Breaking the Rules by Melinda Dozier Page A

looked like she actually belonged on that stage.
    Tucker brought over a beer and gazed at Hope on stage. “She’s a looker.”
    â€œI can’t wait to hear her.”
    â€œLet 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.
    â€¢ • •
    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?”
    â€œDefinitely.”
    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.”
    â€œColin — ” she warned even though the butterflies in her stomach kicked it up a