Secret Heir (Dynasty #1)(61)

Keller and Dani keep my mind off Raph with their jokes and pervy comments as they ogle the other players on the field. It’s probably the first time they’ve ever spoken, but they get on like a house on fire. It’s not surprising, because they’re both real and grounded in a way that not many students at Regency are.

When the match is over, Keller leads us down to the field where some of the players are all still celebrating their victory. My stomach twists when I see Raph standing in the middle of the field. Shirtless. Sweat glistens from his golden skin and it’s difficult not to stare, because the guy is cut like a diamond.

The twisting in my stomach turns into a sickening feeling when I realize who’s standing next to him.

Layla is wearing a tight, hot pink, dress that shows off her cleavage and slender figure perfectly. It strikes me as a bit much for a soccer match, but none of the players seem to be complaining as they ogle her.

I can’t deny that I’m pleased to see that Raph isn’t one of those guys ogling. But he is standing with her and he doesn’t push her away when she places a hand on his forearm in what’s clearly a possessive gesture. Great, they’re back together no doubt—not that I ever knew what was really going on between them. Only that Raph indicated that they were over but as Dani had told me before—one minute they’re off, the next they’re on. Bitterness creeps into me because maybe he was just using me to distract himself from whatever drama he had going on with Layla and I hate the fact that I’ve become a footnote in their ‘epic love story’.

Raph doesn’t notice me standing there with Keller and Dani. But Baron does and he jogs over to us.

“Good game, B,” Keller says when Baron reaches us, slapping him a high five.

“Hey, Dani, nice seeing you again” he greets her with that lady killer smile and I think I see Dani blush.

“Jazmine, I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages, too. You’re always staying after class or holed up in your room with Raph.”

Dani is staring at me in shock, because I haven’t exactly mentioned that up until yesterday night, Raph had effectively moved himself into my room and that we’d been sharing a bed for the past few weeks. In fact, I was hoping that it had gone unnoticed. But Baron and Keller’s rooms are in the same wing, so clearly they have noticed.

I still try to deny it though, letting out a forced laugh.

“What? That’s crazy—Raph doesn’t hang out in my room.”

I want to wipe the shit-eating grin off Baron’s face.

“So, I haven’t seen him sneaking out of your room every morning and he hasn’t been sleeping in your room every night?”

He looks back at me nonchalantly, like he hasn’t just dropped a truth bomb about something that I would’ve cut off my own arm to keep other people from knowing.

Dani looks like she’s about to explode with the questions that I know she’s dying to bombard me with. Keller doesn’t look surprised, though, because like Baron, she clearly hasn’t been oblivious to the new rooming situation on our wing.

I’m saved from saying anything as a familiar face comes into view.

“Who’s been sleeping in whose room every night?” Devon asks, clearly having overheard those last words. I hope that it’s the only thing he overheard.

He looks pretty damn good, freshly showered and in his soccer jacket. That boyish smile, hazel eyes and clean cut wholesomeness makes him the kind of guy you’d want to bring home to meet the family. Not that I have any apart from Magnus. But still, I can appreciate that wholesomeness.

“No one,” I answer quickly. Maybe too quickly. I’m well aware that my face is flaming.

Baron looks like he’s enjoying this too much.

“Anyway, if someone had been … doing that …” I say hurriedly. “It’s not happening anymore and it will never happen again. Because that is now over. Before anything even started.”

Devon looks totally baffled. But that’s a good thing because no way do I want this guy, this cute guy, who is potentially interested in me and doesn’t come with a million complications, thinking that I’ve been rolling around in bed with Raph St. Tristan.

Baron throws a smirk at me.

“Are you sure about that? Because Raph is staring at you so hard right now, those big blue eyes look like they’re about to fall out of his pretty head.”

Shit. So much for not naming any names. I shoot Baron a look of death as he flashes me another shit-eating grin before jogging off to join his groupies.

Dani throws me a look and mutters something under her breath that thankfully I think only I can hear.

“Lip-brushing, huh?”

Keller is almost pissing herself with laughter. But I’m not laughing as I look over at Raph, who is indeed staring. Staring hard.

Screw him.

I turn to Devon, giving him my full attention.

“So, are you coming to tonight’s after game party?”

He looks nervous and it’s kind of sweet.

I hesitate because inexperience means that I don’t know what the proper etiquette is —is he just asking if I’m coming to the party generally or is he asking me to come with him? And all of this is difficult enough without having to focus on blocking out a certain pair of uncanny blue eyes which are still trying to burn a hole into me.