The Artist's Provocateur

by Fine, L. J.

  "I was just getting to a point in my life where I was starting to let go. Those old wounds had scabbed and healed over, and my reasons for living the way that I had been living for so long didn't seem like good reasons anymore. More like dumb shit that would hold back a kid too scared to take a chance. I had moved past it."

  The bitter twist to his lips as he shifted on the mattress put the racing of her heart a little closer to her throat.

  "Then, out of fucking nowhere, she comes back and rips all those wounds open again, and I started questioning everything all over. Right back at square-motherfucking-one. I needed some time alone with my thoughts. To get real good and numb for a while to block the whole world out."

  "The whole world." Her soft words landed like a bomb in the quiet room. "Especially me, huh?"

  Those dark, fathomless eyes met hers and he didn't even have to speak. She knew. The blood rushed through her veins like prickling pins and needles. This was the exact outcome she had been afraid of. She was losing him. Before she ever really had him.

  Not without a fight, though.

  "You think that I could ever do something like what she did to you? That I could be that type of woman? I thought that we had gone through this, that you would know by now, that I'm not going anywhere. That you would know me by now."

  She stood up. Not to leave, but to put some distance between them. As she began to pace to the other side of the room, his words stopped her about halfway into her trip.

  "I do know you, baby." He stood slowly and ran another hand through his hair to push it back from his face as he approached her. "Like I said, after she came to the bar, all that old stuff started to resurface, and as I got good and shitfaced last night, I started comparing you to her. It took me about five seconds to realize that there is no comparison. You are nothing like her."

  Reaching out, he tucked her hair back behind her ears. "You are so giving and thoughtful. Your feelings run deep, so much deeper than anyone else I know, and despite how you like to keep everything locked up tight, I can see your heart. I know you, Marie. I can see you. You're not capable of her selfishness and betrayal. And even if somewhere down the line you prove me wrong?" He shook his head. "I don't care. You're worth the risk. I'm done being afraid of what I feel for you."

  For a moment she could only stand there and stare up at him. This conversation had gone in the complete opposite direction of the one she had anticipated. A few heartbeats later, the relief and elation finally hit her system and she smiled. "You realized all that while you were hammered, huh?"

  An answering smile curved his lips. "You know what they say. In vino veritas. I've never felt like this about anyone before." His expression sobered, serious eyes holding hers captive. "I love you, Marie."

  The floor went out from beneath her and she floated before him, suddenly weightless and free. It took the wind out of her and she felt lightheaded. She had to respond. Give him the words that wanted to catapult out of her mouth. But when her lips parted, all that came out was, "Holy shit, that bourbon really does knock you on your ass."

  Raising an eyebrow, he opened his mouth, no doubt to throw some shade back at her, but she recovered her wits and rose to her tiptoes to cover his mouth with hers before he could get anything out. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her against his body as the kiss deepened. She kissed him for all she was worth, pouring all of her relief, gratitude and, yes, definitely, love into him.

  Pulling back, she cupped his face in her hands. "Listen to me. If you don't hear anything else I'll ever say to you, hear this and know that it's the truest thing I've ever felt. I love you, too."

  "Oh, thank Christ," he sighed before taking her mouth once more. He ended the kiss with a bright smile and pressed his forehead against hers. "Let me get cleaned up and then there's something I wanna show you."

  Frowning, she tilted her head back to look at him. "Where are you gonna get cleaned up out here? Nothing works yet."

  That smile turned smug. "Doesn't it? You sure?"

  "Does it?" Her eyebrows rose toward her hairline when he nodded. "When did you get the water switched on? I thought you still had a lot of work to do on the bathrooms and especially the kitchen."

  "We've been making more progress than I've let on. Give me fifteen minutes and I'll show you." Lifting her hand to his mouth, he kissed the backs of her knuckles before exiting the room and down the hall.

  A few minutes later she heard a shower turn on, presumably in the downstairs guest bathroom. She wasn't sure how she felt about things moving along ahead of schedule. On one hand, it was exciting. She couldn't wait to see what the place looked like once it was restored to its former glory. But then, on the other hand, the sooner this house was finished, the sooner Adam would no longer be her neighbor.

  If someone had told her at the beginning of the year that his departure from their building was eminent, she would have been ecstatic. Giddy even. Now, she didn't like the idea. At all. She would miss seeing him every day. Miss their banter when they ran into each other in the hallway. Or those times when she had just snuggled down into bed and she'd hear the rap of his knuckles on the wall above her head. That usually signaled a two-minute warning before he joined her in her bed.

  Soon they would have to actually schedule time to see each other. Not that they didn't do that now, but there would be no more happenstance meetings or unexpected sleepovers late at night. She would miss his sheer proximity, knowing that he was only a wall away. Soon, he would be a whole town away from her and that idea didn't sit well.

  Not long after he left, the shower turned off and soon after that he appeared in the doorway. When he entered the room, any thoughts she might be having that didn't center around the here and now flew right out of her head. He wore a pair of low-slung black sweatpants. And nothing else. His wet hair brushed his shoulders, sending little water droplets down over his damp skin. Her eyes tracked the movement of one of those drops as it made its way down his chest and onto his stomach, down past his bellybutton.

  The deep clearing of a throat had her jerking her gaze back up to meet his. "Hey, my eyes are up here."

  She rolled her eyes. "You're such a dick."

  "It'll be my pleasure to show you my dick later, darlin', but right now I have something else I want you to see first." Before she could roll her eyes again, he took her hand and began leading her up the stairs. Stairs that now had a railing, unlike the last time she was here.

  She had never been on the second floor of the house before. The stairs had barely been serviceable the last time, and Adam had pretty much told her to steer clear of the place since her last visit. He said that it was an active construction zone and he didn't want her to get hurt. Now that her concern for his well-being had been satisfied, she began to notice the house around her and could see that the crew had been busy. The upstairs hallway had newly stained hardwood floors and a fresh coat of cream-colored paint. Several of the doors they passed as he led her down the hallway lay open and she peered in as she walked by. Everything seemed finished and move-in ready, whether he wanted to turn these rooms into guest bedrooms or maybe an office or library.

  Finally, they reached the door at the end, and he opened it up and led her inside. This room, the master bedroom, was not only finished but furnished as well. The furniture was a warm, dark oak. The king-sized bed was made up with plush bedding and an array of pillows. Accents of gray and dark blue filled the room, giving it a cozy and inviting appearance. This was definitely a room she could see herself spending a lot of time in, lounging and sleeping in on weekends. Snuggling under all those blankets with Adam on cold winter nights. She could so easily imagine a life here with him, and she had to shake herself to dispel the image. They hadn't gotten that far yet, she had to remind herself.

  "Do you like it?" he asked turning toward her, searching her face.

  "I do." She smiled up at him. "Very much. I can't wait to see what you do with the rest of the house."

  Thr
eading his fingers through hers, he pulled her toward a pair of French doors. "Let me show you the best part."

  Opening the doors, he led her out onto a full balcony that overlooked the vast property at the back of the house. Beyond the backyard, all she could see for miles were the tops of trees as they dipped and rose with the rolling hills around them. The peaceful scene took her breath away.

  "This is beautiful, Adam. I had no idea you had such a view from this house." She walked over to the railing and leaned her elbows against it. "It's amazing up here."

  His warmth enveloped her body as he moved in behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank God you like it so much. I was hoping that you would."

  She turned in his arms to face him. "I do like it. I love it. But it shouldn't matter to you what I think. You're the one who's gonna be living here."

  Crinkling his nose, he bit his lip and looked out at the scenery over her head. "See, this is something I've been gearing up to talk to you about, but it never seemed like a good time. Figured now was as good a time as any."

  "What are you talking about?" All sorts of scenarios ran through her mind, and with the way he hesitated, none of them were good.

  The anxiety swirling around inside of her must have come across in her tone because he looked back down at her. "Now that the weather is starting to break, it's not gonna take much longer to get this house finished. Couple months, maybe." He shrugged like his next words were no big deal. "When it's ready, move in with me."

  For the second time that day she felt her world tilt on its axis. Yet another thing she had never expected to hear coming out of Adam's mouth. Especially with how this day had started. "Are you serious? That's what you want?"

  His hopeful expression turned wary, and he put a little space between them. "You don't?"

  Shit. Her incredulousness had made her words come out all wrong. "No, I do want that. In fact, I was thinking a few minutes ago of how much I really do want that. I'm just surprised that you do."

  "I wanna be around you all the time, and if I move here without you, I'm gonna miss seeing you every day. I want us to get closer, not farther apart." He bent his knees so that he could look at her at eye level. "I love you, and I want you to move in with me. If we're both going into uncharted territory with this relationship, then let's jump into it together. All in. I want you here with me."

  A cold splash of water landed on the bridge of her nose, followed closely by another on the top of her forearm. Seemed as though those pregnant clouds were finally opening up. She could see tiny drops of water hitting Adam's already damp skin. He didn't even flinch, just held her gaze. Then the corner of his mouth twitched.

  "This is about to get real dramatic, us standing here out in the rain. I'll make it simple for you, Maire. Yes or no? I'm still gonna love you either way."

  Hearing him say that he loved her again put all the right kind of butterflies in her stomach. She would never get tired of hearing him say that. "Are you going to keep me out here on the balcony, in a storm, until I make a decision?"

  He nodded; expression earnestly serious. "If I have to, yes. We won't melt."

  Tilting her head back, she squinted her eyes as she watched the rolling clouds move quickly above them. "I dunno. It's always raining when I come here."

  "We live in Pennsylvania. It's always raining no matter where you are. Now, quit stalling and answer the question."

  "I thought you said that it wouldn't matter how long we stood out here. That we wouldn't melt." She really was stalling, but not because she didn't have an answer for him. She loved messing with him. Loved seeing that adorable expression on his face when he got frustrated. Loved making him growl.

  "Maybe I'm anxious to see how wet I can make you once we're inside. Answer my question, darlin'. Please."

  The simple, soft way he said 'please' was what did it. It was just this side of begging and she couldn't resist any longer. "Yes, Adam. I would love to move in with you."

  The smile that graced his face, then blocked out all the darkness and rain around them until she couldn't see it anymore. She could only see him and their future together.

  "Finally. Now you can come inside and help me christen the new bed." That smile turned wicked as he walked backwards toward the door, pulling her along with him.

  Giggling, she followed him inside the house. Their house.

  EPLIOGUE

  Warm peals of laughter filled the dining room and floated into the kitchen where Adam stood refilling a glass of wine. The door separating the two rooms swung open and Marie walked in, cheeks flushed and eyes dancing with amusement. God, he would never get tired of seeing her like this. Open and inviting.

  Happy.

  "What are you doing, darlin'? I told you I would get you more wine."

  Smiling like the cat that got the cream, she sidled up to him, got to her tiptoes and kissed him. He set the wine down on the counter behind her before he dropped it and wrapped his arms around her. But she pulled away too quick and he growled.

  "You keep refilling my glass and I'm gonna get too drunk to stand soon."

  "So," he said against her lips. "It's not like you have to drive anywhere."

  Giving him another quick kiss, she licked her lips and backed away. "I know, but I want to remember our first Christmas together in our new house as a good memory. Not spending all day tomorrow nursing a hangover."

  Eh, maybe she was right. This was a milestone for them, and he wanted them both to enjoy it. "That why you followed me in here. To stop me?"

  "Mmm, I had a few reasons for following you in here," she said stepping back into him and putting her arms around his waist. Grabbing his ass, she pulled him into her and took his mouth again, this time taking the kiss deep. Yeah, she was definitely tipsy to be doing this with a crowded room next door, but he wasn't about to complain.

  "You're not careful, Marie and I'll take you right here on this counter. I don't give a shit that we have a house full of people."

  Dragging her teeth across his bottom lip, she once again put space between them. But he was delighted to see that she looked a little dazed as she did so.

  "We'll save that for later. The main reason I came in here was to get you back out there. Brandon wants to make a toast. C'mon." She threaded her fingers through his and led him to the door. She pushed it open and he followed her into the freshly remodeled dining room where every single person on the planet he cared about was gathered around the table.

  Tyler sat at one end of the table with Mina settled firmly in his lap as he spoke to Brian while Chloe laughed with Mina about God alone knew what. Emma was engrossed in a conversation with Kim while Ben sat beside her, feeding The Captain scraps from his plate under the table.

  Above them all, Marie's painting of the well hung over the fireplace that was the centerpiece of the room.

  Adam wrapped his arms around Marie from behind, and his heart felt so damn full to bursting as he looked around the room at his family. Who would ever have thought that they would all end up here together like this? All settled and happy and completely functional after all they had been through. It was a blessing that he never wanted to take for granted. He hadn't ever thought that he would be able to find something so good, and here he had it in spades. Tightening his arms around Marie, he rested his chin on the top of her head and vowed silently to never let go.

  Moving to the head of the table, Brandon tapped the side of his glass with a fork to get everyone's attention. "Now that we're all stuffed, and thank you to Marie for preparing this awesome meal –"

  "Hey, I helped," Adam interjected just to be a pain in the ass. According to Marie, it was what he exceled at.

  "He did." Marie nodded. "He opened all the cans then yelled for me every time a buzzer went off in the kitchen."

  And she excelled at busting his balls. God, he didn't think he could love her more. "All important parts of preparing a meal. But anyway, Brandon. You were saying?"

  Chuffing out a
laugh, Brandon shook his head. "Exactly. Anyway. Even though some of us are bigger assholes than others." He looked pointedly at Adam. "There isn't a single place I'd rather be than right here with you all. I'm so proud of our family, all we've been through, and that we've stuck together only to come out the other side stronger. We keep growing and I couldn't be happier about that."

  He tipped his glass to Marie and the blush spreading onto her cheeks made Adam want to get her alone so they could finish what they started in the kitchen. But Brandon kept talking, tugging Adam's focus back to him.

  "Speaking of growing, I can't think of a more perfect time to make this announcement now that we're all here." He looked to his wife and the love shining back at him through Kim's eyes was unmistakable. It used to make Adam jealous when he would see them gazing at each other like that. Back in the days when he would never admit it bothered him. Now he got to know firsthand what that kind of love was, and it felt like being on cloud fucking nine all the time.

  Brandon's eyes never left his wife as he addressed the room. "Kim and I are going to have a baby."

  There was a hushed pause for about five seconds and then everyone broke out into a chorus of cheers.

  "It's about damn time," Tyler said, clapping Brandon on the back and pulling him into a hug. After that, they all took turns offering their congratulations while the women bombarded Kim with questions about due dates and baby names.

  A few hours after everyone had gone home, Adam and Marie were in the kitchen cleaning up. As soon as Marie put the last dish in the dishwasher and closed it, Adam moved close and pinned her between his body and the counter, then took her mouth. She melted into him willingly and he took advantage, shoving his fingers into her hair and tilting her head back so he could trail kisses down her neck.

  "How many kids do you want?" He asked against her skin and felt the vibration of her soft laughter on his lips.

  "All that baby talk get you in the mood, huh?"

  "Darlin', all I have to do is think about you and I'm in the mood." He pulled back to look at her. "Seriously, though. Have you ever thought about it?"