Breaking the Rules (11 page)

She loved the thoughtfulness of his answer. The way he talked without hesitation, and about his ex-wife, something he obviously didn't like to do, opened up a new side to her. A vision of someone who needed more than a friend. Someone who could be a confidant, a companion — a lover. Being a doctor and having a preteen son must add up to a busy life. Yet here he sat talking to her about “secrets” and what he loved to do.

The funny thing was she could see him surfing. Imagine him in close-fitting board shorts, his tight abs glistening in the sunlight. Anyone who looked like Colin had tight abs, of course. His hair wet and his dimpled smile directed at her. Even better was the image of them together on a surfboard, him holding her tight against his chest, the water sloshing through their toes.
Whoa, wait a minute!
She shook her head, trying to get it in the right place. “I have another secret,” she blurted.

He leaned in to her, his arm on her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. “I love this secret stuff. Tell me.”

“I have a list at home — call it a bucket list — of all the things I want to do before I'm thirty, which is in March. Anyway, surfing is on it.” She tucked a hair behind her ear. She couldn't believe she told him this fantasy. It was a big one. No one knew about her silly list.

“I can teach you to surf.” He held out his hand. “Let's go.”

She laughed. “Isn't it kind of late for surfing?”

He looked up at the ceiling and back to her. “Yeah, you're right. Not best learning conditions, and I don't have my board. I'd be happy to show you sometime, though.”

“I'd love it.” She held up her beer and sipped again, getting froth on her upper lip.

Colin raised his pointing finger to her lip and wiped it clean. He flinched as if he just realized what he did and took a drink, swallowing, his Adam's apple bobbing. For some reason, she found it incredibly sexy.

He cleared his throat and asked, “So, what else do you have on that list?”

She stretched out her fingers and wiggled them. “We can knock off playing the piano in front of others again. I have to thank you.”

Scooting in closer, Colin touched his knee against hers. For a moment, their eyes locked again, and an unspoken permission passed between them. He reached out and stroked her lips. “I know how you can thank me.”

The teasing tone excited her despite her silent protestations. She curled her toes and moved her lips into his fingers. Was she kissing his fingers? Damn it! She had no self-control. She whispered, “Maybe a small one.”

He didn't hesitate and his mouth swooped down to capture hers. Even though he moved in quickly, the kiss was slow and thoughtful. Every move on her mouth was a careful, gentle tug, and his moves were more persuasive than she cared to admit. The flavor of his beer mingled with her own taste and the coolness turned into a hot merging of mind, body and souls. She sighed in contentment when he grabbed her waist and touched her skin under her shirt. When she was about to reach up to put her hands behind his neck, he raised his mouth and rested his forehead onto hers.

Keeping her eyes closed, she breathed in deep, smelling him, pure male. She didn't want it to end. When she opened her eyes, there was fire in his and she was sure her own answer was enough to make their attraction combust right there at the table.

He breathed deeply and dropped his hands. Leaning back, he pulled his hat down and reached for his beer, chugging the last drops. She took his lead and drank hers quickly.

Damn, the man not only surprised her with secrets, but each time she kissed him, he electrified her neediness. No matter how many bells and whistles her head initiated, her heart ignited with a fire so full and so bright, it frightened her. And it made her see that hiding her feelings from this man was almost impossible, especially with kisses like that.

When she finally had the nerve to look at him again, a slow smile spread on his face.

Breaking the silence and trying to change the subject, she asked, “So, if you had a list, what would you add? Anything I can help with?”

He widened his eyes. “You're really asking me that after that kiss?”

She laughed. “I really want to know.”

“I can think of a million ideas you could help me with, but you probably wouldn't think friends should do them.”

“The fine line of what our friendship means is kind of skewed right now, though.” She touched his hand and rubbed his thumb.

“So, will you let me feel you up again?” He laughed when Hope opened her mouth wide.

She shook her head and stood up. “Come on, I have another bucket list item to take care of.”

He took her hand and twined their fingers together. “Your place or mine?”

Hope tripped on the carpet. “You and your dirty mind.”

“Steady.” He held her up so she wouldn't fall.

“I saw a tarot card reader somewhere. Let's have our future predicted.”

He stopped at the entrance of the bar and waved bye to his friend. Then he looked at her. “That's on your list?”

“Never done it. Lots of firsts tonight and I don't want this exhilaration to end.” She walked on the boardwalk, dragging him behind her. If someone had told her she'd spend her afternoon with Colin, alone, staring at the ocean, playing piano — kissing — she would have laughed in their face. But now that they were together, having too much fun, she couldn't imagine a better afternoon. “She was somewhere around here.”

Colin grabbed his aviators and slipped them on. “Let's just hope she sees me in your future.”

She almost tripped again when his image flashed in front her. “You wish.”

“We're talking about dreams, aren't we?” He squeezed her hand.

“We're talking about making dreams come true.”

“Exactly. You don't need some lady in a gauzy dress to tell you that you're in my future. That's for us to decide.” He stopped and pulled her tight. “I've decided that it'd be pretty damn nice.”

Hope walked over to the woman wearing a colorful scarf in her hair and a long, flowing skirt. “There's a lady.”

Colin laughed. When she set her mind on something, there was no stopping her. Now, if he could just set her mind on him.

“Hello. I'm Sister Star. Sit down.” The lady motioned to the chair in front of the table. She held out a cardboard poster. “Here are the prices and the types of readings I can do for you.”

Hope stared at it, her finger slowly gliding down the words on the board. “What do you think, Colin?”

“Don't look at me. I've never done this either.” He bent down and whispered in her ear, “You sure you want to waste your money on this crap?”

The woman snorted. “Don't listen to him, honey,” she said in a thick, vagabond accent. “For you, I give two readings for the price of one.”

“I guess I'll go with this one first.” Hope pointed. “The Three Fates Spread.”

“Yes, darling. First take this deck and shuffle it.” The woman studied Hope and then Colin. He was sure she sized them up to get any kind of information from them.

Hope shuffled the cards, sneaking a peek at Colin. He gave her a half-smile hoping to reassure her he didn't think she was crazy. Even if he didn't believe in this stuff, it was kind of cute to see her all giddy about it.

The lady reached over and took the cards, raising an eyebrow. “Good, darling. The Three Fates is an interesting reading because I will give you information about your past, present and future.” She laid the cards in front of Hope, making a show with her fingers, as if she were the Vanna White of card reading. “Cut the deck in two.”

Hope followed the instructions. Colin angled his body closer to see the cards. Hope's rosy perfume filled the small space between them as she moved, making Colin dizzy with wanting her. Because he couldn't stop himself, he placed his hand on her shoulder, which made her flinch.

“Now,” the woman continued, taking him out of his dream, “pick the first three cards and lay them out.”

Hope obviously believed in all this. When she turned a card over, a little gasp escaped her. That sweet sound was what Colin wanted to hear while kissing her. Or better yet, when his legs went between hers. Colin pressed his lips together in a slight grimace. There he went again into fantasyland. This card reading was important to Hope, so he needed to stay on task. He forced himself to focus on the fortuneteller.

“The card on the left represents an important element in your past.” A jingle of the woman's bracelets echoed around them as she pointed to the card. “A-ha. You picked the Queen of Swords. This shows us that you are an extrovert, an organizer, a leader and sometimes overwhelming.”

Colin laughed, but shut his mouth when the women stared at him. “What?”

Hope smiled at him. “You think I'm overwhelming?”

“No, just … exhilarating. Remember?” He rubbed her shoulder and looked at the card so the woman would continue.

“You can also be of deep sentiment and susceptible to flights when feeling too much. You have had some inner torment from the past and have escaped this emotional pain.”

Hope's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything, just bit her bottom lip.

Huh. Must be true
. What did she escape? Maybe he could learn something about her from this con artist, after all.

“The middle card is the Ten of Staves. This represents your present.”

“Staves? Like in sheet music?” Hope's expectant eyes lit up. She really was a musician at heart. Even though he had no idea what she was saying about staves and music, it made his insides warm, remembering her at Tucker's piano, all soft and relaxed.

The woman coughed hard and Colin guessed she sported a three-pack-a-day smoking habit. “No dear. Staves are wand-like structures. See the tall sticks on the card?” She pointed with a jangle again.

“The ones held up by that naked goddess,” Colin pointed out.

Both women looked up at him.

He shrugged. “I'm just saying … I mean, the cards have goddesses on each of them. She's guarding the staves …
Naked
.”

Hope shook her head. “Men.”

“Yes, darling.” Sister Star looked in Hope's eyes, a strong message sent straight to her core. “You are in a final trial, like the goddess.” She looked at Colin and smiled, baring her yellow teeth. “See here, the goddess stands before others and will be on trial, but in the end there will be an enduring reward. For you, my dear, a reward will come.”

Hope nodded. “I have this new administrative position and I always feel like I have to prove myself worthy.” Then she held her lips together and covered them with her hand. “I probably shouldn't tell you anything, huh?”

“It's okay, darling. Just remember the greater the struggle, the greater the reward.”

Colin cocked his head to the side. “Not bad advice, Hope.” Since he was part of the struggle, she should listen to this advice. In the end, it could really pay off for him.

“Last is the future card.” The lady looked at Colin and smiled. “Interesting and lovely card, my dear. You chose the Ace of Cups.”

Colin lifted an eyebrow. “Can I just point out again that this goddess is naked, too?”

“Really, Colin. Don't you see she's holding a beautiful cup above her head, full of … what is it?”

He shrugged. “I don't know, but I can't get my eyes off the two — ”

The woman cackled. “The cups represent a free rein of the heart and an immense joy … That is why she's holding it up to the gods, in appreciation of that which is good and happy. But what is most important to you, I suspect, my dear, is that she is full of abundant love.” She looked at Colin again and Hope followed the lady's eyes.

Hope cleared her throat and turned her head back to the cards. “Well, I don't … hmmm.”

Colin picked up the card. “I like the sound of that.”

“Of course you do, young man.” She took the card from his hands and added it to the rest. “Now, your last reading will be my choice. Shuffle these and ask one question aloud.”

Hope shuffled them — and shuffled them — until Colin reached down and stopped her hand from doing it again. “Any day now.”

She shrugged. “I just want to make sure they're the right cards for me.”

“Ask your question,” the lady huffed.

Hope stretched her head back and twisted it from side to side. She then sat up, took a deep breath and looked at Colin. When he lifted an eyebrow in question, she turned back to the card reader and smiled. “Should Colin and I be more than friends?”

“Interesting,” the lady responded. “I suspect your gentleman friend will want an answer to this question.”

Colin raised his hand. “I say yes.”

“Shh.” Hope pushed his hand down. “Don't misrepresent the answers.”

“Turn the card over, my dear.” When Hope did so, the lady snickered. “You picked the Four of Staves, also known as Completion.”

“Staves again?” Hope scooted to the edge of her seat.

Colin leaned closer, too.

“What does it mean?” They both asked at the same time.

The fortuneteller let out a short bark of laughter. “It means you should be more than friends. To be more exact, it means you should join together and form a pleasurable and amorous interlude.”

Hope and Colin shared a look and he quirked an eyebrow at her.

Hope looked away quickly. “Well, thank you. Very informative.”

She reached in her purse and pulled out her wallet.

Colin smiled. “Uh, can I buy those naked cards?”

Instead of answering him and taking Hope's money, the lady grabbed Hope's hand and looked at her in the eyes. “This is not a game, little one. Don't deny what the cards tell you. If you do, there will be chaos again, like the Queen of Swords told you earlier. You will take flight again if you ignore your heart.”