The Pregnancy Proposition

by Andrea Laurence

  “Thank you for playing hooky with me today,” she said instead of asking him in.

  Mano tipped his head toward her face, although his gaze settled near her lips. “You’re very welcome. I’ll play hooky with you anytime you like, Paige.”

  “What about tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Tomorrow?” Mano’s voice was low and gruff. “Tomorrow is hours away. Right now I’m more concerned about tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Paige shifted just enough in his arms that she could feel the firm heat of Mano’s erection pressing into her stomach. He wasn’t just paying her lip service. He truly did want her, and he left no question of it. She wanted him, too, but in the heat of the moment, she felt a flutter of panic. This was really going to happen. She just had to say the word. Was she ready to take the leap?

  Mano’s hand reached up to caress her cheek. He stroked her skin and let the pad of his thumb brush across her bottom lip. His mouth followed, pressing his lips insistently to hers. She realized quickly that the answer was a definitive yes. She couldn’t deny him. Not when he kissed her like this and held her as though he couldn’t get enough of her.

  Paige wasn’t used to that kind of adoration. Wyatt’s kisses had been nice enough, but they lacked a certain spark. Mano clearly enjoyed every second, and so did she. When her lips parted and his tongue glided across hers, he groaned. The low, primal sound made her insides pulse with a need she’d rarely felt before.

  At last, reluctantly, she pulled away and tried to steady herself in his arms. The warmth of his skin and his masculine scent made her head swim with desire. Thoughts of tomorrow had faded away and all that mattered was here and now. She’d known they were spiraling toward this moment since they’d kissed on the balcony last night and he’d chased after her. She wanted him. She just had to be brave enough to ask for what she needed. “I would invite you into my room, but I don’t know if you’d prefer us to go to your own suite. For Hōkū’s sake.”

  Mano smiled at her. “That’s an excellent idea. And very thoughtful.” He pulled away, but not before taking her hand in his. “My suite, then?”

  Before she could start to panic, they moved across the hall to his doorway and the reality of it all began to sink in. Inside, he cut Hōkū loose and went into the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink? I have a couple kinds of beer, a bottle of Moscato, some pineapple juice and sparkling water.”

  “The water would be great,” she said. His offer of alcohol was one she’d had to turn down repeatedly. It was a reminder that she wasn’t being as forthright with Mano as she should be. She couldn’t put this off any longer. She’d told herself that if things got serious, she would tell him about the baby. Well, things were on the verge of seriousness. If it put a damper on their evening together, or ended this vacation romance altogether, so be it.

  “Shall we drink on the patio?” he asked.

  “Sure.” She waited for him to open the bottle for her and a beer for himself. He handed hers over and they walked together to the sliding doors of the patio. They were both seated in the plush lounge chairs and gazing out at the dark sea before she worked up the nerve to say what she needed to say.

  “Mano, before this goes any further, I need to tell you something.”

  He picked up his beer and took a sip. “Tell me anything, pulelehua.”

  Paige hesitated for a moment. Did she really need to tell him about the baby? Their short vacation fling would long be a distant memory when her child was born, but somehow it didn’t feel right to keep it from him.

  “I’m leaving in less than a week, so it really doesn’t matter, but I feel like I should tell you. I don’t like keeping secrets, especially one that could be a potential turnoff for you.”

  Mano turned to her, a frown furrowing his brow. He sought out her hand and held it in his. “What is it? You’re not married are you?” he asked with a joking grin.

  “No,” she said with a chuckle and a shake of her head. “But I am pregnant.”

  “Pregnant?” Mano’s jaw fell slack with shock. She could tell it was the last thing he was expecting to hear.

  “I know,” Paige said, avoiding his gaze in favor of watching the waves below. “When I told you that my life was a little complicated right now, that’s what I meant.”

  Mano put his hand over his heart. “You’ll have to forgive me. It’s the first time a woman has ever said those words to me. I had a moment of panic even though I know it couldn’t be mine.”

  “I understand. It’s not the kind of thing you’d expect me to say.”

  “When we touched, you didn’t feel pregnant.”

  Paige remembered the surge of panic she’d felt the night before when he’d touched her stomach. “I’m only thirteen weeks along. I should start showing soon.”

  At last, Mano exhaled and took another big sip of his beer. “This explains a lot, actually. I couldn’t fathom how someone could come all the way to Hawaii and not at least try a mai tai. I was wondering if you were a recovering alcoholic. This, however, is a very good reason.”

  “It is. I’d love to have a mai tai, honestly. With the way my life is going, I could use a stiff drink.” Or a dozen.

  “That doesn’t sound good. Are there problems with the baby’s father?” he asked. “There must be if you’re here with me.”

  “You could say that. Long story short, you don’t need to worry about him. What happens between us won’t be some kind of torrid affair. He’s out of the picture. Permanently.” Paige struggled to keep the sound of tears out of her voice as she told the truth about Wyatt, but the look of concern on Mano’s face was enough for her to know she’d failed.

  “Does he know about the baby?”

  Paige wished he hadn’t asked that question. She’d wrestled with that since she found out. She didn’t know how to tell him, or if Wyatt would even care. He was with Piper now. The kind of man who would dump one sister for the other was not likely to be candidate for father of the year. She would tell him. Maybe when she got back from Hawaii. But she didn’t expect the conversation to go well.

  “Not yet,” she admitted. “Like I said, it’s complicated. I’m not going to bore you with my sob story, but no matter what, I’m not going back to him. That’s the important part. I just wanted to tell you the truth so you knew I wasn’t trying to pull a fast one on you and play it off as yours or something else foolish. But at the same time, I hope it really doesn’t change things for us.” She held her breath, waiting for his response.

  “I beg to differ,” Mano argued. “It does change things. For example, I’m certainly not going to send you parasailing or windsurfing now that I know you’re pregnant.”

  Paige laughed at his protective response, relieved that he was joking about the whole thing instead of escorting her out of his suite. “I’m not fragile, I’m just pregnant.”

  “You’re housing a life inside you, pulelehua. Enjoy yourself, but there’s no need to be reckless.”

  Paige let out the breath she’d been holding, although her muscles were still tense. He seemed to take the news well, but she couldn’t be sure. Would he handle her with kid gloves now? Send her back to her suite for a good night’s rest without the sound bedding she’d hoped for? She didn’t want to know, so she changed the subject by asking the question that had been bothering her for days.

  “You keep calling me that Hawaiian word—pulesomething. What does it mean?”

  “Pulelehua,” he repeated the complicated sounding word as though it simply rolled off his tongue. “It means ‘butterfly.’”

  Butterfly? Paige gasped aloud. Was this guy for real? He was like something out of a novel—the dashing romantic hero who says the right things and knows just how to touch a woman to make her melt with desire. She could feel the heat inside of her building and he hadn’t even touched her yet. He was the kind of guy a girl like her would never have outside the pages of a book. And yet here he was with her, moments from the bedroom.

  �
�That’s sweet of you,” she said, “but I feel more like a caterpillar most days.”

  Mano stood and reached for her hand. When she offered it, he pulled up her up and wrapped his arms around her waist. Paige relished the way her body fit so snugly against his. The press of her small and sensitive breasts against his chest created a sensation that made it almost hard to breathe, yet she wouldn’t pull away. She couldn’t. Her knees were so soft with desire that she’d melt to the floor if he let her go.

  “You are no caterpillar, Paige, although sometimes I think you’re still hiding in your cocoon, afraid to come out and spread your wings. You have challenges ahead of you, but I don’t want you to think about them while you’re here. This is your vacation getaway, and our fling is just the thing you need to get your mind off things. I don’t want you to be afraid with me. I don’t want you holding back. Especially not tonight.”

  She was holding back, but she had good reason not to leap into his arms and kiss him senseless. What if he wasn’t there to catch her? “How can I not be afraid? You’re like a dream I’m going to wake up from any moment now. I don’t know why you chose me, but I’m on eggshells waiting for you to change your mind.”

  “I’m a very decisive man. I’m not the kind to change my mind. Especially not when I want you as badly as I do. So it’s a very simple thing. Do you want me, pulelehua?”

  Paige couldn’t help the rush of air that purged from her lungs at the question. She didn’t answer right away, instead reaching up to pull off his glasses. He didn’t stop her, letting Paige gaze into his beautiful brown eyes, thankful she could see all of him. “I absolutely do. I’m scared to death, but I’ve never wanted a man more in my whole life.”

  Mano smiled and brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. His knuckles grazed her skin, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. “Good. Let’s go back inside.”

  Six

  Mano led Paige down the length of his balcony to the second set of doors that opened into his master suite. He circled behind her and drew her back until her bare shoulder blades pressed into his chest. He let his palms run up her arms from her wrists to her shoulders, stopping at her neck when he found the tie of her dress. Her hair was up tonight, out of his way, so he had full access to the bare skin he’d hungered over on the yacht.

  His fingers pulled gently at the fabric as he leaned in to leave a trail of kisses on the side of her neck and along her shoulders. When the knot finally came undone, he let go to see how far the fabric pooled. He felt down her sides, finding her bare waist, then hips, then thighs. The dress had simply slipped all the way to the floor.

  “Thank you,” he murmured into the sensitive hollow under her ear.

  “Thank you for what?” she asked, her voice near breathless.

  “Thank you for wearing a dress that was easy for me to take off. I don’t have the patience to fuss with a lot of buttons and fasteners tonight. I was afraid I might have to tear the dress and buy you a new one.”

  Paige gasped, but he wasn’t certain if it was the words or his hands reaching around her to cup her breasts. They were small, but firm, with nipples that hardened instantly to his touch. He massaged them gently, squeezing the tips until he could feel Paige shiver against him. She arched her back and pressed her hips into his raging desire, making him groan aloud against her neck.

  “Oh, Paige,” he whispered as he held one breast and let his other hand travel down her stomach. He detected the faintest roundness to her belly that ended just as he reached the lacy trim of her panties. His fingers dipped below the fabric and gently stroked between her thighs.

  Paige writhed in his arms, her body wracked with the sensations of his touch. Encouraged, he stroked harder, teasing her in slow circles until she was panting and desperately clinging to the fabric of his suit coat. He hadn’t intended to take this so far before they’d even reached the bed—he was still fully clothed, after all—but he couldn’t bear to tease her. He wasn’t about to let go of her until she was screaming his name.

  Mano stroked at her moist flesh. Paige’s knees buckled beneath her and she leaned back against him for support, which he gladly provided. It gave him an even better angle to her body. He took immediate advantage of it, letting a finger slip inside of her. She was so tight, he could feel her muscles clamp down around him as she whimpered with need.

  “Mano...” she said in a pleading voice. He could feel the rest of her body tense and her heart race beneath his other hand as she came closer to her release.

  “Yes, pulelehua,” he encouraged in a low growl. “Fly for me, butterfly.”

  With one hard stroke, Paige came apart in his arms. She shuddered and cried out, her hips bucking against his hand as he held her tight to keep her from falling to the ground.

  Mano waited until her breathing slowed and her body stilled. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  “I won’t argue with you on that,” she murmured.

  * * *

  When Paige was stable on her feet, she took Mano’s hand and let him lead her to the bed. She collapsed just at the edge, then moved quickly to remove his shirt. She wanted to see and touch him—every inch of him. He didn’t stop her. Instead, he helped her by slipping out of his suit coat and tossing it into his corner chair.

  Paige opened his shirt, tugging it out of his pants so it could slip it off over his shoulders. That was when she paused and took a moment to appreciate the beauty of his body. His chest was solid muscle and just as tan as the rest of him. The few scars she’d glimpsed early that morning turned out to be more numerous than she’d expected. They were old and faded, standing out only because they were lighter than his unblemished skin. It looked almost like the chest of one of her soldiers that had taken shrapnel from an explosion.

  She let her fingertips trace every ridge of muscle, tickling her way across his smooth chest and down his stomach to stroke over his six-pack abs. His skin was as soft and smooth as she wished her own could be. “I have to admit I’m a little jealous,” she said.

  Mano chuckled. “Of what?” he asked.

  “You have the smoothest, softest skin. Almost no body hair at all. It’s not fair, really.”

  “That’s funny. I’ve always wanted some manly chest hair. Genetically, it’s just not common for my people. My father was a white man stationed here in the military, but even then, no luck. My Polynesian genes, along with my heritage, won out in the e-end.”

  It seemed harder for Mano to get the words out as Paige continued to touch him. Her palms ran over his arms and shoulders, down his chest and finally to his belt. She was ready for the rest of him. Her belly burned for what would come next. The clink of the metal buckle gave way to the sound of his zipper drifting down. Impatiently, she slipped her hand inside, palming his massive erection and making a shudder run through his whole body.

  “Paige,” he groaned, but she didn’t stop. It was her turn to play.

  One hand stroked him while the other slipped off his pants and briefs. He stepped out of them, tossing them to the chair, as well. She figured that leaving clothing on the floor was like littering his space with land mines he would trip on later. She would be conscious to keep her own things out of his path.

  Now Mano was naked, standing before her like an ancient Polynesian god. Not even the scars could detract from the carved beauty and masculinity of his body. Everything about him was large and strong. As her eyes took in his desire for her, she swallowed hard. She went to reach for him and then she remembered an important step. “Before we go any further,” Paige said. “Do you have condoms somewhere?”

  Mano nodded and pointed to the bed stand. “There should be a new box in there.”

  Paige opened up the drawer and pulled out the largest box of condoms she’d ever seen outside a bulk warehouse. She couldn’t contain her nervous laughter. “A twenty-count box?”

  He grinned and shrugged. “I was feeling hopeful yesterday after our kiss,” he said. “I bought them at the gift shop last nigh
t. It might seem like a lot, but we are spending the week together, you know. I think a solid goal would be to use every single one before you leave.”

  Paige had a hard time believing they were having sex at all, much less twenty times, but she would be happy to aim high. “Ambitious. I like that.”

  Mano held still as Paige opened a condom and slowly rolled it down his length. He bit at his bottom lip as she took her time and stroked every last air pocket out.

  “You’re pretty good at putting those on for a pregnant lady.”

  At that, Paige laughed aloud. “Touché.” She reached out and stroked his undercarriage to punish him in the best way possible.

  Mano hissed through gritted teeth and pulled away from her touch. He moved past her to the bed and threw back the comforter. Taking Paige by the wrist, he pulled her onto the bed beside him. The lengths of their whole bodies were touching, skin to skin at last, with his need for her insistently pressing against her belly.

  His hands went back to her body, seeking out her sensitive center. He stroked and teased at her again until she was more than ready for him. He rolled her onto her back and she parted her thighs so he could settle there. Without hesitation, he surged forward and filled her.

  Paige gasped as the pleasure-pain of it shot through her. Once the feeling faded, she lifted her hips to take all of him in, wrapping her legs around his hips to pull him in deeper. It was a delicious sensation, one unlike any feeling she’d experienced before. Judging by his tightly clenched jaw and tensed muscles, Mano was enjoying the position, too. She wanted to immediately give in to it and relieve the tension he built inside of her. They had nineteen condoms left, after all, but she knew he wasn’t about to let this end so soon.

  He started by stroking long, slow and deep inside of her. Propping himself up on one arm, he cupped her breast with his free hand. Since her pregnancy, they had become extremely sensitive. The nipple pebbled at his touch, growing hard against his caress and making her moan with pleasure.

  “What color are your nipples, Paige?” he asked.