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They headed downstairs and through the garden courtyard to the beach, where they slipped off their shoes. Hand in hand, they walked together along the shore. Mano could feel the warmth of the sun move lower as it sank into the sea. The water washed over their feet as they walked, Hoku’s paws happily splashing ahead of them.
“You were right,” Paige admitted after a few peaceful minutes of walking. “This is better than the couch.”
“I told you it would be. I bet you it will get even better, too.”
Paige didn’t question him, and after they got a certain distance from the hotel, Mano decided it was time to give her the gift. She’d been a little quieter and more reserved than usual today. He hoped that the gift would bring out the excitement in Paige that he was missing. “I want you to close your eyes,” he said.
Paige giggled. “Don’t you think at least one of us should be able to see where we’re going?”
“We’re not going any farther. Just hold still and close your eyes. If you don’t close them, I’ll cover them with my hand.”
“Okay, okay.”
Mano brushed his fingertips across her cheeks and felt her thick lashes resting there. “All right.” Hoku came to a stop beside them and Mano held Paige’s shoulders steady. “Okay, keep them closed.”
“I am,” she insisted.
Mano reached down into his pocket for the large velvet box he’d gotten from the high-end jewelry store in the hotel. As quietly as he could, he opened it and removed the necklace from inside. He felt the clasp, opening it the way the jeweler had taught him, and then draped it around her neck. “Keep them closed,” he insisted as he fastened the necklace.
“This is killing me,” Paige said.
“I know. Okay, open your eyes.”
Mano held his breath waiting for her reaction. As far as he could tell, there was none. No squealing, no jumping up and down. He was certain the jeweler in his own hotel wouldn’t sell him something subpar. Six figures should at least get him a thank-you, if not an enthusiastic kiss.
“Did you open them?” he asked.
“Yes.” Her answer was barely a whisper.
“And? Do you like it?” He hoped she would. The jeweler had helped him pick out an exquisite three-strand multicolor black South Sea pearl necklace. She’d told him the pearls alternated in size and shade from near black to a silver gray and were separated with ten carats’ worth of small micro pave diamond pearls. The jeweler said the luster on the pearls was remarkable. He knew it was the ideal gift for her—a tiny piece of sand transformed into a beautiful, rare gem. It was the perfect memento of her time here, where he hoped that she, too, saw herself as a precious gemstone instead of a tiny bit of sand.
“I do,” she said after a moment of hesitation.
Mano frowned. “You don’t sound like you do. I thought you’d like it. I told you to pick out something and you didn’t, so I chose this for you. I wanted to get you something nice to help you remember this week.”
Paige put her hands on each side of his face. “I don’t need an expensive necklace to remember this week, Mano. I’m certain I’ll never forget it.”
He was glad to hear that, but it didn’t change anything. “Well, then consider it a thank-you gift. You’ve gotten me out of the hotel, forced me out of my comfort zone and helped me realize that maybe I don’t need to spend every moment of my day at the resort.”
“A simple thank-you would’ve been enough. This necklace is...”
She was resistant, and he was certain she had no idea how much it cost. “No, a simple thank-you is not enough. I bought you this necklace because I wanted you to have it, Paige. I can make up a million excuses you can shoot down, but that’s the long and short of it. What good is all my money if I can’t spend it on the things I want to spend it on? Please humor me and just accept it.”
He heard Paige sigh heavily. “Okay. Thank you. It’s beautiful, Mano.” She leaned in and gave him a soft thank-you kiss.
When they parted again, they turned toward the hotel and started their leisurely stroll back. “How would you like to spend tonight, Paige? The Moonlight Luau is going on at the hotel if you’d like to see that. We could go out to eat somewhere where we could dress up and you can show off your new jewelry.”
“I don’t think I have anything to wear that would do this necklace justice. At the moment, I feel silly wearing it because I’m in denim shorts and a tank top.”
“A beautiful woman wearing beautiful jewelry doesn’t need a fancy dress.”
“There’s an idea,” Paige said leaning in close to him. “How about we stay in tonight, order room service and I’ll wear the necklace. Just the necklace.”
Mano felt his whole body stiffen at her suggestion. His blood started humming through his veins, making him eager to return to the hotel. No matter how many times he had Paige, he wanted more. “A tempting offer.”
He tried not to wish for his vision very often. It was the kind of hopeless yearning that succeeded only in fairy tales. Rapunzel’s tears wouldn’t cure him because this was real life. And yet, Paige painted a picture in his mind that he wished he could see for real.
Paige made him wish for a lot of things that he hadn’t ever expected. She was so many different things in one person, and he’d never imagined he’d find a woman like that. He’d indulged in a handful of affairs over the years, but he’d always been happy to let them come to an end when their time together was up. He’d never been tempted to search one of them out, invite them back for another visit to the island or really even give them much thought once they were gone. They had fun together, but that was all.
