Stroke of Love (7 page)

Sage took a big drink of the deliciously cold, fresh-fruit smoothie. “This is incredible.”

“Thank you, Sage. You didn’t have to buy them.”

“They’re your favorite. Now I know.”

Stop being so damned perfect
. She watched him click on Skype and then hover the mouse over the connection link.

“My mother is lovely, but my brother Rush can be snarky.” He looked away, as if he was picturing him. “Well, you’ll see, and if it gets annoying, go do your thing and I’ll catch up with you when I’m done.”

“My thing?” she asked, intrigued about his mother and brother. There was no way she was leaving the seat she had to this show. She was dying to see from his family whether he was as authentic as he seemed.

“I just don’t want you to feel trapped with me.” Sage swung his stool around, and his hand hovered over her thigh, then quickly grabbed the table, as if he had suddenly realized he was going to touch her.

Kate’s stomach fluttered again. She felt like a schoolgirl with a crush-gone-wild.

He clicked the link, and it took several tries before he was able to connect. The other line rang three times before quieting. They watched the circle on the screen spin. Then stop. Then spin again. Eventually, the page came to life.

“Hi, Mom,” Sage said loudly.

The smile that graced his gorgeous lips reached his eyes, and Kate could feel happiness emitting from him, very different from the scorching, sexual blaze she’d felt last night—the one she hoped hadn’t been just a figment of her drunken imagination.

“Sage,” his mother said in a loving voice. “Oh, honey, I’m so glad you could call. Look at you.” She had the prettiest blue eyes, long gray hair, and a pleasant, friendly face.

He nodded. “I’m here and I’m fine. What’s happening there? How’re you? Dad?”

“Hey, asshole.” A male voice came from the computer.

Sage turned to Kate. “That’d be Rush. Four years older, handsome, and cocky as hell.”

She saw a look pass through his eyes and wasn’t sure what it meant.

“Lemme see you, Rush,” Sage said.

Rush popped his head over his mother’s shoulder. “Sorry, to invade your space, Mom.”

His hair was a shade lighter than Sage’s, his eyes as bright blue as his mother’s. He had the same chiseled features, though he was clean shaven and his face was more animated. He was strikingly handsome—and Kate felt absolutely nothing. Not a single butterfly in her stomach, not even a hint of attraction. And then she looked at Sage, and those damned butterflies let her know they were still there.

“Dude, what’s up? How’re things in Belize? Meet any hot babes?” Rush’s voice was deeper than Sage’s, and he spoke fast, teasingly.

Kate felt the question like a punch to the stomach, killing the flutters as quickly as they’d appeared. She watched Sage’s jaw clench.

“You’re an idiot,” Sage said to Rush.

“Rush, please. We don’t know how long Sage has to talk,” their mother said.

Sage glanced at Kate. “He’s an idiot.”

No, I’m the idiot for thinking you might be different.

The screen pixilated, blocking out half of his mother’s face.

“Sage, honey, who are you talking to?” his mother asked.

“Oh, um. Kate Paletto. She runs the show for AIA here.” He leaned toward her and whispered, “Would you mind saying hello?”

Don’t do it. Do not do it. Get up and leave. He’s exactly like the rest of them
. Before she could answer, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in front of the monitor. Cheek to cheek with him, and damn did he smell good.

“Mom, this is Kate. Kate, Joanie Remington.” His mother’s image became clear again.

She forced her teeth to unclench. “Hello, Mrs. Remington.”

Rush pushed his face back into the frame. “Hi, Kate. I’m Rush.”

She felt Sage’s hand go rigid on the back of her shoulder. “I’ll let you guys talk. Nice to meet you.” Kate tried to pull from his grasp, but he held on tight.

“Nice to meet you, too, Kate,” his mother said.

Sage didn’t move his arm from her shoulder when she sat up, and the heat of it was making her body awaken in places she wished would stop reacting to him. She wasn’t about to become one of the string of women he probably had God knows where waiting for him. Brothers talked. She knew that. She wondered what he would have said if she weren’t there with him. Would he have mentioned Penelope? Cassidy?
Me?

“Honey, tell me about the culture. What’s it like there? What have you done?” his mother asked.

“I’ll fill you in on that after he’s off the computer,” Rush said with a laugh.

Oh my God, really? What an ass.

“Hush up, Rush. You’d think you were fifteen again. Please,” his mother chided him.

“Today I fixed a roof at the school, and I think we’re working with the kids later. The town is small, a few hundred people. I haven’t seen many of the locals yet, but, Mom, it’s so beautiful here. I wish I had all my supplies. I’m working on Kate to let me paint a mural with the kids on the side of the school.”

“Oh, honey, that’s a marvelous idea. So good for the children,” his mother said.

Kate’s ears perked up at the mention of the mural.

“I’m working on it. It’s one reason I’m calling. Mom, if Kate agrees…” He slid his hand from around her shoulder and held up a finger, indicating for her to hear him out. “Can you arrange for the supplies? I want to donate as much to the charity as it takes to fly the stuff here. Equal amounts.”

“Yes, honey, of course. What does Kate think about the idea?”

“Ask her.” Sage pulled Kate in front of the monitor again.

She tried to wiggle out from his grasp, but again, he held on too tight. She shot him a hot stare and tried to keep her anger from her voice. “Well, I’m not really against the idea. I just…It will cost a lot of money, and that’s money that could pay for medical supplies, food, and other, more necessary things.”
Jesus, now your family will hate me
. She tried to lean out of his grasp, but she was stuck. And mad.

“Oh, honey, in some aspects, I suppose you’re right,” his mother said. “Well, I’m sure you two will figure it out.”

She breathed a sigh of relief to be off the topic and she thought of Javier, his big, dark eyes and mop of pitch-black hair. The way his face lit up when he told her of the paintings he was going to create when he was older. She felt her resolve soften, even if she wasn’t ready to admit it yet.

Kate talked with his mother about how long she’d been in Belize and how excited she was for Sage to work with the children, and then she left them alone to chat while she sat at the counter, nursing her smoothie and thinking about Sage.

After Sage ended the Skype call, he and Kate sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of the birds outside the window.

“You know, I know just where you’re coming from about the mural.” Sage ran his finger through the condensation of his glass. “The money is important for all of the necessities in life. But for the children who are living with so few material things and seem to really feel the joy of giving and receiving…” His eyes lit up. “Think of the picture you found in the office yesterday. You were so happy to find it, and I’m sure Javier was thrilled to draw it for you.”

Do you have to sound so damn sincere?

“You know these kids better than I ever will, but I can only imagine that taking part in a community art project will allow them to give back to you and their teachers, to do something they can be really proud of. It’s something they’ll see every morning and every afternoon and think,
We made that beautiful mural.
”

Well, hell
. Who could deny that logic? She looked at Sage, his eyes filled with such hope that it rendered her mute.

“Everyone needs something to be proud of. Not that I’m trying to pressure you or anything,” Sage said, lifting the right side of his mouth into a crooked smile. “And I’ll donate the same amount of funds for medical or other purposes. Would that be so bad?”

She sighed, though it was all for show. Her anger had given way to reluctant acceptance. No way could she deny the children what he’d just described. “Fine. Okay. You’ve convinced me.”

Sage wrapped her in his arms and kissed her cheek with his soft lips.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

The rough scratch of his whiskers sent a full-body shudder through her. When he drew back, his gratitude-filled gaze pinned her heart to the barbed-wire fence, and she swore it sprouted legs and tried to climb over.

“DO YOU THINK it was a setup?” Kate said to Luce. They were eating lunch on a bench in the community rec area, and she’d just finished explaining to her what had transpired at the Internet café.

“Calling his family?” Luce asked.

“It’s stupid. I know. But you know how the more you see someone with their family, the warmer you feel inside. Maybe it made me a softie.”

“A conspiracy. Now I get it.” Luce shook her head. “You’re losing your mind, and by the way, I want details on last night.”

“Ugh.” She’d been groaning a lot lately.

“No way. That bad?”

“I’m a little fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure I tried to kiss him.”

Luce threw her hands up in the air and said, “Hallelujah.”

“And he didn’t kiss me. He left.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear and spoke with a serious tone. “Oh, Kate. Are you sure you don’t just think you tried to kiss him?”

“Trust me. I’ve been over this a hundred times. All night long, in fact. I closed my eyes like a schoolgirl, puckered my lips, and…waited.”

Luce laughed. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “What did he do?”

“I don’t know. He said something about me not knowing him, or it not being who he was. I don’t know.” She sighed. “Maybe I would have regretted it in the morning anyway. I don’t know, and I can’t remember exactly what happened. I was too busy being mortified. Then he showed up this morning and fixed the damn roof like it’s what he does every day. Mr. Millionaire Artist
and
roofer.” She buried her face in her hands.

“I guess he’s not just like the others,” Luce pointed out.

“Shut up. It’s a farce. I know it is. Oh, and his brother Rush…He definitely said stuff that made it seem like Sage isn’t as good as he seems.”

“You can’t trust anything a brother says. Mine would have all sorts of shit to say about me that isn’t true.”

“I guess. Whatever.” Kate looked around. “Where are the others? Have you checked on them to be sure they’re not dead?”

“They went into Belize City. Don’t worry. I spoke to Caleb already and let him know they wouldn’t be there today. It sounded like this happens all the time.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “It does. Poor Caleb. He’s always left without any volunteers, and he never complains. He does his job and then disappears until the next morning.”

“He doesn’t disappear. He reads and he writes.”

“Whatever. He’s like a ghost. I tried to get to know him when he first showed up, but he made it very clear that he wasn’t here to socialize.”

“Do you still go down to our beach?” Luce whispered.

Luce and Kate had happened upon a remote, and seemingly undiscovered, white sandy beach at the end of a red clay path one afternoon when they were hiking in the jungle. It had been so hot that they’d taken their clothes off and jumped right into the water, and that had become their
thing
. Skinny-dipping at the beach they now called Undiscovered.

“Yes.”

Luce scooted closer to her on the bench, as if there was anyone else around to hear her. “Wanna go?”

Goose bumps chased excitement up Kate’s limbs. Did she want to go?
Hell yes
. “It’s Sage’s first day with the kids, but we can go after we’re done.”
Sage. I’d like to see him skinny-dipping.

“Of course. But what’s that hesitation I’m hearing?” Luce ran her eyes over Kate’s face.

“Nothing.”

“Right, and I’m a virgin.”

“You are?” Kate feigned surprise. “Sage has just thrown me a little off-kilter.”

SAGE AND OSCAR set up tables outside the school for the art class. He snuck glimpses of Kate as she placed pencils by each of the seats, and his mind drifted to the morning. He hadn’t expected to introduce Kate to his mother, much less Rush.

After Rush’s comment, he’d expected Kate to stalk off. Her body had gone completely rigid, and she’d clenched her teeth so tightly that he could hear them grinding together. He was pleasantly surprised when she’d stuck around—even if forced to do so by his arm around her shoulder. But then, when he’d kissed her cheek…Oh, when he’d kissed that soft skin and smelled the sweet fragrance that could only be described as tenderness personified, he hadn’t wanted to stop.

“I think we’re all set.” Kate’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “The kids are excited.”

“Awesome. Hey, Kate, listen. I’m sorry about my family. Rush isn’t really a jerk. He’s a good guy, but he’s my older brother, so you got to hear how brothers treat each other. If you felt pressured, we don’t have to move forward with the mural.”

“No. We’ll do it. You can contact your mother later and have her arrange for the supplies. I think you are right. What you said finally got through to me.” She locked her eyes on his. “So did Rush. Loud and clear.”

He narrowed his gaze. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing I care to discuss.”

She turned away, and he caught her by the arm. He’d been doing that a lot lately, and it never failed to surprise him how simply touching her set his nerves ablaze.

“You don’t really believe that shit, do you?” His voice was a heated whisper.

She yanked her arm away. “Why do you care what I think?”

Christ
.
Goddamn it, Rush
. “How did we go from being friends to this?”

She looked away, but not before Sage saw a flash of hurt in her eyes.

“Kate, maybe I misread the signals between us. God knows I’m not the best with women. But even if I did, you gotta know that I’m not anything like what Rush said.”

She didn’t respond. He was beginning to see why Rush always said that women were a big pain in the ass and he needed a woman in his life like he needed a hole in his fucking head. He was so damn confused. Why did she look hurt? It was him who should be hurt by her implication. And how the hell had he completely misread her? It was the beer. It had to be the beer. Without it, she had no interest in him, obviously. Why was he so damn attracted to a woman who was so frustrating and judgmental? If he wanted that type of person in his life, he could date any number of women back home.