Nobody Falls for the Opening Act (Break the Rules Book 2)

Chapter 27

An hour passes in a blur.

The hot air balloon. The ride back to the hotel. The first few steps through the lobby barely stick in my memory.

But I’ll remember that kiss for the rest of my life.

Did I picture it happening beforehand? Of course. But I’d already accepted the idea of it not happening when it… did.

Tonight really happened.

Tonight is still happening…

Addison and I say thank you and goodnight to Ms. Lacey Johnson, my new best friend. Then, we walk to the elevators side-by-side. Not touching. Not speaking. I look at Addison, hoping for a returning glance or a smile or something, but she’s just… Addison. Stone cold Addison.

Hard on the outside.

Stargazer on the inside.

As we ride the elevator together to our floor, I shuffle on my feet. I clear my throat and Addison looks over at me, but she says nothing.

Neither do I.

I just stand here and grin like an idiot.

Addison sighs. “Stop that.”

“Hm?” I ask. “Stop what?”

“Staring at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you just kissed me in a hot air balloon.”

“Technically, you kissed me.”

“Oh, you’re gonna be that guy, huh?” she asks, her lips curling playfully.

“Yes, ma’am,” I answer. “I am.”

Addison laughs. She shakes her head and looks forward at the elevator doors.

And I keep smiling.

We arrive on our floor and we step off together, heading down the hall toward Addison’s room. My belly rumbles with thoughts of one more goodnight kiss, so I roll my shoulders back and silently tell myself to be cool. Just dropping a girl off at her door after a great night out. I’ve done it plenty of times before. I can nail it again now.

Addison unlocks her door. Keeping it ajar, she turns to face me in the doorway and smiles. “Thank you again, Harvey,” she says. “Tonight was… unexpected.”

“In a good way, I hope.”

Her smile tickles my toes. “A very good way.”

“Good. Great.” I bow my head, signaling the start of a goodbye. “Well, I’m sure Jordan has you booked up with band meetings tomorrow.”

She nods. “First thing in the morning.”

“Then, I’ll say goodnight,” I say. “And thank you. Tonight was unexpectedly good for me, too.”

Addison doesn’t turn away as I lean in close. I give her a light kiss on the lips and step back, offering her another one of my token Harvey Moon smiles.

“Goodnight, Addison,” I say.

And with that, I turn around and?—

“Where are you going?” she asks.

“Uh…” I say, pointing at my door down the hall. “To my room?”

Addison glances at it, her eyes still so playful. Silently, she turns around and walks into her room… leaving the door wide open.

Oh, she’s good.

She is very good.

Be cool, Moon.

I take a breath, and I follow her inside.

Addison closes the door behind us, leaving the room mostly in darkness. Before I can find the light, I feel her moving closer to me. Her shape comes into focus, my eyes adjusting to her beautiful face. She reaches out, her soft hands touching my chest before sliding up, pushing my jacket off my shoulders. I let it fall down my arms to the floor as my entire body shudders.

“Harvey,” she says, my name dripping from her lips with velvet-like warmth. “Put your hands on me.”

Inhaling sharply, I place my hands on her waist. My fingers are shaking, but hopefully, she won’t notice.

“You’re trembling,” she says.

Fuck.

“A little,” I say, smiling in the dark.

Addison kisses me softly, but you’d think she’d kneecapped me with the way my legs nearly buckle from it. “It’s okay, frat boy,” she whispers as she pulls her own jacket down her arms and drops it to the floor, along with mine. “We’ll take it slow.”

I chuckle as I move my hands up her body, briefly touching her breasts before arriving on her cheeks. I kiss her; the deepest kiss I’ve ever given anybody in my life. I taste her lips, so utterly seduced by the way they cling to mine with just as much passion.

Christ, is this real?

I don’t dare question it any further than that. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer than we’ve ever been. Addison embraces me, too, and she creeps backward.

Step-by-step, she takes me with her toward the bed.

Toward her bed.

“Wait, wait,” I whisper. “Hold on.”

Addison stops, but her hands don’t leave me. “What is it?” she asks.

Yeah, man.

What the fuck are you doing?

“I… I don’t know why I said that.” I kiss her again. And again. “Ignore me. Please continue. Please.”

Addison breaks the kiss with a warm chuckle. She touches my cheeks and looks at me like I’m the cutest thing she’s ever seen in the world. That should irk me, I think. But it doesn’t.

She can look at me however the fuck she wants to.

“You’re not who I thought you were,” she says.

“Is that bad?”

She shakes her head. “You’ve surprised me, that’s all.”

“You don’t seem like the type of girl who likes surprises.”

“I’m not.” She kisses the edge of my mouth. “But I like it when you surprise me.”

We kiss again, our noses rubbing together, our bodies still so close.

“For the record,” I say. “I love surprises, so… you can do it whenever you want to.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Addison guides us another step toward the bed.

“You’re not who I thought you were, either,” I say.

She pauses. “No?”

I shake my head. “No, you’re even better.”

Her smile lingers as she looks down. “Harvey, you really need to stop doing that,” she says.

“Doing what?”

“Making me break all of my rules.”

Addison shoves me. I fall back, the soft bed instantly breaking my fall. As she climbs onto the bed and straddles me, I take the moment to catch my breath before she leans down and kisses me.

I meet the kiss, drawing my still shaking hands along her thighs, longing to feel even more of her. But I won’t rush this. I won’t?—

She peels her shirt off over her head, revealing a tight black bra.

Or we can get right to the good stuff.