Playboy Princes (Royals of Arbon Academy, #2)(23)

Rafe's hand came to rest on my waist, and I braced myself so I didn't jump out of my boots with shock. He was touching me. Voluntarily. In front of someone. And it wasn't to hurt me. Or... I didn't think so.

"I wouldn't know," Rafe replied, his words underscored with growling anger. "But I'll be sure to let Mattie know you're planning to disrespect her. Again."

Zach's grin was so wide he was starting to seem unhinged. He raked his gaze over my body, pausing and giving a pointed look at where Rafe's hand still rested on my waist. His thumb had somehow found a strip of exposed skin between my jeans and jacket, and I needed to bite my cheek hard to stop from leaning into that touch.

"I'll see you around, Rafael," Zach said after a long, tense moment. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Violet." He gave another smirk, then sauntered away down the empty corridor.

It wasn’t until he was gone from sight that I gasped.

"What?" Rafe demanded. Neither of us had moved, so he was still standing behind me with his hand on my waist. His thumb stroked ever so lightly across my skin, like a subconscious movement.

"He just..." I spun around to face Rafe, my brow pulling low in a worried frown. "He used my name."

Rafe arched a dark brow. "So?" His hand was still on my waist. Now that I was facing him, it seemed... intimate. Yet I wasn't moving away.

I shook my head. "I never introduced myself. In fact, at first he acted like he had no idea who I was."

This made Rafe's brow drop into a scowl of his own, but he didn't look shocked. Just annoyed.

"He's playing games," he informed me. "And they’re overstepping. I'll take care of it."

Before I could ask him who “they” were, the locked door opened again, and this time I heard it. Still... I didn't move out of Rafe's touch.

Yep, there was something seriously wrong with my brain.

"Hey, Vi, what are you doing here?" Jordan asked, shouldering his heavy sports bag and running a hand through his disheveled chestnut hair.

He really was gorgeous.

"I came to see you," I told him.

"Oh." He blinked at me with surprise, then his gaze darted down to where Rafe's hand remained against my body. "How come?"

Rafe gave my waist a small squeeze, then stepped away, and I felt noticeably colder for the absence of his touch.

"Mattie told me about..." I trailed off suddenly remembering I wasn’t supposed to mention it. Shit. Thankfully, Jordan didn’t seem upset with me; he just shot a sad smile my way.

"About my big bad brother? Yeah, I figured that might come out some time today."

I wrinkled my nose and gave a nod. "Sorry. He seems like a total asshole. Like, worse than Rafe."

The Swiss heir snorted a laugh, and Jordan smirked.

"That's a big call," he told me, slinging his arm around my shoulders and walking with me. "Rafe takes being an asshole to whole new levels some days."

I laughed, but this time Rafe didn’t. Whatever. He knew he was an ass.

"So what's the plan this afternoon?" Jordan continued on, oblivious or unconcerned with the tension between me and Rafe.

The doors behind us banged again, and Nolan called out. "Thanks for waiting, dickheads!"

We paused while he caught up, and he tugged me free of Jordan's arm to hug me himself. "New girl! Did you see all the awesomeness that happened out there? We kicked those Princeton Prick's butts!"

"Is that what that was?" I teased him. "'Cause it sure looked like you scraped that win by the skin of your teeth. But hey, what would I know?"

Nolan clutched at his chest, gasping dramatically like I'd stabbed him, while his friends chuckled.

"Harsh, New Girl. Real harsh. So what were we talking about? Sorting out your complicated love life? How's that all going, anyway? You and Jordy fucking yet?" There you had it, Nolan, Prince of the Guays, Master of Tact and Subtlety.

"Jesus, Noles," Jordan muttered, giving him a headshake. Meanwhile Rafe just punched him in the shoulder.

"What?" my red-haired friend asked, all wide-eyed innocence. Shithead. "Okay fine. If you three weren't about to have a DP threesome in the janitor’s closet, what were you talking about? Was it me? Were you discussing how great I look today? It's okay, you can tell me."

I rolled my eyes, fighting back a laugh. Despite the awkward subject matter—and how hot that suggestion of a threesome made me—Nolan was fucking fun.

"I was just about to tell the guys how Drake is having a party tonight," I said. "And Alex has demanded I attend as his date."

"What? No!" Nolan exclaimed.

"Hell no," Jordan snapped, folding his arms over his chest.

"Not. Happening." Rafe bit his words off like they were poisoned.

I sighed. "As cute as this little show of macho caveman bullshit is, have we all forgotten how very capable I am of handling myself?" I arched a brow and leveled each of the three of them with a warning glare. Okay. Just two of them. I was too shaky and turned on to fully meet Rafe's eyes.

"Besides," I continued. "Mattie has other plans."

Nolan barked a laugh as he relaxed. "Of course she does."