Breaking the Rules (10 page)

Colin helped her out and then he sat down. Some of the kids went back to the table while Jason and his friend Kyle stood behind. “You just watch Dad. He's awesome.”

“Totally.” Kyle added while he sucked on the straw of his drink.

Colin buckled in and put in the quarters. “Why don't you get closer so you can see the tricks of the trade?”

Hope lounged against the frame of the game and she could smell his cologne. All man and pure sexy. Even at a silly arcade game in a burger joint. She watched Colin steer the wheel, turning and swerving. His muscles in his arms bulged and she wanted to wrap her hands around them. Colin laughed as he crashed into the side of a highway and sat up straighter in his chair. When the game was over, he faced Hope and smiled. “That's how it's done.”

They were face to face. If she moved closer, she would feel his breath on her cheeks and his lips could move over hers. Just like the kiss they shared at Kelly's, which caused her to cough and stand up. “I think my salad is at the table.”

She left Colin and the boys and headed back to the group. She forced herself into a conversation with Lisa and only felt the air around her turn hot when Colin sat next to her. He discussed The Racer techniques with the boys while she finished her salad.

No more looking at him. He was dangerous. More dangerous than a loaded hamburger and double cheese fries.

Colin walked Jason out of Burger Shack toward Kyle Graham's parents, who were taking the kids to a movie. Most of the other parents had left already, Colin noticed as he stopped in the parking lot and handed Jason a twenty-dollar bill. “I'll pick you up at Kyle's later. And wear your seat belt.”

“Yeah, Dad.” Jason gave him a quick hug and ran off to the Grahams' van.

“I'll see you around six.” He spun around to face Kyle's parents. “If you need anything, you got my cell, plus Jason has his Blackberry.”

They took off and Colin stood alone in the parking lot. Now that he finally had some time on his hands, he had no one to share the time with. He looked at his watch. A little past three o'clock. What now?

He turned on his heel and was about to walk past the Burger Shack door when Hope streamed out searching in her purse. The minute she looked up and their eyes locked, Colin felt the air crackle around him.

She always looked great, but today she wore red jeans, a fluttery top and some red Keds. The jeans should've been a sin. They were tighter than a surgical glove.

He looked around them and noticed all the other parents' cars were gone, which meant one thing. “Looks like it's just you and me left.”

Hope's eyes grew as she looked around, too. When her eyes met his, they softened.

Hope's insistence that they only be friends fixed its way forward from the back of his mind. He didn't like it one bit. Standing there next to her, her face sweet and soft, opened up a whole can of possibilities he had to explore. He had to give it a try, at least one more time, when no one else was around to harass them. “Want to hang out on the boardwalk?” He pointed to the back of the restaurant where the boardwalk stretched for three miles, Harbor Bay's pride and joy.

She shrugged her purse up on her shoulder. “I guess we could do that.”

He held his arm out indicating they should walk and she went in front of him. Her tight red jeans taunted him like a matador in a bullfight. He led her past the entrance of Burger Shack to the back of the restaurant where the boardwalk started. They walked quietly for a few minutes, the sun shining overhead and a few passersby sharing the space now and then.

Colin broke the silence once they got closer to the shops. “The kids really enjoyed having you at their celebration.”

“It was fun and the kids were great.” She smiled.

Smiling back, he noticed her shoulders relax. He wanted her to be more comfortable around him. The only way was to get to know each other better. Now was the time. “So, tell me more about yourself. How'd you end up in Harbor Bay?”

“Well, Kelly and I were roommates in college. She told me about the administrative position open at Harbor Bay Prep. I applied and voila.”

He nodded. “Lucky us. I didn't even realize Kelly went to school in Boston.” Colin cringed. “How long have you been a principal?”

“After I got my graduate degree, I was an assistant principal in Virginia, near my hometown.” She raised her eyebrows. “How about you? How long have you been in Harbor Bay?”

“Pretty much all my life. Well, I went to Florida State and got my medical degree, then moved back with Beth.” He shrugged.

“Beth was your wife?”

“Yep.” Even though they were getting to know each other better, he wasn't ready to open up about his wife. He quickly changed the topic.

“Come on. I'll show you a great view.” He made sure his stride distanced himself from her a bit more. She was adamant on being friends, and he was willing to compromise. But his body wasn't. Anytime he was near her, his hands wiggled, wanting to feel her. It was crazy. Like they had a mind of their own. Shit, he was in trouble. Friends. Yeah. How the hell was he going to respect that wish? Looking at her frown, he thought he could try.

She rushed to his side and broke the silence. “So, I saw you at the swim meet with Jason. You've done this before, right?”

“I was a swimmer, too … full scholarship.”

“Jason's following your footsteps, then. You're a great dad.”

The tension released from his body in that moment. There was no better compliment. “Thanks. That means a lot.”

They made it to a lookout point and stopped to use the binoculars for a few minutes. When Hope stared out at the ocean, Colin half stood between her and the machine. The breeze blew her blonde hair behind her head, feathering out in a way that made him reach out and hold the end of a strand. So soft. He bet there were other soft parts about her he could touch. Clearing his throat, he curled her hair around his finger. “Tell me something about yourself. Something no one knows.”

Hope laughed, displaying a wide grin. “I don't know if you're good at keeping secrets.”

He held his hand to his chest and nodded his head. “I'm your friend. I'm trustworthy,” he tried to give her his puppy-dog eyes, “and I really want to know.”

“Persuasive, aren't you?” She looked back out at the ocean and appeared deep in thought for a minute. “I was a musician in college.” She glanced at him quickly, as if assessing if he laughed at her or not, before darting her eyes back as if he hadn't caught her. “My dream was to be a concert pianist. For my first year, I could've been. Then my dad said … ” She tilted her head down and frowned. “Well, let's just say he didn't approve.”

He rubbed her arm. “But, now you're a great principal, so that's good.”

“Yeah, but I'd do anything to play in front of an audience again.” She snorted to herself. “I must sound ridiculous.”

He stared at her for a long moment. She had turned around and leaned back on the railing, her head turned up to the sun, her eyes closed. For that moment, he could picture her sitting at a keyboard, her head turned up, as it was then, and wrap herself around music.

He wanted to see it.

A brilliant idea seized him. Holding up his finger, he said, “Wait a second. I know what we've got to do.” He grabbed her hand and dragged her behind him a few yards.

“Where are we going?” When he didn't respond, she continued, “Colin?”

He still didn't answer her, but led her to the bar down the boardwalk that was owned by his old high school friend, Tucker. As he heard a giggle from Hope, a rush of adrenaline tingled through his body. He would do this for her because they were friends, but he knew deep down he wished it was enough to prove to her they could be more. He stopped at the entrance near a window and held her by both shoulders. “Stay here for a second.”

He returned from his conversation to find Hope leaning against the wall of the entrance, her fingers tapping out a note in her smartphone. He stood in front of her and smiled.

Straightening her back, she asked, “What's going on?”

Without a word, he grabbed her hand and led her to the back where a piano sat on a small stage. Letting go of her hand, he opened his arms and said, “Your wish is my command.”

Her mouth fell open and she touched her parted lips. “Are you kidding me?”

He shook his head and backed away. “It's all yours.”

At the closest table to the stage, he sat in a chair and watched Hope stroke the baby grand piano next to her. Her fingers caressed the keys, then she glanced around the room. Looking back at him, she mouthed, “I can't.”

He mouthed back, “Yes, you can.”

She giggled and bit her lip. Squeezing her eyes shut, he saw her take one of her yoga deep breaths. She sat down at the piano bench, her fingers outstretched on top. After a few more breaths, she looked more at ease. Colin smiled. He couldn't help himself. She looked like she actually belonged on that stage.

Tucker brought over a beer and gazed at Hope on stage. “She's a looker.”

“I can't wait to hear her.”

“Let me get her started, then.” Tucker headed to the stage and stood in front of the microphone. When he nodded at Hope, she nodded back in acknowledgement and then he announced to the seven or eight people in the audience, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have an impromptu performance. Give it up for Ms. Hope Robinson.”

A few claps sounded, and then Colin heard the keys of the piano. A soft tune that complemented this soft Hope. Smiling, he took a sip of his beer and relaxed. She actually did this, no qualms, no major retorts, just a simple, “okay, I'm in for it” attitude that turned him on even more.

So far, he'd seen two sides of Hope. There was the Ms. Robinson side, the principal who was all business, straight and narrow. Then there was the fun Hope — his friend, damn it — who laughed at his jokes, relaxed and open. Up on the stage, Hope turned into yet another person. An artist. Soft. Gentle. Almost pure. And she was really talented. So much so that he closed his eyes and imagined she played to him, and only him … and okay, he couldn't help himself. She was naked. A man could dream, couldn't he?

The tune was nice, somewhat jazzy with a touch of classical. He was no music connoisseur, but he knew when music sounded good. Opening his eyes, he saw her lean into the keys, feeling in her touch, her eyes closed and her head moving. This Hope was a sensual one. He wanted her to play him like she played that piano. Stroking, with a tenderness that only she knew, telling a story with the sounds.

Shit. This
friends
bit wouldn't pass. If he couldn't convince her otherwise after today, he would have to ignore her completely, or else he would go crazy. And he didn't want to ignore her. He wanted to take this to the next level, and by God, he would kiss her again by the end of the night if it killed him.

• • •

Hope opened her eyes to the sound of soft applause. Wow, what a rush. She had forgotten what it was like to play in front of others. She smiled wider, stood and nodded her head in thanks.

Colin continued to clap with that grin of his, the dimples calling again, damn it. He really did it this time, actually having her play in public. He probably didn't see the magnitude of this feat. It had actually been more than two years since she played in front of others, least of all a room full of strangers.

She moved down the steps and sat in a chair next to him. Even if she tried, she wouldn't be able to remove her smile. And she guessed Colin felt the same, since his smile lingered. She grabbed the sides of her head in an “I can't believe it” gesture. “That was exhilarating.”

Colin held up his beer in a toast. “To exhilarating.” He sipped and bent forward so that their heads were inches from each other. “We need that in our lives, right?”

“Definitely.”

A silent awareness surrounded them. She could almost hear her own heartbeat and butterflies erupted at the bottom of her stomach, feelings she hadn't felt since college.

The bar owner interrupted their stare with a cough and placed a beer in front of Hope. “For the pretty lady. Anytime you want to play, you come talk to me.” He winked and left them alone again.

Feeling transparent, a chill shook her. She bit her lip and looked down at the table to break the eye contact. When she looked up again, ten seconds later, Colin's eyes remained dark and serious.

Smiling, she asked him, “What exhilarates you, Colin?” She drank the froth from her beer and sat back.

He gave a half smile. “Our kiss the other night.”

“Colin — ” she warned even though the butterflies in her stomach kicked it up a notch.

He leaned his arm over her chair, touching her shoulders lightly. “Well, besides that, a good surgery always sends me into a high. Nothing like knowing what I do can make or break a person, literally.” He thought some more. “Also, seeing Jason up on the first place block, like this morning. That's pretty awesome.”

“Those two things I could've guessed. How about a secret?” She smiled sweetly at him, leaning in to him. Even though she had been clear about them being only friends, now that she had some beer in her and an exhilarating experience behind her, boldness overcame her. For a fleeting moment, she didn't care anymore.

“We're still playing that game?” He rubbed her shoulder with one hand. “Okay. Since we're sharing secrets.” He sipped his beer and stared at her through the corners of his eyes. “Don't tell anyone, but I love to surf. I don't even do it with Tim or other guys. Sometimes my brother, Scott, surfs with me and of course Jason. Beth used to hate it, saying if I had time to surf, I had time to be home and work on the toilet or something.” He softly laughed, but it didn't sound like a happy laugh. More like a bothered laugh. “Surfing's like my meditation.”