Stroke of Love

by Melissa Foster

  Kate remembered his bulging veins and the look of anger in his eyes when he’d held Clayton against the tree, and how shocked she’d been when she’d first seen that side of him. Then, after hearing that he’d acted to protect her, she’d experienced a whole different type of shock. She was flattered, and intrigued, and floored to know that his feelings for her were growing as quickly as hers were for him.

  The mural came into focus, and Kate stopped cold. “Look at that. Amazing, right?” Seeing the finished mural again brought as much sadness as it did excitement. It was just another sign that he would soon be leaving.

  “The man’s a master at his craft.”

  He’s a master at everything he does.

  “You think you’ll be okay when he forgets to show up for dinner? Really?”

  “I think if he were purposely avoiding me, I’d be mad,” Kate admitted. “But he said I can’t accept excuses and that I have to hold him accountable if he forgets me. I think that’s admirable. I mean, how many guys would say that? He’s good, Luce. He’s right for me. I feel it in my bones. But we do need to figure out the details. Where will I live? What will I actually do? When can we see each other if I’m living with my parents? He tried to talk to me last night about it all, but I sort of seduced him instead.”

  “Seduced him? You go, girl.” Luce followed Kate across the lawn to the school. They stood in the shade of a large tree, admiring the mural. “Sometimes I think it would be hard to be you, but right now, seeing that fulfilled look of love in your eyes, knowing you’ve been living with a glorious beach a few minutes from your perfect, secluded, elevated hut, I wish I were you.”

  Kate drew in a deep breath. “Why’d you say it would be hard to be me?”

  “Because while I have to be a planner for my work because my clients are used to being babysat, if I had a guy like Sage swoop me off my feet and offer me my dream job and all the love I could ever dream of, I wouldn’t care if I never planned another damn thing in my life. It must be hard to live in your head and to need every aspect of your life planned out.” Luce turned back toward the road. “Come on. I’m broiling.”

  On the way back toward the main road, Kate thought of how quickly she’d fallen for Sage and how standoffish she’d tried to be when she’d seen him on the bus on the way there. How every time she looked at him her pulse raced, and how when she was with him, knowing every detail of where she was headed took a backseat.

  “Am I worrying too much?”

  Luce shrugged. “How the hell should I know? I could never live like you do. I would go nuts moving every few years. I like traveling, but I also like having a home base, you know? Someplace that when I return, I think, Thank God I’m home.”

  “He’s not asking me to marry him and settle down. He asked me to see how the relationship goes and to work with him. What if working together is a mistake? I keep wondering about that.” She played with romantic images in her mind of reading and hanging out in the studio with Sage as he worked and traveling to villages where they could actually help the residents, but in the next breath she worried about working that closely together. She’d watched her parents work and travel together her whole life, and while they seemed happy, she wasn’t oblivious to the eye rolls and bouts of agitation between them.

  “You need to have a talk with him. I didn’t get the impression that he was going to do much with the nonprofit besides supporting the artistic side. He’s not exactly a major negotiator or a businessman. You heard him say he would have experts to do all that. He’s a smart man, and he loves you.” At the edge of the road, where the main road met the lane leading to the school, Luce took a deep breath. “I do love it here in short doses. At home I’d be staring at skyscrapers and smelling garbage.” She laughed.

  “If the business doesn’t work out, there are plenty of options for me to return to. But…”

  Luce looked at her expectantly.

  “I really want to be with Sage. I love him, Luce.” She sighed dreamily. “He’s so…”

  “Hot?”

  She laughed. “Yeah, but…”

  “Thoughtful? Rich? Sexy? A good lover? Strong? Protective? Take your pick. You can stop me anytime.”

  “He’s so…good. He’s genuinely caring, Luce. I can feel how good of a person he is, and the rest is like icing on the cake.” And what a delicious cake he is. What am I gonna do when he leaves?

  SAGE HAD WORKED on the canvas through the afternoon while Kate and Luce were in the village. She couldn’t get back soon enough. He wanted time with her—every second he could get before he had to leave. He’d been waiting for her to bring up the details of the nonprofit and, really, the details of their futures and what they both wanted. He had wanted to bring it up a hundred times. He was anxious as hell about leaving her, and every time he walked into her hut, the sight of her sticky notes and day planner full of must-do items were reminders of the organization that Kate depended on in her life. He wanted to give her that comfort even if he wasn’t one hundred percent sure of all of the details himself.

  He found Kate in her hut, working her way through one of her lists. Before opening the screened door, he drank her in for a minute. It would be more than a week before he saw her again, and though he was trying to be strong around her, every time he saw her, he was struck with a feeling of longing for the days he’d miss.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Great. I’m just going over the things I need to wrap up before I leave here. I can hardly believe how soon I leave.” She looked up at him with sadness in her eyes. “And I really can’t believe you leave tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, we should talk about that.” He settled his hand on her shoulder, and her smile faltered. He’d gotten so used to waking up beside her every morning, having coffee together, and meeting up again in the afternoon that he couldn’t imagine how he would make it through a week of not seeing her.

  “Want to spend our last afternoon together at the beach?” he asked. The memory of making love to Kate at the beach sent a bolt of heat searing through him. He cleared his throat to bring his focus back to her.

  Kate rose to her feet. “Sure.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To get my bathing suit on.”

  “Damn.”

  She laughed. “I didn’t say I’d keep it on.”

  An hour later, they were lying on the hot sandy beach. Sage’s hands moved slowly across Kate’s back, basting her with suntan lotion and loving the feel of her while he memorized the curves of her body.

  “Do I really have to leave tomorrow?” He wished like hell he didn’t have a show coming up. He’d love nothing more than to stay until Kate had to leave, then return home together. He set the lotion aside and took her hand as she sat up and moved closer to him.

  “I know. I keep wondering the same thing.”

  “It’s gonna suck being away from you,” he admitted.

  “I know. I’m so used to you that I know when you leave I’ll be looking for you every time I go into the school or when I walk by your cabin.” She lowered her eyes. “And when I go to bed at night. I’m not sure I know how to sleep alone anymore.”

  “Where do we go from here, Kate?” He watched her take a deep breath and blow it out slowly, wondering if she was as nervous as he was.

  “I leave a week after you, and I’ll go to my parents. Then...”

  “How long would you like to be with them before visiting me?” A day? Two? A week? He wondered if she could hear the desperation he felt.

  She nibbled on her lower lip. “I don’t know. A few days, maybe?”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “Have you given any thought to how much time you want to spend with me?”

  “I’ve only thought about it every second of every day.”

  Her cheeks flushed, and he pulled her to his chest and folded her in his arms. “Me too.”

  “How long do you want me to visit?”

  “Forever and a day.”

 
; She smiled. “No, really?”

  “Really.” He’d thought about it over and over, and he couldn’t put a limit on their time together. He was already having heart palpitations about leaving her. Why would he want to go through that again in a few weeks?

  “You want me to…stay?”

  “More than anything. Until you get sick of me.”

  “Really? Oh my God, I want that too. I didn’t want to have to leave you again. Would you mind meeting my parents?”

  “Your parents, your friends, your elementary school teachers. I’ll meet anyone you want me to, and I want you to meet my family, even if I’m worried about them scaring you off.”

  She laughed. “I’m trying to be okay with not knowing where we’re headed and not having firm plans in place for myself career-wise, but I’m afraid I’m not doing a very good job of it. I’m scared to death about where to turn. I mean, you have this idea, but there’s nothing tangible yet, and I don’t want to be a freeloader when I visit.”

  “Freeloader? You’re kidding, right?”

  “No. I’m not.”

  The seriousness in her voice shouldn’t have taken him by surprise, but it did.

  “I’ve always had a job, a focus, and I can’t just go stay with you and hang out all day. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

  “Kate.” He pulled her onto his lap and drew her legs around his waist. “Let’s talk about the nonprofit. It’s a big talk. I’m gonna hold you tight so neither of us can dodge the conversation.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I got an email from my lawyer and my accountant, and they both think it’s a viable business to pursue. I want to do it, but I want to be very clear about what I’d actually do. I’m not a businessman. I’m an artist. I’ll trust my attorney, my accountant, and whoever we hire to run the business to take care of that side of things. If you agree to be part of it, and I hope you will, then you’d define what you want to do and we’ll work around it. Assuming we’re a couple—and that’s what I want more than anything else. I hope you know that.”

  “I do.”

  “Good. God, Kate, you’ve become everything to me.” He ran his hand down her shoulder. “Sorry. I got sidetracked. Anyway, if you travel, I travel. I want to be part of it all, but I’m not a director. I’m the guy who makes the stuff that brings in funding. And you’re the woman who figures out who to help and makes it happen with the communities, I think—unless you feel differently.”

  “Are you kidding? It would be a dream come true. But can you just take off and travel for whatever amount of time it takes? I mean, the coordination with local officials will take time, and then the actual implementation of wells or other programs, that’ll take time, too.”

  “This is what I want to do, and I want to do it with you. I’ll make it happen. This whole thing has made me really rethink my life. I live in the Village because it’s convenient, but I hate it. God, do I hate it. I mean, in small doses it’s great, but being here with you, actually spending time with someone who values the same things I do and who enjoys the outdoors as much as I do, it’s been incredible. I feel like we’re totally in sync, and I’m one hundred percent on board with all of this.”

  KATE COULDN’T REMEMBER ever wanting anything so badly in her life. The hope in Sage’s eyes tugged at her heart. She was as scared as she’d ever been, but knowing she’d be with Sage made it worth the risk.

  “Okay. Yes! Let’s do it!” Oh my God.

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips, her neck, her cheeks. “I’m so happy,” he said between kisses. “I can’t wait.”

  “Me either.” Her entire body trembled. A good trembling, one that she relished. A tremble of hope. She’d still have to deal with telling her parents and telling Raymond. Oh God, Raymond. AIA.

  “What’s that look?” Sage cocked his head.

  “What am I gonna tell Raymond?”

  “I usually go with the truth,” Sage suggested.

  “Oh, yeah. Hey, Raymond, I’m going to start another nonprofit to help newly developing nations?” She rolled her eyes.

  “I think so, yes. Kate, you never know when the two organizations can work together. If you think about it, there might be times we want to align ourselves with one of their missions. We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re doing something good.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed him in. “You’re always so sure of things.”

  “I’m sure of this, and I’m sure of being with you.”

  “Me too.”

  “Kate, if you need something to do, to focus on when you come to New York, we should spend some time outlining the organization. The areas you’re particularly interested in helping, your thoughts on travel, everything. I want to flesh this out as much as we need to for you to feel comfortable.”

  Kate climbed off his lap and sat beside him. “Does it bother you that I like to have things planned out?”

  He laughed. “If it bothered me, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I never would have ended up in your bed the first time we made love, and I would never do this.” Sage pulled her to him and kissed her deeply.

  “God, I’m gonna miss that,” she said in one long breath.

  “Me too.” He stood and held out a hand to help her up. “I hate that I’m going to have to spend a week without you before you come home.”

  Home. She loved the sound of that.

  “What if your family doesn’t like me?”

  “What if yours doesn’t like me?” He arched a brow.

  “Stupid, right?” She sighed.

  “We’re both good people. What’s not to like? Come on. Let’s take a walk and we can talk about everything we need to figure out so that you’re comfortable.”

  They walked along the shore, their feet kicking up little waves in the warm water.

  “Caleb doesn’t know anything about the possibility of AIA pulling out. Do you think you should mention it?” Sage asked.

  “Not yet. I need to talk to Raymond about everything. I hope they don’t pull out of here, and I think if I talk with him about Luce’s ideas, it might help, too.” A breeze kicked up off the water, and she turned her face toward it. “Mm. This is so romantic. You know it’s not always like this. When I was in Albania, it was so cold that we had to deal with frozen pipes.”

  “Did you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed it here?”

  “Yeah, I did. To me it’s not about how beautiful the place is. Every place is beautiful. It’s about the work I’m doing and how much it helps the people there. When I was in Albania, I was working with a local company to help them learn more efficient business practices. That’s what the need was, so that’s what I did.”

  “Did you work with kids there, too?” He guided them into the warm water.

  “Each of us had a project outside of our volunteer work. Mine was an environmental club for the kids. I taught them about recycling, and we did a big project at the end of my assignment where we cleaned up a local park and took a bunch of pictures. It was really fun.”

  Sage turned to face her, squinting from the sun. The right side of his lips lifted in a smile. “Do you think you can stand living someplace for a few months out of the year and traveling for projects instead of living in a remote location for two years straight?”

  She dug her toes into the sandy ocean floor. “I’m sure I can.” I can do anything as long as I’m helping others and spending time with you.

  “I need you to promise me that if you need anything, or you feel confined, you’ll let me know. I don’t want you to ever feel restricted.” His tone turned serious.

  “Okay.”

  “I’m serious, Kate. I’ve been thinking about this, and this is a big change for both of us. I’m also thinking that if you love living with me”—he pulled her close—“which I’m sure you will, then maybe we’ll move out of the city and find someplace that’s more suited to us. Maybe get a few acres somewhere, a small house with a studio for my work and
whatever you want for yourself.”

  She took a deep breath. “You’re thinking really far ahead. I’m worried about coming to New York and finding out that you loved me here but in New York I’m not quite as appealing to you.”

  His eyes darkened. “You’re really worried about that?”

  She shrugged. “It’s romantic here. It’s like a vacation for you. Your real life is far, far away, but what happens when your schedules and deadlines come into play? What if…there…you see me differently?”

  He clenched his jaw, and Kate held her breath. Shit. Shit. Shit. Why did I say that?

  “You know, I could see you anywhere. Here, New York, Pennsylvania, Paris. None of it would be different. Kate, I see you.” He closed the gap between them and her stomach fluttered at the feel of his chest against her.

  “I am in love with you, Kate. Who you are, the person you are, that doesn’t change because of where we are.”

  “I…But…”

  “What?” He brushed a strand of hair from where it had swept against her cheek.

  God, I love you.

  “Tell me.”

  “I’m just scared. I want to be with you more than I want to take my next breath, and I want to be part of the work you described, but I’m not anything special, and you’re going back to a world where you are so well-known, and—” Oh my God. I didn’t even know I was this scared.

  He folded her in his arms and held her. “Babe, I am who you see. I am the man you know. You think I’m special because you love me. And I love that, but back in New York, it’s my art that is special to everyone else, not me. And that doesn’t affect who I am as a person.” He drew back and looked deeply into her eyes. “We can be scared together, because I worry you might not find me as interesting when you have a sea of men to choose from.”

  “Yeah, right.” She laughed under her breath.

  “See how silly? That’s why you shouldn’t worry about me not wanting to be with you. It took me twenty-eight years to find you. I’m not letting go that easily. Let’s not worry about the what-ifs and focus on the what-we-wants. Tell me what you envision for this endeavor of ours.”