with her. They knew all too well just by looking at her. “You’re busy. And you don’t even know me,” she replied.

“Hōkū likes you. He’s the best judge of character I know. Anyway, by the end of dinner tonight, we won’t be strangers any longer. I’ll meet you at six.”

Paige stood dumbstruck on the lawn as Mano and Hōkū continued on their morning walk. She wasn’t quite sure how any of this had happened, but now she was having dinner with him. A bolt of panic shot through her, sending her on a fast path back to her hotel suite.

What was she going to wear?

* * *

“She’s traveling alone, sir. Her reservations were made and paid through a travel agency. I tried to Google her and I didn’t come up with anything but an obituary for her grandfather, who died a few weeks ago in Southern California. She doesn’t even have a Facebook account.”

Mano listened to Chuck report back on his penthouse guest as he dressed for dinner. “Is my tie straight?” he asked, turning to him.

“Yes, sir. Don’t you think it’s odd that there’s nothing about her anywhere?”

These days it was a rarity, but that didn’t mean there was something wrong with it. “Maybe she’s mastered the fine art of living under the radar. It’s a highly underrated skill these days. Not everyone feels the need to broadcast their every thought and feeling into cyberspace. I don’t.”

“I was able to get a little information on her deceased grandfather,” Chuck added. “Apparently, he was a former military man that went into real estate development after World War II. He’s credited with starting the tract house boom of the 1950s, creating affordable housing for returning soldiers to start families. That, along with the population growth in California at the time, made him a fortune.”

That was interesting. His shy flower was an heiress to quite a large chunk of money. She certainly didn’t act like one. “So her grandfather invented cookie-cutter suburbia? That’s quite an accomplishment.” Mano straightened his suit coat. “Anything else?”

“I did ask Wendy about her. She handled her check-in.”

That caught Mano’s attention. “And?”

“She said Miss Edwards was very willowy, tall and thin. She was pale with an unremarkable face.”

That was an odd way to describe her. “Unremarkable? Is that good or bad?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

Mano sighed. People with eyes simply didn’t use them the way they should. If he had his sight back, he would study every detail the way he did now with his hands. He’d talked to multiple staff members, and none of them could tell him what Paige looked like. It was as though she was a ghost that only he could sense. “What time is it?”

“Almost six.”

“I’d better get going then.” Mano made his way through the suite. He counted his steps, knowing his path through the rooms to the front door like the back of his hand. At the door, he whistled for Hōkū and waited for the sound of clicking toenails across the marble floor to come closer. He put on the dog’s service harness and gave him a good scratch behind the ears. “Thanks for the information, Chuck.”

“Sure thing. Have a nice dinner,” he added with a teasing tone that Mano ignored.

Chuck disappeared into the elevator as Mano rang the doorbell and waited for Paige to answer. It took her a moment, probably because she was wearing heels. He heard the slow, unsteady steps approaching the door. She must not be used to wearing dressy shoes.

The door swung open and he was greeted with the scent of the hotel’s coconut soap, a touch of Chanel No. 5 and the underlying hint of hand sanitizer he’d come to associate with Paige. His muscles tightened as he drew her into his lungs, making him more eager than he should’ve been to spend the evening with one of his hotel guests.

“I’m ready,” she said, almost breathless.

He took a step back, then offered his arm to escort her over to the elevator. Mano noticed she leaned a bit more on him than he expected. Definitely the heels. It couldn’t possibly be that she wanted to huddle close to a blind man, could it? The tightened muscles throughout his whole body hoped so.

“Does Hōkū get to join us for dinner?” she asked as they made their way to the restaurant.

“Yes. Hōkū goes everywhere. Even before I lost my eyesight, it was the policy of the hotel to welcome all service animals throughout the site. This close to the military base, we’ve hosted a lot of former military over the years with PTSD and injuries that require assistance. Everyone here knows Hōkū, anyway. The chef is known to make him his own treat to enjoy under the table while we dine.”

“I guess that’s not a bad job to have. He’s like the hotel mascot.”

Mano chuckled. “I suppose he kind of is.” The doors to the elevator opened and he led her down the path to The Pearl. The restaurant wasn’t original to the hotel, but Mano had added it not long after he took over the resort from his grandparents. The hotel was famous in its own right for being the oldest and most authentic resort on Waikiki, but he’d wanted to add something to put it over the top. It had taken him weeks to interview executive chefs and discuss menu plans to complete his vision, but within a few years, they’d earned a Michelin star. Even people who couldn’t stay at the hotel went out of their way for reservations at The Pearl for dinner, especially on Saturday nights.

Hōkū slowed ahead of him and Mano knew they were getting close to the restaurant.

“Good evening, Mr. Bishop,” the hostess said as the outer doors swung open and the cool blast of air-conditioning hit them. They stepped inside, waiting to be escorted to their table. “Right this way.”

“This restaurant is beautiful,” Paige said as they wandered back toward his reserved table. “That fish tank is amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a salt water tank that large outside of an aquarium.”

Mano had always enjoyed snorkeling as a teenager. When they opened this restaurant, he wanted the centerpiece of the dining area to be a saltwater tank that showcased the beauty under the surface of the ocean just beyond the hotel. “It’s a custom designed tank,” he said. “It had to be built inside the restaurant otherwise there was no way to get it through the doors. It has over twenty different species of tropical fish, anemones and sea urchins. There’s even a small nurse shark. None of which are on the menu,” he said with a smile. “That would be a little creepy.”

“Here’s your table. Your server will be right with you both. Enjoy.”

Mano gestured for Paige to take a seat to the left of the curved booth and he sat to the right. Hōkū found a spot beneath the table and curled up, resting his head on the top of Mano’s shoe.

“Do you like seafood?” he asked. “I guess I should’ve asked that this morning when we made plans.”

“I do. I’m trying to avoid the fish that’s higher in mercury and anything raw, but I’ve been known to eat my weight in shrimp when the opportunity arises.”

“That means the ahi tuna is out, sadly, but if you like coconut, we have an amazing coconut shrimp here. It’s served with a spicy pineapple marmalade.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

Mano ran his fingers over the custom braille menu to see what tonight’s fresh catch was. The specials changed depending on what was available each morning at the Honolulu fish auction. He was pleased to find smoked Hawaiian swordfish poached in duck fat with roasted purple sweet potatoes. That was one of his favorites.

“Everything here sounds delicious,” Paige said.

“It is. But save room for dessert or you’ll regret it.”

The server came a moment later, taking their orders. Paige had taken his recommendation of the coconut shrimp with passion fruit rice pilaf. She turned down his suggestion of a mai tai, though, opting instead for a sparkling water. With that done, they handed away their menus and he was finally able to focus on figuring out his newest guest.

“So, Paige, tell me what it is that brought you to Oahu so unexpectedly, and alone?”

“I suppose that isn’t normal, especially considering I’m staying in a suite that could sleep a dozen people. I’m actually here for my grandfather. Next Friday, his ashes are being interred at the USS Arizona. He arranged this trip for me to bring him here.”

That was not the answer he was expecting at all. He hadn’t connected her grandfather’s recent passing to the trip. “I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather. Were you close?”

“Yes. I took care of him the last few weeks of his life. It was hard to watch the illness eat away at him, but I could tell he was ready to be done with it all. That’s when he let go.”

He noticed a sadness in her voice that he didn’t like. He wished their conversation hadn’t taken such a somber turn, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Few came to Hawaii for a funeral, but Paige was the exception to the rule.

“I knew he always wanted to return here when he died, but I never expected to be the one to do it. I thought for certain my parents would come out here for the service, but his instructions were very clear—I was the one to bring him. All the arrangements were made in advance and no one told me what to expect, so when I arrived it was quite a shock. I certainly didn’t need the penthouse or the first class airfare. I guess it was his way of taking care of me since I take care of everyone else all the time.”

Over the years, Mano had entertained scores of ridiculously wealthy couples vacationing from around the world, corporate bigwigs doing business and the rich and famous of Hollywood looking for a tropical escape. Chuck had mentioned that Paige’s family had money, so he’d assumed that she was just another guest like the rest.

But the more Paige spoke, the more he began to doubt his assumptions. She seemed to be very ill at ease in the luxury of his hotel. Rich heiresses were normally quite comfortable traveling well and rarely noted that they spent their time caring for others. It seemed there was another confusing layer to Paige. Was it possible that she’d been raised without the benefit of the family fortune?

“What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a registered nurse.”

He couldn’t suppress his groan at her response. That wasn’t what he’d thought she would say. Everything about her surprised him.

“What’s wrong with being a nurse?” she asked.

“Nothing is wrong with it. It’s a noble calling. I’ve just spent more time than I ever wanted to around nurses. I was hospitalized for quite a long time with my injury. They were all great and cared for me very well, but I avoid hospitals at all costs now. I couldn’t imagine working there every day.”

“It’s different when you’re not the patient. I was a born caretaker. My mother told me I was such a little mama as a child. I was always carrying around my baby doll, and when I got older, I wanted to babysit at every opportunity. I thought maybe I would work in pediatrics one day. But when I spent time with my grandfather, he would tell me stories about World War II. At least ones that were okay for a little girl to hear. It made me want to work with soldiers when I grew up, so that’s what I did instead. I got a master’s degree in nursing and I work at the veteran’s hospital in San Diego on the orthopedic floor. I work mainly with soldiers that have lost limbs or had their joints replaced or rebuilt.”

“That sounds like a hard job to have.”

“It’s difficult work, but it can be so rewarding. I love what I do. Almost all of my time goes to my job, which leaves little for me. I think that’s why my grandfather wanted me to come here, to get a break.”

Mano tried not to stiffen at Paige’s words as she spoke about her work. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with her answer, but it did give him pause. Chuck had been right when he asked if Mano was considering Paige for more than just dinner. He’d only used it as an excuse to learn more about her. She’d caught his attention without even realizing it.

But knowing she was a nurse...that changed things.

She herself had said she was a caretaker. One of his aunts was a nurse. Since the day of his accident, she’d fawned over him, treating him as nearly helpless. People who went into nursing had a strong desire to care for others. Mano didn’t want to be taken care of. He didn’t want to be fixed or babied, and he certainly didn’t want to be pitied.

Then again, there was something about Paige that his body reacted to instantly. He didn’t know what she looked like or anything other than the feel of her hand in his, but he wanted to know more. As the pieces of her history started to click together in his mind, he found himself more interested instead of less. Of course she was a nurse. That explained the rough hands after washing them dozens of times a day and the scent of hand sanitizer.

“My grandfather knew this is something I never would’ve done on my own,” she continued, oblivious to his thoughts. “He wanted me to take a break and enjoy life, if for just a week. So I’m trying. I find it’s easier to do in Hawaii than it is at home.”

“Everything is easier in Hawaii. It’s a state of mind.” Mano considered his options for this evening and decided that he didn’t mind if she was a nurse. So far, she’d let him take the lead, not once going out of her way to help him when he didn’t need it. Being a nurse might not be all bad. If things worked out, maybe she could give him a sponge bath...

He suppressed a wicked grin and tried to focus on what to do next. He didn’t want their evening together to end so soon. It was Saturday night, which meant that the resort fireworks show was starting soon. He could take Paige somewhere to watch it, but he knew that the best view on the property was from his own balcony. Typically, he didn’t allow anyone into his sanctuary, but for some reason he was almost eager to invite Paige upstairs. He could offer her dessert and an amazing show. But would she accept?

“Do you like fireworks?” he asked.


Three (#ulink_0ee651f9-b663-54e4-8479-b0fd17176cff)

Paige only thought her penthouse was the pinnacle of luxury. That was before she stepped into Mano’s suite.

The whole space was very clean and modern. Every detail, from the industrial light fixtures overhead to the abstract paintings on the walls, exuded elegance and masculinity with a hard edge. The floors were seamless white marble, the couch was covered in buttery soft gray leather and the tables looked like sheets of glass floating in the air with only the slightest bit of metal supporting them. It was the kind of almost austere look that at first glance might seem plain, but in fact was extremely expensive.

There were no fussy elements, no flower arrangements or lace or knickknacks. Everything seemed perfectly placed, as though an interior designer had handled each detail down to where the dog’s leash hung on the wall. She supposed that things being out of place could cause a problem when you couldn’t see to track down errant items.

There wasn’t much for Paige to break, but what was there, she could tell, was fragile. She was anxious about being in Mano’s suite for dozens of reasons, but now that she was here, she added the new worry of being someplace where she could stumble and put her fist through a priceless Jackson Pollock painting.

It had been hard enough for her to shake the surreal feeling as she followed him upstairs without those other worries. She wasn’t really sure why she was here, anyway. She understood the polite dinner invitation, but why ask her to join him in his suite for dessert just to be nice to a lonely hotel guest? Maybe her initial reaction to their dinner date was closer to the truth and this was about more than just treating the VIPs.

Mano removed Hōkū’s harness and the dog trotted over to his corner pillow where a rawhide bone was waiting for him. “We do fireworks at the hotel every Saturday night,” Mano explained as he slipped out of his suit coat and laid it over the back of a chair that he seemed to know would be positioned just there. “It’s a long-standing tradition at the Mau Loa that my grandparents started decades ago. My suite has one of the best views, ironically enough.”

Paige bit at her lip as he noted the obvious issue. She followed him out onto the balcony and he was right—his view was even better than hers. The fireworks over the lagoon would be center stage for the spectators waiting along Waikiki beach, but their view had it all beat. “It’s a shame you can’t enjoy them.”

“Actually, I can,” Mano said as he gripped the railing and looked out over the water as though he could see it.

The moonlight highlighted the sharp angles of his face, reminding Paige just how handsome and unobtainable a man he was. She wished he would take off his glasses so she could see his eyes. She understood why he wore the glasses, but she felt like a part of him was hiding behind them.

“I remember what they looked like when I was younger. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t lose my eyesight until I was seventeen, so I have the memories. I can sit on my patio and listen to the pop of the fireworks and the cheers of the crowd. The smell of the smoke in the air brings back the experience for me. I don’t need to see them anymore.”

The doorbell of the suite rang just then, robbing Paige of any questions she might want to ask. With her medical background, she was curious about what had happened to him, but she needed the right opportunity to bring it up. She didn’t want to pry, but she knew from her experience with soldiers that they often wanted to tell their story, but only when they were ready.

“Dessert has arrived,” Mano said.

“I’ll go get the door,” Paige replied, beating him to the sliding door. He was able-bodied but so was she, so there was no reason why she couldn’t let room service in for them.

At the door, a man was waiting with a cart. On top of it was a large silver-domed dish like the kind you’d see in old movies. “Good evening, ma’am. Where would you like your dessert?”

“Bring it out to the balcony, please,” Mano called. He’d followed her into the living room even though he didn’t need to.

They both trailed the cart back to the patio, where the waiter placed it on the glass table. “The famous Mau Loa Black Pearl,” he announced, raising the lid with dramatic flair.

Paige couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips when she saw the beautiful chocolate delight hidden beneath the silver dome. Mano had told her it was the showpiece of The Pearl, and the dessert looked exactly like a giant black pearl in an oyster. A thin hinged cookie shell was the bed and backdrop for a dome of layered chocolate mousse. It was enrobed in a dark chocolate fudge ganache and dusted with toasted coconut and macadamia nuts on the edges. It was the most beautiful and delicious-looking thing she’d ever seen in her life.

“I don’t think I can eat it,” she said.

Mano chuckled as he gave the waiter his tip and he disappeared from the suite. “You’ll change your mind about that pretty quickly. It’s the most incredible thing you’ll ever put in your mouth.”

They sat down in the patio chairs and armed themselves with spoons. Mano broke through the dark chocolate outside first so Paige didn’t have to do it. One bite and she knew he was right. The different layers and flavors of chocolate mousse and cream melted together on her tongue. The decorative starburst of passion fruit puree on the plate gave a sharp sour bite to break up the richness. The cookie was crunchy, almost like a fortune cookie, but much more flavorful. It was amazing. And gone before they knew it.

“That was incredible,” Paige said as she laid her spoon down on the empty plate. “I think I might burst, though.”

“It will be worth any suffering.” Mano paused for a moment, putting his hand to the tiny headset that always seemed to be in his ear. “Ah, perfect timing. The fireworks show is about to start. Are you ready?” He held out his hand to her.

Paige took it and they walked together to the railing. Heavy drums and traditional Hawaiian music sounded from the lagoon in the distance. A moment later, the sky lit up as a firework exploded and bathed the darkness in streaks of white fire. One after the next, bursts of color danced across the sky. For about ten minutes it continued, illuminating the dark water. Down below, she could hear the crowds gathered on the beach as they cheered and gasped in awe.

“That was wonderful,” Paige said as the last of the smoke started to clear. “You were right, you do have the best view for the show.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Paige turned away from the beach to look at him. “I want to thank you for all this.”

He shrugged it away. “It’s nothing.”

“No, it’s not nothing. You’ve taken me to a lovely dinner, brought me up here for an amazing dessert and fireworks. You’ve saved me from a lonely night in a beautiful place. That’s more than other people would’ve done for a stranger. More than other people typically do for me.”

Mano’s brow furrowed as he listened to her. “What do you mean? Do the people in your life back at home take advantage of your kindness?”

Paige sighed and leaned onto the railing. “It isn’t that simple.” She wasn’t bullied or abused at all. She just didn’t quite fit in. It was mostly a case of being invisible. “More often than not, I’m just ignored. No one really seems to see me. I just blend into the background noise no matter how loud I yell. Sometimes I wonder if, when I die, anyone will even remember I existed.”

“Your patients will remember you. I know I’ll never forget the kind nurses that cared for me after my accident.”

“I hope you’re right,” Paige said. She tried to make a difference in their lives, even when it didn’t seem like she was getting anywhere.

Mano’s hand slid along the railing until he found hers. He covered her with his reassuring warmth. “And I’ll remember you, Paige Edwards.”

Her breath caught in her throat at his words and his caress. Her skin seemed to sing beneath his touch. A thrill ran up her arm and jolted her heart to beat double time in her chest. She knew she shouldn’t get excited. Mano wasn’t putting the moves on her; he was being kind. And yet, her body didn’t seem to know the difference. “I’ll remember you, too. You are the first person in a long time that truly seems to see me.”

“Sometimes people depend too much on their eyes,” Mano explained. “They make all their judgments based on what they see, ignoring everything else. I may not know what you look like, Paige, but I know a lot of other things about you that make you a person I want to know more about.”

She really couldn’t understand why he felt that way. She was a nobody—certainly not the kind of woman who captured the attention of a rich, handsome man like Mano. “I don’t know what you see that others don’t. Frankly, I don’t even see it. I’ve never thought I was very special.”

“That’s odd,” Mano said. “I find myself wanting to know everything about you. It seems I uncover a surprise with every layer I peel away. May I ask you something?”

Paige shifted nervously, pulling back from his touch. Usually when someone prefaced a question like that, it was going to be bad. Like when her sister asked if Paige’s relationship with Wyatt was really serious. She was just testing the waters before she jumped in. “Why not?” she said at last. After what she’d been through lately, there wasn’t much he could ask that would make things worse.

“May I touch your face?”

Except for maybe that.

“I know that sounds odd,” Mano continued, “but it’s how I see people. I’d like to see you better.”

A part of Paige was happy that Mano couldn’t see her. He seemed so interested in her. Would finding out how she looked ruin their perfect night together? She supposed that telling him no would end it just as awkwardly. “Okay,” she agreed.

Mano turned to face her, but his expression was as concerned as hers likely appeared. “You sound nervous. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay,” she argued, placing a hand on his forearm. “If you had your sight, you would’ve known what I looked like from the first moment, so you’ve waited long enough to know. I just hope you’re not disappointed with what you find.”

* * *

Disappointed? Most of the women who had drifted in and out of Mano’s life had a healthy sense of self-esteem, but not Paige. Whether or not she was right, she seemed to think she was invisible or even unattractive. He didn’t think that was actually possible, but now he’d find out for himself.

Taking her wrists in his hands, he let his palms glide up her arms to her neck. There, he cradled her face in his hands. Paige was tense and still beneath his fingertips as they traced the lines and angles of her face. She had a delicate brow, large, wide eyes and a sharp nose. Her face was thin, as was the rest of her, judging by her narrow wrists and protruding collar bones.

He realized then that she was too still and too silent beneath his touch. “Breathe, Paige.”

She moved slightly with a sudden exhale and intake of breath. Once she relaxed, his fingers ran over her hair. It was long, straight and silky. Paige hadn’t twisted it up or tortured it with curling irons and hair spray. It just flowed naturally down her back.

“What color are your eyes?” he asked, trying to envision them in his mind.

“They’re a hazel color. Not quite green and not quite brown.”

Mano nodded, the picture coming together. “Now, tell me about what you’re wearing tonight so I can see it.”

“I overdressed a little,” she confessed. “It’s a blue satin cocktail dress that I found on sale at the mall. I don’t even know why I bought it—I have nowhere to wear it normally—but I threw it into the suitcase when I was packing. I figured if I didn’t wear it tonight, I might as well donate it to charity.”

He didn’t know why she had to cut herself down with every description of herself. “What shade of blue?”





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