Stroke of Love

by Melissa Foster

  She showed him the other two classrooms and the small room the staff used for the administrative work. She picked up a drawing from the desk and looked it over, then held it to her chest and smiled.

  “Someone special?” he asked.

  “Javier. He wants to be an artist.” She hung the picture on a corkboard by the desk and they headed out of the building. The less conversation the better.

  Sage held the door open for her again.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  He turned and stared at the building.

  “I know it’s dank and dirty, but with only the rain to clean it off…” She shrugged.

  “Actually, I was just thinking about how we could breathe new life into it by painting a mural on this wall. You’d be surprised how color can perk up morale.” He rubbed his chin and moved closer, studying the rough texture of the concrete. “We could involve the kids. This could be their project.”

  Kate tucked her clipboard under her arm and took a sip from her water bottle. “We don’t really have funding for that. We barely have enough supplies to carry out—”

  “I can take care of it.”

  She shook her head. Of course. You’re just like all the others. “That’s not always the answer, throwing money at problems.”

  Sage moved closer to her. “Kate, I’m not throwing money at a problem. I’m offering to lift the spirits of the kids, to allow them to let their creativity flow on a canvas that matters to them.”

  “I don’t know. We have very specific programs that we try to run for them.” The sun crawled behind the trees, leaving them in a dusky haze, made darker by the surrounding forest.

  “I’m sure you do, but…” He ran his hand through his hair again.

  God, you look sexy when you do that. She cringed. She had to stop thinking about him like that.

  “Listen, I was thinking as we drove in this afternoon…Another way that I can help bring resources here is to paint the local scenery, capture the spirit of the community, and sell them back in New York; then the funds can be given back to the community, less the cost of shipping the artwork back to the States, of course.”

  She rolled her eyes. “And less your commission, no doubt. We should start heading back.” She turned toward the road, and Sage reached out and touched her arm. Her muscles tensed beneath his fingers. She stared at his big, strong hand. Even after he moved it from her arm, warmth lingered where it had been.

  “I’d never take a commission.” He stalked off ahead of her.

  Kate caught up to him and they walked in silence, broken only by the sounds of birds chirping, Sage’s breathing, and their footsteps on the dry ground. The clearing fell away behind them, and the compound was still too far away to see. They were encased beneath the umbrella of the jungle as it arched over the road. Kate had conflicting messages playing in her head. He’s just like the rest of them, a celebrity to the core. Maybe not. He claimed not to want a commission, and he was thinking of the kids. She wondered what it might be like to be in his arms, to tether that brooding energy and kiss him. To touch that incredibly muscled chest of his. A flutter snaked its way through Kate’s stomach. Stop it.

  “I’m not sure I follow your thinking about the mural.”

  His voice brought her back to reality. She cleared her throat. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re here to help these people, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, I’m offering to help. Why does it matter if I have supplies flown in or if I donate a few thousand dollars and go through a different channel to get it done? There’s more red tape if I have to go the donation route. Hell, you know how that works. There’s even a chance you’d never see the materials. The funds could be appropriated elsewhere.” Sage paused to take a drink of water, and Kate stopped beside him.

  “Because a few thousand dollars can do incredible things for them medically, and if it were used for food? Well, you can buy a whole lot of staples for that money.” She watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he drank. He lowered the bottle and licked his lips with an ahh that had her stupid stomach fluttering again.

  “Then I’ll donate twice as much,” he said softly. “That way they have the money they need for medical supplies and food, and I can do a little art project with the children.”

  “And paint other things so you can send them home and make a living.” She tilted her head. See? I’ve got your number.

  He laughed, which completely threw her off balance.

  “You’re laughing at me?”

  “Kate.” He shook his head. “If I never worked another day in my life, I’d be fine. I don’t need to make a living. Besides, everything in life isn’t about money. That’s the problem.” He capped his water bottle and walked off in the direction of the compound, leaving Kate staring after him.

  She reached the compound as the door to Sage’s cabin smacked closed behind him, and Penelope, Cassidy, and Clayton came around the side of Penelope’s cabin.

  “We’re heading into town,” Penelope said, with the others in tow.

  Boy, are you in for a surprise. She didn’t know what they were expecting, but by the actresses short skirts and high heels, she knew it was a far cry from a night out in the tiny town of Punta Palacia, where dressing up meant wearing a skirt once between washes down at the river instead of three times.

  “Okay, but please stay together. It’s really easy to get lost in the dark. Do you have flashlights?” The women carried tiny purses. There was no way flashlights would fit in them, but she knew better than to push a celebrity to do anything. That would be grounds for a How dare you try to tell me what to do diatribe.

  “No, but Clayton will protect us.” Cassidy looped her arm into Clayton’s. Her dark hair had frizzed in the humidity and curled around her face in tight ringlets.

  “Well, then, have fun.” Still fuming from her conversation with Sage, Kate was in no mood to discuss their stupidity. She stomped to Luce’s cabin and knocked on the door.

  Luce pulled the door open with a wide smile. “I counted down the minutes after hearing sexy Sage’s door slam. It takes a lot to rile that guy.”

  Kate pushed past her and flopped onto her bed. “What do you mean? Do you know him? I mean, before coming here, did you know him?”

  Luce sat beside her. “I live in New York. How can I not know him? The guy’s an icon in the art industry, and I happen to love art. I go to all of his gallery showings. He’s like Mr. Chill.”

  “Mr. Chill,” Kate repeated. “Great. What does that say about me?”

  “Depends. What did you do?” Luce leaned back against the wall and stretched her feet out across the mattress.

  The evening air felt ten degrees cooler than the afternoon had, and sitting beside Luce, Kate felt the muscles in her neck relax a little. She missed having a friend to talk to. She and Caleb were the only AIA volunteers in the small community. And Caleb was not very social. She was always glad when Luce came with her clients. They’d met a year and a half ago and had instantly hit it off. They remained in touch with email. Kate felt comfortable with Luce, and she trusted her, which made it easy for Kate to be honest with her.

  She rubbed her thumb over the ridges on her water bottle. “I don’t know. I’m used to the Clayton Rays of the celeb world, you know? So I just assumed that he was like them. He wants to paint a mural on the school building.”

  “Of course he does. He’s an artist. That would be phenomenal.” Luce’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Wouldn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Kate smiled, then drew her brows together and hit her thigh with her water bottle. “Maybe. I don’t know. He’d have to fly in supplies, which is really expensive.”

  “He can afford it.”

  “I know he can, but you know I hate that these guys come out here just for the publicity, and having him fly this stuff in is probably just a way for him to get more publicity. It’s gotta be about the kids, and I mean, how often do we see anyone rea
lly connect with them?” She took another drink of water, and they sat in silence for a beat or two.

  “Some do.”

  Kate shot her a look.

  “Okay, not many, but some do. Believe it or not, there are some people who do things for the same reasons you do.” Luce touched her hand. “You can’t judge him until you know him.”

  “Sometimes I hate you.” Kate turned toward an unfamiliar noise. “What is that?”

  “Grunting?” Luce went to the screened porch and peered out. She covered her mouth and waved Kate over. “Hurry,” she whispered.

  Sage was lying prone on the ground, lifted up by his toes and his fingertips as he grunted out push-up after push-up. In the light of the moon, every muscle glistened with sweat. His massive biceps flexed and his hamstrings jumped with each exertion.

  “Would you look at that yummy beast? Jesus, Kate, whatever you did, take it back. That’s a prime specimen right there.”

  Kate flushed, mesmerized by the power in his body. It had been a very long time since she’d seen masculinity of that caliber…so close…so hot...so...Shit. What am I doing? She tried to turn away but was drawn to him like metal to magnet. His tattoos twitched and stretched across his broad back as it lifted and fell, gracefully tapering to his trim waist and that perfect ass.

  “God, just one night with that. That’s all I ask for.”

  Kate smacked Luce’s arm.

  “What?” Luce whispered. “If you’re not going to take a stab at him, why shouldn’t I?”

  Kate couldn’t think of one reason Luce shouldn’t. Except that she could. The slamming of her heart against her chest told her that maybe, just maybe, she didn’t want to write him off completely. Not if he really wasn’t like the other celebs. Not if he held any sort of promise for…Oh hell, what am I thinking? He was a man, and he looked like that. There was no way he was the kind of man she hoped to one day end up with—a man who cared more about others than himself. A man who didn’t put money ahead of time spent helping others. A man she could count on.

  “Go for it,” she said halfheartedly to Luce and dragged herself away from the most spectacular scenery she’d seen in five years.

  “What on earth is wrong with you? Have you gone nun on me?”

  “No. Yes. I don’t know.” Kate rubbed her hands over her face. “He’s not going to be the man for me in the long run, so why bother?”

  “Why bother? Oh, honey, you’ve been here too long. Don’t you miss the feel of an orgasm ripping through your body like nobody’s business? Tying all of your nerves into a knot, then exploding and stealing your last breath? The feel of a man’s arms around you, holding you so tight you can barely breathe and begging him to hold you tighter?” Luce let out a dreamy breath.

  Kate stared at her, jaw agape.

  “What?”

  Kate blinked in rapid succession and shook her head. “I don’t know. I guess…No. I mean, yeah, I would miss that if I’d ever had it.” She felt her cheeks flush again. Could sex really be like that? She wasn’t a virgin, but never had any sexual experience even come close to the feeling Luce described.

  Luce lifted her hair from her neck and fanned her face. “You’re serious?”

  She nodded.

  “Not once?”

  She shook her head, wishing she could disappear. Then, in the next breath, Kate wondered what it might be like to experience what Luce described just once before she disappeared.

  Chapter Three

  SAGE STOOD UNDER the showerhead, dripping with sweat and praying the water pressure would kick in. He soaped himself up, then maneuvered his body in the two-foot-square shower until the impotent stream of water cleared the froth. Not quite as refreshing as he’d hoped, but about a thousand times more refreshing than knowing he’d walk out his front door in the concrete jungle and into the masses of self-centered people, too busy to say hello or walk around someone instead of barging into them as they stared at their phones. He dried himself off, thinking about Kate and wondering why she was so dead set against him using his own funds and resources to paint the school—and why she was so jaded to think that he’d want a commission from his paintings.

  The heat had stolen his hunger, and he was too agitated to sit still. If he’d been at home, he would go up to his studio and paint or work his frustrations out with his hands, sculpting clay or heating and reforming metal until he lost his mind in it. Hell, if he were in New York, he could call his younger brother, Dex, or his older brother Jack and go out for a drink, or he could go for a run. It was too hot to run, and he had no interest in heading into town, but he wouldn’t mind taking a walk.

  With a flashlight, a drawing pad, and a bottle of water in hand, Sage headed for the path that led to the community area. There was a plethora of noise coming from the forest, and it grew louder as he entered the path. He’d have to remember to ask Kate about these new and different noises. He couldn’t single out a sound. They all ran together in waves and pulses of odd noises. Once he reached the other end of the path, he headed toward the concrete, rectangular building. Most people probably saw a mess hall, but to Sage it was another blank canvas, just like the school. Maybe I was drawn to AIA and Punta Palacia for a bigger reason. Sage believed in fate and in most things intangible that others scoffed at, like following his gut instincts. He always had. He walked around the building, sizing it up, conjuring ideas. He’d need to spend some time in town, taking in the culture, feeling the energy of the people, the spirit of the community. He envisioned painting colorful fruits and vegetables, a woman dancing, a man playing a guitar, another playing drums, his hands suspended in midbeat, a child with a tambourine. The thought of it made his heart race, and just as quickly, the excitement dissipated. Kate had already nixed the idea of a mural at the school. There was no way he’d be allowed to touch this building.

  Inside, he found Luce and Kate sitting at a table near the door, with a bottle of beer each and a bowl of biscuits between them. Now, that looks appetizing. The beer and Kate. Sage saw them exchange a glance, and a pink glow crawled up Kate’s cheeks.

  Hmm. “Hi, Kate. Luce.” He purposely shifted his eyes away from Kate’s. He had no idea how his body would react to her after the heat that had seared through him earlier.

  “Hi,” they said in unison.

  “Care to join us?” Luce waved at a chair.

  Sage couldn’t miss the tension that pulled Kate’s shoulders up toward her ears. “Kate? Do you mind? I’d be happy to buy each of you a beer—even if I have to pay double.” He smiled, hoping his levity about “buying” the drinks might ease Kate’s tension. The look she slid him in response was anything but relaxed.

  Luce kicked her under the table and tossed a biscuit toward him. “Sit, please, and have a Johnnycake.”

  Sage wondered what that kick meant. He noticed the glare Kate gave Luce and the arching of the brow Luce shot back and tried not to read too much into it. But how could he not with Kate working so hard to keep from looking at him?

  “Was all that noise outside from the animals you mentioned?” he asked Kate.

  “Mm-hmm. Amphibians.” Kate took a swig of her beer.

  He picked up the biscuit and took a bite. “That’s really good. Cornmeal?”

  “They’re delicious. And addicting. They’re cornmeal cakes, a local fave.” Luce rose to her feet. “I’ll grab you a beer from Kate’s secret stash.”

  “You have a secret stash?” he whispered to Kate.

  The edges of her lips curved up. Their eyes met, and he felt a zing of attraction all the way to his toes, causing his pulse to speed up. It was all Sage could do not to either lower his eyes and break the connection or lean across the table and kiss her. What the hell am I thinking? Thankfully, Luce returned with a cold beer. It was damn good timing. Sage had a feeling that if she had taken a moment longer, he might have chanced that kiss and probably would have ended up with a black eye followed by a miserable two weeks of groveling apologies. What the hell was h
appening to him? Sage was a handsome man, and women flirted with him everywhere he went, but he didn’t date often, and he rarely paid attention to the women who came onto him. He certainly had never felt anything like the attraction he felt toward Kate—which was weird given that he clearly rubbed her in all the wrong ways.

  “Thank you, Luce. Kate, I’ll reciprocate. Show me where to buy them tomorrow, and I’ll pick up a few.” The condensation soaked his hands as he brought the cold bottle to his lips. The salty ale quenched his thirst, and he suppressed the urge to suck down the bottle in one long drink. Sage wasn’t typically a big drinker, but after the heat and frustration of the day, and with the remaining confusion surrounding the beautiful woman before him, he’d welcome a little deadening of the senses.

  “She knows all the best places to buy everything. She’ll hook you up,” Luce said.

  Kate sucked down her beer in one unladylike gulp. “Excuse me.” She pushed from the table and rose to her feet.

  Sage watched her slim hips sway as she made her way to the kitchen. Jesus, something about her had a hold on him in all the right places. He shook it off and focused on Luce.

  “Not anything like the Big Apple, huh?” Luce lifted her bottle.

  “Thank goodness for that.” Sage couldn’t help but watch Kate as she bent over a freezer in the kitchen, then struggled with the twist-off cap to another beer. She shook her hand and pressed it against her hip, scrunching her face in a frustrated scowl. A soft laugh escaped Sage’s lips.

  Luce turned and followed his gaze. “She really is a sweet girl.”

  “Sweet?” Sage took another drink of his beer. “I see flashes of that, but she’s a tough nut to crack.”

  “She has to be. Look at where she is. She’s almost twenty-seven, single, in a developing nation with all sorts of dangers and no one to lean on.” Luce spoke in a hushed tone, her eyes serious, her perfectly manicured, barely there brows knitted together.