Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,29
allow me to stare.
Now, that seemed to be all I could do.
Kai killed the engine, and I was drawn to the curtain of dark hair that covered most of his back when he undid his seatbelt and turned. The sharp edges of his tattoos could still be seen beneath it, and I focused on the symbols as he jumped from the jeep. The whole freakin’ vehicle shifted suddenly, leaning to the side where Paulo still sat.
The motion reminded me of the size of their formidable bodies—exquisite shrines of sun-kissed skin and hard muscle. Suddenly parched, I swallowed hard.
Paulo grinned while pivoting in his seat, placing one of his large feet down on the ground. His gaze narrowed and intensified when he grinned.
“What’s the matter, Princess?” he asked. “Upset we spoiled your plans?”
That snarky undertone was there, like usual, and I hated it as much now as I did when we first met. His gaze shifted to something behind me, and I peered over my shoulder to find Tristan watching. The look of frustration he wore was hard to miss, and when Paulo’s deep, raspy laugh touched my ears, it was clear he noticed it too.
How was it possible for the sound of a guy’s laugh to give a girl goosebumps?
Realizing I zoned out while staring, I cleared my throat as he cast a questioning look my way.
“Or maybe you don’t want us here because you’re worried your little boyfriend will get the wrong idea about us hanging around,” he suggested. “I mean, kid looks mighty suspicious.”
Paulo grinned when he finished, causing heat to spike within me. I felt flush, like my face was suddenly on fire.
“First of all, anyone would seem little compared to you behemoths,” I snapped. “And second, Tristan isn’t my boyfriend.” Right away, I was aware of having responded a bit too defensively.
Paulo laughed. “Is that so?”
He’d asked in such a way that I knew he didn’t expect a response. Instead, his intrepid gaze did a slow sweep over me. Starting at the purple polish on my toenails, drifting up my legs and thighs to my quivering stomach. Then, finally, his eyes settled on mine.
My shoulders moved in dramatic fashion as massive gulps of air passed through my parted lips. I had to admit something, something I totally hated. He’d gotten to me. Somehow, I’d managed to become one of those girls whose thoughts could be swayed by a hard body and devilish smile.
A point that was further proven when Kai came to the side where I stood, grabbing a case of drinks from the backseat. It was impossible to decide which of them was more exciting to gawk at, which brought me to the conclusion that the answer to that question was ‘both’.
Or, dare I say, all four. In their absence, the other two had certainly not been forgotten.
My stomach rolled with butterflies, and I felt even more naked when Kai walked close. Eyeing me up and down, I would’ve sworn he purposely let his arm brush mine gently as he passed on his way to the shore.
“So,” Paulo spoke up once we were alone, “are you planning to get in the water?”
That seemed like a weird question to ask, since I was dressed for the occasion and all. It warranted a snide, one-word answer. “Duh.”
For some stupid reason, I liked that I couldn’t seem to annoy him. Instead, whenever snarky comments left my mouth, he seemed more amused than anything.
“I only ask because, if that’s not your plan, you might want to cover up.”
Glancing down at myself, I looked at the bikini, questioning whether the statement was meant to shame me for showing skin. What I chose to wear was definitely not his business.
“Excuse me?”
He ignored the obvious offense in my tone and finally stood from the jeep, stretching tall just like Kai had done. When he stepped closer, I had to admit how they all took my breath away. Heaven help me, but as I stood in his shadow while he stared down on me, I felt my knees weaken a bit.
“Well, don’t look now,” Paulo smirked, “but I’m a little concerned that ‘Not-Your-Boyfriend’ might put someone’s eye out with that thing if you don’t decide soon. Kid’s adjusted the front of his shorts a good ten times in the last two minutes.”
It took a moment to get the joke, but when I did, I felt my lips stretch with a smile. One Paulo didn’t miss.