The Rules of Heartbreak: An Enemies-to-Lovers/Next-Door Neighbor Romance (The Heartbreak Series Book 1)

by Brittany Taylor

  “I think they must have.” She’s still sifting through them, reading a few lines before moving on to the next one. “I mean, look at the wording she uses in some of these. I have an idea.” She holds one of the pieces of paper in her hand and lunges forward. She rocks onto her knees and stabs my knee with her finger. “You know what you should do?” She falls back onto her ass and grabs a handful of the papers.

  “No.” I take another sip of my drink. I’m near the end of it.

  “You should use one of these for a song,” she suggests.

  The last bit of margarita slides down the side of my glass into my mouth. I set the glass down beside me and swallow. “What?”

  “Yeah!” She beams. “You can definitely use some of these in a song, Sloan. These poems are basically the same as song lyrics. Not all of them, but most of them. Add it to your set list for the night. You’ll still have to play those awful songs, but at least with these as an option, you can play one you love.”

  “Really?” I scoot closer to her, stopping when the bowl is the only thing between us.

  “I mean, it’s better than torturing yourself another day with only cover songs from that book Colton gave you.”

  “I guess I could. Do you think my mom would have approved if she were here?”

  She drops the paper back into the bowl and rests her wrists on the edge of it. Her eyes sadden. “Yeah,” she says, a small smile growing on her mouth. “I think she would have.”

  “Well…” I point to the bowl, shifting my gaze between it and Vada. “I’ll take your advice, editor in chief. Tell me which one you think would be the best to try.”

  Her smile grows even wider, spreading from one ear to the other. She quickly rubs her hands together in excitement and digs in, picking up the first one her fingers touch.

  While she’s excited about my mother’s poems, all I can think about is Dallas and how long it’ll be before I can head over there.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “What took you so long?” I run my finger down the side of Sloan’s face, tracing her jawline all the way down to her collarbone. It’s only been eighteen hours since the last time I saw her, but it feels entirely too long. I know the decisions I’ve been making with her lately are walking a fine line of breaking our rules. Well, not entirely breaking them. More like bending.

  My hardened erection presses into her thigh as she reaches around me, pressing her hand to my bare lower back. She already removed my shirt the second she saw me. I waited for her inside, in case Vada was still at Sloan’s or, for some reason, decided to stop over before heading back to her own apartment. Vada has a knack for popping up unannounced, especially since she has her own key.

  I was relieved to find Sloan was the only woman standing on the other side of the door. I slam my mouth to hers, parting her lips with my tongue. Her mouth is sweet against mine and the taste of sour limes lingers. We quickly make our way upstairs to my bedroom, not wasting any time.

  She pulls me against her, sliding her fingers along the sides of my hips, trailing them down and across the top of my pants. My dick twitches. “I don’t think checking in with you falls under one of our rules. Does it?”

  She bites on her bottom lip as she opens the button of my jeans. They’re covered in grease stains and motor oil from me working on my truck earlier in the day.

  “Were you working on your motorcycle today?”

  “My truck.” I dip my head, pressing my mouth to her neck. I thread my fingers through her hair, holding the back of her head. She moves with my grip, tilting her head enough for me to gain access. Goosebumps prickle across her tan skin and her hot breath dances across the hollow of my ear. “And no, it doesn’t fall under the rules.”

  “I didn’t know you worked on your truck too.”

  “I don’t trust anyone other than myself when it comes to my vehicles.” I smirk.

  “Why does that not surprise me?” She giggles, her words a mere whisper. She’s breathless as she works the button of my jeans. She can’t remove them fast enough.

  She slides my jeans down my waist. I step out of them and my boxer briefs before walking her backward toward my bed. The back of her knees hit the mattress and I gently lay her back onto the forest green blanket. Her dark hair fans out around her and her legs move back and forth. She reaches down to slide her shorts off, but I stop her. I take over for her, moving them down her smooth legs. Once I have them removed, she parts her legs, allowing me access between them. I hover above her and place my arms beside her head. My hardened dick presses against her warm center. She’s soaking wet for me.

  She lifts her hand and swipes her index finger across my cheek. The pad of her finger is smudged with black as she pulls it away and drags it down through the space between her breasts. She must have swiped at a smear of grease I got when I was out changing my oil.

  I watch her as she continues touching herself, using the same finger she used to wipe across my face. She drags her finger along each curve of her breast, circling her pebbled nipple.

  I lean down and place my mouth on her nipple, lapping the hardened pebble with my tongue. I pull back just enough to blow on it. The cool air dances across her skin and she gasps, arching her back off the mattress. I place my lips on the smooth skin of her stomach, feeling her curvy body writhe against me with every touch.

  She rakes her fingers through my hair and looks down at me with hooded eyes. “I need you now, Dallas. I need your hands on me.”

  My chest twists at her use of the same words she said to me on the day we agreed on the rules I laid out for us.

  I place my hand between her thighs, sliding my fingers between her warm folds. I circle my fingers across her clit as she breathes in. Watching Sloan react to my touch has become one of my favorite things. Her tan skin glows in the warm afternoon sun, glistening like a sheer shade of gold. She watches me as I slide my fingers down her center, pushing them inside her.

  She moans, tilting her head back again. I plunge two fingers into her, pumping them in and out a few times before sliding my other hand along her stomach, wrapping my hand around her breast. I pinch her nipple between my fingers. She gasps again, this time releasing a small yelp from her chest.

  “Fuck, Dallas. I’m going to come.” She moves her hands to reach the bottom of my chin. She tugs me forward, pulling me up to her face. I remove my fingers and place both of my hands at her sides again. She bends her legs, wrapping them around my waist. Her wet center presses against me. “I want you inside me.”

  I reach behind me and wrap my hand around the back of her knee, lifting her leg higher to give me more access. I pull my hips back and center myself in front of her before sliding into her. I groan once I’ve fully pushed my length into her. “Shit, Sloan. You feel amazing.”

  I bend down to place my lips on hers, tasting her mouth as I move my hips faster and harder. She places her hands on my back, digging her nails into my skin.

  I reach down and circle my fingers around her clit like I was before. Sloan’s body starts to quiver underneath me, her body thrumming with the orgasm building inside her.

  “Come for me,” I tell her.

  “I’m—Dallas…I’m…” As if on cue, she does just that. She grips my back and wraps her legs tighter around me. I lean back and push myself into her harder, letting her ride out her orgasm. Heat spreads across my legs, making its way up my back. Sloan pulls me down to rest against her chest as I continue moving above her. She brings her mouth to my ear, blowing against it, and it’s enough to bring me over the edge. I rock my hips into Sloan a few times, riding out my orgasm. After a few seconds, I roll to the side and fall back onto the bed in exhaustion.

  Sloan readjusts herself and wraps her arm over my chest. I place my hand on the back of her head, smoothing the strands of her hair under my fingertips.

  “By the way,” she says. “It took a bit longer because I was picking out a new song for me to sing.”

  I can’t help but smile.
I still hate that she’s playing with Gareth this weekend, but despite my anger, I can’t bring myself to break out my guitar and attempt to play it.

  I realize I’m grinning because she’s sharing more with me than I expect. Our rules don’t cover sharing the ins and outs of our lives. We’re supposed to keep it strictly down to sex. These are the pieces Sloan is leaving without realizing it, and I’m not doing anything to stop her. The rules are bending more and more with each day. I just don’t know how to stop it at this point.

  “I thought you had a few picked out already, in that book Colton gave you.”

  “Yeah.” She shakes her head and giggles. “Those songs are okay, but I didn’t feel them in my soul. I didn’t connect with them, if that makes any sense.”

  “That makes perfect sense.” I tip my chin up, adjusting my head against the pillow.

  “Right,” she says quietly. “You understand.”

  “I do.” I smile, glad to know she feels a bit better about singing with Gareth. I hate that he is playing, but I love the joy Sloan gets when she talks about singing. I still have yet to hear her voice. Every time I’ve asked her to sing, she’s refused. “I’m sure you’ll blow them away.”

  “Oh, I know I will.” She laughs against me, lifting her chin up so she can get a better view of my face. She tucks her bottom lip under her teeth as her eyes search mine. The deep shade of blue nearly swallows me whole. The feeling in my chest only gets stronger, and I don’t know how to make it stop.

  I shouldn’t be feeling this way about Sloan. I don’t want to feel this way. How can you possibly consider a relationship with someone when you’ve experienced the kind of pain I have?

  I turn my head and look up at the ceiling. “Do you miss the life you had before? I mean, not specifically Cole, just the life you had in Minnesota.”

  She shifts beside me, burying her face deeper into my chest. Her palm rests on the center of my chest, and I hold my breath. My question is already too personal, and that’s one place I swore I would never go. I swore I would never get too personal with Sloan.

  “Sometimes I do.” She breathes in deeply, pausing before elaborating. “I miss Liam the most, and his husband, Mark. Sometimes I think about how I used to go up to the mountains to ski when I was a kid. But…” She pauses, swallowing her thoughts. “At the same time, I don’t. I don’t miss it at all. I’m actually supposed to be going up there next weekend.”

  “Really?”

  “My brother-in-law got a huge promotion at work so I promised Liam I’d go for the weekend. It’s supposed to be just the two days, but I’m still nervous as hell.” She breathes in deeply. “It’s a really small town and I would hate to run into Cole or Brenna. I just don’t want to deal with that by myself and then come home feeling like shit.” She turns her head far enough for me to see her face. There’s hope in her saddened gaze. Even she doesn’t believe her own words.

  Something comes over me, causing me to say the next words that fall from my mouth. “You know, I’ve never been to Minnesota. I could go with you if you wanted, if it’ll make you feel better.”

  “What?” Her bottom lip pops out, surprised by my offer.

  Fuck. Even I’m surprised by it.

  I hold my breath and wait for her response. I immediately realize this is a risky decision, one that pushes the boundaries on what we’ve put between us.

  “Are you sure?” she asks.

  “Yeah.” I nod, looking up at the ceiling. The truth is, I want to go with Sloan to Minnesota. It will give us the chance to escape our lives here in Austin, even if only for two days. I try to clear the lump from my throat, nervous that I’ve crossed the line, and then Sloan gives me her answer.

  “Okay,” she whispers, resting her cheek on my chest once again. I swear I feel her smile against me.

  My eyes snap open to the sound of my phone vibrating across my nightstand. I sit up and swing my legs to sit on the edge of my bed. I glance over my shoulder and see that Sloan is no longer in the bed beside me. She’s gone.

  I’m surprised to see she left so late in the night. I’m sure there’s a reason. For the past week, she’s always stayed until the next morning, only going home to either change or go to work. It’s an odd feeling to not have her here. I try to remind myself that we aren’t a couple, and this is the kind of dynamic I wanted from her.

  I rub the sleep from my eyes with the heel of my hand. The sky is pitch black, save for a few bright stars. I check the time on my phone and see it’s after nine at night. Not as late as I thought.

  There’s an unread text from Sloan sitting in my inbox. I quickly slide on a pair of sweatpants before reading her message. My stomach grumbles since I haven’t eaten since lunch. I click on her text and read it as I bound down the stairs to raid my fridge.

  Sloan: Sorry I had to head out early. You looked so peaceful sleeping, so I didn’t want to wake you. I forgot I had practice with Gareth tonight. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

  I blow out a heavy breath between my lips, Sloan’s text reading loud and clear. She’s sticking to my rules, keeping our relationship strictly about sex. Annoyance makes its way down my spine, and I clench my jaw thinking of Gareth strumming his stupid fucking guitar, using it as an excuse to get closer to Sloan. I know that’s the only reason he agreed to perform in my bar.

  I drop my phone into the front pocket of my sweatpants as I round the corner to my kitchen. My bare feet stop abruptly on the hardwood floor when I see a bright blue light flash across the wall in my living room. I pass the refrigerator despite my aching stomach to see where the light is coming from.

  When I step into the living room, I see Vada curled up on my couch. A blanket is resting over her legs and her hands are resting in her lap, holding the remote to my TV. She turns her head when she sees me.

  “Seriously, Vada. You have to stop coming over unannounced. You keep scaring the shit out of me.” I turn back around to head to the kitchen. “The least you could do is send me a text ahead of time.”

  “Sorry,” she mutters.

  “When did you get here?” My heart drops into my stomach thinking she might have come in when Sloan was still here. Maybe they ran into each other when she was leaving.

  “Not too long ago.” She frowns, looking at the large clock above my TV. “Maybe ten minutes.”

  Thank god.

  My stomach settles with relief. “What are you doing here?”

  “I didn’t want to stay at my apartment by myself.” She stays on the couch, curling further into herself.

  “What, your roommate isn’t there to keep you company?”

  “No.” She looks down at the remote in her hands and absentmindedly picks at one of the buttons. “She moved out last week.”

  “What happened?” I smear peanut butter onto a slice of toast and cut it in half.

  “I don’t know.” She sighs. “Something about her falling in love with this guy she met through one of her online games. She said they were getting married, and she was moving in with him that week. No notice, nothing. On the bright side, she paid me rent in advance for the rest of my lease.”

  “Wow,” I say around a mouthful of peanut butter toast. I walk into the living room and sit in the chair opposite the couch. “I guess there’s a bright side to everything, isn’t there?”

  “I guess so.” She scrunches her nose and shakes her shoulders as if she’s shaking off a chill. “I just hate staying there by myself.”

  “You watch too many of these investigative shows. That’s why you get like this.” I point to the TV where she has a murder show still playing on mute.

  “Sure.” She turns her attention back to the TV but keeps it on mute.

  We sit together in silence for a few minutes, and I pull my phone out to respond to Sloan’s text.

  I type out a simple ‘Okay’ then shove it back into my pocket.

  “So, are you ready to hear Sloan and Gareth perform this weekend?”

  I look up as Vada adj
usts the blanket over her lap. She settles in as if she’s fluffing it, preparing to sleep there for the night.

  “I guess.”

  “I’m only asking since the stage hasn’t been used yet since you and Hailey were supposed to play together.”

  “I’m well aware, Vada.” I surprise myself by not immediately cutting her off. Before, any mention of Hailey usually sparked a fire in me enough to not want to talk about Hailey at all. I didn’t want to ever think about her because there was no point in inflicting that kind of unnecessary pain on myself. Now though, the sharp pain that once accompanied the mere mention of her name has nearly disappeared. It’s only a hollow ache in my chest.

  I catch Vada’s stare. “Sorry,” I mutter.

  Her green eyes widen slightly, clearly surprised by how calm I’m being. “Oh. It’s okay.”

  “I guess I’m interested to see how it fares for the bar and to see if it brings in more customers.” I shrug, switching back to answering her original question.

  She smiles. “Me too. Sloan seems happy to do it even though she isn’t that fond of Gareth. That girl has got some commitment. I’ll give her that.”

  “I know. I tried talking her out of it, but she insisted. Hate that fucking guy.”

  Vada rolls her eyes. “Let it go, Dallas. I have.” She laughs, and it’s enough to make me laugh in return. She sounds just like our mother. “You talked to Sloan about her performing?” Her eyebrows knit in curiosity.

  “Um, yeah.” I play it off as if it’s no big deal. “She’s mentioned it to me a few times in the past week.”

  “Huh.” She nods, tilting her head to the side.

  “I guess we’ll see how she does this weekend,” I say.

  “I guess so.”