AJ was at the back of the Roça Monte Café, taking a breather. The islanders inside had been looking at him as if he was the Messiah, sent to relieve them of their troubles and he felt guilty using them for photo ops. But his team needed pictures taken that made him look like a saint.

The fishermen of the rural area of Sao Tome were looking for help with the funding of the school that was built for the orphans in the island or for the natives that couldn't afford to give their children an education.

With the economy of the country mostly funded by tourism and foreign aid, the natives were looking for other alternatives that would better their country in the future. Education for the children was the key.

Over the year, during the construction of the school, everything had been going well. The funding, which consisted of the small contribution from the people, had been enough to cater to all their needs. Unfortunately, the man who had been in charge of the funds had cleared out the account and ran off with the people's money, leaving the project half done.

AJ had no problem giving out some of his money to help with the finishing of the construction but that alone wouldn't be enough for the islanders and sadly, there wasn't much that he could do.

A canopy of luminous stars materialized among the ocean of blackness. Some were dull, merely flickering into existence every now and then, but there was an adequate amount of shimmering stars to illuminate the dark, moonless night.

Dainty hands wrapped around his torso from behind, startling him. In that moment the arms squeezed a fraction tighter and Anthony's muscles lost its tension to the air.

"Olá meu amor."

A soft feminine voice whispered. He knew right away that she was the woman he had met just a few days ago. The woman whose smile seemed to be haunting him in his dreams, whose body was etched deep in his psyche.

Anthony smiled at himself. He was sure that she had probably confused him with someone, probably one of her lovers. He had on some black jeans with a hoodie that covered his face so the mistake could have been made by anyone really.

Just to taunt her, he placed his hands on top of hers and pulled her closer to his body. "I don't think I'm who you're looking for, sweetheart."

Faster than a cat in cold water, Tallulah pulled her hands and jumped away from him as AJ turned to face her. "Sorry, I thought you were somebody else."

AJ stuffed his hands into his pockets, stalking closer to her. "I gathered that. You were expecting it to be your lover perhaps?"

She smiled, a little shyly. Her eyes were wary; she glanced toward the cafe where people were milling around, looking confused and a little lost.

AJ studied her. She was art itself, Ben hadn't been wrong. Her eyes were the usual brown he had grown up accustomed to, ones he had thought were boring and plain, but somehow on her, they seemed to hold a certain fire that made him curious. Her body was slim in the floaty yellow dress, she was of average height and her skin was something that he wanted to sink his teeth in. She wasn't as beautiful as the women he had been with but she was different, intriguing.

"Why are you out here on your own?" she asked him, completely disregarding his question.

"Do you have a problem with clothes that completely cover your body?" AJ asked, ignoring her question.

Her eyes filled with confusion as she met his gaze. "What do you mean?"

He scanned her outfit again. Her yellow dress had straps that clung to her shoulders. It had a plunging neck line that called attention to her chest area that wasn't covered by a bra. Her nipples were visible through its flimsy material. "It's too revealing."

She gave him a weak smile. "I don't like restrictions."

"And clothes are restricting for you?"

She mumbled something under her breath that Anthony couldn't hear.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Your accent," she said. "It's...it's ...what word is it that they use?"

"Interesting?"

"Fascinating...what do they call it?"

Anthony smiled. "British accent, have you heard of it before?"

She twirled one of her multi-colored braid in her hand. "No. If you haven't noticed, I live a caged life. I have met few tourists who come to the island but I have never heard somebody who speaks like you, not even your cousin."

"You like it?" he asked.

"I don't know Mr. Anthony," she answered. AJ briefly ceased breathing. Something about the way she said his name while looking him dead in the eyes made the word go directly from his ears, into his brain and right down to his groin.

Some noise from the background tore her eyes from him. She met his eyes again and the air went out, and AJ's heart slammed into his chest like a jackhammer. "I have to go back inside."

"Wait," he grabbed onto her arm as she was just about to walk off. He was treading into choppy waters right here. The smart thing to do would be to swim for safety. But this woman was out in the deep, and that's where he wanted to be, too.

Taking a step closer, AJ bent down to her level and tucked back some of her braids. "Why are you scared of displaying your artwork in Ben's studio?"

"It's not here," she shrugged, meeting his gaze. He saw a tiny smile flit across her mouth before she sunk her teeth into her lower lip.

"Ben will make you feel at home and guard your work with his life in Manchester."

He could have sworn that she leaned into him but maybe his mind was conjuring up things. "I know, I wouldn't have let him see my paintings had I thought otherwise."

"Your art is your life, isn't it?" he asked.

"My art is me."

"I would love to see something, something no one has seen before," AJ said, still gripping her arm.

"Why do you want to see my art?"

"Because, you know..."

"What?"

"Because you said your art is you, and I want to see you. All of you -your heart, your body, your soul and your art, which is all the other three combined," he said surprising himself.

Her mouth hung open and before she could say another word, the back door opened and his cousin walked out.

AJ let go of her hand and took a step back. Ben had already made it clear that he was interested in Tallulah in more ways that one and he didn't want to step on his toes.

"Hey," he said to her but still looked between the two of them in confusion. "I've been looking for you."

"Aqui estou," (Here I am)she smiled. "I just came out here for some fresh air."

"What did the farmers decide?" AJ asked, swallowing down the jealousy that surprisingly rose up from within him when Tallulah smiled at his cousin. He had just met the woman.

Ben sighed. "The money we are willing to contribute is only enough to pay the workers and for the completion of the construction. They need so much more, for the stationery needed by the children, for the workers who will teach and work in the school. They are talking among themselves, deciding whether or not it's even worth it to continue with the project."

A frown formed on Tallulah's face. "I wish I could help out but I don't know what to do."

"I might have a suggestion," Ben said. "Something you might do."

"What?" she asked, her bright eyes sparkling with hope.

"Your artwork," Ben went on with a smile. "If you showcase some of your work in my studio in Manchester and sell some pieces, you might be able to raise enough money to fund the entire project. That is so much better than donating your work to charity, don't you think?"

The light deemed in her eyes. "Ben, por favor. We have discussed this."

Ben held her shoulders and forced her to look in his eyes. "Tallulah, when I met you a year ago, you told me that there is nothing more you would like than to make life better for the natives in your home. Here is the chance for you to do so, are you going to pass up an opportunity to fulfill your dreams just because you're scared of history repeating itself?"

History repeating itself? AJ made a mental note to inquire what Ben meant by that. Tallulah seemed to be contemplating the offer and AJ had to commend his cousin for this slick approach that he had decided on.

"Come with me to Manchester for a while," Ben went on. "What is the worst that could happen?"