All Chapters of Against the Rules: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Sloane POV—Later that night, long after the music had faded and Lila’s soft snores drifted from the bedroom, I slipped out onto the balcony. The sliding door whispered shut behind me, but I left it cracked just enough for the humid air to seep in, wrapping around my bare legs like a lover’s breath. A silk camisole clung to my flushed skin, the thin fabric doing little to hide the hardening peaks of my nipples. Below, the ocean crashed against the shore in relentless rhythm, and above, stars scattered across the black sky like distant witnesses. I leaned against the railing, the cool metal biting into my palms, grounding me as my mind wandered to the stranger from the club.I closed my eyes, letting the breeze tease the edges of my hair, lifting it off my neck in soft, insistent strokes. The memory hit me hard. The way his hand had pressed firm against the small of my back, guiding me through the pulsing crowd. His breath had been hot against my ear, words lost in the bass but the in

Sloane POV—The sun had set hours ago, but I had finally calmed down enough to return to reality and enjoy my vacation with others.The warm glow of lanterns strung across the resort’s patio gave the evening a dreamy, almost surreal quality. I sipped my drink and watched the waves lap against the shore, the soft crash of water mingling with the distant laughter of vacationers. Lila leaned back on the lounge chair, and I sat beside her.“Look at you, already scanning the horizon,” Lila teased. “Someone catch your eye?”I rolled my eyes, though a smile tugged at my lips. “Maybe,” I admitted. “It’s been a while since I’ve just… enjoyed being noticed.”It didn’t take long for it to happen. A group of guys had wandered over from a nearby bar, laughing and joking as they ordered drinks from the waitstaff. One of them, a tall, dark-haired guy with an easy smile, gave me a lingering glance. I felt a flicker of interest, a small heat that had nothing to do with the sun.He approached, introdu

Dalton POV—Friday’s lecture dragged on in agonizing slowness. The slides scrolled across the projector, the material perfectly fine in content but sterile, lifeless, lacking the usual spark that Sloane brought into the room. I sat back in my chair, tapping my pen absently against the desk, my mind wandering. Without her, the class felt like a ticking clock, each minute stretching endlessly.Halfway through, my phone buzzed. A message from an old colleague, a fellow professor from the neighboring department, popped up.Drinks tonight? Catch up and blow off some steam. - HaydenI considered ignoring it, but the monotony of the day made me realize I needed more than a quiet evening.By the time class ended, I had accepted. The idea of a few hours away from campus, a few drinks to take the edge off, sounded like the perfect antidote to the boredom and lingering tension that had been building all week.The bar was dimly lit, the low murmur of conversation punctuated by the clink of glass

Sloane POV—The moment I woke up the next morning, the warm, humid air of the Bahamas gave way to the dry chill of campus autumn. I tugged my sweatshirt tighter around me and sighed. Vacation over. Back to stress, sarcasm, and the ever-irritating Professor Dalton.After a couple hours set aside for studying and coffee, Lila finally got back from her family get together.“Home sweet hell,” Lila muttered beside me, dragging her suitcase through the door. “Think he missed you?”I smirked. “Oh, I’m sure he’s counting down the seconds until I challenge his authority again.”We both laughed, but the truth was, I almost had missed it. As exhausting as Dalton could be, their arguments had a spark to them I didn’t get anywhere else. Still, I wasn’t about to admit that out loud.Tired of studying and now distracted by Lila's arrival, I collapsed on her bed, scrolling aimlessly through my phone as Lila unpacked across the room.“I think I am going to try to keep up the curling of my hair.” I sa

Dalton POV—I woke to the sound of my alarm and the unmistakable taste of regret.The room was too bright, too loud, and too damn real. My head throbbed like someone had taken a philosophy textbook and slammed it repeatedly against my skull. I squinted at the clock and groaned into my pillow. 7:42 a.m. I hadn’t been that drunk in years.The memory came back in jagged flashes: The bar down the street from campus. Too many bourbons. Darren from the English department rambling about tenure. Hayden from the Science department laughing at my club experience. And then… God help me… My phone.I sat up sharply. My stomach dropped.“Shit.”I scrambled for my phone on the nightstand. Notifications glared back at me, mostly junk, a few departmental emails, and then one that made my blood run cold.Sent: 1:17 a.m. To: Sloane Mercer“Oh no.” I opened it, hoping I’d hallucinated.But no, there it was. My own words, sloppy and too honest.Subject:Hey,Nt sur how muuuch sense this wokl make,